Clach Thoull.

No it's not the name of a new rock band though it would be good I suppose, no it's a rock that I took the dogs to today. Murphy seemed to enjoy the walk anyway. Balain was as usual a wee bit slow to come (it's a Beagle thing).

The mighty Clach Thoull - you are supposed to go through the hole and make a wish while you walk (but don't tell anyone what you wish or it won't come true).

Murphy seemed to just wish the walk would never end.

It was very mild even though it was overcast and my wish not to get wet worked as it didn't rain. (I didn't tell anyone that was what I wished for until I got home.)

Balain just wished to sniff everything - not in this shot he's found something interesting to sniff. Should have wished he would stop sniffing so much.

The Oban Subway.

OK so we were finishing off stuff and sorting out the showroom etc today which is not too interesting blog wise but Nicola was waxing lyrical about how nice Subways are (a kind of "healthy" junk food new to this area) so having got the bike back from the garage I thought we could try it out (and drop off some leaflets to the south of Oban too). Rather a nice evening don't you think? You can just see a Cal Mac ferry coming in towards Oban from the Sound of Mull in this photograph.

And the sub's were great too.

I really know how to treat a girl don't I. Evening meal for two under £6.50 all together!

Cutting in.

The Forestry commission has just stopped working the top end of the Bonawe walks, they left some of the Larch so instead of the usual devastation they only cut in to the tree line leaving some habitat for the birds etc. (not sure if you can see but Murphy is smiling in this photo). I was finishing pots off, these are what we call Waistcoat Vases and just like the Tulip vases you have to know what you are doing as the section has to be very thin and even.

Here's some I made earlier - not quite finished.

I mark out first.

Then cut the basic shape at a slight angle.

Then trim the rim

Sponge off the pots

Then I fold in the wall on one side

Then it's riveting stuff.

The David Leach style fluting to finish of.

There they are, I see them as either a waistcoat vase or maybe a boot or with these clasp type buttons they have been compared with a Lady's Basque shape.

Here are some finished Granite glazed ones.

I suppose I like them as they are a bit like my personality straight laced, up tight and conforming but hopefully a bit odd, quirky or unusual at the same time.

Tulip Vases.

I started to make the Tulip Vases about five years ago, I had made Crocus Vases when I was doing a project for my block release during my apprenticeship so they are not exactly new but I like them and so thankfully do our customers. I have to throw the pot very thin and evenly sectioned. Then mark out the three cut points.

After this I mark the wall of the pot with an old lid.

Making the cuts.

The edges angled.

Cut down the side to add to the shape.

I've started to angle the top out the way to make them look more natural.

These are some made without the angle out the way.

But you get the drift?

Ha! Ha! Ha!

Well I suppose you have got to laugh or you'll cry, the weather has been fickle of late and I can't believe the difference between last weekend when I was camping and wanted to take my motorbike to a rock festival and this weekend when my bike is in the workshop being fixed and I'm at home finishing off pots. AARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!

Better than down south though.

Off The Wall.

When Hugh has finished making these tall elegant Posy Pots he slaps them hard with a paddle.

When they are flat on two sides he's ready for the next step.

Believe it or not this is two handles.

Cut like so.

A little water on the shoulders.

Then stick the loops on.

Almost like a 1970's shoulder pads!

When they are dry enough he drills them out.

And they end up like this when fired, I love to mix other things like leather and wood with the pots.

A bit of boot lace works well here.

I know, I know! I went on and on about pulled handles the other week but to every rule there is usually an exception and this is one OK? I like a lot of Coffee in the morning and these hold about a pint so they need a good grip on the handles.

I start off with a coil and roll the butter pat over it then slam it down on the board a few times to make a relaxed shape to form over what in this case is an old film case.

A bit of water on the spot where the handle goes.

Then stick it on.

And we have some French Coffee cup and saucer sets.

There must be a pot of gold under the Pottery as there's a rainbow just on where it is behind the trees in this shot, you probably can't make it out but it's there I saw it just as I was coming back from a walk with the dogs. (This camera is rubbish).

Square but not too Conforming.

Sometimes it's nice to do squared pots, I like the pie dishes this way as they fit in the fridge or oven better. I use a piece of wood with some scrim wrapped around it to push the shape, I have cut out a D shape on both sides then pushed it shut before but I find this works just as well for me.

We like to put some Rutile slip (mixed with a wee bit of wood ash) on the rim then combed through when we have just thrown the pot (Before squaring the shape of cause).

I use a towel to sit the pot on before trimming.

And a surform blade for shaping it square.

Then sponge it off.

The pottery stamp.

Ready for waxing the rim for glazing.

And this is what it should end up like.

Great news on the Nx rams horn wedging saga!

She can do it now, (I could say she's gone from being pants to a smarty pants! Especially with these breeks on.)

Someone else likes the new step for wedging too, it makes a great head rest when Nicola's foot is placed just so. (No need for high heels either).

Beautifully consistent clay for throwing.

But she's still beating herself up over not getting things right first time!?!

I got her on to throwing the tall squared vases and as her first vase was 2mm shorter than my one she said it was no good - OK Nx now we are getting a wee bit too conformist.

See I can't really see anything wrong with it, which one is Nx?

I do think some people have too little to do in their jobs though, I got a statement from the credit card machine company and it had this written on the back which made its self not only wrong but the paper redundant because you can't use it for notes so easily

(But it's not blank it says something on it!!!!!!!)