July Artisan Clay Design Team Reveal!

Check out the beads that the design team had to work with this month!

Recycled Glass fused Donuts-- The ones available made to order in standard sizing and colors to be exact.

Everyone picked one piece from this photo.

Except me that is.... for some reason I was dead set on green this month.

Could it get more simple?  Really? 
I had my mind set on furthering my ideas from last month and weaving another collar inspired by the ribbon of seaweed I saw on the beach in Oregon, but--- I couldn't do it.  It was just too much. Too much color, too much action, too hard to wear.   Life for me these days has been so complicated and difficult to figure out and I just long for simplicity.  If only life were more simple.... If only there was a clear yes or no....and people-- the wild card.   So~~ this is what you get, simpler than simple, easy to wear and no competition for the bead. 

When I decided on donuts, one of the design team members mentioned not using donuts in her work before.  They can be kind of tricky to work into a design, but some people seem to be able to find endless ways to do it.  I decided to go through my old photos and show examples of my use of donuts in the past.

I like to chain them up.

This one has a wire loop fired into the clay itself making it easy to string as you would a pendant.

This one also has a wire loop and I made it into a Christmas ornament.

Here I have used one of my cast donut bails in Bronze....

And this piece was chained up like the first few examples.

This last piece was made by Design team member, Carol Dean Sharpe, Sandfibers.  She is dealing with health issues this month and was unable to blog for this month's reveal. 

Carol made this piece for me to show at last year's Bead Fest Philly.  Carol has been so kind to make gorgeous display pieces for every one of my Bead show booths.  Carol has such skilled hands and a magic way with color and I am so lucky to have an Artisan Clay fan in her.  She is an awesome friend too!

So... are you ready to see what the team has made?

Have you made something with an Artisan Clay bead?-- then add your link below!

What's new?

Shades of Blue Cabochon

It has been a really long time since I've done a "what's new" blog post!

I don't know, maybe some of you came for the beads instead of the family pictures..?

Nah!  Anyway, I promise to share with you photos both of my current creative projects as well as beads actually available in my etsy shop!

     My friend Debra, picked up my trunk show at Azillion beads and spent 2! hours packing it up for me and mailed it back.  Seriously!  Where would I be without a friend like her. 

Deep rich green and peach medium donut

Not just for packing my beads.... but I feel so lucky to know such a kind, good person who actually understands the way I think. She listens and agrees or disagrees but she doesn't judge my crazy thoughts and she loves me for me. There is hope! It is possible! Now if only we didn't live across the country from eachother....anyway... things have been tricky around here and I am really thankful for the awesome people in my life :-)

 What's new? I put some work in my potter's group's saggar fire this weekend.  I probably threw 75 beads in the fire.  They won't be done for a while, but I'll post pictures as soon as I get them back.  This photo is my friend Kim's pot after it has been sprayed with a ferric cloride solution. 

Square 13

I'm always reminded of the crazy chemists in all us potters of the group.

This fizzing concoction is called swamp juice and is made from ingredients found at the Farm store and Lowes.  It fizzes when first mixed and everyone dips or spoons their work into it while it is fizzing to get interesting sponging and bubbling designs on the fired pot. 

Circle 4

Copper wire makes reds and linear patterns when fired

Sawdust makes the much needed smoke for colorful chemical reactions....

Seaweed for salt and minerals along with smoke and linear patterning...

And pack it up like a baked potato and pack it in the kiln

Square 12

I think I will be attending more Potter's Echange Events this year since I have decided to do trunk shows verses live shows.  This is a good thing, since our group is always hosting learning and sharing events and it really helps me to expand my work. :-)

And the hosts always seem to be giving from the garden too.  Last event everyone went home with tomato plants.

Turquoise and Green Pendant/connector

Air travel and taking off of my office job once a month for the past two months has taken a toll on my Etsy listing and my blogging frequency.    

Deep rich green and peach large donut

I have a few neglected yet patient shop owners calling me (multiple times) and asking for more work. I get a little cranky with monkey's on my back,

So, after preparing my work for the saggar fire, I got to work throwing new Donuts and pendants.  I had a couple of requests for a donut similar to one that sold quickly earlier this month.  I also have been noticing the jewelry that I love to wear and I notice that quite a few of them are large, dramatic, pendants.  I made some really large and dramatic pieces.  Do what you love, right?

Turquoise Blue Stripes Donut

Sonya always needs to throw too.  She loves it.  I helped her a bit with this mini pitcher.

Teal Turquoise and Greens charm set

I filled all the bats in my studio on Saturday and came back and filled them all again on Sunday.  I even have one shop that sells my pottery.  I do this to keep me grounded though I don't think it could ever be my focus.  Pots aren't my natural love, but it is a really awesome skill that I would like to improve on.

Glowing Turquoise Charm set

Tired

Purple and green Charm set

   On Monday I made molds of a few of the large thrown pieces...and in order to do so, I had to clean the attic.... and in doing so , I found my tile molds..... and so then I was compelled to pour them... and the night before I was up til 3am getting to know a new friend...and since I was up and running at 7am.... I wanted to curl up in a ball a lot of the time.  But I still was compelled to do more. I cleaned the molds, I cleaned the tiles... I just didn't make it to making buttons yet.  

Pineapple Earring Charms

Sunshine art

Royal Blue and teal earring set

Starshine's art-- watch out world

So-- all the beads shown here have been added to my etsy shop this week. 

What do you think?  What would you like me to make while I am in my production blitz?  

June Artisan Clay Design Team Reveal!

Check out the beads that the design team had to work with this month!

Everyone picked one piece from these photos.

Large smoke fired donut #22

I worked like crazy on this month's piece. Early in the month, I got this crazy idea and then the rest of the month was spent inventing the wheel. There was so much to think about in figuring out how to make this "idea" reality.

Medium Smoke fired Donut #10

I am sure it's been done before and that somewhere someone has written instructions on how to go about doing what I did...... but..... following instructions is not my way.... and my brain was tickled with the journey.

Oh Boy!  There were sketches, and collecting materials... and collecting materials....and waiting for them to arrive..... and thinking a lot, and saving that picture frame from the dumpster......and tracking down the tape measure..... and collecting materials

And then, this is what I came up with.  I have been obsessed with "constructing a fiber" I have multiple fiber ideas and this one stems from both my trip to the Oregon Coast and the Roberto Capucci exhibit that I went to the first week of June.

Sea Weed

So.... by 8pm Thursday.... this is what I had.... A piece of fabric, woven with Sari Silks... that shortened while I has weaving it.  So, what was I going to do?  First I tried it on my daughters.  It was still just a little to short for a necklace for my 6 year old... Then I found myself at 10pm last night.... STARTING OVER AGAIN!

This time I added a few inches for shortening due to weaving. 

And this is what I came up with.

I hope you find it interesting. 

I would like to explore the idea more with next month's project.

I always have a great time running through these visions.

Are you ready to see what the rest of the team has been working on with their Smokefired beads?

Also---FYI-- I am participating in a Saggar fire this weekend... so, all those wonderful red and brown smoke fired pieces that have been sold out for so long, should return to my etsy shop in the next weeks.  Please follow my Artisan Clay Facebook page if you would like to know when I update my etsy shop.... I have not been doing a good job of keeping the blog updated when I post new work.

So....Check out what the team has been up to!

Why didn't I think of this sooner?

I just opened up the kiln and I'm sneaking a quick post before serving breakfasts and heading to the buses....
Did you ever have an idea so simple, that you just have to shake your head and wonder what took so long to figure it out?
Here it is!  Buttons and Donuts in my standard sizes.  Well Duh! 

I'm really happy with the results.  Maybe now I can get some more buttons into knitting and sewing shops.... because that is the next step to total world domination after all ;-)  Maybe that should say-- paying for summer camp......  ;-)

I'm off to the office and when I return this evening I will put my etsy shop on vacation mode while I travel to Kansas City for the Holiday with my Dad and his family. 
And of course I am only announcing this because my husband and MIL and ATTACK DOG will be guarding the house :-) 

And I had my 700th sale over the weekend!  YAY!
Stop back Thursday for our Button Swap Reveal posts!  My partner is Shannon AKA For My Sweet Daughter!  That's Thursday!  And comment on as many different blogs as you can for chances to win fabulous prizes from Michele Mach our fearless leader! 

Birthday SALE!

It's my birthday on Sunday and I'm having a sale to celebrate!  Sales are fun!
I am really excited about the year ahead of me.  Things really turned around for me in the second half of the past year, and I'm really happy. 
Here's the sale part.  Use coupon code 31YEARSYOUNG and get 31% off your purchase this weekend. 
As long as things are selling, I will continue to trickle new items into my etsy shop over the course of the weekend.  Quite a few people already noticed my sale and I thank you!   If you want, you can purchase items through out the weekend and pay at the end....   I would like to mail any new orders out on Monday.
Thanks!

Free Beading Pattern with an Artisan Clay Donut on About.com!

Look at this great Beading pattern that Jennifer Vanbenschoten published today for About.com!
That's one of my Donuts!   Whoot!  ~~We might be famous~~  ;-)

Are you a bead weaver????  Go check it out!  -- Peyote Stitch Bail Free Beading Pattern

Jen used some of my favorite colors to complete her project!   FYI-- That is one of my Large sized donuts.