Artisan Clay Trunk Show and Staci Louise Originals Drilling Demo this weekend! Be there!

Look at us!  Aren't we cute?

We are wearing each other's work :-)  Staci is wearing a necklace that she made as one of the Artisan Clay Design team challenges and I am wearing a necklace that Staci made for me YEARS ago!

Today was the day that I set up my Trunk Show at Bead of a Feather in East Greenville, PA..... That is just a 20 minute drive from my home and just a few miles from Staci's. 

Staci is doing a couple of demonstrations at the shop tomorrow.  I love the subject, drilling your beach finds, sea glass, shells.... for your jewelry making.  So.... be there!  Staci is your girl for tips on making jewelry that will LAST!  BE WEARABLE!  Hang straight!  Not be junk!..... which we happened to discuss while setting up the show ;-)

Thanks for coming by and setting up the show with me today Staci!   You rock!

After this weekend my work will travel to Beads of a Feather's Kutztown location..... SO..... if you are in the area, this is YOUR chance to see a larger selection of my work than is available online.... after this, my work heads to New Jersey before stopping in Virginia :-)

In other news.... I am super famous now  ;-)  .... My bead is featured in a new E-Mag put out by Interweave called Live Wire..... I downloaded my copy last night and I am really impressed!  I hope to work up the project and show it off soon!  So there you go!  I'll say I knew you when ;-)

Don't miss our Artisan Clay Design team reveal next Friday!  This month we are working with my glass fused donuts.... It should be fun. 

I hope you are having a great summer!  Mine has been a blur of choices and people and hope for the future...... and this weekend.... camping with my girl scout troop.....in 100 degree weather.... but I think we will figure it out.
(and I even get to hang out with my Clay Bead and metal buddy Melinda Orr at THE BEACH on Monday!  OH my gosh!  What fun!)

Artisan Clay Design Team Reveal Tomorrow!

Our reveal day is the last Friday of April (THAT'S TOMORROW!) and I would like to invite YOU to join us!

Our Awesome Design team has been hard at work this month making, making, making with their Metallic Bronze Beads.  Tomorrow we will share our designs!


If you have blogged about anything made with Artisan Clay Beads this month I invite you to link up to our reveal post tomorrow as well.

Or..... maybe you are the last minute type, or are looking for a fun project for today???? Maybe?

Maybe you have some Artisan Clay beads hanging around your beads stash just waiting for their moment to be worked with.... maybe you like to have a deadline, goal, challenge.....? I invite you to use your Artisan Clay beads in a design this month, blog about it and on April 29th add your link to our reveal party! Contact me if you have any questions :-)  artisanclay (@) hotmail.com or via etsy convo :-)



Make something or not, please join us for the fun tomorrow!

Happy Day

First of all, I have to say how happy I am that my call for design partners has been so well received!

I thank you so much!  I wish I could take everyone, but I don't think I will be able to manage.  A friend had a great idea.  She suggested that I have a core team that I work with for a longer period of time and a guest member each month.  I like that idea because then more people are able to participate. 

What do you think?

I will make my final decisions this weekend and let everyone know at once.  I am SO EXCITED! 

As far as my part, I have already been inspired to glaze some new work and I hope to get it fired this weekend.  I drove to the clay store this morning.(DelVal)  I picked up 3 new clays.  Really I wanted one new clay and to stock up on "my" clay, but when I arrived, I was told that they are not going to be stocking Standard Supply brand clay.  So.... I came home with 3 new clays instead.  My potter's group is planning to have a custom clay mixed up from Ceramic Supply of NY and NJ... some 3000lbs of this saggar firing mixture will be delivered to my business.  I'm going to have to see if I can get "my" clay along with that order.

 So.... look for some different work from me in the next months as I try out the new clays.  Every clay works differently and will cause me to make beads that relate to how the clay moves, dries, fires.  So things should be different and exciting.  Different is good :-)

The future is so promising! Happy Day!

State of your Studio--a bit of the week

Friday--making beads... the kids were making hats.

Stamping the cards for the Bead Cruise beads

All sanded

Empty and headed to pick up my Trunk Show beads on Friday afternoon

Packing beads for Bead Boutique Kansas City, MO on Monday

I stalled out when I realized that I didn't have any more bubble wrap... Picked some up at the shop on Tuesday.

All packed up

Beads and Tally Sheet and tape and paper and it's all done :-)

SALE TIME!

SALE! It's Beads-of-Clay Open Studio Blog Hop time again! COUPON CODE BOCOPENSTUDIO gets you 25% off your order and special Spring Cleaning HANDMADE BEAD SURPRISES IN YOUR ORDER! ~Now through Sunday March 6th.~


I will also be posting my Open Studio Blog Giveaways and Spring themed posts on Sunday Morning. 2 Winners will be announced on Monday. Tons of great Ceramic Bead goodness will be going on by many of our Beads-of-clay members.

There will be new work added to the shop this weekend, but not til late afternoon on Saturday and mid-morning on Sunday..... There's actually a little bit of a bead shortage around Artisan Clay land... even though I keep making more, much of it is promised out already.


I did get the kiln loaded up yesterday and start to fire as soon as I can get the nerve to go outside in the dark cold of this end of winter-- so close to spring- morning ;-)
 
I have been packing up beads to head out to Heather Powers for her Bead Cruise at the end of the month-- WOW-- It's fun packing them up, but it looks like I only made 50 or so disc beads in my last firing... time to make some more :-)  
 
So....SALE and new work coming to the shop this weekend... then probably there will be less new work in the etsy shop for a time while I make things for trunk shows, and get my jewelry retailers restocked and I do a bit of traveling-- ok for me it is a lot of traveling :-)  4 trips before June-- how am I going to pull that off?  It should be fun.

Look What Kristi Bowman Made!

That's my heart charm!  Kristi won the charm from the Beads-of-Clay  blog.
Check out what Kristi has to say about her bracelet on her blog--- http://dreamsomedesigns.blogspot.com/2011/01/stone-age.html