Monday, September 20, 2010

Perfect Timing

Yesterday I caught this shadow as it laid perfectly across this pot. The letters came from the sun at just the right angle for the painted words "Tin Barn Pottery" to cast a perfect shadow in the Manassas Clay storefront.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Mornings

This is how I want my mornings to look. Is that too much to ask for?
All images from honeyandjamphotos (a shop whose name even makes me happy).

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Pine and Main

I recently had the good fortune to come across a wonderful fellow Etsian, and I wanted to introduce you, too. Katie of PineandMain made a truly lovely treasury, and included one of my pieces of pottery. She then bought the piece, and replaced it with another one of my listings. Now she really had my attention! I don't know if this is typical of Etsy sellers, but when I sell something, I check out the customer's profile, feedback, favorites, and shop (if they have one) to find out as much about them as I can. Maybe I feel like it helps inspire me as I am deciding how to wrap their purchase, or to know what they might like for me to include as an extra little gift.
I was so charmed by the PineandMain shop. The selection is well-curated, and the pictures are fantastic. Everything looks like it belongs, and you get a real sense of place as you browse.
In her profile she lists her favorite materials as pottery, wood, and paper. Her shop has a great selection of each.
Katie opened up PineandMain in early August of this year, but she's already had a number of sales. She also runs a vintage toy and game shop.
After Katie received my little vase, she thanked me with a sweet little note and mentioned that she had included me in another treasury.
I feel like PineandMain embodies everything I love about Etsy - friendly communication, sellers as buyers, treasury curation, and the perfectly edited shops.
If you get a chance, stop by PineandMain and do a little browsing. You might just find something you need, and you might just get a glimpse of Etsy's finest.
Edited to add: The second treasury I mentioned just made it to the front page! Yay!

Chuck Sunday

For today's Chuck Sunday, I thought we should go straight to the source. Did you know you can design your very own converse shoes? Of course I'm drawn to the drab colors, as you see below with the chocolate and taupe gray. You can turn the shoes around to see every angle. And don't miss the fact that you can add a personalized iD! I'm not completely brown and taupe... I like blues, too. What would you create?

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Cruets

Set of cruets with stoppers. Miller 70 clay, golden luster and opal glazes.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Snoopy Dance

Also known as the Suppertime Dance.

Harvest Sampling

Most of my first glaze firing was 266 clay, the dark brown clay that is one of my favorites. The oatmeal glaze went over it really nicely. Above, jugs and a handled wall pot. Below, the jugs again.
My kiln goddess. I painted her with blue and purple underglazes and wiped most of it off, letting it stay in the patterns I stamped on her. Most of the purple burned off, but the blue shows well.
Golden luster mugs.
Stamped handles.
Golden luster and oatmeal bowl.
Golden luster tumbler stamped with paisleys and an upsidedown wall pot in soda ash.
Paisley detail.
Turbulent indigo bowl.
Tiny turbulent indigo jar.
Lessons learned from the first glaze firing: I don't have to worry about the glazes running as much as I thought, so heavier application is possible, which will give me better color results. This is particularly true of the emeraude glaze, which you will notice is not featured here.

Monday, September 6, 2010

Change

Change is in the air. Do you feel it? Life will never be the same as it is right now. (Above, Welcome Change, papermoth. Below, vintage autumn bounty watercolor, paddyridge.) Moments are fleeting. (Autumn Drive, terryhuey.) Seasons change. (Change of Seasons stained glass panel, FleetingStillness.) Leaves turn; as does the hourglass. (Ship Hourglasses watercolor print, studiotuesday.) Time passes. (Vintage sundial bookends, TheWhiteMole.) Celestial bodies realign. (Vintage armillary sphere, sevenbc.)
The sun shifts in the sky. (Savannah Sundial, cybergirl5710.)
The hours tick by. (Crescent clock, twigsoup.)
Leaving us to ponder our existence. (Kafka beetle steampunk watch necklace, bluesealbluth.)
Experiencing the metamorphosis of life. (Metamorphosis Girl, PhotogenicGallery.)
Watch what emerges. (Metamorphosis, agnisflugen.)
Embrace the present, look forward to the future. It's all we can do.