Hello Pottery People! What a wonderful community. I am in Upstate New York, United States. I have always loved the pottery community and this forum that Suza built for us just proves why. I did some pottery as a kid but stopped when I went to college. I have either studied or worked in a “practical” technical field since, burying my artistic side. After hitting my mid-life unraveling, I took a pottery class in 2019 and have been hooked since. I joined my local Pottery Guild (Collar City Clay Guild) and have learned from that community as well. I’m thankful to be part of this network and looking forward to connecting. Happy potting!

One of the big challenges on YouTube is to get watch time...and subscribers! I have tried to mention new channels every time I post to YouTube, and it seems to be helping others. But watch time is another challenge. I know I'm getting close to the 1,000 mark, and that's exciting, but I'm still waaay below the minimum watch hours to get my vids pushed to the next level. Perhaps we can help each other out by rewatching videos, or watching earlier videos that we haven't watched yet. I suggest that if you have a channel and want help with this, post your link in the comments, and let people know if you are trying to get more subscribers, watch time, or both.

I’m testing out a diatomaceous stone drying mat in the pottery studio and I’m really curious if this thing lives up to the hype. It’s designed to absorb moisture fast and self-dry, so my thought is… could this be a gentle helper for clay that’s taking forever to firm up? Here’s how I’m planning to use it: • Placing slabs or small handbuilt pieces on it to help even out moisture • Using it under freshly trimmed pots to pull water from the foot without rushing them • Testing it as a slow, steady drying surface instead of boards or drywall ( my drywall is peeling -- annoying) • Seeing if it helps with those awkward in-between stages when clay just won’t cooperate The mat is porous, meant to absorb moisture quickly, and dry itself with airflow, which sounds very promising for studio use. No heat, no sun, just quiet absorption doing its thing. I’ll be testing it today with different clay stages and will report back with results. If this works, it could be a really nice tool for controlled drying without cracking or stress. Has anyone tried something like this already? I’ll update soon with clay receipts 🏺👀

I want to take a pot and glaze it with three consecutively numbered glazes... ie; Amaco PC-27, 28, and 29. That's just an example. Any glaze line will do. Who's in?

I’ve tried something new on my YouTube channel. I just posted a long format video (79 minutes) of me glazing and telling stories. My intention was making a video that could be played in the background to keep someone “company” if they work alone in a studio like I do. It was fun to make but took longer to upload and edit. My iPad microphone had some glitches which I need to figure out. That notwithstanding, I would value your feedback on this video before I try another one. I put in lots of chapters if someone just wanted to hear stories. Anyway, thanks in advance to anyone who wants to give me constructive feedback. Studio Ambience: 79 minutes of Calm Glazing, Aviation Stories and Wild Buffalo in Pawhuska https://youtu.be/ErYuxzILqvM