July Firing #2

We actually finished loading the kiln and I bricked up the door before it was dark last night! Jeff lit the first burner this morning at around 7:30, so we will be finished early today as well. This is firing #2 for July.  These two firings, along with the wood firing in June, means we will have a nice selection of pots for our anniversary celebration this coming weekend. Once again this will be a joint celebration with Eck McCanless Pottery. Eck is celebrating the second anniversary of his shop in Seagrove. Our shops are less than a mile from each other. Visitors at each shop will be able to see demonstrations, purchase new pots, and enjoy some tasty summertime foods. Eck is planning to get out his guitar and play some tunes in the late afternoon. The details about the weekend are on the right sidebar, here on the blog.
I can't believe that Jeff and I have been in Seagrove for three years already...time flies when you're having fun and working hard.

building momentum

Saturday was our best summer sales day in the two years we have been in Seagrove. We contribute that to a few factors.

1. Eck McCanless Pottery and us spent quite a bit of time marketing our joint Anniversary Celebration weekend.

2. A group in town was having their Christmas in July event, which brought out more people than the two previous years.

3. People are starting to spend money -  a sign (in my opinion) that the economy is beginning to turn around.

We had a steady stream of customers from 10 am until we closed at 5:00 pm. In between wrapping pots, Jeff demonstrated making big bowls and I did some sgraffito on vases. We were getting new pots made, and selling pots at the same time! Does it get any better than that?

This morning we finished loading the gas kiln and now it's firing away. We will unload it on Thursday, load it back up and fire again on Friday. We also have the electric kiln firing a bisque right now. On Saturday our NH friend Wendy arrives. She has been at Arrowmont School in Tennessee for a two week Simon Levin, wood firing workshop, and decided to visit Seagrove before heading north. 

Did I mention that we are exhausted?