Another Saturday, Another Craft Show!

This Saturday, December 1st, from 9:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., you can find me and my pottery at the Fisher Park Community Centre Christmas Craft Show & Sale.  I've been at this sale for the past two years, and for a relatively small venue, there are alot of vendors (over 100), and great variety.  The community centre is in a former high school, now housing several middle schools, and the sale is held in the TWO gymnasiums.  I think it's great that some of the kids from the schools get involved, selling baked goods, and crafts they have made, often in support of charities of their choosing.  You can find the kids in the hallway leading to the gymnasiums.

There is usually a nice mix of crafts and food, traditional and funky at the show.  Well worth a visit.

Handmade Here on Saturday

Handmade Here is growing!  Kim is hosting a total of nine of us this year in her lovely home in Westboro.  In addition to taking over her main floor, we're moving into a newly renovated basement room as well.

I'm looking forward to meeting the new artists and seeing their creations.  There will be two jewellers, a painter, a glassblower, a glass artist, two felters and two potters (the other being a raku artist).  Lots to see in a relaxed setting.  Visitors are welcome to coffee (donated by Bridgehead) and treats (provided by the artists) while mingling and pondering.  Should be a great day.

Ottawa Guild of Potters Holiday Sale

The Ottawa Guild of Potters' Holiday Sale is being held this week-end (Nov. 15-18) at the Shenkman Arts Centre in Orleans.  Over 50 potters from the Ottawa area have been preparing a huge assortment of creations out of clay.  We'll be setting up our displays on Thursday in preparation for the Thursday evening opening (6-10 p.m.).  The sale continues all day Friday and Saturday (from 10-10 both days) and Sunday from 10-5.  There is lots of free parking and no admission.

I'll have my usual selection of mugs, goblets, French butter dishes, casseroles, serving platters, egg separators, candleholders, milk bag pitchers, oval bakers, soap dishes, teapots, Christmas ornaments, etc. I've recently begun making yarn bowls for the avid knitters out there (pictured below).

NEW yarn bowls

Ginger and Jane on CTV's Regional Contact

One of the places I sell my pots is a new shop called Hintonburg Pottery, one block west of Parkdale Market.  Ginger opened the doors in June and has discovered a community of pottery lovers in Hintonburg.  One of those customers suggested that CTV's Regional Contact show should visit and do a segment.  So they did.  The result was aired last night.  And despite the fact that it was shot on a cold, rainy day, the 2 or 3 minutes they pulled together manages to convey the warmth of the shop very nicely.  You can see it by clicking on this link:

http://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/video?playlistId=1.1005745

New Show "fireGifts" this week-end

fireGifts is a new show debuting this week-end at the centrally located RA Centre in Ottawa.  All pottery and glass!  I've been busy making pots in preparation for what I hope will be a busy holiday season.  There will be lots to choose from, as this is one of the first shows of the season.  After many years of thinking about it, I finally made some Christmas ornaments this year.  Here is a sampling:

Country Harvest Pottery Show and Sale

My display inside the greenhouse.

I've just set up my display in the greenhouse at Marlin Orchards for the annual Thanksgiving week-end Country Harvest Pottery Show and Sale.  There is an awesome variety of pottery, functional and sculptural, made by 20 or so potters from eastern Ontario and the Montreal area.

Marlin Orchards is in Summerstown, east of Cornwall on Hwy. #2, overlooking the St. Lawrence River.  You can find more info on their website www.marlinorchards.com  I believe the show is open from 10 a.m. til 5 p.m. each day, Saturday through Monday.  There will be pottery demonstrations throughout.

While the greenhouses have been emptied of plants, the store is full of apples, pumpkins, mums, tulip bulbs, and much much more.  Well worth a visit!

Pottery at Kazuri Beads in Kenya

Pottery made at Kazuri Beads is for a local market.  Beaded jewellery, on the other hand, is sold worldwide, including through fair trade networks.

After the clay is mixed, it is filter pressed (above) and then extruded through a pug mill.

Some pots are slipcast in plaster molds.

Some pots are formed by jigger jolly.

Glazing the pottery.

Some pots are made on Brent wheels (like mine!)