Clay Cloth: Amoeba Vase + Popup Shop Banner

The chilly and damp weather was not conducive on Saturday for hand building. By the time I wedged and slabbed and wedged again the clay, studio time was up and I made nothing. All I could do in those two and a half hours was glaze two of my sea mugs. I did take home my amoeba vase though.                                     

I applied the glaze very thickly and it was wet when I put it on the glazing shelf that you can see the white spot where Meral picked up the vase to place inside the kiln. Errrg.                           

I do love the interior of the vase though. On Sunday I drove to Fort Mason to window shop the Renegade Craft Fair. As I was creeping along in the hunt for a parking space, I saw the sea of shoppers as well as the line to get into the pavilion and promptly returned home to instead enjoy the glorious sunny weather with my dog. I also worked on my banner for popup sales of my ceramics and quilts.                                      

I pulled out my stash of colors of Kona cottons that I consider somber and neutral or not primary. I had printed the letters in my favorite font called Century Gothic and traced them in reverse on fusible web to cut and adhere for raw appliqué.                      

The labor of this banner was the careful spacing and placement of the letters on the banner before ironing them a bit more permanently. I'll stitch the raw edges down tomorrow. I pondered whether to put my full name in between the shop name and its “brand identity." I appreciated thinking about the aesthetic I’m aiming for in any future output of ceramics and textiles. Next I’m going to work on an artist or craftsman statement and use it to create new business cards and marketing materials. I had blown up my signature quilt label to add somewhere in between my shop name and description of my ceramics and quilts. However, my neighbor, Helen suggested that I include my Etsy shop name (uhh I don’t really have one, or rather it’s very raw and spare in inventory) or a marketplace handle of some sort. I wonder if this name of clay and cloth is already taken in Etsy or if it’s a domain I can create and claim. But Helen is right, I should have some additional info on my banner for customers to take a pic and find me on the web. And so I finally adhered the raw appliqué letters at the top of the banner and will probably create fabric T-shirt decals or use fabric paint to include future shop information. Instagram handle? Or just my email? I dunno.                               

To be determined:)