What's going on these days...

Oh boy.  I am sick.  I have had a temperature hovering around 100 degrees for the last three days (and possibly the day before that).  After sitting on my ass for about 72 hours, I'm finally starting to feel like a person again.  This means I should do stuff.

My studio has been making incremental progress.  I met with an electrician on Thursday, and he says he can get the kiln wired up properly pretty easily (for 1/6 of what it was going to cost to wire up my previous space).  I am just waiting on the homeowner, now; she has other electrical work she wants done, so she was going to contact him directly to talk about that.

I spoke today with the son-in-law of one of my coworkers, who is a contractor/carpenter type person, and he's going to help me make my wedging table soon - maybe within the next week or two.  I am looking forward to recycling clay properly on plaster; this canvas covered board thing that I have right now is not working that well for me.

Another task is finally selling this tabletop wheel that is sitting uselessly in my studio.  Anyone know someone who wants one?  It's two-speed, quite durable, heavy and in great condition.

Anyway, I've been getting to work on kickstarter rewards - 11 shot classes, 2 mugs, 1 stein, and 1 bowl in various stages of completion at the moment.  Once we get the kiln plugged in and I order a vent and get that going, it should be underway - hopefully by the end of the month, although that's frighteningly close at this point.  I want to post some pictures of what I've been doing, but iPhoto is being weird and not recognizing my phone at the moment.  Back when I figure that out.

-Lorraine

Update: finally getting underway!

Hi everyone!


After a few weeks in limbo regarding my kiln, it looks like I may (fingers crossed) have finally found somewhere for it to live. We're working out the details in the next week or so, and hopefully having an electrician up during that time to evaluate/hook up anything that's not already ready. So firing could begin as early as the 23rd or so!


In the meantime, I've ordered clay and glazes, and am going to sit down and make a whole lot of pieces today! My schedule has been eating my life, but now that things are moving I'm hoping to get a lot of your pieces made and shipped in the next month.


Thank you to everyone who's filled out a survey, and if you pledged in the higher reward tiers, don't worry if you haven't received a survey yet - I'm doing them in phases so I'm not too overwhelmed all at once.


Thanks again for helping me out, and soon you'll get to see the fruits of your support!

-Lorraine

Kickstarter - and updates

My kickstarter has ended successfully, which is super exciting! I'll be trying to post updates here as well as there. The rest of this post is just me copying over updates that I posted there.




Update #1 (8/26/2012)

Hi, everyone!


I am totally bowled over by the amount of support I've gotten. Thank you all so much! I'm beginning my research into exactly what kiln I am going to want.


I wanted to let everyone know that if the pledge amount goes over, that will still end up going towards the glazes, clay, and wedging table - with shipping (and kickstarter fees taken out) I don't anticipate much left over after the kiln. Which is fine, and was my original plan - but if there's a little extra, that means more variety of glazes available from the start, which means you have more options for when I'm making your piece!


Thanks again for all your support, and I can't wait to start making your pieces as soon as I can!


-Lorraine

(then I posted some pictures)


Update #2 (9/15/2012)

Hi, everyone!


I am so excited about how much you've all been helping me out, bit by bit. I reached my goal some time ago, but people have still been helping, and each contribution is still very important.


One important update: I have a kiln! I found one used on craigslist, and it is exactly what I was looking for.


Unfortunately, I don't yet know if it works (I have high hopes, because it is in fantastic condition) because I cannot plug it in anywhere. The space where I am keeping it, where I may be able to keep it permanently, is not wired for a kiln.


I am talking to an electrician, as well as the landlord, trying to find a solution, but it is very possible it will be at least several hundred dollars to wire it safely so that it works. It may be more than that. We're still figuring that out.


This is the last push! I can't fire my pottery until my kiln is hooked up, and I really want to start making all the things I'm going to be sending you. I am deeply grateful for all the support you've already shown me, and I hope to send an update soon saying it's all been accomplished.


If you have a desire to help more, you can give me a signal boost - post about my kickstarter on a social media site of your choice, or shoot an email to arts appreciators you know, and I will happily make pottery for them as well! Donations can be made until around 8:30pm on Saturday, September 22nd.


Thank you all!


Now I'm going to go play with clay.


P.S. I've added two new reward categories: $16 for a beer stein (really, really big mug that'll fit an entire bottle of beer or soda or other beverage) and a one-time-only reward for a contribution fo $350 - I have a tabletop wheel that I no longer need (I got it before realizing it wasn't quite right for me but it totally works and is pretty heavy-duty). Know anyone who wants to try making pottery but doesn't have space for a big wheel? This could be perfect for them!


Update #3 (9/23/2012)

Thanks, everyone!


You have all helped a great deal - I am excited to send you your pieces as soon as I can!


Here is where I currently stand:


I have a kiln but not a space where I can plug it in. I am going to see if there's anyone nearby who has a space where I can keep it and run it, and I am planning to use funds from kickstarter money to help move the kiln again and pay for electricity/rent wherever it ends up.


I am going to order clay and glazes as soon as the money comes though Amazon in 14 days; in the meantime, I'm using the small amount of clay I have left to start making your pieces.


I am going to begin sending out surveys to ask you for details, such as what kind of piece(s) you want within the category you've chosen, or where to ship them if they need to be shipped, or what colors of glaze you're interested in.


I look forward to the next couple of weeks as I get underway, and thanks again for all your support! I'll let you know when the kiln location issue is resolved.


-Lorraine


So I am still looking for a space to keep and plug my kiln in. Know anyone in the Ball Square area who wouldn't mind having an electric kiln in their basement?

I'm back!

I know I haven't posted in a long, long while (and I'm not sure who I'm talking to - I doubt I have "regular" readers as that would require me posting with any regularity).  But the pottery has returned to my life, and so I will attempt to write about it once more!

I am deeply grateful to my incredibly generous boyfriend who is letting me use an extra room as my studio.  I am slowly acquiring the things I need to put it together; so far I have a wheel and a small shelving unit.  I am launching a kickstarter (hopefully within a week) to see if I can get a) funding for the remaining things (kiln, kiln furniture, wedging table, glazes, shelving units) and b) tons of things to make right away to get back in the swing of things - everyone who donates to my kickstarter will get at least one piece of pottery, which will be SO MUCH FUN.

I hope to post on here more once I have bats for my wheel (couldn't get the damn pins out, sadly - I dislike throwing on bats but I admit that it is more practical in many ways, especially when the bat pins are stuck in the wheel) and I hope that that will be on Tuesday.

I cannot wait to start really throwing - I've made an inspiration wall of pictures of pottery from Ceramics Monthly magazine.  It is, so far, living up to its name extremely well.