Ceramics Class!

Seeing as I just signed up for my second ceramics class (starts tonight!) I thought I should finally get around to showing off my wares from the first. 

Ever since I moved here I’ve had an extreme itch to take a ceramics class. Clay is big in Montana- and I used to take classes while getting my undergrad art degree, so I couldn’t resist when I saw a weekend workshop called “Teapots and Serving Trays.” I took it in early November with artist Lea Zoltowski (whose work is unlike any ceramic sculpture I’ve ever seen). I got  my pieces back from the glaze firing in December and I am pleasantly surprised with how they turned out, because I had no color tiles to look at when choosing these glazes. I really enjoyed making them, but worried about the glazing process which was rushed and disorganized. It all worked out okay though, didn’t it?

To create the texture on the serving trays, I pressed vintage lace and doilies into the wet clay. The glazes worked splendidly at filling in the cracks, and I love the subtle color changes in the oval tray, although they  might be a bit overstated in these photos, thanks to winter light. I even like the crack in the square platter. Enjoy the gratuitous photos (more on my flickr).

 

This teapot was a beast to make. It’s gigantic, but it’s functional, so I’ll probably have to serve tea from it at least once. Again, the glaze is totally different than what I imagined, but in a good way. We made our teapots using paper pattern pieces–the process was very much like dressmaking. It’s not a technique I’ve ever seen taught in ceramics, but it makes a lot of sense– make the piece from paper first, then work with the clay. That way if it doesn’t line up, you won’t have wasted too much time.

I’m looking forward to the next seven weeks of classes, because I hope to finally master the wheel. Or, at least begin!

Done and Done

I finished binding the baby quilt! It took quite a lot of time to do all of that hand stitching, but I had time, since I’ve been on the couch with a persistent cold.

Here are some overall shots of the quilt on our bed.  It’s pretty big– 40 x 50 inches, so hopefully my sister’s kiddo will be able to use it for a lot of years. I was noticing as I bound it that it would make a nice lap quilt…. but no, I must part with it.

 

You can see some more details on flickr.  Here it is with my first quilt, which was offended that I balled it up in order to make room to shoot the new one.

And if that’s not enough excitement for the day, check out my Holiday Swap Ornaments over at Reprodepot.  Here’s a peek.

I got two of mine in the mail today– they were sooo cute! I squealed “Ornament swap, ornament swap!” when Paul brought in the padded envelopes. I’ll share them all, but I want to save the surprise in case my swap group is reading.

Fruitcake Softie, For the Fun of It

I’m not one to make a lot of purely-fun projects (I like to make things I “need” so I don’t end up with piles of clutter), but I decided to give a last-minute go to the Holiday Softie Awards.

 

I started last night, using mostly fabrics from my Denyse Schmidt fat quarter pack. (Let’s see, I’ve now made napkins, a house, a baby quilt top, a halloween banner and a fruitcake using fabrics from that stack. My mom took some to make me a quilt And there is still more!) Anyway, I loved the fabric I used for the side and pecans, to me it looks just like a fruitcake wrapper.

 

It was really fun to stitch this thing (although, lesson learned, I could use a thimble), and I am especially proud of the pecans.  I’ll have to pepper in some more whimsical projects to spice things up now and then. Wish me luck!

I love…

In response to Floresita’s list, here are some things I love:

+ crisp fall days
+ grafitti (the kind that makes you smile, the kind that makes you think)
+ warm crocheted hats
+ the red groove on my index finger that comes from wool yarn passing over it again and again while crocheting
+ the extra five minutes i spend in bed before i get up
+ macaroni and cheese
+ unexpected combinations of pattern and color
+ seeing mountains at the end of each street when i ride my bike
+ the horses we pass on the way to the art studio

What do you love? Post here or on your blog.

New Adorn (On Newsstands August 6)

I’ve been pretty darn sick these past few days, so here I am popping in again. Today the new issue of Adorn came to my mom’s house, which was so exciting. I’m used to getting to see the first copies and this time I had to wait like everyone else! (No matter how many layouts you pore over, there’s nothing like seeing it in print.)

It’s a new, larger size, and I really love the way it lets the projects and instructions breathe. There are all sorts of cool ideas (if I do say so myself)– click to get a sneak peek of the table of contents. My favorite thing I made for the issue is this ottoman cover- I felt seriously accomplished once I figured it out! I am in love with patchwork, and really really miss my sewing machine and fabric stash right now.

The other thing I love is that a lot of the projects in this issue involve recycling and using items you already have in your stash. So don’t forget to go grab it at Borders or Barnes and Noble in a few days, and remember that you can also buy it online.

Creative Spaces

Last February, Aaron Lee Fineman came over to my workspace to take my & my studio’s portrait. To be completely truthful, yes, I do work at this table- but until I had the reason to spruce it up, it was an uninspired, disheveled mess! Knowing someone was coming over made me finally make all those little changes I’d been thinking about and stop procrastinating. I built the ikea mini-drawers that I got frustrated with years ago (and instead of the mini-chest, stacked them,  labelled, to be compatible with my need to see everything I need while I’m working). I hung the stuff I’d been collecting and saving. And over came Aaron (who I met through Tricia) and took my portrait.

And then the most amazing thing happened: I started working more often. My sewing table no longer became cluttered with desk papers. Because it was, definitively, my sewing table! It’s pretty amazing what having a dedicated, decorated space to create in can do for your productivity.

I’m thinking about all of this as I pack up my things, because in Montana I will have a craft room. Slash office. Much coveted. This excites me, even though the room will be significantly smaller. I’m all about that dedicated space, and I’m hoping that this time I’ll set it up right away. I’m even secretly (although I guess not so secretly, now) hoping to start making art again. Just a little bit, just to see.  I found one of my journals from 2001 while packing, and hey, I know how to hold a pencil!

What does your craft space look like? And how do you keep it organized and inspiring? Let’s do a show and tell (you can post in the comments or link to your own blog. Today or next month- whatever works)!

p.s. Check out the Color Week challenge on Kayte’s blog. I want to play!