New Obsessions

I have been busy doing what I do and have completely misplaced this blog for a while. In this brief sabbatical, I have found a few new obsessions. The first is trying to perfect my new acorn beads and I'll get to the second in a moment.

I have been playing with making handmade beads for a while and have been learning a lot as I go. I was really aiming to keep the beads consistently textured to catch the variations in my glazes but didn't want to stilt them in the glaze firing because the stilts would blemish the surface texture where the beads sit on the little tines.

So, I bought a bead stand and was happily hanging my beads from the heavy wire. I had to search for findings and bead caps that were malleable enough so I could fit them to my handmade (and not perfectly symmetrical) beads. The pieces also had to be strong enough to hold and secure the weight of clay.

Now some of you might say "just make them symmetrical" but I rather like qualities that let the viewer see the mark of an individual maker. If I valued perfect symmetry, I could just buy or slip cast perfect beads.

Well, I thought I had figured it out until I put them together. Visually, I was really happy with the old school charm of the clay against the metal, but the hole where the bead was hung from the wire was a bit thick for the thin headpins I used to connect all the pieces together. So, back to the drawing board (or rather back to Etsy for some online shopping). Luckily I found some stronger headpins and some tiny beads that I can string onto the pins to firm up the center hole in each bead.



Ok, enough rambling and on to my second obsession...my new neighbours. You may have seen these on my Facebook page but here they are again!





1 protective Mama with 5 babies have moved into our back yard. We found them under the steps of our deck the day they were born. The next evening, they had move up onto the deck and Mama put all of the babies into our BBQ cover that was hanging over the deck railing. It was the perfect hammock for those little ones. We gave them one more day to grow until giving them enough attention that they decided we were not the best neighbours. Those little ones had a party at midnight, trying out their wobbly legs and when I checked on them this morning, the hammock was empty and they had moved on to the next adventure.

Lunch Set

It took a bit of contemplating but I finally figured out how to design a new Rice bowl/lunch set. What a perfect way to dine! Rice, noodles or soup with a side sandwich or salad on a charger plate. Then a mug of hot or cold tea to match. Perfect!

Chance to Win

OK, its time for my first free give away on Etsy!

I am so close to having 400 sales on Etsy that I decided to give a little back to those who support my craft. My experience with selling on Etsy has surpassed my highest expectations and I know its just going to get better and better.

Time your purchase right and if you purchase my 400th item, you will receive a free gift! You have a chance to win either an original ceramic pendant or a set of ceramic magnets. Your choice!

New Elliptical Rice Bowls

These were a special request but a bit of a challenge. How could I keep the slanted elliptical rim while creating a resting spot to hold chop sticks? I didn't want to cut a clunky rectangle out of the side wall because it would ruin the gentle elegance of the ellipse. Here is the solution. I really like the way they stack too. The simple change of slope makes them feel modern and yet still elegant. I love it when a new design turns out better than expected!

Teapots

I thought that as a teacher I would have my summers free to sleep in, lay on the beach and read numerous novels. For some reason, I have been spending my whole summer in my studio instead. And, I'm liking it.

I had a request for a Cubicle Teapot - you know, the one or two cupper that can sit beside you at work. I don't usually make teapots because they are so time consuming. They have so many parts, the body, spout, handle and lid. But, I really had fun making these little guys. I can't wait to see them once they are glazed.

New Design

Wow! Where does the time go? Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about my little blog. I have been busy in the studio designing and coming up with some great new ideas.

I was inspired by some photos I took in Mexico last spring. I was fascinated by these little birds that would hang out on the beach with us. They would strut around and then tilt their head straight up into the sky. They would remain in that pose for quite a while, seemingly worshiping the sun - or that could have been my imagination since I was escaping from a hard cold Canadian winter at the time... In any case, I took a lot of photos of those birds just because the shape and silhouette was so clean and emotive. I knew I could do something with these images but it took me a full year to come back to them.

So here is the start of my new ceramic clock line. I am hoping to play around with this idea for a while so you will be seeing more in the future.
















Here is a little trick I discovered when trying to making round holes for the clock part to fit through. I raided my tool box and experimented with hand drilling holes with actual drill bits. My favorite size is 3/8 and the bit is great because it actually carves out the the clay. The shape doesn't distort like it would if you just pressed into the clay. I love my tool box!

Addicted to handmade Soap

Wow, I am finding out that I have so many addictions! The latest is hand made soap from Etsy. I love those new scents like White tea with Ginger. The only problem is that they are a little more soluble than store bought soap. So, I decided a while back to make my own soap dishes that have ridges to catch the water drips that can cause handmade soap to go gooey. Here is a lovely one in Blue Hydrangea. It is about time that I start making stuff for me!

Here's My Piggy

I finally listed my little piggy magnet. My brilliant husband told me to match him up with a few ceramic truffles and list them as a set. I think they are adorable but the photos do not capture how cute they look on my fridge. Of course I kept a set for myself but I listed the others in my Etsy shop. If you know anyone with a pig fetish, send them my way.

Back in the Studio

I had a great Saturday in the Studio. A whole day to myself while my hubby works at his computer trying to make a deadline. I love Saturdays! I stay up late on Friday night for no particular reason, just because I can. Then I sleep in on Saturday. I love this simple pleasure. Hubby makes coffee for me and then I head down to the Studio. I am always productive on Saturdays because there is no pressure. I don't have to squeeze in an hour or two before running off somewhere. I take my time and enjoy experimenting a little more than usual. I have a few new prototypes on the go but am keeping them a secret until they are finished. But here are my new ramekins. They are a special order but I made a few extra for me. I have always wanted dishes to make baked apples in. Yummy!

Let it snow, etc. etc.

Whew. It snowed all night and all day today and I love it. It reminds me of my childhood on the prairies. The light fluffy flakes would stack up on the fence posts and the air was so still it would sit there for days until my pet cat would playfully push some of it off. I love how time stands still during a snowstorm and everyone has to stay indoors. No rushing off to go shopping or to the post office. I get to spend the whole day at home enjoying it.

The ceramic sale went better than I expected and I sold every single mug with my new Dark Olive glaze. There are going to be quite a few happy people out there receiving my dotted olive trays for Christmas. Here are the only tumblers left so I listed them on Etsy this morning. I have quite a bit of work to do in the new year to replenish my shop but for now I am going to grab my favorite mug and enjoy watching the huge flakes fall for a while. Cheers!

Craft Sale Kudos

I had so much fun on Saturday at the Tranzac Club. I arrived early to set up and was pretty busy all day so the time just flew. I was surrounded by some interesting gals who kept me giggling and full of caffeine. My hottest seller was of course my olive trays because the dots look so cute that everyone just wants to touch them. The day was sunny so traffic was steady. My hubby even brought me a snack in the middle of the day to keep me going. Online selling is great but it sure is nice to talk about my art in person. I had one lovely lady who bought one of my biggest bowls and said she was moving to Vancouver tomorrow. I gave her advice of how to pack it safely and was amazed that she felt the urge to purchase one of my pieces just before the long trek. (She was driving with her two young sons all the way across Canada. In winter.)I have a bit of work to do to get everything restocked but am looking forward to next Saturday. Same time, Same place! This is my last big sale and then I get to take a much needed rest to visit my family over the holidays. If you are still looking for gifts or just need a little treat for yourself, check out the Tranzac Club Sat. 12-6. There is a great variety of sellers and I know I will be shopping while I am there!

Recycling part 2

I just received a great little letter from Textured Turtle, a mosaic artist on Etsy. The Etsy Mud Team joined forces with other Etsy artists to become a little more environmental while we hone our crafts. It was always a challenge to find something to do with those pots and ceramics that just weren't up to par. Pieces that fired wrong, cracked, weren't food safe, or were just plain fugly often cluttered up a corner of my studio because I just couldn't let them end up at the dump. Many of us potters dread to think that future archaeologists would find our thousand year old pottery rejects in the midst of the petrified landfills our current society has created. So my little pile of rejected works sat in a corner collecting dust. I tried to use them at the bottom of newly potted plants but that only takes care of a small percentage. My little backyard garden is looking rather cluttered with those pieces that are still aesthetically pleasing but not functional enough for indoor use.

So, (pauses for dramatic effect) the EMT and Etsy Mosaic artists made a deal. I sent a box of my rejected work to Textured Turtle to use in her mosaic works. Win-win situation. My dusty corner is now clean, some new mosaics will have a little bit of my ceramics in them, and the landfill will not be getting filled with my pottery shards!

I challenge everyone to rethink their trash. It sure feels rewarding to help reduce waste and at the same time help add more beauty into the world!

Give Away!

To celebrate a great year on Etsy, I will be giving away a free set of ceramic magnets with my 100th sale. You could choose from Winter White, Blue Hydrangea, or Dark Olive colors. These super strong magnets can hold up postcards, photos, notes or whatever you choose. They add a little class to your fridge or office with the gentle textures and colors. If you can't wait to be the 100th sale, you can purchase them in my shop on Etsy too.

Funny for the weekend

Thanks to Gina of PhenixPottery for this potters clip. I hope it gives you a chuckle!

Mix n Match

If you have been following along with my random streams of thought, you probably know by now that I love putting personality in my pottery. I guess its not really me putting it there, it just kind of happens. The pots grow into their persona through each stage of the creation process. I recently threw a bunch of similarly shaped jumbo tumblers and felt that they needed a little more personality. So, I decided to create a mix n match grouping that paired and alternated the glaze on the body with the colors of the rims. Each rim was dipped in the color of the previous mug and ta da! A mix n match set with personality!

A perfect bowl

I love bowls and I have cupboards overflowing with them. Yet I find another favorite in every kiln load. Here is my latest favorite. I love the ridges left loose during the throwing process. This time the glaze turned out perfect with a bit of the natural earthen color showing through from beneath the white glaze. Alas, (I love the word alas - it is not used nearly enough)...alas, My cupboards are full so this one will be listed for sale in my Etsy shop. I hope it find a loving home and gets used regularly. It always saddens me to think that a beautiful bowl could gather dust on a shelf somewhere. I rotate mine so that they get all get used every once in a while. I don't want to offend any little bowl who gets forgotten at the back of a shelf...