tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-159241492024-03-05T22:10:08.748-06:00NKP DESIGNS - Beads, Pottery, and WhistlesNKP Designs - What am I working on today? Here's where I talk about my daily fun with clay.Natalie -- NKP Designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09846679058751653271noreply@blogger.comBlogger742125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15924149.post-89964948087328239172018-10-30T11:23:00.001-05:002018-10-30T11:24:16.130-05:00New Vase<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7J_WjZmsBaGTecPUl8KIZ8fS5W9CneWTBbAD1SB7VZnbv1GPfwjIq6NZkMa9Zb61MSs1VFG0rSAUr26qAJXtMcReLjF9vNj2IvUxeGnNLcwQFhikZe940v-qNYsURdCgd8Q3JJw/s1600/DSC00589.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1599" data-original-width="1600" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7J_WjZmsBaGTecPUl8KIZ8fS5W9CneWTBbAD1SB7VZnbv1GPfwjIq6NZkMa9Zb61MSs1VFG0rSAUr26qAJXtMcReLjF9vNj2IvUxeGnNLcwQFhikZe940v-qNYsURdCgd8Q3JJw/s320/DSC00589.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
I might as well showcase my new vase that I just added to my <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/641180474/blue-funky-vase-vine-covered-pottery">etsy</a> store this morning. I have a few coffee mugs in this same design, which I also mentioned on my facebook 'fan' page.<br />
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If I had more time I would also mention this on my Instagram, but alas, it is about time to head out into the studio and finish working on what I was working with yesterday afternoon.<br />
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Originally when I painted on these vines, I used a dark orange glaze for the vines and for the leaves. Over the top of the orange I applied the same 'blue jeans' color of dark blue for interest, a small dot to give 'depth'.<br />
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As it turned out, the orange completely burnt out during the firing and in its wake left a light blue mark instead, which is a completely beautiful and surreal effect, yes? I think so. I'm very happy with how this batch of pottery fired in the kiln. I have a few more pieces to put in my etsy store and then I'm on to something totally different.<br />
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Ironically, I was making this 'style' thinking to myself, EUREKA! I have found my true artist self but upon reflection and a bit of time I think I have not quite arrived. There is a lot I love about this particular line of pottery but I know I can push it further and that's what I'll be doing later.<br />
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Thanks for stopping by! ~NatalieNatalie -- NKP Designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09846679058751653271noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15924149.post-35331040382915089472018-10-29T13:08:00.001-05:002018-10-29T13:08:08.754-05:00New Mugs!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgccUIpwP_w6t8jHDCTkFuJcaVzFDW-27gC67MPzsiBmm739sKUsUx2MHz1wbKpKKC4VT9SuEgWFUWe2HacaV_PeKLOULh4vf6PqfHnGH7ezg0dQn9qhaKVSUno_GbPXxb7zyYTng/s1600/DSC00545.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgccUIpwP_w6t8jHDCTkFuJcaVzFDW-27gC67MPzsiBmm739sKUsUx2MHz1wbKpKKC4VT9SuEgWFUWe2HacaV_PeKLOULh4vf6PqfHnGH7ezg0dQn9qhaKVSUno_GbPXxb7zyYTng/s320/DSC00545.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
This morning I decided to take some photos of my newest mugs which came out of the kiln last week. I would have liked to promote and blog about these last week, but it was a busy week and I couldn't get around to it. But today is Monday, the start of a brand new week. <br />
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.... And wouldn't you know it .... I spent 3 hours searching for my battery charger for my camera. <b>Three</b> Hours! But I did eventually find it, IN AN OUTLET with the extra battery fully charged. So yay.<br />
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I got to task and finally got this mug listed and in my <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/640899858/funky-coffee-mug-vine-covered-pottery">Etsy</a> store. I think I have 3 or 4 similar shape and colors that I still need to photograph and write listings for. <br />
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Then it is time go head out to the studio to make more fun things! It is a beautiful time of the year to be in the studio, the leaves are beginning to turn into that lovely shade of Texas brown that is fall here in Fort Worth! <br />
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Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!<br />
<br />Natalie -- NKP Designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09846679058751653271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15924149.post-83388222820046984072018-10-03T12:57:00.000-05:002018-10-03T12:57:50.906-05:00Vacation Mode<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB52wA3eWLGISA1ICuZY7FjYH_02k-Duu7VYUm4OuomPbGLUVLGui3lZ_funId6i5Aw6yfRmvnaLDIhxBMy4I_QxQwtGnENX2iA_Zq8xtTBmGdQHe-CV3lLmrAwCYIz3ChTes1IQ/s1600/newwork.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="858" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB52wA3eWLGISA1ICuZY7FjYH_02k-Duu7VYUm4OuomPbGLUVLGui3lZ_funId6i5Aw6yfRmvnaLDIhxBMy4I_QxQwtGnENX2iA_Zq8xtTBmGdQHe-CV3lLmrAwCYIz3ChTes1IQ/s320/newwork.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Hi all ... I put my Etsy shop in vacation mode (once again) as I had Jury Duty this week. The case was canceled and I was dismissed as a jury and I am sorry to say that I am thrilled to not have to fulfill my civic duty. I just took it out of Vacation Mode. I am open again!<br />
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I probably utilize Vacation Mode way too often but with my life in a perpetual 'who knows what is going to happen next' that has been this past year it is a life saver with my stress levels. I realize that putting my shop on Vacation Mode really dips my views in google and takes quite a while to build up again, but seriously, I just don't care. People are more important. And if I can put my shop in Vacation Mode and put my attention where it makes a difference, I'm completely grateful, thankful, and yes, more than relieved.<br />
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Yesterday instead of serving in Jury Duty I moved my kiln back into its kiln room. I had moved it out for the summer months as the kiln room becomes way too hot, even with the windows open and a fan blowing the hot air out. I thought I would gain boo-coos of firings but with all the rain we had going on this summer I only squeezed out a couple. I probably should have bought a tent to go over it but I had visions of the roof of the tent bursting into flames and the burning bits blowing into the neighbor's yard and since she doesn't water her grass, her yard being set on fire .... should I go on with this scenario? You get the idea.<br />
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So now that my kiln is back in its kiln room and it is cool enough this fall to go forward with a firing, what will I be firing? Well, some memorial bottles for my mother who passed last November. They will all have her picture and a small genealogy printed on the side. It's mostly for the grandkids so that they can have a record. We all know how easy it is to lose track of family. If they want some of her ashes, a bit can go in each bottle and be sealed. Or they can just take the bottle. Or not. It's completely their choice.<br />
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Also going into the kiln are some mugs and bowls (see pic). Thanks for stopping by!<br />
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~NatalieNatalie -- NKP Designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09846679058751653271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15924149.post-22063036217708522752018-09-06T07:00:00.000-05:002018-09-06T07:00:00.236-05:00Gimp Update<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDAZC5jFQzU5Qmfh_-IzVrXvYTAnlQ7NN-D740QTAsC1uki21e381xLaYENXS3JiGu1HwCoR8ocX8F3yA5PDI9oJWJpwS92PxixcIBzGmzDIXxSiyKd7FKZ2X5afgUQgqVzHR2ZQ/s1600/DSC00461.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1198" data-original-width="1200" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDAZC5jFQzU5Qmfh_-IzVrXvYTAnlQ7NN-D740QTAsC1uki21e381xLaYENXS3JiGu1HwCoR8ocX8F3yA5PDI9oJWJpwS92PxixcIBzGmzDIXxSiyKd7FKZ2X5afgUQgqVzHR2ZQ/s200/DSC00461.JPG" width="200" /></a>I'm pleased to announce that after a couple of days of googling, watching You Tube Videos, and many false starts, I am now able to process multiple pictures with one click in Gimp. I probably will be able to get more items listed in my store each day because of this leap in intellectual technology.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDK2j95Xbgcy79xyEkqIyCbcxHugmkc9kehkR-35r27ldAcXrSLWIopgE-_Y84faWZsQSKXvk4c294ktGLa6Vnq2dFWERwKkg0euHiNN4zQvR0J-G_OdW0q-kA6Usr18ix46cqHA/s1600/DSC00469.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDK2j95Xbgcy79xyEkqIyCbcxHugmkc9kehkR-35r27ldAcXrSLWIopgE-_Y84faWZsQSKXvk4c294ktGLa6Vnq2dFWERwKkg0euHiNN4zQvR0J-G_OdW0q-kA6Usr18ix46cqHA/s200/DSC00469.JPG" width="200" /></a>I had to update my gimp program and download a plugin named "BIMP". Then I had to figure out how to save and then figure out where to find that saved settings file for the curves function. After that it was a piece of cake.<br />
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There does seem to be a bit of pinkish tinge in the photos as far as the background goes, BUT the background is mostly white AND the beads seem true to color, at least on MY monitor and so hopefully it will on your monitor, too.<br />
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I suppose I could have made this change quite a few years ago because that BIMP plugin has been available for a number of years. Whoosh .... well, live and learn. Thanks for stopping by.<br />
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<br />Natalie -- NKP Designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09846679058751653271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15924149.post-86302511509035506012018-09-04T07:00:00.000-05:002018-09-04T07:00:05.465-05:00Delicate Scroll Textures and Other Important Photography and Etsy Facts<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZCg5z0EstZr8YWeY31NmzcDdspweJ9rr3SteWwUgIuiPA_oshhWCN4nap1zrB9HN55djDQSR7dc_9dd5RszpfsktDq_u2KAm5IDuLxh6ShMGqc60jwv4AY5v3SLydmiO25MfZgg/s1600/DSC00446.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1199" data-original-width="1200" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZCg5z0EstZr8YWeY31NmzcDdspweJ9rr3SteWwUgIuiPA_oshhWCN4nap1zrB9HN55djDQSR7dc_9dd5RszpfsktDq_u2KAm5IDuLxh6ShMGqc60jwv4AY5v3SLydmiO25MfZgg/s200/DSC00446.JPG" width="200" /></a> A few months back Etsy kindly gave all its artists the ability to
post up to 10 photos of our artistic endeavors.<br />
<br />
Previously it had been
five, which I thought was a bit excessive, but I complied because the
<i>All Knowing Algorithm</i> determines whether or not my product shows up in
'search'.<br />
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Since then I've been doing my best to get 10 pictures up of new listings. Going back and adding to hundreds of items already listed will take years of work, and frankly it took a long time just to get the 200 or so listings on Etsy. <br />
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What usually happens is that I take 10 or so photos and as I'm processing them (I use Picasa and Gimp) I find one or two that are blurry or where the bead has rolled out of the picture frame.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR2dx_zgX7gHcoH77lCzki9bFbgUs91mJLZy92BHgJEs-V6GKgpldDV4RDF4wCkX2bK0v7xLo-12mzOPSR_vSg4KWXZ7tsNMf473L3DGQ3yLuPiOfcDGRpxpsLZ9DyCEmDSx-2Jw/s1600/DSC00447.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR2dx_zgX7gHcoH77lCzki9bFbgUs91mJLZy92BHgJEs-V6GKgpldDV4RDF4wCkX2bK0v7xLo-12mzOPSR_vSg4KWXZ7tsNMf473L3DGQ3yLuPiOfcDGRpxpsLZ9DyCEmDSx-2Jw/s200/DSC00447.JPG" width="200" /></a>Basically SOMETHING happens and I end up with 6 or 8 photos, but 10 has been difficult. I mean, when you've spent years doing 5 photos .....<br />
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So to photograph one bead, I arrange the photos like this: TOP and UNDERSIDE (so you can clearly view the holes) and then three views of the side, which if lined up properly shows the entire bead. But 10? <br />
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I have to figure out how to get 5 more unique photos. Etsy suggests, "Hold the item". However, I'm at the age where I have these ugly huge age spots on the back of my hands and my fingers retrain water ....it's not an attractive hand for holding beads and I don't know anyone I can drag over here for hours just to hold my bead(s) in their hands.<br />
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Come to think of it my daughter is always coming over ...wait ... no .... not nice to drag her into the studio and use her a prop.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwnJhdP3D6JkOYjFfWq70yC_8Xkmr7y91MUM-Kq1aN5R17yUXQxOXTyc-_l3Y0H-TMVd1sVJara1EFgyLjtJ0nvHSv7sFep2PnzBLc9s-Unv838V7C46CsPf-MqTc1srlDXD7NKg/s1600/DSC00448.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1199" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwnJhdP3D6JkOYjFfWq70yC_8Xkmr7y91MUM-Kq1aN5R17yUXQxOXTyc-_l3Y0H-TMVd1sVJara1EFgyLjtJ0nvHSv7sFep2PnzBLc9s-Unv838V7C46CsPf-MqTc1srlDXD7NKg/s200/DSC00448.JPG" width="199" /></a>I suppose I could put in the proverbial coin ...or put the bead on pretty paper ... I don't know. I suppose if I thought hard enough about it I could get that bead uniquely photographed 10 times instead of 5. I am not usually so quick to give up so easily. I'll give it some more thought. In the meantime, I have the entire photo processing <i>process</i>.<br />
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Picture this (ha ha) : I am sitting at my desk with Picasa open and photos imported: click (crop, arrange), click (save) click (export) ....open Gimp, import photos ... click (curves) click (apply so the background isn't so dark) .... click (sharpen, because pictures always need a bit of that) click (save) click (close) ...repeat 9 more times.<br />
<br />
click (crop, arrange), click (save) click (export) ....open Gimp, import
photos ... click (curves) click (apply so the background isn't so dark)
.... click (sharpen, because pictures always need a bit of that) click
(save) click (close)<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI2eOIwqKjk80IH2pHKFegxlgqFZrS7JNwytCMLYseZTM3dPdnVqxR9jA07ODgIl51dF9t6vSasX32pkUvAnQrI0D8FdcnFILFP6AP6vlT8R1up3peCUYnbA1e6jeY_UdcqIQnCQ/s1600/DSC00450.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1199" data-original-width="1200" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI2eOIwqKjk80IH2pHKFegxlgqFZrS7JNwytCMLYseZTM3dPdnVqxR9jA07ODgIl51dF9t6vSasX32pkUvAnQrI0D8FdcnFILFP6AP6vlT8R1up3peCUYnbA1e6jeY_UdcqIQnCQ/s200/DSC00450.JPG" width="200" /></a>click (crop, arrange), click (save) click (export) ....open Gimp, import
photos ... click (curves) click (apply so the background isn't so dark)
.... click (sharpen, because pictures always need a bit of that) click
(save) click (close)<br />
<br />
click (crop, arrange), click (save) click (export) ....open Gimp, import
photos ... click (curves) click (apply so the background isn't so dark)
.... click (sharpen, because pictures always need a bit of that) click
(save) click (close)<br />
<br />
click (crop, arrange), click (save) click (export) ....open Gimp, import
photos ... click (curves) click (apply so the background isn't so dark)
.... click (sharpen, because pictures always need a bit of that) click
(save) click (close)<br />
<br />
click (crop, arrange), click (save) click (export) ....open Gimp, import
photos ... click (curves) click (apply so the background isn't so dark)
.... click (sharpen, because pictures always need a bit of that) click
(save) click (close)<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSfrgTUbe45WYJdsRP17QRq3pff_DvTY2F8zE8QkbQW_U-A2DALnSMV1oAkVw1FdOtMJNFbghVFsZhIgMpj9GgMWUe5jtyNJCvYLYieofKiwV9VlmRhASCkCSddDSBmwY0enZ8rQ/s1600/DSC00451.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSfrgTUbe45WYJdsRP17QRq3pff_DvTY2F8zE8QkbQW_U-A2DALnSMV1oAkVw1FdOtMJNFbghVFsZhIgMpj9GgMWUe5jtyNJCvYLYieofKiwV9VlmRhASCkCSddDSBmwY0enZ8rQ/s200/DSC00451.JPG" width="200" /></a>click (crop, arrange), click (save) click (export) ....open Gimp, import
photos ... click (curves) click (apply so the background isn't so dark)
.... click (sharpen, because pictures always need a bit of that) click
(save) click (close)<br />
<br />
click (crop, arrange), click (save) click (export) ....open Gimp, import
photos ... click (curves) click (apply so the background isn't so dark)
.... click (sharpen, because pictures always need a bit of that) click
(save) click (close)<br />
<br />
click (crop, arrange), click (save) click (export) ....open Gimp, import
photos ... click (curves) click (apply so the background isn't so dark)
.... click (sharpen, because pictures always need a bit of that) click
(save) click (close)<br />
<br />
click (crop, arrange), click (save) click (export) ....open Gimp, import
photos ... click (curves) click (apply so the background isn't so dark)
.... click (sharpen, because pictures always need a bit of that) click
(save) click (close) <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZoWZpg7QYvmqrwTrLu_WiaTbIzLDWdjIDtXNEt5TpEPn5v5nKHzFd2h7zTSGT4qfnJu83r_IKIpv-QEYdjXrLOy8_uXlO3nzR7OLPEzVa8zXsBvH1KCB81ET6OEgyBQel91iQGA/s1600/DSC00452.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZoWZpg7QYvmqrwTrLu_WiaTbIzLDWdjIDtXNEt5TpEPn5v5nKHzFd2h7zTSGT4qfnJu83r_IKIpv-QEYdjXrLOy8_uXlO3nzR7OLPEzVa8zXsBvH1KCB81ET6OEgyBQel91iQGA/s200/DSC00452.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
Then list 4 more items, that's 40 pics to systematically click click click click click .....No ... I won't repeat that 40 more times. You get the idea ... yes?<br />
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BUT THAT'S NOT ALL! Shortly after announcing this new and wonderful policy, designed to get customers more interested in clicking about my Etsy store and staying there longer, looking at my 10 (instead of 5) beautiful photographs, Etsy decided that it was time to raise our rates on each item sold from 3.5% to 5%.<br />
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I suppose they need more server space now that they are having us work twice as hard just to get our items into our store and ONTO their search algorithms.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_UwuswX_Ub7AE4v_5wWoe_VjVEK3Xl7swzgNCliYRt3pnXKwNYx8xHt-_vpBRZUfo8Yb2GQD6HyPFUlVJ4ESiRXeLotL2f_AhbUtlM7dcCasQiz6WqQ0Flwh9ghyphenhyphengNbvzM3sU-Q/s1600/DSC00453.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_UwuswX_Ub7AE4v_5wWoe_VjVEK3Xl7swzgNCliYRt3pnXKwNYx8xHt-_vpBRZUfo8Yb2GQD6HyPFUlVJ4ESiRXeLotL2f_AhbUtlM7dcCasQiz6WqQ0Flwh9ghyphenhyphengNbvzM3sU-Q/s200/DSC00453.JPG" width="200" /></a>About this same time, Etsy also decided it sure would be nice if their sellers offered free shipping. In order to facilitate that idea, Etsy decided that if they ALSO charged 5% on all shipping charges that sellers would decide to offer free shipping.<br />
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Now ...if I sell one bead for $6 .... it costs me about $3.50 to send it pretty much anywhere in the United States (that includes envelope and shipping materials, like soft fleece to keep the beads from chipping during shipping). I figured out that Etsy is going to be charging me an additional 20 cents per $6 bead sale (that includes item sold rate as well as the extra 5% they will charge me for having the audacity to actually charge for shipping). So I should offer free shipping and charge $9.70 for each bead? What if a customer wants two $6 beads? Right now that would be (with secondary shipping costs) $15.70 ..but with Etsy's policy which they want me to implement it would be $19.40. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV2o0xZqMCo1qGcl4lABmCxEN3DMi7B86GCAaUxX6gjTdc8AzLnZQkfDfond7QfWUehai6fc4f0FHgruPh-tvwsd1Gle2Y3g0RJRBGYcTt_J7ylQ6r9Xj4tY4p7MJNVJl8QxdTxg/s1600/DSC00454.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV2o0xZqMCo1qGcl4lABmCxEN3DMi7B86GCAaUxX6gjTdc8AzLnZQkfDfond7QfWUehai6fc4f0FHgruPh-tvwsd1Gle2Y3g0RJRBGYcTt_J7ylQ6r9Xj4tY4p7MJNVJl8QxdTxg/s200/DSC00454.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
Don't get me wrong. <b>I love Etsy</b>. I have tried to put all my beads on my own
website (nkpdesigns.com) and sell them all by myself but I am not a marketing queen. I
don't do a hard sell or track down interested parties and make sure
they have <i>all</i> of my beads that they may ever want. I like making the
beads and I actually enjoy photographing them (maybe not 10 times). It's terrific having a record of most every bead I've ever made available online. And
if it were NOT for Etsy it is a fact I would not have had the success I
have had. So I am doing my very best to comply with the new 10 picture policy as best as I can. I will do a google search and figure out that batch photo processing thing. I can do that.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpesF40KWtptk8H2tNFP_beD3gwWAjmpp-T1rsnFbTDNuC4EV1-nPLlF462ePHBON5rfDB-2owtJzm_4Yf6I2u_4wbMWruVUT9AqGB8WbE9wM4AEmkyZAlhaxCBSHt31dDdEYYNQ/s1600/DSC00456.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpesF40KWtptk8H2tNFP_beD3gwWAjmpp-T1rsnFbTDNuC4EV1-nPLlF462ePHBON5rfDB-2owtJzm_4Yf6I2u_4wbMWruVUT9AqGB8WbE9wM4AEmkyZAlhaxCBSHt31dDdEYYNQ/s200/DSC00456.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
As far as the shipping goes ...well, I haven't come to any hard or fast decisions about that. I did raise the secondary shipping cost of a second item from 20 to 30 cents (a 10 cent difference). <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieedamUvffSt3z0BElVQxobN7SJvBz2lWuNV-swkw7ZRZMM6YDJ1ydcP4GzKyFJm7UPWlgCJ6P8QgxCjP_2bNxYa10FL-0EbAhikGrUtPR6yDR-bqHwHCBfpSuavFE6J05DW5_7A/s1600/DSC00457.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieedamUvffSt3z0BElVQxobN7SJvBz2lWuNV-swkw7ZRZMM6YDJ1ydcP4GzKyFJm7UPWlgCJ6P8QgxCjP_2bNxYa10FL-0EbAhikGrUtPR6yDR-bqHwHCBfpSuavFE6J05DW5_7A/s200/DSC00457.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
In the meantime, have you been checking out my beautiful Cobalt Blue Delicate Scroll Slightly Nugget Shape Beads with 1 mm stringing holes throughout my entire post. Aren't they pretty?<br />
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Thanks for stopping by! <br />
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<br />Natalie -- NKP Designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09846679058751653271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15924149.post-34678127374386526852018-08-31T15:01:00.002-05:002018-08-31T15:01:41.333-05:00This and That<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilBJ8NOadXGUSarp4XmtPZbXdhYkAIVlJCbDPZ_yPnunFqPvAvZn5UIoiqMLfUOsozVmG4XHQhMf1bASIyJeNuOVRMIJCXKhdEYA93VCuz8kHG-ISHtWqFSAN4mkdfDfNvNzuXbw/s1600/_DSC7334.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1200" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilBJ8NOadXGUSarp4XmtPZbXdhYkAIVlJCbDPZ_yPnunFqPvAvZn5UIoiqMLfUOsozVmG4XHQhMf1bASIyJeNuOVRMIJCXKhdEYA93VCuz8kHG-ISHtWqFSAN4mkdfDfNvNzuXbw/s200/_DSC7334.JPG" width="200" /></a>It's been rough the past year or two. It started with my mother having a severe stroke, then in October of 2017 she finally passed. My father passed this last March of a stroke, also. My mother-in-law passed earlier this month, and while she did not pass away from a stroke she had lots of little ones over the past few years. So THAT'S why my Etsy store has been opened/closed/opened/closed, etc.<br />
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I inherited my parent's dog, who is 14 years old and probably in better health than I am. I suspect she's immortal in some way because she just keeps going on and on. Which is fine with me. My folks loved her so and this is why I have always called her 'my little sister'. Her name is actually "Aussie" because, well, it's obvious, right?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipnzoclRYJ6ZGBKG_4pzPAAs4I3SMW2XNO9ALfy7-pVgTsN6ShN4-bqt42g8Ax91C_pYwj9jqGx-VcLJ30JFQDTc9xxPVBA9QYUHI6XXHXh6rPnZ5MBKhOufBEB7GfHUyDPYxATg/s1600/_DSC6093-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipnzoclRYJ6ZGBKG_4pzPAAs4I3SMW2XNO9ALfy7-pVgTsN6ShN4-bqt42g8Ax91C_pYwj9jqGx-VcLJ30JFQDTc9xxPVBA9QYUHI6XXHXh6rPnZ5MBKhOufBEB7GfHUyDPYxATg/s200/_DSC6093-001.JPG" width="200" /></a>In the meantime, when I've been able to make time, I've continued puttering around with the pottery and the beads, but definitely I have slowed down on everything though I have tried new things such as pottery yarn bowls. <br />
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I have a few of these in my shop now and because I do knit and crochet, I've been able to test these out extensively before offering them for sale. Most are small, intended for small balls of sports yarn, for knitting socks and such. Socks take so long that it is nice to keep out my yarn and display what I'm doing in such a pretty bowl.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPUPEX_15CNTh2cVLjdxSH-5RDUsJNCk01dkS_vYrV51ONDPwN26toUM3DEWkQiepObzLpQZp7NIDATL2lPItqXXLWN6M7T9-xQ9198HNndlNvx5bwtkCNbFZ4zUSwO15WZivJuQ/s1600/stella.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="583" data-original-width="756" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPUPEX_15CNTh2cVLjdxSH-5RDUsJNCk01dkS_vYrV51ONDPwN26toUM3DEWkQiepObzLpQZp7NIDATL2lPItqXXLWN6M7T9-xQ9198HNndlNvx5bwtkCNbFZ4zUSwO15WZivJuQ/s200/stella.jpg" width="200" /></a>I have been making beads, too. It seems as though I'm always doing something with my fingers and beads are great for those times when I don't feel like doing much but curling up on the couch and binge watching some British Mystery Series, especially during the long hot afternoons when its too hot to go outside or do much of anything.<br />
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On those afternoons I do find myself outside, I have one of my dad's cameras that I inherited and I snap photos of birds, squirrels, my hens, and whatever else comes into my backyard. I took this photo of one of my hens. Her name is Stella. I intend to paint her or maybe make it into a decal for a coffee mug, or maybe I will eventually do both.<br />
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Thanks for stopping by. I'm hoping to begin blogging regularly again. It's been awhile and if life takes another sudden turn, maybe I won't be blogging regularly. But here's to hope! <br />
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Natalie -- NKP Designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09846679058751653271noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15924149.post-56295725655332458282017-01-31T15:18:00.002-06:002017-01-31T15:22:58.680-06:00Video of Me Creating a Bead - BACKWARDS<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hi everyone .... thought I'd share a video I made of a bead a while back. I'm still working on the lighting to see if I can figure out how to have everything show up brighter. In the meantime ...enjoy!<br />
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Natalie -- NKP Designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09846679058751653271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15924149.post-84431463747129041212016-08-19T12:55:00.001-05:002016-08-19T12:55:40.087-05:00Three Quarts Of Bisque BeadsOnward to the glazing! 3 quarts of beads!Natalie -- NKP Designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09846679058751653271noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15924149.post-67609562440747384922016-08-16T20:29:00.001-05:002016-08-16T20:29:48.956-05:00Bisque firing<p dir="ltr">Finally got it all loaded. Beads on top, mugs all the way down, first firing. If you scroll down on my <a href="http://instagram.com/nkpdesigns">Instagram</a> you will see the mugs I've been creating all summer...</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsBqyqCogKA58i1EOqUKjSTtMC3fjZ_w5AkJerYLIIKRNAKG81Sx22b18Bk72axZSMW0QbkwsJpjUqamjRRVqrurq3OW05hjUNPYbw0X2CKD8f6WLGN-mvv67JImCEbx8_tK0j5g/s1600/20160816_145231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsBqyqCogKA58i1EOqUKjSTtMC3fjZ_w5AkJerYLIIKRNAKG81Sx22b18Bk72axZSMW0QbkwsJpjUqamjRRVqrurq3OW05hjUNPYbw0X2CKD8f6WLGN-mvv67JImCEbx8_tK0j5g/s640/20160816_145231.jpg"> </a> </div>Natalie -- NKP Designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09846679058751653271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15924149.post-18615936999750176272016-06-08T20:16:00.003-05:002016-06-08T20:23:35.430-05:00Shabby Chic Mug<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPnp9YeCAzBzYVFNlbr4BlaEKn5d8PXQsXZG7WjVhyphenhyphenXKBp388QXdtqiYkfNo-zxacK8KNENtE3T2tYc6JCoLmyEE3LaAXSAIYWyOmciKwCpV_MkNNCYoY2OiVD6TzIPtWUbFPiJw/s1600/rememberthismug.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPnp9YeCAzBzYVFNlbr4BlaEKn5d8PXQsXZG7WjVhyphenhyphenXKBp388QXdtqiYkfNo-zxacK8KNENtE3T2tYc6JCoLmyEE3LaAXSAIYWyOmciKwCpV_MkNNCYoY2OiVD6TzIPtWUbFPiJw/s1600/rememberthismug.jpg" /></a></div>
This mug has been through many many firings since my last post! The first fire was to bisque fire. Next I coated with a clear glaze and fired again in my small test kiln. The clear glaze crawled horribly. I do not have the words for the sad emotions that went through me when I picked this up out of the kiln. I liked the inside. Just not the outside.<br />
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I recoated with clear glaze and fired again a cone hotter. It helped a teeny bit ... but not much. I decided it was because the manual fire with the kiln setter didn't provide much of a soak. <br />
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I went ahead and (stupid is as stupid does) glazed the others and fired all of them in my big kiln thinking the soak at the end would help.<br />
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Nope. I was left with a batch full of scratchy crawly glazed mugs with underglazes that had considerably faded.<br />
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I went to the auto store down the street and bought various grades of sanders: 60 grit, 100 grit, 320 grit, and 500 grit. I got to work, using olive oil as a sanding medium to keep the dust out of the air.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_uLPsS09ee22rNaDHvuY1ZDYy7orbHZFoKmKg8IerFmkQkeOAjdjJHa9FJoRUr-LGKI8mcyC9Jl8Gjiv1nT9jAwPY8iSQlev4M0iQVmGMoJVb6r5p3Gomwy7hrKATWxzdRvrB2Q/s1600/DSCN9507.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_uLPsS09ee22rNaDHvuY1ZDYy7orbHZFoKmKg8IerFmkQkeOAjdjJHa9FJoRUr-LGKI8mcyC9Jl8Gjiv1nT9jAwPY8iSQlev4M0iQVmGMoJVb6r5p3Gomwy7hrKATWxzdRvrB2Q/s320/DSCN9507.JPG" width="319" /></a><br />
It worked! I ended up with the neatest strange kind of thick satin glaze on all my mugs. NOTE TO SELF: Do not use clear glaze on red stoneware with underglazes.That was a lot of sanding!<br />
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Ok.Got it.<br />
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At last it was time to attach the iron oxide laser decals. I choose four of my (current) favorite daisy characters. I refired and when it emerged from the kiln I decided that the zig-zaggy black lines were too dark and overwhelmed the daisy figures. Luckily, I own a large collection of commercial decals and immediately a certain all-over pattern came to mind that would give the entire mug a shabby chic look. I attached them over the vertical bars and fired again. Voila! It worked.<br />
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Here is the result:<br />
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Natalie -- NKP Designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09846679058751653271noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15924149.post-76422761266199052202016-05-19T13:13:00.002-05:002016-05-19T13:27:44.047-05:00Voice in Art - My Particular Style?I have been so enthralled with watching Periscopes (if you don't have the app get it) in which potters talk about the behind the scenes ideas in how to develop as an artist. There have been so many I have watched, but in particular there are two I happened to watch about voice and style. I was struck by what <a href="https://www.etsy.com/people/LaPellaPottery">Lisa LaPella</a> said in one of her scopes. I can't remember exactly what she said but I ran for my neglected sketchbook and I started to make a list of things I love to do when making beads:<br />
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1. Bright colors<br />
2. Repeating patterns<br />
3. Drawing flowers to represent people in my life<br />
4. Iron oxide decals<br />
5. Applying and texturing sprigs<br />
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My background: I grew up in the southwest and the late 60s and 70s ...love all things mid-century. Being eclectic, it's been especially hard for my pottery to develop a particular style because I do love so many different ideas/colors/techniques .... later that evening I listened to<a href="http://www.jessicaputnamphillips.com/"> Jessica Putnam Phillips </a>and her story about how her particular style developed out of her life in the military. Her focus was on the women who serve our country and I was further convinced that whatever I focus on that it must be something that is personally important to me.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg46ZgwxOHFmPT9A4TDEOn8BmpngaEseKWPwf3GQ3sc8l2qzG67FcUkE90OfM5nMK9gQq32IMLHXEjOHkTz-NIbYMAvwKoC65hTFDVZ90YBj9nwcKDDTaLr5p6LUZhqz1Vz0Q2Kw/s1600/13235842_10100687313996064_1711491835_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg46ZgwxOHFmPT9A4TDEOn8BmpngaEseKWPwf3GQ3sc8l2qzG67FcUkE90OfM5nMK9gQq32IMLHXEjOHkTz-NIbYMAvwKoC65hTFDVZ90YBj9nwcKDDTaLr5p6LUZhqz1Vz0Q2Kw/s200/13235842_10100687313996064_1711491835_n.jpg" width="116" /></a><br />
I examined my recent green-ware mugs (red stoneware clay) I've been working on and wondered how I could bring some cohesiveness to my art. I went through this list and began sketching .... I wanted to draw lines in a curved downward position to emphasize the drawing as well as emphasize the curvy mug shape ... I wanted to fill some of the same background in other areas with small hand drawn daisies ... bright colors (check), repeating pattern (check) ...applying and texturing sprigs (too late for that at this stage, maybe next time).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgebvjANV_tMpykBkIKm6fI8zl8yUeD75u7Hg19VdCMWTVoEDYB6VoeunHAQOj2IyTBd27f0BiOtHKj0yGQTUZIk99W6vf_1r4qFcp6-4GZ5icJyyT7-rw1fqzDH6FtHlSuGjJO_g/s1600/13250288_10100687355168554_2076208175_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgebvjANV_tMpykBkIKm6fI8zl8yUeD75u7Hg19VdCMWTVoEDYB6VoeunHAQOj2IyTBd27f0BiOtHKj0yGQTUZIk99W6vf_1r4qFcp6-4GZ5icJyyT7-rw1fqzDH6FtHlSuGjJO_g/s1600/13250288_10100687355168554_2076208175_n.jpg" /></a>Because this mug is a red stoneware, I had to
figure out the firings ...all that under-glaze, over-glaze, and decals! I
decided to start out with the under-glazes. How many firings would I
have to have?<br />
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I finally decided that if I timed it right that I would only have to have three: one for the bisque fire with under-glazes already applied, one for the clear glaze firing, and one final firing for the hand-drawn iron oxide decals. <br />
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When I finished with the under-glazes I started laughing because I had
been thinking about the repeating patterns in the stripes but it didn't
actually dawn on me that it was kind of a 'southwestern-y' type
pattern until it was finished. I had written that down for one of my background influences,
but it came out all on its own.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjItjv5ntiFPzFHKOXN7tex9vRA1QEgLhfj5Xs0jPOoisZiggd7lqJ_zVELBmTP2YcBigij2kD9iRaYQQU2m1PbmMRf-XFFVfhUu8loIfJLLV9P9MFfJ-qaZhQ-CvNNZMQnJ18u0A/s1600/13250451_10100687354879134_1489625029_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjItjv5ntiFPzFHKOXN7tex9vRA1QEgLhfj5Xs0jPOoisZiggd7lqJ_zVELBmTP2YcBigij2kD9iRaYQQU2m1PbmMRf-XFFVfhUu8loIfJLLV9P9MFfJ-qaZhQ-CvNNZMQnJ18u0A/s1600/13250451_10100687354879134_1489625029_n.jpg" /></a>I began sketching again and as I did, I thought of my mother. She has always been such a strong and bold figure in my life. I usually draw daisies but she doesn't remind me of a daisy, she's more of a zinnia.<br />
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Zinnias have a strong stalk and hefty leaves. They are showy as all get all (my
mother refused to leave the house unless her hair
was perfectly coiffed). I grew in her womb and now that I'm grown, all that she is continually grows out from me. I mean, who doesn't look in the mirror at some point and see their own mother in the morning or find themselves saying those same phrases they never thought they would say? "Six of one and a half dozen of the other" and so on and so forth. It dawned on me that the roots of her 'zinnia' could be anchored on top the 'belly button' potter mark, because her roots are intertwined in every aspect of my life (whether I like it or not). Note the tension in the mother/daughter relationship. Last time I was with her, I was helping her eat and she muttered, quite loudly, "Well, isn't this just a fine mother/daughter moment". My mother's best humor comes out in her sarcasm. I laughed so hard. Then I cried. Then she cried. When we wiped our tears, I handed her the fork. "You can just feed yourself then," I said. She picked up the fork and finished her supper. It really was a fine mother/daughter moment. I treasure it.<br />
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I am looking forward to enjoying my morning coffee out of this mug. I plan to make more and I don't know how long I will make them. Styles grow and 'voice' changes. Is this my 'style'? Have I found my 'voice'? I don't know. But I do know that I am emotionally attached to this work and that doesn't happen often with the pottery -- it does with my beads I create, but not often the pottery and perhaps it is because when I am creating beads I am often thinking about things that are going on in my life and when I have made pottery in the past I have thought, "Is this going to sell or simply take up space on my shelves?"<br />
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Maybe developing your own 'voice' starts with asking yourself questions. Thank you <a href="https://www.etsy.com/people/LaPellaPottery">Lisa</a> and <a href="http://www.jessicaputnamphillips.com/">Jessica</a> for your thoughtful scopes. There are others who have scoped on this topic, but these were the two I happened to watch.<br />
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<br />Natalie -- NKP Designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09846679058751653271noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15924149.post-45963324339248339742016-05-17T10:43:00.000-05:002016-05-17T10:43:58.749-05:00Happy New Year!<br />
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Ok, so it is May. Not January. What does that say about me? I've been busy in my new studio It is insulated and has a heating/cooling unit. There was electric out there and so hubby ran a few outlets for me so I could plug in the wheel or the pugmill as needed. <br />
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It has a 'modern' feel to it. It's not big, only 10 x 12. I have everything on wheels (except for the wheel) and if I am working on handbuilding, I can move everything over to one side or the other fairly easy.<br />
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I put in an air filtering machine that runs 24 hours a day and at the end of each session I put away scraps, clean off the wheel or table, and right before closing the door, I fill up my Scooba's tank with water and set it loose. <br />
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In the morning when I go back out to the studio, the floor is dust free, the air is dust free and I'm ready to go again.<br />
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I've always been relatively clean in my home studio because ceramic dust is very dangerous. I joke that this is my 3rd studio. Studio 1.0 was the corner of my hallway. No kidding. I had my wheel shoved there and kept my clay and tools underneath. I would clear off the dining room table to set things and couldn't make much at one time.<br />
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Then my son moved away to college and I took over his room (Studio 2.0) and I've been happy there, mostly. But I got into metal work and soon the space really dwindled. Between the tools for that and the pottery clay, it was hard to keep certain things dry when other certain things needed to be wet.<br />
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Now I actually have two studios. Studio 2.0 is now used exclusively for shipping, storage, photography, and metal work. All the pottery stuff is in the (as my hubby calls it) "She Shed".<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnyijWavEX6HfUJvpkNKKiAd5eJrlZKJIY8unE3dd4av1pOOM8bmwb0si6vxTcwEjo3TaglCLbOxn0jrY1ebhv2rXGE3NXwgfSubeMAMRzNayr9TmAcFeomD-K86W_Ldo90sjpwA/s1600/12814268_10100639822484434_6524864691784907284_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnyijWavEX6HfUJvpkNKKiAd5eJrlZKJIY8unE3dd4av1pOOM8bmwb0si6vxTcwEjo3TaglCLbOxn0jrY1ebhv2rXGE3NXwgfSubeMAMRzNayr9TmAcFeomD-K86W_Ldo90sjpwA/s320/12814268_10100639822484434_6524864691784907284_n.jpg" width="176" /></a>Wanna see the inside? It's girly... Girly Whirly. I love avocado/peridot green. And I adore turquoise blue. And I couldn't decide. So I painted each color on opposite walls. I have since moved the pottery wheel around and the arrangement is completely different. I used a brick red as an accent color. I will have to find a picture of that later.<br />
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So .... about the time we started this project my mother suffered a major stroke. That's the sad part. She's never probably going to walk again because she lost use of her right arm and leg. Her speech is spotty. Every so often she can say a few words. <br />
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Here's where I proselytize about stokes. They are 85% preventable. Take the baby aspirin at night with 8 ounces of water. This thins the blood so that clots don't form. Exercise a few times each week at least 20 minutes to get the heart rate up. And here's the most important thing: STOP SMOKING!<br />
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Okay. I'm done.<br />
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Thanks for stopping by!<br />
Natalie <br />
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<br />Natalie -- NKP Designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09846679058751653271noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15924149.post-49189314558932028682015-10-10T16:30:00.001-05:002015-10-10T16:30:38.026-05:00Glazing Chowder Mugs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH_cSaUFQJ4y58qeS_NRV_erDFJ1-8BnzWxSUqeZyquNBDL69F0Czz7_a2JXwwu2I5m2ViGV0-bzYy567wUH3PcbVmJTyAXQ3J1pJNfEyuCcFWu6Xn0d1BMG4ouhS-STjirFemNw/s1600/20150917_135601.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH_cSaUFQJ4y58qeS_NRV_erDFJ1-8BnzWxSUqeZyquNBDL69F0Czz7_a2JXwwu2I5m2ViGV0-bzYy567wUH3PcbVmJTyAXQ3J1pJNfEyuCcFWu6Xn0d1BMG4ouhS-STjirFemNw/s400/20150917_135601.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
I had this fun project of making chowder mugs. I was going to make 6 mugs about 24 ounces each and these are the photos of that progress.<br />
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First I had to figure out about how big to throw them. I had a couple of false starts but eventually got close. I am definitely not a production potter, so these are not exactly <i>exactly </i>the same size, but they are close enough.<br />
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After they were thrown, I put them into the kiln for their first firing. Unfortunately one had a small crack around the top of the handle after it was finished, so I had to trash that and do another one. Another week or so passed and it was fired.<br />
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Finally there were six again. The next step was the glazing. First I sanded for rough spots, especially around the handle. If I get it too smooth the glaze runs like crazy so it is a definite balancing act. Then I rinsed off the mug so that there will be no dust. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgszFaKV-Gr2WsseCshr1jlCQ7UqTkCyf6_Mn4LBxj6OK65hqkqeZ3GNxppnChWgpsu5iPiRT5fC-p5pB8-UQhx8OI5Um9sNYxbFEQzIkkczm8G21mCN3E5u_aIqVRuBkHCTdC0IA/s1600/20151006_125702.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgszFaKV-Gr2WsseCshr1jlCQ7UqTkCyf6_Mn4LBxj6OK65hqkqeZ3GNxppnChWgpsu5iPiRT5fC-p5pB8-UQhx8OI5Um9sNYxbFEQzIkkczm8G21mCN3E5u_aIqVRuBkHCTdC0IA/s400/20151006_125702.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
I applied black underglaze ink into the initials of my 'belly button' potter mark and also to the bottom. <br />
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The next step is to wax the bottom of the mug as well as the "belly button'.<br />
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I have a small baking pan that I very slowly melt wax over the stove. I have the exhaust fan going because the fumes from the wax are toxic. <br />
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The worst part about waxing is the ever present peril of dripping wax on the sides. If that happens (and it does very frequently), I scrape off the wax with a sharp razor and sand the area. If the wax is not completely gone the glaze will not stick to that area.<br />
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I don't want the glaze to stick to the bottom of the mug. If there is glaze at the bottom of the mug, the mug will stick to the kiln shelf. The glaze is basically glass on top of the pottery which when it is fully matured, i.e., 'vitrified' also has the same chemical properties as glass. I like to think of a vitrified piece of pottery as opaque glass. <br />
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Here they are, completely waxed and ready to be dipped into the container of glaze.<br />
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I don't have a big enough container to dip the entire mug, so I decided to half dip one side and then half dip the other. <br />
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You may notice that there are more than six mugs. That is because I did a few extra in case something awful happened during firing, that I would have enough for my custom order.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmwTRbF0LXaPNsfe2UGTAWEfz0vX2Lnmn9k4fi_CLd6MALTHRt9E7cuJ_yGblakHUZTgZwBsYeeLmd2x1hyphenhyphenZAnRmyp2paq_6m4CMmu0dahHXaq8MCI4oLQMPuakUzC84xjzqETAw/s1600/20151006_145247.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmwTRbF0LXaPNsfe2UGTAWEfz0vX2Lnmn9k4fi_CLd6MALTHRt9E7cuJ_yGblakHUZTgZwBsYeeLmd2x1hyphenhyphenZAnRmyp2paq_6m4CMmu0dahHXaq8MCI4oLQMPuakUzC84xjzqETAw/s400/20151006_145247.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
I am using a glaze that I mixed up via the book "Mastering Cone 6 Glazes" ...it is a High Calcium Semi-Matte glaze with the recommended amount of cobalt carbonate in an amount that will not leach into the food.<br />
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Poisoning your customers is never a good idea. ;)<br />
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The next morning I placed them all in my digital kiln and set it to fire all day. I use the 5 phase firing ramping schedule found in the back of the book, "Mastering Cone Six Glazes". <br />
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The first time to program a digital kiln is a bit nerve racking, it's true. However, once the firing schedule is programmed, it stays there under 'user one' and is a piece of cake to refire. <br />
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The kiln fired all day and shut off about 9 pm that night. The next day about 5 pm I was able to crack the kiln open and about 9 pm that night unloaded it. I think these turned out nicely. Do you?<br />
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<br />Natalie -- NKP Designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09846679058751653271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15924149.post-92099360944301005392015-09-09T12:04:00.000-05:002015-09-09T18:26:44.720-05:00Custom Mug<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSPBtdx7Y1673o_fQTIS2x-U-oUfsfX-xc006Wxppj1GCTf97gzhfS9F32vhfvZ0r-tiHwVjWj8O7TVitESlWvq4Thh6OcrhNgFq2HLXV1_35SKJJ2AGZ1WLPkROjXNFCKpdnHYw/s1600/DSCN8099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSPBtdx7Y1673o_fQTIS2x-U-oUfsfX-xc006Wxppj1GCTf97gzhfS9F32vhfvZ0r-tiHwVjWj8O7TVitESlWvq4Thh6OcrhNgFq2HLXV1_35SKJJ2AGZ1WLPkROjXNFCKpdnHYw/s400/DSCN8099.JPG" width="400" /></a> It's super fun when someone messages and says, "Hey, I want a mug. I don't care what shape or color. I just want it to hold a certain amount of liquid....but I want it to have surface decoration like you do with your beads." (not an exact quote of course, but a fair simulation)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB7PMgRne4VroEVSy6fj2qNIMUdXhnKzsR8UepoqufZO5971YdSdcMuZRSYexUVNYIhAMTw9y7-voA8WKnvdQi1yUFDWp8Njh0CSxlcA201eVUm2P1zghkJ5gINVP6RuYq3MweVw/s1600/DSCN8101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB7PMgRne4VroEVSy6fj2qNIMUdXhnKzsR8UepoqufZO5971YdSdcMuZRSYexUVNYIhAMTw9y7-voA8WKnvdQi1yUFDWp8Njh0CSxlcA201eVUm2P1zghkJ5gINVP6RuYq3MweVw/s400/DSCN8101.JPG" width="400" /></a> I had my doubts about the design, about the color scheme. I agonized over it more than a few times.<br />
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I toyed with the idea of bright red daisies against a yellow background.<br />
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I toyed with the idea of a simple clear glaze over the entire mug.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSw8a9kgpKLBurQORtzel2ehkcvCznkLB072zzX5lMQx2lV4Q0aeGeTPmv9Me3fzWdGE0meZvL_mprcUzVNc6uhQ6MOkGWwpyNjy_30oxB2uP-Id_4aPPhfifDcqlavRO8-lZiwg/s1600/DSCN8102.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSw8a9kgpKLBurQORtzel2ehkcvCznkLB072zzX5lMQx2lV4Q0aeGeTPmv9Me3fzWdGE0meZvL_mprcUzVNc6uhQ6MOkGWwpyNjy_30oxB2uP-Id_4aPPhfifDcqlavRO8-lZiwg/s400/DSCN8102.JPG" width="397" /></a><br />
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In the end, this is what I decided. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYMRprnc6Qkss1X437XTxsMOJFqA2VI6zu5DSXo2iKEwkpbCpkgBGTGNHATiiAYBQIGWTbwxRRpo_W8RBxY3VdP3-sRvSc_FKImLWy92nPxh2cq79tPaSvy-uXQOC3OwtfsYqJnA/s1600/DSCN8103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYMRprnc6Qkss1X437XTxsMOJFqA2VI6zu5DSXo2iKEwkpbCpkgBGTGNHATiiAYBQIGWTbwxRRpo_W8RBxY3VdP3-sRvSc_FKImLWy92nPxh2cq79tPaSvy-uXQOC3OwtfsYqJnA/s400/DSCN8103.JPG" width="377" /></a> The surprise inside reminded me of the "Party in a Cup" series I created when first starting making pottery.<br />
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I always meant to do more of those ...so it's nice that there is a bit of a party going on in the bottom of this mug.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1rNymyq0yrhaV_o7vgEzsBZhiLLusorC4b5yBIF4FY3H11rxygDvRC5jSIvqOW2IyYW9wovUPjGeQKkHUelIYNE3xCNUrKOBtlAuDmtD_iNiQESfmM-WjSkYnFnWd2IQKB8FN_w/s1600/DSCN8104.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1rNymyq0yrhaV_o7vgEzsBZhiLLusorC4b5yBIF4FY3H11rxygDvRC5jSIvqOW2IyYW9wovUPjGeQKkHUelIYNE3xCNUrKOBtlAuDmtD_iNiQESfmM-WjSkYnFnWd2IQKB8FN_w/s400/DSCN8104.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
The bottom developed a teeny surface crack in the bottom during the firing. It poses no problems.<br />
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When I put this in the microwave on high for two minutes, the handle was cool to the touch (score)!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgupQw1mm-A_3bCqTiOSLR1Ei0m5h8dvgB-FkRx9Q0V6n2umi1Wii_qXRJKruYV4aHSEq_SwoCG82y6qEabiU8KepGxbP9FSGEPHt23tOMuCmDrJwWIGfbl1YJcXDGB6DiIXXt2Vg/s1600/DSCN8108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgupQw1mm-A_3bCqTiOSLR1Ei0m5h8dvgB-FkRx9Q0V6n2umi1Wii_qXRJKruYV4aHSEq_SwoCG82y6qEabiU8KepGxbP9FSGEPHt23tOMuCmDrJwWIGfbl1YJcXDGB6DiIXXt2Vg/s400/DSCN8108.JPG" width="327" /></a><br />
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Near the bottom of the belly is my potter mark, my three initials stamped into the clay.<br />
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Had a great time with this custom order. I always say, "I don't do custom orders." But if you want a mug and you trust me with the design and implementation, I'm game if you are.<br />
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How much does it hold? It holds 3 cups of liquid comfortably (24 ounces). Natalie -- NKP Designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09846679058751653271noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15924149.post-60946843002910526382015-08-11T09:00:00.000-05:002015-09-09T16:18:31.138-05:00Slip GooI had this idea to cover the surface of this very big mug with white porcelain slip ...then I could use underglazes and get all painterly artistic about the decorating aspect of it all. Yeah, good idea! Except the slip was quite gooey and the brush wasn't really working. I did the best I could. I went back and reshaped it a bit. It's drying now. I'll trim and attach a handle later.<br />
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--UPDATE--<br />
I couldn't help but think this would be a lovely teapot, so that's what I did. I ended up forming it into a teapot.<br />
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<br />Natalie -- NKP Designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09846679058751653271noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15924149.post-52899837384822162962015-08-10T11:59:00.000-05:002015-08-10T11:59:13.217-05:00Math and Custom Orders<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif3k8JlRPMvJPLj4KLh7PsANPVzeuyV4_E1-ZQnggReE8jbycf_yiaZ0Iyzqe34ER3AAN9UjUwVv3LLgA9IEQIfTdo93MtViKDArnl-bVJoWdU2XA1QwKY-TG4juRZAEi8EOyIeg/s1600/flowermug-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif3k8JlRPMvJPLj4KLh7PsANPVzeuyV4_E1-ZQnggReE8jbycf_yiaZ0Iyzqe34ER3AAN9UjUwVv3LLgA9IEQIfTdo93MtViKDArnl-bVJoWdU2XA1QwKY-TG4juRZAEi8EOyIeg/s1600/flowermug-001.jpg" /></a></div>
I say all the time, "NO ... I don't do custom orders...." .... that is because, well, I don't work well under stress. That's just how I am.<br />
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However, when I have conversations that go something like this:<br />
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<i>Can you make (fill in the blank) and take as much time as you need ......</i><br />
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OR<br />
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<i>I want this to do that, and I don't care what it looks like afterward, you decide.</i><br />
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OK ...yeah, that I can do ....<br />
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I got a request to make some 24 ounce chowder mugs and in the process of doing those, got another request for a 24 ounce mug .... and the above requests were met with a lot of smiles on my part.<br />
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I started immediately and have some decent size mugs drying on the shelf, right now! But I really don't know how much they are going to hold so I got to wondering and thought surely there are some online calculators that can determine volume for me and <i>yay</i>, there were. <br />
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First I had to find a calculator to figure out how much something vertical would hold:<br /><br />http://www.calculatorsoup.com/calculators/construction/tank.php<br /><br />And because it was a large volume calculator, I had to convert the gallons to ounces. I typed Gallons to Ounces into google and a calculator popped up.<br /><br />SO ...now I know in order for a mug to hold 24 ounces, it should have a finished height and width of 5 inches high and 3.5 inches wide, and that is being filled 1/2 inch to the top. <br /><br />Therefore, I need to throw to 6 inches high and 4 inches wide ...that should do it!<br />
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However, the mug in the photo above is not straight up and down. When it is dry, when it is glazed, when it has shrunk as much as it will shrunk, it will be about 3.25" on the bottom, 5.5" at its widest and 4.5" across the top. It will be about 3.5" tall. <br />
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But the unfortunate thing about this volume calculator is that it does not take into account the curves involved! Oh the curves! The next best thing is to go to Etsy and search for 24 ounce mugs, then see which shapes most likely match mine and see what those measured.<br />
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And in less time than it takes me to sneeze (practically) I find that a finished height of 3.25" and 5" wide at the top will do the job nicely. <br />
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I make things really hard on myself at times. So the question: will this mug on top hold 24 ounces? I think it will. <br />
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Natalie -- NKP Designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09846679058751653271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15924149.post-58551708165964139532015-07-21T11:02:00.003-05:002015-07-21T12:56:51.808-05:00Glaze MakingI am working on a stable/safe non-toxic cone 6 studio glaze. I want to end up with three (Light, Medium, and Dark in values) .... I've been meaning to tackle this for a few years but it has take me this long to gather up the chemicals I feel safe working with. I have a base glaze from Mastering Cone 6 glazes and the safe levels of the colorants. I'll be leaching them anyway, just in case, of course. Here's a Vine of the supplies and tools I have gathered on my workbench.<br />
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Update: 1st Test glaze is made ... It is crazy how nervous I am about using it in my kiln. Crazy crazy. But excited. But nervous.
Oooo...the beads will be beautiful, don't you think?
What color will they be? I HAVE NO IDEA .... they might be blue or red or green or a bit of yellow or all of it in various hues. Or it could be brown, muddy muddy brown.
I used a base glaze (clear) and added colorants in various amounts. I did write it down though so it can be duplicated (well, as much as I am able to duplicate things) ... Natalie -- NKP Designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09846679058751653271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15924149.post-68574865112717043652015-07-13T15:24:00.002-05:002015-07-13T15:24:46.995-05:00Peek At My Upcoming Auctions on Ceramic Art Bead Market<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl8sHeFLDaA41aRi6ueMedUv-abO2KKhKc1cYAM3MmMDoAO2V9vnd1mbK8O1f6AxI47gwz79T6wVTvNfOvtzU64O_Nv_QNPdmFjn_YGom8gMXsq95UQfSgThEcPhZemTtU-6B6lg/s1600/upcomingauctions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl8sHeFLDaA41aRi6ueMedUv-abO2KKhKc1cYAM3MmMDoAO2V9vnd1mbK8O1f6AxI47gwz79T6wVTvNfOvtzU64O_Nv_QNPdmFjn_YGom8gMXsq95UQfSgThEcPhZemTtU-6B6lg/s400/upcomingauctions.jpg" width="285" /></a></div>
Here is a collage of some upcoming auctions I hope to make over at Ceramic Art Bead Market. I have the photos all done, I am just working on the descriptions at the moment. Tonight after 9 pm I am going to tally up all the entries for the bead giveaway and announce over there who is the winner. Because I used up the first comment with an additional photo of the beads, I am planning to use the number 2 and # of entries instead of 1 and the # of entries over at random.org. Makes sense, right?<br />
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And at some point I will start adding these photos as auction listings on Facebook (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/CeramicArtBeadMarket/">ceramic art bead market</a>) <br />
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Lets see ...what else is going on in the world of pottery? Oh yes, I cleaned my studio so I can again throw on the wheel. I have a custom order for chowder mugs and I am going to make them about 3.5 inches wide and about 7 inches deep, with nice thick handles for holding. That's the plan anyway. Lets just see how that goes for me, okay, ha ha! <br />
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<br />Natalie -- NKP Designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09846679058751653271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15924149.post-71216312689289397062015-07-09T08:00:00.000-05:002015-07-09T08:00:05.983-05:00Cobalt Blue Delicate Scrolls<div class="mobile-photo">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi58YkfMxhwtPZd7mwJhxPIxXZB6QzbfeZszLXHFxSZuyiG6u9AhvCJxuUiKb4HBtdS-PdsFEtjxJjV-Eo1fhyphenhyphendxOVvz8a7eb5ysw4q-s5i3s77ZwSvoc2p8yb-_-OHhhRrCv8hzg/s1600/20150707_123522-1-737316.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="292" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6168826479205145442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi58YkfMxhwtPZd7mwJhxPIxXZB6QzbfeZszLXHFxSZuyiG6u9AhvCJxuUiKb4HBtdS-PdsFEtjxJjV-Eo1fhyphenhyphendxOVvz8a7eb5ysw4q-s5i3s77ZwSvoc2p8yb-_-OHhhRrCv8hzg/s640/20150707_123522-1-737316.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I have been attempting a glaze match for a couple of years for my Cobalt Blue Delicate Scroll beads that appeared in the book "<i><b>Bohemian Inspired Jewelry</b></i>". The bead that is the second from the left is the original. The third and fourth from the left are previous attempts. The first bead from the left is the newest attempt. Fail. I thought yesterday I had finally nailed it .... but this side by side comparison shows differently. These are all the same porcelain clay body, too. Who knew there were so many shades of cobalt blue?Natalie -- NKP Designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09846679058751653271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15924149.post-38587262159930023402015-07-08T08:00:00.000-05:002015-07-08T08:00:04.475-05:00The Three Little Pigs<br />
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My granddaughter is somewhat obsessed with this story...so I am too. Here are the famous little ones along with the mama pig AND the Big Bad Wolf ! Mama Pig started the entire story by deciding it was time for her three piggy sons to move out ...while she gave them good advice, only one followed it.</div>
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The Big Bad Wolf is deliciously scary to my granddaughter. She will suddenly announce, "OH NO, the BIG BAD WOLF" then she will scream and begin to run away. </div>
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This is the second set of these beads I have made. </div>
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Natalie -- NKP Designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09846679058751653271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15924149.post-62156201645340333922015-07-07T12:00:00.000-05:002015-07-07T12:00:02.104-05:00Come Celebrate With Me<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I had a bit of a tease yesterday on my facebook page regarding these beads.<br />
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They are especially chosen from the batch that came out of the kiln yesterday.<br />
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Today, July 7th, marks 4 years since my very last radiation treatment.<br />
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My cancer was removed by surgery and as a precaution, I had 25 radiation treatments and 2 rounds of chemotherapy. That was in 2011. And today I am still cancer free. I have one more year before I am declared by my doctors to be in complete remission, but for right now, I am cancer free. And that is enough. <br />
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Please come celebrate with me! To win these 27 beads, join the Facebook page <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/CeramicArtBeadMarket/">Ceramic Art Bead Market </a>. Leave a comment on the giveaway picture that matches the one above, and in a week I'll use Random.org to pick a winner.<br />
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Natalie -- NKP Designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09846679058751653271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15924149.post-7486714741499905452015-07-06T12:55:00.001-05:002015-07-06T13:01:06.692-05:00Bead Load in Big Kiln<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
These are all the beads which came out of my big kiln this morning. It took about an hour to remove them from the rods and sort them onto this tray. Beside the tray are the rods ...lots and lots of rods!<br />
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Natalie -- NKP Designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09846679058751653271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15924149.post-57654168086480118482015-06-09T12:18:00.004-05:002015-06-09T12:18:58.358-05:00Yawn!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I started my big kiln yesterday morning ... or at least I thought I had started it. So there it was, 3 pm in the afternoon before I decided to go into the kiln room Hubby built to see how far along the burn had progressed. And the digital display was blinking its error message and internal temperature (about 200 degrees F).<br />
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I turned it off and stared at it for a bit. I thought, "What did I do wrong?" It took me a few minutes (some days I am slower than others and obviously at that moment my brain was on sluggish mode). I realized I had not turned on the timer. So I turned on the timer for about 12 hours so that if the kiln over fired it would turn off. I reset the digital and stood there and watched it. I heard the relay click for about 4 minutes without the temperature rising. <br />
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I have this bad habit of going to the worst possible place in my mind. At that moment all kilns were doomed to misfire. No kiln would ever worked right if I owned it, and on and on and blah blah blah. Then it dawned on me that I forgot to push the button on the kiln setter.<br />
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I know I know ....why do I have a timer, a digital AND a kiln setter? Yeah, well, I ordered both functions, wanting them to work separately but the company who took my order didn't understand what I wanted so basically I ended up with this very very safe kiln (that won't fire if I don't turn everything on to work in unison). <br />
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I turned off the digital again, pushed in the plunger, reset the digital and voila! Finally, the temperature began to rise.<br />
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BUT it was 3 pm in the afternoon and I had it on a slow bisque firing because of the heavy handbuilt items. I wasn't thinking. I often forget to think. <br />
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It finally finished about 2:30 am in the morning. I suppose I could have gone to sleep but I couldn't sleep until the kids got home, either, when they were teenagers. That's just how I am. <br />
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I won't be able to unload until this evening probably. That's okay. I loaded up the smaller bead kiln about an hour ago. It's not digital. It's just a kiln setter. So I have to go turn it up every so often, and looking at the clock just now, it is time to turn it up again.<br />
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Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!<br />
NatalieNatalie -- NKP Designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09846679058751653271noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15924149.post-70593309550821030702015-06-07T20:03:00.000-05:002015-06-07T20:03:12.724-05:00Yay for Family and Friends<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjORcDlOq_N-tjzdL_GyEVT5OxF3TJHeqguQS5JcJlIHWKidGhu3PExqG8DfYubO4moYK8q7Dt8ieCNQesof97P8Ry1-WLaoQ2GbyfTc51n0vDsxJDNyO3C5GPM-nqEmLswmbmC_w/s1600/arches.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjORcDlOq_N-tjzdL_GyEVT5OxF3TJHeqguQS5JcJlIHWKidGhu3PExqG8DfYubO4moYK8q7Dt8ieCNQesof97P8Ry1-WLaoQ2GbyfTc51n0vDsxJDNyO3C5GPM-nqEmLswmbmC_w/s400/arches.jpg" width="277" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arches National Park</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Hubby and I spent time with family and friends all last week. It was a bit weird not being on the computer but I did sneak time with my phone from time to time.<br />
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We ended up going on a loop from Southern New Mexico to Northern Arizona (spent a few hours at the Grand Canyon) to Southern Utah (saw a couple of national parks) back to Taos, NM and then home to Texas.<br />
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I have a method of making clay while hubby drives the car. I hold on my lap a gallon size Ziploc bag that has about 3 lbs of clay. I also keep a couple of dampened paper towels nearby. I form beads one by one and place them in a small paper bag for drying. The clay can't be too wet or too dry. Too wet and I can't make a bead and too dry and the clay dust will go everywhere. <br />
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This week I have a huge load of beads to bisque fire and going in with those will be some cups and bowls and hand-built objects that I worked on over the last few months. I also am planning a kiln load for glazed beads for the other kiln. Because they run on different electrical outlets they can run at the same time. Yay.<br />
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The photo above is one I took on my phone. I am a bit surprised at how nice these cell phone cameras can be. I will have lots of inspiration in the months to come. <br />
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<br />Natalie -- NKP Designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09846679058751653271noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15924149.post-33787706019257964882015-05-26T12:12:00.000-05:002015-05-26T12:12:05.080-05:00Birdie Mold<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCltrFZMX47Ap8Z20pirZ1o-f9ulbGMat8gWhRWF6-iAuVs-BZnhZfblrdfsOkuo5yjoNNTwJP9SGMHWZ8pc0sn_Vi9LlIu0P-f57utGNGqr8tBcFc2dvjekr4bMbxXoWuC3FosQ/s1600/DSCN7285.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCltrFZMX47Ap8Z20pirZ1o-f9ulbGMat8gWhRWF6-iAuVs-BZnhZfblrdfsOkuo5yjoNNTwJP9SGMHWZ8pc0sn_Vi9LlIu0P-f57utGNGqr8tBcFc2dvjekr4bMbxXoWuC3FosQ/s320/DSCN7285.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
The last time I took my bisque beads out of the kiln, I discovered that I had forgotten to insert a stringing hole into a tiny bird I had formed. Today I took that bird and two pieces of clay and made a small mold from it.<br />
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I also took 5 pattern greenware stamps that I created and tested them out. I liked three and didn't like two of them. So back into the recycled clay bag those two went.<br />
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I was going to glaze fire today but I actually forgot. I was sitting on my couch sipping coffee. Then I was printing out postage and double checking packages and sealing them up. By the time I looked up, morning was gone. It's a 12 hour firing and I don't want to be up at midnight. Tomorrow!<br />
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<br />Natalie -- NKP Designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09846679058751653271noreply@blogger.com5