2017-12-10 - Sunday - Kiln repair and showroom

Sunday I repaired the kiln lid and moved my pottery display over to the other side of the garage. I now have a 'showroom' in the garage. If you would like to do some shopping, please let me know and I will make plans to meet you there. I'm open for business.

The lid is now sound.

Showroom setup.

Wrapping and paperwork station.

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2017-10-29 - Sunday - Garage

Sunday I started cleaning out the garage so I could start using the back room again and get the front ready for my holiday sale. Things had gotten out of control for a while and I finally made it a point to do something about it. I'm sorry I didn't take any "before" photos.

Looking left to the kiln.

Looking right to the bins of pots.

To make room I had to jettison some things. One of them was a kick wheel my friend Irene gave me 18 years ago when we moved in. I never got around to using it. Now I wear Crocs due to vein problems in my legs/feet so a kick wheel would not work out too well for me.

I sent word out to our guild and 3 people contacted me immediately. It went to a good home.

 

Now I just have to deal with this stuff...

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2016-12-10 - Saturday - Holiday Sale

Saturday was the Goneaway Pottery Holiday Sale. Becky, Ju-Ian, Judith, and Elaine joined me for a chilly day in the garage. When we started, it was 24 F and only went up to 44 F for the high. We ran the propane heater, but it couldn't warm up the whole garage, so we spent some time gathered around the heater.

We had a steady stream of customers all day and good fellowship, snacks, and music.

My setup.

Ju-Ian, Judith, and Elaine.

The ever-popular snack table.

My friend Edson took this photo of me.

While we were having the sale, Stephanie was doing the Girls on the Run 5k with kids from her school. She's a coach for the program this year and we're very proud of her. Karen went with her and snapped this photo.

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2016-05-13 - Friday - Loading up

I've fallen behind again. Time to catch up.

Friday I packed up the van for the Carolina Clay Matters Spring Pottery Festival.

While pulling my bins out of the garage I noticed a vine growing through the wall of the garage. Nature never rests.

I loaded up the van and checked off the items on my list.

I had some empty bins left after loading which means my inventory is down. I need to make some more pots.

I'm pleased to report that the ferns we rescued from the woods before the land was developed are doing very well in our yard.

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2016-01-07 Where have I been?

It's been a while and life has been very busy. Here we go with some updates.

When last we left off, I was getting ready for the holiday sale.

On Friday 12/11/15:

Getting set up for the sale.

I finally figured out where to put the hydra light --in the ceiling.

I went to Sears to get some staples for hanging the drop cloths in the garage and found a bunch of bag worm cocoons in the junipers outside the store. Quite a few of them.

Bag worm cocoons.

A huge hillside of them.

On Saturday 12/12/2015:

The sale was good, especially for a holiday sale in 75 degree weather.

Kim's banner.

Our snacks for the sale (and sunscreen).

 Saturday night:

Karen's company Christmas party.

Me and Karen.

Sunday 12/13/2015:

Taking down the sale.

Saturday 12/19/2015:

Monday 12/21/2015:

I found some TINY mushrooms growing out of the maple tree out back. I also found some brown lacewing larvae that cover their backs with moss and lichen. Cool stuff.

I used my clip-on macro lens for my phone which has a really short focus length so bear with me on this.

These are really tiny.

I like the barnacle-yness of the lichen.

Zooming out to show the scale.

REALLY tiny.

12/25/2015:

Our Christmas was pretty quiet. Meredith came home for more than a week and it was nice having a full house again for a while.

Meredith with Binkley and his Christmas bone.

Stephanie throwing wrapping paper at me.

Overnight cinnamon rolls.

12/31/2015:

The day after Christmas we went to Pennsylvania to visit family for the holidays. We had a great time for the week.

On New Year's Eve, my brother Dave took me to his favorite Thai restaurant where they decorate the plates with various sauces. The woman there really does beautiful work.

Tofu in mango sauce with a beautiful design.

A closer look.
I love the addition of the swirl with all those geometrics.

For dessert we had the dream bomba which is
chocolate covered peanut butter ice cream with a caramel center
--and an umbrella.

Dave's dessert plate artwork.

Mine.

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2014-12-12 - Friday - Holiday Sale Setup

Friday night I spent several hours in the garage getting it ready for the holiday sale. I organized a lot of stuff and hang drop cloths on the walls. Next I set up my display. I really like the transformation from ordinary garage to pottery showroom even if it's only once a year.

Here are some before and after photos around the garage.

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