Coming Out of Hibernation

Well, actually I haven't been hibernating at all. Instead, I have been working on a number of projects and planning for this year's potting season. The new flyers will soon go to the printer. I hope to get that mailing out by late March or early April, so if you are on my mailing list, watch for it!

If you aren't on my mailing list and would like to be, you can send an email to office@lowellhillpottery.com and I will be sure to add you. Don't worry, you won't get inundated with junk mail. At most, I send out two mailing each year.

Yet another way to stay in touch is currently under development. Plans are underway to develop an e-newsletter through Constant Contact. This will allow customers to receive news and (yes) occasional promotional specials in their email once in a while. That letter is also expected to go out only a couple times each year, but a lot will have to do with what you the customer wants.

So that's the administrative side of things. What has been happening? Well...

Winter in Maine is rumored to be a cold, snowy experience. It wasn't this year. We did have cold weather, and there was even some occasional snow, but it was generally mild. Mind you, there was enough chill in the air to keep me away from the studio. Regardless of how warm it seems, the pipes have to stay drained if there is any chance of freezing. So there you are.

The tile project has progressed nicely. I am in hopes that the first edition of the Maine Lighthouse tiles will be out this summer. Each step of the way has its challenges, and right now, it's the glaze firing and overall shrinkage issues that need addressing. Those are fairly minor, though.

A new tile design is under development as well. These will feature geometric and natural designs for use in wall and table panels. More on this when I have designs worked out.

And of course, the Rowantrees reproduction line - arguably the star of the show - will take center stage. I have been working on and fine tuning glaze formulas over the winter. That's a job that is never completed because raw materials change from time to time and those changes have to be compensated for. As Sheila Varnum once told me, there is always a mystery to solve in this business. To me, that's part of its allure.

There were other developments over the winter. Some good, some not so good. That's essentially what they call life. In the not so good department, a couple of machines that I had been using at the Rowantrees facility were removed by a junk removal guy. One of those was the old rock grinder. It was used to grind the granite used in the glazes. There are other ways to grind granite and I have plenty done up ahead, so this wasn't all that much of a blow. Besides, the old grinder really was pretty worn out. Still, it was an historic piece of machinery made by the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company (better known as 3M) way back in the 1030s. I would wager that parts were still obtainable for it but they would have cost more than the machine itself. So when it comes to the granite, it's ball milling from here on in.

Less good was the loss of the pug mill. Through a misunderstanding, the junk guy - who apparently didn't understand, "Don't take this!" dismantled the pug mill and removed it. While I wasn't planning on taking it with me (although my resolve was weakening), I was still using it. It's difficult to operate a production pottery without a pug mill if you value your wrists.

But on the good side, a friend nee benefactor who believes in this project has decided to gift a new pug mill to me. We are currently in discussion on how that will work. It's not going to be possible to replace the machine that was removed, but it won't be necessary to do so. I'll post a picture of the new mill when it is in place.

Also on the plus side is the removal of the old filter press. This was beyond saving, really, and was the actual reason the junk guy was there. Its removal has made for a lot more room.

There is still a lot to do to get the studio ready for this season. I will spend most of April just cleaning. It's amazing how much dust settles in just a few months. I will be away on my first actual vacation in three years in May, and then I will return with sleeves rolled up and ready to go.

But no matter where I am or what I'm doing, my web site is up and available for ordering. And I will be checking mail and messages frequently.

My plans are ambitious but realistic for this my third year in operation. I look forward to seeing you!

The Registry is Now Open!

The long winter's nap is going to be coming to a close sooner than we might expect. At least I certainly hope so. It has been a relatively mild winter, which just makes it more frustrating because it's still too cold to work in the studio. Just not by all that much!

So what to do in the meantime? Well...

I have started a Gift Registry for one thing. Currently it is aimed generally at weddings, but there is no reason to restrict it to that. And it's pretty simple to use both for those giving and receiving gifts. Here is how it works (I'm using the example of a wedding for ease and clarity):

Those wishing to register at Lowell Hill Pottery can download the Lowell Hill Pottery Gift Registry form. The form is in PDF format and can be filled out right on a computer - although the data can not be saved. It can also be printed and filled out by hand.

The completed form is then mailed to Lowell Hill Pottery along with a set-up fee of $30. Techies who wish may print, scan and mail their completed form if they wish and send the set-up fee separately.

Once the form is received, a special web page will be posted with a complete listing of all the items desired. A link to the site will be sent to the contact for the wedding party that can then be sent along to guests, friends and family members.

Anyone navigating to the link will find the complete list and links to the specific products chosen. They can then purchase on the site, by phone or by email. As items are purchased, they will be removed from the party's registry page to avoid duplication.

Every effort will be made to deliver all purchased gifts in time for the event. If an item can not arrive in time, a certificate will be delivered detailing the nature of the gift, who sent it, and when we expect it to arrive.

People wishing to register with Lowell Hill Pottery should do so no less than two months prior to the date of the event. The further ahead the planning, the better able we will be to meet your expectations.

t'Aint Neither...

Well, as far as weather is concerned, I guess seasons are a little confused in these parts this year. It is almost November 30, and although the furnace is running as I write, it isn't having to work all that hard. Temperatures are into the 50s still. Colder weather is predicted, but not that much colder.

I'm not complaining.

The holiday season should arrive on time regardless of weather, though. With that in mind, I have added a complete list of all inventory currently available from Lowell Hill Pottery. Check out the Lowell Hill Pottery Inventory Page. Most items currently available are in the less expensive range too. Simplified gift giving is but a click away!

Stay warm and safe. More later on.

'Tis the Season

It's Thanksgiving Day and I'm doing just what I promised myself I would do. I'm kicking back, relaxing and snuggling with my cat. I have been putting DVDs into the player one after another and generally taking it easy for the day.

I think I deserve it. This past season was quite an experience. Business picked up somewhat stronger than I anticipated - which is a good thing. I'm ahead of where I thought I'd be, but to put that into perspective, I didn't think I'd do a whole lot. This is only year two of a start-up after all. But it's encouraging to know that Rowantrees customers are finding me.

We have finally seen snow of a rather serious nature and the temperatures, while still very mild for this time of the year, have started to act less predictably and have dipped into the 20s on occasion. So I had the pipes drained out and figured I would stop production for the winter. Then I got an order. And then another one. And yet a third.

So back in I went - carrying water in buckets so that I could glaze. I didn't mind at all even though it really was getting cold. But now that those orders are finished and on their way, I really do have to call it for this winter. My hands really suffered from working in water under the cold conditions.

I do have a good deal of pottery available and will be putting up an inventory list on the web site over the weekend. This will show exactly what I have right now and in what colors in case anyone wishes to place an order. I can certainly go in, pack something and then send it out. Believe me, it's no problem. I just can't throw or glaze anything until the weather warms up again.

I fired an entire kiln of Ducks Head and Moss Agate this week. Remember what I said about having to learn about Ducks Head (or any glaze for that matter) once it is formulated? Well... I have pretty well mastered the Ducks Head and Turquoise combination. Combining Ducks Head with Moss Agate is another matter entirely. I got what I needed to get out of the kiln, and those pieces look lovely. But a lot of the rest of it will be found on the "Irregulars" shelf next summer. Once the weather warms up again, the tweaking and learning will begin. That's how it goes.

For the coming months, I will be working again on the tile project. I had to suspend work on that to build my stock at the pottery. I started from nothing on that this year once I decided that I could not use the old Rowantrees bisque stock. The labor to replace all of that pottery was pretty intense but that was where the demand was.

Now I can shift gears and work at home. I purchased a small wheel and am putting a bench together for that. The tile press is being liberated from a summer's worth of junk mail and assorted tools, and the extruder will come home again this season so that I can make more napkin rings.

It all sounds like a plan.

The Return of Ducks Head

I have been waiting a long time to make this announcement...and so have many of you. Ducks Head Black is finally back. It has taken a lot longer than I thought it would to reformulate this incredible combination of black, silver, green, blue and iridescence. First it was too black, then it was too green, then it was too iridescent. If I got all of these qualities in balance, the glaze wouldn't suspend well or wouldn't apply well or wouldn't form a solid coating when raw. Potters don't judge a glaze solely on its fired appearance and that can make the road a long one indeed.

And it's premature to suggest that I have reached th end of that road on this one. in fact, every glaze I have formulated will be in the "tweaking" stage for a long time to come. That is no less true of Ducks Head. In addition, this particular glaze is very finicky with regard to application. Like Heather Blue, there is a fine line between too thin and too thick. Experience and practice will take care of that.

Of course, the cruel irony in that is the fact that the cold weather is rapidly approaching. As I write this, we are having our first snow storm. Check out the date on this post. We do expect things to get better for the next week or so, but I'm getting the hint. It will be time to shut down the studio and drain the water pipes very soon. To compensate, I'm doing as much glazing in Ducks Head and Ducks Head & Turquoise as I can so that I can have at least a modest stock of items. I'll be focusing on mugs and other small items.

When I do close the studio for the season, I'll be posting a complete inventory list on the web site so that people cans ee what is available in the off season. In addition, I'll be working in my home studio producing some items as well.

It's time to go back to the tile project now.

Coming up: Building a new studio in 2012...?

In Time for the Holidays!

The Web outage didn't last long, but someone did have to push a Big Red Button to get things squared away. Honestly, software that likes to add irrelevant bits and pieces without consulting me just boggles my mind.

But enough of technical woes. The web site is functioning just fine now thanks to the folks at DailyRazor.com.

I'm very pleased to announce that the Cutout Candle Holder is available just in time for the Holiday season. I have made a limited run of these popular candle holders in the new Evergreen glaze and they are expected to sell quickly.

The Cutout Candle Holder was originally created by Sheila Varnum at Rowantrees as a means of salvaging pint pitchers that had not survived the trimming process. Occasionally the spout would split making the pitcher impossible to complete. If that happened, Sheila would cut the top portion of the pitcher off and cut designs out of the side. The evergreen tree design was the most popular and gives off the most light even from a small candle.

As with all my products, these holders are made one at a time by hand. The tree images are cut out freehand. Each piece is unique and the new Evergreen glaze is eye-popping.

This edition is available in the Evergreen glaze only. If you are interested, they are $35 each or a pair for $60. You can order them on the Lowell Hill Pottery web site.

Next item up for discussion: Announcing the new Ducks Head glaze!

The Web Site is Down...Temporarily

And only temporarily. Technical glitches happen just like...that other thing that happens now and then. This morning, I discovered that my web site turned into an "INTERNAL SERVER ERROR" some time during the night. A support ticket has been generated and I expect the problem will be corrected pretty quickly. The hosting service I use is generally very responsive to these issues.

My apologies if this problem is inconveniencing you. The email address is working, so you can contact me at office@lowellhillpottery.com if you need anything.

Of course, things like this choose the worst possible times to happen. I am just about to announce that Ducks Head Black is FINALLY back! I will detail that one in the next post along with an announcement of a holiday special.

Then there is the matter of my Established Customer discount program. I'm putting the final touches on that one and will announce it in the next week or so. So keep an eye on this blog. Things are in motion!