Pre-show Crunch

I am participating in the Mistletoe market at the Anderson County Museum again this year.  It is scheduled for Friday, November 22 from 4:00 - 8:00 PM and Saturday, November 23 from 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM.

As usual, I am in a crunch to finish creating stock. Yes, it is still 2 weeks away, but I have a lot to do in that 2 weeks to be ready. There are 76 angels in progress as well as some more soap dishes and Santa hats and Sake bottles.

There never seems to be enough time.

In progress

This photo shows some of my Ebonyware porcelain in progress. In the far background are the sake bottles, the mid range has both the mugs and the sugar bowl , closer to the front is my small rice bowl and the forefront shows the small sauce/pin dish. These are all in various stages of drying, as is evidenced by the varying shades of grey.

I am currently working on filling orders for some roly sake cups and some large rice bowls. And in the process, I am trying to get some sugar bowls that are not warped (so the lids will fit properly).

Don't forget to check out the POP Studio tour this weekend. And, while you're out and about, visit the other small business in that town. You may find things you never knew were so close to home.

Porcelain Mugs

I still have not had the chance to get all my photos taken. This is another shot from my Sunday display last weekend at Celebrate Clayton.

Pictured here are my mugs. Right now they are the only size I have. They hold 8 ounces. They were designed with the tapered shape to have less surface area for the coffee/tea/cocoa to cool. They also were designed with a large enough handle for the comfort of even those with larger hands.

I am in the process of developing a larger mug for those who don't like going for refills all of the time.

I need to give credit where credit is due. I learned what I know about model and mold making from my ex-husband and his father. Their professional expertise was in industrial ceramics. They both did this for a living. My father-in-law (Wally Higgins) taught Industrial Ceramic Design at the NY State College of Ceramics at Alfred University for over 25 years. My ex (Verne Higgins) received his degree there and worked for companies such as Lenox, Pfaltzgraff, Syracuse China and Sherle Wagner. In 1989 we went to work for my father-in-law. I started out decorating pieces and soon moved into other areas. I learned on the job. I may not have made all of the models for the pieces I make, but I worked on their design. The plaster wheel was Verne's area, I got to do some, but he was so experienced, it was easier (and quicker) to let him turn most of the pieces. I made a larger percentage of the original molds. Now I make all of the molds myself and am working on making more models. I do not have an industrial wheel to work on, so I am making do with what I can put together.

But, that all being said, from the beginning, 95% + of the production was done solely by me. Now it is done 100% by me. I may ask for input from friends and family on glaze colors and applications or new shapes, but the work is all done by me.