Smoked Salmon and Bears

I'm not quite as organized as i'd like to be.  Well, ok, truth be told, I've been playing too much this summer to set up my pottery studio at the house.  I've just been enjoying being outside; landscaping and gardening, working on training our new 2 yr old Golden Retriever, Cotton, going to the lake with Cotton and the paddle boards and riding my bike.

I've been hanging at the house quite a bit recently smoking salmon.  It is sooooooo delicious!  Stu is going to Alaska again in Sept. so I'm smoking the filets we have left from last years adventure.

Our Recipe is really easy!

Smoked Salmon


6 parts brown sugar
1 part salt
1 part lemon pepper
garlic- i don't add any but you could 

Mix it together and roll the salmon chunks in it
Stack in tupperware or other container (this step sucks a lot of water out of the fish so be sure your container holds water and/or line with plastic - i use a trash bag
         bottom row, skin down
         Next row skin up
         keep alternating rows so you have flesh to flesh and skin to skin
Refrigerate for at least 12 hours (I usually do 24 hours)
Quickly rinse and place skin down on a rack(spray cooking spray on the rack first for easier clean up)
let stand 1-3 hours
Smoke!

Fillets take 6 ish hours in our smoker and bellys take 8 hours.

Enjoy!

PS- while I was writing this post and smoking the salmon, a bear came over for a visit.  Boy am I glad Cotton and I had just decided to come in the house about 5 minutes ago!

Wow, what a job it has been cleaning up the studio.  All the equipment has sold, most of the art and craft supplies sold and I'm packing up what is left to either donate to local organizations or take home for my personal use.

I will be working on setting up a small studio at the house, funny how life is- it all started in the garage and I'm excited to start all over again fresh with lots of fun ideas.

Thank you for all your support over the years, the studio could not have made it without you!  It has been heart warming to receive such positive feedback from the community.

See you around!

Teresa

Courage

Each year I pick a single word to go by for the entire year.  This year my word is "Courage".   Courage to play more, make mistakes or to try something new.  Most of all it is the courage to be me.... Or even more to find me.

Moving

Why does everything seem to take longer than planned?  The move to the new location at 11012 Donner Pass Rd. is going well... Stu has been busy painting beautiful, bright colors, all the equipment is at our new home and there are boxes upon boxes ready to be unpacked.

Hope to begin filling the shelves today!

ornaments for Everyone- Pottery Painting

Yesterday I told you about Ornaments for Everyone this weekend (Nov 20 & 21).  In case you would rather paint your ornaments, we have been busy making them out of clay the past few months.

We're adding a snowflake ornament to the mix this year to compliment the others: bear, candy cane, angle, gingerbread people, train, stars, heart and more....

Come by and check it out!

Ornaments for Everyone - Fused Glass

I'm really becoming addicted to glass fusing, the results are always gorgeous. And so easy! 

This weekend the studio is offering ornament making at discount pricing.  Most of the glass is precut and there are plenty of kid friendly projects with no sharp edges.  Here are a few examples of ornament made with "pebbles" which are small, about 1/2" round pieces of glass.

For those more adventurous, we have pre-cut 3" blanks in clear and white for you to go wild and create by layering colored glass on top how ever you wish.  Here are some examples. 

See you this weekend!  Teresa 

(PS- Cherie will be back Wednesday December 3rd at 5:30 pm for another free glass class)

Pottery Paw Prints

Korey wants you to bring your pet to the studio November 14th for a really cute paw print in clay.

Paw Print Pottery Sunday November 14th 11 am - 3 pm

See you and your best friend, Teresa

Gobble, Gobble Kids Class Turkey

We'll be making these adorable turkeys during Kids Wheel Wednesday in November.  Can you guess what trace to make the tail feathers?

Below are some of the October Pumpkins the kids made- I especially like the purple one!

 

Happy Days, Teresa

Clay Creations

"Clay Creations" is what we are calling them....

You can create your own creation

We have tons of fun ideas and can help get you started.  "Clay Creations" include 2 lbs of clay and can be painted the same day.  The clay has to dry before we can fire it so plan on two weeks from the day you come in until your creation will be fired and ready for pick up.

Thursday Morning Drop-in is back!

Thursday Morning Drop-in 10 am - 12:30 am is back for the winter beginning November 4th

See you at the studio!

Teresa

Fused Glass Drop-In with Glass Artist Cherie Keep

Cherie Keep will be at hte studio November 3rd & 10th from 5:30 pm - 8 pm for a free workshop!

No experience needed

During drop-in Cherie will be giving demo's, sharing tips and techniques and giving instruction.  Drop-in is an open studio type event at the studio.  Participants may choose to work on holiday ornaments, plates, bowls, night lights and more....  the cost of supplies varies from $12 to $60 depending upon the project.

Hope to see you at drop-in!  Teresa

Luminaria for Winter in Color

These are so fun and would look great with a candle flickering inside.

Happy Haloween!

Teresa

Cats

Sometimes I miss the studio being at the house...

Some mornings it is so tough to leave...

Oscar, Raku and Delly









Beau (14 yr old, half blind, selectively deaf and can smell a food a mile away.





Once I get to the studio, I am always happy to be there without the distractions of home.

Teresa

Wheel Thrown Pumpkins

Here are a few of the pumpkins I threw on the potters wheel...

Unfortunately the glaze on the little one in front doesn't look as good in the picture as it does in person.  It is a muted, earthtone matte glaze which I am really liking.

Have a great weekend!
Teresa

Luminaria for Winter

It has been a while sine I had been on the potters wheel, I have really missed it and had a wonderful day.

These are about 8" tall and 4" wide

It has been unusually warm this week- about two hours after throwing these, they were dry enough to trim and cut the tree out.... Did not even cheat and put them out in the sun.

Enjoy, Teresa

Pumpkins

I had a really fun time throwing these pumpkins on the potters wheel.  I started with a cylinder, pushed the walls out giving them a rounded shape then squeezing or colloring in the top until the tip top of the walls meshed together creating a closed form.  The form is hallow, filled with air.  It is easy (and super fun) to manipulate it into shape.

Last I cut the lid and put a stem handle on.

Can't wait to see what they look like glazed- I'm thinking of using underglaze.... will post pics when they are done.

Enjoy this fantastic fall!  Teresa

Kids Wednesday Wheel Throwing

Each Wednesday during the school year 3:45 pm - 5:15 pm

I love teaching kids... they pick it up so quickly and are so proud of their results.

Clay Mask

Isn't "Rocky" adorable?

We've always wanted a studio cat...Cory made him for the studio at Convention.  Until he came out of the kiln, she decided to keep him....

Oh well, we will be making more masks this winter...

Dish, Dine, Paint & Wine

This month we will be painting these sweet "Ribbon Platters" at Dish, Dine, Paint & Wine. October 8th at 6 pm

It is so fun, anyone can do it!  Pre-registration required, call the studio at (530)550-7822

Kids, Kids, Kids Kids Art Camp

Kids Art Camp starts up again next week and runs through August.  There are still a few spots left if you are interested in attending.  Camp runs Mon-Fri 9 am - noon.  Daily drop-ins are welcome if there is space available.  We limit class size so all the campers get intimate attention while working on the potters wheel.

Hope to see you- Teresa

New Class Schedule is out!

T Pots Pottery has added classes in fused glass and pottery painting workshops!

Check it out - great fun, exciting new classes and mediums. 

There are still a few spaces left in the Summer Kids Camps in August.  Camp has been so popular, the studio will be offering kids pottery classes starting in September.

Hot Weather, Hot Cat, Hot Kiln

It has been hot, even hotter in the studio the past week.  Many days both kilns have been clicking away which makes the studio really, really hot.

Even my fluffy, long hair cat, Raku is hot.


 




Two kilns???? You may be thinking... Yes,(I say with a big smile).  I got a second kiln a few weeks ago, it is an itty bitty little thing. 

The Paragon Home Artist kiln is only 12" x 12" and plugs into a regular wall plug!  It even has wheels and one of those pull up luggage handles so I can wheel it outside for Raku or move it out of the way when not being used.

My husband, Stu calls it the Easy Bake after the kids play oven.  Adorable, easy and fast!  The new kiln allows me to offer 24 hour turn around on Paint Your Own Pottery and Fused Glass projects.  Oh so fun!

Keep Cool, Teresa

ARTour 2010

ARTour- North Tahoe/Truckee's Annual Open Studio event starts this Friday, July 9th.

You have two weekends to visit the 32 artist studios from Tahoe City to Incline and Truckee.  Come by the studio for your free map or check out the North Tahoe Arts for an online version and more information.

Looking forward to seeing you this weekend!  (Or before to pick up your free ARTour map).

Teresa

Truckee Thursdays

Wow- I could not believe how many people were at Truckee Thursdays last week!  It is definitely the happening event in town.  About a dozen people painted pottery during the evening, most came over the weekend to pick up their masterpieces.



Being that I have Drop-in (open  studio time) Thursdays 5:30 - 8 pm at the studio, Gerri will be there tonight for T Pots Pottery.  Stop at our booth by the Kid Zone to say Hello and paint a piece yourself or come over to the studio and check out the happenings there!

Enjoy your Thursday in Truckee,



Teresa

Tahoe Kids Camp

Another fun week of Kids Pottery/Art Camp started today.  The campers did great!  We spend the majority of time on the potters wheel.  After snack, we handbuilt mushrooms and started our art journals.

I'll try to remember to take some pictures tomorrow.  Another fun morning planned with glass fusing and more time of the wheel.

Teresa

Peace, Love and Pottery Kids Camp

Summer Camp started this week, what a blast we are having so far.  The kids are between 6 and 12 yrs old - are all such characters!

I've been so impressed with how well then all have done on the potters wheel the past two days.  The youngest ones throw standing up since they just can't get close enough to their wad of clay while sitting.  Older kids sit with blocks of wood under their otherwise dangling feet.

Check out what the campers made on the wheel...

 Great stuff!

Today the kids trimmed and painted glaze on their ceramic pieces.  After snack we used glass to make sun catcher peace signs.  The glass is in the kiln now.... stay tuned to see the results!

Teresa

Summer

Summer arrived yesterday... and is leaving again tomorrow.  So sad.  It has been wonderful having the big roll up door open, it is South facing, so the sunshine beams in all day long.  The studio feels so much larger.

With summer comes all sorts of activities, "Truckee Thursday" begins this week.  New this year, Donner Pass Road will be closed off to cars.  Stop at our booth to say "hi". 

The first Raku firing will be this Saturday from 2 - 7 pm at the studio.  It is so exciting!  Probably not an issue this year.... if you are going to Raku fire your own piece of pottery be sure to wear long pants, long sleeve shirt and closed toe shoes.  Using tongs, we take the pottery out of the special Raku kiln when the pieces are around 1500 degrees!  That is hot!

Kids Camp starts next week with a 60's theme- "Peace, Love & Pottery".  I'm so excited, have some really fun projects planned.  This first week, we will be playing in clay, both handbuilding and on the wheel, doing some fused glass and so much more.

And, of course, ARTour, North Lake Tahoe's Open Studio event.  Two weeks of fun are planned July 9-11 & July 16-18.  I'm really looking forward to ARTour this year, with the new studio, I can leave the "working" area as is without to much interruption to production and class schedules.

Lets hope summer comes and stays for a while!

Teresa

Painting Pottery Field Trips

This past week, a second grade class at Incline Elementary and Middle Schoolers at Loyalton painted pottery. 

 A sampling of the 18 ice cream bowls painted by the 2nd Graders at Incline Elementary for their Moms.

 A few of the 8" square plates painted by the 11-13 year olds in Loyalton.  Mr. Fisher spearheaded the project to help the kids release some tension and stress after a long week of STAR testing.

All of the painted pottery turned out beautiful!

Teresa Wik

happy Mothers Day

From all of us at T Pots Pottery

Can't draw

As long as I can remember, I have been uncomfortable with my drawings, even as a kid.  The drawing just never felt right.  Probably why I became a potter. 

I know, I know, I have said it so many times now- Painting pottery is a blast.  This is not just a marketing ploy, I am constantly thinking of different things to paint, searching the web for new techniques and painting at least one piece each day I am at the studio.

Unloaded a kiln today below are some of the pieces which came out.

Flower Plate

Dragon Fly Dish- I tried to blend the leaf colors by dipping the brush in two different colors then twirling the brush while I stroked.  Kinda like patting your head and rubbing your belly at the same time- very difficult.

Tree Sponge Plate- Ok, yeah it was the neighborhood 5 year old who taught me how to paint with a sponge.  I even mastered two different colors!  The tree was fun, maybe a little less coffee before using the fun writer pen.

Off to use the other side of my brain in the Emergency Room.  Easter weekend  and a snow storm, how did I get so lucky?

Happy Easter!

Teresa

Moms Visit- Painting Pottery

I love my Moms company, she is silly, goofy and a lot of fun! 

Mom is my #1 Assistant!  If you have been to an open studio- you know have experienced Cory (aka Dogwood, Gigi).  Along with open studio, Mom helps with glazing, pricing, dusting and thankfully adding cute little touches to the pottery display.

If it were not for all of her help and support (both mentally and physically) I would not be where i am today.  

 Last week Mom, my friend Teresa and I spent the day painting pottery to be used as example display pieces at the studio.  what a wonderfully, fun day we had.  Painting, chatting and giggling.  The pieces came out great!  

A gal came in, just after I had put the display up, saw the dog dish mom painted and wanted to buy it!  Mom is very crafty and does some wonderfully creative stuff- check out her blog http://pinkdogwoodblossom.blogspot.com/

Later that same day, a group of young women loved a different display piece so much, they used it as a sample to paint their own pieces. 

Have you ever painted pottery?  Help me out, let me know what you liked about it and if there was anything special the studio did to make your visit a great one. 

Paint Pottery- it is cheaper than therapy!  Teresa