Spring Cleaning in January

The weather has been amazing this weekend, making it perfect for studio cleaning. It was so warm that I was able to bring lots of studio stuff outside and hose it down. Our studio will never be the epitome of clean and neat, but it sure is looking better!

Yesterday I worked on one half of the studio. Mainly the half that I work in. Look at this clean wheel! It's definitely time to get the porcelain out.

Once again, everything that goes together, is together. I am going to try really hard to keep up with this from now on. It seems once we get into glazing is when the studio starts to become disorganized. At least I recognize where I fall short!

I don't think my work bench has looked this clear since the day we moved into this studio.

We also threw a ton of stuff away. Lots of pots that I thought I might refire, or use for something... most are GONE now. Odds and ends that I saved for who knows why... GONE. Today Jeff and I will tackle the other half of the studio, which includes the glazing area and pug mill.

The temperature on the kiln is 424 degrees this morning. That means new pots later today! Happy Sunday, I hope everyone is enjoying a warm January weekend, where ever you may be.

The end of an era...

When Jeff and I were in New Hampshire this fall, we stopped in to say hello to Gloria. Gloria owns and runs Sassafras Tree Artisans, the store front to my New Hampshire pottery studio.

Gloria had let us know in the summer that she was going to close the shop and retire. I wasn't sure she was really going to do it... she loves her little shop. Aside from our pottery, she sells country home decor, primitives, hand crafted jewelry, and some antiques. While we were visiting she confirmed that she was really going out of business at the end of the year. She had already started to run a sale. As I walked through the shop and into the old pottery studio (which is now storage for the shop) I felt a little sad. I realized, however, that my sadness was for Gloria. I was no longer mournful of giving up that space. A space that was filled with so many happy memories. I have truly moved on. 

Seagrove is my home now. The local bank tellers know me by name. I run into people I know at the post office. All of these are signs that you are no longer walking in strange territory. We went to a potters holiday party last night and it dawned on me how many wonderful people I have met since moving here. 

It may be the end of an era, but that also means a new one is beginning.