Only the way we make it happen has changed . . .

Anyone who visits my office will recognize the old Underwood typewriter to the left. Mine is a little more worn than this one but it sits on a bookcase as a reminder of a time gone by. The actual one in my office was my wife's grandfathers that he used to type up labels for prescriptions at the drug store where he was a pharmacist. I've used it a time or two, it still works (but the ribbon is dried up). Today I live off a laptop. I remember typing articles for Scott Publications on a Brother electric typewriter. I also remember when the editor finally said one day they needed it on a floppy, in ASCI format. That was a new era for me.

The latest issue of CERAKANVAS proved to be very consuming in time. It was not the editing of articles, it was not choosing the graphic designs. It was getting updated software to handle our requests. But in the end a beautiful 64 page magazine was created. We had always been locked into a 5o page max platform before. Now we can go to 500 max page platform. Wow! Now trust me I have no plans on CERAKANVAS becoming a 500 page issue (well not right now anyway, LOL).

What the future does hold for CERAKANVAS is a even more interactive platform. In other words we will now have visual clips explaining difficult technique steps and other cool techno stuff. I wonder how we would have ever done that on the old Underwood?

In 2010 we will have an issue out every other month, Feb, Apr, Jun. Aug, Oct and Dec, plus 2 additional special issues. Then in Jan, Mar, May, Jul, Sep, Nov we will have a online issue of BLUEPRINT our newsletter. Over the next 8 days I will BLOG about 1 of the upcoming issues to give you some ideas on what's coming. In fact I hope you will submit your projects you would like to see, so we can put them into consideration for the issues. We do receive many great projects, but we have to pick and choose the ones we use for a variety of reasons.

In an odd sort of way slipcast ceramics has moved along a similar progression from the Underwood typewriter to the laptop computer. The results, are the same. Just as in ceramics, a technique from 50 years ago, is just as beautiful today, we may just go about creating it in a different fashion.

Have a wondrous holiday season! And create something delightful this Christmas season.