One out one in. Feeling pretty tired today although I have kneaded up another load of clay and made just one 6lb Pancheon type bowl and slipped a couple more flower pots. Bisc firing just finished, off to bed.

Today's pots including a nice tankard made by Mr Fitch, cheers Doug good to have a waffle earlier too. It's so nice to have my kiln back and be starting to see some finished pots coming through. I quite like the feathered slip it will be something I take a bit further I think. As you can see from the pic my kiln is on again I have a bisc on the go. I need to start planning my loads a little better so I get more pots in. Most of the bowls I make have to go on the top layer as I cannot get stilts around them so one takes up a whole shelf, it could be done better I think. I have some reclaim clay that is just about ready to knead so must crack on.

A good start to the week, more glazing to do tomorrow so new pots again on Weds then Friday and probably Sunday too.......nice, oh and i'm going to make some more flower pots as well, and work a sixty hour week, now where's that coffee!

My Kiln is fixed now, here are the pots that only got to about 600c when the kiln gave up, they went through ok this time and are fine. The little mug and bowl are made from the Hollyford clay I dug up. I have another glaze firing to open tomorrow which has cooled down to about 300c now which I sneaked a peak at and they look nice, I could see some of the slip trailing which looks interesting. Can't wait to get home from work already! Had a go at some plant pots today of various weights of clay. Nice to have my kiln back, time to crack on again.

The slip trailing works better if I do it as quickly as I comb pots. No problems with shakey hands or maybe they are just not as visible! Have been pretty busy at work with a few big new accounts starting up and a slight change of area, which means slightly less mileage but more ££££'s. Nice, i'm going to need it as clay is running low as are glazes. I'm not sure I am entirely happy with this mix of clay and sand, it could do with a heavier grog in it for me. The kiln man is coming out next Thursday so my little sis is going to let him in as I will be at work. (Thanks Dee). It's going to be an interesting time getting these pots fired as there is alot of new decoration ideas and techniques in there (as well as the combing!) and it's going to be fun seeing what works for me. I am going to try some garden pots Andrew and I like the combing idea so will give it a go, thanks. Exciting to hear about your new kiln too Hannah and I think you are right about the mistakes in a wood fired kiln being your own too, so at least the frustration is going to be from yourself and not at stoopid electric box!

Right then food, bath, bed, zzzz, work!

Check this band from Coventry, just been listening to their album - The Enemy

A few more pots, have not been keeping many pots as my Bloody kiln still hasn't been fixed! It's now nearly a month since it packed up on me, the company I bought it from were meant to come around today but couldn't come in the end. It's getting frustrating now and the piles of pots stacked on one another are getting unsafe. Apart from that as is good. Tig is putting the finishing touches on her new website with proper online ordering and I am going to put a few pots on there for sale too. I feel weird about selling my pots as to me they are just a bunch of faults to pick at but I need to get over that and give it a go. She sells lovely unusual plants and is trying to get that off the ground and make it a full time occupation, we both want nothing more than to be employed by us! My Dad is going to let me build a woodfired kiln in his garden, I have had my nose in Joe Finch's kiln construction book for the past week or so and am keen to get it started, I would like to build a 30ish cubic feet downdraught kiln. I haven't a clue yet how much materials will cost but that's the next job. Are you sure you know what you have let yourself into dad?!? I'm not sure I have but I can't wait to light that first Firebox up! Thankyou.

Happy potting!