Moving in!!!

Finally!!!

OMG - It's starting to look like a Studio!!!

Disclaimer: I'm on the Netbook - in the studio - so I assume no responsibility for fat-finger spelling errors!

So the Big Studio Project "officially" started on January 15, right? That's when I went to "look" at sheds and started clearing the building site...

May 8 - The Studio is "mostly done!" Jeez - I had *no* idea it would take this long!!!

It's not "completely" done yet b/c I haven't finished painting Artsy Fartsy Sh*t on the Kiln Korner wall, nor attached the heat-shields to the walls, nor dragged the kiln in - yet. But I have got Studio Furniture (including the Slab-Roller) set-up, so The Studio is "functional!"

Good thing, too, because production has come to a screeching halt. And I've got to have some bisque-ware ready for the Potter's Council Workshop in less than 2 weeks!

So, I dragged my slab-roller in, and excavated a set of shelves from our Storage Shed and set 'em up in the Backyard Studio today (Yay!). I'm glad I took/posted all those pictures *during* construction because I have officially *lost* beach-access now!!!

I knew the shed was gonna end up shrinking! *sigh*

Anyway... The whole idea behind The Studio and my Ceramic Arts Krep is that it's *supposed* to be all Stress-Free and Relaxing, right?! So why am I freaking out about getting the studio *completed* and cranking out new projects?! Well, I paid a handsome sum of cash for the Potter's Council Weekend in Temple, Texas. And I need to have some bisque-ware ready for a "demo" of Saggar Firing (something I've already done!). Nevertheless, I do want to "get my money's worth" out of it, so I *did* want to bring some suitable bisque-ware.

P felt I should squish-out a vase for the Saggar Demo. And I agree, vases are far more desirable for Saggar-ware. But I just didn't have the patience (or energy!) to squish out a vase today (and whatever-I-make has to be ready for bisque-firing no later than Tuesday - if I want to have it ready for Potter's Council!), so screw it! - I made 9 Drink Coasters today! They're small, ridiculously easy, lightweight, and should travel-well in my "weekender" bag! (Hopefully, no breakage - but that's why I made 9!).

Yep. My first "official" creation in The New Studio was a set of 9 cheesy, no-brainer drink coasters!!!

Drink Coasters: *Yawn!*

But, I made 'em with my newly-set-up slab-roller; Tunes blaring on the Monster-Boom-Box (with Mega-bass that makes the floorboards rattle!); and a fresh, sugar-free Margarita at my side. So I'd have to say that, yes, "Life... Is Good!"

*That's* what it's all about!!!

Garden Update:

Sorry - no pics!

Raised beds are doing great. All plants appear to be fat 'n happy - Yay!

Straw-Bale Bed: I've lost all, but two of the lettucesesesezzzz. I should've kept them planted on the left-hand bales (shady side of the bed). Oh, well! I also lost one (possibly 2) of the sunflowers. And my pumpkin (or one of the squashes - can't tell!) is floundering miserably. The Straw-Bales just don't seem to hold water, so they require a lot of supplemental watering - even though I've had Rog bump-up the watering schedule to 5 mins/twice a day. Fortunately, I seem to generate a lot of water from the shed (A/C unit dumps water into a bucket) so I've been keeping it on "Life Support" for the time-being. We'll have to see how this pans out...

Boating Update:

We hired "Jack the Rigger" to rig up some Lazy-Jacks for Das Boot.

Lazy-jacks, for you non-boatie types, are a series of lines rigged-up to the boom and mast of the boat that help "guide" the mainsail down in a somewhat neat-and-orderly fashion. Typically, when we want to drop the sails, the wind is howling at 25+ knots, and it's kind of difficult to handle a jillion yards of fabric, dropping down on the cabin-top in high winds (and the risk of knocking the skipper overboard in such conditions is rather high!).

See, I remain at the helm, "pointing" the boat "into" the wind (to minimize the blowing of said jillion yards of fabric off to one side). Skipper Rog is on the cabin-top trying to "contain" the sails using bungee cords. All told, it's a messy affair! Lazy-Jacks oughtta minimize the drama!

Dropping the mast

So Jack-the-Rigger showed up and started rigging-up the Lazyjacks while I was down below, attempting to glue the teak-and-holly flooring panels to the floor.

Lazy Jacks, deployed...

Lazy Jacks, stowed

We brought 6 x 2.5 gallon jugs of water to "weigh-down" the floor while the adhesive set.

I can't remember whether I'd blogged about this previously (I probably did!), but I was kinda hoping that the T&H floorboards would "adjust" to their new home after a week aboard. They didn't and they were still somewhat "warped" compared to the fiberglass flooring in the boat.

So I decided to tackle it one floorboard-section at a time. I started with the "forward" floorboard (figuring that one would see less "traffic" overall, since you have to hunch-down like a gnome to walk on it!). I glopped it with a generous amount of adhesive and piled all 6 jugs (120#+) on top of it, hoping the adhesive would "set-up" and the floorboards would conform to the shape of the fiberglass flooring beneath it.

Not sure, yet, if it worked. But I am hopeful.

Anywaaaaaayyyy... All told, it was ANOTHER friggin' busy weekend!