Thursday, August 30, 2007

All This For FREE!


These are all items that are free with a purchase from participating Etsy Mud Team Shops. Check out the Etsy Mud Team Blog for more information. Click on a photo to visit the participating shop.

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Etsy Mud Team Buyer Incentive Sale

August 27 - August 31
Visit any participating Etsy Mud Team shop listed below, look for the "Buyer Incentive" items, make a qualifying purchase and get the incentive item for FREE!

Purchase requirements may vary from shop to shop. Please check each shop for details.

Ant's Pottery
Averly
Bailey Bowls
Blue Sky Pottery
Ceramica Botanica
D Gordon Pottery
DK Pottery
EarthElements
GinPins
Into the Fire
Jessica Sharrah
JMN POTTERY
Judy B Freeman
KHPhillips
Montezuma Mudd
MudPuppy
NKP Designs
TR Pottery
Vegan Dish
Vessels & Wares

Photos show two new pendants just out of the kiln. Not yet available in my shop.

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Smokin'!


Incense burners, that is! Just out of the kiln and ready to smell up the house! And now, our incense holders come with hand dipped incense samples from Dreamland Incense.

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Green and Gold Feathers


Just out of the kiln, the glaze effects were unexpected on this mug. The feathering within the green drip is so stunning and the bamboo glaze below it has never let me down. It is available is our etsy store.

Thursday, August 16, 2007

I Could Make THAT Myself!

"I could make THAT." I hear it all the time. I could say it a lot of the time and it would be true.

However, owning the handiwork of another artist is an honor. When I hold in my hands someone else's creativity, talent, and dedication, there is a clear connection between our spirits. I might be able to duplicate the object itself, but I cannot duplicate the joy it brings me to hold in my hands the coffee mug of another potter.

When I wear my Bina Geyer earrings, I am connected to a wonderful woman who lives across an ocean from me. Every time I place a spoon on my David Posner spoonrest, I am reminded of the workshop I took from him and all the knowledge he shared with me. When I bathe with my Shine Your Hiney Soap Company soap, I can feel the love that Diane puts into every bar.

Just as my children connect me more closely to my Creator, these works of art and outpourings of self connect me with their creators. Many times I could duplicate an object, but I could never duplicate the love that went into it.

Wednesday, August 8, 2007

We're FAMOUS!

We are in Craft:Magazine, Volume 4.

We were chosen to appear in Etsy's two page ad!

But there was a small typo....

The drum actually costs $750.00!!! So funny!

Monday, August 6, 2007

Going Home


These found a lovely home as soon as they came out of the kiln. We hope they have many happy years with their new family. We will send them out filled with wishes of joy and happy memories.

Sunday, August 5, 2007

Square Topped Ring Mug

Something about this mug just grabs me! It was wheel thrown, then the top was altered into a square. The ring handle with a stamped thumb button are so comfortable. We used two glazes that produced a rich green with a darker rim that sports hints of blue. It is available in our etsy shop.

Saturday, August 4, 2007

Friday, August 3, 2007

Stamped Teal Hand Drum


This amazing ceramic drum is a creation of Alex LaPella. The body is stoneware and was thrown on the wheel, then the design was stamped into the body while the clay was still damp. After trips to the kiln for bisque and glaze firing, Alex fabricated the steel rings to fit the drum, wrapped them in fabric, then strung on a goat skin head. Like all of Alex's drums, it is tunable and the head is replaceable. We NEVER glue on a drum head, so our drums can be tuned no matter the environment. Watch for this drum to appear in our etsy shop.

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Silkscreening on the Cheap

For a few months, I have been toying with silkscreening. Nothing fancy - just making t-shirts and such for me and my family. I got a Speedball kit for Christmas and after a few false starts, I was printing! I wanted to do more, but screens are expensive and I worried about committing a screen to a design I'm not in love with.

So, a few weeks ago I came across this tutorial. I went and bought my cheap, sheer polyester and an embroidery hoop. In contrast to their instructions, I decided to try to use diazo on the screen instead of drawing it out by hand. I mean, what the use of something being cheaper if it takes a ton more time?

I readied the screen, burned my image in the noon sun for about 60 seconds, rinsed out the stencil and had a screen. I wasn't sure how it would print and my squeegee was too big to fit in the hoop, so I used a fake credit card (the ones that come in junk mail) to spread the ink. It worked! Hope it works for you, too!