Monday, January 9, 2012

tired of mugs...

It was a lazy rainy day and when I finally wandered out to the studio I just couldn't bring myself to finish the last board of mugs. I wrapped them back up and made some pendants to raku fire. My jewelry display is a little thin, so it was time.

I have never sold a pendant on Etsy, they have all sold at shows or here at home. I am going to give it one more shot this winter. I think that there is so much jewelry on Etsy that it is hard to get noticed. There are also a lot of sellers practically giving away ceramic pendants. Another problem I have is taking good photographs of jewelry.

Jeff has been busy making goblets along with all those mugs...

This is an order that we will bisque and ship off to a potter who glazes them and sells them at Renaissance fairs. He usually sends her a few dozen at a time. I still find it odd that potters have other people make their pots. I have learned in the last year that it's more common a practice than I knew. I am not complaining... it's income for us!

7 comments:

  1. Can't scoff at income that's for sure.

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  2. It is a common practice, really? Had not heard that before. Cuuuuuute <3 pendants indeed!

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  3. I have never made pendants or beads- but it sure does look like fun. Those goblets are gorgeous...I love to make goblets, but they do not sell much- people can be so fussy about how they drink their wine.

    I also find it odd that a "potter" would have someone else make pots and sell them as their own! But, as you point out, it's a sale for your studio! :)
    Have a great day~

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  4. i have seen a few different scenarios of why potters hire someone else to throw their pots - they can't keep up with certain items that sell quickly, they aren't proficient at throwing certain items (large or complex forms). the potter that does the hiring will typically finish the piece - add handles, glaze, etc.
    when jeff makes pots for other people they don't look like his pots... he throws the other potters forms.

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  5. nice pendants - I think people need to hold them and fall in love just a litte.
    As for potters who work for hire- it is and still is very common in this area- not unusual at all- in fact what is unusal is that this area has gone from production potters to almost all studio potters. There are days i would happily walk away from all the chores that come after making. The making has always been the fun part to me.

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  6. Meredith, Jeff will agree with you. Throwing pots for him is the best part. I couldn't never throw for other people because I am too slow. I am amazed at how many pots he can throw in a day.

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  7. I started my life as a potter excpecting to throw for others...I thought that was common...you know, the apprentice scenario. My first job as a potter was at a pottery factory in Wilmington where the owner was a salesman that never made a pot... the reason I moved to NH was to work at SalmonFalls Stoneware...
    thankfully I have been surronded by inspirational talent an found a way to express my own creative vision while keeping my day job as a potter. It is so easy to get worn down by the production demands of others, just like any factory job.

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