Hobby Time

Now it is hobby time. This week, John is beginning a project, making santas for me and our grandchildren.



These will be different figures from the ones he made last year.



Since we arrived in Mesa, he has already completed three diamond willow walking sticks. Aren't they beautiful?





I've been doing a lot of on-line genealogy, but yesterday I changed my focus and took a class to make a puzzle pot in the pottery studio. To make the pots, you put pieces of clay inside a mold.



I chose a small mold because of our space limitations in the RV. Pieces of clay are shaped, then put inside the mold. Some pots are solid, others have spaces between the pieces.



Here are both sides of the mold filled with my clay pieces.



Next, the molds are put under lights and warmed with hair dryers so the clay inside will dry enough to shrink away from the mold. We started at 9 am and by 11 am my pot was drying.



After lunch, I returned to the studio and removed the mold. Here is the pot, waiting to bee smoothed and cleaned.



We learned how to make clay roses. then I tried to copy a pot I saw in the studio. I added a bow and the rose. Everything shrinks about 1/3 as the pot dries and is fired. It will be interesting to see if everything goes together and is on the same scale after it is fired.



It was a fun day and I plan to make another one soon, before I forget how to do it. Our instructor, Holly, was excellent. She not only taught us how to make the pots, she showed us lots of other techniques and ideas. I really enjoyed it.