shiny packages of goodness

This what the saggar work looks like before I fire them...sort of. I prep the yarn bowls and a bunch of shawl pins, buttons and brooches for a saggar firing the day before I fire. I could fire them the same day but I'm usually waiting for pieces that are still in the bisque firing and like to fire them in the same saggar. My normal cycle is to prep on day one and fire/unload in day two...unloading...I should probably wait until the pieces fully cool to touch...or at least get just warm to touch...nah...I apparently love to burn my fingers unwrapping the foiled pieces.

Inside the packets are strategically placed strands of recycled violin bow hair, bison hair, alpaca...and various chemicals that force me to wear some protective gear (full face North mask). When the kiln is torched off the smell will be horrific and be toxic...I wish I could say smugly that "I love the smell of burning hair in the morning"...but I don't.

So while ya'll will have to wait a couple of weeks to open presents, I do that with every firing. Opening is really a lot of fun...but wrapping 150 pieces in tin foil does not even register on the fun meter.