you know, i've met a couple of real live gnomes... the first one was a little over 12 years ago. and like all good gnomes, he pops up when i'm least expecting him and most needing him. sometimes i'll see him 2-3 times in a month (or he'll call) and sometimes it is a year or more. another real live gnome is willy. and you know, scott knows the same gnomes i do which is unusual for 2 humans to know the same gnomes :wink:
I guess if I had been on here 25 years ago i would have known what color to paint them so he could have beena willie. The little guy used to sit on a turtle, but my sister hit it with a bike and broke it.
I am strong when I am on your shoulders, you raised me up to be more than I can be.
Mine stay out all summer. I did them with a glaze that they told me would be fine outside. 25 years later and they have lasted pretty good. I would love to do ceramics again but not one around here now, plus it costs more than I have to spend right now.
I am strong when I am on your shoulders, you raised me up to be more than I can be.
I cant even paint my nails, let alone do ceramics.LOL You have to pay to fire them or something ????/My sis in law used to do some. but they broke too easy.
to make them to last outside you have to fire them, paint them,then put a glaze on them and fire them again! so they used to charge 1/2 of the price of the item for firing so thats 2 firing. so If you paid 10 dollars for the item, then it would cost 10 more for firing plus class cost and paint. Got very expensive exspecially if you painted fast
I am strong when I am on your shoulders, you raised me up to be more than I can be.
I have a bunny rabbit Cindy sent me a long time ago that has been outside without any damage to it. I don't know what it's made out of but it's not plastic.
to make them to last outside you have to fire them, paint them,then put a glaze on them and fire them again! so they used to charge 1/2 of the price of the item for firing so thats 2 firing. so If you paid 10 dollars for the item, then it would cost 10 more for firing plus class cost and paint. Got very expensive exspecially if you painted fast
the price of the firings go down as the number of firings go up--as follows;
an example; Gnome: $10.00 price of gnome fire #1: 5.00---greenware--you paint the underglaze on the greenware-it is then fired-- it is now called bisque. (clay is hard and is white under paint) fire #2: 2.50---you paint the clear glaze on the fired gnome-fired again--it is now done
[b] fire #3: 1.25[/b] this would be for say adding gold or pearl to an item.
so a 10.00 piece fired 2 times would cost $17.00 plus paint.--& time if you are charging that. The teacher of my class usually tells us what to charge if we do this---
now where I go we only pay for the paint we use--especially the underglazes & the glazes--so it is not so expensive--because you would rarely use all of each jar of all the colors you would need.
my large gnomes, like what I sent Cindy were a set of 7 or 8--(I forget) they were $25.00 for them all. I glazed the insides so they would last better if put out & then just painted then with my own acrylic paints on the outside, and spray them with an acrylic sealer--- so my gnomes cost me about $5.75 each--I also had my own clear glaze already bought, and so I did not add the cost of it nor my time.
and yes it true that they last far better if you use underglazes and glazes or just glazes on an item if you wish to place it outside. but then it is harder to paint, as most paints have to have 3 coats--& so this makes it time consuming & difficult for small areas--although there are one-stroke paints for such areas if they are smaller than say 1 quarter in size.
it is so very relaxing to do though --I have been painitng for at least 20 years--and I love doing it--so I think it is worth the cost.
________
Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain!! .....
I have a bunny rabbit Cindy sent me a long time ago that has been outside without any damage to it. I don't know what it's made out of but it's not plastic.
it may be plaster, or concrete Sheri--and they are now making outdoor acrylic paints which last better on outside items. People also can use outdoor paints on some items. My brother painted a set of full sized cement deer for my parents using regular outdoor paint.--they are still as good as new.--and they are perhpas 10 years old.
also if you took an acrylic painted piece inside each winter, then re-sprayed it each year before placing outside again i t might last much longer than if you just left it out in say Illinois winter weather.
________
Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain!! .....
I have a bunny rabbit Cindy sent me a long time ago that has been outside without any damage to it. I don't know what it's made out of but it's not plastic.
That is swell........... I never had a good one.
I didnt get all my stuff out yet.... I have an alligator.
I have a set of glazed frogs--(not surprised, huh??) a glazed snail & a glazed kitten in a shoe--they are not out yet either, Barb-- perhpas we should get to that, huh???-
________
Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain!! .....
can he be glued back together?/ of if nothing else can part of him be placed in a flower pot or one of your flower beds to look like he is coming out of the soil???
________
Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain!! .....
I leave my stuff out all year. My Willy Cindy sent me did get his legs broken off. I think he was attacked by a Lephrechaun. Willy was trying to get me that pot of gold.
Many folks hate Pennsylvania too......But I love the trees and scenery here . I could ditch winter......easily......LOL
I went thru Illionis about 9 time...Nice flat land....... Husband was in the air force base there.........Took me to see it , and it was no longer a base.......Housing for the minoritys.
I still have not figured out in my 55+ years why anyone would want to live in Illinois---
I can't figure out why people want to move to Carolina and gripe and complain about how much better things are wherever they came from and immediately start trying to change everything. I say go back.
Scott Field?? it is an air force base yet---perhaps just the houseing is moved. SIL works for a government contractor right there on base, so I know for saure it is still in operation.
and yep lots of flat land--good to grow corn & wheat on.
________
Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain!! .....
I still have not figured out in my 55+ years why anyone would want to live in Illinois---
I can't figure out why people want to move to Carolina and gripe and complain about how much better things are wherever they came from and immediately start trying to change everything. I say go back.
Scott Field?? it is an air force base yet---perhaps just the houseing is moved. SIL works for a government contractor right there on base, so I know for saure it is still in operation.
and yep lots of flat land--good to grow corn & wheat on.
I didnt know HD till he came home from the AIr force..4 years....My brother brought him home.... Been together ever since........
We drove out to the dakotas to see a fellow farmer he was in the air force with. It was so amusing......The fellow had a sweater of my husbands, he saved an he gave it to him when we visited ..LOL
Very line out west , but tornados eeeeeeeeeeeeeek.
Shop at Amazon and Support AGF
Are you shopping online? Click this link first and A Gardeners Forum will receive a commission for your
referral at Amazon.com (shopping through this link to Amazon will not have any impact on your prices at Amazon).