A new piece of livingroom furniture

I love my Craftsman cart that we bought at Sears for my kiln. It is the perfect size and is a pretty bright and cheerful red. The kiln fits perfectly and I can hang my fireproof mitts by magnets on the side, and put my kiln and silver clay tools on the bottom shelf.

It is like a welcome visitor to my living room. It won't stay there forever, but for now, I like it where I can see it!

Labor Day weekend is the target date for the first firing. Until then I'm reading the manual, getting my clay tools together, making and drying the first silver clay item, and getting ready for the big exciting first firing!

Have a great day!

Gosh I love creative people - look at this!

A trip to our garden this morning

White Flower Farm, Litchfield, CT August 14th

My new kiln arrived today

It isn't set up yet, and the enameling collar is just sitting on top, but isn't it just a magnificent thing!

And a couple of magnificent kitties to add to the picture.

My new Caldera Kiln (without the enameling collar)

What I made in class last year with silver clay

My Kiln

For the last year I have been thinking about getting a kiln. At the Bead and Button Show in June of '09 I took an all-day class with Irina Miech, and completed a silver necklace and earrings from PMC silver clay. It was a wonderful class and she is a precise and patient teacher. Her books are wonderful too, so look them up on Amazon. This past June at Bead and Button I visited the Whole Lotta Whimsy and Paragon booths and learned that the kiln I thought I wanted was probably not the kiln for me. It was a shock to see how beautiful the kiln I should have really was. The shock was also for my checkbook. A kiln purchase for me is a big deal.

This week I took the plunge and ordered my beautiful new Paragon Caldera kiln from Whole Lotta Whimsy. There is a sale going on, and the kiln was $565. After adding the collar and shelves - (kiln furniture) - and the tools that I need the final cost was over $900 and I haven't starting buying the clay yet! I researched and read and emailed the experts. In the end, I added the brand new enameling collar. This is a "collar" extension of the kiln, which makes the inside larger, and also gives me a front door to load and brush enamel and re-fire.

The advice I read over and over was that when buying a kiln, buy one that you can grow into. I don't do enameling, but I want to learn. And adding beautiful color to silver pieces seems like something I just have to do. My excitement is building and it has been a wonderful week. The kiln has left Mesquite, Texas and is on the way to me.

Glory be. Amazing. Fun. Exciting. Inspiring. Hot!

Have a great day.