Stages // New gamer steins in progress! Far left are handled, medallioned, and drying. Middle are just trimmed, waiting for handles and medallions. Far right are in line for trimming as I wait for the clay to reach perfect balance of consistency. Next when bone dry, they will be into the first kiln firing, then glazed and into their final firing. All the while, hoping these new experiments work out after all the stages come to pass. The process cycles on and on. Do you have a project that keeps you humble? . . . #ceramics #potteryprocess #wheelthrown #pottery #artpractice #d20mug #calgaryexpo

Breakfast with a friend // Adding final touches to this face pot this morning, created with guidance of @artgolban during his Sculpture Facial Elements class. This was an incredibly rewarding and challenging class through the University of Saskatchewan, and I highly recommend. 👁️🏼🏼 #LifelongLearning #ceramics #handbuilding #pinchpot #facialelements #facialsculpting #facesculpture #pottery #facepots #yyc . . [Image description: Large white clay pinch pot with realistic face sculpted onto the surface. Face is looking slightly up to the right with a neutral expression and sits on a dark brown table, with pottery tools scattered in the background ]

And again // Working back on the wheel after a long three months working through shoulder injuries! Centering clay on the wheel is normally quick but I’m savouring hands on clay before opening for a mug bottom. 🌶️ Some great successes, some really funny fails, and I did work too long because these shoulders were hot and SPICY when I finally called it for the night. But it felt GOOD to be back out. 🌶️ And now back to sorting kiln accessories while these shoulders chill. The New Baby arrives next week and we are selling our tried and true 7 cu foot Duncan Kiln and I want to send lots of goodies with the new owner (details with link in stories until it sells). 🌶️ Are you back to something you love as the Ides of March approach? . . . . [Accessibility text: white woman’s hands on a metal pottery wheelhead filmed from overhead, centering grey clay. At the end of the clip, she uses her fingers and then a sponge to push down into the center and then pull the clay outwards to create the bottom of the future mug.] . . #potteryvideo #centeringvideo #throwingvideo #mugthrowing #ceramics #pottery #wheelthrown #ceramicvideo #potteryprocess #yyckiln #yyc @albertapottersassociation

TOMORROW FEB 26 – I’ll be outlining how to open an Etsy store, what bits to fill in, how to do listings and tags, what photos are best for customer trust, setting up shipping, and how to fulfill a sale when it comes. I’ll also help you interpret what the FEES (oh the drama around fees), stats, and reports mean on the Etsy platform. . I’ve been on Etsy for 10 years with over 1360 sales (that’s thousands of items!). Let my battle scars help you out if you’re considering selling online with this easy but robust platform. . Registration $5 for APA members, $35 for non-members, link in bio. I’ll also have a 40 free listing referral code for those in attendance to start their shops. 🧡 . #EtsyCalgary #EtsyAlberta #Etsy #EtsyHowTo #ArtistsOnline. . [Accessibility text: image with the following text How to Sell on Etsy Expert Cara Carter Saturday Feb 26 10am-11am MST Alberta Potters Association Learn – How to set up an account, How to set up your policies, How to use tags and descriptions that help customers BUY, Photos that will help your item SELL, plus other tips and tricks such as how to be seen and drive traffic to your work. February 2022 ONLINE Workshop]

Birthday Sale! // IT’S SALE TIME!!!! 15% off everything in shop (link in bio) no coupon code needed – I made it around the world successfully during a global pandemic. That’s cause for celebration. Let’s make slippers, plant things, drink things, sew buttons on things! Oh – YYCPICKUP code does give you free shipping on stuff that has shipping if you’ll come to Mckenzie Towne in Calgary to pick it up. 🦄 Sale on now until Feb 28. Now excuse me, I have so much cake to eat. xoxo . . . #yycsale #etsysale #slippersoles #mugsale #headpots #etsy

Such a beautiful hat pattern and wonderful knitting! I’ll be loading more F # CK mugs into the shop this weekend as we start the first stage of the February shop update. Glazing is about to start for the next stage of yarn bowls, cable mugs, and and wee heads. ️ Reposted from @fibregoddess Hopefully going to finish up and block my Enero Toque from @woolygems. The contrast isn’t as much as I’d like do the beautiful pattern doesn’t stick out as much as I’d like but I’m loving it anyway . . . . Image description: a gradient blue hat on knitting needles sits in front of a teal mug that says F@ #k off I’m knitting from @chasingfirestudio . . . . #knitting #knitstagram #knittersofinstagram #hatknitting #yarnlove

Learnin’ // I’m taking a sculpture course through the University of Saskatchewan and my first challenge was an ear. In class we have moved on to nose & mouth but I’m refining some details on this ear before allowing it to slowly dry for firing. 🏻 I’m enjoying learning something completely new to me as I’ve always worked on ceramic functional pieces. The new advent of video online learning has brought Adrian Golban’s instruction and direct critique into my kitchen! 🏻 [Image description: A large ear sculpted out of grey clay on a black and plywood surface, surrounded by thin plastic.] . . . #sculpture #ceramics #humansculpture #facesculpture #pottery #UofS #EarSculpt

Beauty // This beautiful ceramic piece is gracing the door I use between house and studio so I can see it every time I leave the house. Misty of @wanderandflux and I “met” in a pottery group on a knitting website and I’ve been actively watching the gorgeous art this amazing person produces ever since. She teaches younger humans art, records her process for other potters, and is a super duper kind human that is making this world a better place. Watch for her upcoming shop updates Feb 26 or 27 and don’t hesitate – she sells out in moments! . . . #Moth #PottersUnite #WanderAndFlux . [Image description: laying on a pale turquoise woven blanket is a wide winged glossy black ceramic moth with intricately carved toadstools into the white clay, leaving white lines against black. The top of the moth has a dusty rose coloured accent and black glitter on the head. It is strung on a white and silver strand glitter string. ]

Etsy! // I’m hosting a webinar with the Alberta Potters Association! @albertapottersassociation 🧡 On Feb 26, I’ll spend an hour taking our 10 years and 1300+ sales on Etsy and show you how to set up your own shop. I’ll walk you through creating listings, setting up shipping profiles, and guide you through fulfilling that first sale. How to create confidence with policies, photos, descriptions, and navigate your new shop including fees, coupon codes, and reading stats reporting. Loaded with a decade of tips and tricks, let me introduce you to this easy online marketplace. How much info can I cram into an hour about something that I use daily? 🧡 LINK IN BIO to the APA website to get your ticket. $5 for APA members, $35 for non-members which includes this webinar plus a membership AND access to previous webinars and content. 🧡 #HowToEtsy #EtsySellers #APA #AlbertaHandmade #AlbertaMade #Pottery #ceramics #canadianceramics

Shop update tba? // Well, covid negative but STREP POSITIVE! We are living on popsicles and antibiotics as we fight our latest visitors. Rest is prescribed so kiln loading and glazing and such is on hold for now until we eradicate these beasties and are back up to 100%. 🤧 And may there be a special hell for people that don’t wear masks at pharmacies where those of us with crappy immune systems HAVE to be to pick up our medication. Not wearing a mask is rude, but not wearing one where people with illnesses and weakened immune systems must visit to care for their health is bonafide asshole behaviour. This entitled bratty stuff baffles me. Please pull your relatives and friends aside and remind them that cancer patients are in pharmacies. Chronically ill people are in pharmacies. Care givers are in pharmacies. People who, no matter how many vaccinations they get, do not form antibodies, are in pharmacies. If others don’t want to wear a mask, don’t enter a pharmacy and put those people at risk. Go somewhere else with your maskless bratty behaviour to buy a greeting card or milk FFS. Leave the at risk people alone. . . . [A mostly eaten pink popsicle held against a woven turquoise blue blanket background. ] . . . #Sick #Tired #WearYourMaskorGTFO #PickUpMyMedsInPeace

Staying home // We’ve made the hard decision to stay home this weekend rather than attend the amazing Creekside Yarn Festival. With immune compromised folk and asthma in our house, covid-19 isn’t something we can risk as we watch community cases skyrocket. We are so sad to miss seeing you, showing you what we’ve been working on, and seeing what YOU’VE been making. We’ll arrange a date for a shop update eta next week once we’re a bit less sad. . . [Image: a very dirty pottery wheel with a dark circle in the middle with white text displaying “Staying Home”] . #CreeksideYarnFestival #covidsucks

Next weekend!!! Jan 15 coming soon and although we won’t be able to make it any longer, many of our friends will be! Reposted from @creekside_yarnfestival Welcome Jason and Cara from @chasingfirestudio to the @creekside_yarnfestival . They are a husband and wife team that creates pottery and fibre accessories in southeast Calgary. They love texture and bright colours in their ceramics and their work shows it. They will be bringing yarn bowls, mugs, buttons and leather slipper soles for your slipper projects as well as trinket bowls, shawl pins and some select sculptures to bring a smile. They are excited to be vending at our festival for the first time! #creeksideyarnfestival #chasingfirestudio

New studio buddy // little duck friend floats in my throwing water, very satisfying. . . [Description: my white hand drops an small orange rubber ducky into a white pail of muddy clay throwing water.] . # #smalljoys #wheelthrownpottery #potteryvideos #rubberducky

New Year 15% off sale // We’re BACK, baby! To celebrate 2022, here’s 15% off everything in store until January 9, no coupon needed. Keep yourself warm while we ramp hard in studio to get ready for Creekside Festival on January 15 in Airdrie, Alberta. 🏺 . . #EtsySale #slippersoles #leatherwork #leathersoles #slipperbottoms #slippers #handmadeshoes #handmadeslippers #yycmade link to our shop in bio!

2021 in one second per day // I’m grateful for this videography project every month, and especially at the end of the year. 2021 was lovely, bringing us closer and clarifying our needs. It also clearly reminded me more and more that the days are long and the years are short. Best wishes to you, my darlings, as we head into 2022. . . #2021inReview #love #JoyInSmallThings