AntB Pottery

My Mug in a Mag!

2012-01-30T21:17:00.000-08:00

I just got notification that my Valentine Travel Mug will be appearing in Model Life Magazine for their Valentine's Issue. I think it is coming out sometime this week!

What a nice surprise!

Help Kill SOPA!

2011-12-13T07:06:00.001-08:00

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Blog Feature!

2011-12-12T14:10:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow, one of my mugs is being featured on Totus Mel's Wunderkammer.

If you haven't see Totus Mel's blog yet, you are missing a Steampunk mountain of goodness!

Check it out! And keep an eye out for my mug!

In My Mail Today...

2011-11-17T13:00:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks ago I saw that my handmade soap stash was getting low.

Now, if there is one thing that I just HAVE to buy handmade, its soap. High quality glycerin soap, or especially cold process made-the-old-fashioned-way soap is so much nicer than what I can buy in the grocery store!

So, I was searching on Etsy, and found a shop called Winter Rose Soap. The shop is small, but the soap sounded lovely, and the prices were amazing. I think I got eight bars. (My favorite is the Barry Beelicious Soap).

I got the package lightning fast, and the soaps smelled wonderfully good. I put bars around the house right away and began to use them. They were terrific!

After I left feedback, the shop owner contacted me, and thanked me for the feedback. I commented on how much I liked her soaps and how cute the hats were in her shop. She said she made Monster Hats for toddlers, and I asked for a price, but forgot to follow up on it.

Today, I got a big padded envelope in the mail, and in it were the cutest ever hats, including a little Mouse hat and an adorable pink monster hat that just fits my granddaughter!

There were also more soaps! I am so pleased, and my granddaughter put the pink hat on and is wearing it around the house because she loves it so much!

So, a huge THANK YOU! to Cathleen at Winter Rose Soap and Country Store on Etsy

Amazeballs and CF4L!

2011-11-16T08:26:00.000-08:00

This week, in my SecondChanceCeramics shop on Etsy, I was asked by April Winchell, the creator of the Regretsy blog to do a special order.

She liked it, and posted a photo of it on her Member's Only site.

(To get in, the password is cf4l )

Since then my shop traffic is through the roof in both AntB on Etsy and SecondChanceCeramics.

AND, I was offered to try out for a feature in a European magazine, and have been offered some features on other blogs.

WOW!

So a big shout out THANK YOU to April, aka Helen Killer, and to all the Fat Jealous Losers who have been stopping by my shops!

Winners!

2011-11-01T08:10:00.000-07:00

Both Witchylana and Mars will get witch hat sets!

Thanks so much for commenting!

I hope your Samhain was as much fun as mine!

Happy Samhain! and Giveaway!

2011-10-31T08:00:00.000-07:00

OK, I lied.

Just comment below to have a chance to win three witch hat ornaments.

These are made from white stoneware that I formed by hand into a hat shapes. They were glazed in various ways and strung with a cotton cord. They vary in size but each is about 2 inches (5 cm) tall and 1.5 to 2 inches (4 or 5 cm) wide.

Use them on a branch, in your window, on wreathes, or as a gift toppers for your witchy friends.

Check out my shop for more sets, too!

So, go on and comment, and

Happy Samhain!

HALLOWEEN SALE

2011-10-30T09:14:00.000-07:00

Happy Samhain!

I usually do a giveaway on this holiday, but since I just did one, I am having a sale instead.

I am having a HALLOWEEN SALE on some of the more batty and buggy things in my shops. I marked them off from 10 to 20 percent.

To find the special sales, look for HALLOWEEN SALE in the title.

AND If you took me up on my coupon code from the giveaway, you also now have and EXTRA 20% DISCOUNT you can add on. Whew!

But take advantage of the prices this weekend...

Because on Tuesday, the prices go back to normal.

My shops are http://www.etsy.com/shop/SecondChanceCeramics

And http://www.etsy.com/shop/antb

PS... If you missed the coupon codes, Convo me, and I will still give them out.

I've Been Stalked!

2011-10-25T09:01:00.000-07:00

Do you notice the new badge on my blog?

I just got a note saying I have been featured on EtsyStalker.com for my bat soap dish. You can see the post, here, on Etsy Stalker.

But be careful, that site is addictive! I spend a good hour looking at the luscious stuff the curators have found and reading the articles.

Yay! Thanks Etsy Stalker!

Winners!

2011-10-24T09:52:00.000-07:00

Rengawk won the Mermaid bowl and

Allie won the Mug!

Giveaway and Another Shop

2011-10-14T23:11:00.000-07:00

This giveaway is to celebrate a second shop opening.

I am just getting Second Chance Ceramics on Etsy started.

As some of you might know, I have been playing with adding decals to my handmade pottery. While I was experimenting, I used some white diner-type ware I had on hand to try out some graphics and to fill a kiln. They were supposed to be just an experiment, but they turned out so well, that my daughter and son wanted some for their apart

ments. I made more, and their friends

wanted some. I put photos on flickr and more people wanted some.

So, I decided to do this right and make the wares into a shop all by itself. If you are interested in the process, read my profile on SecondChanceCeramics on Etsy.

So, if you read all that you deserve a prize, and here it is:

Just comment which of the two dishes pictured here you would like best to win, and you are entered to win that item from Second Chance Ceramics.

One is a pagan themed mug with birds, pentacles and an image of the Greenman in stone, and the other is a little mermaid bowl with an octopus and other steampunkish things. There is a lid you can put on the bowl for storage in the fridge.

Be sure to leave some way for me to contact you if you win, like your Etsy name, or your blog or twitter or something.

I will chose a winner for the mug and the bowl next Monday, so comments are closed, on October 22nd. At midnight my time (USA Central) or thereabouts.

You can comment twice if you want to be in the drawing for each thing. Make them separate comments though, please. Thanks!

SPECIAL BONUS:

If you convo me on Etsy I will give you discount codes for my shops.

Convo me on my all handmade pottery shop AntB and I

will give you a code for that shop, or convo me on SecondChanceCeramics for a discount code for that shop. Convo me on both if you want both. :)

Share the codes with your friends!

The codes will be active through January 1, 2012.

A Day at the Sale Barn

2011-10-12T08:15:00.000-07:00

The past summer I have had a booth at three farmer's markets. I have had varying success selling pottery. One market has been great, the others have just been so-so.

But the very best part of being at the Farmer's markets all summer has been getting to know the vendors. I was fortunate enough to get booth space right in the middle of a bunch of organic produce vendors and not in the row with the other 'stuff sellers' as they call us.

They have all been selling together for years, and at first they just ignored me. But a few traded pots, some questions about gardens, and their natural friendliness all worked in my favor and we made friends. I have been going most Saturday evenings to one vendor's farm for outdoor showings of movies and popcorn. One vender gives me gardening advice and chats about his first garden. He found out I like to cook, and has been getting recipes for his produce from me to tell his customers. Another vendor lets me glean her rows after picking if I dispose of the plant matter in the compost for her.

This last vendor, Linda, has been amazingly kind. She has been giving me extra cases (!) of produce to can in exchange for just a few of the results. A couple weeks ago she casually asked why I didn't buy my produce at the Sale Barn if I was canning it.

"Sale Barn?"

I remember my aunts and uncles going to a Sale Barn near my hometown to buy and sell cows and sheep. But I had only gone once or twice, and I didn't remember there being a produce component to it.

She invited me to meet her the following week.

I followed her directions about 20 miles south of my rather big city, and ended up at a farm. I knew I was there by the sign, and by the rows of trucks parked everywhere along the gravel road. As I got out and made my way to the back of the farm where I was to meet Linda, I passed rows and rows of animals in cages- rabbits, chickens, ducks, and also pets like ferrets, kittens and even a couple of lizards. These would be auctioned off, and there were a wide range of people waiting. There were two very Chicago-looking couples (one woman had a purse dog) and some folks with pet store logo shirts. A few Mennonite and Amish, and a bunch of folks in feed logo caps.

Next were tables and rows of stuff. These were possessions people had brought to be sold. Then a concession area, and an area with more expensive looking items- antiques and equipment. Finally, behind one of the barns in a lean-to along one side was the produce. Linda was waiting.

She had already purchased a bidding number, and the auction was just about to start. I was boggled by the amount of food there: bushels and bushels of apples and pears, bags of walnuts, boxes of freshly dug potatoes, huge heads of sunflowers with the seeds intact, squash and pumpkins of all colors, sizes and shapes, some late grapes, tomatoes of all colors, cauliflower in purple white and orange, and a few pails of plums.

Linda saw my face and warned me not to bid too much this time. She said that the first time at an auction can be overwhelming, and you can get carried away and spend way too much without thinking. I saw all that lovely produce and knew she was right. We agreed that five dollars should be my limit.

I'll admit I was disappointed. I had hoped to walk away with some veggies or something to put up, but I also knew that I needed to take Linda's advice. She told me a story or two of her first auctions, and how she had purchased silly things, and I didn't want to get caught out that way.

The auction began, and since I had been at the farmer's market all season long, I had a feeling for veggie and fruit prices. But Linda told me this was wholesale. Some things were being sold by the piece, like big pumpkins, and some squash, but then they were also sold by the lot. The prices were wonderfully low from a buyer's standpoint, but I wondered how the growers could stand to part with their produce so cheaply.

Apples sold for 15.00 a bushel that week, 20.00 a bushel for Honeycrisp. I had eagerly paid 1.00 for 3 Honeycrisp apples the week before at the farmer's market. It was terribly hard to keep to my only-spend-5-dollars budget but I didn't give in and buy the apples. The plums- lovely golden plums- sold for a song, but the song was more than 5 dollars. I really thought I would only get to buy a squash or two. Then came the pears.

The auctioneer did his usual brief description of the item and people asked questions.

They were windfalls and low hanging fruit from a local unsprayed tree. Keep the orchard baskets. Variety? Probably Comice, too juicy to cook with, and these were ripe and ready to eat in a day or two. There were 10 bushels, the bidding was for a whole bushel. If you won the bid you could take as many bushels as you wanted for that price for each bushel. You could see the crowd losing interest. The auctioneer started the bidding at 10 dollars. No takers. 5 dollars, nothing. I looked at Linda hopefully. A bushel of pears would be lovely to can. Most were good and they had rosy cheeks. I wanted a basket! Linda shook her head.

4 dollars. Nothing. 3.50? Nothing. I was trembling. I wanted those pears, but Linda's mouth was a grim line and I knew better than to bid.

3 dollars. Nothing. The auctioneer was getting frustrated. He held at 3 for an eternity. 2.50? Do I hear 2.50? Linda shoved me, smiling. I yelped and the auctioneer said, "Is that 2.50?" I nodded.

SOLD for 2.50!

I got TWO BUSHELS! :) They are sweet, juicy and the best pears I have tasted for ages.

I am canning today!

Front Page

2011-10-05T18:34:00.000-07:00

This treasury made it to the front page on Etsy this morning!

Treasury

2011-09-11T19:57:00.000-07:00

Etsy Treasury

2011-09-07T06:18:00.001-07:00

2011-09-06T19:19:00.001-07:00

Going Camping!

2011-08-10T09:22:00.000-07:00

We are going camping from today, August 10 to about August 15. I will be checking into my shop once in a while during that time to answer convos, and once to mail packages. So convos and shipping will be slightly delayed during this time. Thanks for your patience!

Ant

Front Page Times Two!

2011-08-08T09:43:00.000-07:00

So, I was on the front page of Etsy TWICE in one day, early this morning:

In this treasury:

Then immediately after in this one:
They showed at around 4 and 5 am central time, so I missed them, but friends let me know. What a fun thing to wake up to!

An Admirable Admiral

2011-07-11T16:59:00.000-07:00

On Etsy, there are Teams organized for buyers and sellers. The teams are to build community and as a place to go for help.

One of the teams I am on is April's Army, and it has been a source of encouragement and fun, as well as a place to share joys and sorrows, successes and failures. I have enjoyed every minute of it!

This team has a hardworking Team Captain named Mary who now needs a helping hand.

So check out her shop, grab some great soap and jewelry if you can. If you aren't in a place where you can shop now than share the link. Spread the word on Facebook, or Twitter, stumbleupon, google +, reddit, digg...I think you get the point. Help a wonderful lady anyway you can.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/WickdCreation

Two Cuties!

2011-07-07T09:29:00.000-07:00

Shortly after my giveaway back in April, I was contacted by Blayne, the owner of Happy Zoo on Etsy, who

won the little octopus bowl. She wanted a larger one for her son for his birthday.

She proposed a trade, and one look at the adorable shirts in her shop made me say YES! My grandaughter needed one of those!

Luckily, her son's birthday was a couple months off, since my wheel broke shortly after we decided on the trade!

But, I got the bowl made and shipped in time, and she sent me the cutest shirt in return, along with a freebie, (that she says is a second, but I can't see any flaw anywhere!!) My grandsweetie LOVES the shirt, and choses it every time it comes out of the wash. The shirt is a really good quality T shirt, and the colors stay bright and sweet. I love the design we chose! Blayne was great about letting us get a pattern that wasn't in her shop but that she had available- And she didn't act like I was being super picky about it (even though I was, kinda!)

I think I am going to have to go back and get a few more shirts in larger sizes, because this is easily a favorite shirt all around, and I can see her wanting to have (at least) one for the next couple of seasons!

And, you gotta admit it! She looks darn cute in it too!

Oh, and she sent me this photo. It looks like her cute little guy likes the bowl! Yay!

(Both photos are used with the parents' permission!)

50% OFF!

2011-06-27T11:41:00.001-07:00

I am clearing out some of my older stock, and putting it on sale!

There are plates, platters and a lettered bowl or two.

Please, stop by and ... well, BUY!

Thanks!

Ant

Winner!

2011-06-24T19:21:00.000-07:00

Thank you all for commenting!

Mars is the winner!

I will be mailing out the prize!

Happy Solstice!

2011-06-20T20:35:00.000-07:00

Happy Litha!

For this Solstice, I am giving away a garden marker that says CREATE on it. It seemed appropriate, since so many people here are crafty, creative people! This was made from stoneware, and can be used indoors or out, year round.

If you would like to win this, just leave a comment along with how I can contact you (your etsy name, twitter, facebook, or something!).

In your comment let me know something you are working on creatively. Feel free to link to your shop, if you have one, or your Deviant art page.

Comments will be open until Midnight, June 23 (Thurs. night). Then I will choose one comment at random to win the whole set. Its that easy!

And while you are out and about, please check out my shop on Etsy, antb.etsy.com.

So, get to commenting, and HAPPY Solstice!

New Pottery!

2011-06-15T15:42:00.000-07:00

Whoohoo! I finally got a kiln finished, and here are some of what I pulled out:

There are lots more, too! I put some in last night, and the rest I will be adding to my shop over the next week or so. Yay!

Wheel Repair

2011-05-29T20:23:00.000-07:00

Two months ago my potter's wheel broke.

If you have never used a potter's wheel, the kind I use is an electric one with a foot pedal that adjusts the speed. The pedal on mine, one day, refused to shut off the wheel.

I called the company, and the wheel was still under warranty, so I sent in the motor and the pedal and they said they would check it out and let me know. (I have a Pacifica from Laguna Clay Company. )

After they had it a week, they called and said a piece had been damaged inside the pedal, and it wasn't covered by their warranty. But, they would replace it for free anyway, just as good customer service.

Whew!

I was quite happy with this!

Unfortunately, there were some staff changes at Laguna, and my motor and pedal were set aside and not mailed back for another month. They were marked as having been sent, but after I called and said they hadn't arrived, they found they hadn't actually been mailed off.

That stuff happens, and overall I am thrilled with the service that Laguna has, and how nice everyone was there, dealing with them on the phone.

But, it does mean I have been without a wheel for TWO MONTHS.

I got my wheel back together last week and have been throwing like the wind. I will soon have a kiln full again, and hopefully will have new stuff for the Etsy shop within a week or two.

Meanwhile, I have been making things that don't need a wheel, and have been really enjoying that, too.

Winner!

2011-05-03T18:21:00.000-07:00

The winner of the Beltane pottery was Gherkin, of

http://www.etsy.com/shop/lovemeornamentals.

She was one of those who couldn't post, but contacted me off Blogger.

I am sorry Blogspot wouldn't let some of you post! I hope they get this fixed before the next giveaway!

And, I hope your Beltane was blessed!

Happy Beltane Giveaway!

2011-04-29T15:23:00.002-07:00

Happy Beltane!!

Happy Beltane!

This year I am giving away a slightly second altar set.

These poor little dishes need a good home! They are sweet and gorgeous, but so unappreciated! If you don’t mind a little ‘personality’ in your pottery, this set is for you! Each one of these pieces has a little something that is not quite right. It is a small flaw for each one, but a flaw that would make it so that it would be hard to sell in the shop.

But each one looks great, and will work well on the altar.

Since these all look so well together too, I decided to make them a set.

If you would like to win them, just leave a comment along with how I can contact you (your etsy name, twitter, facebook, or something!).

In your comment let me know how your Spring is going, and your plans for Summer.

Comments will be open until Midnight, May 2 (Monday night). Then I will choose one comment at random to win the whole set. Its that easy!

And while you are out and about, please check out my shop on Etsy, antb.etsy.com.

So, get to commenting, and HAPPY BELTANE!

EDIT: Some folks tell me they cannot comment here. If that happens to you, please use the 'convo' feature at Etsy and let me know you are interested and I will put your name in the hat. Or let me know on the Regretsy forum, or Twitter or wherever you saw me post this. I will be sure to put you in the running.

Grandma Doll Does Charity

2011-04-27T18:54:00.000-07:00

* I donated these miniatures to Aprilsarmy.etsy.com, a charity shop on Etsy. This month's money will go to Jason, who will use the donations for expenses while getting experimental treatments for pancreatic cancer. Please check out the shop, and 'heart' Grandma's jugs!*

Grandma Doll needs to get her jugs reduced. She says her jug collection is way too large, and they are spilling out all over the place. They are in the way, and have to be lifted from place to place to makeroom. So much so that Grandma says her shoulders hurt from hauling them around. Her jugs are so big that when she lays down they fall into her armpits! That is way too big! Her collection, I mean.

Grandpa doesn't want her to get a jug reduction. He likes her jugs just fine the way they are. Grandpa begged her to reconsider, but Grandma insisted. Grandpa finally agreed to take pictures ofGrandma's overabundant collection.
Grandpa took a very long time photographing Grandma's jugs. It really seemed to cheer him up.

These jugs are about one inch tall. One of them hasa crack in the bottom, but it is hard to see unless you lay them on the floor and lie on top of them and smoosh them up toyour chin.

Winners!

2011-04-12T05:31:00.000-07:00

Congrats to Blayne and Berta, who won the Octopus and Rabbit bowls respectively.

I will be contacting them and sending the bowls out!

Thanks to all the commenters!

I do giveaways about once every six weeks, so check back often and play again!

Features and Freebies!

2011-04-10T06:28:00.001-07:00

This week has been a great one for my Etsy shop. First, a treasury I put together was featured on the launch page of Craftcult.

Ok, it showed up at 2:30 AM my time, but I am sure the folks in Australia loved it.

Next, one of my items was featured on the Mind Body Spirit Marketplace Fanpage and had a sidebar on their blog. (You can still see the hearth they featured- just scroll down a bit- and while you are there, give me a 'like'!)

Then a treasury one of my rock boxes was in was on the front page of Etsy.com yesterday at 10 am central time. I actually got to see it! So much fun!

To top it off, the weather finally got warm enough and dry enough for me to plant a few things in my garden. It has been sitting ready for days, but the weather hasn't cooperated. What a

wonderful, truly grounding way to finish the week. (sorry for the pun).

Because I have had such a great week, I think I should share the joy! Remember the steampunk and rabbit bowls from last week's post? Well, I think one of them would look nice at YOUR house, don't you?

Just leave a comment below before tomorrow, midnight central time. On Tuesday morning I will choose a commenter at random and they get the bowl of their choice.

In your comment tell my which

bowl you like if you win, and how to contact you (an etsy name, facebook, blog, or twitter).

Also, if anything good has happened to you lately, I would love to hear and share your joy too!

I am going to be featured on Mind Body Spirit Marketplace

2011-04-06T17:35:00.000-07:00

My Etsy Shop is getting featured Thursday on

the Facebook page for the Mind Body Spirit Marketplace.

Also, the day that I am featured on the Facebook page,

I will also have a sidebar on the associated blog.

www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Mind-Body-Spirit-Marketplace/138709911986

Blog: www.mindbodyspiritodyssey.com

It is a great pair of sites,

so if you can, please take a look!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have been trying to get decals to work, and finally think I've got a

couple of glazes that will work nicely.

Here are some photos of the nicest tries so far.

I like the vintage images, and I love that I can make a sort of
collage on the pottery with these.

Not only that, but I can manipulate images or draw my own
before creating them as decals so
the possibilities are endless.

I especially like the Steampunk bowl.

Eating oatmeal moves to a whole new

level in a well steamy bowl!

An Etsy Treasury

2011-04-05T16:09:00.000-07:00

This is a collection I made using Etsy's treasury feature:

Happy April Fool's Day!

2011-04-01T20:43:00.000-07:00

Today was April Fool's Day, and I made dinner.

The theme was PASTA!

We started off the meal with some nice spaghetti with marinara sauce. The vegetable was squash. For desert was a cake.

But really, the courses were reversed, the spaghetti was frosting looped over angel food cake with pureed frozen strawberries for marinara. I added a couple of chocolate chips and some green fruit leather when I blended the 'sauce' to look like spices.

The cake was a pasta dish (cooked elbow pasta with real marinara, cannelloni beans, bacon and farmer cheese) baked in a large cake tin, then covered with ricotta cheese. I decorated the top with a drizzle of marinara, and piped on some sour cream and sprinkled it with grated cheese and bacon bits.

Because last year's dinner was sooo very overly sweet, this year I really did make spaghetti squash baked in veggie broth as a side dish. I like the idea that it matched the pasta theme, and it looked great, all spaghetti-like, but still a veggie. Mother Nature's Faux Food.

Of Memes and Mugs

2011-03-31T19:21:00.000-07:00

I just had to share these new mugs I made.

I will post more about memes, and what they are and why I love them, but tomorrow is a BIG DAY, so I will just post the photos of the mugs, and let them speak for themselves:

Happy Ostara Giveaway!

2011-03-19T08:38:00.000-07:00

The Vernal Equinox is almost here- You can count the hours!
And to celebrate, I will pick a commenter at random and they win this little handbuilt bell and dish. If you don't have a blog associated with your username, leave me your etsy shop name, your twitter name or some way to let you know that you won so I can get your address.

So, get to commenting! The contest is over at tomorrow (Sunday) midnight Central time, so comments after that are not able to win the little bell and dish.

And in your comments, why not let me know what you are doing this spring to celebrate life? Because it is good to look ahead sometimes, and see that life happens, and it is good.

Blessed Be,
Ant

Oh, and if you have a moment, visit my shop, at http://www.etsy.com/shop/antb -Thanks!

Salvaged Box

2011-03-12T15:59:00.000-08:00

I was thrift store shopping today, and found this big box. It was covered in old gold plastic stuff, and under that was some vintage fabric.
I was intrigued, and bought it.Jensen and I tore off the plastic, and gently took off the vintage fabric, which was this scary animal print. The animals looked drugged, and the vegetables had hairs. One of the deer was wearing a saddle. Odd.

Under the fabric were newspaper from March of 1940, and in another place 1945. There were comics and ads. (I want to scan some of the ads and images to use in my crafts. I will be posting some of the pictures here when I get them scanned).

Under the newspapers was a box that had been put together from old pallets. They were marked "Winnebago MFG Co. Rockford IL Plant NO 1. " and "From Hoosier Ven CO Indianapolis IN" along with some writing in pencil and grease pen.

I think my box is pretty nifty! I haven't decided yet what to put in it, but I like it!

2011-03-06T00:04:00.000-08:00

Pretty!

For the Birds!

2011-03-05T13:17:00.000-08:00

I got a few birdhouses out of my last kiln load, and I posted one in my Etsy shop. Here is the listing:
Spring is coming, and it is time for birdhouses!
Unfortunately, this time of year in Illinois is still snowy and awful outside- not at all conducive to photographing birdhouses.
I wanted to make my new birdhouses look really great for the shop photos, so I went to a local craft shop to hire a bird model for some good indoor shots.
Of course I made sure to have her fill out an extensive questionnaire, but I just didn’t have the time to check all her references and she looked so sweet that I just brought her home and put her right to work.

Well, not right to work. It was almost five when I got home, I had to make dinner, then go to parent/teacher conferences, then my daughter and her girlfriend stopped by, then my granddaughter needed to be rocked for a while, and then the puppy had chewed up something that Grace needed for school and we had to remake it...So I guess it was more like 2 am before we got down to the photos.
But she didn’t seem to mind the late hours. Her feathers were bright, and her plastic eyes looked sweetly into the camera. Unfortunately her legs were all wrong. I checked, and well, she didn’t actually have legs. She had a wire in a plastic plug in her bum.
To be honest, I *had* noticed that before. But I don’t mind hiring the differently-abled. I believe that everyone has the right to opportunities,so I never mentioned it at all.

She could tell this wire thing was interfering with my photos, so she offered to let me scrunch it up out of the way. That worked ok, but It made her sit listing to one side. Finally she asked me to just remove it. She said she had been wanting to get it removed for ages, but what with medical costs being what they are, and having no insurance and all, she just hadn’t been able to. (Stories like this break my heart -Don’t get me started on the state of healthcare in the US!)

Anyway, she was willing, and I was able, so I did it. I just removed that wire in one big tug. It might have hurt her, but you would never have known it from herface. Not a peep, either. And she was so much more able to be positioned. You could just tell it was a relief.
So, we got back to the photo shoot, and things were going well when her boyfriend shows up.

There had been a two-for-one deal at the craft store, and I had let her bring her boyfriend along and totally forgotten about him. Well, now he comes rolling out of the bag, and you can just tell he is trouble.

For one thing, he has this real Goth look to him.

Now, you know some Goth kids are just Emo sweeties that you want to take home and feed cookies laced with with Paxil.
But not this guy. No, there was street-tough written all over him. His eyes had that look, you know? Not to mention the huge roach clip he was carrying around.

Yeah, seriously a ROACH CLIP, just out there for everyone to see.

And he and my little model must have been using it while I was in the bathroom too, because the next thing you know, she is falling over, hiding and giggling, and smelling things, and acting all odd...

Well, I finished up the shoot as quickly as I could.
I had to pay her. After all, I made her wait so long to get started, and even now it is about 3 am as I am writing this. And she had that wire up her... you know... for so long, maybe the stuff was medicinal. She looked like she could have been from California or somewhere. Who knows. I am just glad the two of them left without too much trouble. They just ate a whole box of cereal, and took off.
And I think I can use some of the photos.

The birdhouse is about 6 inches long and wide (15 cm). The opening in front is about 1.75 inches wide (4.5cm). There is an opening in back for ventilation, and cleaning it out if needed after the nesters are gone.. This type of bird bottle is good for wrens, swallows and other small birds that eat lots of bugs. You mount this kind of bird bottle on a nail in a protected, shady spot like on a tree or under the eaves of your barn or garage.

You can see the listing at my etsy shop. It is Here.

More Kiln Pics

2011-03-02T23:30:00.001-08:00

The kiln was finally cool, so here is a preview of the pots inside, layer by layer:

My favorites are the patens with the melted glass, and the dragon bowl. Danny's tea bowls came out beautiful, and yes, there are more skulls.
Ugh.

Waiting for the kiln to cool...

2011-03-02T21:34:00.001-08:00

My second glazed load in my new kiln is cooling, and still much too hot to unload. It is at 550 degrees.
But, I did pop open the top just long enough to snap this photo:So far, so good! Though, from a close up look at the photo, the bowl right in the middle has some glaze bubbles, so it is destined to be sent on to mosaic heaven, if the picture is correct.

Bummer.

But the others look pretty good!

Ooooh, I can't wait!

Chair Envy

2011-03-02T06:57:00.000-08:00

I was firing the kiln late last night (my second glaze firing - yay!) and browsing Etsy, when I came across this amazing shop, called ChairyBlossoms.

They take distressed and forlorn chairs, and make them... well... FABULOUS!

I want them!

All!

Look at this one:

I can see this pair in my friend Sarz' apartment:

And this one would match my living room perfectly!

Anyhow, if you have fallen in chair- love, you can find these, and the others that I drooled over at ChairyBlossoms.etsy.com.
Oh, and get one for me, M'kay?

Decals part Two

2011-02-28T07:16:00.000-08:00

The decals came out of the kiln.

There is good news, and bad news.

The good news is:

They worked!

The image came out quite clear, if a tiny bit bubbled.
The bad news is that the white glaze I used turned dull in the third firing, meaning it is unsuitable for decals.

Shoot.

Oh, well, I was wanting a warmer white anyway, not quite so stark of a white-white. I guess I will be adjusting my recipe, or searching for some new ones.

But the decal looks pretty good on this glaze, called Nutmeg:

Last Day To Vote!

2011-02-27T11:23:00.000-08:00

Today is the last day to vote in the Etsy Mud Team's Platter Challenge:

Vote in it and you'll receive a coupon code for 20% off in dozens of etsy pottery shops, including mine. Here's the link: http://etsymudteam.craft-sense.com/Challenges/viewchallenge.asp?ChallengeID=43

I didn't make a platter, but lots of other team members did, and it is hard to pick a favorite.

Pick one, though, and get your discount, then go shopping!

Trying Out Decals

2011-02-25T17:12:00.000-08:00

A couple years ago Keith Phillips, of MudStuffing Pottery (khphillips.etsy.com) told those of us on the Etsy Mud Team about making your own pottery decals with printers and waterslide paper.

Now that my studio is up and running again, I wanted to give the decals a try.

I found a behemoth of a printer online that uses ink that has a high iron content - necessary for the process. And I also ordered some waterslide paper too. And then I specifically glazed a few pots just for trying out some decals.

To make your decals:

First, find the images you want to use, and print them onto the paper:

Next cut out the image you want to use, and put it in warm water to soak for about a minute. This loosens the image, and makes it pliable.

Next, apply the image to the pottery, image side down, paper side toward you. This puts the printing (and the iron oxide) next to the glaze where it will hopefully adhere permanently to the pot, once it is fired.

Once the image is on the pot, smooth it completely. The image will immediately cool and stiffen when it touches the pot, making it difficult to manipulate. I used a new throwing sponge to gently ease out the air bubbles and smooth the transfer. Be careful not to tear the decal!

-Ok, you probably *will* tear, fold, or otherwise ruin the first one or two that you do, so just be sure to have a spare image.-

Once the image is the way you want it, it is ready to be fired onto your pot.

This will be the third firing for this pot - first as bisque, again in glaze, and this third time to make the decal permanent.

I am firing these tomorrow. Hopefully I have done them right! Either way I will photograph the results Monday when the kiln is cooled.

Many thanks to the folks at graphicsfairy.blogspot.com for these great images! What fun they are!!

First Glaze Kiln

2011-02-13T21:05:00.000-08:00

I unloaded my first glaze kiln full today. The kids were home, along with some friends. I bought some sparkling cider and we all unloaded together, and when it was empty we toasted the new stuff.

Some of the glazes were different colors than I expected. The blue glaze looked just about the same as the green sometimes. The white didn't react well with some of the other glazes.

But mostly it was wonderful to open the lid and see all the great pottery.

What fun!

Coupon Code for My Etsy Shop

2011-02-04T23:49:00.000-08:00

As I have been cleaning and rearranging for my studio space, my budget is being stretched to it's limits! Also, I am running out of room for storage. I have so many very dear pots, my favorites that I just loved too much to sell... up until now!

So, I have decided to have a sale in my Etsy shop. It will serve several purposes:

1). It will get me back in the groove of selling on Etsy.

2). I will make some room by selling some of my very favorite pottery from my gas-fired days.

3). It will give me incentive to make new favorites.

With all that in mind, I am offering a coupon code for my Etsy shop for the rest of February. Just type in STUDIOFUN10 when asked for a coupon code during checkout if you purchase something from my shop, and Etsy will discount your order by 10%, not including shipping charges.

Some of the first things I am listing are dishes I made with lettering around them, with matching bowls and cups. I loved them, but never got around to selling them, until now.

Nifty, huh?

I will be adding stuff all month, so check back often!

My studio will thank you!

I've got the Power!

2011-02-04T19:00:00.000-08:00

The electrician came this morning, and the kiln is up and running! Whoohoo!

Now all I have to do is finish making enough to fill it up!

I am off to watch the video on how to program my kiln- What a new experience! A computer controlled kiln!

My gas kiln was all controlled by a guess and by golly, with me opening up the gas flow, or closing it off, and then adjusting the amount of air flow by moving a broken piece of kiln shelving over the vent hole at the top of the kiln to get the atmosphere in the kiln the way I wanted it for the type of glazes in the kiln at the time. I loved it, but I think I will love the ease of this too.

Studio Dreamin'

2011-02-03T19:01:00.000-08:00

I went to visit with my sisters this holiday season, and they took me to see lots of pottery.
Mmmm pottery...

To be honest, I have avoided pottery for a while now, since I don't have a studio set up in this house. My gas kiln can't be hooked up the way the gas is configured in this house, at least not without a huge amount of expensive work.

But three weeks ago, I finally bought an electric kiln.

This is what it looks like:

It is an L &L e28t, and just little smaller than my gas kiln was.

I was so excited, I could barely sleep!! So, I spent my time scrounging and cleaning and moving things around, and setting up a studio space.

The kiln finally arrived last week, but as I checked it out on the freight truck, the kiln lid was damaged. The soft bricks that make up the top were crushed and big chunks had fallen into the interior of the kiln. I called the company, and they told me to return it, and they would send me another.

The replacement was due to arrive this week just as a massive snow storm was due to hit, so I was sure I would miss out on my kiln again, but just as the snow started swirling, the truck pulled up, and we unpacked it in the beginnings of a blizzard.

Now it is all safe and sound in the basement, awaiting the electrician. The part he needs really was delayed by the storm, so it will probably be next week before I can plug the big fella in and see how it works.

Next comes the exciting process of learning how to fire an electric kiln (which is very different than what I am used to!) and how to mix up and apply the glazes for the different type of firing.
It is a whole new unexplored world.
Stressful, but in a wonderful way!!

Have a Very Wormy (Early) Earth Day - All My Worm Children, Part 2

2010-04-20T10:49:00.000-07:00

Chapter Two:

The next morning I checked on the worms to find the bin tipped over onto the porch floor. Something had knocked it down and ignored the food scraps, but many of the worms were gone.

I guessed that a raccoon had gotten in to have a lively wormetti dinner, but I couldn't shake the vision of a Little Nemo-like escape orchestrated by one brave little worm, "Squirm to one side and we can tip this bin. Now! Just squirm down! Just squirm down!"

I was having inferiority issues. Did the worms hate me so much that they would rather risk the outside world than live in my lovely bin? Would I need counseling?

I worried over the worms all day while I worked in the garden, planting peas and clearing beds. They seemed to be eating, settling in, and otherwise as happy as clams, albeit long, wriggly ones. But at nightfall, I wondered if I should put the lid on the bin and risk a mass exodus or leave the lid off and risk more raccoon snacking. I chose the lid, and snapped it shut.

A few minutes later I peeked in. Worms were all over the side, heading for the air holes on the the edges and top. This meant another night of worm-sitting for me.

Jens finally helped me rig up a strong netting cover held on with bricks that let in enough light to keep the worms down in the bedding, but would possibly deter a raccoon - but only if it were not at all hungry and didn't like bricks falling on it's head. It wasn't a great solution, but I was tired and the worms hated me anyway. I went to bed.

The next morning the worms were fine. No raccoon had bothered them, confirming my suspicions that not only was tip-over of the previous night was a mass escape plot from the worms themselves but that I was a terrible worm surrogate parent.

Dejected, I went to the internet for help.

Surprisingly, I found a huge amount of detailed information for just my problems, and a lot of other fascinating (to me) information as well.

It seems that maybe I had too many worms and too much food for my small box. I put on garden gloves and looked. Sure enough, after only two days the worms were fat. Not just sated, but stuffed-sausage-oh-my-gosh-I-can't-believe-I-ate-the-whole-thing bloated. And already lots of worm poo. And there were worms in every corner of the bin, from top to bottom in writhing clumps.

The instructions I was following had said that for an 18 gallon tub, 2000 worms would be the right number, so that is what I had ordered. But I had also bought some extra of the Super Reds from a bait shop - I am not sure how many. The girl behind the counter, when I told her I wanted them for composting, told me I would need a 'whole passel' and presumably gave me that amount. And when the ones I had ordered from Amazon came, I noticed that the bundles seemed to be quite a bit bigger than the promised amount to make up for dead worms during transport, but all seemed to have survived.

I probably had at least twice the number of worms in the bin than were necessary, and that was why the worms were off to find less crowded pastures in the great wild world beyond my composting confines.

On the positive side, even with all the food scraps I had in there with the worms the only smell was one of damp paper.

But what to do about my overcrowding issues? Open up a second home for worms on the front porch? How many worms could one family handle?

We answer those and many other questions next time... on ....

All My Worm Children.

Have a Very Wormy (Early) Earth Day - Adventures in Vermicomposting, Part 1

2010-04-19T22:04:00.000-07:00

A couple of years ago, Tasha said, "Ant, you should really start a worm bin. You could compost in the house!"

My reply should have been, "Oh, my, why didn't I think of that! Anything I can do that would reduce greenhouse gasses and help the environment, my garden and houseplants, while being so simple, is something I could really get into!"

But instead my response was, "Ew!" Followed by, "Ew, ew, ew, and ... ew!"

Fast forward to last week.

That was when I became a worm rancher.

I researched vermicomposting (composting with worms), and decided that Tasha had been right after all. Worm composting could work, should work, and gosh-darnit, I would make it work!

I got my worm bin all ready: I bought a big plastic bin with a lid, and Jasmine drilled holes for drainage in the bottom and air flow on the top and sides. Then I put in damp newspaper for bedding , some vegetable peelings, and ordered online for some Red Wiggler worms that eat half their own weight a day in food, and poo that much in rich castings for my garden and plants.

I also went to a bait shop and bought some of their larger cousins, the European Nightcrawler (often called Super Red Worms). I want to compost our kitchen scraps and as much of our junk mail as possible and, supposedly, the bigger European worms do better with paper. I came home with my worms just as the sun was setting.

I put the worms in their new bin home on the back porch, and left them alone to settle in. After about an hour I couldn't stand it anymore- I just had to check on them!

To my horror, there were worms EVERYWHERE!

They had crawled out the drain holes, the air holes, the edges, the top, the cracks, and spaces I didn't even notice. They were crawling up the outside of the box, the side of the house, on the porch floor, under the box and toward the sidewalk. Some had made it to the sidewalk. I yelled and husband Danny came running and helped me pick up all the worms, which is easier said than done, especially in the dark.

Those buggers aren't called 'wigglers' for nothing.

As fast as we put them in the bin, they started crawling right back out again. It looked to be a long night of worm wrangling until I remembered reading that if the worms tried to escape, you can shine a bright light on them and they burrow under the bedding to get away. The sixty watt light bulb we had on the porch seemed to slow them down only slightly, so while I pushed the stragglers back into the box, Danny put in a 100 watt florescent bulb.

That made them tuck their tails...er... their bodies under them and run for cover.

But then they found the slight grooves in the bins made shadows that didn't get direct light and started a conga line up the sides. I had to tilt the box to get the light shining straight into it to keep them in, and keep the lid off. Finally, I could go to bed.

Sheesh.

The things I do to save the planet.

April Fool's Day, 2010

2010-04-02T13:58:00.000-07:00

This is my first post in about a year.

I have decided to post some happy stuff, after all that has happened this last year. If you know me you will agree it seems fitting to come back for April Fool's Day.

This year I made sushi rolls and pillows, sashimi with seaweed salad, all garnished with wasabi and ginger. It was served with jasmine tea and chopsticks.

Of course, being April Fool's Day, it wasn't really real. The sushi rolls started life as twinkies, fruit rollups, coconut, dried fruit and candy.

The sushi pillows were donut holes with Swedish

Fish and fruit roll ups.

The sashimi was seedless watermelon. Tea was apricot jello. The seaweed salad was fruit rollups cut into strips.

With pistachio pudding wasabi and dried apricots for ginger, the effect was pretty good, in a fun, cartoon sort of way!

Of all the April Fool's Dinners we've had, this one is by far the sugary-est!

Tasha found the idea for the sushi on the internet, and I found lots of help with the details at the hostess website www.HostessCakes.com and at familyfun.go.com/april-fools-day/.

Though my kids are now grown or almost so, it was just a lot of fun creating this meal. I got lots of help and the kids had fun sharing with their friends too.

Oh, and this year I got to share April Fool's day with yet another generation, my granddaughter Melody, who just happens to be the cutest thing on the planet.

MIA , sorry.

2009-04-05T17:13:00.000-07:00

For those who don't know, on March 10th, my son David, was been diagnosed as having terminal cancer. At the time I was told that he does not have long to live, perhaps only about 6 months. He is 19.

If you are interested, I have started a second blog, just about my home life, mostly centered around coping with our impending loss. It is at http://antbathome.blogspot.com/

For the time being, my shop is closed.

Sisters, Winters and Post - Holiday Malaise

2009-01-10T12:18:00.000-08:00

Christmas Day, my sister flew into O'hare from Alaska, and she and I spend a few days with my friend, and shopped. What fun!
Then, we went to southern Illinois, where I grew up, and my other sister came from Seattle and we all hung out, visiting extended family and getting reacquainted.
The last time we three had been together was 12 years ago, and the time before that was almost 20 years ago!

We had fun, and have decided NEVER to go very long without seeing each other again!

While I was in southern Illinois, I stayed in a B & B- like hotel in the tiny town of Biggsville. It was called the Hotel Lynn, and the local folks take care of it and decorate it. If you are ever down that way and need accommodations on the cheap, then check out Hotel Lynn!

While there, I drove across the river to Burlington Iowa, to find a grocery store. I also found this gas station, called the Kum & Go.

Yeah.

I know.

Today's freebie has nothing to do with that. Instead, just comment, and I will choose one person at random to win this pinwheel magnet.
Post today and tomorrow, and I will pick on Monday.

Have a great weekend!

Winners!

2008-12-23T08:30:00.000-08:00

I decided that everyone who posted on Saturday would win! So, If I haven't contacted you yet, and you posted, please give your address to me! You can convo me privately on Etsy.com. Just go to my shop, antb.etsy.com, and click "contact this seller."

Thanks!
Ant

Saturday Freebieness Times Six

2008-12-20T07:23:00.000-08:00

Last week was bonkers.
Seriously bonkers.

I had a two day sale in Chicago (it was very fun, and I met the nicest folks!)
We were trying to finish up our move (didn't quite finish, but getting closer!)
I wanted to fire another kiln full, but needed to make some more to fill it (didn't get that done at all)
The holidays are here (Solstice, Eid, Kwanzaa, Chanukah, Yule, Christmas) and I haven't done anything for that that I want to (like shopping!)
And I was trying to keep up with sales in the shop. (Whew, I did that).

Anyway, there was no giveaway last week, nor a Monday Miniature, so as an apology, and as a sign of the giving Season, today I will be giving away several things:

A porcelain and glass pendant in blue.
A porcelain and glass pendant in green.
A porcelain and glass pendant in blue and black.
A dark blue chalice ornament.
A dark brown potion bottle with a cork.
A little hanging pot.

Leave a comment about the holidays, and I will choose commenters at random and send them one of the items pictured today. If you have a preference of what you would like to try to win, just mention your top couple of picks, and I will do my best to accomodate that.
Also, leave a way for me to contact you, so I can get your address if you win!

Happy Holidays!

Ant

(PS, sorry about the photos! That is one thing I have not gotten set up at the new house yet!)

OUt of Town, Sorry!

2008-12-13T15:43:00.001-08:00

I am out of town for this weekend! I will be having my giveaway on Tuesday, rather than today!

Sorry!

Winners, and other Business

2008-12-08T16:41:00.000-08:00

The winner from Saturday's giveaway was MARS.

Her candle holder will arrive soon!

My moving is going well, but I feel tired. I promise I will blog more and better tomorrow. Or maybe Wednesday... or Friday....:D

Saturday Freebieness and Thrifting in Chicago

2008-12-06T04:21:00.000-08:00

My family spent Thanksgiving with my very dear friend, who lives on Chicago's Gold Coast.
While the rest of the family went home late Thursday night, my oldest daughter and I spent the night, and then the three of us went thrift store shopping.

Then darling daughter and I had to come back to town on the bus with our thrifty loot. Here we are with all of it in the train station, waiting for the bus.

I very much want to support Buy Nothing Day, but the chance to shop with daughter and friend was too tempting. So we compromised by buying only second hand goods and eating at home, wonderful Thanksgiving leftovers!

So to comment for today's freebie giveaway, why not let me know how you recycle, economize, or your favorite thrift store find?

And here is a photo of my giveaway pottery for today: It is a little votive holder, thrown by me, and carved by my younger daughter. It is made from stoneware, and glazed in Toasty Marshmallow. It is shown here with a tealight, but it would be big enough for most votives, even ones in glass.

I will choose a commenter at random. Be sure to let me know how to contact you in case you win!

Miniature Monday - Something Ain't Reitz

2008-12-01T04:52:00.000-08:00

Grandma and Grandpa Doll got a big box in the mail. It was from a grumpy middle aged potter lady they know. They were very excited to see what it was, because they like to collect pottery.

But when they opened the bowl they were disappointed.

It was a big, big bowl with crusty things on it. The note said it was a platter miniature done in a visceral style similar to Don Reitz.

"Who the heck is Don Reitz?" asked Grandpa.

"Well, he is kinda messy, I am guessing, " replied Grandma. "What does visceral mean?"

They didn't know, so they looked it up.

"It means 'having to do with the viscera, or intestines,' " Grandpa read.

"Guts? She sent us a Guts Platter??? What the hell was she thinking?"
Grandma sometimes says bad words when she is confused.

They discussed it and decided to sell the bowl. Having a big guts platter hanging on the wall is not their idea of art.

Grandpa said, "It's too bad that potter lady spends her time trying to make things like that. If she just used her feelings and intuition when she made her stuff, it would turn out better. "

"Yes," answered Grandma, "I wish she would just make pottery that gave you an immediate emotional reaction rather than trying to get all fancy. "

If you want to buy this miniature, it is available in my shop on Etsy .

Winners, Movers and Shakers

2008-11-30T17:18:00.000-08:00

The winner of my Saturday giveaway was Maritzia. She has her choice of the little bowl or the teapot ornament!

I am crazy busy, but wanted to give the winner a heads up! Tune in tomorrow for Miniature Monday!

Saturday Giveaway and Un-Thankful Freebiness

2008-11-29T07:37:00.000-08:00

Yup, unThankfulness.

In this season of Thanksgiving, we are encouraged to say out loud the things we are grateful for. And I do have a very long list: My family, friends, my pets, a warm place to live, plenty of food, my ability to see, hear, think, reason, and the list could cover many pages.

But there are some things I am just not thankful for. And I do want to mention them, so that if someone is thinking of re-doing all of creation anytime soon, they will have a handy list of things that they can edit out of the program next time.

The first think I am not thankful for is mosquitoes. Mosquitoes kill so many people worldwide due to malaria that I think we could do without them. Yes, I know they are a main source of food for many birds, but I think that whole system needs an overhaul.

The urge to pee when one sneezes. Why the heck should that happen? That cause and effect thing could stop anytime and I wouldn't miss it.

Rap music. Sorry, I just don't get it.

McDonald's and Walmart. Too easy, too cheap, too hard on the community, and too addictive. My life would be better if Walmart and McDonald's had never existed. Most of the world would be better if they didn't exist.

Prejudice. It sucks.

Ok, so those are a few of my Unthankful things.

Now, there is one thing that I am very, very thankful for, and that is my ability to make pottery. I have a wheel, I have a kiln, and I have the skill. And I also love to make both ritual items and regular ware, so my giveaway for today the winner will have their choice of either the little porcelain bowl with 'So Mote It Be' on it, or the teapot ornament.

For a chance to win, leave me a comment of something you are NOT thankful for, and I will choose a commenter at random to win. If you win, I will ask which item you would rather have. Since I am late getting my blog up, I will take comments until noon tomorrow (Sunday).

BTW, Ya wanna know another thing I am thankful for? You!

Pottery, Shells and Ash

2008-11-25T22:00:00.000-08:00

Last summer I went to Cambridge Wisconsin for the Clay Games and the huge pottery sale they have there each year.

As always, I never have nearly enough time to see all I want to. This summer was even more special, because I met some of the people in my online pottery guild, the Etsy Mud Team there! What fun to put faces to names!

One of the potters that was selling his ware at Cambridge had wonderful, earthy pots that begged to be touched. They were barely glazed, and the clay shone through the light glaze. There were the telltale shell impressions on the feet and some rims that told me he stilted with shells in his kiln. It looked like some of the other lovely salt or wood fired ware that I lust after.

Imagine my surprise when he told me his work was fired in a gas kiln similar to mine! It seems he too loves the tactile, minimalist look of wood fired ware, so he set out to mimic it in his kiln. He shared a very simple wood ash glaze recipe with me, and told me how to use the shells. I very much wish I could remember his name so I could credit him here!

I had put his ideas on a back burner, since my summer and fall have been crazy busy. But last week I decided to play a little. I had made some small luncheon plates. I wanted to fire them all, but plates take up sooo much room in the kiln that I kept putting off firing them. I was looking at them, thinking how nice it would if you could stack them in the kiln, when I remembered the shell trick.

Shells, in a high fired kiln, act like something like kiln wash. They don't stick to the glaze as it melts, but do leave their impressions in the work. They also give off their own natural 'glaze' all around them.
(Look at the feet of the plates to see the ring of glaze where each shell sat. )

So, I stacked the plates using three shells between each plate. On the top plate I laid three shells, so that it, too, would have the shell marks. When I took the plates out of the kiln, I washed off the shells (they soften into mush) and used my dremel tool to get off any of the sharp bits, while leaving as much of the natural pattern as possible. I really love the effect!

I also fired a mixing bowl set with shells as spacers. For this set, however, I used one of the potter's recipes for a simple wood ash glaze, using ashes from the trimmings of my plum and apple trees. I applied it thinly to the inside of the bowl, but more on the rim. The outside I left bare. Since I fire my work to cone 10 (2400 degrees F) and it is fully vitrified, (it is completely non-porous, and stone-like) my pottery is food safe without glaze. (In Japan, unglazed "nanban" pottery is popular, and is prized for its ability to get better with age. ) So I decided to barely brush the glaze on the inside of the bowls to keep the very natural feeling of the pottery, which I wanted the shells to accent.

I think both the plates and the bowls turned out beautifully! I will definitely be firing with shells more often now!

Miniature Monday - A Real Dish!

2008-11-24T05:33:00.000-08:00

Grandma overheard Grandpa telling a friend that Grandma was a Real Dish when they met.

This confused Grandma, but she wasn't surprised. Her memories the 70's are a bit fuzzy. She says that during that time she was doing personal medical research with herbal and fungal remedies and they caused her all sorts of problems. She does remember some things, though.

She remembers having the munchies quite often, and for a short time being able to hear colors. She also remembers feeling like she was made of stone sometimes too.

So maybe she was a Real Dish when she met Grandpa. Maybe the memories of munchies was really the sense of emptiness of being a vessel? A bowl maybe? Maybe something stone-like?

So she looked at her old pottery and found a blue bowl that looked pretty familiar. Was this the dish she was?

She is not sure, but just in case she is selling the bowl. She says it all just really freaks her out, man.

The bowl is made from porcelain. It is one inch wide and about 1/2 inch tall. You can see it in my Etsy shop.

Congratulations, Salutations and Movement

2008-11-23T09:20:00.000-08:00

Moving!

Guess what I am doing for the Holidays? Moving! We are moving from our huge 8 bedroom house to a smaller (but still big) home a few blocks away. I can't wait. Well, I mean, I can't wait to be moved in, but I am not thrilled about packing and hefting and sorting...

But, still, it is all very exciting! The only downside is that I will need all new window treatments, as the windows in the new house are HUGE while the ones in this house are tall and skinny. So, any ideas for cheap but classy window treatments? I also am looking for gently used living room furniture, since I hadn't realized how shabby my couch had become over the last 15 (!) years of use. There is nothing like moving to bring out the materialist in me!

Winner!
The winner of last week's giveaway is Larrikin's lurch. She should be receiving her little bottle this week!

I will be posting photos of the house and interior all this week, and I would LOVE advice on decorating on a shoestring. Think, window treatments, (the view is pretty urban, but the light is terrific!) storage, room arrangement, and holiday decoration. I prefer DIY and recycled, since I really don't want my move to negatively impact the world!

and I am cheap!

Congrats to Larrikin's Lurch and to Me!

Oooh, look at the attic! :

Saturday Giveaway and Freebieness!

2008-11-22T05:00:00.000-08:00

I know I disappointed a few of you by not making it clear that it was not the teapot I was giving away. I am so sorry! (Though, I do have lots of teapots, and it might be a great giveaway sometime!)

But no, it is the small turquoise bottle that is the freebie this week. To one lucky person who is picked at random from all the blog comments this week will go this pretty little stoneware bottle with rope design.
If you don't have a blog associated with your username, leave me your etsy shop name, your twitter name or some way to let you know that you won so I can get your address.

Next week, my family will be spending Thanksgiving with a friend who lives in Chicago. I can't wait! She is an amazing cook, and I hope to get to take home leftovers! I will be baking the pies, and maybe the bread for the dinner, so that I don't appear too unhelpful.

What plans do you have?

Mamas and Dadaists

2008-11-18T11:07:00.000-08:00

I have many favorite artists, many favorite paintings, and I enjoy many styles of work. But if you ask me what painting comes to mind first, it is Marcel Duchamp's Nude Descending A Staircase No. 2.

The reason is pretty silly.
In sixth grade, the local college sent a student over every month to present art to our class. One week the presenter said she was going to show us "Nude descending a staircase". The teacher, Miss Keller, stopped her. (The teacher was an elderly woman whose previous teaching job had been in the very strict Catholic school in town). Miss Keller took the presenter to the hall and told her there was NO way she could show us that painting. When the presenter protested, the teacher said, "I am not allowing my class to be tainted by filth from a filthy man. He had many lovers both male and female. He thought urinals were art. Never bring anything dada into my classroom again!"

Of course, we all heard that and we were soo disappointed when the presenter left without showing us the painting. It must be really graphic if Miss Keller got that upset about it!

Imagine my voyeuristic disappointment when I actually SAW the painting in an art book. But Miss Keller's words made Duchamp be forever wonderful forbidden fruit in my mind. Maybe her association with Duchamp is one reason I love the work of a quirky potter-ess named Beatrice Wood, too!

Miniature Monday - What a Crock!

2008-11-17T05:00:00.000-08:00

Sometimes Grandma Doll can't sleep. When that happens, she stays up late and watches infomercials. Last week Grandma watched an infomercial about a wonderful pot that every person needs. She tried to order one, but found that the company had gone out of business.

So, she contacted a certain grumpy, middle aged potter she knew and asked her to make one for the advertised price of three easy payments of 19.99 each.

The potter agreed.

But, when it arrived, Grandma Doll was disappointed. While it looked just right - dark blue and green, made of porcelain on a potter's wheel, .75 inches tall and .5 inches wide, with lid - it just wasn't right.

It wasn't right, because, unlike the one in the commercial, this pot did not magically fill with 'nourishing and delicious' food when left-overs were slow-cooked in it. In reality, when it was filled with left-overs and slow cooked all you got was a disgusting mess!

It was a defective crock! And Grandma should know, since she has been serving crock to her family for years. Why, the whole family knows crock when they see it, and that ain't it!

So they are selling this pot, at a discount. But, if you are a connoisseur of crock, this one may not be what you are looking for.

(Side Note: If you have no idea who Grandma and Grandpa Doll are, then you might want to read more about them here, in the miniature section of my shop. They get into all sorts things there!
(Other side Note, about yesterday's blog. The teapot is not the freebie. Sorry. Look for the LITTLE picture in the corner. Yeah, not as exciting. Sorry. :P)

Winners and Cracked Pots (um...that came out wrong...)

2008-11-16T09:08:00.000-08:00

Cracked Pots...
I am working frantically to fill a kiln. I have a teapot show that I need to send some teapots to, and I really wanted to send my newest work. I have some really lovely teapots I made this summer that will go if I don't get these done, but I hope at least one of these turn out!
Here is one I made that won't be going:

It turned out looking something like an egg with an erection. I don't have anything against well-endowed, happy eggs, but it cracked a bit too.

The funny thing is that I just thought it was gorgeous when I made it. But after taking it out of the kiln, I realized it looked...odd.
Odd and phallic.

Oh, well.

And Winners...
Athena's Armoury is the winner from yesterday's giveaway! Thanks to all who shared thoughts and memories of their loved ones!
My giveaway for NEXT Saturday will actually run all week. If you comment on any of my blog entries this week (November 16 to November 22) you will be entered to win. You will have one chance to win per entry comment. (For instance, if you comment on all three entries this week, you get three chances to win! - But I will only count one comment per person per blog entry. If you comment 104 times today, that is still only one chance. But I will feel so LOVED reading all 104 entries!)

What will the prize be, you ask? Well, there is a *tiny* hint here on this blog. Up in the corner. No, it is not the excited egg teapot. Sorry. Look for the TINY picture. Click it if you wanna see it bigger.

So, thanks to all who commented, and please check back tomorrow for Miniature Monday. See what Grandpa and Grandma Doll are up to now! (and don't forget to comment for your chance to win on Saturday!)

Saturday Giveaway

2008-11-15T07:33:00.000-08:00

Today's freebie is a rock box. I make these from stoneware, iron oxide, and glass. They are usually small- this one is 1.5 inches by 1.5 inches.

They can be used to store a tiny thing - like a pair of earrings, a

baby tooth, a charm, a four leaf clover- but mostly they are just fun to have. They look very much like a rock until you open them, then, inside is shiny glass with lots of sparkle hidden in the center.

They remind me of some people I know. People who are plain, run of the mill, hardly notice 'em types but who have hearts of gold, secret passions, great humor, and generosity of spirit.

This is your task today. To win this rock box, just think of someone you know or knew with hidden depths. Leave their initials as a comment to this blog, and, if they are still living, think well of them, or maybe visit them, call, or drop a (handmade) card to them in the mail.

I will pick a commenter at random and they win this little rock box. If you don't have a blog associated with your username, leave me your etsy shop name, your twitter name or some way to let you know that you won so I can get your address.

So, get to commenting! The contest is over at midnight Central time, so comments after that are not able to win the little box.

And for me, the person I knew with hidden depths, but an unassuming exterior, was my grandmother. Her initials were IMG. I miss her!

Sinus Infections Suck

2008-11-13T15:28:00.000-08:00

I have a sinus infection.

I get sinus infections pretty often. I have lupus, and it can't decide if my sinuses are part of my body or not. Sometimes it thinks they are strange, vicious aliens and will try to burn them out while they are sleeping. Other times Mr. Lupus thinks that the sinuses are just fine on their own, so why patrol them, why send out T cells? I know there are worse things that deranged Mr. Lupus could do, so on the whole, wavering between sinus apathy and paranoia is not so bad.

But my head really hurts when my sinuses are sick. Light hurts, sound hurts, thinking hurts.
I should get the surgery, but I am allergic to many pain meds and the meds they use to knock you out. I don't like the idea of going into a coma to cure this. I also don't respond well to antibiotics, and steroids can kill you, so I have a system for fighting sinus infections that works for me some of the time.

And since my head is just killing me, and I really can't think of anything else, this seems like a good time to talk about it.

Preventative:
For me, taking allergy pills daily has helped. A LOT. It cuts my infections down from once a month to once every other month. I have tried an anti-malarial for the lupus, but the side effects were dreadful. Allergy pills don't have bad side effects for me, but do help.

Step 1: Know the early warning signals.
Sinuses only have nerve endings at the openings, so by the time your head hurts, the infection has traveled from the cavity to the opening.By that time, sinus cavity is probably just raging with infection and then it takes forever to cure.

However, there is a nerve that branches into the sinuses, but it is from the back of your neck. So, if it is stimulated from a sinus infection, you don't feel pain in your face or forehead, instead you feel it as a stiff or sore gland in your neck. Because I often get infections where this nerve branches, my very first warning sign is a slight neck stiffness. I will move my head like I am 'cracking' my neck, and if I can catch myself doing this, and start the next steps right away, I can usually avoid a LOT of pain.

Irritability is another early warning. Just because I don't feel the pain yet doesn't mean my body isn't aware of the infection. For me, my grouchiness is my body telling me something is wrong. I tend to be in a good mood most of the time, and when I am not, I take precautions, because for me, bitchiness can mean I am getting sick. If you are bitchy all the time, well, maybe you have a low-grade infection, and following these steps could sweeten your life a bit? Then again, you could just be bitchy. :D

Step 2 : Know what herbs work for you.
Along with the immune boosters like Lemon Balm and Echinacea, I also will add an alterative (or 'blood cleanser') like Oregon grape root or Goldenseal. This helps my body fight the infection on a large scale. You can find Echinacea and Goldenseal blends at many grocery stores, but I prefer to buy them separately, so I can take more of the Goldenseal. If you can get Oregon Grape Root you may like it. It tends to be cheaper than Goldenseal, and generally works the same. Lemon balm has the happy side effect of mood lifting, which increases your body's ability to handle pain. Unlike Echinacea, Lemon Balm can be taken daily for extended periods of time. Taking Echinacea that way lessens its effect drastically.

To my general infection fighter blend of Echinecea and Grape root, I add aromatic herbs that have a disinfecting or antibiotic action. Aromatics are perfect for sinus infections because, if you take enough of them, your body will exude the aromatic oils from your mucous membranes. My favorite cleansing aromatics are Hyssop and Garlic.

Hyssop:
Hyssop seems to work faster for me than garlic, and I find it much more pleasant to take. I like to take hyssop capsules, just to get a lot of it down quickly, since pain relief is what I am going for, but drinking the tea is good too. To make Hyssop tea, I pour 1 cup of boiling water over 2 tsp of dried hyssop. I cover and let it steep until it is just warm, about 15 minutes. I strain it, add some sweetener, and drink it down.
I can also drink it before it has finished steeping IF I drink the dregs (the herb bits) too. This can be nice, because the warmth and the steam feel nice. When I get to the mucky bit at the end, I just chug it, if I possibly can, to get all the medicinal value of the herbs.

Garlic:
Garlic can be eaten raw (ick) or sauted or roasted.
If you have ever eaten a lot of garlic, you know how you smell everything with a garlic tinge until it is out of your system? That is the blessing, and the curse of aromatics. the blessing is that the oils are very healing, and your body concentrates them in the mucous membranes (like your sinuses) which is great for healing sinus infections. The curse is that your breath smells and your world become garlic tinged for a while.

When I have a sinus infection, if my inner ears are involved, I get a little puky, and raw garlic is not great on a blechy stomach. But if this doesn't bother you, you can cut up raw garlic and swallow it like little pills. Don't take a whole clove at one time, because your body will not digest it whole. Instead, cut it up so the oil is released during digestion.

Garlic soup is a great boon for those who are fighting infections, so I always ask my loved ones to make it for me. And if I can get some spiciness to it, that can release endorphins, which also makes me feel better. Yummy, warm, spicy garlic soup is much pleasanter for me than taking garlic raw. (Below is a recipe for Spicy Garlic Tomato Soup. It is easy enough that I can make it myself when I am sick, if I have the stuff on hand. )

Oregano:
I used to drink a tea made from a drop or two of oil of oregano in hot water for my sinus infections. It worked, but was so very strong that it caused my kidneys to hurt and made the inside of my mouth peel! Now I use a bit of oregano in my garlic soup, but save the oil as a last ditch effort before going to get antibiotics. If you try it, just start with a tiny bit to see how it effects you.

Tea Tree oil:
I have tried taking this internally like oregano oil, but I find it works best topically. I use it this way: I rub a bit of protective oil on my face where my sinuses hurt. I will use almond oil usually, but I have also used olive oil in a pinch. I also will rub some oil in front of my ear, and some on the side of my nose. Then I put a few drops of tea tree oil on my fingers and apply it over the protective oil, on my cheeks, forehead, in front of my ears. The almond oil keeps the tea tree oil from causing a rash.

The tea tree oil is very penetrating and antiseptic and also acts as a counter irritant, bringing blood (with your herbal medicines in it) to your sinuses, which will also help the healing. Breathing in the scent of tea tree oil can bring pain relief for a few minutes too, so I often will dab a tiny bit under my nose.

Step 3: Get the neti ready.
If you don't know what neti is, here is a good wiki article on it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nasal_irrigation
And here is a youtube demo of one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8sDIbRAXlg

You can get neti pots at healthfood stores, or if you are a potter, you can make your own. (or buy one from me!) But, in a pinch, a single serving teapot will also work. (I will tell you how I figured that out some other time...). The amount of salt I put in varies.

I fill the neti pot with water that is slightly warmer than body temperature. Then I add enough salt to make it just slightly salty to the taste (if I add to much, or too little, it will cause a small amount of discomfort and I adjust it before going on). A little saltier is recommended for infections.

Sometimes I add a drop or two of vinegar. This would be good if you are prone to yeast or fungal infections. (During one terrible infection where I could not get to the doctor, I added a drop or two of tea tree oil and I got better! I don't recommend it, however, since it hurt like hell, and that can't be good.)

I use my neti pot twice or three times a day while the infection is raging, and then once a day for a week after. If I suspect I am getting an infection, I will do neti once or twice a day until I think I am out of danger.

Neti is also great for when you have a lot of irritants that you are breathing in. I neti after I raku, while I am camping or when I have been around cigarette smoke. High allergen or pollen days are another great time to neti.

Step 4: Move around, sit up.
For me, the more I move around and sit up, the better I feel. I take some allergy pills and do a bit of easy housework or play with clay. I get someone to take me for a drive. The vibrations help clear my head. I sleep with more pillows and don't sleep more than I have to. I keep hydrated so my mucosa can heal.

Other things I have tried with mixed success:
Ear Candles (It was soothing, but didn't help my sinuses much)
Heating packs
Cold packs (OUCH)

Step 5:
If the herbs and neti don't work. I GO TO A DOCTOR. Sometimes I just can't get ahead of an infection. I get some antibiotics and know that I did your best to avoid it. Then, I take my antibiotics, eat some live culture yogurt and sleep. And then next time...well, I always hope there won't be a next time!

Super Easy Garlic Soup
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped or smashed.
1/4 tsp oregano, finely ground
1 tsp butter or olive oil
1 cup broth or salted water
3 cups spicy V-8 or tomato juice
Pepper and chili powder to taste

Saute the garlic in the oil or butter for a minute or two, brown it if you like. Add the oregano, stir and add the broth or salted water. Heat until it just starts to boil. Add the V-8, and pepper and chili until it is pleasantly spicy, then add a tiny bit more. Heat but don't boil it. Serve it, sipping and breathing in the steam. If you are feeling up to it, you can add veggies or tofu or meat. I particularly like some corn stirred in, and chopped green onions added on top before serving.

This soup is good for cold and flu fighting, or for whenever your immune system needs a boost.

Feel free to comment with YOUR techniques! I would love to hear, and try them!

Winners, Inspiration, and General Freebieness

2008-11-09T09:07:00.000-08:00

The winner of the ornament yesterday is Mel from worldofmoments.etsy.com. Her shop is full of lovely photos, aceo's, cards and general visual goodness. Check it out!

And a big shout out to Mrs.B, who got me thinking about giveaways. If you haven't seen her blog, Confessions of a Pagan Soccer Mom, you need to get right over there! She did an amazing giveaway for October, and I am just in awe of her blogging skills.

So, I am thinking that, for a while at least, I will do a giveaway every Saturday. I definitely have enough to give! My pots runneth over!

What do you think?

Post a Joke to win a Witchy Ornament

2008-11-08T10:42:00.000-08:00

Wanna have a chance to win this ornament? It is made from porcelain, and is about 2 inches tall, and 2 inches wide at the brim. It is strung with natural hemp cord.

Want it?
Well, read on dear ones, read on!
******

I just love silly things. I love dumb jokes, knock knocks and puns! I just came across this joke and had to share: A rabbi, a UU minister, and a Wiccan priestess decide to go on a fishing trip together. They go down to their local lake, rent a boat, and go out on to the lake for a day of fishing. As the afternoon approached, the trio became hungry - and realized that they had left their lunches on the shore of the lake. The UU minister got out of the boat, walked across the lake, got his lunch, walked back, and sat down and began to eat his lunch. "You should have gotten all of our lunches!" scolds the priestess. She then gets up, walks across the lake, picks up her lunch as well as the Rabbi's, walks back across the lake, and sits down, handing the rabbi his afternoon meal. The rabbi at this point is almost out of his mind, his eyes wide with shock. Finally, he manages to sputter.. "Wha.. what... how did you...?" The UU minister grins at the priestess, nudges her, and asks "Do you think we should tell him about the rocks?" The priestess looks at the minister, raises an eyebrow, and replies "... what rocks?"

Anyhow, if you would like a chance to win this nifty, witchy ornament, just leave me a joke, pun, riddle, or pithy statement and I will choose a commenter at random to send this to. After I choose I will need your address to mail it off, so leave your email address or some way to contact you (Etsy name will work too, and I can convo you there, if you have an account) if you don't have a blog associated with your username. The contest is over tonight at midnight, central time.

Yay for silliness and free things!

Miniature Mondays

2008-11-07T09:57:00.000-08:00

I am not good at self motivation sometimes. Just look at my blog! I went almost five months without blogging. FIVE! And why? I just love writing, I love to tell others about my family, I love to talk pottery. I should be addicted to blogging! Yet, without outside motivation, I don't do it!
Weird, eh?

Miniatures are another thing I just really enjoy. I enjoy making them, I enjoy photoing them, and I really, really enjoy writing the listings about them for my Etsy shop. But how long has it been since I listed any new ones? Far, far too long.

So, while I was writing this listing, I was thinking, "What can I do to create outside motivation for me to blog, on a regular basis, AND to get me to list my miniatures?"

Well, here is my Big Idea!

Miniature Mondays! I will list a miniature, and then blog about it. And if I commit, in writing (here) to my hordes (three) faithful blog followers, then I am sure to do it.

Yeah, yeah, I know today is Friday, not Monday. But the mini I listed is too great to wait the weekend. So this one is for priming the pump, and a new one will be on Monday.
Here goes! You will find this listing in my Etsy shop, here. And on Monday will be the next Chapter in the Doll family story! Brilliant, huh?

Green Spiral Dish Miniature

Grandpa just admitted that for a long time now, he has had a dish on the side.

Grandma had been cleaning out the closet in the bedroom when she came across a box that was marked "Private, Do Not Open". So, of course she opened it, and inside was a low, porcelain bowl or deep plate, glazed jade green and high fired. There was a pretty spiral in the middle and some lovely red flashing along one side. It was about 1.25 inches wide. She didn't remember ever seeing it before. Along with the bowl were letters, tied with a ribbon. The letters were in Grandpa's handwriting, and they were full of intimate side dish recipes, written with obvious passion.

Grandma was understandably upset. For years she had served meals, warm and willing, right there in her kitchen, so what was this all about??

When confronted, Grandpa admitted that, while he still loved Grandma's cooking, lately he had found her meals boring. "Just main course, potatoes and a microwaved veg every day! Meal after meal after meal. I need some spice. I need adventure. I need creative side dishes!"

Grandpa said he would be willing to sell his dish on the side if Grandma was willing to spice up her side dishes some. He even offered to let her read the intimate recipes he had written for his side dish, but Grandma refused. She said that she would get out her old Joy of Cooking book and figure out things on her own, but she refused to try the sordid ideas he had fantasized with his "porcelain hussy".

So the dish on the side is up for sale, and Grandma is trying to add some spice to her life. What will happen next?

Gracie's First Play

2008-11-02T08:23:00.000-08:00

Grace is growing up so quickly! She started high school this year, and though she doesn't look it, she is 15! We were thrilled to find the high school has a community training program where the kids volunteer for the first two hours of the day at various stores and organizations around town. Then the store or organization supplies a treat of some kind for the kids. So far the class has taken paper out of new shoes at Target (and gotten pop and a bagel in return), cleaned the parking lot at a bowling alley and then bowled for free, cleaned tables at Chuck E. Cheese and gotten tokens for the play area (She came home with 15 photos of herself from the photo booth.) She just applied to be a volunteer at the a children's petting park, and got accepted, so now that will be one of the places she goes to work.

This high school encourages the kids in Special Ed to try out for sports, clubs and plays. So Grace did try out for the play and she got a part! The play was A Taste of Sunrise, and her line was "That poor unfortunate boy." She also played a student in a deaf school, and a member of the town, so she was on stage quite a bit.

The play was quite good, and Grace stole the show, at least in my eyes. Congratulations Gracie!

Samhain ....must wait!

2008-10-31T12:04:00.000-07:00

Normally Halloween is a very big deal here at the Barry house. But this year we are going to have to delay it! I have a huge order to finish this weekend, Gracie has a play, Jens and Tasha have plans...So it looks like Samhain is going to be celebrated on Sunday for us this year.

So sad, but ...oh well!

Pots destined for the Smashing Bin!

2008-06-14T19:35:00.001-07:00

Pots destined for the Smashing Bin!, originally uploaded by antfiresbetter.

Since this week had Friday the 13th in it, I decided to clean my studio and list all the pots that I felt were just cluttering up the shelves. Some are a bit heavy, some have small flaws, and some I just haven't gotten around to photographing yet!

Anyway, all these pots are getting listed this weekend in my shop, (antb.etsy.com) for only the materials cost of each one. I am not charging for my labor or time on any of them. Then, on Monday morning, all the ones that haven't sold I will unlist and put into a bin for breaking and sending to mosaic artists!

Here is my shop announcement for this weekend:

And to celebrate Unlucky Friday, I am going to be listing Unlucky Pots all weekend. Some will be PIF's (they will cost only the listing fee plus shipping) and some will be for only the cost of my materials (clay, glaze, firing, but no charge for my time, labor, or skill) and shipping. Some will be seconds also priced only for my materials cost.

All of this weekend's listings will be at incredibly low prices. I want these poor unlucky pots to find good homes. After this weekend- bright and early Monday morning- any Unlucky Pots that are left will go into the Smashing Bin, get broken into pieces and then be sold to mosaic artists.

Please, rescue these poor Unlucky Pots from my Evil Smashing Bin! Buy them today and then they will be Lucky Pots! (They are all on the first page of my shop.)
Have a lucky day!
-Ant

****Update!
Due to storms taking my power out, I am behind with my listings today, and won't get them all listed. So I will keep going tonight and tomorrow until they are done. BUT Monday, they all still go into The Smashing Bin!

No more Mrs. Nice Potter!

:D

Gracie Makes Contact

2008-05-20T13:37:00.001-07:00

IMG_0085, originally uploaded by antfiresbetter.

Jens and Tasha are house sitting in Chicago, so for Mother's Day, they invited Grace and I for a weekend of sight seeing. The highlight for me was an amazing vegan restaurant on Broadway called "Alice and Friends". I have never had such wonderful food ! I had the "Runaway Potato" and would highly recommend it!!

The high point for Gracie was a full day at the zoo. She took her Playschool Digital Camera and snapped it full of photos!

In the Primate House, there is a fake log, that goes into one of the cages. A child can sit in the log. There is plexiglass, and a gorilla can sit in the other half.
When Gracie climbed into the log, a baby gorrilla ambled over and sat and looked at her. We got a photo on Gracie's camera for her.

I don't know who enjoyed the encounter more, Grace, or the baby gorilla!

April Fools Day Dinner- Renee and Jasmine look...

2008-04-01T20:55:00.001-07:00

April Fools Day Dinner- Renee and Jasmine look..., originally uploaded by antfiresbetter.

Every year on April Fool's Day, I make a silly meal. Sometimes we have dinner for breakfast, sometimes the food looks like something else (sandwiches with faces, or submarine subs). Sometimes what looks like one food is really something else.

This year the dinner looked like a grilled cheese sandwich, a fried egg and some peas and carrots, with a cupcake for dessert.

What it really was:

Fried egg- marshmallow fluff with lemon pudding in the center

Grilled cheese- pound cake with tinted buttercream frosting

Peas and Carrots-Green and Orange Tootsie fruit rolls reshaped.

Cupcake- a little quiche baked in a foil cup with tinted mashed potatoes for frosting.

I think this one turned out great! But Renee and Jasmine's faces showed that they had a different take on my April Fools Day dinner!

I got the ideas for this meal from Family Fun's website.

It's Alive!

2008-03-19T10:29:00.001-07:00

It's Alive! , originally uploaded by antfiresbetter.

As you know, just after Christmas, I needed to move from a rented community crafts studio to a home studio. I have been trying to jump through the hoops with local authorities to get my kiln OK'd.

I had to move it once after getting it hooked up, so that meant putting in all new pipes. It had to have it's own gas line and meter (more expense), and they didn't like my 'think out of the box' vent hood ( but finally admitted it was terrific!)

But now.....The inspector finally OK'd my gas kiln set up, and we are thrilled! I made a trip to my local-ish clay supply to buy my glaze materials. I am waiting on my scales to arrive so I can mix my glazes and get started!

Hopefully, I will be up and running soon! Possibly within a week!!!

Though I think I have been saying that since January 1st, this time I may be right!!

Ritual Hearth - Evening Sky Blue

2008-02-22T12:51:00.001-08:00

Ritual Hearth - Evening Sky Blue, originally uploaded by antfiresbetter.

Not all Pagan folk are blessed with country cottages or crumbling Victorian manors. In fact a lot of use are living in regular, run of the mill homes without a fireplace or stone hearth in sight.

I've read about about hearth magic and always wanted to try some, especially on Yule or St. John's Day. I crossed my fingers and toes the last time we moved, but no such luck.

Enter Tasha. We were chatting one day and I brought up my complaints.

"Well...why don't you just make one?"

"A hearth?" I asked.

"Sure, a little ritual one out of clay."

The conversation quickly moved on, but the idea stayed with me. Why don't I just make a hearth? So I did.

The first one I made worked just fine, but I've modified this one to have more ritual space.

Where is the new pottery?

2008-01-22T07:39:00.001-08:00

Folks may be wondering why there have been so few new items listed in my Etsy shop. I know Grandpa Doll looks like he is missing some new jugs!

The reason is a forced, but happy move of studio space.

I have been sharing rented studio space with other artists at in a large old building here in town. The building was sold, and we artists were given less than a week to move. So, I am trying to get my kilns up and ready as quickly as possible at home, but it means new wiring for the small electric kiln, and an inspector visit and new line for the large kiln, not to mention all the safety equipment I need! Whew!

I am hoping to be up and running by the end of February, but it really depends on how fast I can think outside the box to get things done safely and cheaply at home.

The upside is that will be producing pottery here, at home. I am very excited about that! And, since I already have my wheel set up, I am making greenware (unfired pottery) while I wait for the kilns to be ready to fire. And since my favorite part of the process is the throwing, I am pretty content.

Also, for those who have wondered- My husband Danny is doing well. He is out of the hospital again, and is up and around. Thanks for your thoughts and wishes for his health!

first teapot

2008-01-03T09:29:00.001-08:00

first teapot, originally uploaded by antfiresbetter.

This is a photo of a little teapot I made a few months after first starting in clay. The cork is in the spout, because I made the spout too low on the vessel, and the water pours out just after you pour it in the top! We use this now for pouring homemade mulberry syrup for pancakes. It isn't that good, but it works and I am fond of it, because it is my first teapot. I am posting this photo, because of this discussion:

On Etsy, I belong to a guild of sorts, the Etsy Mud Team. Someone on the forum for our team mentioned that on another very well-known potter's forum, ClayArt, there was some discussion about those who sell on Etsy.

A few folks said they loved selling and buying there, but several folks were very vocal about the diverse skill level that was on Etsy, and they felt that it was a bad thing to let those of lower skill sell with those of higher skill. And that customers are rather stupid, and need to be protected from "bad pottery". That got our danders up!

Of course, we all had to pop over and read their posts, and it got a lively discussion going on our forums too.

I stated my opinion this way:
"I think quality and craftsmanship are probably the most important thing for many folks, not all, but I would say for most crafters. I guess I just overreacted to the feeling I got of some of the postings there of "I worked for years to get here, and until you are at my level, you have no place in the artworld". One of our newest members has only been doing clay for a couple of years, and his stuff is wonderful! The idea of "paying dues" is the idea I don't like. Or that there is an absolute line between quality and crud. Or that customers are oblivious of all this.

I have bought handmade bowls from new students because I liked the bowls, being full aware that they had some distance to go to become on par with Leach. But I still happily use their works, even if it is not the creme de la creme of handmade pottery. There is often something alive and refreshing and joyful in a novice's pottery, even though the craftsmanship is lacking. I like the energy of a piece that shows that an fledgling artist is discovering themself."

I don't think customers need to be protected from anything! Why can't a customer like any style they choose? Who is foolish enough to say "This is good and this is bad, this is nice, this is ugly, so you can only buy what I say"! Phooey!

I was very unhappy with that thought, then Natalie, (owner of nkpdesigns.etsy.com and nkpbeads.etsy.com) said this, and I thought it was the perfect expression of how exploring our art and craft through clay should be viewed:

Natalie said:
"I have the first bowls I started throwing back in 2003 and wow, I'm really glad I didn't try to sell them. I have them in my kitchen cabinets and use them regularly and they are special to me because I remember what it felt like to throw them, and I remember that great feeling I had taking them out of the kiln that first time. It's a great memory. But its my special memory and so I have those first efforts and I cherish them.

I had a friend come over to look at my pottery and she picked up this very awful small mug. It was crude. It was a first try. The handle was not on properly. But she knew me. She was my friend. She loved me. So she loved that cup. She wanted to BUY that cup. I gave it her. She still loves that cup. God bless her! But I think she loves it because she loves me. And that's great. That's what its all about sometimes.

And hopefully, as I continue learning and throwing and reading and studying and handbuilding and learning and doing then others who don't know me or have a reason to love me will love my pottery too.

Ah to dream .... :)"

Perfect. :D

Felted wool purse, first try!

2008-01-01T22:53:00.001-08:00

Felted wool purse, first try!, originally uploaded by antfiresbetter.

At Kwanzaa, we give handmade gifts. For some reason my kids think that if I give them something I made from pottery that I am cheating, so I try to make Kwanzaa an excuse for learning some new craft. This year, I tried felting sweaters bought at a thrift store to make purses. I love the idea of recycling, and that what I make is useful!

These purses are my gifts for this year. I think they turned out pretty well for my first tries!

I bought the sweaters, and washed and dried them three times on the hottest wash and the hottest dry setting. Then I cut out the bags just by eyeballing what I wanted the finished product to look like.

Danny has been home from the hospital for about a week now*, and wanted to help. Thank goodness he was well enough to sew them for me - I was not looking forward to learning his sewing machine. I haven't sewn since junior high, which was so long ago it was before the world was in color! I pinned them, and he did the seams.

I am very happy with how they look, and I am thinking about making more!

* Danny has been in and out of the hospital for the last 9 months due to complications from an old injury. He is weak, and still unable to work with clay. I completely enjoyed his help with these. I have missed working with him. Having Danny well has been my favorite gift this holiday season!!

Poster for Etsy Mud Team Post Holiday Sale

2008-01-01T07:50:00.001-08:00

Poster for Etsy Mud Team Post Holiday Sale, originally uploaded by intothefire.

The Etsy Mud Team, a street team I belong too on Etsy.com, is sponsoring an After Holiday Sale. I am participating by offering 10% off anything in my shop. Buyers during the sale will be registered for a drawing for prized donated by the shops. Lovely things, I am doing some shopping myself. My goal this year is to buy a mug or cup from every mud team shop. I don't know if I will make it tho, since the team grows daily.

So, come on by and see the sale, and say Hi when you get to Etsy!

2007-12-16T21:47:00.000-08:00

Etsy Admin, Vanessa, contacted me to write about how my family celebrates Kwanzaa. I have to submit it tomorrow, so of course I put off writing it till the last minute!
Anyway, for the few folks who check up on me, you get a preview! Blessings on Tasha, who helped SO MUCH!!

Kwanzaa- A Handmade Holiday

By Antb

As we set the table for Kwanzaa my youngest daughter Grace sets out baskets and sings The 12 Days of Christmas, repeating the phrase, “Two Turtle Doves” about a half bajillion times.

“Grace, honey, that’s the wrong holiday,” I tell her.

“Oh right. Harambee then!”

Together we set fake fruit in the baskets to represent the harvest. Renee and Jasmine finally find the kinara, the special candle holder, and begin arranging it on top of the mkeka mat. Jens and Tasha bring platters full of fresh fruit, crackers, corn and peanuts in from the kitchen.

“Who remembers the seven principles of Kwanzaa?” I ask. Everyone crowds closer around the table, picking the piece of fruit which will represent them in the basket. Nearly everything on the table is handmade, including the pine needle baskets, made by my sister who learned the craft from the granddaughter of a slave who learned it from her grandmother.

(Caption- Gracie lights the Umoja Candle)

“Umoja!” Grace yells. “That’s my candle.” She carefully lights the central black candle.

“And that means Unity,” I remind her.

“Kujichaguilia,” Jasmine says, careful not to say “Goochee-Goo-Ya” as she did as a child. “It means Self Determination.”

(Caption – Jasmine lights the Kujichaguilia Candle)

“Ujima- Collective Work and Responsibility,” Renee says.

“So you’ll be doing all the chores?” I deadpan. Nobody responds.

“Ujamaa, which is Cooperative Economics,” Jens says, stealing a cracker from the bowl.

“Does Etsy count?” Tasha asks.

“Sure does!”

Snow hurries us on to her candle. “Nia. Purpose.” She has dropped by on her way to work and wears her uniform instead of the usual brightly colored dashiki shirt.

It’s my turn now. I light my candle. “Kuumba, Creativity. By the way, how are everyone’s gifts coming along? Do we need a craft store run?”

The kids look guilty. While everyone no doubt has a plan for the handmade gifts we give each other on January 1^st, I have a feeling they’re in the Kuumba stage and don’t have much Nia. (Caption- I wonder if Renee has her gifts made?)

“Imani,” My husband, Danny says. “Or Faith. And then we name our ancestors.”

“Kutoa Majina. For honoring those who have gone before us, maybe they’ve died, maybe they no longer live with us, but they’re a part of us anyway.” The kikombe cha umoja, or cup of togetherness is filled with sparkling apple juice and set front and center during the seven days of Kwanzaa. I think it’s a pretty good chalice, considering I made it my first year of ceramics class.

Tonight, we pass the cup and everyone names someone who has influenced their lives. We drink a toast to them.

“And then Jens drums!” Grace says.

(Caption – A little celebration drumming)

“And what part does bingo have to do with all this?” Jasmine asks cynically.

I smile. “That’s the part that’s uniquely us. That’s the fun of Kwanzaa.”

“Actually, weren’t there lots of games of chance played during holidays and festivals all over the world? So I’m pretty sure there is an African tradition somewhere that would translate into something like bingo,” interjects Tasha.

“Leave it to a Pagan to rationalize bingo during an African holiday,” Jens laughs.

Jasmine won’t be put off, however. “Mom, come on. White parents, black kids. Hel-loo! How does Kwanzaa compute in a family like this? Most of the black kids in my school don’t even celebrate this, why do WE?” Grace looks up expectantly – she senses a story coming.

(Caption – Grace waits to hear a Kwanzaa story)

I think back to when our family grew in one day from a family of four, to a family of nine. It’s been almost fourteen years, but I still feel tired when I think of the chaos and sheer busy life that happened when we adopted a sibling group of five kids from Chicago. The Barry family was as white bread as could be, how were we going to teach these children about their heritage? I couldn’t see my kids finding a lot of pride in their adopted Viking forefathers. My sister asked me if we were going to celebrate Kwanzaa, now that our family was mostly African American. I think she was joking, but the idea appealed to me on many levels: It would be a dedicated time of year to talk about African American role models and heroes, it was based on a blend of older African traditions and rituals and I could pick and choose what worked best for us, it was all about what we as individuals could do when we worked together – an idea I was anxious to instill in my children as part of a newly blended family, and it was about handmade – homemade - taking little and making it more through creativity and a little work, using what you have, honoring the handmade, noticing craftsmanship, taking pride in what we can do ourselves.

Yes, this was a holiday I could embrace! I couldn’t ignore the signs of a commercial Christmas all around, but I could make Kwanzaa into the handmade, family centered holiday I had always wanted for my family.

(Caption – The Kwanzaa table is set)

“Jasmine, we celebrate Kwanzaa because I am the mom, and I said so.” “Yes Mom,” she answered obediently, rolling her eyes. “Can we play bingo now?”

“Help me with the food, and then I get to call the numbers first!” We set up a buffet with southern food and spicy African dishes. As the kids pick their bingo cards, and find pillows to sit on, I look around at my family, and find myself completely content with life. This is how a family holiday is supposed to be.

“Bingo!”

(Caption – Ant with Orange Slice)

Further Resources:

http://www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org/index.shtml

http://www.swagga.com/kwanzaa.htm

Happy Halloween, Blessed Samhain, Happy Birthday

2007-11-08T18:11:00.001-08:00

This year we did the usual Halloween things, but also had some fun making soul cakes and eating pan del muerta that we bought at a local Mexican bakery. We had fun dressing up (Doesn't Gracie look adorable as Piglet?)

Later, my oldest daughter, Snow, took me out for a birthday date. Then we met one of her friends, Jen. Jen took us ghost hunting at a remote cemetery. We took lots of photos, and here is one with a very clear, apparently moving, orb.
All in all, one of the best birthday/Samhain/Halloweens ever!

Fall Fun

2007-10-30T14:00:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is Halloween, or Samhain if you prefer. It is also my birthday! Yup, scorpio, born the year of the dragon, how scary am I to live with??

Anyhoo, last week part of my family went to a local apple orchard, with a stop at a farmer's market on the way home. Yay!

We saw some animals at the petting zoo, which Gracie loved. She wants to be a piglet for Halloween now, only pinker.

Some of the wonderful produce at the farm market, so pretty that I had to make some pumpkin and gourd themed pottery:

2007-09-09T10:57:00.001-07:00

Welcome to Ant B's Pottery!

2007-09-09T10:51:00.000-07:00

I have finished my teapot for Etsy Mud Team's teapot challenge. Well, actually, I made three teapots, and am trying to decide amongst them. Why not let me know which you like best and help me decide which to put in?
The first one is the one for my new avatar on Etsy. It is made from porcelain, and was thrown, then faceted and paddled, and a carved foot was added.
The second is a porcelain teapot with dark green Celadon Oribe glaze on it. While it was still wet, I impressed it with a hand carved stamp.
The last one is a flattened sphere teapot with a matching cup and saucer. It is from porcelain too, and glazed with layered glazes that leave it with a varied surface- from moss to turquoise to pink flashing!

So, which do you like best? Leave a comment and let me know!