Holy smokes, y'all, it's been over a month! I've been around, reading blogs, but I'm spending so much energy at work that I mostly come home and collapse into a heap.
The pottery is coming along. I've got six things from last Saturday to trim. I think one is dead - the bottom is too thin and I think just getting it off the bat will kill it. The others might make it though.
Tomorrow is family day at work, so I have to spend a couple of hours there but I should be able to get to the studio by noon. We have a class tomorrow - salt and pepper shakers so that should be interesting.
I'm either hormonal, coming down with something or both. I'll be in bed by 10 tonight - which is unheard of for me - 'cause I'm just beat. And, I've teared up twice in 15 minutes - over a commercial, and upon reading that FC's snake found its way home. Clearly I'm sleep deprived.
So, sleep tight!
Friday, November 06, 2009
Saturday, October 03, 2009
The Latest From The Studio...
I got 5 things glazed and ready to fire today. Given how ridiculous I get about glazing, this is nothing short of miraculous. Here they are on the glazing shelf. They should be in the kiln cooking away right now, so they might be done by Monday evening.
This is how my squirrel looked after the bisque fire. I'm pretty happy with him - I think the shading turned out pretty well. I used clear for the glaze to protect the underglaze and to water proof the vase.
I actually threw this mug in July, and it's been sitting on my shelf waiting for inspiration to hit with the glaze. I broke my previous record for glaze colors by using 14 different shades on this mug, all in greens, blues and purples. I love the shape and the handle, so I really hope the glaze turns out.
The sunflowers bowl is for my aunt for Christmas. This is how it looked after the bisque fire - so far, so good.
I tried something new - yay for experimentation! - by painting latex over the flowers, like so:
After it dried, I painted the bowl with espresso bean (which is brown that breaks black), peeled the latex off the flowers and then used clear glaze on the flowers. I'm a bit worried - I did another bowl with espresso bean and the blue band in the middle disappeared. If my sunflowers poof, I will not be happy - but I will hopefully have time to redo it before Christmas.
A friend visited the studio the other day and called this one a bathtub. There is a distinct resemblance.
While it was still soft, I pressed stamps into the sides and ends. After it dried, I painted it with the underglaze. The irony is that I've been looking for something to use the dancer people stamp on for a while, but I ended up being much more fond of the little zebras on each end. These pictures show it after the bisque fire. I decided to give the clear glaze in the bucket another try and dip glazed this. We shall see...
The fifth thing was not actually something that I threw. One of the other members was cleaning off her shelf and was going to throw it away, so I saved it. It's a low bowl, plate thing that I think will be perfect for holding a large pillar candle. I dipped it in the green blue that P and I purchased, then brushed the top with gun metal green and dripped archies base over that. Gun metal green runs, and so does archies base, so I'm hoping for cool designs in the glaze. Chris (who owns the studio with Shelley) says regularly that "it's a crap shoot!" and he's right, but I will remain hopeful.
I have 2 things ready for the next bisque fire, and I'm caught up so Monday evening will be spent on the wheel.
The finished things that I don't really have a use for in my house live on the mantle in my dining room. The mantle is getting full. If there's something I've done that you are particularly fond of, let me know. If it's on the shelf, it can probably become yours.
This is how my squirrel looked after the bisque fire. I'm pretty happy with him - I think the shading turned out pretty well. I used clear for the glaze to protect the underglaze and to water proof the vase.
I actually threw this mug in July, and it's been sitting on my shelf waiting for inspiration to hit with the glaze. I broke my previous record for glaze colors by using 14 different shades on this mug, all in greens, blues and purples. I love the shape and the handle, so I really hope the glaze turns out.
The sunflowers bowl is for my aunt for Christmas. This is how it looked after the bisque fire - so far, so good.
I tried something new - yay for experimentation! - by painting latex over the flowers, like so:
After it dried, I painted the bowl with espresso bean (which is brown that breaks black), peeled the latex off the flowers and then used clear glaze on the flowers. I'm a bit worried - I did another bowl with espresso bean and the blue band in the middle disappeared. If my sunflowers poof, I will not be happy - but I will hopefully have time to redo it before Christmas.
A friend visited the studio the other day and called this one a bathtub. There is a distinct resemblance.
While it was still soft, I pressed stamps into the sides and ends. After it dried, I painted it with the underglaze. The irony is that I've been looking for something to use the dancer people stamp on for a while, but I ended up being much more fond of the little zebras on each end. These pictures show it after the bisque fire. I decided to give the clear glaze in the bucket another try and dip glazed this. We shall see...
The fifth thing was not actually something that I threw. One of the other members was cleaning off her shelf and was going to throw it away, so I saved it. It's a low bowl, plate thing that I think will be perfect for holding a large pillar candle. I dipped it in the green blue that P and I purchased, then brushed the top with gun metal green and dripped archies base over that. Gun metal green runs, and so does archies base, so I'm hoping for cool designs in the glaze. Chris (who owns the studio with Shelley) says regularly that "it's a crap shoot!" and he's right, but I will remain hopeful.
I have 2 things ready for the next bisque fire, and I'm caught up so Monday evening will be spent on the wheel.
The finished things that I don't really have a use for in my house live on the mantle in my dining room. The mantle is getting full. If there's something I've done that you are particularly fond of, let me know. If it's on the shelf, it can probably become yours.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
Random Travels Thru The Web...
So, this is what made me happy today.
A Treesweater. Of course. I'd knit a sweater for my tree out front but it's about three feet in diameter and I'm just not that good at knitting. Also? It just doesn't get that cold here.
I don't know who Discover has doing their ads, but this one rocks.
Who knows who or what Blur is, but this struck me as funny too.
There are days when the only ball I can sink in a pocket is the white one, so this is just amazing to me.
RAWR! Zombie octopus chandelier will eat your brain! Or, um, light up your living room. Whateva!
As I looked at the piles of books surrounding me on the couch - that I've been too lazy to put away... for weeks... I watched "Hoarders" on A&E and now I'm feeling MUCH better about myself. While bare flat spaces may be scarse, they do exist, and I can see my floors so I'm okay. Right?
I'm okay, you're okay. How about a hug? Free!
So, happy Monday!
A Treesweater. Of course. I'd knit a sweater for my tree out front but it's about three feet in diameter and I'm just not that good at knitting. Also? It just doesn't get that cold here.
I don't know who Discover has doing their ads, but this one rocks.
Who knows who or what Blur is, but this struck me as funny too.
There are days when the only ball I can sink in a pocket is the white one, so this is just amazing to me.
RAWR! Zombie octopus chandelier will eat your brain! Or, um, light up your living room. Whateva!
As I looked at the piles of books surrounding me on the couch - that I've been too lazy to put away... for weeks... I watched "Hoarders" on A&E and now I'm feeling MUCH better about myself. While bare flat spaces may be scarse, they do exist, and I can see my floors so I'm okay. Right?
I'm okay, you're okay. How about a hug? Free!
So, happy Monday!
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Interesting Developments
You know, it's not like I have a grand plan here. Mostly, I just float along, and end up wherever the current takes me.
In high school, I was considered "gifted" and therefore was allowed to participate in the Governor's Summer Institutes for the Gifted and Talented. They were summer camps ranging from 1 to 3 weeks long at various colleges around Ohio, each specializing in a different topic. I applied to Shawnee University's program to become certified in scuba. I was rejected for that, but they put me into the engineering program. Of course, I went anyway. A week at a college far from home and parents at sixteen? I will study anything you want me to, just let me go. When I got there, I learned that every single one of the 40 of us in the engineering camp had applied for scuba and were put into the engineering labs instead. We got intensive four hour lectures followed by two hour labs, homework, and quizzes the next day. The scuba kids played in a pool all damn day. I still firmly believe it was a trick. They didn't really need my math scores for scuba, did they? Of the 12 or so people I stayed in contact with, every single one of us ended up going into engineering in college. Coincidence? I think not.
My first "real" job came about because of a random post on a cross-stitching forum... something along the lines of, "I can fix this, I'm an engineer dammit." And one of my online friends replied back that she was hiring engineers, what sort of engineer was I? Several hours of interviews and a personality test later, I had a real job as a junior supplier quality engineer. I've been in supplier quality ever since.
So, yeah, no grand plan. I just bumble along, and so far, it's mostly turned out okay.
Well, the winds of change are blowing again and I'm not sure what to do about it, so my plan is to go with the flow and see what happens.
My boss (or, as I call him, the asshole) has taken a new job. Starting on October 1, he will be production manager in our factory. Also on October 1, his job will be posted. I don't really want it, but I can't think of anyone who is even as qualified as I am, and if I don't go for it, I have no right to complain over whomever the next person is. So, I'm going to go for it.
I've told my boss' boss (aka the idiot) that I'm going for it, and while he is hard to read, my odds may be better than I thought. I really thought that, since the idiot and the asshole hate me, I have no shot. But, the idiot informed me that he wants me to go to the next global meeting for my department - which is the job of the lead engineer, which is the job opening.
I pretty much have to apply - I can't complain that there's no room for advancement in the company and then not go for the one and only opportunity likely to come up. Also, it's the next logical step in my career, and will get me management experience, which always helps when looking for the next job. I have no idea if I'll get it - the idiot told me that he never gets many applications for jobs. (Partly, this is 'cause quality is a nightmare. Also I am not alone in labeling him the idiot, except my label is nicer than most. No one who isn't completely miserable where they are is going to apply to move into his department.) So I may well be the only applicant. Keep in mind that with the current economic environment, we are under a total hiring freeze, and all jobs must be filled internally. I know there are scads and scads of really qualified people out there who don't know enough about our company to run for the hills, but we aren't allowed to hire them. This greatly improves my odds of getting this job.
So, if I get it... probably not more money, 'cause as a degreed engineer, I make more than my boss now. But maybe I can negotiate for additional vacation time or something. The chance to do more travel, especially international. Direct management experience.
But, as much as I'd like to, I can't take a new job with them and then bail, so I'd be stuck here for at least another year. Our little department of misfits is NOT a walk in the park to manage, and will probably turn my hair even more grey. I have said, more than once, that if it were my department, I'd clean house, fire everyone and start over. Given the hiring freeze we're under, that isn't going to happen. I'd get to spend scads more time with the idiot. Oh joy. Of course, with the asshole leaving, that's going to happen anyway.
If I don't get it, I will have a new boss. As they are opening it up to international candidates, my new boss will almost certainly be German. He'll come in and change everything. I hate change. *sigh*
It'll be interesting to see how this works out. The asshole is a VERY political creature. He's quite charismatic, he's been in this area longer, and knows everyone, and made it pretty clear to people that they could be friends with him... or with me. It's one of the reasons that I remain so alone here. Now that he's out of my department, that may change. Of course, if you're the sort to be influenced by that sort of thing, we're probably not going to be that close, but it would be nice to be invited to the parties and things that pretty much everyone else in the factory gets invited to attend.
Another interesting tidbit - I told the idiot (during our two hour car trip aka bonding expedition the other day) that I was perfectly willing to go to overseas on assignment for the company. He was surprised by this, since the asshole told him that I wasn't. *sigh* Sabotage at every turn. So the seeds have been sown there too.
Wish me luck, and stay tuned for whichever direction I float in next...
In high school, I was considered "gifted" and therefore was allowed to participate in the Governor's Summer Institutes for the Gifted and Talented. They were summer camps ranging from 1 to 3 weeks long at various colleges around Ohio, each specializing in a different topic. I applied to Shawnee University's program to become certified in scuba. I was rejected for that, but they put me into the engineering program. Of course, I went anyway. A week at a college far from home and parents at sixteen? I will study anything you want me to, just let me go. When I got there, I learned that every single one of the 40 of us in the engineering camp had applied for scuba and were put into the engineering labs instead. We got intensive four hour lectures followed by two hour labs, homework, and quizzes the next day. The scuba kids played in a pool all damn day. I still firmly believe it was a trick. They didn't really need my math scores for scuba, did they? Of the 12 or so people I stayed in contact with, every single one of us ended up going into engineering in college. Coincidence? I think not.
My first "real" job came about because of a random post on a cross-stitching forum... something along the lines of, "I can fix this, I'm an engineer dammit." And one of my online friends replied back that she was hiring engineers, what sort of engineer was I? Several hours of interviews and a personality test later, I had a real job as a junior supplier quality engineer. I've been in supplier quality ever since.
So, yeah, no grand plan. I just bumble along, and so far, it's mostly turned out okay.
Well, the winds of change are blowing again and I'm not sure what to do about it, so my plan is to go with the flow and see what happens.
My boss (or, as I call him, the asshole) has taken a new job. Starting on October 1, he will be production manager in our factory. Also on October 1, his job will be posted. I don't really want it, but I can't think of anyone who is even as qualified as I am, and if I don't go for it, I have no right to complain over whomever the next person is. So, I'm going to go for it.
I've told my boss' boss (aka the idiot) that I'm going for it, and while he is hard to read, my odds may be better than I thought. I really thought that, since the idiot and the asshole hate me, I have no shot. But, the idiot informed me that he wants me to go to the next global meeting for my department - which is the job of the lead engineer, which is the job opening.
I pretty much have to apply - I can't complain that there's no room for advancement in the company and then not go for the one and only opportunity likely to come up. Also, it's the next logical step in my career, and will get me management experience, which always helps when looking for the next job. I have no idea if I'll get it - the idiot told me that he never gets many applications for jobs. (Partly, this is 'cause quality is a nightmare. Also I am not alone in labeling him the idiot, except my label is nicer than most. No one who isn't completely miserable where they are is going to apply to move into his department.) So I may well be the only applicant. Keep in mind that with the current economic environment, we are under a total hiring freeze, and all jobs must be filled internally. I know there are scads and scads of really qualified people out there who don't know enough about our company to run for the hills, but we aren't allowed to hire them. This greatly improves my odds of getting this job.
So, if I get it... probably not more money, 'cause as a degreed engineer, I make more than my boss now. But maybe I can negotiate for additional vacation time or something. The chance to do more travel, especially international. Direct management experience.
But, as much as I'd like to, I can't take a new job with them and then bail, so I'd be stuck here for at least another year. Our little department of misfits is NOT a walk in the park to manage, and will probably turn my hair even more grey. I have said, more than once, that if it were my department, I'd clean house, fire everyone and start over. Given the hiring freeze we're under, that isn't going to happen. I'd get to spend scads more time with the idiot. Oh joy. Of course, with the asshole leaving, that's going to happen anyway.
If I don't get it, I will have a new boss. As they are opening it up to international candidates, my new boss will almost certainly be German. He'll come in and change everything. I hate change. *sigh*
It'll be interesting to see how this works out. The asshole is a VERY political creature. He's quite charismatic, he's been in this area longer, and knows everyone, and made it pretty clear to people that they could be friends with him... or with me. It's one of the reasons that I remain so alone here. Now that he's out of my department, that may change. Of course, if you're the sort to be influenced by that sort of thing, we're probably not going to be that close, but it would be nice to be invited to the parties and things that pretty much everyone else in the factory gets invited to attend.
Another interesting tidbit - I told the idiot (during our two hour car trip aka bonding expedition the other day) that I was perfectly willing to go to overseas on assignment for the company. He was surprised by this, since the asshole told him that I wasn't. *sigh* Sabotage at every turn. So the seeds have been sown there too.
Wish me luck, and stay tuned for whichever direction I float in next...
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
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