Looking ahead

I've had a hard time getting back into the daily production routine. There are several factors and essentially I just have to suck it up and get on with life. Meaning I have to make my motivation since it doesn't appear to be ready and waiting.

Here's the good stuff :)

The Annual Fall Home Studio Sale went better than ever.
I have sold nearly every one of my pie bakers.
I have sold every one of my Apple Bakers.
I brought back the oil candles and they seem to be going quickly too.
I think I have solved my glaze problems
I have a ton and a half of clay ready for production.

Here's the bad stuff :(

I am out of clay for the Pie Bakers and Oil Candles, Eathenware and Porcelain.
I am having trouble going to work, I am blaming it on my annual bout of SAD, I am waking up with the light at 8 and just don't have the drive, by evening I'm ready to lay in front of the fire and watch movies.. I'll kick it in soon, never fear.
I still have some special orders to fill. I have plates, many plates to make..some regular, some pasta.

But I seem to have run out of time.

I need to go get some clay for my best sellers. 6 hours out of a day gone, we have Friday night set up at the event this weekend, Sales on Saturday till 8ish.Sunday AM tear down and then We are supposed to go to NJ for Ro's father's Birthday and Thanksgiving on Tuesday through Friday. I feel like...should I bother to work for the next couple days? Should I go tomorrow to get the clay I need, then throw the pie bakers so they are done ASAP?

Hughes Pottery Fall Home Studio Sale 2009

It's a beautiful fall day here in State College, PA. I am having a moment of peace at Webster's on Aaron. Shortly I have to go home and with the diligent help of my lovely wife force order on the chaos. Our Fall Home Studio Sale is this weekend and while I feel more or less prepared for it, it's the last minute stuff that always gets to you. Tidy Tidy Clean Clean.

The event is in our backyard under a big tent. We have mugs, travel style mugs (sorry no lids), tankards, serving bowls, butter keepers, earthenware pie plates, oil candles, sugar and creamer sets or individuals, plates, decorative plates, pitchers. Rice Bowls with chopstick rests, Soup Mugs, Cereal and Soup bowls, tumblers, vases and more!

I'll be doing Raku firings on Saturday, there will be biscware available for people to buy and glaze themselves for the firing. Other potters will be bringing their own wares to fire too.

I hope some of you can make it!

A nice relaxing day..sort of.

I had arranged for some help today, but Mike is feeling down and out, so I decided I was going to not do much of anything either. The kilns were cooling, Ro was at The Creative Oasis and I fought with myself over not doing anything. It was tough to relax and ultimately I failed and felt slightly cranky all day. Ro came home and we decided to go to the Tavern tonight for her Birthday Dinner. The Tavern is an old, well established restaurant in the heart of downtown State College. I always love to go there, the food is always very good and today was no exception. It was a strange dining experience. The server was training someone and it seemed to slow her down. I felt like everything we needed took just a few minutes too long. Like when you realize that under normal circumstances the food would be there, the drink would be filled, the check would be there, etc.

We had a very chatty father/daughter beside us on one side. She was celebrating her 23rd birthday and Dad had driven many miles to take her out. Their conversation seemed louder and more persistent than our own, so we did a lot of listening, which made the slower service much more tolerable.Things were just not right. and the wait between dessert and the check and the check arriving and the check leaving convinced me that for the first time in a long time my tip scale had slid down to 15% from 20%+ Food was good, but the service was so slow. Very unusual for The Tavern.

When we returned home we both passed out in the living room. When I awoke I felt refreshed enough to go down to the studio and make a few more pieces for the Raku firing this weekend. I also made a big widemouthed covered jar just for fun and it was :) It was nice. I really enjoyed making the big bottle and the plate on the far left is going to get a handle in the middle so I can fire the medallions we put on the pots in the Raku kiln. The colors will be fun and they will work out well as magnets or pins.