January 20th, 2026

Picture CERF+ (The Craft Emergency Relief Fund) is an organization whose purpose is to support and provide assistance to artists and craftspeople during times of natural disaster. One of their programs is the CERF+ Get Ready Grant. The CERF+ Get Ready grant is a $1,000 grant to assist artists "to safeguard their studios, protect their practices, and prepare for emergencies". In December 2025, I was approved for this grant, which I intend to use to weatherproof my outdoor kiln area, and create a safe and comfortable space to work and teach. One of the things CERF+ encourages grant recipients to do, is to document how they use their grant. My grant will cover enclosing my outdoor workspace, and provide much-needed storage and sinks. A small windfall I received in 2025 will allow me to complete this project in total. I'm really excited to share my progress with you, and encourage other artists and craftspeople to apply for this grant. So, let's begin with the current status of the outdoor (kiln) space, and the overall plan...

January 20th, 2026

1/20/2026

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Chapter 4: Finished!

I'm kicking myself for not doing more progress updates (sorry!). I was in the thick of it and so tired at the end of the day I could do nothing except potato-out on the couch and fall asleep.
All-in-all, everything went pretty much as planned,

and I stayed (mostly) within my $2000 budget.
While there are a couple of "luxuries" I'd like to add - some area rugs to prevent slipping, a 20 amp circuit so I can use my heat gun, and a couple of Ikea items so I can turn my leftover shelving into rolling ware carts - it's now a clean, safe, weatherproof workspace!

And I can't wait to get into it and work!
This was truly a serendipitous opportunity. Without the CERF+ grant , and an unexpected return on an investment we made years ago, this could not have happened.
I'm so very glad it did!

CMCK