Sandy Kreyer

More New Stuff!

2012-01-31T18:40:00.000-08:00

I am taking advantage of the warmer weather and working away.

I am frantically making new pottery for my Home Show on February 19th. Here are some photos of new pieces that I just finished that are being added to etsy.

The Continuing Saga of the Refugee Dogs

2012-01-22T20:09:00.000-08:00

My dogs got out twice today. Dave digs a hole under the fence and gets his skinny little nose between the rebar that has been pounded in place under the chain link. Then Layla takes over and makes her escape...but today I was vigilant, interrupting my work. It was too quiet out there so I checked on them and caught the act! I spent lots of time filling in holes and pounding in more rebar. Layla knows she is bad, she hides under my bed. Dave is wholly unrepentant and thinks it is his right to dig, maybe it is. Stella is the police, when they are caught, she tries to punish them. What a scene.

I finished painting a load of pots today and will fire the kiln tomorrow. I wanted to throw some "butter boxes" today.(my teller at the bank is from England and requested I make one!) I made five and will finish the lids and knobs for them tomorrow. I also threw 2 platters and I hope the will not freeze and crack.

I have been helping my handyman paint my cabin. It is 90% done. Yippee! I never want to paint trim again. I don't like that kind of painting. But, I painted a "mural" on the inside of the dungeon door...a bird on a branch. There are no windows in the studio so perhaps this will make it seem there is one.

I have not left the house for days now, so don't have any wide world news. Except my sister Cathleen bought a new Subaru Forester . I have not seen it yet and I want to go for a ride!

Valentines Day.....Seeing Red

2012-01-19T08:00:00.000-08:00

I have been working tirelessly in the dungeon making new pottery in preparation for Valentines Day. Working in the cold temperatures has proven difficult. It take me 2 to 3 times as long to make a pot because the clay takes so long to dry now.

As you search for Valentines gifts remember that red roses are beautiful but will only last about a week. Pottery with red roses is also beautiful but will last a life time. Treat yourself or a loved one to a one of a kind piece of pottery. Thanks for looking!

Click on photos to be taken straight to the listing!

NEW STUFF!

2012-01-14T12:49:00.000-08:00

In my last post I told you about all the pitchers I was making. So here are some pictures of my new pitchers, lidded jars, spoon jars and other pieces that are now out of the kiln. I hope you like them! All of these are available on my etsy page.

HOME SHOW

2012-01-10T06:36:00.000-08:00

My first show of the year will be a Home Show. It will once again be at my Daughter Carly and son-in-law Aaron's house in Long Beach.

February 19th
10 am to 3pm
6808 E Mantova St.
Long Beach, Ca 90815

Show will take place in the backyard. Just come on back.

If you have questions email me at sandykreyer@aol.com

Hope to see you there!!

Check back regularly for more upcoming show dates and to find out what I am up to.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-05T11:42:00.000-08:00

2012! I have been frantically making pottery. I don't know why except maybe because the weather is good? It is 70 degrees here in Crestline, but I can't tell. It is still very cold in the dungeon.

I had to re-make a pitcher for a customer because unfortunately the handle broke during the shipping process, so I have been making all kinds of pitchers. Big, tiny, tall, skinny, short, and fat. I'm having fun! I also am making cups and all, as well. Just a busy bee.

I have also spent quite a lot of time raking leaves! With the hurricane winds we had a few weeks ago, seems like my cabin is a leaf magnet. All the oaks are bare and I know where the leaves went. I have filled at least 12 bags and haven't made a dent.

I am also starting to paint the cabin. It has not been painted in what looks like 50 years! But weather, etc. may be the cause. I am starting on the bottom parts that I can reach, and will hire someone for the ladder work. No way am I getting on a two story ladder! I chose a brown color to blend with the surrounding area. Maybe someday I will paint it red....

I am just now deciding which shows to do in the coming year, and will have a list soon. Meanwhile, if you are ever on the mountain here, I have my work at Timberline in the Glen, a store in Cedar Glen and of course on etsy.

Merry Christmas and Thank You to all!

2011-12-22T15:05:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!

I want to thank all of my faithful customers and friends for their support this year. I appreciate it more than I can say. I know this has been another tough year, but we made it!

Today here in the mountains it is COLD! Big surprise. It is sunny and beautiful, but the wind is so cold it takes the enamel off your teeth. I went to Trader Joes (down the mountain) this morning with my sister Cathy. It was pleasant weather in Redlands, where she likes to shop. When I got home I was freezing! Thought I would just snuggle inside today. But my dog Layla dug under the fence (again) and I had to round her up. I also had to fix the hole. By the time I was finished, I was done. It is just too cold.

I didn't work today, didn't even go down to the dungeon. Maybe tomorrow if the wind stops. I really miss being able to work all day every day if I choose. I really like making pottery.

I hope you all have wonderful Holidays!

Sandy

Poor Chicks!

2011-12-08T15:54:00.000-08:00

December already! Another year flies by.

I am getting ready for my last show of the year, in San Francisco. I leave tomorrow to drive up there. I hate driving!

It takes me 7 or 8 hours to get there from her in Crestline. I will arrive at the Concourse Exhibition Center around 11 am. I will set up my both, which takes about 2 hours, perhaps a bit more. Then I will drive back down to San Bruno to my hotel and collapse, get ready for Saturday. Sounds fun? As I get older it has become something I sort of dread doing.

I went out to the dungeon this morning to check on the pots I made. Some were dry enough for me to clean up the bottoms and sign them. I did that to 10 coffee cups and had to stop. The pots were so cold it hurt to touch them! This is unexpected. I can no longer mindlessly make pottery! I have to think about freezing my hands off. Everything takes longer than what I am used to. So, I came in the house to do laundry and pack my bag. I never know what to take so I take everything. My truck must weigh 2 tons when I leave. Hopefully it will weigh much less on the return trip : ) .

My neighbors have (had) chickens! Apparently a bear ripped the fence open and the chicks got out. I found one yesterday in the street and returned her. When I went into the backyard, my dogs had found another. Needless to say, that one didn't make it. Very sad, bad dogs!

My daughter Carly and her husband Aaron are coming up here while I am gone, to feed the beasts and hopefully fix the fence where dogs are escaping. I hope they find no more chicks!

Cold, cold weather.....and stuff

2011-11-21T14:27:00.000-08:00

Some background, so you know why I am so surprised with the weather..
I moved to Crestline from my home in Long Beach last June. I had lived in Long Beach my entire life (with short exceptions). Long Beach has an average temperature of 72 degrees all year. I had never experienced a major change of seasons. Crestline, being at 4500 feet in the San Bernadino Mountains, has seasons. I am living through Fall now. It is beautiful, all the leaves dropping and the smell of wood fires in the air. It is way colder than I am used to. I had to buy long underwear!!! Last night, it was supposed to snow but did not, at least here in the Valley of Enchantment (where my cabin is).

Because I am used to even weather, I am having trouble with my pots drying. It is much dryer here, so I have to cover pottery with plastic so it does not dry too fast. When it is really cold, I guess I have to put a heater in the Dungeon (my studio has earned this nick-name) so pots will not freeze when drying. I found this out when I threw 10 dinner plates and 6 of them cracked all the way across! I was stunned! I hope I can figure out how to dry them successfully soon...this gets expensive! My hands also freeze. They are always in water, whether throwing pots or painting them. This makes it a little slower going. I can't use (yet) my large gas kiln, there is really nowhere to put it. I am using a very small electric kiln. It works, but I can't make as much pottery as I used to. This frustrates me a little.

My dogs keep digging out of the yard which they never did in Long Beach. I have to stop working and chase them around until they are back in the yard. Stella and Dave have developed a taste for paper and eat my bills...Layla is being very good except when she gets out.

I just finished my HOME SHOW at my daughter Carly and her husband Aaron's home in Long Beach. I had a good show and enjoyed seeing some of my old customers. And I got to spend a day and night with my daughter!!!!!

This Saturday the 26th I will be participating in the 2nd annual Small Business Saturday. This is the first year I have participated. It is an event to promote small businesses encouraging shoppers to shop small and shop local this holiday season. I am offering 10% off all etsy orders on Saturday ONLY. To redeem this offer use coupon code SBS2011 when checking out.

My last show of the year is December 10 and 11 in San Francisco at the KPFA craft fair. I am looking forward to it and then I plan to concentrate on some very big pots!

Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

A Day in the Life of a Potter

2011-11-08T15:37:00.000-08:00

After much thought I have decided to try blogging. I'm not sure where it will go but here goes...

I am recovering from last weekend's show...Contemporary Crafts Market in Santa Monica. This is an amazing show with 250 artists participating. The show promoters (Roy Helms & Associates) are more than wonderful. It is a long weekend (set up on Thursday, then Friday , Saturday & Sunday) and exhausting. It rained, and combined with,the bad economy, just wasn't as pleasant as it could be.

I drove down the mountain on Thursday, set up and then did some errands. I went to Target and bought an electric blanket (my first!). When I finally got home Sunday night (after worrying all weekend that I could not get home because of snow) I was so tired, forgot the blanket in my truck. Sheesh! It was so cold in my bed I couldn't move for fear of hitting a frozen spot. Monday I re-made my bed with the blanket, turned it on, then got in. Paradise! I didn't get out of bed all day! I was finally warm.

I stayed with my daughter, Carly, and her husband Aaron on Thursday night. It was very good to see them and I wish I could see them more often. The other nights I spent with my friends Diane & David. They live closer to the show...one half hour or so, depending on traffic. It was lovely to visit, and they fed me, too!

I woke up this morning , fed the dogs, found 1/2 inch of ice on their water bowl. It freezes???? This is weird. I hate that. It was way colder than it has to be, what's up with that? I went into my studio, and my throwing water was frozen, too. No way am I making pots today. I will do a bisque firing, then glaze and paint tomorrow. The plates I threw last week before leaving cracked, I guess they froze, I have no idea. My work week is much different than I thought it could be. I am not sure I can work in this cold! Maybe I will get used to it, but I think not. I bought some oil paints this morning so at least I can entertain myself. I have never used oils, and as long as they don't freeze, I am looking forward to having a bit of paint-fun.

Other than the cold, I like living in the mountains. It is very quiet, and I rarely drive faster than 30 miles an hour. There is NO traffic. I have dozens of huge pine cones from my trees that I can use as kindling, when I finally decide to start a fire in my fireplace. I just don't sit in the living room much. Now that I have my electric blanket, I will probably read a thousand books in my bed!

Sandy Kreyer Making Pottery.mov

2011-02-21T09:48:00.000-08:00

2011 Show Schedule

2009-10-07T16:57:00.000-07:00

2011

Show Schedule

Home Show
November 19th at Carly and Aaron's in Long Beach.
6808 E Mantova St.
Long Beach 90815
10 am to 3 pm

December10 & 11

Kpfa Crafts Fair

Concourse Exhibition center

San Francisco

10 am to 6 pm
http://www.kpfa.org/craftsfai

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www.sandykreyer.etsy.com

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