An Orchid Pot

A number of years ago, I decided that I would like to try my hand at orchids. After all, they are beautiful plants and I had a perfect place for one. You just water them once a week, right? Or so I thought. My husband bought me a gorgeous (expensive) large orchid, which I proceeded to kill. I was devastated! So, we got another. Dead within a relatively short period of time. Well, since that time, dogged person that I am, I have bought and done in many other orchids, mostly the inexpensive Trader Joe’s variety. But somehow along the way, I have learned how to take care of them and, lo and behold, over the years have become pretty good at not only keeping them alive, but at keeping them thriving and reblooming.

I have to give a lot of credit to Tom the orchid guy at a small mom & pop place where he grows and sells orchids near where I live. He is the orchid whisperer, and over the years has taught me how to care for them properly.  This ceramic orchid pot is the outer pot into which you place an orchid potted in bark or moss in a plastic pot with holes. The holes in the outer pot allow air to circulate around the roots while keeping them out of standing water, which will rot them after a while. I made this orchid pot for one of my orchids, but unfortunately it’s just a little too narrow and not tall enough for my plant. I will have to try again. In the meantime, this one is for sale to anyone who wants an outer pot for a small orchid potted in a plastic pot that is less than 3.5 inches wide and around 3.25 inches tall.

More Random Stuff

I’ve been randomly busy. For the most part, I take more time with each item I make, having learned the hard way not to rush things. But sometimes I have a little time and a little clay and I make little things. Here are a few small things that came out of a little time and a little clay. The square (not really square) plate was a class project however. I’ll have to tray that one again sometime. For now it makes a nice place to put the big candle that sits on our dining room table. The rather odd-looking plate with…well, uh… is a ring holder. I placed it into service for when I need to offload rings so I don’t mess them up throwing clay.

More African Violet Pots

These two-piece African violet pots seem to be popular. I made these two for people who wanted them. I have yet to try my first one out (i.e., plant an African violet in it), because it’s on display somewhere, but I hear they work pretty well.

Another Couple of Coffee Pour-overs

Here is a fun pour-over I made for someone who admired the last one and wanted one for herself. She likes cats a lot! It’s large enough to fit over a small pot and can make two cups of coffee at a time.

There was supposed to be some green grass in there somewhere, but the green underglaze burned off. I used red clay as the slip and underglaze on the medium brown clay. At least that stayed put.

And this pour-over is a smaller one for use with a cup. It also has a final destination.

I used white glaze over brown clay with variegated slate blue as the accent.

A Soap Holder

In the seemingly never-ending parade of class projects, here is yet another: a soap holder. There are tools for making the clay on the neck into a threaded recipient for a screw-on top, but this is not that. Our instructor purchases these plastic pumps by the hundreds and sold us what we needed at cost. I just need to rough up the neck — I glazed the neck before I realized that it was supposed to be left unglazed to let the glue adhere better — glue on the plastic insert, then cut the “straw” to size. Voila!

I’m happy with this. The glaze came out well, I think. It is robin’s egg blue over varigated slate blue. I need to make a cup and a soap dish to match.