Its been a long time since I last did a blog. When ever you are busy and have lots to show - you have less time to talk about it. The sun has been shiny and and the flowers have all come out. My front garden looks beautiful.I have planted andd weeded and watered my little socks off.
The lawn has grown buttercups. I dont mow this lawn until July and let all of the flowers self seed. It looks great in May but a bit tatty by the end of the summer. It is great for bugs and frogs.
My giant alliums are in flower. Thalia planted these last winter and forgot that they were there. She was really suprised by the size of them
I have also made a lot of pots but I have been struggling with a temperamental kiln. The glaze was not right and I kept getting a problem with crawling, much to my annoyance . Ive added more lead to the mix - assuming that I must have measured incorrectly.
Today the kiln did horrible things to a large order. I think an element or two has gone. The top of the kiln is underfired - horrible yellow chewy glaze and crawled / beaded all over.
Today the kiln did horrible things to a large order. I think an element or two has gone. The top of the kiln is underfired - horrible yellow chewy glaze and crawled / beaded all over.
On the bottom shelves the pots are toasted. black ladybirds and fried frogs. The glaze is blistered and bubbly. It probably means I have been needlesly messing about with my glaze.
My usual colours are all toasted.
At least I know that it is a 'Kiln' problem now and I can call out the repair man. Im afraid I am not technical or brave enough to tackle kiln electrics on my own.
Some were worse than others. This one was in the middle of the kiln and a bit runny, but may be ok as a second.
And this pea jug was fine - on the middle shelf again.So I retrieved a couple of things but the rest was really a right off.
So in a sulky mood I went down to the allotments and did digging - guarenteed to cheer me up a bit on the worst days. I found this chap amongst the potatoes. He is a newt hanging out in the cool mud. Newts are easy to photograph as they are too stupid to run away.
At the beginning of the week I took my girls and Baby Harley to the Sea Life Centre in Birmingham. Harley can now do fish impressions. So life 's still pretty good despite the irritation. Ill just have to get back to the grindstone for a while.
your garden looks beautiful as always. Thats rubbish about the firing, hope you sort it out, the kiln man is a fine chap, has poorly thumbs though!Save me the frog bowl if no one else is after it, I feel i am destined to own one eventually!
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Beautiful garden, Mary, such a shame about the gone wrong firings, hope it's sorted soon.
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