New work and around the studio

Some new pictures of stuff happening around the studio.  It's been a busy summer with commissions taking up most of my time.  I know, not a bad problem to have!  But it has taken away from my regular making.  I've been a busy bee the last 2 weeks getting new stock items made in anticipation of Christmas both on line sales and studio Christmas open house.

I just sold this sun and moon last night so it's on its way to a new home!

These magnolias, there were actually 4, have gone to Genuine Ga for sale in her gallery,

And I've decided George is now the shop mascot.  Isn't he handsome?

This was in the garden a few days ago.  I love this combination of Miss Huff's Hardy Lantana and the lavender of False Dragon's head

Just a glimpse of my world.

Some new work

This was the drying table today.  Lots of stuff happening.  New jars that will be dog treat jars, honey jars, 2 magnolias(to replace the 2 that didn't make it from the last glaze load), a sunflower, and today's work of a sun and moon sculpture garden plaque(foreground) and a layered hanging flower vase with star stamps(also in the foreground).  I can work in the slab room till it gets too hot.  The little AC unit in the kitchen area doesn't really make it back there.

These are some ring holders I did a few weeks ago. Thrown and then LOVE stamped onto a little strip of clay and added along with butterflies or stars.  These are unfired.

This one is glazed in purple and red.  I think they are very cute.  I sold one a few weeks ago to someone giving it as an engagement present.  Well, that meant maybe I ought to have more in the shop. So more will be finished soon.




I am working in the shop daily these days.  I'm really behind now after the loss of the 2 magnolias.  Well, it's too hot to do anything outside!

New and improved

New roof for the shop

Working on new shelves

New desk all organized and ready to take on more business

It was time for a new roof on the old house that is my studio.  It's been kinda leaky for years but was something I could live with until this year.  Actually, I was fine with it but my insurance company said I had to replace it.  So nice and new roof!

Then at home we got new carpet in our living room and the area I use for my desk.  This is where I do all the household business and also my pottery business.  After we moved the old desk out my sweet husband suggested that since everything was moved it would be a good idea to paint and reorganize for a better use of space.  Well, I jumped on that!!  I hated moving all that "stuff" but it was worth it.  I will be better organized.  But let me tell you, the week I had everything scattered all over the house was stressful.  I have to keep things in their place or I get a little crazy!  

So new things for Willow Tree Pottery.  Shiny!!

It's been waaayyy too long

Well, I can't believe it's been this long to post.  I guess I must be having fun.  With all the social media avenues now I can't seem to get focused on any one thing.  I've gotten on Intsagram @willowtreepottery.  That one is easy.  I just take pix with my phone(when I remember) and post and share on Facebook, too.  I try to do that regularly.  Twitter still seems like a time vacuum to me.  So the poor old blog gets pushed farther down the line.

Anyway, here are some pictures of work that waiting on the drying table.  Magnolias, soap pump/cruet, some jars and trays and a tall vase.

This is a 4 tube utensil holder and a flower pot(upside down).  The flower pot is hand built over an old clay pot upside down till it's stiff and can be turned over later today or tomorrow.

I'll need to fire soon.  Commissions are waiting to be finished. 

This year will be a construction year for the studio.  I need a new roof and new furnace for the little house.  Well, they're only 40 years!  

Canisters and canisters

I've been working on large canisters for the last few weeks.  These were thrown several weeks ago.  I threw the lids upside down and then trim and turn right side up to add the looped handles.  Some jars got little looped handles on the sides as well.

This is a 6-7 cup capacity jar.

This one will hold 4 cups

This will hold 5 cups

I've been getting a work out throwing 4 lbs of clay at a time to do these large jars.  I usually throw in the 1-2 lb range but it's nice to stretch myself as an artist to see if I can do it.  I love to make jars of all sizes.  They are so handy to have around and beautiful, too.  Dress up the kitchen or bathroom with practical storage.

Finished pieces

This sun and moon face turned out great.  Gold glazed features and rust patina are on the sun and gold glazed and gun metal green and copper patina on the moon.

I love the way this silverware caddy came out.  Three tubes are attached together and the oxide stain rubbed into the impressions is a matte brown.

I love doing these honey jars with the bees and letters.  The letters have an oxide stain rubbed into them and wiped off leaving unglazed letters with brown stain.

I really am still here!

I've been neglecting my blog for waaayy too long.  Somehow life just seems to get in the way!  I've been pretty busy in my shop making things.  I never remember to take pictures but did this time. 

This is hand built project of a 3 tube utensil holder/organizer.  I had one in my Etsy shop and it sold so naturally that means I have make another one!  This will have to dry about 2 weeks before it goes in the kiln the first time.  But it's warm here now so drying shouldn't be a problem.  Actually, I will leave it covered for a few days to keep it from drying too fast which can lead to cracking.

3 slabs were rolled out with the slab roller and wrapped around the cardboard tubes that my rolls of bubble wrap come on.  They are the perfect size.  And I hate to throw them away.  

This is the next day with the tubes removed.

This shows the stamped designs and the bottom added.  All one piece for the bottom and that ties the tubes together.

Big sunflower sculpture and 2 flower horn sconces

This is a crescent moon face with sleeping sun face

Various jars, ring holders, bowls

Soap pumps and bowls

This was today's work.  These will be honey jars, garlic keepers and a soap pump on the left

Garlic keeper and lid and a spinning bowl(right side).  This will all be trimmed tomorrow morning.

 I hope to be back posting more this year.  Sometimes it feels like there are just too many options for on line presence.  Do I post to facebook, flicker, twitter?  I don't want to be obnoxious.  But I'll try to post when something is interesting.  And, hopefully, I'll get the finished pieces posted here so you can see how they turned out.

New work heading for the kiln

The drying table was totally full of greenware.  No room to make anything new!
This is how everything gets to the kiln.  I load up the back of the Terrain and backup to the
kiln building.  This is also used for my DH's car parts storage.  That brick building in the left hand background is the studio.

Boxes filled with pots, magnolias and big bowls

This the kiln.  It's pretty big.  I can get a lot of work in it.  But I still didn't get it all in.  The tall cylinder utensil holders will have to wait for the next run.

Bottom layer

Filled to the top.  I have half shelves so can configure in many ways.

Set for a delayed start at about 3 AM.  It will be ready to close the lid tomorrow about 10 AM.

Still hanging in there!

I've been out of touch here for a long time!  Recovery is taking a lot longer than I hoped.  I can't push that nerve too much. It takes so much energy to fight pain. that there's not much left for anything else.  I go between feeling like I might be getting a little better to feeling bad.  I have learned not to do too much or I'm flat on my back for the afternoon.

Having said all that, I have been in the studio doing some little projects.  I have some commissions for these little spinning bowls. This is a good way to get my strength back throwing.  Little balls of clay, centered and opened with a dimple in the center.  They dry quickly, too.

Little spinning bowl.  Unfired.

I've also done some hand building of soap dispensers and cut out leaf shaped night lights.  I'm going to get my kiln loaded this weekend with my husband's help.  Glazing will an adventure.  I'm not sure how to do that without all the bending over.  I'll try it sitting and see how that works.

So the sciatic nerve adventure continues.  I'm sooo much better than I was before surgery but not where I thought I'd be 8 weeks after.  (heavy sigh)

I do miss my blog friends!!

3 years on Etsy!

I couldn't believe it when I checked the date this weekend.  Jan 12.  That's my 3 year Etsy anniversary!  I'm amazed.

To really drive home to me what I've learned, I've been putting together a presentation to my art guild about Etsy.  Going back to the beginning of how to get started setting up a shop has really brought back memories.  From the initial confirmation email to choosing a shop name and user name(which were the same thing when I started) to listing, shipping profiles and rates, uploading, policies and on and on. Honestly, I can't believe I actually did all that!  I guess I was motivated!

I have learned how to take a pretty good picture.  Good lighting and staging are key.  I've learned about the dreaded SEO.  Search Engine Optimization.  My things get found in search and on Google but I'm still learning.  I've learned how to make a treasury.  Time consuming but fun.  I learned quickly how to pack and ship.  Bubble wrap and peanuts for me and strong boxes.  Only 1 breakage in 3 years. I think the most important thing to learn is good customer service.  Answering convoes ASAP, working with buyers on custom orders, going to the extra effort to get things shipped quickly(within 24 hours in most cases) are all good practices.

I've become much more "social" on line.  I do have a Facebook page.  I have on line friends.  If you had told me 3 years ago that would be the case, I would have said you were nuts!

I get a lot more custom orders now and quite a few returning customers.  That makes me happy.  I'm currently working on a canister set, a bathroom accessory set and an 82 piece wine stopper order.  Not all for the same person!  I like to start off the year with a project and I have 3.  I did a wedding ceremony salt cellar last year that was fun and I learned a new technique for stamping onto thrown pots. I can't wait to try this again!

So my goal for this year is to surpass last year's sales  Every year has gotten better.  I'm as busy as I want to be without being crazy.  Temporary craziness is OK for a short term like around Christmas but slow and steady is really fine.  I'll keep learning.  And keep creating.

Home made Santa bag

I've been going to the post office with lots of boxes the past few weeks(YAY) and been feeling like Santa.  One lady at the post office even commented on how many boxes I had.  I've been using big black trash can bags( how attractive!) but could only get a few boxes in them at a time.  And they get holes torn in them, too.  So I decided to make a Santa bag!

I'm not very good at sewing but I can sew a straight seam, sort of. ;-)  I bought 2 flannel throws, stitched the bottom with 2 seams just for strength, stitched up each side, and folded over the top into a flap to run some cording through for a draw string.  I used an old drapery tie back in purple.  I tried to sew some black satin ribbon along the top but that didn't work.  I just had to rip that out.

flannel throw bought at the dollar store

I set up in my daughter's old room to spread out

this is the bottom

this is up the side

5 boxes, one 12 x 12 x 8, four 10 x 8 x 8

ready to go to the PO

I'm heading to the post office right now.  Then we go get our Christmas tree this afternoon. HO HO HO!!! 

Christmas Open House

Christmas open house at the shop today was awesome!  We had people there starting right at 10 am and didn't really slow down till almost 3:30.  I love to do this every year. And I always thank my regular customers so much for choosing to support my little local business.  I have some customers that have been buying from me since way back when I used to do craft shows and have continued to buy my work through the years.  I even let people cruise the "Etsy" room and sold some stuff out of there.  And my smart phone was so handy to be able go into my shop and deactivate items.  I would love to get a Square reader to do credit cards but we are in a dead zone for signal and I don't think it would work.  As it was, I had to go down to my husband's shop where he has wi fi.  But I got some exercise!

This gets me in the mood for Christmas!  Listening to Christmas music all day, and you know I love Charlie Brown Christmas and Mannhiem Steamroller the best.

Tomorrow, I'll get started on some more decorating at the house, my blue and green tree that goes in the front room we call the parlor.  My sister is coming to spend the night and will help me.  She loves, loves, loves to do Christmas!  So we'll put some more music on and have a good time!

Come on in!

Look around!

There's stuff in every nook and cranny

This little table top tree is a button tree(and all kinds of other stuff).
I bought from an artist several years ago who had work at the gallery where I demonstrated.
Every year she would bring them in and get gone
before I could get on.  So 2 years ago I grabbed one first thing.

 

Pumpkin bread muffins, chocolate chip cookies and the Pillsbury cookies with
the Christmas trees in the middle, rice krispie treats and hot cider.  OMG, I'm full!

 I still have lots of stuff and some things will make their way to my Etsy shop or maybe given as gifts.  Or just stay on the shelves.  But for now, I'm tired but happy, a good tired when you know you've been busy.  

Are you in the holiday spirit yet?