tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21691709808222794642024-03-13T04:11:49.950-04:00Hughes PotteryThe Adventures of a Pottery family living on the edge of the Allegheny National Forest in Tionesta, PA
We appreciate comments and conversation, so please don't be shy!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09173814009646107190noreply@blogger.comBlogger419125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2169170980822279464.post-72192244488354059872016-01-27T10:37:00.000-05:002016-01-27T10:37:49.056-05:00A Love StoryThis is not a Valentines story.<br />
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Making pottery for us is more than a living. It's a living doing something we love. Sharing that love with others. I actually tear up sometimes when I think about the thousands of people who eat and drink from the pottery I have put out into the world. It's like helping to feed all of them and providing useful service and something beautiful.<br />
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Sometimes opportunities arise to make something really special, something that will touch lives in a deep and significant way. Like Wedding Goblets. What could be better than making something to mark that special day?<br />
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So last year we accepted an order to make a Goblet and a Tankard with the wedding date inscribed around the base. <br />
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Now, here's the part non-potters may not know. There is always a chance the one special piece will not work out. It's a sick infiltration of Murphy, so we usually make 2. Especially if there is a deadline..like a wedding.<br />
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Let me repeat, we make 2 pieces for the quoted price. So really it's about love. Instantly we're not making money. Not only is it not like our normal stuff. It's customized in a way we can't sell the extra..if there is an extra.<br />
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So the goblet and tankard came out well. We were all pleased. Both of them came out well. We sent it off to the happy couple they were pleased. The wedding went as planned and there was bliss.<br />
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We went about our business and during one of our many studio cleanout sessions, we came across the extra set and threw them out because they are meaningless to anyone but the special couple.<br />
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2 weeks later.. we got this message:<br />
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So we did it.. we made more..one set at a time because the first two turned out well.<br />
but the next set did not, nor the next or the next.<br />
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finally we resorted to 2 sets at a time. This picture is of the survivors of our various attempts. Several were chipped off the shelves because of glaze simply falling off the pieces.<br />
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Sometimes these were the only messed up pieces in the whole kiln.<br />
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And so despite getting paid twice... we ultimately lost money. Hours. Glaze. Electricity.<br />
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So if you come to us and say I want this special personalized piece and we accept, know it's either because we love you, or believe strongly in your cause. Every personalization on a single piece means we probably will spend more than we will make, but we keep accepting them. Silly us. Isn't it amazing what people do for love?<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09173814009646107190noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2169170980822279464.post-61974919167829304152015-05-20T09:56:00.002-04:002015-05-20T09:56:32.130-04:00Summertime and my long term love affair I miss summertime...the classic summertime of my youth, and I miss water, my first summer love.<br />
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When I was a younger teen, I spent most of my summers in the water, either at <a href="http://sites.psu.edu/cmichaelvince/wp-content/uploads/sites/9498/2014/02/Whipple-Dam-Beach.jpg" target="_blank">Whipple Dam</a>, or simply in the stream behind my house. There were neighborhood kids coming and going and we spent hours each day splashing, creating engineering projects to divert or dam the water for swimming, or fish corrals, or even making our own waterfalls. I had a lot of good stuff going on!<br />
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The last summer I remember having any leisure was the summer before I entered college. I was working overnights from 11-7 at a convenience store usually 6-7 days a week, but I could make bedtime at 7:30 AM or 3:PM so I spent my mornings and afternoons at a local state park with a sandy beach area and started doing sand sculpture before the beach goers would arrive. My favorite was to do reclining sunbathers and watch all the little kids get excited about the people buried in the sand. It was only a little traumatic for them to reach out and touch a part and have it slide off.<br />
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After entering college I took summer sessions and continued to work 20-30 hours a week while in school.<br />
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After school, I go involved with selling my pottery and teaching classes and I started to realize that for me, summer vacations were a myth. Hell, weekends were a myth.<br />
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25 years later I still have no summers. Pottery has turned out to be a more than full time occupation. I look forward to warm weather and summer primarily because it is when folks in the NE go out to fairs and festivals and buy our things.<br />
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Pottery was such an obsession when I started..more of a calling than a
job. I was happy to do it 15 hours a day 7 days a week, but now it's
slowed to an intense love affair..I want 8 hours a day maybe 6 days a
week with actual meal breaks.<br />
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I used to think about what it would be like attending some of these events as a patron, but after a couple of attempts I realized I would have to do it at a show I have never attended as an artist merchant, because I know I would head for the folks I know and hang out in the back like the displaced merchant I am.<br />
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So I think this summer despite it being a crazy busy time for us, we're going to have to remember to take a couple days and enjoy the beauty around us. Life is short and I'm tired of forgoing the pleasures. There is always more work. I think it's time to forgo some of it and revisit my summer lover. She's waiting nearby... <a href="http://tionestaboro.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Tionesta-Lake-3.jpg" target="_blank">Tionesta Lake</a> is only 1/4 mile up the street has pontoon boats to rent. There are two places within 1/2 mile of our house that offer canoe and kayak rental for the river that is practically in our backyard.<br />
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When I need a break from all that shimmering liquid beauty, I know just where to go! Into the woods! I just saw <a href="http://www.centralpamushroomclub.org/events" target="_blank">a mushroom walk is being offered</a> on June 20 in Cook Forest. I want to do that!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09173814009646107190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2169170980822279464.post-2452578437076329672015-05-07T21:25:00.002-04:002015-05-07T21:25:27.376-04:00Frenetic, Frantic and other big F words<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2014 Version 1: Panoramic photo. Fabric covering the studs on the walls, raw plywood floor and draped tables</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2015 Version 2: Insulated and finished!</td></tr>
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You know, some days I wonder how we keep up with it all. There has been so much going on in the last couple weeks, all of it on a deadline and much of it seemingly out of our direct control.<br />
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The major things have been about getting our little Tionesta Market Village store ready to open for the season. Doing some final repairs on the house we have for sale in State College and making a lot of work to stock the store and also make work for our wholesale clients. <br />
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We've been back and forth to the old house a lot! Somehow we got all the construction and studio work done between trips. I think it has all started to come together.<br />
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The store is now much brighter and we got the tables off the floor and added many shelves. We actually have more work in it and it also appears to be more spacious. I had 3 people shopping comfortably at the same time on Sunday. <br />
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I'm looking forward to really focusing on the studio work! I've always tried to plan my life so only one major thing happens at a time and the last few years I've failed miserably. That's where that last F word shows up. Wow. Overwhelmed!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09173814009646107190noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2169170980822279464.post-18002015582354024462015-05-03T18:06:00.000-04:002015-05-03T18:06:21.175-04:00Reflections on NW PA Living: 5 ways to tap into the growing tourist market in northwestern PA.<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-8677b5e2-0cc0-48cb-2a31-0391e36da29f" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Rowan Rose</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It’s beautiful in NW PA isn't it? It's one of the reasons we moved here with our pottery business!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> There is access to everything you could want to do outdoors and it’s peaceful in a way city dwellers will never know. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Outdoors tourism is the natural industry of our area. When you live in an area that requires tourist dollars for your local economy to thrive, it is important to make sure every dollar that walks through your town has the potential to end up passing through your business and sticking to your fingers. Town leaders always talk about revitalization, to revitalize, residents in historic towns have to be willing to live in the present and look to the future while preserving the very best of local history.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>All those people who made your town thrive were scrambling to make a future.</b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">My wife and I spend a lot of time thinking about how to better market our pottery. We have both spent years traveling all over the east coast to sell pottery. There was a time when I was on the road 40 weekends a year, going from New Hampshire to Florida. We've been in a lot of small towns and even while selling our pottery at festivals, we are also being tourists and visitors. It gave us a good perspective for looking at towns from an outsiders point of view. We are practiced at searching for businesses to take care of our needs and have spent a huge amount of money at some businesses because they took certain steps to raise their visibility, offer hospitality and inspired us to have confidence the them.</span> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">One of the things I have noticed about small towns is they are fierce about their independence and frugality runs in their veins like blood. You hear things like “what do you need that for?” “That’s not the way we do things here!” “It was good enough for me, good enough for my folks and their folks, why do you want to change things?” These are great tenacious characteristics but often the very thing that can keep success just out of reach. The independence and need to preserve the past in an unchanging way stifles new growth and leads to a slow disintegration of otherwise valuable assets. Our economy in the US is based on growth. Small towns are a microcosm of the nation. We must grow and change. The growth must be controlled and guided, but it must happen.</span></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>A little story from my past</b>.</span></b></h2>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> I grew up in Lemont, a small town outside of Penn State University and State College, PA. My family wasn't affiliated with the university but they had deep roots in Lemont going back to the late 1700’s. While I was growing up, we had some of the only undeveloped land left in Lemont and my mother and grandmother had that old school, fierce, small town independence. Any new growth project the township sponsored was a waste of tax money. Any changes to the scenery was an unfortunate shame. Everything should always stay as it was.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">That beautiful property had passed from generation to generation and gradually become more and more a burden as it passed from a 1790’s homestead to farm, to rental farm, and finally into disuse.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> That was the part I remember most vividly.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> My mother told me stories of active farming and big family gardens, horses, pigs and chickens. They were beautiful, wondrous stories of the past, presented with bright eyes in full glorious color and the clear beauty of happy memories. But they were only memories. The 13 acres that remained were expensive to maintain and slowly falling into disrepair because no one was actively caring for, or using the land. We didn't think too much about it, that’s just the way things looked. At the time the land finally passed to my aging mother it was too late. The only value left was in the land. The antiques stored in outbuildings had been compromised along with the integrity of the buildings. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">At the time PA had a draconian death tax on the assessed value of the property, so taxes forced my mother to have to sell the property to pay the taxes. It's a neo-Victorian development now, and occasionally I look back and realize that instead of the total destruction of the our collective family memories we could have re-purposed and reinvented the land and made it useful and productive again. If only the idea of preservation of the past had been backed by new vision for the future, we would still be living there.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Since moving to the NW region of PA, I see a lot of similarities to growing up on that dying farm. There is a great reverence for the past and people don’t seem to notice the slow degradation of something that was once grand and vibrant. In their memories everything is perfect and we can’t change things because that will disturb the vision of the past they hold so dear. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Distressed buildings are cool right? Very rustic.So what if that place doesn’t actually look open, or have a sign. Everyone knows about it right? And who wants a bunch of people in town anyway? It’s quiet around here and we like it that way! Except that the services the town offers slowly degrade and soon it’s so quiet you can’t even get a coffee and a sandwich without driving 30 miles. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It is unlikely that any big manufacturing will come back to the area, most of our employment opportunities in the future will come from the service or recreation industries. People who need to escape from urban life will come to our small towns in droves if we can offer them the things they need and are used to having. If we give them a reason hunters, hikers, fishermen, birders, campers, leaf-lookers and their families will come and spend their time and hard earned money. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> <b>Here are things you can do to increase your business's appeal to tourists and visitors.</b></span></h2>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>WWW</b>: If you do nothing else, this is the most important thing to do. If they can’t find you, they can’t give you money! Get a professional website of some sort. Here is the one my wife made for <a href="http://tionestamarketvillage.com/" target="_blank">The Tionesta Market Village</a>. It can be simple, but it should be clean, direct and have all the important and most current contact information as well as hours of operation. Remember this is for people who don’t know you, or the area. No one stops at a gas station to look at the Yellowpages anymore. Families on the road use their smartphones, or they do research from their home computers. People use Google, Yelp. Urbanspoon and TripAdvisor to look for interesting regional activities, services and restaurants. Make sure your business is listed on all these sites! This can make your business a destination, not just a lucky find. Once you have a web presence, expand into social media to keep contact and let your customers know what the specials are, or what the latest event is.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Beautification</b>: A welcoming, clean and tidy storefront inspires confidence for new customers. A craftsman knows the details are important. Tidy your storefront, Wash the windows, replace or repair your sign. Add a coat of fresh paint, add some landscaping, sweep your sidewalk and show that you care about the appearance of your business. If you can’t clean your front door or windows, no one is going to believe you keep a sanitary kitchen. Disrepair isn’t rustic. It’s neglect and you pay for it in consumer confidence.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Hospitality</b>: Be friendly to everyone! Don’t politicize your business. You want money from both sides of the aisle. Be welcoming! Be open, be courteous, treat all your visitors like the welcome guests they are! Not everyone who walks in your door will be an immediate customer, but eventually they might be! Make sure they are willing to come back! </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Be positive</b>: Take down all those handwritten, negatively worded signs. Those who really need to read them don't and it just makes you look grumpy to everyone else. The only signs you should see are for the services you offer, exits, or directions to the restrooms. Which of course you should offer to anyone who walks in your door. These are people and people need restrooms, it doesn’t matter if they buy something or not.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Take Credit Cards</b>: Remember, today’s economy is not the economy of 30 years ago. Money flows differently and cash is not as convenient as it used to be. Many people never see an actual paycheck because they have direct deposit and many haven’t written an actual check in years. Debit and Credit cards are king. Tourists and visitors carry limited amounts of cash but may have fat bank accounts. If you are worried about that 1.75 to 3% charge, raise your prices by 5% and your costs are more than covered. Customers are willing to pay for convenience, not having to go to an ATM or bank to complete the transaction is convenience. You won’t be sorry.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><b> No one will ever complain that you do accept credit cards, but they will often walk away if you don’t. Make those dollars stick to your fingers!</b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">These ideas are just a start. There are a lot of great resources available. Check out the <a href="http://www.pawildsresources.org/" target="_blank">PA Wilds Resources</a> website. If you don't have a business yet, there are still plenty of consumer needs to be met! What can you bring to your town? </span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09173814009646107190noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2169170980822279464.post-91187665788903971092015-04-25T10:43:00.003-04:002015-04-25T10:43:43.509-04:00How the Sheetz Convenience Store Chain Earned My Loyalty<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZsshV9xINEnyi9OrxzalkZS3b7KOQH3ocokCxJx5gTRcbHhp_TC9034f-lyVWtBYRCiFhWrGPDwpKOvwtMVVUuudMqbTsmgZr3cTon_bJFZyPesXxtatxrYtBmiwtDPcvQUU9fDk8i6p6/s1600/Sheetz-Full-Page-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZsshV9xINEnyi9OrxzalkZS3b7KOQH3ocokCxJx5gTRcbHhp_TC9034f-lyVWtBYRCiFhWrGPDwpKOvwtMVVUuudMqbTsmgZr3cTon_bJFZyPesXxtatxrYtBmiwtDPcvQUU9fDk8i6p6/s1600/Sheetz-Full-Page-1.jpg" height="216" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A little story from my life about learning to be kind and learning to treat everyone, not just customers well. After spending 25 years traveling under the worst of conditions to try to make a living, the importance of businesses with open hearts and restrooms has become evident.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I am a long term fan of convenience stores. As a young teenager, I used to walk about ¾ of a mile every night with a friend who needed to take the family dog out for a walk. By our design, the halfway point was a convenience store. We’d buy a couple candy bars and a soda and walk back towards home, stop at a local park and talk about our families and lives. It was a nightly ritual for a couple years. I’m sure it was one of the reasons we made it through those rough teenage years. I loved those walks. The trouble always came when we would get out there and discover one of us had to pee or worse. They didn’t offer a restroom to customers, so we were stuck until we could get to a place to relieve ourselves ¾ of a mile away or if necessary behind a tree in the park. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A few years later after graduating from High School I found myself employed by that same chain of convenience stores and was eventually made manager of the very store I walked to night after night. The story was the same. Our DM told us in no uncertain terms, that no customer could enter the back room, or bathroom for insurance reasons. If something happened to them, we would not be covered. If any employee violated the rule, they would be fired.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">One day while awaiting my DM to turn in the weekly paperwork, I was faced with a person, not a customer with a bathroom emergency. I stated our policy and turned her away, but she didn’t go. She begged, she pleaded. I turned her away again. I felt so torn, because I knew how rough it could be, but I was under orders and was expecting the DM any minute. So I stuck to the company line and did the wrong thing by turning her away again. She was crying now and I felt like an ass. She cussed me out between the tears and turned to walk out the door as a stain appeared on her skirt and stockings. and a puddle formed on our floor. She fled.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">When the DM appeared a few minutes later, with mop in hand I told him about the woman and her cursing me out and he told me I did the right thing, that he would have fired me on the spot if he found her in the bathroom.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It was then I knew something was very wrong… I knew I had done the wrong thing, I had saved my job, but that was no way to treat another human being. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I began violating the rule on a daily basis. The company I worked for knew nothing about hospitality, but I did.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I left the job eventually and went to college and by the time I left the university that convenience store chain was starting to have financial difficulties and was selling off stores to private owners, A few years ago they finally declared bankruptcy. Now only a few private stores remain.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This was in the early 1990’s and another convenience store chain was spreading across PA. It was called <a href="https://www.sheetz.com/" target="_blank">Sheetz</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Over the last 20 years I have become a devotee of <a href="https://www.sheetz.com/" target="_blank">Sheetz</a> it only took a few months of traveling the roads of PA as an artist attending craft fairs to know <a href="https://www.sheetz.com/" target="_blank">Sheetz</a> was the best place to stop. Fresh cooked food 24 hours a day, restrooms 24 hours a day. Gas, Oil and wiper fluid 24 hours a day. I was so sad anytime I traveled too far north, or too far south because the <a href="https://www.sheetz.com/" target="_blank">Sheetz</a> stores would disappear to be replaced by private stores or chains that hadn’t caught up yet. The only chain that could stand toe to toe with <a href="https://www.sheetz.com/" target="_blank">Sheetz</a> was WaWa which primarily based around Philadelphia and farther east into NJ.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">How times have changed. Now everyone is doing it. Even grocery, department and home improvement stores have restrooms. Gas station convenience stores have large clean restrooms, many make fresh food and all of them are welcoming, but Sheetz is still my favorite. They earned my loyalty with their willingness to take care of my needs. We have a long term relationship. Because they earned my loyalty. My expense reports show Sheetz gets the majority of my money when I travel.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This is the story I think of every time I see a store or business with a hand scrawled sign informing people there are no public restrooms. It’s sad. It’s petty. We all know its inconvenient for a business owner, but everyone needs a place to pee. Its one of the most basic of human needs and we all need it at one time or another. These places will never earn my loyalty. They don’t know how to treat human beings.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09173814009646107190noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2169170980822279464.post-77536825296897855122015-04-16T23:45:00.000-04:002015-04-16T23:45:02.486-04:00Pottery! Spring! Growth!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5zwfFGEAi6A64DqkSojrGRx05vC9sAwHoARy-27DqRBDSQtfpU42TFmk1GUWraSNVobNWxlMZzw63hET2LPE7zzal4B3eeUOc4LKI0uiMdtH5oPjmMxklxlActK65x5T8Z8fIQtUzho1F/s640/blogger-image--1028496264.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5zwfFGEAi6A64DqkSojrGRx05vC9sAwHoARy-27DqRBDSQtfpU42TFmk1GUWraSNVobNWxlMZzw63hET2LPE7zzal4B3eeUOc4LKI0uiMdtH5oPjmMxklxlActK65x5T8Z8fIQtUzho1F/s320/blogger-image--1028496264.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Catherine and Justin</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ6-UGHWyAWYflT-UYOSihl7L3yVLQvVNSkMkUXIgX6tKXhIZ8jnmNRX51-s-mG1d8xNmn7uj7i26D1EOqcuwb15bsRzibyOSvYSHZHBfAWAIRf1DUy0hsaHqJZrTS_K3X5xAmB5zAsz9j/s640/blogger-image-1104089933.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="99" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ6-UGHWyAWYflT-UYOSihl7L3yVLQvVNSkMkUXIgX6tKXhIZ8jnmNRX51-s-mG1d8xNmn7uj7i26D1EOqcuwb15bsRzibyOSvYSHZHBfAWAIRf1DUy0hsaHqJZrTS_K3X5xAmB5zAsz9j/s200/blogger-image-1104089933.jpg" width="200" /></a>It was just winter and everything was in a holding pattern. Suddenly
everything outside is growing and everything in my life is growing. The last 2 weeks:<br />
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Easter with the in-laws, this involved copious amounts of baking which was then followed up with a Baby shower for my stepdaughter! This<br />
was held during the same visit as Easter because heck, we were all together anyway!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbXS8DOmiYs4ctSQ4iG_qY7XIcnDQpW3oAaEBpZxDuGSabP46F6qO714LCtWfkKFhuq4dHAAfLwmFA2-HXjE3tljicfAPM75HLdtPQMXtlE7F0Uj7zcYRsrPZs7WV0lvDHvG_1MSbLj3fn/s1600/blogger-image--908982011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbXS8DOmiYs4ctSQ4iG_qY7XIcnDQpW3oAaEBpZxDuGSabP46F6qO714LCtWfkKFhuq4dHAAfLwmFA2-HXjE3tljicfAPM75HLdtPQMXtlE7F0Uj7zcYRsrPZs7WV0lvDHvG_1MSbLj3fn/s200/blogger-image--908982011.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyWmmd92eR623f7mOOVCRkcnx9JAviW1DOlKcheLhEuON7xW_u3oy5g2lNvfsA7M-5jtYx3RHJ4t65Uq-iL4JFKmvc2A8ryEwGPt2QEn8BkCZODvKwytWTU0BPvswjoO6uRmhp5B1IsXD0/s640/blogger-image--1856840152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyWmmd92eR623f7mOOVCRkcnx9JAviW1DOlKcheLhEuON7xW_u3oy5g2lNvfsA7M-5jtYx3RHJ4t65Uq-iL4JFKmvc2A8ryEwGPt2QEn8BkCZODvKwytWTU0BPvswjoO6uRmhp5B1IsXD0/s200/blogger-image--1856840152.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
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We spent some time doing last minute renovations and staging to put our former house back on the market, this including the demolition of our beloved pizza oven.<br />
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Then putting our house <a href="http://www.1kbb.com/Property/PA/16870/Port_Matilda/5151_BUFFALO_RUN_ROAD_W" target="_blank">back on the market!</a><br />
Seriously, click the link. 5 tons of pottery a year came out of this basement.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXCHMAqXcQBaveenphZC-jdOoj6d99ue3MqZuOsgmM7XUwrqTHZhqyTzjMCEFNMJCmXEIoJnnbRb-mgYGfLwiwqJUv2fG9Loc8FSUSKdsHe1GuZ23O2kG44L-RJT1Zc5UCQ5th5p8iDCOT/s1600/blogger-image--2030147409.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXCHMAqXcQBaveenphZC-jdOoj6d99ue3MqZuOsgmM7XUwrqTHZhqyTzjMCEFNMJCmXEIoJnnbRb-mgYGfLwiwqJUv2fG9Loc8FSUSKdsHe1GuZ23O2kG44L-RJT1Zc5UCQ5th5p8iDCOT/s320/blogger-image--2030147409.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The moment that was complete, we jumped right into insulating and putting up drywall in our small seasonal storefront.Last year when we opened we only had 3 days to get ready so we just draped fabric on the walls. Its going to be a lot better this year. The plan is to use a lot of shelving on the walls and minimize tables since it is such a small area to serve a lot of shoppers. It should be a lot better!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morgan hanging drywall</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The shop with naked fabric draped walls</td></tr>
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Then of course, finally, the important things, like making stuff! One of my great pleasures is my son returning from special effects school with a drive to sculpt. He's been doing <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Morgansartisticupchuck?fref=ts" target="_blank">his own wild thing</a>, then also working with us in the studio to add original sculptures to mugs. These are 25-30 oz mugs. All will have some kind of amazing sculpt.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a work in progress</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09173814009646107190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2169170980822279464.post-6942290728672027602015-04-05T16:21:00.000-04:002015-04-05T16:21:27.317-04:00In Between JobsI've heard a lot of people say they are in between jobs. I'm in that position now.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLzVSv1Zjo6QZlLxVGPENW-mLRHmaJ58QQxfuH5K5KKNAAqu3sH6fRowpNb-USVyOpNJ34SmCl7zsrMPjjZVW36MsHtHwDgSCvAplpqc6cljTdPZe3Y0MI5XglxSmuUbFLnZPBFTbmPDwk/s1600/clay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLzVSv1Zjo6QZlLxVGPENW-mLRHmaJ58QQxfuH5K5KKNAAqu3sH6fRowpNb-USVyOpNJ34SmCl7zsrMPjjZVW36MsHtHwDgSCvAplpqc6cljTdPZe3Y0MI5XglxSmuUbFLnZPBFTbmPDwk/s1600/clay.jpg" height="231" width="320" /></a></div>
No, not unemployed, but I have one box of clay left, I always feel a little bit strange when I find myself in this place. Like if I go ahead and use it, I'll starve to death for lack of clay. Like it's not enough to do anything significant. Like If I don't order more, I'll get thrown out of pottery club.<br />
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There will be more on the way next week and then I'll feel like a clay glutton, I'll use it indescriminently, I'll make bunches of stuff, some of it really large and use it like there is no end to my supply.<br />
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Am I alone in this?<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09173814009646107190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2169170980822279464.post-49978071336815338222015-03-05T22:18:00.001-05:002015-03-09T20:38:39.556-04:00Looking back at Wholesale<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUjnWw7L8FORMwL_cTIwaJHM9RLPxA2v81pPdcxpamnqmOk-S5cQKDhoAsWiyg6gAF4lPp1kSjlBEPwH2GHgC2P3rpDi5kKZKx87iZhTzviviAEmWi6v0pl78cg3zbXEsTKBApIOGVT9ab/s640/blogger-image-564367821.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUjnWw7L8FORMwL_cTIwaJHM9RLPxA2v81pPdcxpamnqmOk-S5cQKDhoAsWiyg6gAF4lPp1kSjlBEPwH2GHgC2P3rpDi5kKZKx87iZhTzviviAEmWi6v0pl78cg3zbXEsTKBApIOGVT9ab/s640/blogger-image-564367821.jpg"></a></div>I received a private message from a potter wondering about how our decision to add wholesale accounts worked out. Its taken me a few days to kind of reflect on what it has done for us. I'll fill in a little background.<br>
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Retail is great for us during the warmer months in the NE and thanks to Etsy and online marketing it continues right through the Christmas sales season.<br>
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But we found ourselves wondering how the hell to survive from Christmas to May. Five months of very few sales and just when the heating and electric bills go crazy!<br>
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Also, during a rainy year, sales suffer at outdoor retail events, a great show that pays a lot of bills can produce nothing for you and the phone company still wants their money.<br>
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So we needed to find a way to smooth out cash flow so there was regular income without having to run someplace different every weekend. Shows get old as you get old.<br>
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So we signed up for BMAC, Buyers Market of American Craft, now known as the American Made show. It was really too expensive for us since it took place in the financial doom time of year. We did a very successful Kickstarter to raise the money to pay for it and off we went to Philadelphia.<br>
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It was an eye opener. We got a lot of orders, mostly small orders and a really exciting account with the Gaelsong catalog for our premier line of Oak pieces. It was pretty amazing overall. Mixing those wholesale accounts in with our regular retail helped a lot!<br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgcccFwEs-8hGl6GSyliRTUJySRQE9WeJLsgXo1w-2bGQ6EFHXmeoFASP0FfqbXaE5nvFStG21L0vrpEyf6WPmETNp_f2tlRnu7BO1zm1NVpnJoTJ4LTYCQnztbzY68t9fo_N36XyUSUuG/s1600/old+forge+tankards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgcccFwEs-8hGl6GSyliRTUJySRQE9WeJLsgXo1w-2bGQ6EFHXmeoFASP0FfqbXaE5nvFStG21L0vrpEyf6WPmETNp_f2tlRnu7BO1zm1NVpnJoTJ4LTYCQnztbzY68t9fo_N36XyUSUuG/s1600/old+forge+tankards.jpg" height="320" width="240"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pub Club Old Forge Brewing Company</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coffee Club Webster's Bookstore and Cafe</td></tr>
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2 years later we still have a couple of those original accounts, but not Gaelsong. We have continued to have add small accounts here and there and our hometown wholesale accounts have continued to thrive and expand even through we <a href="http://www.hughespottery.blogspot.com/2013/12/a-perfect-place-for-potters.html" target="_blank">moved away last year.</a> Cafes and Brewpubs seem to work out really well for us! We currently make for Websters Cafe and Bookstore in State College, PA, Cafe Lemont in Lemont, PA and Ottos Brewpub in State College PA. In addition to that we have an account with someone who does Renaissance Fairs and Conventions all over the country.<br>
<br>So I don't think we could survive on wholesale accounts alone, but it adds to the income stream and fills in gaps between retail sales. We need a blend of retail and wholesale to keep the cash flowing. We don't count too strongly on any one venue. Diverse and multiple income streams. Multiple wholesale accounts just in case one or two drop out. Website, Etsy, fairs, festivals and a seasonal storefront from May to November. <br>
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The big selling season is still too short, and first quarter is still difficult, but we are constantly searching for ways to make the cash flow more evenly. So this year we scheduled a big one of a kind event during February that helped a lot! It's still retail, but it's self-generated retail. Not part of the national or regional shopping trend. The one of a kind work was received very well by our customers and also gave us a chance to explore and grow artistically. Overall a joyous experience for everyone!<br>
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<br>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09173814009646107190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2169170980822279464.post-69253499404306175082015-03-03T22:02:00.002-05:002015-03-03T22:02:26.961-05:00Icy Doom The title pretty much sums it up. That's what we have going on outside right now. It snowed this morning, it sleeted this afternoon, then it rained and then it froze while raining. I suspect we'll see some snow on top of all this ice by morning, then we'll really have some exciting things going on! It makes me glad we have 4 feet of plowed snow as a guardrail since we live at a downhill T intersection.<br />
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So what do do on days like this? Lock myself into the studio and fill the tables all while enjoying the residual heat from the kiln that fired overnight.<br />
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All those mugs are for our own stock. We have no big wholesale orders just yet, but I expect about 1/2 way through March we'll start getting requests. In the meantime I'm trying to build up stock on our best sellers and offset the rush I am sure we'll be feeling a little later in the year when the north thaws out and folks start traveling again.<br />
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After doing so many textured pots for the Forest Spirit pots last month I can't seem to leave the texture tool alone. I am using it, then making the pots I need to, then going back for more texture. I'm having a lot of fun!<br />
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Those bigger pieces on the table are fun too. They're going to end up as special bowls for allowing bread dough to rise. It's a special request from a customer, and while I normally don't work too far outside our standard catalog these looked kind of fun. They're going to end up about 10" wide and 10" deep plus a bit of a foot. the inside of the bottom is curved like any bowl would be. I hope they work out well.<br />
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I'm really enjoying doing some bigger work and I keep drifting into fantasies of starting to work really large on a regular basis. I'm really excited when I see big pots from folks like <a href="http://danieljohnstonpottery.com/large-jar-project/" target="_blank">Daniel Johnston</a> , <a href="http://hewittpottery.com/about-mark/" target="_blank">Mark Hewitt</a>, and <a href="https://svendbayerpottery.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Svend Bayer</a> but I'm afraid to shake things up too far. I'm more or less a mug maker..I can't make enough mugs and even my regular retail customers keep coming back for more year after year, but I think I may start doing some larger pitchers, Ive always had a love for pitchers and I really have neglected them over the years.<br />
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What do you think? Go big or go home? Will my customers still love me?<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09173814009646107190noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2169170980822279464.post-25879997495236987782015-02-23T21:46:00.001-05:002015-02-23T22:47:44.272-05:00Online Marketing for? or to? Potters.I think online marketing is tough for potters.<br />
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I think we do it pretty well, but I notice some problems that we have that I don't think other folks have, especially those who are resellers. Resellers have a pretty straightforward deal, I have this thing, it's a cool thing and I can send it to you now at a fair price.<br />
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Potters seek out other potters, like no other group I can think of. We're very incestuous as a group, a huge number of the fans of our Facebook page are potters, I'm a huge fan of other potters Facebook pages. We just love to see what other clay people are up to.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cone 6 Fake Ash with Cobalt or Runny Blue-Grey Coffee Mug?</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Sometimes when I go to compose a post, I forget that I am sharing my story to more than the other potters. I'm telling a creative clay story for the people who are interested and want to buy things. The general public wants a story of a creative person, living a creative life and making beautiful things.They want a peek into the process and a glimpse of the dream. We should be selling to the people who say "bake" not "fire" Not the folks who know the terms Hare's Fur, Soda Fire, Oribe, or Cone 12 flat.<br />
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It took my wife about 10 minutes of looking through other potter's
Etsy listing tags to figure out a major reason why some folks had more online sales than others. <br />
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The folks who had less sales were marketing to other potters, and while that is cool, potters like to buy pots too, once they get over their need to make it, not buy it. They talk about firing temperatures, type of clay, specific name of the
glaze, all cool stuff to know if you are a potter talking to other
potters. Or listing technical information for a show. Perhaps its not the most important thing when trying to address
the general public. The general public searches for terms like "Brown and Blue
Coffee Mug" while potters search for "Cone 10 Stoneware wood fired mug" Maybe we should include all those tags to get the full range of customer.<br />
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Potters, especially academic potters do themselves a disservice this way. Just like back in English Composition class, you need to know who your audience is. Who are you talking to? Will they know the terms you are putting in that tag cloud?<br />
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Any thoughts on this? Share them in the comments. Are you a potter or a customer who loves pottery?<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09173814009646107190noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2169170980822279464.post-4726774220542023602015-02-13T19:33:00.000-05:002015-02-13T19:33:39.624-05:00Feb 18 9PM Eastern Time The Big Day<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLrcFvrM5BjQTgJ3-LbntyrWYcGNDloyhjqzwZsR0w_y58uWrxucfZsYBTIgaw78ZD7IHfAXCLEIe_mQfRN1wP59qi_wcHnriH2to-2C1xCrfr0yLr-vbHI14HcDYOWIw-InZsX9jEn1rM/s640/blogger-image-1541736782.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLrcFvrM5BjQTgJ3-LbntyrWYcGNDloyhjqzwZsR0w_y58uWrxucfZsYBTIgaw78ZD7IHfAXCLEIe_mQfRN1wP59qi_wcHnriH2to-2C1xCrfr0yLr-vbHI14HcDYOWIw-InZsX9jEn1rM/s200/blogger-image-1541736782.jpg" width="200" /></a><b>Feb 18, 2015 9PM Eastern Time</b> </div>
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at our website. <a href="http://www.hughespottery.com/">www.hughespottery.com</a><br />
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We've worked hard. Laughed. giggled, sweated, and cried. The final kiln is loaded.<br />
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This has been so much fun. More fun than the everyday work we have been doing for the last few years. There's always a thrill in doing new work. A carbonation of the creative spirit.<br />
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We are Carbonated!<br />
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There will be somewhere around 80 pieces.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYzrx75MFsyg-ypPcWk6S-Z6SQ1i5kvUSJvvU3Vj4fL3fDQSZf7iw_zmDBsx1cPB5EjjD17lm9IZNbLW4BZ_F2qG-reTIqUQWJEpkD7vDKVzxyomkMBbKN0pTL6RCMYUhYpjY-nQ7Q3kA3/s640/blogger-image-189001929.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYzrx75MFsyg-ypPcWk6S-Z6SQ1i5kvUSJvvU3Vj4fL3fDQSZf7iw_zmDBsx1cPB5EjjD17lm9IZNbLW4BZ_F2qG-reTIqUQWJEpkD7vDKVzxyomkMBbKN0pTL6RCMYUhYpjY-nQ7Q3kA3/s320/blogger-image-189001929.jpg" width="320" /></a>All of them one of a kind. All of them with the theme of Forest Spirit. Some will have faces and leaves like the traditional <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Man" target="_blank">Greenman</a>, some will simply have texture and leaves. None will be repeated. Some are sold in sets, most are individually sold.<br />
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More previews can be found on our Facebook page, in the <br />
event called <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/330083020510349/" target="_blank">Forest Spirit</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvsCVYKZQI-RqIfmbwUhgoxuEUoUNoxKP9IRTEErMRSD7WMUg2tf86TM09TnUV85b98xCYoq-2rXhegLjq45wImXN-ma3V8yIaQcKpci9opwx5-JPEF0SzpQcv4D8JpTPwdF2xIeJWHdKv/s640/blogger-image-974624721.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvsCVYKZQI-RqIfmbwUhgoxuEUoUNoxKP9IRTEErMRSD7WMUg2tf86TM09TnUV85b98xCYoq-2rXhegLjq45wImXN-ma3V8yIaQcKpci9opwx5-JPEF0SzpQcv4D8JpTPwdF2xIeJWHdKv/s200/blogger-image-974624721.jpg" width="195" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoRYAHOJ5gmR2HE0_waj-bv6JDd26Wer3tyK3VPtCkgzi009TITjJtdYrJNxgPdqFbX5FW1ti3V715A28rOZ08bfHsWcDXAW4kyRU9ATFk5pCfFuBgTOaarfRwRXhUFho7YWr63YeBOiEW/s640/blogger-image-318858179.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoRYAHOJ5gmR2HE0_waj-bv6JDd26Wer3tyK3VPtCkgzi009TITjJtdYrJNxgPdqFbX5FW1ti3V715A28rOZ08bfHsWcDXAW4kyRU9ATFk5pCfFuBgTOaarfRwRXhUFho7YWr63YeBOiEW/s200/blogger-image-318858179.jpg" width="185" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09173814009646107190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2169170980822279464.post-26743424774761707122015-02-03T21:45:00.003-05:002015-02-03T21:45:45.649-05:00This little TC mug<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Uoxuc7rsSmEwJZJ1Nte2IHykkaK9slQZpcQCkFXqlFP23cFqKF9ycB0wIDSjzycClV8pv6CDbS3yJz0Qzvgnt319U0ioQ1hHwK48LYOAmkhX47phSs4BT6H1tsQqTjkkMQ4zSv20ig4S/s640/blogger-image--2031303455.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Uoxuc7rsSmEwJZJ1Nte2IHykkaK9slQZpcQCkFXqlFP23cFqKF9ycB0wIDSjzycClV8pv6CDbS3yJz0Qzvgnt319U0ioQ1hHwK48LYOAmkhX47phSs4BT6H1tsQqTjkkMQ4zSv20ig4S/s320/blogger-image--2031303455.jpg" width="287" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitzU3jj8EBycd2eafU2WtbkKP-7wilKsEYbEjDk0eFQrSpSBCsgSG18oHGv3eKIxldH9oDO4kd-z9rumbpIuGx7eDXqthZiTYediFzqRMpxdaQUzFYn8XeYz34uOlpM78Mwr1mkB3VWvWc/s640/blogger-image-1743123976.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitzU3jj8EBycd2eafU2WtbkKP-7wilKsEYbEjDk0eFQrSpSBCsgSG18oHGv3eKIxldH9oDO4kd-z9rumbpIuGx7eDXqthZiTYediFzqRMpxdaQUzFYn8XeYz34uOlpM78Mwr1mkB3VWvWc/s320/blogger-image-1743123976.jpg" width="320" /> </a></div>
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This mug has some history, it's 12, maybe 13 years old. I just glazed it a couple of days ago. I've been carrying it around for a long time, waiting for the right glaze for it. I think I made the right decision. I got it from an art center I used to help run called The Creative Oasis in State College PA. </div>
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It was made by Tony Clennell as a demonstration piece. It sat on our museum shelf with pieces from Seth Cardew, Mel Jacobson, Ian Stainton, Jack Troy, retired PSU instructor David DonTigney as well as pieces from our own instructors. Unfortunately we had to close the Oasis so I gathered the biscware and hauled it around for years. After unpacking the studio when we moved to Tionesta PA, I put the pieces on the shelf absolutely determined to finish them so they would have a useful life.</div>
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So I knew Tony was a woodfire potter and this little guy should have ash on it, the trouble is it's cone 6 clay, no one woodfires at cone 6.</div>
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So recently I feel like I've been having a mid-career crisis. After doing production work for years, some of the shine was wearing off the 70 hour work weeks. I wanted a return to my roots. Cone 10, gas, wood and salt. Ash glaze. But that doesn't fit in with our business right now so the next best thing is changing everything that can be changed without building a new kiln and disappointing our customers who have come to love everything we're doing now. I needed to have a frivolous relationship..a fling with something new, so, as you do, I hit the internet and searched for my glaze-lover. I searched and searched and made some advances..tested the possibilities. Then I found it.</div>
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For years I have wanted a fake ash glaze at cone 6, so I look and I test and I look and I test and fail and fail and fail.</div>
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This time something happened. I risked a very precious piece on a hunch and after adding a very thin application and a double dip on the rim, this beauty showed up in the kiln. Perfect. I've been drinking tea from it since I pulled it out. It's amazing to me that this much variation came from just one glaze. Anyone who does cone 6 knows that the layers make the magic. This is one glaze and it fits like skin, not a glass over clay.</div>
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I'll be mixing up more of this glaze and perhaps doing a delicate blue version too, but I love the glaze as is, just for me. </div>
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I believe this may be a glaze from John Britt but it has not been confirmed.</div>
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Golden Fake Ash cone 6<br />
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28.0 Redart<br />
24.5 Dolomite<br />
21.0 Ball Clay<br />
10.0 Gerstley Borate<br />
9.5 Strontium Carbonate<br />
5.0 Bone Ash<br />
2.0 Lithium Carbonate </div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09173814009646107190noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2169170980822279464.post-18571320157613119442015-01-12T21:07:00.002-05:002015-01-12T21:07:58.182-05:00Snow Jobs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj71fG3R70FKDDqj2v_CV5MkqLvBQzTmBJoZOu4iFPbcotnirYsUhbPd8XB0Ar1ub9RtSSP76c1772_26qOoVm2naMCmFxcRBQvGE6dM9ZdVeD-TPpEhuynMkXxgOUG2ug1aejtoQDb46Jj/s640/blogger-image-2032111612.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj71fG3R70FKDDqj2v_CV5MkqLvBQzTmBJoZOu4iFPbcotnirYsUhbPd8XB0Ar1ub9RtSSP76c1772_26qOoVm2naMCmFxcRBQvGE6dM9ZdVeD-TPpEhuynMkXxgOUG2ug1aejtoQDb46Jj/s320/blogger-image-2032111612.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Our lovely Tionesta home has been getting a few inches of snow every day. Not a huge dump and go blizzard, but a steady build. My commute has been a cold 20 steps to the studio with a carafe of hot tea and a dog who thinks snow is the best thing ever.<br />
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This weather has made it easier for me to decide to settle in, hunker down and be a homebody. I'm loving it. Rowan has been taking the time to create some really lovely homemade meals that we have been willing to go back to and consume every bit of the leftovers. There is no need to go out until we need groceries or the USPS.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj_4yGtGjkc8v62runy4P5C4-zlhv5dGKJRpimCnWWJzPMSkXSmqMadwlp2QtS8kYliemfjpUXwAAKnpq2Fg2gW34RYb6driAZUAunOtD9gAL9lc0Z3LNgzY5urnuo3ZuKqymQelN4FI6X/s640/blogger-image--458285241.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj_4yGtGjkc8v62runy4P5C4-zlhv5dGKJRpimCnWWJzPMSkXSmqMadwlp2QtS8kYliemfjpUXwAAKnpq2Fg2gW34RYb6driAZUAunOtD9gAL9lc0Z3LNgzY5urnuo3ZuKqymQelN4FI6X/s320/blogger-image--458285241.jpg" width="320" /></a>Our promise to ourselves to work smarter has been in effect for a week now, it's been pretty good. We've been getting to bed before midnight and getting up between 6 and 8 and getting to work soon after. We work until early evening usually between 5 and 7 and I finally have had some time to relax, reflect and think. Its been a long time since I haven't felt completely exhausted and overburdened. This is nice and I want to keep it up as long as possible.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEhzFLEpFrhjcOz2xxaGlVMk5pK1tBCGWaeHJtqIed2R9-nJk88sq3tIf0_82T6E0c9_ugHVGNTQbf0nZ-1KYe4InSVaf6UxQayleDebMuJDdmHw8AXIgdDeReFDATEhSLdok3j7EI9DWk/s640/blogger-image--1951857532.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEhzFLEpFrhjcOz2xxaGlVMk5pK1tBCGWaeHJtqIed2R9-nJk88sq3tIf0_82T6E0c9_ugHVGNTQbf0nZ-1KYe4InSVaf6UxQayleDebMuJDdmHw8AXIgdDeReFDATEhSLdok3j7EI9DWk/s200/blogger-image--1951857532.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikqMVr42c0bP3mPBkYXFyYy-b9uYv3MvGzFh3aTMLVvUpu7aiOzM93jVKyaQiMHWcD4e-SGe9UG21ZwEY7i2bRh5WYXTGrAM6qXWNrYLmtqcaEQMSGwfbHrR2jGaKh49yEDBD9em0Z5pPT/s640/blogger-image--444536909.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikqMVr42c0bP3mPBkYXFyYy-b9uYv3MvGzFh3aTMLVvUpu7aiOzM93jVKyaQiMHWcD4e-SGe9UG21ZwEY7i2bRh5WYXTGrAM6qXWNrYLmtqcaEQMSGwfbHrR2jGaKh49yEDBD9em0Z5pPT/s200/blogger-image--444536909.jpg" width="155" /></a>The best part is we have been getting a lot of work done. Rowan has even found more time to be creative in the studio. She's been making new things, working with me on the Forest Spirit things. We're building good stock and I feel on track for making this year one of working from a perspective of joy rather than burden.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09173814009646107190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2169170980822279464.post-87662465483753124062015-01-08T21:04:00.000-05:002015-01-08T21:04:07.000-05:00I'm so excited for this year!<div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsRSBn0UxtcVjZ2bnVrjIXGV-QCdbuNDYrK_pM1xoOxD_lFhL7UNx5dspW771Wm7F-1AMjwNu42ep8TP9WVQ_GAX9Gi4Ul0bsPImd1PP8jEXwnsV5dl_yHyDrJ4zVQN9UWMB4FXgzmOK22/s1600/lighthouse+streetview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsRSBn0UxtcVjZ2bnVrjIXGV-QCdbuNDYrK_pM1xoOxD_lFhL7UNx5dspW771Wm7F-1AMjwNu42ep8TP9WVQ_GAX9Gi4Ul0bsPImd1PP8jEXwnsV5dl_yHyDrJ4zVQN9UWMB4FXgzmOK22/s1600/lighthouse+streetview.jpg" height="271" width="320" /></a></div>
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At this time of the year, it's traditional to reflect upon the last year and to make plans for the new year. The funny thing is, I often find that this is one of the only times of the year this is possible for us. This is usually the only true downtime we have!<br />
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As I look back the whole year is a blur. Last January we were finishing up some pottery orders and getting ready to move. This year we won't have to move, we also have no big pottery orders waiting. It is a clean slate. Which is nice. Also a little scary because there is no guaranteed income, but we won't dwell on that..it will come, it always does.<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> Last year we packed up all our things and moved from State College Pennsylvania to a small town called Tionesta, also in Pennsylvania. You can check out some of our <a href="http://www.hughespottery.blogspot.com/2013/12/now-i-want-it-now.html" target="_blank">previous blog posts</a> to learn about our adventures in moving and getting set up here.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSabvXfz5rOiaVfxtruegA18ILSLbMIwVY2SawQVfcH2B7cnzy4VkaJ3qCPuFKpzHSut7dD2p9b9_8Nu3s9CqGzLwGzlg7Vpoz_ZJ8whuTYqVR1HGWW3ywRYyxvHcfIoLvFm7lPG77NjSk/s640/blogger-image--1521217954.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSabvXfz5rOiaVfxtruegA18ILSLbMIwVY2SawQVfcH2B7cnzy4VkaJ3qCPuFKpzHSut7dD2p9b9_8Nu3s9CqGzLwGzlg7Vpoz_ZJ8whuTYqVR1HGWW3ywRYyxvHcfIoLvFm7lPG77NjSk/s320/blogger-image--1521217954.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">So what did we do over this last year? It has been a pretty amazing year. We moved, set up the new studio, set up a new house. We opened a new store. We got our old house ready for the market while doing all of these things. We did all the shows we normally do, we did all the wholesale orders we normally do plus some huge new ones. Most importantly we lived to tell about it. Barely. As the year came to a close, Rowan and I took the time to be horribly sick over the Christmas holiday, which made us stop.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> COMPLETELY STOP. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Which is really good because since we started working again, we've been much more conscious about keeping the work day reasonable. Plenty
of work has been done, and we've watched several movies, had evenings of
television and have gotten to bed long before total exhaustion.This is new for us. 6.5 years ago we got married and immediately dove into workaholism.I think we can do better for ourselves. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">So what is on our agenda for the upcoming year? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">I hope this year is the fulfillment of our goal to work smarter and with more joy. We need to remember that we are a married couple and still in love, and hopefully we can find our humanity again. I feel like we have been operating in crisis mode for several years. People ask what our inspiration for working so hard is, we joke that it is fear of poverty. Its not a joke. We always feel that if we don't work until we're ready to drop we're not trying hard enough. I think that we might be misguided. After 40-50 hours a week there are diminishing returns and no enjoyment of life. That is why not having a bunch of orders lined up right now, is a really good thing. It gives us the chance to work slowly and steadily, to get ahead, so that when all the big orders start coming in we are prepared. We spent all of last year behind and were rushing from crisis to crisis and order to order just trying to keep up. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVmA8STz2WFjCn2dZe18C3Zo9yOpr8Hmb1tnnSQy4tVgbWoc9Zq3DMUPExMNyeFDuj_FX4gpS0O1IzXA-owcTos7zZHBBl2dnhhJb1W6KyIg2D84mmHuHt-d7K4UE-jXkRvDOHIFn86fe-/s640/blogger-image-1918007053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVmA8STz2WFjCn2dZe18C3Zo9yOpr8Hmb1tnnSQy4tVgbWoc9Zq3DMUPExMNyeFDuj_FX4gpS0O1IzXA-owcTos7zZHBBl2dnhhJb1W6KyIg2D84mmHuHt-d7K4UE-jXkRvDOHIFn86fe-/s200/blogger-image-1918007053.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheKvpsZcNbPsRxOBUNyUJRsIGz8ZXMfSNxditKCRNB4NrXJtxd4jVGJmf74FTgDZINkKPuOK6K0EbjHUGB9GClzisUcuKYvLleMI80MhyphenhyphenI9rtuZJcles7t5vLboyTYlSFblSPgg2sINRpq/s640/blogger-image-1301259280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheKvpsZcNbPsRxOBUNyUJRsIGz8ZXMfSNxditKCRNB4NrXJtxd4jVGJmf74FTgDZINkKPuOK6K0EbjHUGB9GClzisUcuKYvLleMI80MhyphenhyphenI9rtuZJcles7t5vLboyTYlSFblSPgg2sINRpq/s200/blogger-image-1301259280.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Some of the work I am most looking forward to doing, is more of the Forest Spirit Pottery. We actually just made our first new batch of it and we're thrilled. If you have been following along on our<a href="https://www.facebook.com/hughespottery" target="_blank"> Facebook page</a> you may have noticed that we had a one-of-a-kind online-only event in November focusing on the </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Greenman inspired </span>Forest Spirit Pottery. It was a big hit for us because it allowed us to be entirely creative, we worked outside our normal production catalog and let our artistic spirits free! The best part is it proved to us that we can present one of a kind work to our fans and they loved and approved it! I want more of this kind of artistic joy for us!</span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09173814009646107190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2169170980822279464.post-10435996043947173312014-09-04T14:26:00.004-04:002014-09-04T14:40:01.706-04:00The Turning Season, My Turning Wheel<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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The wheel turns. I saw yellow leaves today..in fact all week we've been spotting them and Rowan and I look at each other and silently make a pact not to recognize them just yet.<br>
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Facts are facts. It's past Labor Day in NW PA and Autumn is here.<br>
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It's nearing the end of our first selling season at <a href="http://www.tionestamarketvillage.com/" target="_blank">The Market Village</a> here in Tionesta PA. I hardly remember a thing. It has been a blur, We moved out of our old place in stages, started bringing stuff into our new place in stages, and kept the studio running nearly nonstop while we moved, did repairs on our old house and our new house and got the old one on the market, while we also opened a new store, did summer events, filled massive wholesale orders and entirely missed the joys of living in a beautiful wild forested area beside 2 major bodies of water. We'll try again next year for that..I need some Kayak or Canoe time.<br>
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The point is, there has been way too much going on and right now, I may or may not be going through post-season decompression, followed by depression and perhaps a mid-career crisis.<br>
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Yep, I'm burnt out.<br>
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Lately I have been listening to a podcast by Ben Carter while I work call <a href="http://carterpottery.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Tales of a Red Clay Rambler</a>. It's been great, but also depressing because whenever you hear other peoples stories in clay and creativity you also inevitably compare your life to theirs, Most of what I have heard so far has been interviews with young people who have gone to undergrad, then graduate school and then done residencies and somewhere in their early 30's are starting to try to figure out how to make their art, do their work and make a living. Some are doing it, some need other jobs I was also a little surprised to hear the rough stories of some of my clay heroes. People I assume are making that living and are stable and deep in clay success bliss..but it isn't so. They make awesome work, but their venues have failed, they've had to not work for months, or years, or have even been forced into semi-retirement by illness. It was a wake up call that your actual success isn't measured by how many shows you have been in, how many of your pieces are on show posters handed out at NCECA, or how many potters know your name. It's more a combination of quality work and a satisfactory living, not much of which comes from other potters knowing your name. It comes from your market, whether you are selling at a farmers market, a storefront, a gift shop or a gallery of some sort.<br>
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I'm very proud to say that since 1994, I've made my whole income from selling my work. Sometimes it hasn't been much of one, but it has become increasingly more stable over the years. That's what I have been doing for the last 20 years. Instead of taking academic development time, I've been throwing work that is 1/2 step above production work and 1/2 step below being an exclusive studio potter with new bodies of work coming out every couple years and having shows of my latest ideas in clay. I haven't done craft fairs, I've sold in strange niche markets that most people never even think of. Lots of the folks I went to school with at PSU took the standard path, they are professors or otherwise involved with academia while I have been in the trenches, trying to hold on to some deeply instilled lofty ideals, while also trying to get my work into the hands of every person I can. It takes a lot of mugs to make a living.<br>
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How many mugs does it take to make a living? Good question, when I feel like I am truly and consistently making a living, I'll let you know.<br>
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So you remember those beginning days at the community center or undergraduate school where you felt accomplished making 100 pieces in a semester?<br>
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I just got another order for 100 mugs for next month...now I love my mugs, they're big, 16oz, round, comfortable to hold in a bunch of ways, and people like to cuddle with them. Round happy mugs, just like the round happy potter who makes them. They're beautiful and functional, now for businesses we can add branded medallions. I also have 100 mugs for another order,,and I need 100 mugs for our own shop. Now I have 300 mugs to make and that's just mugs! Damn does it take a lot of mugs to make a living. Now we don't live by mugs alone, so I have to consider the 200 plates on the list too and that's when I start to get sad, because all of this has to happen so fast I don't know if I can do it all without cracking up because we..I've been saying I a lot...but I mean we, because my wife Rowan works side by side with me in the trenches need a week off, but because we don't know how many mugs it takes to make a living, we haven't yet made a living which means we can't taken a week off yet. Got that?<br>
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We're tired.<br>
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So what's the cure?<br>
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We're adding some more stuff to the list! We're working outside the catalog a little bit..for fun and hopefully also a living. We're doing a special online only sales even on 11/15/2014. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/360736980749854/?ref_newsfeed_story_type=regular" target="_blank">The details are here on Facebook</a><br>
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Is this the cure?<br>
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No. So far its been fun, a pleasant change of pace to work out Some seriously fine work there, also some not so serious. Some of it is whimsical and fun, some of it more archetypal. Most of it I like a lot and wouldn't mind too much if it hung around for a while.<br>
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Also, I've nearly run out of clay..which has slowed me down and I'm working through some reclaim making odds and one of a kind playful work while I wait for the next ton. Then its back to business.<br>
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But we're still burned out.<br>
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So what is the cure?<br>
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I bought some beer. No that's not the cure..but a bottle or two of beer is really nice, and it does take the edge off a rough day.<br>
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So what is the cure.<br>
The cure is overcoming our work ethic and realizing that our fear of poverty isn't getting any better because we push out work at midnight because 12 hours ahead isn' t really going to make or break us.<br>
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It's going to have to be less self-control, less dedication, less willingness to work late hours.<br>
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Also<br>
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More sleep. More sunsets, more picnics. More friends. Maybe lake time in a canoe.<br>
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I think that if we call it a night earlier..if we take the day off for something fun, that the rest of the time will be more focused and more productive. I think it's time to rededicate ourselves to the ideal of<br>
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The Day Off.<br>
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Maybe even two days off.<br>
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But it's so hard...I mean the answer is always work harder Work Faster! Do more!<br>
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Isn't it?<br>
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<br>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09173814009646107190noreply@blogger.com0Tionesta, PA 16353, USA41.49534 -79.45587979999999141.4477665 -79.53656079999999 41.5429135 -79.375198799999993tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2169170980822279464.post-31739794672393359662014-02-18T19:53:00.001-05:002014-02-18T19:53:50.898-05:00Snow Blown<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_kootzGktpH9-ZdPVjg55mFCB5_q3rxxr4jOXlrZr7jqIjlzewAYTgSdJtz3Bz9pJyeJckz-0oIA44EBZtTw9_RMeJqx4Qhfl99LoXIkSQJ3x5qo0BFToJEymh6TeRTqFosWbbhI3tiSy/s640/blogger-image-536154624.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_kootzGktpH9-ZdPVjg55mFCB5_q3rxxr4jOXlrZr7jqIjlzewAYTgSdJtz3Bz9pJyeJckz-0oIA44EBZtTw9_RMeJqx4Qhfl99LoXIkSQJ3x5qo0BFToJEymh6TeRTqFosWbbhI3tiSy/s640/blogger-image-536154624.jpg"></a></div>We had a hell of a day today. We got another 4" of snow overnight, not too bad. We started by manually shoveling our walk. The walk in front of the house and the first 20 feet of the driveway went quickly, not too bad for a couple of overweight middle aged people. Rowan seems to have strained her back a little but an ice pack did wonders. <div><br></div><div>This afternoon after the soreness set in, I thought the smart thing to do would be to get fresh gas and see if I could get the snowblower running. It was serviced 2 years ago so things were more or less ready to go since it hasn't been run since the servicing. It hasn't been used to clear snow since 2007 when it lived in Erie with Rowan. It was reluctant to turn over but it started to chug along nicely when I noticed the pull start didn't retract. Yep. Busted. Then it stalled and I tried to start it again with the foot of cord that would retract. It worked! I rolled it outside and the engine became steadier. I texted Rowan to come out and give me instruction (I'm a snow blow virgin) and she showed me how it should work. That's when we discovered it was stuck in reverse. Nothing we could do would make it go forward. So now we need service for 2 completely unexpected issues but the damn thing runs beautifully and starts with 1/8 of a pull!</div><div><br></div><div>Once all the snowblower adventures were complete we moved on to studio concerns. We had a bisc kiln to unload and had brought biscware to finish, which meant emptying boxes and setting up shelves and tables. And the slab roller :) because it was looking so sad and neglected.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGmji1ntst1nXMsYLb_bMJzcWz9oJWv3lqYo6CA-V17OB5y3tyUpXg_-rY_5q2xkhkOEdHYHJuxvVX-L2yiPWRFFuS4nzz-LoJbXfD_a4KfTDsFQplLFvAQKdXz8iMnB1DpgdpUUOEA949/s640/blogger-image--1278884835.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGmji1ntst1nXMsYLb_bMJzcWz9oJWv3lqYo6CA-V17OB5y3tyUpXg_-rY_5q2xkhkOEdHYHJuxvVX-L2yiPWRFFuS4nzz-LoJbXfD_a4KfTDsFQplLFvAQKdXz8iMnB1DpgdpUUOEA949/s640/blogger-image--1278884835.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Tomorrow we'll get the pots waxed and glazed and firing. I plan on throwing more pieces and then on Thursday our first clay delivery will arrive!</div><div><br></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09173814009646107190noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2169170980822279464.post-62291344745494430132014-02-16T20:06:00.001-05:002014-02-17T09:00:24.324-05:00Getting settled<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnuSTbKP5ZksdOgk7qvxXP3aiYifrdbNdi5ckPfkB_anDjZFXoAvdXv_YM89W3ENymMRrACvpDcrCmTNQ6NO75vm9jZqhFsAPTaid-HX6NrqwDia9a9GjGVN9M_X4eki1KcZ8e1fm7ahu7/s640/blogger-image-1837743077.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnuSTbKP5ZksdOgk7qvxXP3aiYifrdbNdi5ckPfkB_anDjZFXoAvdXv_YM89W3ENymMRrACvpDcrCmTNQ6NO75vm9jZqhFsAPTaid-HX6NrqwDia9a9GjGVN9M_X4eki1KcZ8e1fm7ahu7/s640/blogger-image-1837743077.jpg"></a></div>So, here we are in Tionesta,PA. This was our backyard this afternoon. It's really exciting to finally be here. It's beautiful, but currently quite cold!<br>
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The toughest part of moving is that we have to continue to make pottery, move all our stuff and set all the stuff up in a new space and there's only two of us to do most of it.<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWhAz6Ix-binpmjkAI1IwnU5wk7sqI_gHJ4p_-scV6kt2-fMeJFdn3FiItT86c-bOVVqe2JhlGkAbNQD83d_Yr_rVCjEBRF-LlinzzWInJvkKJMtt6KQnifoS5uhe_7SjHOeeIlRl4ymTY/s640/blogger-image--899441067.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWhAz6Ix-binpmjkAI1IwnU5wk7sqI_gHJ4p_-scV6kt2-fMeJFdn3FiItT86c-bOVVqe2JhlGkAbNQD83d_Yr_rVCjEBRF-LlinzzWInJvkKJMtt6KQnifoS5uhe_7SjHOeeIlRl4ymTY/s640/blogger-image--899441067.jpg"></a></div><br>
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The studio is here and I've started making work and sorting out exactly how to set up the studio..not the big stuff.. like kilns, but the little stuff like my throwing station. I had it all set up so work flowed, tools were at hand. I need to find that flow again. Part of the difficulty is we still have things stored in the garage-turned-studio that shouldn't be there..like our clothes dryer, which will go to the basement as soon as there is an outlet to plug it into :) and the gas grill, which will go somewhere...I don't know where...maybe up the stairs to the back porch. The plumbing still isn't hooked up and the heating situation isn't working out as planned. Its been so crazy cold! We're going to have to fire kilns continuously through the winter or put in a thermostat controlled heater of some sort. Brrrrr.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNID8UonJJRHS8fGbj2qE6Q4jhhnSLW0LKnBB7brEPNmrsiE_uiPR-IVX5oHOTAMtpYKUulPhjL5WwumJ4cnvAIWhy6K6QkAQoRUNA8v5RA62YCHsDgjWMigEmQS-ItEafEcCQ3BWcAmaO/s640/blogger-image--331533770.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNID8UonJJRHS8fGbj2qE6Q4jhhnSLW0LKnBB7brEPNmrsiE_uiPR-IVX5oHOTAMtpYKUulPhjL5WwumJ4cnvAIWhy6K6QkAQoRUNA8v5RA62YCHsDgjWMigEmQS-ItEafEcCQ3BWcAmaO/s640/blogger-image--331533770.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>But speaking of kilns, we're firing our first one in the new studio tonight! It's loaded with all this stuff. Most of which is destined for Old Forge Brewing Co in Danville PA. They serve everything off of pottery there. It's really a fun place to eat!<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihbj3TNrvEHYmj2x-taP7nPChnhWgBvRkGYPylb-2LfBj_rA7fPhwPHdnIsMztatdxP-6qms4srqslV79dtVasO0yyARQ9IwhWFTbG9yioXO1E1m08sZY1JWKREGT38zSFUKngFRCaWhwq/s640/blogger-image-2111152012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihbj3TNrvEHYmj2x-taP7nPChnhWgBvRkGYPylb-2LfBj_rA7fPhwPHdnIsMztatdxP-6qms4srqslV79dtVasO0yyARQ9IwhWFTbG9yioXO1E1m08sZY1JWKREGT38zSFUKngFRCaWhwq/s640/blogger-image-2111152012.jpg"></a></div><br>
We also got our www.hughespottery. etsy.com shop all moved up and running. Stock is shelved in the new office, boxes are ready and the USPS will pick up on our porch. Local folks can use the coupon code LOCALPICKUP1 to remove shipping fees and pick the pieces up on our porch. <br>We're really excited to be getting started in this community and hope to become acquainted with everyone as we get settled in! <br>
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<br></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09173814009646107190noreply@blogger.com0Tionesta Tionesta41.489846 -79.456125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2169170980822279464.post-65286499644984794392014-01-09T23:39:00.001-05:002014-01-09T23:39:56.180-05:00Winding down<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7cZqAAFptldcZRSBnzpCUYdyoBxT8cnzWxnxR8WhbnUgLNTK-V6YlcjQ7um0XU1xzssFmbrWQu5vV-G1UUL5MQrtC8cjCY_cnUrYRy6xf1HSmot5IYvp4ZMJNZhv8Zza8hH1tcj6DcMOP/s640/blogger-image--1029831519.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7cZqAAFptldcZRSBnzpCUYdyoBxT8cnzWxnxR8WhbnUgLNTK-V6YlcjQ7um0XU1xzssFmbrWQu5vV-G1UUL5MQrtC8cjCY_cnUrYRy6xf1HSmot5IYvp4ZMJNZhv8Zza8hH1tcj6DcMOP/s640/blogger-image--1029831519.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br></div><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7cZqAAFptldcZRSBnzpCUYdyoBxT8cnzWxnxR8WhbnUgLNTK-V6YlcjQ7um0XU1xzssFmbrWQu5vV-G1UUL5MQrtC8cjCY_cnUrYRy6xf1HSmot5IYvp4ZMJNZhv8Zza8hH1tcj6DcMOP/s640/blogger-image--1029831519.jpg"></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiss0XDbvEa3WbLZVC9hMrta1L0axQajiObSmVFS3SNaTKAV1NDoxUGXYk2aafogy_owY_gzxAvWpvr-hjAx5BGX51gCX4uALiKjZ9xhzGttXq8urRH4VvcpkjCuw2p6yBfcbiK92eF2288/s640/blogger-image-2046139773.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiss0XDbvEa3WbLZVC9hMrta1L0axQajiObSmVFS3SNaTKAV1NDoxUGXYk2aafogy_owY_gzxAvWpvr-hjAx5BGX51gCX4uALiKjZ9xhzGttXq8urRH4VvcpkjCuw2p6yBfcbiK92eF2288/s640/blogger-image-2046139773.jpg"></a></div><div><br></div>Things are changing for us this year. We are getting ready to move to a new house and to a new studio. These are really big changes and it's hard to get used to. One of the more difficult things that I'm dealing with is the idea that I have to wind down the studio that I'm in. It is very hard to intentionally stop. It's a little strange because right now it's a time of new beginnings. We are into the new year and everybody is starting new things. I'm still finishing up last year's things and looking forward to starting new things. I'm slightly out of sync with everything.<div><br></div><div>Last week was our minion's last day in the studio helping us. She is moving to Detroit or just outside Detroit -close enough as far as I'm concerned. The important thing is that it's too far away for her to continue to be our Minion. This means that I had to do my own studio chores, including, and most importantly the reclaim. Slopping it out, and pounding it out and slicing it and dicing it and wedging it and making sure it is actually useable.</div><div><br></div><div>In a way it's actually very relaxing to know that I have to stop and I have to do all the little things that I used to have her do. It's kind of cathartic, a system reset. Along with all the processing of reclaim that I did today, I cleaned up I swept up trimmings I sorted some stuff and started to get ready for the big pack down for the big move.</div><div><br></div><div>We are starting to use up all of our materials. I didn't order more clay. I thought it would be best to have it delivered to the new studio. That is part of the reason why it is so important to keep up with the reclaim. We need it, it's pretty much all we have, there are a few boxes of new clay, but it's getting down to the point where normally I would be nervous that I was going to run out.</div><div><br></div><div>I'm trying to finish up some big orders. And also getting ready for a big show at the end of the month. But I know it's all coming to a stop. After the big show I suspect we will be moving. I'm excited and a little bit scared. My last few posts outlined the house and the studio it's really nice. It's a step up for us for sure., a really nice new place to be. For the first time my adult career I won't be working out of the basement. Just writing about it makes me start to get excited again.</div><div><br></div><div>Tomorrow I'll be pounding out more reclaim. And a bigger space on the floor will open up. It's starting to look empty. Guess that's a good thing!</div><div><br></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09173814009646107190noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2169170980822279464.post-27054531676379392102013-12-23T21:35:00.001-05:002013-12-23T21:35:21.338-05:00NOW!!! I want it now!!!!<br />
I'm so excited.<br />
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I feel like a little kid waiting to open a present.<br />
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The last post was the grand announcement we had found a new house where we could have a studio in the garage. This post is about the anticipation of being ready to move into that new home..and that new studio.<br />
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I'll illustrate this with pictures.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7DPaFVGRyn9kevcoNvx4ZygyMRl45TEmyCkAi8Zfb8Qd3QQEOcFwLQvIqv-XKRyggxxWlWbmTAevSiA0qon0BFYKiUngW9rOdpmJIhyphenhyphenuU_hrY1sNc9WWbtUrueiWMA0zJkU-LUykDm-Fz/s1600/garage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7DPaFVGRyn9kevcoNvx4ZygyMRl45TEmyCkAi8Zfb8Qd3QQEOcFwLQvIqv-XKRyggxxWlWbmTAevSiA0qon0BFYKiUngW9rOdpmJIhyphenhyphenuU_hrY1sNc9WWbtUrueiWMA0zJkU-LUykDm-Fz/s1600/garage.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what we are starting with. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH6PmhQPGO96J9LHyUXLbONwEF0IRabfb2emLdmxwcT7cX7LU5bNNZsinwxYEVnRtI9HpfilPMRsNBUr7rKq-6oySsnOlzNy8KKAYMUgxYpkm6flKWj2GdKUqwfKsQ-sGEH_19lmZkpWC5/s1600/Garage+Before1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH6PmhQPGO96J9LHyUXLbONwEF0IRabfb2emLdmxwcT7cX7LU5bNNZsinwxYEVnRtI9HpfilPMRsNBUr7rKq-6oySsnOlzNy8KKAYMUgxYpkm6flKWj2GdKUqwfKsQ-sGEH_19lmZkpWC5/s200/Garage+Before1.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is the interior, pre-purchase This is the back center of the garage</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeQ1QE2hdx6f-0YzC8oosGAIWkUf1C0HQVj-FBonhqOYIxKXkjKG1RS8S-2CHI3DzdyT6tRkRqSvrC68TRE9zACOC4tQe2fLwfk2qQPsBd4IWskhPi04sbWvE9e-xd298lfRo1e3YyQTyL/s1600/General+studio+plans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeQ1QE2hdx6f-0YzC8oosGAIWkUf1C0HQVj-FBonhqOYIxKXkjKG1RS8S-2CHI3DzdyT6tRkRqSvrC68TRE9zACOC4tQe2fLwfk2qQPsBd4IWskhPi04sbWvE9e-xd298lfRo1e3YyQTyL/s320/General+studio+plans.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was the basic plan, we ditched the right garage door and added more windows.It's only been a few weeks, but amazing things have happened already!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiApB95Sip22ohiegdC7___BR6pxAU6a65gYsgDDLFSEZGzkYWN9JDw9uPw4gM3pZz98MKg5TNr1dgq4QgGELV2GUA2uQ4jJ2iLGkk8hs6eW-TxLMXRZIij03pn4rehV5VjUS3UNPIsmrnS/s1600/IMG_4300.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiApB95Sip22ohiegdC7___BR6pxAU6a65gYsgDDLFSEZGzkYWN9JDw9uPw4gM3pZz98MKg5TNr1dgq4QgGELV2GUA2uQ4jJ2iLGkk8hs6eW-TxLMXRZIij03pn4rehV5VjUS3UNPIsmrnS/s320/IMG_4300.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here are the new windows where the door used to be.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmJx3pUmlk3mmMIhziikWgcpkZxPygkeV5cCP9vNLngt6uJLdV07C0H6zCK3pXMUQ9DKfP3asLZJyUuJ5jMK_cu5rZrpW1-4OcldnglhAILhRdmazh01pfL00vUICxUTm7BMSp6ffo9XJX/s1600/IMG_4342.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmJx3pUmlk3mmMIhziikWgcpkZxPygkeV5cCP9vNLngt6uJLdV07C0H6zCK3pXMUQ9DKfP3asLZJyUuJ5jMK_cu5rZrpW1-4OcldnglhAILhRdmazh01pfL00vUICxUTm7BMSp6ffo9XJX/s320/IMG_4342.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is the pocket door in the back right leading into the kiln room</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNV4R4jfQsaTU-LDGn358ErG27tmLg8haUJf6audz11uopsjQ15TD4iZPgzlsCoXz6nQE6CfWV676xzjHUJjuxBYedormoaZs4-djpCzsn-8Mm1kjB0U8Rs3lxAQBDx-EeNgBqcUMjrfMh/s1600/IMG_4324.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNV4R4jfQsaTU-LDGn358ErG27tmLg8haUJf6audz11uopsjQ15TD4iZPgzlsCoXz6nQE6CfWV676xzjHUJjuxBYedormoaZs4-djpCzsn-8Mm1kjB0U8Rs3lxAQBDx-EeNgBqcUMjrfMh/s320/IMG_4324.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here are the new windows again, this time with drywall being installed over insulation, it's almost ready for us!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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I'm all excited to move into this space. Seeing this transformation of the interior has been incredibly thrilling. I am so excited to see the sunlight streaming through windows as I work...to look out into our backyard and the landscape, maybe a garden..maybe a bird feeder. This is such an amazing change for us. Rowan and I are so grateful to my sister and cousin for making this happen. It's a life changer. I anticipate next year will be an amazing year of focused growth for us. The town seems ready to welcome us and we're ready to be there!<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09173814009646107190noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2169170980822279464.post-87542762795213136802013-12-03T09:00:00.000-05:002013-12-03T09:00:04.000-05:00A Perfect Place for Potters!<h2 style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">We have finally found a new home.</span></h2>
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We've been looking for over a year for a place that has very specific qualifications.<br />
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1) Zoning! We have to be zoned for a home business with pretty liberal space allowances.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8R5xVbpfrsEzitqYZauOnlwoJDaHgLsqqg2Kq-ycGE-NXPNiKCrlRWTNgiwwnT-999Bji1aXLjEfAFPMvrIH_ldGRPcEIOueXuFbVRQi9Vn1isn5v4LMMfn7UPV_wGUyrYFA1EDqsiK_v/s1600/garage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8R5xVbpfrsEzitqYZauOnlwoJDaHgLsqqg2Kq-ycGE-NXPNiKCrlRWTNgiwwnT-999Bji1aXLjEfAFPMvrIH_ldGRPcEIOueXuFbVRQi9Vn1isn5v4LMMfn7UPV_wGUyrYFA1EDqsiK_v/s320/garage.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
2) It had to have an outbuilding that could be easily converted to an improved amount of studio space.<br />
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3) The house had to be nice, good bones, not a huge amount of work just to move in. We were hoping for a step up in square footage and living environment.<br />
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4) It had to be within a days drive of NJ where Rowan's aged parents live.<br />
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5) and of course price. We're potters here, not app developers with hot
product :) Every dollar we make has to pass through my fingers as mud.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">AND most important, there had to be a lighthouse in our back yard. Yep, no kidding...and a river of course. OK I was kidding about it being a qualification, but I wasn't kidding that it was there!<span style="background-color: yellow;"><span></span></span></span><br />
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So we found a lovely home, not jut a house, not just a place to work in Tionesta PA on the edge of the Allegheny National Forest.<br />
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There is a two car garage, the town just did a zoning expansion to allow homes in the borough to have commercial enterprises.<br />
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We're going to have a pottery in our garage.<br />
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One of our neighbors is going to make chocolate in his.<br />
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It's in a big hunting and fishing tourist area. As one neighbor said, "pretty much any middle-upper income hunting family that lives in Pittsburgh has a camp here, and they bring the whole family." So retail is certainly a possibility..especially with our Oak and Acorn line.<br />
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Moving will have to happen when the studio is ready for us. Our guy is ready to tear into it the moment the papers are signed. When the studio is ready, we'll move so there is no production time lost. We expect it will be in January.<br />
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We attended an auction at the property on Saturday 11/30 because we wanted to try to keep some of the furniture with the house and pick up a few things our much smaller house is lacking. We had an unexpected bonus of meeting some of the members of the family that previously owned the property. They were all really nice, and seemed glad to know we would be living there and not turning it into a rental unit. We love this place and I am hopeful it will become a happy home for us!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09173814009646107190noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2169170980822279464.post-53911483395387775962013-10-11T20:33:00.000-04:002013-10-11T20:33:55.601-04:00The Fall Update<br />
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I've taken to posting daily on the Hughes Pottery page on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hughespottery" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, and only writing a blog post on the occasions that I have 2 brain cells left to bounce off of each other. This has been increasingly rare as time has passed. This has been a tough year of transition for us. Some good, some bad, but change regardless.<br />
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So what's been going on?<br />
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At the beginning of the year, Hughes Pottery ran a very successful <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1196081346/bmac-or-bust" target="_blank">Kickstarter Campaign</a> to raise money to attend the Buyer's Market of American Craft and enter the wholesale market. The campaign was a success, and we went to the BMAC and we got a whole lot of new customers. So many new customers that we are still sending out the rewards we promised our backers. We got twice as many backers and twice as many customers from the event that we anticipated, so naturally it's taken twice as long to produce and send out the rewards. We're about done now, the only ones left are the ones that include chocolate chip Biscotti. And I think I still owe someone in Australia some magnets. They will be going out soon.<br />
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The biggest new customer we got was <a href="http://www.gaelsong.com/product/150877/decor-celtic-entertaining" target="_blank">Gaelsong</a> and they have kept us hopping. Hot on the heels of Gaelsong was <a href="http://www.oldforgebrewingcompany.com/component/simplecalendar/detail/140-grand-reopening-.html" target="_blank">The Old Forge Brewing Company</a> who had us make all the plates for the Grand Opening of their new location. <br />
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It has been unreal. Hardly a minute to think. But life goes on and throws in some family stuff. In June we had to move one of the kids and a friend to school in Monessan PA. In August we had another kid move home from the DC area. <br />
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In the midst of all this new business and moving chaos we have been searching for a new house, We really need a place, a nice place, on the cheap with a 2+ car garage for the studio and zoning appropriate to running a business. It's hard to find. The last time I posted, on July 3, we had just gone to see a big old <a href="http://www.hughespottery.blogspot.com/2013/07/funeral-home-report-from-oil-city.html" target="_blank">Funeral home</a>. Since then we have seen some 10 or so houses. I think we have a winner, but we'll know in a week or so. I may even post here again before December to tell you all about it.<br />
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In the meantime, here it is October and we have very little personal stock, normally we have a sale at our house towards the beginning of November. I'm having doubts about having enough stock to have it. I'm getting focused on making for us now, so who knows..as a team Rowan and I can often do the seemingly impossible. If nothing else we'll have an amazing amount of stock for our <a href="http://www.hughespottery.etsy.com/" target="_blank">online store</a> through the holidays.<br />
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Stop by the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hughespottery" target="_blank">Facebook page</a> and visit, see what's going on in the studio, say hello!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09173814009646107190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2169170980822279464.post-30100826132714685682013-07-03T21:55:00.000-04:002013-07-03T21:55:57.994-04:00Funeral Home Report from Oil CitySo we've been looking for a new place to live and work, our little
cottage home is just too little. We need more space, we need the studio
out of the basement and we need an affordable place with a low mortgage ,
so we looked into this <a href="http://www.artsoilcity.com/" target="_blank">Artist Relocation Program</a> in Oil City, PA<br />
<br />
We've
been ramping ourselves up a little bit with the possibilities because
the homes are all very reasonably priced and we kind of set our hearts
on this crazy old Victorian built in 1890 that spent it's last few years
as a funeral home. Yep a funeral home. We figured the downstairs would
be all set up for viewings..and the upstairs would be nice since that is
where the family lived. We also figured that the outbuilding in the
back would be a great studio. We were so disappointed. I noticed right
away the paint job was peeling off..all of it. The inside was just as
bad..the wallpaper (shudder ewwww) was also damaged, bubbled and wrinkly
and it never stopped feeling like an industrial building, even in the
living area. There was no real kitchen..there was no real flow to the
place. It was a huge rat warren and the basement..was wet..really wet
walking on boards wet.The electrical was updated on the bottom floor,
but upstairs, there was a fusebox in the hallway. Yep. A Fusebox. Live.<br />
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So I'm going to upload a few choice photos here, so you can see the place and it's problems in all their glory.We're pretty sad about this, but I am sure there will be others to see.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Massive hallway downstairs</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">not bad..workable</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This area was lovely</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">damaged ceiling</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtfB9vA4zu1z6-zqvVUqoh7IZEx_elBLlXEvrTGrDkHOZ1I1B3IWMzzoaZoQVR9sYPGyzbSQh-0v_cTK2eO4vQ-YJqh3m2qtHcYTS9fR2uzG5rTfGE6y2ifUmMUZq1TwxTxWpVnBd-B_3G/s1600/DSC_0118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtfB9vA4zu1z6-zqvVUqoh7IZEx_elBLlXEvrTGrDkHOZ1I1B3IWMzzoaZoQVR9sYPGyzbSQh-0v_cTK2eO4vQ-YJqh3m2qtHcYTS9fR2uzG5rTfGE6y2ifUmMUZq1TwxTxWpVnBd-B_3G/s320/DSC_0118.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was a nice room</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was the kitchen</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinOLArrDOsgONXc2oeqc6xyAJGe2VXhzAA9IB_FBgupItkNCcQrOosXk70ypG4GPVZzmju-Tn9lVQeYOVGvXUleXMzTJ33nRAnLm6YX7CE8QiCbWA09gHReyZ3HU9AHZUITU0uqRue1-By/s1600/DSC_0123.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinOLArrDOsgONXc2oeqc6xyAJGe2VXhzAA9IB_FBgupItkNCcQrOosXk70ypG4GPVZzmju-Tn9lVQeYOVGvXUleXMzTJ33nRAnLm6YX7CE8QiCbWA09gHReyZ3HU9AHZUITU0uqRue1-By/s320/DSC_0123.JPG" width="211" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More Damage</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHpdLv1Wm-YSBLn9rpFs8h0l6-uItkIZu1OXIy9gMN4PKgp6H16IE4XtaxWgqTgmWyS1MchDo28y6yAQCtijHUXfy_JqaCnaHbK7EVQvt95j3bEHfoPfGp5JqsM4yar7WA99IHHRV8ZDrk/s1600/DSC_0128.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHpdLv1Wm-YSBLn9rpFs8h0l6-uItkIZu1OXIy9gMN4PKgp6H16IE4XtaxWgqTgmWyS1MchDo28y6yAQCtijHUXfy_JqaCnaHbK7EVQvt95j3bEHfoPfGp5JqsM4yar7WA99IHHRV8ZDrk/s320/DSC_0128.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Embalming Room..next to the kitchen</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg552N1-6jvYqQSxnsTHF4vY24o8KO20JyAnFaj1AGJ_rYmJUTGXfvknXn3Rc-HDONB8Byn2DXUjXliyJ6WCFlJaUYJWObwhiDvwS80YcRNVEj-kSk_IIgxVFuKXYp_vjsZHCkWUfO1OzGm/s1600/DSC_0136.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg552N1-6jvYqQSxnsTHF4vY24o8KO20JyAnFaj1AGJ_rYmJUTGXfvknXn3Rc-HDONB8Byn2DXUjXliyJ6WCFlJaUYJWObwhiDvwS80YcRNVEj-kSk_IIgxVFuKXYp_vjsZHCkWUfO1OzGm/s320/DSC_0136.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">UGH Paneling from HELL</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHQNtLP5dHWM5kN9AGyYMFqf9PDcvCy9SfZ6kE8TW5l4rZoAKIIpGH9jg5lrlPV_VgAePCVRzleSx5NpQWUl3G5mT9eb_qlegpiq7BKK8ctuad0LrYWfrQ_7MLKJJy4ehv5eM-5AoDMAo7/s1600/DSC_0138.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHQNtLP5dHWM5kN9AGyYMFqf9PDcvCy9SfZ6kE8TW5l4rZoAKIIpGH9jg5lrlPV_VgAePCVRzleSx5NpQWUl3G5mT9eb_qlegpiq7BKK8ctuad0LrYWfrQ_7MLKJJy4ehv5eM-5AoDMAo7/s320/DSC_0138.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The very wet basement</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yucky wet moldy basement</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One Garage Here, two up the hill. No contiguous workspace.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09173814009646107190noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2169170980822279464.post-14868128871395291362013-04-20T12:54:00.000-04:002013-04-20T12:54:19.531-04:00Adventures in Sparky Kiln landIt's never a good time to lose a kiln.<br />
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Here we are, pressed for time and money, Orders we took at BMAC are almost ready for shipment. We have a show in another state starting next Thursday. <br />
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TIME IS VERY IMPORTANT<br />
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So what happens?<br />
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Kiln Fail.<br />
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Burned out wire..something wasn't tight enough.<br />
Replace it.<br />
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Replace the suspect relays:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibhSO5qXAFQnUirF5y0bBG3Xdn_-ehTOMNyfuA-ezBjTUHS6MMG2J45Xk2LhSR0zXNwE2p1v1olOm1SZSFJXDto2cAZvWih6B2gUht46DldXzMLWqfCLzfM2ybSUlsI_Fa9_hhnb7NdA7X/s1600/IMG_2245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibhSO5qXAFQnUirF5y0bBG3Xdn_-ehTOMNyfuA-ezBjTUHS6MMG2J45Xk2LhSR0zXNwE2p1v1olOm1SZSFJXDto2cAZvWih6B2gUht46DldXzMLWqfCLzfM2ybSUlsI_Fa9_hhnb7NdA7X/s200/IMG_2245.JPG" width="200" /></a>It doesn't work! They're old ones we didn't throw away. With no visible signs of damage it's hard to tell if its good or bad.<br />
OH NO. Now what.<br />
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We don't have an L&L, but the principals are the same. So we applied the information.<br />
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Test:<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/e_zv2Em2kPI" width="560"></iframe><br />
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Found the bad relay and since it's a weekend <br />
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Cannibalized other kiln: <br />
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Repair:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpihiiNt7d82r1nvqCissae6IIORkeImPEaGUhworjhl4d45y1LqKjpJjeHHLM88eGKFiKWb1iegAP46hN5KuvgomOpr8OEEpiwVLXvvEll5aFvFk_2YX50irci9JKFualfjiJ6klqVCd0/s1600/IMG_2243.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpihiiNt7d82r1nvqCissae6IIORkeImPEaGUhworjhl4d45y1LqKjpJjeHHLM88eGKFiKWb1iegAP46hN5KuvgomOpr8OEEpiwVLXvvEll5aFvFk_2YX50irci9JKFualfjiJ6klqVCd0/s320/IMG_2243.JPG" width="283" /></a><br />
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Order a new one..no not from a kiln supplier<br />
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From <a href="http://www.newark.com/te-connectivity/t92p11d22-12/power-relay-dpdt-12vdc-30a-flange/dp/17M3081?Ntt=potter+and+brumfeld+T92P11D22-12" target="_blank">Newark</a> Under $10, not nearly $30<br />
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yep.. awesome.<br />
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All Kiln repairs starring Rowan Rose! Who despite not knowing a thing about electricity, does a great job and in fact at this point is making her own intuitive leaps to diagnose and repair the problems.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09173814009646107190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2169170980822279464.post-67232825759879376662013-02-10T21:43:00.000-05:002013-02-10T21:43:19.061-05:00The Leap to Wholesale<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_A4_4bFj7vLztiXimSzEasvgx85otGDAVMsJH-jfCc8LaWweR4TM6UPZuUFTvXz7eRrnCPvJVB3D9kUSO9_J1D9DpAIpTsC9LKciJyWZLPKn20KHH6y75RQ927d0vsWnxYyN7_KMnw0Xd/s1600/BMAC+brochure+outside+v3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_A4_4bFj7vLztiXimSzEasvgx85otGDAVMsJH-jfCc8LaWweR4TM6UPZuUFTvXz7eRrnCPvJVB3D9kUSO9_J1D9DpAIpTsC9LKciJyWZLPKn20KHH6y75RQ927d0vsWnxYyN7_KMnw0Xd/s320/BMAC+brochure+outside+v3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMx02GUTghKa_LvAPoMmwWnP5yM-VPGWCtJsfe0vEQjyAIqaM8NevQVzneHs8xQs05Xx5JnHmj4FVbGXQq6hXDED8SD02Wido71KsUrhMHnbozRCCWz7XhpExQKIXxF_wb_SDOF0uuQXr2/s1600/BMAC+business+cards+v2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_5MpOYeUPrCEHsofDIZgTrlp6leRW-SOwBixjqHGaTAsUGC9XvYbththtRokLKx4hrBHxrYqvmKxrJjLicCDkb8tkuDm3QKpr1XKGsrSaVyuiNsW31G0iEBZqKUZ6v_3Ke21qQZX043lO/s1600/BMAC+brochure+inside+v3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_5MpOYeUPrCEHsofDIZgTrlp6leRW-SOwBixjqHGaTAsUGC9XvYbththtRokLKx4hrBHxrYqvmKxrJjLicCDkb8tkuDm3QKpr1XKGsrSaVyuiNsW31G0iEBZqKUZ6v_3Ke21qQZX043lO/s320/BMAC+brochure+inside+v3.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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In just a few days, most of our business efforts of the past two years will be culminating in our attendance of The Buyer's Market of American Craft (BMAC). If you look at our previous blog post, you will see that we raised a huge amount of money via Kickstarter to make this a reality. I can't believe it's happening, and it's happening over next weekend.<br />
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This should change everything for us. Of course there is always a possibility we will not be well received and it will be a mediocre event, but I doubt it. We've worked really hard to make it all come together.<br />
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Here's an overview of the changes we have made to the pottery business over the last two years to make this happen.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMx02GUTghKa_LvAPoMmwWnP5yM-VPGWCtJsfe0vEQjyAIqaM8NevQVzneHs8xQs05Xx5JnHmj4FVbGXQq6hXDED8SD02Wido71KsUrhMHnbozRCCWz7XhpExQKIXxF_wb_SDOF0uuQXr2/s1600/BMAC+business+cards+v2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="119" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMx02GUTghKa_LvAPoMmwWnP5yM-VPGWCtJsfe0vEQjyAIqaM8NevQVzneHs8xQs05Xx5JnHmj4FVbGXQq6hXDED8SD02Wido71KsUrhMHnbozRCCWz7XhpExQKIXxF_wb_SDOF0uuQXr2/s200/BMAC+business+cards+v2.jpg" width="200" /></a>First, we felt that our business was naturally moving in the direction of wholesale. Several local cafes approached us about making mugs for them to serve out of. Then we approached a local brewpub which has become a 4 time a year buyer and finally we approached a regional brewpub which ended up placing the biggest order we have ever filled, 420 pieces. All those pieces were done over the period from Thanksgiving to New Years, a time when we are normally scrambling to keep up with the holiday sales rush. This year was different, this year we had stock made well in advance.<br />
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It's a pretty nice feeling knowing that everything you make is already sold. It adds a layer of security to your life. It's amazing knowing that when the pieces are done, all you have to do is pack a box and have the Post Office pick it up. No worries about show attendance, the weather, the time away from the studio. No driving 6 hours, then setting up, doing 2 days worth of sitting behind a booth, packing it all back up and going home. Wholesale, has advantages!<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI4Hz2EDS50OqbTM3D7DpPYDCybhJNy296eQhSyPWOHxB7-CYBXpWZ3cGbV2Z0oL75pgg8RSOYV5NrjkhLnOI66hQdQz3XGT2uiFOeTebTEBfm6IEu49naugFYiL-cebXGrswAz-Nrtuu5/s1600/hang+tags+back+v2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI4Hz2EDS50OqbTM3D7DpPYDCybhJNy296eQhSyPWOHxB7-CYBXpWZ3cGbV2Z0oL75pgg8RSOYV5NrjkhLnOI66hQdQz3XGT2uiFOeTebTEBfm6IEu49naugFYiL-cebXGrswAz-Nrtuu5/s200/hang+tags+back+v2.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hang Tag Back</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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So this is the basics of what we did to prepare.<br />
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We started to hone our line to something that was manageable. We found our most popular items and reduced our glaze combinations from over 20, to the most popular 7 and made a catalog of our standard pieces and colors. Over the past year we have endeavored to stick to our catalog for production. It's been really hard to do, people always want something just a little bit different, but mostly we've stuck to our decision and this has made it a lot easier to keep and build stock. In theory, once we are totally devoted to catalog production, we should be able to keep a base stock in everything, and simply pluck it from the shelves when orders come in. Specific production will be done for personalized orders, like the logo pieces we produce for the Cafes and Brewpubs.<br />
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We also did an analysis of how much it actually costs to make various pieces and made sure we would still be making money at wholesale prices.<br />
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We figured out how many pieces we can actually make in a year, so we can schedule production and project completion dates for orders. More importantly we figured out how many weeks a year we need to produce so we can also take a couple weeks off in a year. For years we have neglected to schedule in or take any time off without a lot of guilt. When you are self employed, you can always do more. Fact is, people need down time.<br />
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So we're loading one of the last glaze kilns before the show, there might be one more after this, I'm not sure. We're nervous, as usual, there have been technical problems with some of the glazes. There always are just before a major event, or in the middle of a carefully timed production. This time is is pockmarks, pinholes and popouts from the clay..all problems we have dealt with before, and never want to deal with again. But even with the problem pieces it looks like we'll have a pretty nice display of sample pieces for the buyers.<br />
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So we have new display shelves, curtains, carpet for the floor, tables, chairs, new business cards, hang tags for all the pieces and a tri-fold brochure of our catalog. We have our lighting worked out, a van reserved, a hotel reserved. We have help for the sales floor. We're ready!<br />
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When we get back home we have some new equipment to help us meet our production goals. Most notably a shiny new slab roller destined to make a lot of slabs for the Oak and Acorn line and perhaps most importantly a clay trap for our sink.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09173814009646107190noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2169170980822279464.post-73154092297100607012012-12-28T15:06:00.001-05:002012-12-28T15:06:41.810-05:00Overloaded or not?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm_nZUfFlA1Wa0LMDsUqeMeGy3xVMigE24xSJmtz01dObE0MHSU7P843LS4QBSWHGi92etR7rGm-wZG597Q_BqNXVtfW5sgWIiTiFuAEABzX-y33o5hZPZqKXC4w9C29ZQUAckYwNG56Bd/s1600/IMG_1583.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm_nZUfFlA1Wa0LMDsUqeMeGy3xVMigE24xSJmtz01dObE0MHSU7P843LS4QBSWHGi92etR7rGm-wZG597Q_BqNXVtfW5sgWIiTiFuAEABzX-y33o5hZPZqKXC4w9C29ZQUAckYwNG56Bd/s200/IMG_1583.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
Sometimes you just have to squeeze a little more into a kiln, and you start to wonder if the lid is going to close or not. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitm_6vSIUeyQR8gu8a-2deBnwd3HI17VdUbmU7pDheWZYBe6B5xtRPdyiO9iD1rEEi8rxelhg6g1Qso6IjymoH4upU7b5YkIYaI6txhUsdcCwOCoMGY8urfQ0UwHVQ9Z0Dcll4fKg0YYIh/s1600/IMG_1580.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitm_6vSIUeyQR8gu8a-2deBnwd3HI17VdUbmU7pDheWZYBe6B5xtRPdyiO9iD1rEEi8rxelhg6g1Qso6IjymoH4upU7b5YkIYaI6txhUsdcCwOCoMGY8urfQ0UwHVQ9Z0Dcll4fKg0YYIh/s200/IMG_1580.JPG" width="200" /></a>To check, you can take a long straight edge and lay it over the top and see the clearance, or you can use the edge of the kiln as a sight and slowly squat down until you can see the far edge of the kiln just over the top of the closest edge. If nothing is sticking up, you're ready to fire.<br />
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The only problems we ever have is the very top of the kiln is always just a little bit cooler, so we make sure to put glazes that respond well at cooler temperatures up top.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09173814009646107190noreply@blogger.com0