A new batch of wee bowls will be going into the shop later this week. Lots of different colors available, and almost all the same size, so you could make your own little set if you wanted!

I don’t think I ever even wrote about this here, but for this past Christmas, my dad gifted me with a much larger kiln than the one in my apartment, so that I could finally start making larger ware with more regularity. It’s big and beautiful…and unfortunately can’t actually live with me here in San Francisco. Theoretically I could rent studio space for it, but practically that’d be way outside my price range (which is about, uh, $0). However, my dad also recently bought a house in my old hometown, Sacramento, which is less than 2 hours away from me. The house has a large empty garage, so we decided to install the kiln there.

Because of the its size, and the travel involved, I decided to only use the big kiln when I have a lot of stuff to fire. This means slower turnaround times, but gives me an incentive to make stuff on a larger scale.

Earlier this week, I finally decided I had made enough greenware to make it worth the trip. Two days ago, Orin and I carefully loaded the backseat with well-padded boxes of goodies, and off we went. Everything survived the drive intact, which pleased me very much!

My dad’s house is in a very picturesque setting, right over the levee from the Sacramento River. While I unloaded the boxes and snapped some photos, Orin climbed the tree in the front yard.

Then he helped me load the kiln, which I think took at least a half an hour to do.

It takes my kiln about 8½ hours to heat up to Cone 07 (roughly 1800 degrees Fahrenheit), and then probably another eight or so hours to cool down again. We took the time to relax and have a little “vacation” of sorts.

Then, yesterday afternoon, everything was ready to come out again.

I remember, when I was in ceramics classes, my instructor often said that our ware would be hard to recognize after it came out of bisque fire, because everything shrinks, and items sometimes warp, crack, etc. And sometimes things sat around for so long before firing that you’d even forget you made them! Indeed, I remember occasionally not knowing my own work, and only realizing it was mine when I saw my signature on the bottom. It’s hard to say whether or not that has changed simply because, you know, everything in the kiln is made by me now. I would rather think it’s because my work is more defined now, because at the end of the day my work simply looks like mine. Which is a good thought to have.

And now I’m back home again, with my bisqueware in three big boxes, waiting to be glazed and fired again. I really like making lists, so here’s a nice numerical rundown of what I brought back today:

• 6 burnished white stoneware plates, for me to try some maiolica-style illustrations
• 1 special white stoneware plate with a complete poem stamped into it
• 12 (4 sets) descending canvas vases, in a couple different size variations
• 10 ice cream bowls in both red and white stoneware
• 6 wee succulent pots, significantly larger than that first prototype
• 18 wee bowls in red stoneware clay. I’m going to be streamlining my wee bowl line so that they come in two standard sizes; these ones will be the smaller size
• 102 flat porcelain buttons, in various shapes, sizes and textures.
• 31 rings; hopefully, counted among this number are the myriad custom sizes I’ve been trying to get for the last couple months
• 3 new button molds
• 29 poem drop pendants
• 5 big beads. My beads have suddenly decided to get popular, possibly due to some advertising I’m doing on Ravelry, so I’m planning on making a lot more of ‘em in the near future
• 22 big shank buttons. I’m really excited about these. I redesigned my shank buttons so they’re bigger, and made entirely of clay, rather than metal in the back. I’m making them from molds of vintage earrings.

Also: I’m now making all my little ware (beads, buttons, rings, pendants) out of porcelain, for extra strength and durability.

I’m participating in the Happily Handmade Giveaway, which starts today! Up for grabs are 25 huge, amazing gift bags full of wonderful indie and handmade products from over 40 talented shops. I have donated 20 of my poem drop pendants, so there’s one in almost every box!

Entering is so simple. All you have to do is go here, read the rules, and fill out the simple entry form. That’s it! You can also increase your chances of winning by going to all the other participating sellers’ sites, and filling out the forms there as well. You can enter the giveaway once per site. You have until May 13th to apply.

EDIT: Signups are now closed, and winners will be announced soon. Good luck everyone!

Good luck!

Although he only formally started a week ago, it’s fair to say that my boyfriend/partner/fiancé has quite succeeded in helping me get my packages out quicker. I have to admit there have been times in the past when being a full-time ceramicist, customer service correspondant, director of marketing, accountant and shipping clerk can get overwhelming. It’s nice to “outsource” one of these tasks—just shipping, for now—even if it hasn’t even gone outside the room.

Really, I just had to set aside the time to teach him my system. That’s harder than it sounds if you’ll keep in mind all those different hats I wear. When I set up my business I purposefully walked into this ever-whirling task-tornado; I think it took me this long (a year and a half) to adequately explain to someone else how I want to weather it.

Poemdrops a-plenty will very soon be drip-dropping into my shop, probably today. This latest batch was made over the past month, one of the rainiest months of the year here in San Francisco. During such a drizzly time, cutting and shaping and sanding the clay into stylized rain droplets seemed quite… well, “poetic” would be the right word. But the word “poem” in Poemdrop has a much simpler explanation. Here, I’ll show you:

Even closer:

Yes, that sure is a lot of pendants. Each is inscribed with a tiny snippet of poetry, and each comes with a bound ribbon of fabric. And they’re all being put in the shop. Each and every one. Soon. Soon-ish. Not to mention all of these pod pendants:

And hey, buttons too!

Look at all those buttons—big, small, smooth, textured, each set a different glaze. So much to list! And how silly of me, when I could be doing real work… to instead sit here blogging about it.

…that the restaurant carrying my wee bowls, Contigo, is going to be open starting today, March 3rd! I’m going to be visiting later this week, and hopefully you will soon, too. I’m so excited to finally get a glimpse at their menu. And here’s some photos, courtesy of Brett Emerson:

My first big custom order is almost complete. A restaurant here in San Francisco, Contigo, asked me to make about 30 of my wee bowls for use as salt dishes. Making the wee bowls has always been fun but sometimes it can be challenging to have that much fun… if you understand my meaning. It was quite an odyssey to make that many bowls, all within identical specifications. Let’s just say I was glad to get the order and glad now that they’re done. Tomorrow they will set out into the world, to be set out on tables in my own town. I’m fairly sure the owners will like my work.

However, complications do happen. After their second glaze firing I discovered that I’d somehow forgotten to inscribe anything on them. Blast! Inscribing is important: it makes each item personal, it let’s people know that someone actually hand made them, but more importantly who hand made them. I experimented with an overglaze but, sadly, there doesn’t seem to be any good way to fire them (I simply don’t keep that many tiny kiln stilts around). Now I’ve settled on the unlikely choice of marking them with an ordinary everyday Sharpie. Yes—as simple as that. Provided my handwriting is careful enough, things should finally be complete. 

If you’re ever in town, if you’re ever hungry, and if you ever visit the soon-to-open Contigo, carefully check under the little ceramic salt bowl on your table. Know that it came from someone who enjoyed making it, from someplace quite like this:

Bon appétit!

ReadyMade Winter Ball Craft Fair
Thursday, December 4th, 6:30-11:30pm
The Verdi Club, 2424 Mariposa St, San Francisco

EHS Pilates Holiday Craft Bazaar & Chili Cook-Off
Sunday, December 7th, 2:00-7:00pm
1452 Valencia St @ 25th, San Francisco

I have a few bits of exciting news on the horizon, but in the meantime I’m practically out of breath working on new projects, making new things, and generally preparing for events. See you next time there’s an eye to the storm!

Right now is rather a crazy discombobulating time for me. This will be the first holiday season when Panopoly Creations is really up and running. I am working hard to get my name out there and be seen, while still trying to improve my product line and online shop offerings, and keep within my budget.

(Crazy Town, by lvhdesigns)

The next two months will see me and my wee wonders popping up all over the place! Here’s a rundown of places you can catch me, both online and off:

• I’m a sponsor of Heart Handmade this month. It’s such a lovely blog, full of great picks and features for craft and fashion.
• On Saturday, November 22, I’ll be at the Holiday Design Bazaar, benefitting Buen Dia Family School, at a.Muse Gallery, 614 Alabama St., San Francisco, from 12-6pm.
• And the next day, Sunday, September 23rd, I’ll travel across the Golden Gate (with eneefabricdesign in the backseat!) and offer my wares at the Sonoma Artisan Faire, from 12-5:30pm, at the Sonoma Veterans’ Hall, 126 First Street West, Sonoma, CA. There are going to be more than FIFTY totally rockin’ artisans and crafters vending at this event!
• Please take a moment to check out all the great artists over at Handmade in California, of which I’m just one small part. It’s a wonderful resource to find local artists and craftspeople.
• On Sunday, November 30th, I’m going to be joining a bunch of lovely ladies from the SFEtsy Team, at our group’s table at Bazaar Bizarre. The fair, located in the County Fair Building at Golden Gate Park, San Franciso, runs from 10am-5pm. We’re going to be switching out our goods throughout the day, so if you don’t catch me the first time, check back later in the day for a whole new group of vendors.
• Then, in December, I’m going to be listed in the Modish Holiday Marketplace!
• On Saturday, December 13th, I’ll be vending at the Root Division Christmas Island Getaway Sale, from 7-10pm, at 3175 17th Street, San Francisco. It’s going to be a great event. Complete with polar bears.

And…that’s it for now! After the craziness of the holidays is over, I hope to get back to having the time to feature lots of other artists in this blog again.