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!

Buttons-- A question?

     I have been trying to collect an inventory of buttons these past few months.  I have been trying to make a few more in each firing.  I recently signed up for Michele Mach's Button Swap and found out that my partner is Shannon (ForMySweetDaughter)....

     I have a question for you-- I would love to know your opinion.  DO you think that I should add buttons to my trunk shows in Bead Shops?  Or should I keep them separate and offer them to knitting and sewing shops? 

Fresh out of the kiln

I opened the kiln this morning.

I made a lot of Dot Cabochons.

And these larger Cabochons with the painted rim.

I really like that yummy bleed of color along the edge.  :-)

And check these out!   They are a collaboration between myself and Marla James.....  They are made from the bisque from her Bisque bead supply website.  You have seen her bisque work used by quite a few ceramic artists, but maybe you didn't know it.  :-)

I really like these bright clean colors.  I do love making this style of bead.

And I made some pottery!  I should have spread them out to take photos.  There are tumblers, and serving bowls and one "perfect" soup bowl.  I am going to be taking these pieces to the Accessories Boutique in Bethlehem (next to the Hotel Bethlehem-Moravian Book Store area )  But I felt bad sending them off so soon, so I decided to have a sidewalk sale and let my Facebook friends know about it.  :-)

Sidewalk sales are my kids' FAVORITE thing to do!  As soon as I said it, the kids grabbed their handy work and set up shop with me.  I sat on the porch and the kids sat out by the sidewalk.  Lydia sold 2 butterfly necklaces and Sonya sold 2 of her beads.  :-) 
Then they spent it all at the grocery store.... Belgian Waffles and ice cream for dessert tonight! 

I filled the kiln up again as soon as I emptied it.  I am kicking myself for it.  It's 8pm and I am going to be awake tending it for a while....... But tomorrow morning, when I get to see all my new pottery..... It will be great!

Show me your LOOT! Art Charm Swap

The AWESOME Jennifer Cameron recently hosted an Art Charm swap on her blog.

These are my goodies.

I tried to include each artist's contact info in each photo. 

 Here they are clockwise from top:

http://www.suebeads.etsy.com/

http://www.lorettasboutique.etsy.com/

http://www.janeldudleybeads.etsy.com/

http://www.glassaddictions.com/

http://www.spiritedearth.etsy.com/

http://www.emakaye.etsy.com/

http://www.copperdiem.blogspot.com/

http://www.paigemaxim.com/

me-- http://www.artisanclayetsy.com/

and my FAVORITE! http://www.maybeads.etsy.com/

This bead is so tini tiny!  and so detailed! 

Everyone did such a good job!

I actually forgot to add a jumpring to my charms....Whoops!  So much for the reading rules.

Anywho--- get in on the next round of fun.

Jen is thinking of doing another swap. Check out her blog for more info

Sisterhood of the Traveling Beads Giveaway!

This is the post folks! This is the place where you can leave a comment and be entered for a chance to be the next person to win a turn with the "Sisterhood of the Traveling Beads"==== FYI~~~We're equal opportunity around here and brotherhood is ALWAYS welcome!

Here's the nitty gritty!
I'm going to be following Heather's lead and use the same rules.....So one international winner will be chosen from the entries placed from outside of the United States to win an Artisan Clay Grab Bag.... and sharing this blog post will get you an extra chance to win.

So here's the text from Heather's original blog post laying down the rules---

This is a box full of goodies from my studio purge.



One woman's tossed out beads is another woman's treasures!


The giveaway: The entire box of goodies, over $200 worth of beads.

 The stipulations: You'll pay for shipping: $15 for flat rate priority mail.

The rules: You'll take what you want from the box, add in items from your own bead stash to replace the items you took and do the same giveaway on your blog. We'll keep the beads traveling for as long as we can.

To enter: Leave a comment, include your email.


Bonus: Blog, facebook or twitter about it to enter twice. Leave another comment letting me know you helped spread the word.

Deadline: March 26 at 12pm (Central time) 
I WILL CHOOSE A WINNER ON FRIDAY THE 22ND----That way the box is leaving my studio in time for the two week deadline

International bloggers: I'm sorry, but due to shipping only those in the U.S. can play along. But I'm suddenly feeling really bad for my non-U.S. blog readers. If you are outside the states leave a comment and I'll also draw one international winner for a bead grab bag from my Etsy shop.
So for my portion of the Bead Box, one Grab bag of Artisan Clay Beads will be awarded to an international entry (please let me know you are outside of the US in your comments)

I will be blogging more about the contents and the items I am adding to the box soon, but this is the only blog post where the winners will be chosen.

What's new?

I added some new work to my etsy shop this weekend.....

Teal and White charm set

I also had my etsy 500th sale!  That's pretty cool.

I feel like I haven't been adding very much new work to the shop since the beginning of the summer, but I hope to be better about that now that the holiday season is near.

Black and White Charm set

I am starting to blog for the Beads-of-Clay blog again this week.

I have been given a big box of beads donated by Beads-of-Clay members and I will be in charge of giving them away randomly and via our 2nd Wednesday giveaways. 

 (Psst,...... I just might do that on some Mondays, and Fridays)

Mostly I'll ask a question and ask readers to answer it via a comment on the blog. This week's question is on E-mail.  As in, I am buried in E-mails and I am often not very quick to answer them.  :-) 

But I want to... and they are important.....

Black and Red charm set

Today I was taking photos of a nice pile of beads/pendants etc for the Art Bead Scene Blog.  I will be a sponsor of the next Monthly challenge :-)

I don't know what the inspirational artwork is for the month, so I had a hard time narrowing down what I wanted to give.

Turquoise and Black Charm Set

****This post has been modified due to special secret announcement stuff which I had not realized****
;-)

Lagoon/Turquoise Bulls Eye Pendant

Today I drove up to a shop what sells my work to bring some new stuff and um, hm, ut oh! 

 It was closed!

  I totally forgot that the owner had a big 3 day festival over the weekend and likely needed the day off ;-) 

Monday is my day for these things so either I will have to mail in the new work or wait another week. 

Bronze Black Cresent

So that's what's going on today.....

Are you getting ready for shows?  Did you have one last weekend? 

Did you make anything new lately? 

30 = 60 + much more

30 earrings sets came out of the kiln this morning.

Now I need to decide where they are going.

I made a few other pieces as well-- Some evil eye pendant/beads~~

Bead Fest Philly 1

I just have to share some quick photos of my booth at Bead Fest Philly this weekend.

My generous friends Mary Lou Holvenstot, Carol Dean Sharpe, Marcie Abney and Staci Smith lent me their work to display at the show. 

I am so thankful to have the opportunity to have their work with me.  I admire them all so much as artists and friends and I love to talk about their work with new friends.  I would like to show off their work in more detail at a later time.  Every single piece deserves a spotlight.

I am so tired from the show.  It was a really great time.

I didn't have a booth helper this time around and I couldn't get out and walk around except for before and after hours and even then I needed to be brief.

That's a little bit different than I am used to.....  I am usually the artist known to not be at her booth.  Usually I end up wondering around and chatting with all my favorite artists for most of the show.  This time when I did run out to take a quick break I found people at the booth and security hovering nearby. 

Somehow I still shopped at the VERY LAST MINUTE and found some fun chain and wood.  I kept to the list.  Thank YOU ----->  (pointing right at you) Yes, Thank YOU for coming by and saying hello! 

And Thank YOU----->  (pointing finger again)  for following my work :-)

So now I will rebel from my 10x10 cubical and go on a road trip tomorrow.  Quite quickly following, I will need to figure out what work is going out to a few new venues.  This is a pretty cool job ;-)

Swapsies!

Today I am packing up my beads for the Beads of Clay and Ceramic Arts Forum winter swap. I have to say that I am A little disappointed on how they turned out! Previous pieces in this design have been well, a lot glitzier! Had I more time I would re-fire them.

I love these swaps! Sometimes a deadline is the only thing to get me out of a funk. Now since I'm not satisfied I'll make more until I think they are perfect. Just the kick in the pants I need!