We had a fire last week in our shop. It had destroyed everything. I will spend the next few weeks to months dealing with insurance. Nothing is left.

I saw a chicken water thingy on Potter's Journal ages ago and decided to try making one for my cats. It came out of the kiln this morning. This lad loves smashing his paw into any plant saucer eith water in it and drinking the water out of it no matter how awkward the angle so he loved drinking out of this. This one was to try proof of concept so I might make a few more for my outside cats with a bigger saucer and head of water. Also it meets the 'glaze you hate' challenge as I used Riptide which I bought on seeing the pic in the shop, but it is matt and only gets the colour on the front of the jar at cone 10 reduction. Pah. So it has loads of other blues and snow on it for a watery effect. Plus a clear over the top. Cone 5.5.

If you watch our Wocky Pots YouTube channel you know that our big selling season starts today. We will be set up for the next 43 markets in Chincoteague, VA, at the Chincoteague Island Farmers and Artisans market. Every year I still get that bit of nervousness before the first day. Once we get there, unload and set up, and the first smiling faces arrive, the nerves will disappear and I will be ok. But until then I will worry that I have forgotten to pack something, no one will show up, and on and on and on… if you can send us some good vibes today🥰

I made the plates in November and tried to get to a Cone 6 in my very old kiln but it just didn't make it so I put them at the top of the new kiln yesterday and used the Ceramic Materials Workshop Cone 6 firing schedule which was 300°c per hour until 100°c below top temp and then 150°c to top temp with no hold and just normal cooling. I filled the rest of the kiln up with other stuff, mostly things I will be donating to a cat charity at an event next weekend. Top temp 1243°c for a hot cone 6. The cone melted onto the shelf so I had to crumble it off. The kiln couldn't cope with the 300° per hour climb after 900°c so I will adjust that going forward. Everything is either x2 or 3 depending on the glaze thickness when I brush it on, with one layer for swishes or top fluxes. So, the plates came out fantastically, Obsidian and Ancient Copper with Seaweed, Textured Turquoise and Textured Kiwi Fruit strips. A few pinholes but these are for me so not a problem. Going to be using this again, they look amazing. Then a range of River Birch and Botz Plus melty cups. Lovely result, very happy. First one is RB plus Text Kiwi Fruit strip underneath, then Honey Flux with True Celadon and Botz Plus over the top half inch. Then 2 Rose Quartz items and only tiny outside pinholes on one - the first one has honeyflux over it with some cinnabar on the outside and botz plus on the edge, and the second has Rose Quartz with Lynette's Opal on it. Then a planter, Obsidian, RHC and Blue Rutile. Then Jane's First Seat in Clay which I made in the middle of winter and only just fired. A few other pieces as well, mainly some cracked glaze tester pots and some pet bowls for the event in plain colours. But apart from the plates - no pinholes at all. Very, very happy with this load.

Hi everyone, I have not been active on this platform at all sorry, I am finding social media so overwhelming. In fact I am finding life a little overwhelming at the moment. I haven't been able to talk myself into my studio for the last three days, and I have to get back i to it. I have medieval events coming up that I really have to get things done for. I love pottery and feel extremely privileged that it is my full-time, but lately I walk in to my studio look around and just don't know where to go next and end up walking out again. I also have several videos waiting to be edited to go up on my Shoebox Studio Ceramics YT channel, but I can't seem to talk myself into completing them either. It's so frustrating, having so much to do, but feeling unable to do any of it. Do you fellow potters ever get like this, especially those that are full-time potters? How do you get yourselves out of the darkness and back into the joy of pottery? I didn't know you have to select a category for your post, couldn't decide what this should of gone under, Fails, General, Question? I went with Question, I hope that is ok? Much love to you all x