Potter Puppets

I came across this on You tube today but I still cant work out how to upload the video onto my blog site. so here is a link to it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tx1XIm6q4r4

I thought the cast list is as follows:

Doug Fitch

Nic Collins

Ron Philbeck

Hannah Mcandrew

Matt Grimmit

see if you think the same.

Secret Santa Revealed

My Secret Santa Parcel arrived on Christmas Eve !

A beautiful jug from Doug Fitch, made from the new locally Doug, dug clay

the pot is as light as a feather.

I love the copper flash on the front here
This pot is everything a Slip ware pot should be.
Thanks Doug a master piece to be proud of.

A Request for Shelving Ideas

I've turned my attention to the shelving arrangements in my new workshop

I believe that this is a vital aspect to the smooth operation of a workshop.

below are pictures of my current set up.

This is a close up of how the system works.
But I have found that this system has limited use of space.
and I am looking for Ideas of a better use of space.
These two diagrams below are taken from a book called Potworks.

I have also always liked the look of this unit

taken from the front of -Illustrated Dictionary of practical pottery.

any suggestions that you have found work for you

would be greatly appreciated, as I ponder this question.

New Profile Picture Circa 1972

It hasn't gone unnoticed that over the past few months

potters with blogs have been changing their Profile picture

from pots to portraits.

I think this is a good idea as it is nice to put a face to the words.

I've had a number of attempts at trying to take a photo of myself all to no avail

so I decided, because today I'm in a just do it mood, I would post pictures that I do have.

I think you can date this picture from the smiley badge alone

I believe it was around 1972.
This one is around 1962/3
I've decided to get a new picture done when I move into the new workshop
so hopefully I'll put up a new profile picture in two weeks time.

What Present do you Buy a Potter ?

As Potters we find ourselves spending many hours alone in our workshops.

and how ever much me love Radio 4 from the BBC.

Sometimes the scheduling doesn't quite fit in with the need for something good to listen to whilst sitting quietly putting handles on mugs.

That's when the beauty of a Christmas present like this comes into it's own.

Have a Cracking Christmas !!!

A Merry Christmas to One and All .

My last Biscuit Firing had some of those unfortunate pots that crack

when you lease need it.

Luckily I had taken Marion's advise, I had orders for three Casseroles

and Marion told me to make six

" wise words indeed"

Look on the bright side !

Three less pots to glaze.
I bet one is saying to the other
" well it could be worse - at least were not Turkeys"

The final Glaze firing of the year came out great and all of the pots were

delivered the same day, so no time for Pictures.

Apart from this one extra Tankard which was close to the burner

and I felt had a great look and feel to it.

A bit like a wood fired pot so I'm keeping this one.

Off to make some mince pies and Jam tarts now.

Thank you all for your encouragement over the past year.

Shivering - any Suggestions ?

We met another Earthenware potter the other week at a craft fair.

His name is Nicholas Hillyard, he made this cute little jug above.

We got chatting about glaze or slip coming off rims, it would appear that it is a problem both of us come up against from time to time. Unfortunately I did not have a definitive answer for Nicholas so I suggested I would put the question out to the bloggers.

My slip is 100% hapless ball clay, ( I had typed in Hyplas but spell check wanted to change it to hapless, which made me chuckle ). it only happens on a few pieces at random.

Any suggestions ?

Here is a close up of one of my jug handles

and below is the rim of the same pot !

On a slightly cheerier note I made the Wreath for the front door
of the cottage this morning, made from bits I cut from the Garden.
It's all in a desperate attempt to not do the glazing I have to do today
for my final Firing of the year.
I may even go and get my hair cut this afternoon for the first time since August.

Last Orders Please !!

One of my final orders for this year nearing completion.

These 8 Tankards are in the Biscuit firing now cooling down ready for glazing on Friday.

The chap who ordered them is currently in India.

I know you've seen this view a few times before, I see it almost every day

when we take the dogs for a walk.

I've been so busy over the past few months I realised the other day I was just getting the dog walk over as quick as I could, without spending time looking around Me.

I used to do that when I had my other job and hated not having the time, to soak up the surroundings.

What's great is that the dog walk is now an integral part of my day,

where I can plan my day in the morning and review it at the end of the day.

and take time to enjoy my new life as a full time potter.

In some ways I've taken to it like a duck to water, but sometimes I realise

I'm still thinking in the old ways and it makes me shudder.

Time off over Christmas will give me space to reflect and plan for the year ahead.

I can't wait...

Tis The Season to be Jolly

It is Now !!

I had confirmation today that I will be able to move into

My new Workshop in January 2009.

Three times more space and a showroom.

Happy days indeed.

Perry's Cider - Dowlish Wake

Paid a visit to Perry's Cider in Dowlish Wake today

to buy some Local Cider

Great collection of cider flagons in the Museum
and a great selection of old tools

I wasn't going to stand around too long people would have thought

I was one of the exhibits.

Barrington Christmas Fair.

We did the Barrington Christmas Fair last night

no pictures because I was so busy as soon as I got in the door

It was the best show I have done so far.

Just what I needed to get me in the Christmas spirit.

Clear blue Sky's at the moment, but Mr jack frost is still around

You can see the steam coming off this Teapot that had just been

blasted with my gas burner.

Don't worry about this tankard I left it out on the table for a few days

to see what effect it would have.
I'm trying to finish off a kiln full of pots for Christmas Orders
but it's so hard get them to dry out in time.

Good & Bad or just plain stupid.

I Put the display back together yesterday following all the shows over the weekend

and I tried to make it look a bit festive for that Christmas present feel. And I set the Table to look as inviting as I could.

It wasn't supposed to be frosty last night
and now I feel so stupid.
I've made another 6 Casseroles today and tonight they are all on the Kitchen table
nice and snug and warm.
The Final collapse

This is what it was supposed to look like.

I've had orders for four of these all from this one, it will hold around 6 pints of fluid.

I made my last pots for Christmas orders today they should be finished by the 21st.

Home Alone !

Blogger Andrew came around this afternoon on his way home from Nic Collins place, where he has been helping to fire the kiln over the last week.

I took him over to John Leach's place, John was out when we got there, so I had a chat with Johns wife Lizzy while Andrew selected some pots to buy, as we were leaving John came back so Andrew got to meet him, and he showed us around his kiln room.

Lizzy had also shown John my leaflet I had left for him.

He loved it and asked me if I could let him have some to put in his showroom, naturally I had some in the truck so I gave him a hand full.

Neither of us had our cameras on us, so the only picture I have to offer is this one of the basket of logs I have just got in for the fire.

Thanks Andrew,it was great to see you again and I enjoyed the afternoon.

Busy ,Busy ,Busy.

My stall at the Shepton Christmas fair was up on the stage so I had a good view of the proceedings, as you can see from these pics. the first one is just before the show opened.

This one was in mid show
This was my stall.

I did Ok

Then we went off to the Royal Smithfield show in the afternoon.

Aberdeen Angus I'm Told.

I felt at home here....

The show had not been a great success for the Guild but I got a last minuet sale

of two large jugs right at the end that made me a happy bunny.

Do you remember the big Medieval looking jug with the splodge

I sold That one.

I had hoped to have a day off today and rest up, but I have two Casseroles to finsh off 12 egg cups to make with names on and 30 Tankards to write names on.

and it's freezing here today and I'm trying to find excuses not to go out into the workshop.

is there anything else I can tell you, before I venture out into the cold.

come on there must be something.

Did I tell you I make pots.

OK, OK I'm going...............

Still have time to appreciate the little things in life.

This little chap has been living in my jug by the front door for a number of weeks now

I felt I should take time to share it with you, as I walk past him every day.

This was my stall at the Hambridge Village Hall,

I now know where the phrase organised Chaos comes from.

but it was good fun.

My Bowl fetched £32.00 last night at the Auction
to raise funds for the Barrington Players.
They raised over £1000
I drank too much Stella last night and am quite surprised I mustered this post before going off to the next that starts in less than an hour.

The Royal Smithfield Christmas Fair 2008

Well this is the start of a very busy weekend.

Today I set up a display in a marquee at

the Bath & West Show ground.

as part of the Somerset Guild of Craftsmen show at

the Royal Smithfield Christmas Fair.

The display was not what I had in mind at all, but they had plenty of space and wanted me to

make as large a display as I could, so I came up with this.

If anything I think it looks like a bit of installation art.

As you can see the rest of the show was being built up around me.
This is the first of three shows this weekend.
I have a Christmas fair at Hambridge Village Hall on Friday afternoon.

I am giving a pot to an Auction of Promises on Friday Evening in the local pub.

I have a Christmas Fair in Shepton Beauchamp on Saturday Morning
and then I am back at the Smithfield show on the Saturday afternoon
to do some selling before taking the stand down on Saturday evening.