Finished Pottery for Christmas

December was a flurry of pottery making.  According to my kiln log I fired the kiln three times.  One bisque fire and two glaze fires.  Here are some results from glaze firing on the 12th.

About half of these items were commissioned pieces.  The secretary at school asked if I could put our school logo on some mugs so she could give them as gifts to the principal and resource officer.  Another staff member asked if I could make some yarn bowls to give as Christmas presents.  I had never done either but I was happy to learn.

I ordered some custom rubber stamps with the “Little Chargers” logo in a 2″ and 3″ size.  I stamped the logos on the mugs or on a slab and attached the slab to the mug.  I tried it a couple different ways and experimented with the glazes and got some interesting results.  For the yarn bowls I took a look at Etsy to see what was already out there and made a few similar forms.  I also made a set of soup bowls (with handles!) for my mom’s Christmas gift and some large mugs/steins.  I also made some simple Christmas ornaments, even though it might be the equivalent of selling my potter’s soul the the devil?  I’m not worried though, since I haven’t really established myself as any kind of professional craftsman or potter… yet.

I took all of the above pieces and a few more to the 2nd biennial Christmas pottery sale at Ligonier Elementary West Noble Primary.  The Little Charger mugs were gone almost before I got in the door.  We’re talking Black Friday meets Handmade Pottery.  Everyone seemed to like them.  (At least if people hated them they didn’t say anything to me.)  Since they were in limited supply I took orders so everyone has a chance to get one.  I was really happy with the amount of work I sold and even happier with the amount of empty space I now have on my studio shelves.  I might also continue to develop the idea of stamping logos on pottery.  Perhaps this could be a sign of “selling out” or “sacrificing art for corporate greed” but I have to pay for boxes of clay and buckets of glazes.  And now that we have a kid we can’t keep the house at just above freezing to save dollars.

I glaze fired the kiln again on Christmas Eve so I could have a few extra Christmas presents.  I might or might not post some results from that firing.  I’m currently working on some more Little Charger mugs in the clay studio.  Also, after one month of selling at the Stone Soup Emporium I’m only down $10.  Not bad for “getting my name out there” and putting 3 actual mugs in people’s actual hands.  Maybe this month I’ll sell enough to cover the whole shelf rental fee.  Fingers crossed.