Focus

Today we had our first shipment of bubble wrap and boxes for 2014. Now to find a way to squeeze them all into our storage room! We use a lot of free priority boxes from the post office but we have some items that just don't fit into them, although we have been known to be very creative in combining two small boxes to make larger ones. These bundles of bubble wrap are gigantic and we have been going through them rather quickly which leads to the subject of this post.

FOCUS

As 2013 was coming to an end, Jeff and I looked back on our business practices for the year.

We are very happy that we followed through with our plan to focus on selling our pottery through Etsy. We set goals and surpassed them. Yay! 2014 will be even better.

Then there are shows... we don't do that many and this year we are dropping Festival in the Park in Charlotte, and looking for something to replace it. There are a couple we are considering. Not sure I want to do anymore shows than we have in the past, but if something looks promising we may consider it.

The biggest decision we have made, going into the new year, is to discontinue our membership in the local co-op gallery. Our sales were down, despite our best efforts to figure out what would sell there.  When we did the math we realized that with the annual and monthly fees we were taking home 50% of our sales AND working three days a month. It just makes sense for us to send more work to the consignment galleries that take 40% of sales. The time commitment to the co-op was to cutting into my studio work. With three extra days a month I can make quite a few more piggy banks to sell on Etsy!
We will miss being part of the co-op. Belonging really gave us a sense of community and we will miss that, but it was time to move on. Our term will end on February 28th.


2013 had a very happy ending for us, and I am looking forward to 2014.

October is here...

and I am happy to welcome it! September was a really slow sales month for us and I am hoping that things will pick up now. At the end of the month we are heading to New Hampshire with our traveling raku kiln to do a few workshops. One at Hillsboro High School and two more at Sally Cornwall's studio in Wolfeboro. My sister lives in Wolfeboro so we will spend most of the week with her. As I have mentioned before, my sister and I share the same birthday - October 27th, so we will be together to celebrate!

Here we are in '62, on my first birthday and her 5th

On another good note, this piece sold from our gallery yesterday...

When I made this covered dish I wasn't happy with it. I had to really fuss with the lid to get it to fit right. I wasn't going to fire it but Jeff said he liked and thought that I should. Even when it first came out the kiln I wasn't excited about it, but it sort of grew on me. I didn't put it in the gallery until last week and it already has a new home.

I'll leave you with a small ginkgo leaf cup that came out of the wood firing at David Stuempfle's last month...

"the untitled post" (I just couldn't think of one)

I haven't been very productive in clay for the last three days. Actually the correct wording should be that I have been NON-PRODUCTIVE in clay. My time has been spent  working three consecutive days at the Co-op in town. I prefer to split up my days there, three in a row wears on me. On a good note I did get some online work done for two organizations that I volunteer for... as well as some of the angel ornaments. After a day at the Co-op I just don't feel like coming home and working in the studio so I opted for cooking dinner, photographing work, and getting some reading in.

Remember the cake stands?

 I finally glazed and fired one. They are a pain to glaze, but I am happy to report that they didn't warp in the glaze firing. I think bisque firing them upside down helped as well.

I have one more ready to be glazed and fired and if I don't experience any warping I am willing to commit to making more. I have this one listed on Etsy and clicking on the second photo will take you there. I struggled with pricing... of course on Etsy they are priced all over the place. Really nice ones, over a $100, some fairly nice ones for $30 +/-... and crappy ones from $25 - $100!
I settled on $75.

Happy Sunday, I hope everyone is doing exactly what they want to. I am going to get my hands on some clay!

workin' at the coop...

Last month when we selected our co-op days we knew Jeff would be gone for half the month so we had to choose our days around that. I ended up taking three days in one week. Some members like to do it that way but I like to spread them out a little. We have a few special orders of piggy banks to fill so I decided to plan their conception around my time at the co-op. Jeff threw 19 bodies for me the other day. I assembled half at home and I took the rest with me to the co-op. I like to make the most of my time while I am here...

The money slot is a pain to cut. Measuring, trying to be accurate, etc...

Jeff and I had been talking about making a slot cutting tool for awhile and yesterday he made one for me!

Created with two hole cutters, wire and a board. Not fancy at all but it does the trick neatly and quickly.

In between pigs I had a yummy lunch of spicy Asian noodles with some fresh kimchi from the Korean market in Greensboro. Smelly but hot and tasty...

I think we have enough kimchi in our fridge to last a year! When be bought it, it had just been made and it is supposed to get better in time...
and probably smellier.

One Year Later

This month is the one year anniversary for the Co-op of Seagrove Potters. I can't believe it has been a year already! We are so happy to be a part of this group. Everyone gets along and our monthly meetings are very enjoyable (usually involving food, wine & beer). I typically look forward to my Co-op days. It's a change of scenery and pace. Financially it was a good decision. Not only do we sell work at the gallery, but it brings people out to our studio as well.
Along the way we lost one pottery due to a move to Charlotte. We were sad to see them go. The spot was filled right away with Bonnie Burns of Great White Oak. We were glad to welcome Bonnie to the group. Just a month ago we voted to increase our membership with one more pottery; Anne and Adam of Blue Hen Pottery were next on the waiting list. They are a nice addition to the group, adding to the diversity of the work represented in the gallery.
If you are in the area be sure to stop in and see what we are all about...

We are open 7 days a week- Monday through Saturday 10:00 to 5:00, Sunday 12:00 -4:00
If you are on facebook be sure to"LIKE" us: https://www.facebook.com/CoopOfSeagrovePotters

Participating Potters:
Bonnie Burns - Great White Oak
Blue Hen Pottery
Bulldog Pottery
Dover Pottery
Latham's Pottery
Lufkin Pottery
Michèle Hastings & Jeff Brown Pottery
Nelda French Pottery
Old Gap Pottery
Seagrove Stoneware
Tom Gray Pottery

someday's i am a slacker...

It's been nearly two years since I made the decision to make pots full time. I have lots of days where I feel like I was a slacker all day.
Today was one of them.
I really need to get over the notion that if I am not making pots, loading kilns, or glazing, that I am  not being productive. Tonight I decided to make a list of how I spent my day:

1. Packed Etsy orders (yay!)
2. Sort of balanced checkbook and did some paperwork
3. Took deposit to the bank then a trip to the post office to get 4 Etsy orders shipped.
4. Checked inventory at the Co-op
5. Jeff and I stacked nearly a cord of wood to heat home & studio
6. Played Angry Birds for 1/2 hour (yep... addicted)
7. Packed pots for the Co-op
8. Made cone packs for next firing
9. Emptied 5 gallons of slaked clay for recycling
10. Photographed bowls for Etsy
11. Listed a bowl on Etsy

In between all this a load of laundry & dishes got done and dinner was cooked.

Not too shabby for a slacker.

Wood fired, extruded, textured vase by Jeff Brown... I love having fresh flowers in the house.

workin' at the co-op...

of Seagrove Potters.
Today is one of my three co-op days for this month. I decided I would take some pottery work to do while I am here. For some strange reason I decided to make kitchen sponge holders. I have never made them before and I am beginning to think I won't be making them again. I threw them the other day and brought them with me to cut and and stamp.

I didn't have my "real" camera with me but my MacBook has the photo booth application so I snapped a pic of work in progress. Not sure these are doing anything for me. I only made about 8-10. I will fire them and see what I think when they are glazed. I am not sure if I can sell them for a price that reflects the amount of time put into them.
On a good note... I was happy to see when I arrived at the Co-op this morning, that Jeff and I have sold quite a few mugs here this month. Some nice salt glazed maple leaf ones that I made this fall are gone... and I was just beginning to think that maybe $30 was a little high.
Pricing work, it's the ongoing struggle for me and I am sure many other craftsmen out their.

hi - ho - hi - ho...

it's off to work i go!  it's my day at the "coop" - the "co-operative of seagrove potters" gallery that is.  our sign is going to get painted soon... jeff jokes that only cool people can read it now.  it might actually feel good to put on nice clothes and stay clean all day.

the co-op of seagrove potters is open for business!

downtown Seagrove's newest gallery is up and running today.  yesterday we were all busy pricing pots, arranging displays and putting the finishing touches on the gallery.

this building was at one time the bank of seagrove... here is jeff inside the vault!

if you are in the area be sure to come into town and check us out.  here is a list of the potters who are members of the co-op:

Michèle Hastings & Jeff Brown Pottery

Tom Gray Pottery

Bull Dog Pottery

Latham Pottery

Dover Pottery

Nelda French Pottery

Old Gap Pottery

Seagrove Stoneware

Lufkin Pottery

Ole Fish House Pottery

A new gallery in Seagrove!

jeff and i made the decision to become members of a new cooperative gallery here in seagrove.  last night we had a meeting and voted on the name... Co-op of Seagrove Potters.  It's a small gallery in a great location on main street.  it was the Seagrove bank years ago and the old vault is still there.  this weekend some of the members will finish up with the shelving installation and we will be ready to open on March 1st.  we will have a grand opening celebration at the end of the month.  we feel as "newbies" in town it will give us more exposure and as cool as the log cabin shop is, it isn't always the best venue to display some of our work.  it's going to be an eclectic group of potters, so be sure to take a trip to 

Seagrove to check us out.