Flutterbys and class project

Here are some photos from the butterfly house at our local public garden.

Is there a tail missing on that Giant Swallowtail? Is that part called a tail?

I'm guessing one of these Queen butterflies is a male. Hmm, a male Queen?

A small vase...

And below is my version of the class project for the session that just ended. We were to alter the lower part by scoring it and manipulating the clay with our fingers, superballs, whatever would work to push it out. The clay had to be just the right consistency in order to do so. Sometimes it required rewetting or use of a wet sponge. The instructor said he wanted it to be fluid-looking like, well actually like rolls of fat.

The funny thing is, the skinny people didn't quite get the look that he was wanting. I, on the other hand, was able to get closer to the look he wanted. Who would've guessed?

Black swallowtail and what happens when a grub grows up

Do you notice the little bump on its abdominal area? I'm not sure what's up, but it did fly away after an hour, so it must not be harmed much.

Yes, that's a chopstick or what I use for a butterfly ladder to let them climb out.











This June bug is a lot prettier than the grubs I find in the soil.

An hour in Lindsborg

Last Saturday, I was in the area of Lindsborg and got to walk downtown. Lindsborg is a Swedish community in Kansas. I went in the Small World Gallery and met a National Geographic photographer whose wife designs jewelry. Then I went into Courtyard Gallery and saw some pieces from my favorite potter who comes to the Wichita Garden Show, Carol Long. It's amazing what she does with slip (liquid clay)!

Yes, that's "Salvador Dala" in the picture up there.

More blue vases

I wanted to make little vases to put my mini daffodils in next spring.

More pictures

Here is the view of the bridge they are redoing between Omaha and Council Bluffs.


More train pictures of Kenefick Park.







Council Bluffs has the Union Pacific Railroad Museum...



and a cool park and veteran's memorial area.



Did you know it was also the home of Amelia Bloomer, inventor of Bloomers? Oops, that's not correct according to this. I just assumed so since she was wearing them.



p.s. I'm counting down...two more months! Until what? I'll be sure to share in two months!

Blue vases and Lauritzen Botanical Gardens

Here is just a taste of the 124 photos I took at Lauritzen Botanical Gardens and Kenefick Park.
Yes, that's a tram! It's that big! Yes, they have a model railroad garden!

Just found this video on youtube takes you on a ride on the model train if you're interested.

Lewis and Clark and pottery

Earlier this month, I went through the Council Bluffs/Omaha area. Here are a few random pictures until I get them all organized.

I'm lucky this first picture turned out okay, as I didn't notice that the lens was in manual focus instead of auto focus. Must've flipped the switch when I put the lens away before.


I also went to a family reunion in North Dakota and am debating about whether I want to share the pictures on here or just on facebook. It's kind of fun in a way to remain "anonymous" in that I don't think I have any pictures of myself on my blog..maybe one.







The chalice is the second attempt as a replacement for the communion set. I didn't take a picture of the first attempt, as in it is being used already. The glaze didn't turn out copper...Now I know why. It was HIGH-FIRED instead of LOW-FIRED. There wasn't anything wrong with the glaze. As this one has a crack in it, I'm off to make yet a third one with no cracks and will make sure to put it on the proper shelf--not the high-fired one.

Am loving the way the vase turned out in the Sagebrush Courtyard glaze!

A pottery post/how I gamble

I'm pretty happy with this little vase that I hand-built...but...












This bowl in the next two pictures is in my opinion ruined by the glaze. First of all, the greenish glaze didn't turn out green. Second of all, it covered up some of my carving. I'm thinking that it will end up in a garage sale.











Here is another footed bowl...guess I was thinking some magic would happen in the kiln, because I'm "okay" with it but that's about it.


The third footed bowl broke before it was fired and is now reconstituted clay.


This is a "lawn ornament" in that there is no bottom and I'm putting it my front flower bed. I'm going to see if it will last most of the year outside.
















The plate is what happens when the licorice goes over the copper wash glaze.






The bowl has copper wash OVER the licorice. I am very happy with it.


I hope I remember that it comes out much cooler with the copper wash over the licorice.

So in other words, I don't feel like I need to play the slot machines or crap shoot with real money. I feel like I'm gambling already. One out of three pieces will most likely come out fantastic! I figure those are my odds.

Rurality

Visited my sisters' farms in North Dakota earlier this month and went to a family reunion.



Enjoy the cow portraits! Moo!!!

What's coming next? Pictures from the Lauritzen Gardens in Omaha and some pottery pieces.

Sometimes wide is good

...definitely if it's a wide-angle lens. Someone just got a wide-angle lens and I got to borrow it. Cool, huh?






Wishing you an enjoyable and safe Fourth of July!!!

'Lil things

Can you see it? That little caterpillar on my flat-leaf/Italian parsley? I'm assuming it's a swallowtail because that's what they like along with dill and fennel and monarch caterpillars look like they have a set of antennae on the front and the back.















Here's another monarch caterpillar on a milkweed that's not quite a half of an inch. I used my macro lens on these.



The glaze didn't come out as planned on either of these. In fact, the blue taller one I glazed and fired twice, but the glaze didn't stick or hold well. I was disappointed with it already and, yes, that's a chip on the rim. The bottom half of the smaller one is supposed to be copper. As there wasn't much left in the glaze jar, I'm assuming all the copper floated to the top, even after I thoroughly stirred it. I still like it. Just don't ask me about the chalice I made to match the other pieces I glazed when the jar was full!

It was fun to try some small things. I will have to remember to make some more small vases to hold my mini-daffodils next spring. Stay cool!

Monarchs

Here are the pictures of the Monarchs from Friday morning. Since I took over 100 pictures, it was hard for me to decide which ones to post and took a little awhile to go through them.

In the morning before I started working, I noticed that the outer shell part of the chrysalises was clear. I got my tripod set up and started my workday. I took them outside, took some pictures and went back inside to work.

Unfortunately, when I came back out for a break there was one less butterfly. I'm pretty sure a bird ate it.