WillowAK Pottery

Congratulations to Vicki Grimes, winner of a $100 gift certificate to Willow Creek Studio!  The temp was low, but the spirits high during the tour of studios on Saturday. Good to see those of you who ventured out, and thanks for doing so. It was a beautiful, cold day! Hope you enjoyed shopping and socializing with us, and that you'll come by again when wanting that special gift for or from you!

Tomorrow, Melinda will be setting up the beautiful quilted and wooden pieces that she and Bill, respectively, have been busy making; I can hardly wait to see what they are bringing to display and sell on Saturday. All I know for sure is that the craftsmanship will be outstanding and I'll want to do some shopping myself. I promised to post photos of knitted and felted work that will be available, so here's a look: A variety of knit Christmas stockings for decoration and special gifts from Santa.  These are small and medium socks for small and medium treasures: Little slender sock Medium sock Little chubby sock One table of felted clogs And then there is the clog collection.  These are knit of 100% wool -- mostly Icelandic Lopi, some Bartlett yarn from Maine,  Ecological Wool from Peru, Lamb's Pride (with a bit of mohair) from U.S., and Dale of Norway yarn.  Love it all! Some of the clogs are classically simple, others jazzed up with felted embell...

Well, some flowers blossomed near his hooves and he was clearly glazed with a clear glaze. Here he is...with a couple of new friends. Didn't get much in the way of suggestions from the blog readers, so went with clear and will try the grey, sage, or blue transparent glaze over another moose in the future. This is the final kiln of work for the Holiday Tour in Willow on Saturday, Nov. 14.  If you've not seen a flyer with details, stop at Willow Creek Studio at mile 69.5 of the Parks Hwy  on Saturday and they'll fill you in.  We sent flyers to past participants and published/posted them at Willow's E-Breeze, Post Office, Library, etc.  Those who know where the three studios are located may start at any one of them, but be sure to visit all three to be part of the door prize drawing.  Yes,  it is a $100 gift certificate to spend at Willow Creek Studio!! Bowls to hold yarn -- for those who knit and crochet. When you look at them from ...

Hello again.  I promised to post images of some pottery available here during the Nov. 14 Holiday Tour of Art Studios in Willow.  Here are some pieces with personality from a recent kiln. This pair of matching butter dishes is already spoken for, but I wanted to show you the fancy foot of stars.  One never knows what you may find on the bottom of a pot.  Many potters think the person washing dishes deserves a surprise every once in awhile.  Many unique butter dishes are still available. The mug rack is well populated for the tour. Three new nativity sets have been made. Moose and fish ornaments are in good supply. Will be personalized with names if you like. Still deciding on a glaze strategy for the fish platter.  Kay's cloche with other pieces just unloaded. Looking more attractive dressed in Floating Blue! A BIG black bowl along with serving and yarn bowls. Some favorite glaze combinations  I've collected more...

Yes, we've been busy making new work and thought we'd share some images of what you'll see here during the Willow Holiday Tour of Art Studios. Today it's a look at some of the wooden and quilted items by the Dales.  What wonderful, unique, handmade, one-of-a kind gifts! Bill's beautiful cutting boards and earring racks:     Melinda's been busy creating and quilting in her lovely sewing room -- wall hangings, mug mats, and other delightful treasures:     Also, a public THANKS to Bill for building Art Tour signage that will lead you to the WillowAK Pottery Studio during the Holiday Tour.  Starting at Willow Creek Parkway and the Parks Hwy, you'll be guided to the studio location on Shirley Lake.  Some folks requested signage to help confirm they were on track;  please let us know if the signs are helpful!   Coming next will be a look at some pottery as well as at knit and fel...

Last week a dozen folks tried their hand at working with clay -- six in the morning and a different six in the afternoon.  This was a Willow Garden Club activity, so vase making was on the agenda -- with experimentation beyond that form.  Some pinched their pots, others coiled them, and most rolled slabs of porcelain and constructed with, altered, and embellished those slabs. One participant, who had done wheel-throwing some forty years ago gave the wheel a spin to see if she remembered how to do it.  She did!   The pieces are in the kiln for their first firing, and glaze selections were left with me during the workshop.  Eventually, participants will see how their creations survived the process. I think it's fair to say we all had a good time with the porcelain and one another.   When there are some finished pieces to share, you'll see them here -- without names attached. Does it look like a good time?  You be the judge.  Sure hope ...

Here is the tour sheet you'll want to take along as you travel from studio to studio.  Click the sheet to enlarge it, and then print a copy for your use. Be sure you get the sheet "stamped" at each of the three studios to verify that you have visited all three; leave the sheet at any of the studios once it has all three stamps. The tour is self-guided.  Start and end where you would like, take your time, and enjoy the excursion! Light refreshments ... beautiful works ... a unique shopping and social opportunity in Willow!    We look forward to seeing you on Nov. 14!

A favorite message, mystery author, was discovered in our laundry room not long ago. Thanks to whichever grandson(s) left it: The grandson's call me Winnie ... if you're wondering. On to the pottery news and views. Unloaded a glaze kiln this morning, so 'tis time to show some sample work.  All images should enlarge so you can see details. Small casserole or covered butter dish; with berry embellishment Large serving bowl with leaf motif ... 11" wide Large covered casserole/baking dish about 10.5" wide Two serving dishes  - blue and white Yarn bowls - with birds and berries More yarn bowls by popular demand And even more yarn bowls Covered bowls -- veggies? butter? or whatever you'd like A couple of vases and a leaf dish Small bowls and a leaf dish Moose and trees  for the wall, light cord, Christmas tree, or ? Batter bowls in a blue and white combo Medium fish, dimensional fish, jumping fish...