I cleaned a bunch of bats on Saturday so I could begin throwing.  I scrape them a few times and reuse, but eventually they get pretty gunky with dried clay.  Here is a line up drying on the porch railing.  I also got a resupply of clay and glazes this week. 300 pounds of Miller 16 porcelain are now piled in my guest room (I keep my paddling gear, snowshoes and skis in there as well).  The cost of the clay is about to rise $10/box to almost $50. My supplier said every clay is going up not just the porcelain (for comparison most stoneswares are in the mid $20 range) and he is flummoxed.  My son  suggests the great pottery thowdown is to blame.  He and his friends watch this .  Apparently the lamps in season 3 are amazing.  He forgets that the lamps here are also handmade :-).  So his reasoning is supply and demand.  I would perfer to believe environmental pressure on mining but that might be too hopeful. I also restocked a number of glazes. I had run out of yellow and orange and the frog green.  I am going to try a new ice blue celadon in this kiln.  I love the rich blue I already have, but I'd like something a bit more turquoise as well.  There will be dragons in this kiln with chickadees, loons, turtles and at least one sheep. 

and the Octopus Film won the oscar!!!