Shipping and All that Junk

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I hate to bring this topic up again, but it's just where I am today.  I finally made it out to the shop and decided I'd work on packing up pots to ship.  I had 3 Etsy orders which I knocked out pretty quickly.  Then I moved on to wrapping up 20 pots for a gallery.  It's a 50/50 split with the gallery (consignment) and I'm responsible for the shipping cost.  After getting about 3/4 of the way done I realized I wasn't going to get all 20 pots in the size box that I wanted to use.  Which then got me thinking about having all these pots going away from here and how I could put many of them up on the Etsy site.  I'm getting almost full retail by selling on Etsy and the customer is responsible for shipping costs.  Seems like a no brainer doesn't it?

I figured the 20 pieces I was going to send to the gallery would retail for $1040.00.  Of that, if they all sell, I'll get half, $520.  It's gonna cost me about $40 to ship it all, plus I guess I've used about $12-15 packing materials and a couple hours of my time.  It's not looking good is it?  I think I'd down to about $470 now.


I really like this gallery and I want to have some of my very best work in there.  So what I think I'm going to do is split it up and send them 10-12 pieces and put the rest up on Etsy next week.  I'll feel a bit better about that even though the shipping cost is going to be about the same and I've wasted some time by coming in here and writing this post when I could be packing.  I feel good too because my Etsy shop has been doing very well and I want that to continue.

Hopefully over the next few months I can think about all this and come up with some new ideas.  One thought is that I'll send the galleries my more complicated, expensive works.  I want to also really focus on promoting my online store and keeping good work up there.  I've signed up for more shows this year too.  It's going to be fun to see customers again, but I'm not looking forward to packing up the truck and doing all that setup and tear down.


Okay, well guess what? It's time for lunch! So I can procrastinate more before finishing that packing job.

Pots in Use

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My friend Angela sent me these pics of my pots being used in her kitchen.  The butternut squash casserole was baked in one of my salt glazed bakers and then served up on an amber plate.  Thanks Angela! I always like to see my work being put to use.





You can send your Pots in Use photos to me at ronpots2 at yahoo dot com

New Pots Out Tomorrow and...

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Treasures of the Earth at the Cleveland Co. Arts Council opens Thursday!

It's been a super busy week already.  Lots of running around and general madness.  I'm hoping things calm down soon.

The Treasures show is an annual event at the A.C.  The opening reception is Thursday evening beginning at 5:30 pm. It's always a fun event with good food, lots of pots and people.

I've got a few posts in mind for the near future.  One is on the 'virtual customer'. Well the customer is not virtual, that's a real person, it's doing business with people on the web and how different that relationship seems to me as opposed to doing business face to face. More on that soon.

Um, what else? Well I can't remember right now, but it's late and I need sleep.  So check back in tomorrow for some good pics of new pots (some with Amber glaze!)

For now here's a pic from a while back...some of my first slipware bowls.

Fun and Work

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It's been a fun weekend but a busy one too.  Sarah and I are both working towards deadlines with our work.  She has a jewelry show coming up and I have an exhibition/sale this week.

It was 70 degrees here today and sunny!! I decorated pots on the porch all day.  I finally got the bisque loaded around 8pm.

Here are some of the pots from the last glaze firing. (the ones that were in the video) Click for larger, more complete image. (I feel like the color on these is a bit off, but you'll get the idea)

[gallery link="file" order="DESC" orderby="ID"]

I'll have more new pots out by Wednesday.

The Treasures of the Earth pottery show and sale opens Thursday at the Cleveland County Arts Council.  I am going to have some really nice pots so if you are in the area please come by, it's a great opening reception with pottery, food and cold beverages!

I'm A Happy Guy

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I won!!  I am the winner of some fine Minnesota pottery as well as Minnesota wild rice and maple syrup!!  Marcia Tani Paul had a giveaway on her blog and my name was drawn as the winner.


I really love Marcia's blog.  Not only does she showcase her wonderful pots but she does so by putting them to use in her home and kitchen  It's great to see a table set with a group of pots, a bowl filled with soup, or a plate filled with pasta.  There is even a recipe page! Marcia also features other potters work from her collection.  It's really a fun and unique blog and I hope you'll add it to your Reader or drop in often.  You can also visit Marcia's website HERE.  I can't wait to get the bowl and goodies.  I'll be sure to post a 'pot in use' photo of it here.

Speaking of Pots in Use, I got this image from my pal Carter Gillies last week.  This is a bowl of mine being put to use in Carter's home.  I'm pretty sure there's an Owl hidden under that nice salad.


Visit Carter's Blog HERE


I unloaded the bisque this morning and I have to say it's really cool when I like the pots this much before they've even been glazed.  I was excited to see some of my new designs on the more labor intensive pots.  I'll post pics after they've come out of the glaze kiln.


On the topic of labor ...the answer to the question in the last post is 1 hour, 10 minutes.


Have a great Tuesday everyone.

Getting the Bisque In

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I finally got enough pots decorated to load a full bisque.  Good grief I feel like it's taken me all week.  I have to say I haven't been putting in full days so I can't complain.  It will be nice to get this load fired, glazed and fired again.  Many of these pots are going to the Lillstreet Gallery in Chicago.

The last pot I worked on today was this 12.5 " shallow dish.  I got the design penciled in yesterday.  I timed how long it took me to do the 'scratching'.  Any guesses??


Time for a bit of Tai Chi practice (I started a 6 week course last week) and then homemade pizza for supper!!

Saturday's work

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This is where I left things for today. Some finished some half finished.  I am having a slow time working in the designs that I want.  It's just a learning curve.  I'm glad I have the pencil to use otherwise I'd seriously be ruining some pots.


Six Seven of the twelve  Year of the Rabbit pots have sold including the two most detailed dishes.  I'm so happy with that!  When I set this project for myself I wasn't sure what the pots would look like.  As I worked on the designs I found some new ideas and I was very excited to see them on the pots.  I am speaking mostly of the more detailed and complex images.  Working on these and seeing them finished pushed me to do more decorating in that way.  So it moved things forward.  Good eh? Yep.

I wonder where this is going, and I'm not trying to judge it or worry about it at all.  I think the past 2 or 3 years have taught me to go with what I enjoy and what I like.  It's been challenging at times to let some of my past ideas about what I should be doing go.  It's very freeing.

Well that's all for now.  Thanks for stopping in.

Technical Page

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I often get emails asking me questions about my slip or glaze or how I do something or another.  I don't mind these emails but to make things a bit easier on myself I have added a Technical Page to the blog. (The link is over in the right sidebar).

For many years after I started making pots I got so much help from other potters who were willing to share their slip and glaze recipes with me.  I would often write them a letter or sometimes just call out of the blue to ask for a recipe or help of some sort.  I remember Suze Lindsey sending me some recipes once.  I still have a small square of yellow paper that she wrote me the information on in my glaze recipe file.

I also called Scott Schafer up out of the blue one day.   He had had some pots published in CM in a Goldart ad.  They were these beautiful salt glazed pots.  I called him to ask for his clay body recipe.  He answered the phone and I asked, "Is this Scott?".  He replied in an irritated voice, "Yes, and I don't have time to talk right now! What do you want?"   I was taken aback but said that I was a potter from NC and I wondered if he'd talk to me about his clay.  His tone changed and he told me he thought I was a telemarketer.  He said he was busy with a customer but to call back in a half hour and he'd happy to help me.  I called him back and he was very nice and gave me the recipe for his clay body.  I have it written down on the Goldart ad where his pots were featured.

I am happy to share what I know.  I only ask that if you use any of my information that at some point you help someone too.  Tom Gray told me this same thing many years ago.  Tom has helped me more than anyone else and he told me, Someday it will be your turn to help someone or pass along information and encouragement.


A few years ago I emailed a potter who I barely knew asking for some information on a certain technique.  I got a very nice reply from the potter telling me that she couldn't tell me exactly what she did.  She had been ripped off more than once and was guarded now in what she shared.  I understood and did not push.  I respected her decision and the reason behind it.  It did put me on my guard a bit.  It was the first time I'd been told 'no'.  Now days I feel like some folks are a bit more reluctant to give out info. and that has made me a little skiddish to ask.

I like to put forth some efforts before I just go out and ask someone for something.  I want them to know I've at least tried.  I hate mixing and testing glazes but I try to find out what's working and what's not before I just up and ask for help.  In the past I had folks give me some sure fire recipes that got me off the ground.  I'm grateful for that, I did spend a lot of time and money at one point trying to come up with some cone 3 single fire glazes.  They were all pretty bad and I moved on to cone 8.


Well that's a bit of a long-ish post.  Check out my Tech. Page over there.  I have included some info on my photo set up as well as what I like to listen to in the studio and which teas I prefer when working.

Preview Up

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Below is a preview of some of the Year of the Rabbit pots that will go on sale this Thursday.  I have a few mugs in the kiln and another plate.  There are a couple more tankards too.  It's hard to get a good full shot of the mugs and tankards but you'll get the idea.  There will be multiple views of each pot when it goes online Thursday.  For now, click the images below for larger more complete image.

[gallery link="file" order="DESC" columns="2" orderby="title"]

To go to my Online Shop click HERE.

Working in the Warmth

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I had a great day in the studio today.  The kiln shut off early this morning so the studio was at about 80 degrees when I went in.  So nice not to be in a cold space.  I made some serving bowls and tankards, yunomis, some tall footed bowls and a jar that I thought up while going to sleep the other night.

No pics of any of that though.  You get to see pots all the time here so I thought I'd do a little selection of images from around the workshop.  Click for larger images.

[gallery link="file" order="DESC" columns="2" orderby="title"]

I feel like I'm getting back in the swing of things.  I have a few glaze tests in this load that I'll get to see tomorrow.  Until then..