A walk in the woods--May 26th, 2011

 

Design Team Reveal Blog Hop!

I am very excited to announce the second Artisan Clay Design Team Challenge Blog Hop!

This month I decided to send each member one of the styles that I have made quite frequently this past year. The photo above is what I sent. In making these pieces, it has been all about the color. I have been dying to see them in action.
 Now for the Reveal!

This is the necklace I made for this month's challenge.  I made it for my darling friend Debra's, Aunt Bonnie, who is letting me stay at her house during my trip to Oregon (today)

Bonnie likes blues and greens and I wanted to try to mix the smooth brightly colored glossy glass surface with the Matt wood and stone beads and natural fibers (waxed linen)

It was tricky for me.  I always want to pair the glass pieces in sleek contemporary designs apposed to my stoneware pieces which I use in rougher natural styles.

Here are a few more examples of how I have used this style of bead in the past...

It makes a really fun earring.

The pools of glass fracture light and can sometimes glow.

Clean and fresh

And feminine

So.... many of you know that I have been traveling.  I ended up being quite mixed up in my arrival.  I slept in Gate 78 at San Francisco Airport Wednesday night and arrived in Oregon 12 hours later than expected.  So.... I only just now was able to get this blog post up... A little late....

I am having such a wonderful time!  It turns out that a second friend of mine lives here too!   Our planned camping trip for the weekend is looking like it will be a big party.  I will post photos a little later.  There were actually photos taken of me yesterday that I will make disappear...

We'll talk about that later...

I am thinking of blogging my trip photos as a way of recording them for myself.  I hope you don't get too bored of it.

NOW----

Check out all the goodies that the design team has come up with.

Raku Day

I went to a Raku Day with my potter's group on Sunday. 

It was tricky, but fun. 

Here is a shot of everyone's pots before the firing. 

Here are my beads.   

The kiln is in the center and burn barrels form a circle around it.

Here is the finished work and test tiles.

Some more of my favorites.  Barb Davis made a beautiful vase with maple leaves as well as a lidded jar with a bird handle.  Elaine made the fun face pot in the front.  It has not been cleaned all the way as for this photograph.  

I didn't take any pictures of my beads, because I did not wash the soot off of them yet.... that would be a PITA part.  I prefer to wash them with a specific cleanser.  I will need to pick some up.

Artisan Clay Design Team-- The Beads!

This Friday is the Artisan Clay Design Team Reveal Day!

I can't believe how fast it came up on me this month.

Here are the beads sent out to the team.  I sent charm sets to those members who typically use more stringing techniques.  I sent a single cabochon to those members who seem to like to use bead weaving techniques.

I only had single charms left over, so I will use one charm alone in my design....unless..... I can find another set hiding somewhere on my desk....

Why did I choose these beads for the team?

-- It feels like I have made a million of this size bead.  It feels like I have mailed out a million of these beads.  I would love to see them in use.

Simple enough-- I would like to see more ideas of how they can be used.  This is one of my standard sizes and I can make them in many color combinations and make them to order (given time) 

I can't wait to see what the team comes up with!
There are a couple of charm sets in this size in my etsy shop.

Don't forget!  You can join us on reveal day by linking up to a blog post of your own where you show us how you have used Artisan Clay Beads in your work.

Or... you can join us on Reveal Day and feast your eyes on the goodies that the team has come up with!

New necklace.... just for me.

I love this.  It is so perfectly "me" 
I will now wear brown for 5 days straight so that I can wear this necklace every day.  I'm already 3 days in.

It uses one of my funky disc beads....
Like the one featured here...--->  http://beadcruise.blogspot.com/2011/05/featured-sponsor-artisan-clay.html

And like this one in my Etsy shop.....---->http://www.etsy.com/listing/74384069/spring-green-sprocket-bead-round

Um.... It looks like that is the only one left in the etsy shop... I just added it this week. 

Trunk Show at Azillion Beads! and SALE!

            This is just a quick post to let all you West Coast, namely Oregon folks know that for a  limited time you can pick up my beads at Azillion Beads in Eugene and Bend.

I sent a lot of my newest work--- including my new donuts with the painted edges and TONS of funky disc beads and funky links like in the last Artisan Clay Design Team Challenge.--- SO.... Please stop by the store and tell Pam that I sent you!

My own trip out to Oregon is coming fast!  I will close the etsy shop for around a week, while I am away, so please use the coupon code RELAX to receive 15% off your http://www.artisanclay.etsy.com/ purchase up until the time I close down shop next week.

Intermission

So...... my Internet connection was shut down unexpectedly last week.

I decided to take the opportunity to switch to Fios and that will take a few more days to get installed.

I thought I could just share some random pictures with you today.......and mention some random things of the past week.....

I have been doing lots of fun things with my free time.  Like going to school board meetings and finding out that my daughter's extremely awesome school is to be shut down.  Then going to tour the local friends school and making myself feel poor.  And scheduling summer camp so that I can work this summer and constructing new garden beds and planting. 

And sorting out my Trunk Show in Oregon.  Here I was stringing together charm sets.

       My older daughter helped me unpack my Kansas City Trunk show and sort out the new beads.  I kept her home from her field trip to Philly because of the breaking military news last week.  It turns out that someone ACTUALLY did plant a fake bomb at the location of the field trip WHILE her class was visiting.  Yeah-- I was actually not just being overly nervous on that one..... It could have gone either way....

Here's a picture from my brother's powder coating business... sometimes we paint chairs--- by the thousand--- sometimes it's bombs, sometimes it's store fixtures for the Piggly Wiggly..... :-)

One day--I was avoiding cleaning my house and I contacted a local knitting shop with photos of my new buttons.  I will have my first button trunk show in Bethlehem, Pa as soon as I can sort them all out.

I distributed 3000lbs of custom mixed saggar/horsehair clay to my potter's group on Saturday and reflected on the nastiness of women towards eachother.  Why?  Why are we always tearing eachother down ladies?  What is the use of talking behind eachother's back?  What is the use of this artistic pretension?  Yeah--- I haven't spent much time with the group lately....  I'm thinking that's a good thing.

I have had a lot more time and desire to talk to friends on the phone this week since I have not been catching up with everyone on Facebook.  I went to see a band with a friend and danced like a crazy person and smiled and smiled and loved the ones who build me up instead of tear me down.

I will soon visit my dear dear friend in Oregon and we are making plans on what to do with our time together.  We are both girl scouty types.... so we will camp at the ocean  :-)  Good stuff!

2 weeks to my soul shakedown :-)

Anyway-- can you tell that I am feeling a little bit silly these days? 

I have been visiting a lot of my past and seeing my future and reflecting on my choices :-)

And TRYING TO KEEP IT REAL!