I have been asked by several people about making slow feeder bowls for their pets. I didn’t know how to make them and felt a bit intimidated because there is not much information on how to make a slow feeder. But when my Grand-dog asked me to make one for him, I just couldn’t say … More I Didn’t Think I Could
Temperatures in the 70’s this week! I am finally back behind the wheel after a very cold and wet spring! Grand-dog came by for a visit and curious as to what I was doing. Warming up my throwing muscles. Starting with 1/2 pound of clay. Making small bowls to sell as trinket or ring dishes, … More Warming Up!
As a potter, not everything I make comes out how I planned. 😱 Sometimes my pieces crack or warp. Other times, my pieces never make it off my pottery wheel . . . . . . or a cat decides to sit in or on one of my pieces. And those unfortunate pieces end up … More Reclaiming The Earth One Bucket At A Time!
What beautiful weather we had last week! Clear blue sunny sky. Flowers blooming. Birds, bees and kitties busy. Note the elevated Kitty water bowl: a TONKA Toy dump truck. This TONKA dump truck has been through two generations (children & grandchildren) and now serves as our back porch watering hole for cats, birds, squirrels, … More Well, Sleet!
2023 has presented me with challenges. Challenges that require my energy to be in many places other than my Back Porch Studio. In 2023 -2024 I will be selling only ready to ship items as my time allows. I plan to focus on pet dishes, mugs and wine cups May through October in preparation for the 2023 Holiday Season. If you are NOT in a hurry, please … More Throwing Season 2023
Feeding birds through the winter has been a family activity for over 25 years. It started as a homeschool project where we could observe wildlife first-hand. We learned about bird identification, social behavior (pecking order on and around the feeder), and which physical characteristics of birds dictated food choices (sunflower seeds, thistle, millet, nuts, berries … More Winter Is For The Birds
When leaves fall as well as the temperature, it is time for me to call an end to my throwing season. Because my back porch is not enclosed, I throw things during the warmer months. The warmer months tend to be May through October around here. But much work remains despite putting my pottery wheel … More The End of A Season
Waiting for me in my splash pan this morning! The frog wanna-be-potter was placed just off the back porch onto a nice cool shady rock. The frog climbed up onto a fern frond. The frog watched me for a seemingly very long time. I honestly thought it was contemplating whether or not to leap back … More Just Frogging Around
It has been a bit hot on my back porch this month. I have been firing loads of greenware (air dried unfired clay) in the kiln for a bisque firing. The bisque firing prepares the air dried clay (greenware) for glazing. Days are growing shorter. Kids are back in school. It is the end of … More Summer! Where did you go?
New items will be in my shop next month! Meanwhile, enjoy your summer. Live in the sunshine. Swim in the sea. Drink in the wild air. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
The falling leaves gather around my pottery wheel. My throwing days have come to an end for the year. The temperatures have dropped quite dramatically this week making it a challenge to photograph my pottery on my back porch. “They” say it may snow this weekend! This month I have been busy with many behind … More Take Time
Would you look at that! It’s mid-October. And here I am running around like a squirrel gathering nuts before the snow falls! Instead of gathering nuts . . . I’m glazing and firing. Glazing and firing. Repeat. When I’m not glazing and firing, you will find me on my back porch unloading the kiln and … More Squirrel!
2020 has definitely been a challenge for me as well as so many other people. I lost my Mom in June. I lost my Mother-in-law in September. And I lost Missy Kitty in October. Though social media and blogging took a backseat, I have been blissfully busy filling orders @ etsy.com/shop/BackPorchStudio My inventory is low. … More A Message from BackPorchStudio
Today was glazing day. And laundry day. Glazing and laundry on the same day? What could go wrong? I shouldn’t ask. It is still 2020 after all! While eating lunch, I noticed a young Robin drinking from one of Miss Kitty’s handmade water bowls. It is nice see other critters enjoying a drink from my … More Behind the Scenes of a Part Time Potter
The back porch has a half dozen handmade pet dishes filled to the brim with cool fresh water. I made them just for her, Miss Kitty. She prefers drinking from the Tonka dump truck. It used to be our son’s now it’s our grandson’s Miss Kitty’s. So, I keep it filled with cool fresh water. … More You Can Lead a Cat to Water
Originally posted in September 2018! Not much has changed in our backyard. We are a little older and hopefully a little wiser. Summer vacation? Well, I really didn’t have one but I sure enjoyed my summer! I enjoy summer, vacation or not. Summer is my favorite season! Being on our back porch throwing things, … More What did I do on my summer vacation?
Who doesn’t love sunflowers? Creatures big and small love sunflowers! I started planting sunflowers early spring all to have a creature eat every last sunflower seed! I suspect a squirrel. I planted another round sunflower seeds. Thrilled to see them sprout to six to twelve inches in height! Yeah! Much to my despair, a rabbit … More Sunflowers Maybe
Life has completely turned upside down since the changing of the clocks back in March of 2020. At this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if the dinosaurs returned. Today, the dinosaurs have, indeed, returned much to our grandson’s delight! I am delighted the dinosaurs prefer lettuce over sunflowers!
After much thought, reading, note-taking and collaboration with fellow potters, I think I have discovered the reason why I have had pin holes. #1: The glazes were too thick. So early spring, I adjusted my glazes. The result was perfect on two of the three clay bodies. #2: It is a particular clay-body. After talking … More News! Not Breaking but News . . .
I’m a list maker and note taker. I make lists of things “To Do” otherwise things will not get done such as exercise, make doctor’s appointment, and laundry. I also make “To Do” lists for pottery such as prepare test tiles, reclaim clay, make handles and buy more clay. I make lists for items I need … More A Note To Myself
Not much pottery today but a lot of neglected behind the scene stuff. I spent the better part of today at the computer thinking of words. Words. Words describing my pottery in my Etsy shop. I use words every day yet when I try to write, words are elusive. This is why I am not a … More Words
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