This blog is a log...

If you are reading this, thank you! I like the idea and concept of blogs even thought it seems that they are not as popular as they used to be. I haven't been using this medium to voice my opinion or anything like that in quite awhile, but just to show my work. A couple of years ago, it was so fun to read each others' and comment on them but people have drifted or had priorities come up or have moved on to "a bigger and better place". I was even thinking about not updating it anymore and using flickr, but will keep this going since this is where my pretend art-sharing all began in the first place.

BTW, did you know that you can be updated by email every time I update this blog instead having to come to my site? Just become a follower by clicking the right-hand side link over there-->

Now on to the "show and tell"...

This is a slab-built box that I carved on. It's about 5 inches tall. It has just one glaze on it.

Last month was "bowl" month and I got a couple of new curved ribs, so this is what came out of that.

Here's a vase. I'm disappointed in the glaze, but oh well.

I still have an extreme fondness for working with hollow tubes made from a clay extruder. I laid one of the vases from earlier by a raw tube right here.

And here is a piece in which I learned more about sculpting and needing a thicker base. This piece went back into the reclaim bucket after it cracked apart.

The tubules reminded my husband of something from his Medical Terminology book, and I'd have to agree they do have a likeness.

There will be more tubules to come!

Eleven pieces

Eleven: That's how many pieces came out of the kiln that I started in December.


The black piece has a "Double Happiness" symbol and holds 3-1/2 cups. It's for a wedding present.

I had so much fun with the clay extruder! These vases in the last picture are made from 1-inch diameter clay tubes. The tallest one is about 7 inches. Double click on the pictures for more detail. For some reason the picture came out smaller than expected.

Thanks for still checking up on me!

A local Asian market

I went to our local Asian market between the holidays. I would recommend it if you are bored with your local grocery store and need a little "vacation". Some people claim that specialty items are cheaper there.

Here's what I picked up and finally cooked last night:




My husband and I thought we didn't like curry because I made something once with JUST curry in it. I was introduced to a local Thai restaurant and found out it's great with other spices and I must've used it wrong before.

The dish on the left is a red curry and tomato paste concoction. There is a recipe on the back for beef curry. It seems to be a little westernized, as it says "Tastes of India" on the front...Aren't cows considered to be holy there?

The second dish on the right side is a beef and chili and coconut milk seasoning packet for Randang from Indofood. It was a little less spicy and also very good. Somewhere on the internet, it said that this dish was Malayasian.

They were both very good!

Also, thought I'd share this interesting description found on a box of a ceramic bowl set. Please click to enlarge and read. If you buy one, it might change your life!

Speaking of Asia, my new sister in law is Chinese! Congratulations Brittany and Clark if you ever read this!!!

December blog post

Since I've been sporadic with my blog posts, I'm assuming this will probably be the only one in December.

My husband knows that the ornaments in the pictures are my "must have" ornaments on the tree, since my grandma made them.

Will have to make more of these trees next year. I just followed Jill's instruction on how to make them, and they turned out almost as cute as hers!

These are slab-built containers which were started in September and then a bowl left over from last session.

Wishing you a wonderful holiday season! Thanks for still checking up on me!

5 pieces

p.s. I do not have a pepper collection. I just altered one of the mugs and thought it looked like a pepper and made another one to look more like a pepper. Please don't buy me any pepper things, as I would rather eat them than look at them.

p.p.s. Green peppers give me heartburn, but jalepenos don't. Is that weird or what?

Last "blate" and handbuilding pieces

Here's the last in my "blate" series. I like the one before this the best. On the first try, I was trying to make a landscape but the clouds in the sky part didn't turn out at all. Finally got around to glazing my handbuilding pieces from September.

I was surprised how good I did sculpting the frog, but I copied the instructor's who coached me on it.

Happy Fall!

Ribs N Bids Pancreatic Cancer Fundraiser

Do you remember this? I posted it this summer.


Well, you have an opportunity to bid on it. I made it especially for this:


There will be lots of handmade items to buy including pretty knitted and crocheted items. Unfortunately, I am priorly engaged that night and won't be there. So please go eat some BBQ for me. Click here to see my friend's blog post about her beautiful handiwork!

Another "blate" and bowl

My husband bought me a light tent, so I'm playing with that and trying to figure out how best to use it. Thanks, husband! Now you won't see my couch or coffee table as often!

I still like my "Smokey the Bear" ruler, though.

A cow, forest, fondness of fungi, and frontyard fun

I would've call this a word-less post but, the title is a bit wordy already so I'll elaborate. Something we don't get too much of in my part of Kansas is fungi. It's really interesting to me. Have been thinking about buying some mushrooms to grow in the closet this winter to fight the doldrums...This just might be the year that I order that box kit from one of the garden catalogs.

Pots

In case you don't see my stuff on facebook, here it is.



Below are my raku pieces from a firing on October 11th. Raku firing: The pyrometer has to reach 1,800 degrees F.