Maryland Sheep And Wool...Ack!

I got an email on Friday letting me know that a spot opened up at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival and did I still want to be a vendor?  Aaaaah, yeah!  Can I be ready by this Friday....suuuuuuuuure!  So since Friday afternoon I have been on a glazing, loading the kiln, firing the kiln, unloading the kiln, glazing, loading the kiln....you get the idea.

I'll be ready.  I think I have a good supply of buttons.  I'm going to take some finished earrings, little pinch pot bowls, and a few other things with me.

  

I love this festival!  I have gone almost every year so I'm looking forward to being a vendor this time around. If you are a knitter/spinner like me - it shouldn't be missed!  So, if you are in the area stop by and say hi to me.  I don't know my booth location yet - only that I will be in one of the barns.  

New Work Going In The Kiln Today...

Good morning!  I just finished cleaning all of these pieces and am getting ready to throw 'em into the kiln for a bisque firing.  I can't wait to glaze them...

 I really do love layering pieces.   This is chocolate stoneware...

I'm excited about these links...

 Made pieces in porcelain too.

 I also made some face beads with the hole going horizontally instead of vertically...

And did I tell you about my new mugs?  Love them!

So, tomorrow I get to start glazing....hooooraaah! I can't wait!

I Love Creating New Work...

I spent the past two days playing with porcelain trying to create some new work.  I was having so much fun that I was actually sad when 5:00 pm came today and I knew I wouldn't be back to the studio till Monday!  Here is what I've come up with so far...

What do you think?  Have a great weekend!

Good Morning...All kinds of fun news for ya!

Hello! It's me.  I'm starting to get back on track now that Spring is here.  I love the month of April.  The weather gets nicer and I am out of my winter funk...hoooraaaah!

Anyhoo, I have some news about my Etsy shop...

I'm now carrying naturally dyed leather cord in sizes: .5, 1, 1.5, and 2mm!  15 beautiful colors.

I like the natural dyes with the leather.  I think they work so well with handmade ceramic pieces.  It also works with the Irish waxed linen thread for making bracelets - like this one for example...

Here is the link to the YouTube Tutorial 

http://youtu.be/RT-M2e46PWM

I want to make several of these bracelets with my buttons, shank buttons, and big ceramic beads for the closure.  I'm working on making groups of beads (enough to make a bracelet like this).  I want to make two size bead groups - small and medium.  I want to offer kits in the near future - using my handmade buttons/large beads and sets of my smaller beads it would make one of a kind bracelets - who wouldn't love to make one, right?  These bracelets are so quick and easy to make they can be a bit addictive.   They make great gifts, too, just sayin'... I like when the thread used with the leather is a contrast so I should be able to make a lot of combinations with 15 colors of leather and 36!! colors of the Irish Waxed Linen Thread don't ya think? Can't wait to start playing with this.

This morning I listed the .5 and the 1.5 in 12 colors - the rest of the colors and sizes will be listed later today.  I'm expecting the shipment today, but I want to make sure that everything is there before I load the listings.

I also have three new colors of the 4ply Irish Waxed Linen Thread in the shop this morning!

3 beautiful Spring colors...

Green 

 Magenta

Lemon Yellow

I'm also making some new ceramic pieces.  Spring inspired...flowering branches, birds, bees, etc.  I ordered some new glazes but they are back ordered - boo hiss...Hopefully they will be back in stock soon - I don't do waiting well.

We are going to Gettysburg on Saturday.  We (Mark and I with the kids) are going to do the whole tour the battlefield thing - it's been yeeeeeeeears since I have done that.  Sunday is our 23rd wedding anniversary - zowie - I hope it's a nice day.  I just want to have a fire out back and hang out (with a little lot of wine...)

We Mark just built this fire pit in our yard.  A lot of landscaping yet to do.  We Mark put down mulch so that it wouldn't be a muddy mess, but we need to get the stones.  In the meantime, it's pretty awesome sitting out there with a fire.

And poor Howard is in recovery....sleeping in the sun trying to forget the trauma of the morning. 

 An apple fell off the counter - hit his food dish - crunchy nuggets went flying and so did Howard in a total panic melt down! lol Poor Poor Howard!  Oh the trauma of it all...

Happy Thursday! Thursday already?!?