Winter Art Market

I participated in our local Winter Art Market on the weekend, and if you are not too bored of pottery pictures yet, here is another round:

I love using these cubbies my husband helped me build for the smaller items.  It helps during set up, because I just have to plunk one thing in each section, but it also helps the smallest pieces from getting lost on the table.

 This was my first time ever being in an end booth, so I took one of the cubbies off the table to put on the side so that I didn't have just a big blank white space.  See the lamp there? Four of us (vendors) in the room I was in went home to get a lamp because the area we were in was very dark.  The ceilings were low, the lights behind us didn't work (heck some of the outlets didn't even work) and we couldn't see our items.  Note to organizers:  if you are hosting an event like this, please make sure you have adequate lighting!

 Have I shared my apple blossom platter yet?  I love the way it turned out.  

 And for once I am sticking to my decision.  This pair of pods (I call them the daffodil pods, because I can't wait to plunk a little bunch in each of the vases) will NOT be separated - at least not by me.  They just look lonely when they are not together.

 My new pendant / gift tag display.  It is a long linen tube that has a sand bag in the bottom and then is stuffed with wool.  It takes up WAY less space on the table than spreading the pendants all about, and quite frankly, I just about sold out of pendants, so I think it did it's job.

 This is for A.  This is the size of my new tiny tumblers that I am planning for the children's tea sets.  They are probably about 2 1/2" tall or thereabouts.

Candle cups were the item of the day.  I think I went home with three.

I met the most fantastic vendors this weekend.  So many I have never seen before.  I collected business cards and there is definitely some networking in my future.

How was your weekend?

The First Kiln Firing!

About a month and a half ago, I bought a used kiln.  Yesterday was the test run on it, so I thought I would share the experience.  There is a learning curve for sure.

I thought I had made PLENTY of pots to fill it, but I still had some room left, so next time I will be sure to make even more.

I also need to get some shorter posts.  I have 3", 4", 6" and 10" but it looks like I should get 8" posts as well because I had a fair bit of unused space in the first layer.  Either that, or make sure I make some tall pieces.

 I bought the smallest standard size kiln, but there was still room for a whole box of mugs (filled with the smallest pods in my new series - more on that in the coming months. I plan on having 52 pods by the time I am all done - one per week)...

...a box full of pods...

 ...one of my new favourites - the soup pod...

...imagine the rather large layer of cheese you could put on this bowl of French Onion Soup!

...and my second antique reproduction.  This one is a reproduction of a glass platter that came from my grandmother's house.  I thought it would be fun to replicate it (and I love it, so there may be many more of this in the future).  I just haven't decided if I want it in just one colour, or if the pattern and background should be two different colours.  One more reason to make a few more and test out what I like.  Oh, I'm going to LOVE having my own kiln!

There were a few other odds and ends in the kiln too.  I was quite surprised by how much fit in it, especially since I ended up running it not even filled to capacity.  It is going to be much more efficient than I thought - especially on the bisque firings.  Looks like I better get myself some more clay.

Linking up with: Frontier Dreams for Keep Calm Craft On