Flower Pot

 The Story of The Pot

Do you think you are forgotten and no one cares for you? Let me tell you the true story of a pot. This is not a children’s story…it is reality.Due to our limited perspective we seem to forget that we have a Father, A Heavenly Father who made us just like a potter makes a vase. But it is time to remember that truth!

Bear with me for a moment and imagine yourself as being a potter, passionate about your work, planning to make the best version of the pot you are about to make. You want this pot to be the best because you have a great plan with it! It is planned for the king himself…so you really do your best! You surely don’t want to disappoint the king!

So you start working…preparing the clay, using the best quality possible, the purest clay money can buy (the king is paying!) and the wheel is spinning day and night; you’ve pondered about it for a long time and now you have a very good idea of what you want the pot to look like, yet in the process, you think you can make it better by scratching it here and there for a more distinct and royal shape; one detail here, one there and after many hours of intense work, you decide that it is finally what you intended to be. Great! It really looks perfect! The next steps are to be taken and there: a lovely pot, in fact your best ever!

Everything good until you finish every single detail and say: finally! How lovely! Perfect! You lay the treasured pot on the safest shelf in the house and go share the excitement with your friends.
In the meantime the pot on the shelf, exquisite looking, has a visitor! Yes, a fly comes to it and asks:"Hey, look at you! Hmm, nice, you look great!"

"Err…thank you" answers the pot "the potter prepared me for the king’s house". "The king’s house! Ha, ha, ha! " the fly bursts out laughing, "Don’t be naive! There is no way you can make it to the king’s house! Listen to me, you are not so special after all; look at all those pots outside! This potter has been working for many years and none of those made it to the king’s house yet! What makes you think you’ll succeed?"

Befuddled, quite shocked but also curious, the pot asks:" Well then, if all those pots did not make it, neither will I… but wait a minute, you have wings! Surely, you know where the palace of the king is, don’t you?"

"Of course I do!" said the fly proudly."I have an idea, I should take you there myself! Yes, this is the best plan! Look at all these pots sitting here, what makes you think the potter will be able to take you? Come, I’ll show you the way; I can fly inside the palace too! I will lead you!" Not much argument against and your pot obeys the first instruction of the fly:" Come off the shelf! You must follow me! Here, I will give you a push."

The fly pushed, the pot tried and when they were about to rejoice for making the first move - coming off the safety of the shelf- there comes your precious pot down with a crush! Terrible! The pot starts crying "What can I do now, I am all but pieces! I’ll never be a pot again!"

Frightened, the fly looks at the broken pot and flies out the window.
Having heard the noise, the potter enters the room and looks at the picture: his precious pot with its pieces spread all around the room. How sad!

This is the end of the story. Now reality comes in. We’ve all been like that pot, we thought we knew better than The Potter, we believed that listening the solutions of other "wiser" instructors will help us achieve our best…but unfortunately the efforts were in vain…the pieces of our lives and hearts lie on the floor…waiting to be picked up. If only someone could give us another chance!

In reality, here is where Jesus Christ steps in. He is the Son of the Potter (God) and God sent Him to you with His special glue made of love and holy sacrifice, made of balm for your heart’s wounds, willing to renew your pot and to put each piece in the right place. But He only does that if you want Him to. He doesn’t force anyone!

I don’t know about you, but I was that pot…I thought about my Potter "He might have no hands! How do I know He even exists?" and I took the fly’s advice…but when I cried for help (I was so weak that I couldn’t even cry…I was desperate) He came, took all the pieces of my pot and entirely restored my life! Oh Blessed Potter! Blessed God, please mend all broken hearts who read this!

Try it for yourself; maybe you haven’t got to the point where you fell and that is very good, but keep in mind one thing: Don’t listen to any fly, bee or any other voice, except for the voice of The Potter! He knows the way and has the power to take you there; what’s more, He really wants to make you an admired vessel in the King’s Eternal Palace! For eternity!

By Claudia Miclaus

Daily Painters Abstract GalleryFlowerpot Around the Corner by Pam Van Londen DAILY MINI by Allison Pratt Petroglyphs by Filomena de Andrade Booth "Full Throttle" Expressionistic Painting by Colora… "Blue Aspens" by Natasa Vretenar "Doll"Watercolor by Hawaii.APPLIQUE TODAY: FlowerpotMy first applique project for the year is this little flowerpot with 3 simple flowers in it. This is before I started the applique… The fabrics, even the brown background, are all Jinny Beyer fabrics which I picked up in her storeCraftzine.com blog Step 4: Plant the branch deep in the flower pot. Pack the dirt in to hold it up. Place a rock in between the branch and the edge of the flower pot to support the branch where it cantilevers over. Be sure to secure it well enough so that.

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Wholesale Clay Pots

 Orchid Pot - How To Choose The Right One 

The choice of orchid pot you use, the potting medium, watering, fertilizing and location will all have an impact on the success of your orchids. Let us have a look at different containers that you can choose from. The choice can be bewildering if you are a beginner to orchid growing. These are most commonly made from either plastic or terracotta clay.

Plastic Orchid Pot

A lightweight plastic pot, which may have several drainage holes is more suitable for indoors, where it is far less likely to be blown over.The growing medium tends to dry out more slowly than in a clay pot.

The best plastic pot has a thick wall that does not break easily, it is light in color, and does not heat up too much in strong sunlight. Clear polythene pots are becoming popular as they allow more light to reach the roots.Terracotta Orchid Pot

 It is heavier and therefore more stable.It has one drainage hole in the bottom, although some specialist orchid pots also have drainage holes on the sides.A succulent drought-tolerant epiphytic orchid fares better in a clay pot, as there is less chance of the growing medium becoming waterlogged.

Pots or large planters made from terracotta, wood, ceramic or plastic make ideal containers for large spreading orchids such as "Cymbidia".

A terrestrial like the "Chinese Cymbidium" requires a tall orchid pot which can accommodate the very long roots (up to a meter!) that it can produce. Unrestricted root growth allows the orchid to store nutrients and water that can then sustain the development of superior flowers.

"Jewel" orchids such as "Ludisia" and "Anoectochilus" should ideally be grown in a shallow, broad pot as they spread over the surface. A glass terranium would be ideal, where the orchids can wander in whatever way they like.

There are also varieties of orchid that are best grown and displayed in baskets at eye level.

Basket Orchid Pot.A basket is very suitable for orchids with pendant flowers, or heavy- rooted, sprawling orchids.A basket container is made of wire, plastic, mesh, wood or pottery.It allows air to circulate around the compost and roots.A mesh orchid pot is essential for the successful blooming of Draculas because the inflorescences find it easy to grow through the underside of the container.Orchids like "Stanhopea", "Gongora" and "Acineta" should be grown in open baskets so that their pendant flowers can be enjoyed to the full.

You will need to take care that the orchids do not dry out in a basket.

As an orchid pot, the basket will need support blocks for your orchid. The most suitable materials are cork, or the bark of pine or oak. To do this, place the plant compost in front and behind the roots. Tie the plant to the piece of bark in such a way that no water is able to run into the centre of the plant. You can tie up the plant with strips of ladies tights!

One tip is to be aware that the fine roots of some orchids may penetrate the support block and make it difficult to re-pot your orchid.

When a plant becomes overgrown or begins to fall apart, just tie a new piece of bark to the old one so that the orchid grows onto this. Some orchids like Oncidiums have slender roots that rapidly travel over the surface of the bark.

"Lady-of-the-Night" is the popular name for "Brassavola nodosa", a night-fragrant white flowering orchid that grows well in a hanging basket. Position it where its night fragrance can be appreciated. It is drought-tolerant, but prefers additional water during dry spells.

The orchid "Cattleya skinneri - Hettie Jacobs" can grow to enormous size in a basket and needs strong support. But it does produce clusters of lovely purple flowers between March and May.

The popular "Bee" orchid, produces a wealth of golden yellow flowers even from a modest plant. A 20inch (50cm) wire basket with substantial pieces of bark will support a large plant of this kind.

You might like to plant a selection of moth orchids in a large basket for a superb show of long-lasting blooms, but these do not like strong sunlight. Or maybe vanda orchids, that provide flowers in all colours of the rainbow with huge blooms, some of which can be the size of a saucer. Vanda will produce a mass of lengthy roots hanging below the orchid pot, which you will need to spray with water daily. Do not be tempted to cut back these roots.

Be aware also that many orchids thrive on being pot-bound. It may look as if the roots are smothering the pot, but it is their thick root system that nourishes spectacular blooms. So do not be in a hurry to re-pot too soon!

Whatever type of orchid pot you want, there is a wide range from which to choose. If you love growing orchids, there is great pleasure in matching an orchid with an appropriate orchid pot, choosing the right compost, light and temperature, water and fertilizer. The careful balance of these will lead to your ultimate success.

 by: Helen Wall

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Ceramic Clay Pots Cooking

Handmade Pottery - First Steps in The Preparation For Working With.

One of the most important steps in working with clay is to prepare it before throwing or hand building. Wedging clay should always be worked on a plaster or canvas surface. It is usually easier if you are standing. I use a wedging table I made of plaster and covered with canvas.

If you have some clay you need to reuse, it can be placed on the wedging table so that the plaster can absorb some of the moisture so it will be the correct moisture content prior to wedging.

I purchase my clay already prepared and wedged for me. However, if I use some and it doesn’t turn out the way I think it should, I wedge it a little and put it in a plastic bag, set it aside for a couple days and then wedge it up to get the air bubbles out again.

  Always start with wedged clay so all the bubbles are out. First take a piece and slam it onto the wedging table. Then cut it with a wire cutter in half and throw one of the pieces down on top of the other in the same direction. Repeat this over and over again until you don’t see any more bubbles in the clay.

By repeating this step over and over again, it is wedging the molecules nice and tight together and eliminating as many bubbles as possible.

Even though you have wedged the clay according to the above step until you don’t see any bubbles you still need to wedge again by using the cone method.

I like to weigh the clay before I begin to wedge. I use different weights for lids, bowls, vases and other items. If I weigh prior to wedging I have a record of what size pot or lid it will be when I finish throwing it on the potters wheel. It is very important that you keep records of the weight you are going to work with. If you have a record to refer back to, when you are ready to make a mug you know exactly what the weight will need to be to obtain the size mug you want to make.

Before I get started making a piece of pottery on the wheel, I plan what type of pot I will be making. Is my finished pot going to be a mug, bowl, vase, lamp or platter?

Based on the item, and what the dimensions are going to be, I decide the weight of the clay I want to wedge for that item. Once I have determined what size pot I want to make, I weigh it on a food scale.

In the beginning sometimes you just need to guess at the weight you will need to make a certain item. If you are unsure, try throwing some pots using different weights using 1/2 pound increased increments so you become familiar with the different sizes that the different weights of clay will produce according to your style of throwing.

This is due to the fact that each potter will have an individual style and thickness to their throwing the sizes of the finished pots can vary for the weight used.

You always need to keep in mind that as your pot dries it will shrink in size. It will also shrink in the bisque firing, which is the first firing. The bisque fire helps to eliminate the extra moisture in the pot and is fired to 1890 degrees. The pot will also shrink even more in the final firing. The hottest temperature is in last firing, often called the final firing; the more the pot will shrink.

When purchasing clay from a company that is processed and ready for use it will usually state the shrinkage rate for each particular clay body. Therefore, you must remember to make the pot just a little larger than the desired finished size.

I usually start with 3/4 of a pound of clay for a mug. Many times I will use three pounds for an average size bowl. Three pounds will also make a nice size vase.

A little planning, weighing, and wedging will go a long way in helping you to consistently achieve a successful piece of pottery.

Author: Betty Grandy

To Market, To Market with San Diego FoodstuffNow those home cooks who have gas burners or traditional electric coil burners should be fine with stovetop clay pot cooking (you’ll need a diffuser with electric burners, of course). But those who, like me, have a ceramic cooktop will.AvaxHome -> Mediterranean Clay Pot CookingPaula Wolfert’s new book, "Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking" will end up being a seminal work for the new - old way of cooking, in clay pots. There are the old style pots of mica rich natural clays, and the new high tech flameware ceramicReview - Mediterranean Clay Pot CookingPreferred Clay Pot: A 10-12 inch straight-sided flameware skillet. If using an electric or ceramicclay pot. 6 bone-in quail (about 6 ounces each) ¼ cup plus 2 tbls extra virgin stovetop, be sure to use a heat diffuser with the olive.

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Crafts Using Clay Pots

Women and the Making of Clay Pots in Tanzania

The Chagga people are mountain people, who live on and in the shadow of Kilimanjaro - Northern Tanzania. They once believed in Sheuta and ancient creator god who formed the human race as a potter creates earthen vessels.

Even to this day people talk of the process of pot making is comparable to the creation of life in a woman’s womb. In the villages of Tanzania, usually the women folk are the potters. This profession is traditionally passed down from mother to daughter. Typically men do not participate in this trade.

The clay is dug out of the earth in large clumps, using a traditional hoe; this is back breaking work. These large pieces of clay are then taken home and broken into smaller lumps, water is added to make the clay more supple to work with.

  The consistency must be easy to work with - being very careful not to make it too wet. This is achieved by pummeling and needing the clay. A ball of clay is formed, then working quickly, turning and working the clay with the whole hand, fingers, and palms, continually tuning the container in a rhythmic manner - this process is completed surprisingly quickly. Once finished time is spent on the details, some potters marking their pots to make them distinct. The larger pots are made from producing long sausage shaped coils and these coils are wound around and around to from a pot. The sides are smoothed with water to remove the corrugated effect. Many home made tools are used in this process, scrapers, knives twigs and bits of timber.

The pots are then put in the shade to dry which can take up to four days for the larger pots. The pots are fired by covering them with wood and dried fragments of banana tree and the pot is half fired half smoked, this process takes an hour or two.

Once the fire has died down the pots are carefully removed from the ashes whilst still very hot. They are rubbed with leaves to give them a distinct colour and to seal them. Many of these pots will be used to cook food over an open fire.

These women are very talented at what they do although for all the effort and hard work not to mention talent a pot can be purchased for a dollar or maybe two.

Author: Ian Williamson

Rustic Candle Holder CraftsHow to make candle holders to complement the unique decor of any room in your house or to give as hand made gifts. Crafts by AmandaI have made many different clay pot crafts. I went crazy one Christmas and made snowmen, Santa and Mrs. Claus, reindeer, and this cute little elf. I originally made this in 2001 for FamilyCorner.com, he’s definitely among my favorites! … Using a small sponge, gently dab on a thin amount of pink for the cheeks. Use black paint to dot on eyes and put on mouth. Use red paint for the nose. You may also sponge on a small amount of red over the pink cheeks if the pink is too.Clay Pot CraftsClay pot crafts are a cute way to make home decorations. In clay pot crafts, clay flower pots can be crafted into a variety of decorative things that appeal to gardeners. Usually, the crafter begins with new pots. 

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