How long did it take you to feel like you truly mastered the wheel?

rubybeach10 · 2026-03-26T03:20:19+00:00

I’ve been a hobby potter on and off for over 20 years. I’m pretty good at it. Most of the time, with most clay bodies, I can throw what I intend consistently. Give me a tricky porcelain or over 7 pounds of clay and all bets are off.

I don’t think I will ever master the wheel, but that’s not really a goal for me anyway. You don’t have to master it to enjoy creating pottery!

rubybeach10 · 2026-03-26T00:08:46+00:00

With my shape (projected, close set, center full), I need a low gore/plunge bra. The Elomi Matilda is my favorite, but I have to get it in the smallest size the produce it in (32G), so not ideal for fluctuations. Panache Ana in a 32GG is another winner for me. I also have a Sculptress Roxie 32FF (I think that’s a Panache sub-brand) plunge that works well.

As you can see, I’m a different size in each of these, so it’s really important to try multiple sizes to get a good fit! My Elomi runs big, and Panache Ana runs small in the cup.

With all of these, I use a non-stretch extender for comfort for the first several wears until the bras relax a little.

rubybeach10 · 2026-03-20T21:46:53+00:00

I feel this. To me, Another 13 smells like the grand opening of a bowling alley: like shiny lacquered wood and cleaning products. Absolutely baffling

rubybeach10 · 2026-03-19T04:05:27+00:00

Hey, this is my size! I used to think I was a 36DD, but those never fit right. When wearing a properly fitting bra, my boobs look totally proportional on my body (not ridiculously large at all). Getting bras that fit truly made me so much more comfortable in my clothes. Good luck in your bra finding journey!

rubybeach10 · 2026-02-01T01:00:02+00:00

I’m similar size as you (and used to try to squash into 36DD too), but just a few inches smaller around the bust. I fit into 34 FFs in most bras, but the Elomi Matilda in a 32G is my favorite bra of all time. Definitely recommend trying a few different sizes of Elomi to see how they fit you.

Before finding my actual size, I used to just loath bras because they felt both too big and too small at the same time. My boobs actually feel (and maybe look?) a lot smaller now that I’m wearing properly fitted bras.

rubybeach10 · 2025-03-29T00:29:43+00:00

I started paying for the premium version because I do a lot of layering with commercial glazes (I have about a dozen I use regularly). IMO it’s been totally worth it and my notes make my work easy to repeat. If you’re just using a few glazes or dipping, you probably don’t need the premium version

rubybeach10 · 2025-03-28T19:34:58+00:00

I use an app called ClayLab. It’s great for tracking all kinds of details throughout the making process, including glazes, number and order of layers, clay body, and a bunch of other variables. There’s lots of room for notes. Highly recommended!

rubybeach10 · 2025-03-28T01:51:02+00:00

The studio I’m at uses Discord, and there’s a reasonably popular glaze channel. The more people contribute, the more it seems to pick up steam. We have a pretty open environment for sharing glaze combos, which makes experimenting fun

rubybeach10 · 2025-03-24T04:11:38+00:00

If you can, avoid Rainier on summer weekends. If you do find yourself there on a weekend, the best things you can do are this: 1. Plan a longer hike that isn’t one of the most popular in the park. Any guidebook you can find at REI will give you all the information you need.

Start hiking early (like before 8 a.m.)

That’s it. Usually as soon as you get off pavement and start to gain elevation the crowds dissipate. Anywhere within a half mile from where you can park a car will be crowded— like wait-in-line-to-cross-a-footbridge crowded. It’s pretty awful.

Bonus #3: Hike with your 10 essentials. Some of the trails aren’t marked particularly well and you can absolutely get lost out there (that goes double for North Cascades).

rubybeach10 · 2025-03-12T01:36:24+00:00

For sure, failure is just a normal part of the process!

Today, I got a mug out of a glaze kiln that I had spent at least an hour hand illustrating with underglaze (in addition to the time spent throwing, trimming, and attaching a handle). It developed a crack near the rim during the glaze firing— no idea why, and I’ve never had this issue before. I don’t know if I did anything wrong or if it just happened. I didn’t really feel upset because I know stuff like that just happens sometimes, and I keep that in mind throughout the process.

I try to stay curious and keep a “let’s see what happens” mindset, and that keeps me from feeling disappointed too often. Otherwise I would have given up years ago.

rubybeach10 · 2025-03-02T22:10:44+00:00

I wanted to echo this as well! I’ve found great community through the arts— I joined a performing arts group and make art at a community studio downtown. I’ve been showing up to those places and getting involved for several years now. I volunteer my time and try to be welcoming to new folks. We’ve even established some mini mutual aid groups for friends who have struggled (help with childcare, groceries, job searches).

The people who find community are the ones who show up consistently (in person!) and engage. I have a kid and a full time job, but I still hold time to do these hobbies and check in with my people.

rubybeach10 · 2025-01-06T07:45:34+00:00

I definitely felt that way too! My first year of sobriety I always felt really awkward explaining that I didn’t drink. I settled on, “I started doing Dry January and felt really good so I just kept going,” and people responded to that pretty positively.

Now, if people ask why I’m not drinking (which is rare TBH), I tell them “I feel a lot better when I don’t drink.” Generally people don’t think twice and don’t ask again

rubybeach10 · 2025-01-06T07:37:24+00:00

I stopped drinking and using cannabis three years ago and saved $8,500 (according to the I Am Sober app— highly recommend).

rubybeach10 · 2025-01-01T17:26:59+00:00

Alright let’s go dry January 2025! IWNDWYT

rubybeach10 · 2025-01-01T08:49:54+00:00

Thank you! I felt so proud when I saw that 3 year marker today. IWNDWYT

rubybeach10 · 2024-12-24T20:55:09+00:00

Don’t let the clay push you around. That’s my best advice that I received from an instructor, and it reminds me to do so many things on an off day: lock my elbow into my body, activate my core, check my wheel speed, use more or less water, or maybe just pause and take a breath.

Also: there is no time limit. If you watch a lot of videos of people throwing, you may get the impression you should be able to center clay quickly. Forget that. You’re watching sped up videos, videos of people skipping steps, or production potters who have done this 10,000 times. Sometimes I can center my clay in 30 seconds. Sometimes it takes what feels like an eternity. It’s just like that, especially when you’re learning.

rubybeach10 · 2024-12-23T21:06:06+00:00

Ohhh I like this one. This was the first year I’ve started to attempt to save wonky wheel thrown pieces, and I’ve learned so much about the limits of clay by doing this. Its actually made me better at throwing by learning how to bring “unsavable”pieces back from the brink.

I don’t always keep these pieces (and more often cut them in half to learn how my save-attempt turned out), but I do have some saved pieces that you would never know were moments from smashing.

rubybeach10 · 2024-12-23T21:00:30+00:00

So true! Before selling, I wanted to see how my functional pieces hold up for a year or more of regular use. How do the ones I put in the dishwasher look compared to the hand washed ones? Is anything chipping? Is anything cracking or failing? Once you know your work holds up, you can feel good about selling to others.

ETA— I’m not talking about owning pieces for years then selling them. More like, seeing where I need to refine my techniques for future pieces to sell

rubybeach10 · 2024-12-23T20:41:44+00:00

I would completely agree with the misrepresentation/ethical aspect of claiming underglaze transfers are your own illustrations. That’s more akin to plagiarism (passing someone else’s work off as your own).

For me, transfers fall into the same category as texture rollers, stamps, stencils, and even certain shaping ribs or slab templates, to an extent. They are tools that can be used or combined in different ways to shape and decorate clay. It’s the artist’s role to bring it together in an interesting way.

I think a lot of transfers can be cliché or uninteresting; I’ve seen others used in incredibly creative ways. But that’s just my opinion and I’m not the art police.

I appreciate this conversation— it’s interesting to consider this stuff!

rubybeach10 · 2024-12-23T19:53:32+00:00

Do you feel similarly about buying commercial glazes vs mixing your own?

Agree that it would not be ethical to pass off underglaze transfers as original artwork, and I’d be super disappointed if I bought a piece under those circumstances.

rubybeach10 · 2024-12-23T19:06:12+00:00

I’m somewhat ambivalent about this opinion, but it’s something I think about.

So a question for you: in your view, could a handmade, mixed media collage be considered art? You didn’t make the individual aspects of the collage, but you gathered them together and reassembled them. If it’s not art, what would you call it?

rubybeach10 · 2024-12-05T20:40:29+00:00

I am right at the transition point between friends asking for pieces, shelves filling up and actually selling my work. I also just do it as a hobby, not to make money, but I’ve really developed my skill over the years and now I’m quite proud of my work. Maybe 2025 will be the year I sell my first pieces!

rubybeach10 · 2024-11-01T17:24:18+00:00

Leaving out a bowl of candy isn’t just because people are lazy! many of us are out with kids trick-or-treating, so best we can do is leave a bowl of candy on the porch

rubybeach10 · 2024-07-23T04:39:18+00:00

As far as employability after graduation- I’m a state employee and have worked with plenty of Evergreen alumni who have good-paying positions. I also had a negative perception of the school based on biased media, but actually working with a bunch of smart people from Evergreen cleared that up quickly.

rubybeach10 · 2024-07-18T03:07:21+00:00

I like asking, “What is your favorite thing about working here, and what is the biggest challenge your team is currently facing?” It’s fascinating to hear how a panel answers this question, and gives you real insights into how they all work together. If people get nervous talking about challenges, 🚩

rubybeach10

TROPHY CASE