Denice

I totally agree the passed friends, relatives and pets look out for you. My MS is very slow progressing, my neuro calls me wonder woman. I had two aunts that had MS and I think they are doing everything they can to slow it down. I have also asked pets from the past to help me with my current dog. The first time it was for a behavioral problem, my dog settled down immediately after I asked for help. Ten years later my dog decides he doesn't want to eat any more, he lost so much weight his hip bones stuck out. The vet ran a bunch of test and couldn't find anything wrong with him. I asked for help and he started eating again and regained the needed weight. I use to live in a haunted house and the spirit was listening all of the time and let us know if he was unhappy with us. My pottery studio was in the basement and he used to play with the balance beam scale. Denice

Pres I am counting on my skills improving with throwing the 70 glass molds I need. I did some throwing off the hump in college but none of the pieces were ever fired because it was a class throwing exercise. I was wondering did you need more compression to end the S cracks? I enjoyed throwing off the hump but had a hard time with compression. Denice

It can be nice to have someone work in your studio for awhile. Once in a while I will clear a work table for my husband so he can work on a car part in air conditioned comfort. He isn't working with clay but it is still good to be working with him. Denice

I am going to finish cleaning my studio today and start throwing molds for my antique glass bottle bottoms tomorrow. The mural they go in is still drying, I am hoping to have them fired and ready for glass before my husband has colon surgery. He has to take it easy for a month so I hope I can fire the glass while he is down. Denice

I use to have a television on or a radio and my dog sleeping next to me. Now that my husband has retired he is in and out of my studio hanging around, borrowing a tool or just cooling down. I have to really concentrate on what I am working on because of all of the new distractions. I don't mind him getting out of the heat, the garage isn't air conditioned, I will get use to our new life eventually. Denice

Looks like everyone has a pretty complete list, the only thing I would add is a pair of disposable gloves. When I was in college I had a reaction to a wash with copper carbonate in it. I took my gloves off to get some wash into a tight area. I only got it on my fingers but my teeth went numb after a few minutes. My professor asked me if I had been wearing gloves, I told him I took them off for a few minutes. He said now you know not to take your gloves off. Denice

I think we should include Marcia Selsor in our list, her work with soluable salts, raku and pit and saggar firings is mind blowing . She has probably has created as many potters has she has pots teaching at universities and around the world. When I visited her in Yellowstone I would have bought one of her soluble salt pots she was taking out of a firing but they were already sold. Denice

I am finally ready to make the top section of my arched mural/grill. As soon as I get finished with it I am going to start making the antique glass bottle bottoms to set into the mural. I need to make some more molds and then I will be ready to start firing. I looked around on the internet to see if I could buy some glass similar to my antique glass bottoms. I found some by a glass artist and they were 50 to 100 dollars each, I need 80. I can't afford to spend that much money and I was bummed out that it wasn't a original idea. So I have done a dozen test to get my firing glass firing schedule perfect. Denice

Cleaning and smoothing some moldings for my outdoor project. It is so humid here I am just throwing a piece of plastic over what I am working on. Third week of rain, we found out the neighbors next door had there basement flooded. There house sits much lower than ours we are at the top of the hill. Denice

I wish I had more glaze chemistry in my studies. I took a second level glaze class but my professor was tired of teaching it so he turned it into a history class. I tried to take it again but there was always a waiting list, I had already passed it so I was at the bottom of the list every year. I kept a tight watch on my required classes, I didn't want to pay for one that wasn't needed, but I was willing to pay for this class again. I thought it was that important. Denice

Like you I just hope to be working in my studio at the same pace I am working now. I didn't have much hope of that until I got a report back from the doctor that my MS has had minimal progression is the last ten years. I still have the wrists and knee problems that potters get but I can muddle through them. I have to see the hand doctor next week, keeping my fingers crossed I don't need surgery. Denice

My tile project is sitting half finished on my work tables. We decided to take a vacation in Colorado last week, while we were there my knee decided to pop out of place. We went to the hospital and home the next day. I have been sitting around with ice on my knee for a week now, it is getting healed. I think I will be able to get back in my studio next week. Denice

Mine isn't powered but I am with Marc on the Bailey slab roller and my extruder is second place. I made my own extruder from directions in a Ceramics Monthly magazine. It was only suppose to be temporary to see if I really needed a extruder. I liked it so well I redesigned it to make it stronger and a made a bunch of dies for it, Both pieces of equipment save me a lot of production time and I am able to do projects that would be nearly impossible to do with out them. Denice

Mark that glaze brought back some college memories from the 70's. I still collect glaze formula's but usually don't get around to testing them. Once in a while I will need something new so while I am testing a particular glaze I might as well test them all. Denice

I have another big tile on my work table and firing my third glass test firing today. I am testing four different glasses a wine bottle, clear drinking glass, window glass and a blue tempered glass. So far the wine bottle glass melts and looks the best. I haven't got a complete melt on the other three yet. Denice

Gabby my mother in-law is doing great, she didn't end up with any physical problems and she has her speech back. She still mixes up or forgets a few words but who doesn't do that. It gives us a little time to find a assisted living facility for her, there is always a waiting list. She had 5 mini strokes and going to need some surgery in the future, my husband spent the night with her. I spent most of the day working on the tile, it weighed 12lbs when I started on it and I have taken 4 lbs off of it but I still have a lot of carving to do. Denice

I have a huge tile on my work bench that I rolled out yesterday, I am going to work on sculpting the design in it today. I am making a press mold, I need 18 tiles to build a grill in the porch window. It is going to take me longer than I thought to complete this project, my mother in-law had a stroke a hour before her 96th birthday party Saturday. I am going to be busy helping her when she goes home. Denice

Like Marc and Sam my Bailey slab roller has Formica on it and storage underneath it. Their is always work being done on it, if I am not using it my husband will spread some newspapers out and work on come car part. My shop has heat and air conditioning I am glad to share some space with him. We bought the slab roller unit and built the table from plans that Bailey sent with the roller. I would have a hard time parting with it. I have made thousands of tiles with it and I am starting a new tile project soon. Denice

Had a thunder/sleet storm last night , so were stuck inside today. I have designs for my tile project all over my work table and I have plenty of clay to practice with so I am all set for this cold and nasty weather. The word catawampus is used in this area still. Denice

I plan to do a boil freeze test in my freezer also. The polar vortex has moved on and it is suppose to be 66 by Sunday and back down to 8 Wednesday. Our weather has been this way all winter. I am making glass discs that look like old bottles as part of the design. I making the molds for the crush glass now and will start test firing my glass. I plan to use clear beer bottles for the smaller outer discs and colored wine bottles for the center. I need about 80 small discs and 20 large ones, I am going to see if I can get empty clear bottles from bars. My husband volunteered to drink that much beer but it would take him six months, I don't want to wait that long. Denice

I look at the Penland web site and see if I can find the article. I had a Red Calico pot sitting around in my studio, it had been fired to C6 with just some stains on it no glaze. I've got it outside to take advantage of the Polar Vortex moving into our area. I need to throw some glass molds for broken glass and do some tests, it will be a several months before I have to make a decision on the clay. I need to make 60 two inch discs and 15 three inch discs that are about a inch thick. It has been awhile since I have worked with glass in the kiln. I have done some research, it is all coming back ready to start testing. Denice

I have used the Red Calico on a large exterior fountain before but it was glazed, I was thinking I could put a clear on it if needed. I ordered some clay from California to make a clay tile roof several years ago for a mailbox roof. It was also a C6 clay and very coarse, no glaze and I haven't had any problems with it. By the time I got it shipped to Kansas it cost me a dollar a pound, I'm sure the costs would be higher now. We are having some frigid weather this week I think I'll boil a Red Calico pot and thrown it into some snow and leave it there for a couple of months. I read a article about building a ceramic patio wall in a 1960's Ceramics Monthly years ago. I have it stored on my old computer. I need to spend some time searching for it I don't remember the year or month it was published. Bill you are right about the membrane on a tile roof, I had them put a rubber membrane under my tile roof when we built our house. I didn't want my ceilings ruined if the tiles were damaged by hail. The roof is concrete tiles and breaks much easier than clay tiles. Denice

Mostly throwing and trimming but I have a new project on my worktable. I was at a concert in a historical theater last week and notice a grill in a huge arched window, I have a arched opening on my front porch it needs art work that will block the North wind. I am working on a design for the tiles, I want to put wine and beer bottle bottoms in the openings, they will block the wind, still let light through and still look like a Spanish grill. I am thinking of using Laguna Red Calico, it will be expose to nasty winters so if someone has a better idea on clay I am all ears. Denice

What Lee U said, I am going out to my shop to practice again and again. I found a clay I like throwing three months ago, that has been a big help. I threw a large set of dishes right before my MS messed up the motor control on my right arm. I don't plan to do that again, I just want to be able to thrown for fun or make something I need. I am lucky that handbuilding was always my first love and that I never gave up working with clay. Denice