
Faces // I worked on more small pinch pot faces during our brief hot weather spike this past weekend. Now as the weather chills as May long approaches, I’m cleaning up these cheeks and pondering the sizes of the pots. This larger one is significantly larger than the two in the last set, which I like for larger plants. I adore the unruly hair that plants add to give these pots their real finishing touches.#canadianceramics #sculpture #pinchpots #pottery Posted by Intagrate Lite

Testing // Jason made a new bat system for me because our beloved supplier Ceramics Canada is out of stock. We had a box of bisque tiles laying about, so we're making due with those as the bats. So far, it's working great although it will take more practice for me to pull the clay up from the tile that is so close to the bat that holds it. And to remember to keep the bisque wet enough so my mug doesn't SURPRISE! pop off while I'm throwing. I'll call the first run using these small bats a success and I'm looking forward to trying more this weekend. …#batsystem #throwingbats #bisquetiles #canadianceramicsstudio #albertapotters #testing #neverstoplearning.[image description: A line of five freshly throwing pottery mugs made of white clay, each on a square bisque tile.] Posted by Intagrate Lite

I'm logged out. Thank you to everyone showing support. I really do hope they pull their heads out of their asses and fix the site. It still makes my head hurt. #mTBI #postconcussionsyndrome #vestibularocular #ableistAssholes[Image description: large text on colour blocked background: LOGGED OUT #RavelryAccessibility]Reposted from @indigodragonfly Ravelry. “Inclusive, friendly website” must include the thousands of people who have been unable to use the site since June 2020. #ravelryaccess matters to ALL of us.—I’m logging out because:- accessibility is a basic human right- I miss my @indigodragonflystudio community which has dropped off by 34% since June 2020- my pattern sales on Ravelry have dropped considerably despite increased interest in my designs- my ads on Ravelry used to be consistently the #1 source of traffic to my website. Since June 2020, it’s #18 to #25.—Repost from @anniebeeknits using @RepostRegramApp – I've logged off @hi.ravelry for the next few days in solidarity with those who have been (a) negatively impacted by the site redesign (in some cases, to the extent of hospitalization and inability to work), and (b) repeatedly gaslit by the site's staff and owners. #RavelryAccessibility matters. Thanks to @evanitaewm for galvanizing us all into a shared, concrete action. (See her account, and especially her stories, for lots more information.) Posted by Intagrate Lite
Polar Vortex 10% off Sale // We wish it was at least 10 degrees warmer so take 10% off in shop. Link in bio! 🧦.My slipper and sock knitting is in full swing during our cold snap. I popped outside to take this video and the temp report is -30 C (“realfeel” at -38C) and I can confirm: I was not picky about video details with a bare hand! Brrrrr! Shown in the video are our “ultra thin” Heels and Toes slipper soles, a smidge thinner than our regular soles. .Our vehicles have given up even trying to run as this weather was the breaking point, one demanding a battery replacement and the other a trip to the mechanic after we have been asking it to stumble onward with that glowing check engine light (so many electrical problems) for far too long. You’ll find our humans now warm at home, cutting suede and buried in woolens instead. I hope you are warm and cozy where you are!. #slippersoles #suedepatches #soles #socksoles #sockpatches #polarvortex [Image description: a video of a white hand holding a grouped pile of olive brown suede leather slipper soles, flapping them side to side to show flexibility. You can see the snow in the background.) Posted by Intagrate Lite

Mail Run // On my way to get my social time aka time with the Canada Post staff! Even with the crush on the postal system, they are still joyful and a highlight during my week. Small blessings are the ones I'm counting: the great support we get from continuing orders and these lovely ladies that I visit weekly..What small blessings are you counting today?..#buyhandmade #CanadaPost #SocialTime #MadeInAlberta #SlipperSoles.[image description: Two hands in handmade knit gloves holding a stack of yellow padded envelopes with a return address stamp "Chasing Fire Studio".] Posted by Intagrate Lite

Nourished // Thank you @calgaryhealthfoundation and @sunterramarket for feeding our family tonight. It's been a really hard year emotionally and this gesture meant more than I thought it would. You made the plans. You worked on these incredibly complex logistics. You pulled it off. And it was delicious (every single one of us liked every single bit!) Working in and for health care is something I'm incredibly proud of, something I work hard at, and it was so nice to feel and taste the gratitude. The smiling (masked) kindness of the Sunterra delivery gentleman this morning was the best start that I've had in a long time, and this meal rounded off a very VERY challenging week as we enter month 11 (1100?) of this pandemic. Thank you for seeing us, and seeing us all. .I do believe the Calgary Health Foundation is still taking donations if anyone wants to add to the fund to help feed a healthcare worker and their family as part of their feeding healthcare workers and #FeedTheFrontline campaign. Make more of us cry after we close the door on the Sunterra delivery man because that felt pretty good….#HealthCareWorker #SunterraMarket #CalgaryHealthFoundation #Grateful …[IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A kitchen counter with a jar of Sunterra fresh pomodoro sauce, fresh pasta, a kale and Brussel sprout caeser salad accompanied by a thank you letter from the Calgary Health Foundation.] Posted by Intagrate Lite

2020 // we began 2020 in another country, in an adorable apartment, surrounded by family. The year progressed into challenges, personal and professional, however, we have been the luckiest in many ways: day jobs that continued (one eventually and one got so much more busy), a country that supported us when one job disappeared with the onset of lockdown, a community of support emotionally. We continued to explore our mountains, our art, our boundaries. We set goals, did not meet several (I didn't go to spin class every week this year), but found strength where we didn't expect. We focused on protecting the at-risk people we love, and we have many. We said goodbye to people and a special dog that we love. We found ways to cope and try to survive. As much as we want to thrive, we're working on giving ourselves so much permission to be ok with "survive". 2020 was something for history books. Thank you for walking with us through it. ..#2020 #topnine #thankyou Posted by Intagrate Lite

Boxing Day Sale // it is Boxing Day here in the Great White North, a day traditionally spent ACTIVE after the quiet of Christmas Day, boxing up the decorations and cleaning, getting outside, and engaging in a very popular game of shopping sales. We have slipper soles and a few tidbits on for 20% because BOXING DAY! Our shop link is in bio. Please note that mail service is still bananas in many parts of the world so please plan accordingly – and maybe tell your postal worker and delivery person that they are awesome. …[Image description: a background of our Christmas tree with a variety or ornaments including baby Yoda eating an elf, and John McLain crawling through an air duct, emblazoned with the words "Boxing Day Sale 20% off"].#boxingday #boxingdaysale #etsysale #SlipperSoles #slippersolesforsale Posted by Intagrate Lite

Sketchbooks // my sketchbooks are full of circular doodles, some dreamy in colour, other greyscale. Soon they will morph into each other and the panel will be full of circle and pattern and colour, thinly contained chaos. Just the way I like it. ..#doodle #meditationdrawing #zentangleart #ink #coloredpencil #CantStopWontStop #CalmYourMind Posted by Intagrate Lite

Reuse // With my Calgary Public Library card, I receive free online art classes on creativebug.com and the one I'm currently enjoying is the "Altered Book Daily Challenge". I'm not doing anything daily necessarily however I am having some fun trying new techniques. I found an old art textbook, and tada away I go. I've cut holes through layers of pages. I've pasted images inside. This morning, I gessoed some pages (white and black), and worked on the strangeness that is painting on a much difference surface than I've ever experienced before. I used some gouache and black pen, however my standard water resistant ink isn't so water resistant on gesso! Some things need to be approached with flexibility and a shrug, and this book is the best practice for playing and experimentation. I highly recommend the course, and finding a way to reuse old textbooks and books for those of us that maybe hold on to books for longer than they are ever useful, for anyone. ..#calgarypubliclibrary #creativebug #zentangle #ink #doodlesat5am #gouache #alteredbook #reuse Posted by Intagrate Lite

October // It’s suddenly a migraine season for some random reason – barometric pressure? New food trigger? Prophylactic medications have stopped working? Who knows. One of the strange side effects is that I suddenly have a taste for these nasty things. I all of a sudden can’t stomach chicken, but I’m craving candy corn. Any new changes for you on the eve of Canadian Thanksgiving and the spooky season?..[Image description: White hand open and holding two candy corns, which are triangular yellow, orange, and white horizontally striped candies.]..#migraine #candycorn Posted by Intagrate Lite
Flocculate // I add vinegar to our clear glaze as a final step. As discussed in our recent igTV video, I can tell I’ve added enough when the swirling liquid does a brief shift backwards before the swirling completely stops. Can you spot the brief reversal?..[Video description: milky grey fluid swirling slowly clockwise and then just before settling to a stop, it rotates counterclockwise for a millisecond.]…#glazing #potteryvideos #glazemixing #handmademovement #artisanmade #makersgonnamake #etsyartist #ceramics #pottery #AlbertaMade #yycarts #canadianceramic #ceramicprocess #handmadeceramic #handmadeyyc #studiopottery #ipreview via @preview.app Posted by Intagrate Lite