Stewart Creations

Ceramics class is so much fun !! I made it my Honors class and the Professor and I picked out a project already. I’m going to research a kiln made and fired with native 3rd-world materials.
So far I found a shape that draws the heat across the clay pots fast which heats it even more (!) and I’m pretty amazed about that. The best way to build this shape is to dig it into a hill. But you need clay, sand, loam, be sure to avoid using rocks which will explode in the 2,000 celsius degree heat. Sounds pretty exciting. I plan to make a diorama-type model. Maybe this summer i can try it for reals if I go on the trip to Mata Ortiz.
That’s in Mexico and has very famous potters. Who knew?
So, evidently, they have good clay right there in arroyos. Maybe I can dig a kiln and test fire it.
I had an idea to make clay stamps for hobbyists, initials and such. Like the rubber stamps the scrapbookers use. But so far I have made a Mata Ortiz-style pot. And that’s it. So far. Here’s a pic of the Mata Ortiz demonstration and some of their pots.

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I’m getting the little green quilt done. This one is for Jayden and it’s made up of left-over pieces and scraps from her mom’s. Here’s a picture of the twisted nine-patch. It’s a really easy patch that looks terrific when it’s done. You make a standard nine-patch, cut it in fourths, turn two of the quarters (diagonal from each other), then just stitch it together again. Voila, easy-peasy, and Bob’s your uncle!
I found these with the scraps that I didn’t use on the big quilt. This one I am quilting as I go and joining the sections after top-stitching. Cheating, I know, but school’s going and I want to make two more little blankies this spring for my other two sweeties. I don’t have grandchildren, so my nieces and my nephew will have to fill in.
School might be a bit of a challenge this term. I am not to the point of needing diet pills to stay up all night and study, and I won’t get there if I keep up.

Macroeconomics and e-commerce will both be interesting but challenging.

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It was a lot more painful than usual. Usually I breeze through dental work and hardly notice, but this time I had terrific pain overnight. Dr. Socorro did the root-canal the back tooth and reshaped the one on the other side of the gap, put temporaries on, and I figured it was business as usual. Until the novacaine wore off !!!!! OUCH !!!
I had all this exposed nerve ending pain all afternoon. It ruined my visit with my niece and her sweet bambinos. So I went back to Mom’s and took three sleeping pills. It wasn’t so bad the next morning.
Then I got my beautiful caps and bridge, I’m almost back to normal in there. I still tend to eat on the other side, out of habit.
I loved visiting with the campers on the beach. I met some interesting folk who live in a bus with their kids. They do the same home school dealie as Joleen’s kids, I think.

http://organictribe.blogspot.com/

go here to see their blog. It’s a good one.
Joleen’s husband, Dave, makes a great shrimp feast. We had great weather and lots of good food, company and well-behaved children. I swear Joleen’s kids are the best-looking and smartest kids in the world. My new pals’ four kids are incredible, too. I love this new generation! I expect great world-shaking and planet-saving things from them. We are truly blessed with our children.
J & D have a real cushy 5th wheel, with the huge TV and all the comforts you’d want.
Thanks guys for the cozy couch! Best couch surfing spot EVER!
Their TV has it’s own cupboard that closes up like a wall, but I know it must be put on with some pretty steady plasma mount contraptions.

Comments Off | In: Mexico | | #

the last step. This green quilt is looking great. You can’t really fall in love with it until you feel it. It has just the right weight. Should be durable and washable. I need to finish quilting some of the middle, got the edges pretty much done, and still need to close and edge the two short ends. It didn’t turn out as big as I wanted, but it is a double, maybe a big double. Perfect for a couch blankie in J’s fifth-wheel, or an extra across the big bed long-ways.
I’ll have it done before I go back to the dentist next week. The Dudleys will be in Mexico when I go, so I get to drop off the quilt and visit the kids. I sure like those kids!
I’m gathering up goodies to take to them, stuff I forgot to give them when they were here, refrigerator magnets, toys, art supplies.
I trashed the gingerbread houses last night. Annie ran right out and tried to bury the biggest gingerbread concoction. Too late, I thought of videoing a Godzilla like attack on the innocent gingerbread community. Darn, it would have been so funny.
I made a new coat for Pnut, but he didn’t like it, preferring to curl up next to Hank for warmth.

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Well, the tree is down, we had a Noble Fir this time, and I gotta say, it was the best little tree we ever had. It was still soft and had all its needles when we took it down last night. It’s nice to have the extra room, you can even see our tv stand again.
But I miss it a little, too.
We went to the Desert Botanical Garden last night and saw the Dale Chihuly exhibit.
Pictures don’t even come close. These things were BIG. And after dark they really lit up nice.
It wasn’t too cold, we bundled up expecting the worst, but it stayed warm until seven. We left when we got cold and tired and went to EastWind for a hot cup of tea and a bento box dinner. I was all warmed up by the time I got through with the steaming miso soup.

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