Update

Hi! I haven’t been all that busy, but some news. Mug season went well for me and the Central Maine Clay Artists! It was nice to see the art teacher’s happiness when receiving that check. I even participated in the Maine Pottery tour as a guest artist at Fine Mess Pottery. There was even some money made, to quote my fellow artist”it’s better than a stick in the eye!” Custom made butter dishes made their way out of state to happy recipients.  The plant pots for my husband grave are planted and in place with geraniums and thyme.  A little bittersweet, a successful project but the reason why a bit off.

Now I am trying to get ready for craft fairs and Etsy. Some pieces have been made, soon to be photographed. Then my Etsy will be back up. It will have the shop name of DitchLilly Pottery instead of Ditch Lily Pottery. A typo years ago is now my business name to be consistent and easier to find. I am trying(yes I know:) ) to be a little more professional. It is a work in progress. Anyhey,  some pictures to tide you over while I start creating again.

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Updates and seasons

Spring will soon be sprung! We hope. Winter here has been odd. There was a warm week in February, but march has been cold. Both months have dumped snow on us. It reached a point where I couldn’t shovel out anymore and had to call someone to plow. This was a letdown for me. I had been able to shovel or depend on the kindness of neighbors. This year there was too much. Nice young man came in and did it same day without breaking the bank. Though it was an expense I had been trying to avoid. Looks like another expense, buying a snowblower, will have to be faced this year. Didn’t want it, but my driveway has to be cleared when the snow is over a foot. I did manage to plow through with my car, but I won’t get that lucky twice. Now things are melting, Snow is falling off the roof with a bang! I bought heating oil, of course a strain on the budget but I managed. And the Republicans want me to pay more for insurance because a black man put together a beginning solution that helped my fellow artists and my daughter and parents of other young adults have some kind of insurance. My rant.

So since spring is here, Mug season is also here. Our group sells mugs at coffee shops to help local schools and let people know we are out here. I manged to produce enough mugs to participate and they survived the firing. The weather and colds, flu and general blah feelings, along with financial tightness,slowed me down but I did it! This isn’t the most productive time of year for many of us but, we did it and now are doing more. I will be putting my Etsy back up soon.  It’s been a drag for the beginning of the year, now to pick up and get things done! Some pictures for your perusal.

Mugs for the mug sale and my attempt at making vessels with lids that fit.

A long Delayed Update

Monthly(sort of) update

It’s been a while but I have been working, slowly. I participated in a seconds sale that helped the local library and left me with cash in pocket and some nice feedback. I bought some new glazes that I hope to try(one of them is gold!) Also finishing up a project.

I don’t get to personal on this blog(in spite of all the I’s),don’t know who might be reading it. Some things family and friends don’t need to hear. Obviously I like some attention or I wouldn’t be maintaining a public blog in the first place.

A project i am finishing up has been a little sad. Potters get them. Cremation urns for example. Did not have to do that but I did promise my daughter I would make plant pots for the flowers around her father’s grave.

I was widowed a little over 2 years ago. He had some medical problems that didn’t get better. It escalated quickly and at 55 for me and 22 for my daughter, he died. I couldn’t come up with the words for the eulogy so my daughter did it. It all went well, for a funeral.

Since then we have been maintaining his grave and the flowers, geraniums and thyme have done well. So I have been making pots for them. It has been interesting. I found with large pots, soft clay is better. I was able to get the walls thinner. Firing was itself an adventure since sometimes the pots were neither thin enough or dry enough.Once firing while a useful tool, doesn’t wok if there is an air pocket or slight dampness. It was explosive! Here are the examples of my progress. Haven’t done the next firing yet,

one of the once fires.

but this time they should be dry.