Sawdust Results!

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Homemade Sawdust Kiln

I am so excited!
My husband and I went out to our farm last weekend and gathered up rocks and sticks and built a sawdust kiln. First we made a big circle out of rocks built up like we were building a wall. Next came the stinky part. We took out the wheelbarrow and got a load of cow manure....there is definitely no shortage of that on our farm! It actually wasn't very stinky, it was all well aged and most of it had almost completed the process of turning back into dirt! We took all the cow manure and piled it up around the outside of the rock wall we had made to insulate it.
This weekend we went out with our un-bisqued clay pieces and loaded them in the "kiln".
We used a mixture of fine and coarse sawdust and dried shredded leaves and loaded the kiln. Then we piled our sticks on top. Now it was time for the fire!
Not as exciting as it sounds, really not even as big as a campfire. Once our sticks had burnt down level with the rock top of the kiln we put tin over it and let it smolder. We went home and came back this afternoon, still very hot and smoky; but we unloaded it anyway.
All of the pieces were a beautiful deep black from being in the fine sawdust!
So exciting. I came home and burnished them with some wax. Beautiful!
I will post some pics later, when I get some good ones taken.

Late Nights

Wow, this has been a busy month.
I have read about the Christmas rush on Etsy but didn't really expect this much business!
I have been up until 2a.m. for the past three nights. Tiring work, but so much fun!
Keep the orders coming and I will keep making things....well, even if you don't I still will.

Goodnight sewing machine! Goodnight all!

Taylor Mansion

Tonight I ventured with husband and child in tow to the Taylor Mansion in Newport Kentucky.
They were having a party for the holidays that my father in law being the county historian was invited to. What a fabulous piece of architectural history!
The building was enormous and the details unbelievable.
Starting with the front door which was made from a very thick piece of curved wood. I have never seen anything like it in my life. So amazing.
Anyway, the mansion was all original. They definitely don't build them like they used to.
After touring the whole house we went up to the attic on the third floor which was where the servants quarters were. I believe that many of the house servants were slaves, as it was before the civil war. The attic was my favorite part of the whole house.
The rest of the house was spectacular and everything you would expect a mansion to look like, but when I walked up the unfinished creaky attic stairs into the dark and gloom it was like I was walking into the soul of the house. The attic was creepy and rough around the edges. This part of the house just felt so much more real to me. So many lives were lived out in these small rooms. I just wanted to go into each one and explore. Alas they were roped off. Maybe another time! Just such a lovely house overflowing with history!

Tunnels

Tunnels

Mingling amongst friends.