Lesson Learned

We decided to postpone our firing until July, mainly because a large custom order with a June deadline fell through. Although the organization had committed to work with us, seen our pots, our glazes, the custom stamps we made to their specifications, and prototypes of the pots they wanted, after they saw a prototype pot that we fired for them in the gas kiln, they decided they did not want pots from us. While we certainly do not want anyone to be disappointed in pots they get from us, we unfortunately ended up with this:

Fifty unusable stamped pots, twenty bisqued custom stamps, a wasted bisque and glaze test firing, and a week of work for naught. Lessons learned: don't bend over backwards to meet special requests and get a non-refundable deposit. Anyone need a stamp featuring the state of Wisconsin and a cow head?

In other news, Joe's dad Jim and his partner Sue visited us over the past week. Sue took some great photos:

The Panther Dash Bike Race--Joe is in there somewhere.

This picture does not do the climbs justice--they were brutal!

Jim and Joe mixed a batch of clay

Maggie Pie on the back porch

I'm off to Arrowmont today to take a week-long workshop with Joseph Pintz. Joe will be here holding down the fort, though, and making pots for the July "Wisconsin Woodlands" show at Kaleidoscope Gallery. We are excited to be part of that upcoming show, and will let you know more details when we have them!

**christy