Experimentation with Fermentation! Part 2

My maiden name is Guenther, and my dad’s side of the family has a pretty German heritage, but somehow or other I don’t think I ever tasted sauerkraut until I was an adult. Most likely my mom, who is all Irish, didn’t fancy the stuff. So it just wasn’t something I ever ate as a kid, and I must have therefore figured it was a “yucky” food, and never sought it out. Until one day I was visiting some relatives on my own after college, and they had sauerkraut as a side dish. I enjoyed it from the first tentative bite! It was like pickles, sour and salty and a bit crunchy. I started buying it at the store from then on – not religiously, but when I remembered it as a flavorful condiment.

After learning more about fermented foods, recently, I have decided that homemade sauerkraut is the next project!
And not only that, but I decided I first needed to make my own ceramic crock to ferment it in, being that I am a potter, after all.

My first attempt at a handmade fermentation crock

Now that I had a crock to ferment in, here’s the process I followed for homemade sauerkraut!

Chopped Cabbage and Salt

I filled a huge bowl with chopped cabbage. Just one head, about 2 lbs. One head of cabbage was more volume than I expected! But then I added sea salt, probably about 3 teaspoons (I didn’t measure), and started squeezing the buhjeezus out of it.

Massaging the salted cabbage

This got the cabbage all coated with the salt, and already it started drawing the water out. After walking away, and then coming back to repeat the massaging process every 10 minutes or so, the cabbage really started releasing its juices.

Cabbage juices pooling in the bowl

After an hour of this, I felt the cabbage was sufficiently reduced in volume and wilted enough to start packing into the crock. I tossed in a teaspoon of caraway seeds (because Michael Pollan added some to his in Cooked), and then into the crock it went, handful by handful.

Pounding down the cabbage

I used a cocktail muddler to really pound down the cabbage. This forces out the air, packing it down, and it gets the water to continue squeezing out of the cabbage. The cabbage juice (or brine) needs to be at a level above the solid cabbage; this protects the kraut from exposure to air, which can cause it to mold (bad).

Weights to keep the kraut submerged below the brine level

Once I felt I’d pounded enough, and the cabbage was sufficiently juicy, I topped them off with two half circle ceramic weights I’d also made when I made the crock. These will keep the kraut from floating to the top and getting moldy. The bacteria that transform the cabbage in to sauerkraut prefer an oxygen-free environment, so that’s the environment I intended to create.

Adding water to the moat creates an airlock

The photo above shows my little helper Ethan, pouring the water into the reservoir around the crock lid. The water will let CO2 out (it’ll “burp” to release pressure), but won’t allow any air to go in.

My kitchen helper

Look how proud he is, helping Mama. Nevermind that he spilled most of the water on the counter, haha. By the way, how is it possible that this kid is two-and-three-quarters already?? Obligatory observation on how time flies.

And now we wait…

So that’s it! Now my pretty little crock will live on the kitchen counter for a few weeks, and hopefully it will produce a yummy, probiotic sauerkraut!

And out in my studio I’m working on improving my design. Swing over to my Jadeflower Ceramics Etsy Site – I’ll have crocks like this (better, even!) for sale in my Etsy shop.

Here’s to my continuing fermentation adventure! Bye for now!

 

New Summer Pricing in my Etsy Shop!

Hey there! Hope the beginning of summer is treating you well!

I’ve been enjoying the Pacific Northwest’s excellent early summer – super long days, and weather in the 70s. Little Ethan is keeping me busy playing outside, but I’m also getting as much studio work done as possible. And to celebrate summer, I’m lowering my prices on a whole bunch of my items!

This includes many of my Doctor Who Tardis pieces and my new Game of Thrones inspired mugs and steins!

I’ve also done some spring cleaning in my studio, and pulled out a few older items and put them WAY WAY on sale. Time to make some room for new items! So I hope you’ll click over to my shop (https://www.etsy.com/shop/jadeflower) to check out what’s new!

Just the newest stuff in Jadeflower’s Etsy Shop

Hi all! Just stopping in for a moment today to post a few pictures of what’s new in my Etsy Shop. It’s funny – for the past two years really, I’ve been so swamped with custom orders, mainly Tardis related, that I’ve had virtually no time to work on other things – to develop other art and products. I’m not complaining about the success of these popular items! No no. It’s just the reality of being a solitary person with a finite amount of time to work. There are only so many hours in the day.

But as of recent weeks, my backlog is finally becoming more manageable, and I’m actually finding the time to work on additional things. So here’s what’s new!
I don’t know if any or all of these will become regular players in my Jadeflower lineup, but I’ve been enjoying their development, and I guess we’ll just see how they play out. 🙂

Ceramic Dalek Creamer

After several request for a Dalek companion to the Tardis Teapot, I’ve created this creamer/pitcher. This is currently a made-to-order item in the shop, but I hope to have the time to build some that are ready-to-ship.

Dalek Creamer Tardis Teapot

And I even have a dorky little video to demonstrate the Dalek’s pouring power on the Jadeflower Facebook page. Check it out!
Next, continuing with the Doctor Who theme, I had been wanting to make very very small Tardis figurines, intended for terrariums, for quite a while. Here’s the newest (and smallest) Jadeflower Tardis!

Tiny Tardis Figurine

Each one is made of porcelain and glazed in the same blue as all my other Tardis items. I think they’re so cute! And the simplicity really appeals to me.

And my last item of the day is an Adventure Time creation! If you couldn’t tell by my last blog entry about bacon pancakes, I am a huge Adventure Time fan. So, expanding my repertoire of strange and interesting teapots, I made a whole tea set based around the character Beemo (BMO) who is basically a living handheld video game device. It’s hard to explain…

Beemo ceramic teapot and cups

There is an episode where Beemo is talking with his alter ego “Football”. He attempts to teach her how to drink tea. It’s adorable.

“No, Football. Like this!”

The tea set is complete with 4 tea cups. The glaze on my tea cups isn’t as vibrant (oh those cartoon colors!), but the design is so detailed and decorative! I love the way they turned out.

Beemo’s Adventure Time tea cups

So that’s what’s new! Hope you take a peek over in the shop to peruse!
Now, enough from me! Back to work 🙂

Oh! And be sure to “like” my Facebook Page to get up-to-the-moment looks at what I’m working on!

Faux Bois Fever

little faux bois cylinders

I’ve been doing lots of work with my Jadeflower Etsy Shop in recent months, not only working on day to day ceramic items, but also working on what I want my Jadeflower Brand to be. I’ve seen stuff all over my favorite crafty sites and blogs about the importance of not just making cool stuff, but making cool stuff that relates to this identity that a successful business needs to create.

Now, I certainly haven’t gotten to the point where I have a cohesive brand identity (and at this point, I’m not really a full-blown business yet…trust me, I am working diligently on making that happen soon!). But I am slowly reeling myself in, and focusing on what I want Jadeflower to BE. I’m not going to reveal all of my brainstorming yet, but I will share some stuff that is already popping up in my shop.

stoneware faux bois vase

I found this really great wood-grain pattern at my local ceramic supply store, and I’ve been using it on some new items. I first stumbled upon the faux bois decor phenom while I was planning my wedding – so many woodsy-chic wedding ideas out there. Lots of centerpieces incorporated tree branches, log sections and birch bark. I guess it reinforces my idea that the woods are very romantic.

faux bois tealight holders

 

So I’ve been making new items to incorporate this new pattern. I’m still playing around with colors and sizes to see what I like the best (and what gets the best response). And I think my “product line” is moving in the right direction, with the addition of  home decor items inspired by nature, with an earthy-yet-chic vibe.

rustic chic utensil holder

 

Clay projects

I’ve had several requests for custom ceramic pieces lately, so I thought I’d share what I’m working on for other people!

Continuing on my lace-textured trend, as seen in my cuff cups…
…I decided to use this texture in two other projects.

The first was commissioned by a friend – two wall-pockets. These are conical vases that are intended to hang on a wall or other vertical surface. They are pictured still in the unfired stage (bone dry) so the lace pattern isn’t easy to see. Once they are glazed, the lace will be much more prominent.

The second project was a request for something garden-esque for a silent auction basket donation. Whatever I donate would be added to other garden items, and the proceeds from the auction benefit the Woodland Park Zoo.

So to keep things simple and functional, I decided to make a set of 3 slab-built flower pots, again with the lace texture…

Each one is unique  (as handmade items are!) and I plan to glaze each one in a slightly different color.
I just wish things didn’t have to dry so slowly! Ceramics is definitely a game for the patient.

Market Recap

So yesterday was my first experience as a vendor at the Fremont Sunday Market. What a day!

I shared a booth with two of my lovely & talented friends, Tiffany and Stacie, so our booth had an awesome variety of items – ceramics from me, unique fashions from Tiffany, and beautiful handmade cards and journals from Stacie.

The day started early and slowly: non-member vendors (i.e. not the regulars who come every week to sell) have to sign up at the Fremont Market desk to get in line for a spot at 7 AM (ug!). After arriving at about 7:15 and getting my name on the list, Tiffany arrived, and we headed over to Peet’s for coffee. We didn’t need to be back at the desk until 8:30 to get our assignment (members get priority before non-members), so we just hung out for a while and Stacie met up with us.

The whole process of getting a market booth was really easy (although I was totally antsy up until they called my name) and the folks who run the market were really friendly, but I am still so glad that Tiffany and Stacie were there with me. It’s always way more fun to do these things with other people!

So when we finally got our spot, we rushed into action! Setting up the cheap-o ten-foot canopy I bought from Rite Aid was not as embarrassing as I thought it would be (next to all these professional-looking vendors with their pop-up tents). Stacie was great and had 2 six-foot tables for us to use. By ten o’clock (when the Market officially opens) we were pretty much ready for the day!

our team at the market - ready to go!

I was really happy with how my table looked, especially since I spent a good chunk of time Saturday figuring things out. Everything looked very cheerful and inviting!

jadeflower ceramics display

And like I said yesterday, I looked at this day as a Spring Cleaning attempt – to clear out stuff that I’ve had in storage for a while, so my display had all sorts of odds n’ ends!

The day seemed to go by so quickly. It was lots of fun to spend the day hanging out with Stacie, Tiffany and M (who came for the whole day, the sweetie!), and we couldn’t have wished for better weather! The sky was perfectly blue and clear, it was warm and sunny, and lots of people came out to the Market to enjoy it.

sunshine at the fremont market

I ended up selling quite a few things, which was certainly nice (and I made back my booth fee and then some). But I definitely didn’t sell as much as I wanted to (ain’t that always the way, though?), especially since I wanted to clear out all this stuff and it was all priced so LOW! haha oh well!
We made a few friends with some vendors around us, and everyone we encountered was really nice. All in all, it was a most satisfying day 🙂

I have visions of becoming a regular member of the market, but for now those ideas will have to wait. I’m just not ready to do this on my own yet. But I would certainly do this kind of shared booth again. It was certainly fun enough!

Jadeflower at Fremont Sunday Market!!

One last reminder before the weekend!! Jadeflower Ceramics will be present this Sunday at the Fremont Market. So if you are in the Seattle Area, please stop by!! Sunday May 9th 10AM-5PM

That’s right! This will be a Spring Cleaning Sale for Jadeflower! I am cleaning out all my older stock and items that don’t appear in my shop. And the prices will be LOW!

$2 cups? I gotcha!
Buttons half-price? Got that too!
All sorts of single items that you won’t find anywhere else, because the are one-of-a-kind? You KNOW I got that 🙂

Please note: I won’t be bringing my large spiky pieces – this us just a sale for my smaller, more transport-friendly stock. However, if there is interest in any of my spiky guys, just let me know in the comments here, and I’ll see what I can do!

Cleaning out my studio and storage areas is the name of the game so that I have plenty of room for NEW pieces this spring and summer! Prices will be very attractive, you won’t have to pay shipping, and it should be a beautiful spring day. So if you’re in Seattle, there’s no reason not to come see me! Even if it’s just to say Hi 🙂

All the best, and Happy Friday!

My process with ceramic sculpture

In regard to ceramic sculpture, I am a hand-builder – generally using the coil method. It’s a very methodical, slow-paced way to work, and I enjoy it for those reasons. I love seeing a piece grow slowly – first as an idea in my mind, and then built layer by layer into reality.
I thought it would be fun to document how I work, and show the progression here on my blog! I recently finished building another spiky sculpture, which is drying now and waiting to be bisque fired. I used about 20 pounds of clay and built it to the height-capacity of my kiln. Take a look at the pictures below to see how I do what I do. 🙂

I start with a rolled out slab of clay, from which I cut my base shape. Then I began building up the sides using coils.

I continue to add coils to build up the walls, smoothing as I go.

I usually add about 2-3 rows of coils at a time, and then smooth them together. This slow process lets me see where my shape is going and gives me control in shaping its growth.

Here I am transitioning from a solid base shape into 5 separate arms. The cross sections inside help give the sculpture stability and strength without being visible from the outside.

The arms grow ever taller with successive rows of coils, spiraling clockwise ever so slightly.

The final form is finished! The arms are closed off at the top, each one coming to a point and almost meeting at the center.

The next step is to finish the surface with a dramatic texture of spikes. I keep the base form from drying out by spraying it periodically with water. To add the spikes, I score the clay in a pre-determined pattern where I’ll join the spikes.

To make the spikes themselves, I cut each one from a coil of clay, and then shape it into a cone.

Here is the first arm, complete with the spiky texture. The spikes add SO much to these already-interesting shapes.
(In the background you can see my rough sketches for this lovebird birdcage wall-hanging!)

Two arms down…

The final sculpture! A very cool top-view.

And here is the final sculpture, completed with spikes. The next steps are letting it dry slowly, then bisque-firing, then glazing, then high-firing for a finished work of art! (And here you get a glimpse of my dungeon-like studio space, haha. It’s not much, but I would take this setup over nothing any day!)

So there you have it! This is how I work 🙂
A sculpture like this one will take about 20 hours of work from start to final spike! That doesn’t include drying time, kiln time, or glazing time. It is a time-consuming process, but I love it, and when you have a final piece of artwork come out of that kiln, it just feels worth it! 🙂

I hope you enjoyed this virtual journey, and I’ll be sure to share when the sculpture is ALL done (i.e. glazed). ^_^

Artwalk Recap

I should have given an update on how the First Thursday artwalk went…on Friday…but I didn’t get around to it, haha.
Better late than never!

Anyways, we had lots of people come through the space, which was great! It was lots of fun, chatting with people, drinking wine and sparkling oj. By the end of the evening, most of my business cards that I had put out had been picked up, so I hope that folks check out my Etsy site!

Here are some pics from the space:

Jadeflower Ceramic Sculptures

Mixed Media Paintings by Annette Melton

Enoki Designs Jewelry - by Kimi Haraguchi

Another view of my Spiky sculptures

The amount of foot-traffic we got through the evening was very encouraging. Now that the warmer weather is approaching, many more of the artwalking crowd will come out. Kimi and I hope to continue doing the First Thursdays in this location, along with other artists who may rotate in or something. In any case, I’m going to make this an monthly event for Jadeflower Ceramics! So on the first Thursday of each month, you’ll know where to find me 🙂

Artwalk TONIGHT!

Tonight is the first Thursday of the month – and most Seattlites know that First Thursdays are the time to go out and see some art…for FREE. Many (if not most) museums in the area open their doors to the public for no charge, and it’s also the time when local galleries and artists’ studios are open to the art-curious.

Pioneer Square is the hot spot for the First Thursday crowd. The area is loaded with galleries and private studio spaces, and the open-air plaza is filled with vendors, artists, crafters, and on-lookers.

This month, I’ll be showing MY ceramic sculpture at a location right in the thick of it – at the Statements Distinctive Tile & Stone Showroom. This is a beautiful space, and I’ll be sharing it with 3 other artists, who really just want to get together for a good time, have people see our art, and have a little wine!
So if YOU are in the area tonight, you should come check out the artwalk! The Statements venue will be open around 4:30 PM for the art-crowd, but many places are open for walk-throughs as early as 1:00 PM (and generally goes until 8 or 9 o’clock).

I’ll be at 314 Occidental Ave South so come on by!

Check out my Portfolio page for a preview of some of the works I’ll be showing tonight!