Journey Aug 18-24 "What Do You Think"

Marian sent me an email on Tuesday and reminded me that our first session with Stephen was coming up in a couple of days! Yikes - I rapidly finished the third vase that was sitting under plastic for the last week. On this one I decided to do a landscape as I feel that it will be easier try different glazes and have success than with the woman pots. I also need to make a bunch of smaller sample pots with appliques and test out glazes.
Fortunately I received an email from Stephen delaying the monthly session, giving me more time to get my pictures together. On Wednesday I finally pulled handles on 11cups that I had thrown last week. I use an old fridge as a damp cupboard and the cups were still soft enough to attach the handles. Did a rather messy job - but will keep at it. I really need to start with smaller rolls of clay at the start and the attachment point is still very thick - out of proportion to the rest of the handle.
Maybe the cups have too much on them - throwing rings at the top, stamp and then the wacks at the bottom, though I like the long wacks that go up the cup - look like sails of a boat and go with the stamp of water and sun. Actually I find the throwing rings also repeat the water waves in the stamp.
I tried stamping some smaller bowls but found the flat stamps did not work well on the curves - so made some fish stamps on rounded surfaces and so will see if these work better.
Had to make more teabag rests - almost sold out of them - sold over 50 in July - so they are a nice source of income. I will try some appliques on the teabag rests so then can use them as glaze samples as well.
Also need to make some more olive canoes - as these sell well for the tourists. Will try to incorporate stamps, appliques to those as well.
On Saturday helped with a culture grant workshop for kids at a farmers market in Killaloe - about an hour away from us. As the market was just in its first year the attendance was very poor - but it was a nice location with a beautiful old barn and a great little band with a neat washtub bass. Get an old washtub, tape off the holes for the handles, attach a bass G-string with washers to the middle of the tub and the other end to a stick. Notch the bottom of the stick and rest it on the bottom ridge when playing.