How to make a Packing peanut Dispenser?

If you ship orders on Etsy, Ebay, for wholesale you know what a pain it is to deal with packing peanuts. With pottery being fragile, you just have to make friends with packing peanuts. I had been struggling with removing peanuts from bags and boxes and all it created is a big mess and I had to come up with a solution.

Sure you can always buy a packing peanut dispenser but it is going to cost you big time and it might not be the size you want. Here is a simple plan that was fairly easy to do and you can do it too. I also got some great ideas from Jim Bridgeman who has an awesome dispenser which holds the peanuts on the upper floor of his studio. 

The best part is that it costed me peanuts. LOL! I actually had everything at home and just needed the tarp which was $10 and the damper.

Cut out the tarp to the dimensions that work in your space. Above are the dimensions that I used and this can hold  a LOT of peanuts. You do need some sewing skills. Make sure you use a needle for thick material like denim. Fold the top and sew the top so as to fit a 1 inch pvc pipe in the loop.

Pass four 3 feet pvc lengths in the loops and connect them with elbows. This helps in maintaining the top of the dispenser square and steady for loading.

I attached a 6" duct with a damper. With this you can open and close the damper for flow of peanuts.

Then with some rope and pulleys you can bring it down to fill and pull it up out of your way for packing.

Feel free to share this with your friends and Etsy teams who do a  lot of shipping online.

If you have any suggestions on improvement of the design or other helpful tips on packing, feel free to comment below.

Pottery Studio Tour and Sale

In all these years of doing pottery, it is hard for me to beleive I still have never done a studio tour. I have usually joined potters and artists and did a show at another location.
With NCECA in Seattle this year, I thought it would be great opportunity to open the doors of my studio. I do show the happenings in my studio all the time through my blog, but this time you can actually step in.

Plus it will be fun to meet other potters and artists coming for NCECA.

Great deals on Older Stock and Seconds!

Plus buyers get to put their name for a chance to win one of my gallery pieces.

If you are out of state, you can have a virtual tour of my studio here and browse through my work in my Etsy shop

When: March 31st - April 1st (10am - 5pm)

Where: 32706 5th Ave SW,

Federal way, WA 98023

Directions: From I-5,

Take Exit 143, 320th St and go west

Drive 2 miles and turn left on 6th Ave SW

Drive 0.5 miles and turn left on SW 327 Pl

Take first left on 5th Ave SW

I look forward to meeting you

As part of NCECA 2012 in Seattle, do look for my work at the following locations

• Pillow bowl being displayed in theSeattle Convention Center for Potters Council Show "The Chromatic Edge"
• Ceramic shoes and bag displayed at the Nordstrom window in Seattle Downtown for the "Feet of Clay" show.
• Two platters at the Platter Tectonics/Specific Rims exhibit at the Kirkland Arts Center Store
• Dancing Divas and a platter are going to be at the Pulse: Rhythm in Clay exhibit at the ArtEast Art Center in Issaquah
• Beer Stein Live auction at the HopVine Pub in Seattle March 29th 9pm.

Other places you can find my work in Seattle area

City Kitchens

JF Henry Kitchen and Tableware

Throwing mud gallery

Ginger Street

 

 

Repairing cracks with paper slip

If you are a potter and especially a handbuilder you must have come across the small hairline crack.  It usually happens when pieces are made to dry too fast. Well sometimes you are in a rush, so what can you do?

I have used my paper slip which has worked everytime and also in cracks in bisque ware. All it contains is my clay body with toilet paper and water. Quick way to make it is use some bone dry clay, water soaked toilet paper and some water. No real propotion. Just use a hand blender to make this goop. You will know you have enough paper by looking at the fibers in the goopy slip.

All you do next is score and apply this goop where the crack is and burnish it smooth. Bisque as normal. You can use this to repair bisqued cracks too. For bisque cracks or joining broken pieces adding a little white glue helps to keep the pieces together while it dries. You still need to rebisque the piece before glazing it.

Glad to see all this salt pepper shakers survive. Love seeing this colorful bisque load.

I use this slip for all my handbuilding purposes, attaching handles, bottoms of pieces and it works great.

Do you have a slip that does wonders for you? Do share in the comments below.

Homemade Pizza

As many of you know, along with my interests in pottery, I like to cook too. I haven't been getting much time to do it, but it does relax me. So I decided to start blogging about it on a regular basis with simple everday cooking. I am sure my wife will love it that I am at least getting in the kitchen more. :) Share recipes/thoughts/ideas, etc.. Talking about recipes, I rarely follow one, but I will provide links and ingredient lists.

For today we have the Homemade Pizza. We have all at some point or the other tried this. I usually like different topping than normal. It is mostly what is there in the fridge/pantry.

These are some of my favorite toppings artichokes, onion, feta cheese, sun dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, broccoli, mushrooms and walnuts. And sauce of my choice is pesto sauce which is zinged with some cilantro and green chillies

I used store bought all wheat pizza dough. A little hard to stretch but some dry flour really helps. Layed it on a perforated pizza dish (My brother told me about this) and just have fun with it. Topped with mozzarella cheese of course.

Into a 425F oven for 20 minutes and enjoy.

What are your favorite toppings? Do comment and share your tips on making a good homemade pizza.