New Manzanita Bowl

I started the new bowl using the Manzanita wood.  I think I make a mistake in trying to let it dry.  I should have turned green and worked with what I ended up with.  This is a very hard wood to work, and lost a coffee mug in the process.  The piece of wood came off the lathe over my head, and right on the mug.  I could not have done it better if I was trying.

You be the judge of the rough bowl.  I love the grain and the way the cracks and knots leave an open space in the bowl.  I am going to let set for a week and come back and reshape and cut as thin as I can get without losing the whole bowl.  I have loaded it down with linseed oil which I hope will be compatible with the oil from the wood.

 Please let me know if you have any suggestions on finishing this bowl.  I am working with this wood for the first time and need all the help I can get. Check out my website at www.jaybeescrafts.com

New links to web Site

I have just purchased the domain name "www.jaybeescrafts.com".  This will help people find my web site as you no longer need to add the - in the log in.  We have post a lot of new pottery to the site and will continue.  We are planning to show our projects at Crane Creek Winery at the end of May.  Crane Creek is a small winery located north of Young Harris, GA.  If you are in the area, please stop in and see all of our works along with several other artist.  Thanks for reading and will be posting new projects soon.  Keep practicing and have fun with your hobbies.

New Pottery Uploaded

I have just uploaded some of the pottery I finished today.  This one is a small bowl, about 5" in diameter.  It is a blue sage glaze with a cobalt blue overlay swirled throughout.  I will be posting about 30 plus pieces of hand thrown pottery for your review  including mugs, bowls, honey pots, sake bottles and glasses and hope you will love them and take some home with you.  I will continue to upload and if you do not see what you are looking for, please let me know.  Everyone is welcome  to come to see my work at Crane Creek Vineyards, in Young Harris, GA on May 29, 2010.  If you drink enough, it will look great........ Please visit my website at www.jaybees-crafts.com

New Cherry Bowl

I am putting the finishing touches on the cherry bowl.  This bowl measures about 10 + inches wide and is about 4 inches deep.  I started off hoping to get a deeper bowl, but the grain of the wood would not let me.


I have sanded up to a 500 grit.  I hope the highlights show in these pictures, but this does have some unusual grain.  I will have to finish the bottom, but have to get the vacuum chuck hooked up before I am able to finish.  I will post finished pictures if I am able to get up to the shop next weekend.

New Pottery Projects

Here are a few pictures of the new Pottery projects.  I have about 15 different projects started and in different stages of being finished. The new wheel was delivered, and I have been practicing on throwing the clay.  It is not as easy as I thought.  However it is coming along great and with a little practice, things are looking up.   I have hand thrown each of these and I'm getting them ready for the first firing.  This firing will be at about 1250 degrees for about 3 hours.  Then they will be coated with a glaze and the final firing will be done at around 2450 for about 8 hours.

This one is a bean pot and can be used for a flower pot or whatever.  I do plan to glaze this is a green and blue combined glaze.  I love the type glaze that comes out looking like you have mixed several colors and overlapped each of the colors.

I also am doing a group of cups.  These are drying and the next step is to put on the handles.  I am going to take these to class tomorrow and have the instructor show me how to do the handles so they look like they flow into the cup.

This one is going to be a small jar, for holding Sake.  I plan to finish this is a white glaze and over coat of green grass.

Stand by for the finished projects.  They should be finished in about a month or two.  Thanks for reading and let me know if you have any suggestions and ideas on projects.  As always keep practicing and always work for improvement.

Hackberry bowl

I finished the Hackberry bowl.  

This bowl was made from a great piece of Hackberry,  a member of the Elm family.  It has a very unusual grain and has dark highlights within the light wood.  As you can see it will fit into any decor and enhance any arrangement. 

It measures 8 1/2 wide and 4 3/4 inches deep.  I left it a little heavy at the bottom, as it adds to the stability with heavy fruit or other objects displayed.  For additional photos please let me know.  Thanks for looking and if you have any suggestions, let me know.

Hackberry bowl

I started a new bowl using Hackberry.  I secured this piece of wood through ebay, but really do not know anything about this type of wood.  Does anyone else know anything about it?  It is a light colored wood with some interesting dark markings in it and is turning very well. 

It has a great looking grain with spalting.  The bowl measures about 9 inches wide and 4 inches deep.  I will be posting it on my website as soon as I finish.  www.jaybees-crafts.com