Our pot of the month is on display at Mareeba, Port Douglas and Yungaburra markets. November's pot is Veni, Vidi, Vici, a bright orange raku pot with lid made using a mixture of stoneware and raku clay.
Veni, Vidi Vici is inscribed on the pot in Mason’s code which is created by placing the alphabet in a grid system.
 Many favourable comments so far; perhaps someone will receive a unique  Christmas gift.  

Think you have something to sell at the local market?
There are sixty plus markets each month in Cairns and surrounds, giving a wide choice to suit you and your product. For example, short-term tourists are unlikely to buy plants and produce; items favoured at local markets such as Rustys and Mareeba.

There are some amusing attitudes to market traders. I’ve heard, ‘I’m glad I don't have to do that,’ and ‘Do you have a real job?’ Stallholders are from various backgrounds; a microcosm of humanity often ignored in support of one-off events. For example, closing roads for races and locking customers in or out and delaying access. Customers stay away, and stallholders lose a week’s wages because of these events.
 
Many stallholders are self-sufficient and make, pack, sell and run their micro-business. Some have an on-line presence with national and international customers. Others supply to local business and keep the economy turning. It is hard work with few perks and more players than stayers. But being a stall-holder offers freedom and independence not found elsewhere, and the weekend market family is always fun.
 
They do for themselves and earn a dollar instead of picking up a pay envelope.
​Interested? Perhaps you can give up your real job.
 
LEUKAEMIA MARKET
This Sunday, 10th we will be at the Leukaemia market in the Fred Moule Pavilion at the show-ground. See you there. Opens at 9 am.

This post is in response to queries on how to throw large items similar to the water filters.
Begin with a suitable size, 4 - 5 kgs. It is easy to work and stands up well with a 10-12 mm wall. This means thrown sections will need joining to create wanted size.
The joint I use is a ‘V’ joint shown in (fig1). The tool I made is from an old credit card (you could use the current one) shaped as shown. (fig2)

​SECTION ONE
With the ball of clay at a size of your choice throw the base and wall to height as far as possible with a 10 - 12 mm wall. Throw this on a batt so you can remove it from the wheel.   
You will need a source of heat, electric heat gun or better still a gas blowtorch. These are available at your hardware shop. 
With the blowtorch dry your thrown piece to a point where you are confident it will hold the weight of the next section.  Trim the top off level and form an upside-down V. =  /\  with your new tool.  (fig3)
Take this part including batt off the wheel and begin again on another batt.

SECTION TWO
 This time throw a cylinder with 10 - 12 mm wall thickness. 
 Using calipers make the top of your cylinder the same diameter as the first section. 
Use tool (fig 2) to form ‘V’ in the top edge and use heat gun stiffen top half of the cylinder .
Adjust diameter as there will be some shrinkage due to drying slightly from stiffening.
Measure the diameter at the top point of the first section; and bottom of the ‘V’ on the second section. (fig4)

SECTION THREE (the tricky bit)
Remove the current cylinder, including batt, from the wheel and replace with the first section.
Brush slip on top of the inverted ‘V.’
Using a third batt turn over section two. Take hold of the batt (bottom original batt is now on top) and place the cylinder on top of the base. They should fit if you measured correctly.
Cut the batt off the top cylinder using cutting wire. 
Blend the join by using two straight wooden ribs. (fig5)
Now pull up the rest of the clay to thickness 10 - 12 mm.
​Level top of the cylinder and start again on the next section as done in section 2. 

Depending on what shape you want, this is the time to begin shaping sections one and two. When satisfied with the shape use the heat gun and stiffen the bottom section. (fig6)

Continue with sections until you reach your wanted size. 

This month’s gallery feature is a yellow double wall bowl made with my raku mixture of stoneware and raku clay and wheel-thrown in sections before joining using slip.  After a bisque fire, I apply the coloured glazes with the aid of masking tape and fire to 1080 degrees. The final fire is in  the raku bin.
 

​Here is a photo of a commission completed for Nautilus Restaurant in Port Douglas. Check them out if you dine there. I believe Nautilus has an exceptional degustation menu which we intend to try. (As a special treat for the secretary, bookkeeper, marketer, web page designer, blogger, typist, salesperson, debt collector, accountant, IT specialist, photographer, tax agent, file clerk, systems analyst, purchasing officer and cook.)