coooooold and frosty

So much for an early start this morning...the car was well and truly frosted!

It was a long cold day, but beautiful. I watched the full moon set as I drove to Hay on Wye, disappearing behind a hill just before I reached somewhere that I could have stopped and photographed it.
An icy blue sky, with a pale apricot coloured horizon.

Breathtaking, and not fair when you have to concentrate on driving!

The market is suffering from the recession. People have to eat, so the food stalls carry on, even if trade is reduced. The rest of us are facing grim times and many had no sales or few sales.

Having to grin and bear it while someone praises your work but says that they are just getting inspiration is getting more difficult for all of us.

I'm not doing the market again until March, now. There is no point standing in the cold all day and paying for the privilege!!

I arrived home to good news- I've been accepted by the Black Mountains Craft Circle, so can have my work in the Court Cupboard Gallery at Llantilio Pertholey near Abergavenny.
Definitely a step in the right direction.

staying home

I contacted the Market Toby to find out about the weather in Hay. It is snowing there now, and no prospect of temperatures above freezing this week.

So I'm staying put.

Normally the Potteries, makers and suppliers, would shut for a fortnight.

Now we know why.

Hay Today

Yet again Hay had better weather than those parts from the Brecon Beacons southwards!

It drizzled a bit after lunch, and didn't turn chilly until 2pm!

Pots delivered to CRiC today in Crickhowell and the show starts on Saturday.
Hopefully we can take a break during firing the kiln to go and have a look as it is only about five miles down the road.

Meanwhile back tomorrow to finish packing (only two shelves) and to brick up.

Abergavenny Market

I had hoped for a bit of sun today, but at least it didn't rain. The cloud level stuck at about 1000 feet, and it hung around all day!!

The market was well filled by traders- it is always bad to see empty tables as it puts off the customers. The town wasn't especially busy, however most people I spoke to had, like myself, a reasonably profitable day.

When I returned, the Oily One was further cleaning his car- hopefully sold and to be collected within the week. Then The Carpenter returned from a good mountain ride.

So everyone should be in a good mood!!

The last few days

Saturday started bright and chilly, warm in the sun but a biting northerly breeze


I spotted interesting images whilst waiting for the village tyre garage
playing with silhouettes
must chose a better background- and get rid of that double chin!!
It was difficult to get a good shot of this moth, as the light was fading fast. Any ideas what it could be?
Much of the weekend and Monday was spent gardening, before the next lot of rain, tidying and starting the winter digging. Still no greenhouse action, unfortunately.
The Carpenter has gone to his sister's house to do a spot of Carpenting and being a Nuncle!
When my daughter was having her shed re-built they saved me some clay....looks and feels good-but I can't have any more....this will have to be a glaze ingredient!!

I was up at 4am Monday to start the latest bisque. I'm still having trouble firing slowly enough to start with, without having the flame go out. Realistically perhaps some more refined burners might help! It is fine with thinner pots, but yet another large bowl, plus the juicer, couldn't stand the firing.
Another problem is that now the weather is turning colder it takes a while for the flue to warm.up and begin to draw.
I shouldn't have freecycled my fan heater last year!!
Miss Piggy gave me a talkative welcome to St. Ffagans Museum this morning!
This is the sort of picture that you can lose if you hesitate for a second.
It was breathtakingly beautiful-and will be an image to keep me going through the cold wet weather that has arrived during the day.
I hope it wont be too bad tomorrow, or Mountain Man will stay on his Mountain. Talking on the phone every day is fine but doesn't beat seeing each other, even if you sit in comfortable silence.
Thursday is forecast showery too, but the market still goes on in Hay on Wye, and locals come out even when it rains!! I'm off to see Daughter and family direct from there, so hopefully we will be updating my website with some new pictures of new pots.

"season of mists...."

From Llangynidr Mountain this morning (about 7.20 a.m.) looking towards Abergavenny

then looking down into the valley.

Today turned out warm and fine. I didn't sell a lot in the market, we have hit the post-holiday and pre-christmas lull.
At least I spoke to many more local people today. Quite a few have started eyeing things up for gifts, but just not buying yet. Ho Hum!!

I did sell a porcelain dish with sgraffito decoration of a running pony. That made it worthwhile today!

Then delivering sheep to a crafts co-operative shop on Brecon (Beacons Crafts) and on to the far side of Abergavenny via the smaller roads. It may be three miles further, but it was worth it for a hassle free drive!

There I helped brick up the kiln we will be salt firing on Saturday. After supper there, finished off with a fresh fig from the tree in their garden, I came home as dusk fell.

A good day in all.

Another firing

Firings fast and furious!

I found that if you light the kiln at 4am....watch it like a hawk, checking every 15 minutes (mostly)....you can reach cone 10 softening and soak and be turning off at 11am....

Then crack open the door just before 10pm......

then it will be 36 decrees C at 6am!!!!

Unpack onto wareboards, then pack into bubblewrap and box up, before leaving for market just after 7am!!

I must admit I packed breakfast and eat it after I'd set up and priced the new pots!!

The zinger of a dark blue glaze fired very well, and sales were good too.

The rain arrived just after we had all packed up which meant that sales were good this week.

Then off to Brecon to deliver MORE sheep to Beacons Crafts co-operative and another twenty miles to Abergavenny.

I had a peaceful half hour there battwashing shelves ready for the next Saltglaze firing in September before braving another twenty miles of rain and traffic