Tom Waits - Telephone call from Istanbul

Getting there is half the fun!

I'm almost ready to begin glazing! Some new star pattern hearts my make their way into this firing....

And I almost forgot to send a shout out to an amazing ceramic bead artist, Melanie of Earthenwood studio, about her big article in Simply Beads magazine and including some amazing ceramic bead artist in her first big article! Go out and grap a copy now... now.... NOW!

Happy? Sad? Silly?

Faces. Expressions. Beads! I had a fun idea to do some face beads with expressions. I have a few like "content" and "mischief" but was thinking for a while that this could really be expand on. Like "Sour Puss" a puckered face and "Beaming" with a great big smile. I can see them all on one chain as a bracelet or one to just say "this is how it is today"! Hmmmm...

Weekend ends

The weekend is over and we had our share of melt downs. Kids will keep you on your toes and focused on what is important. Mostly them. We had to forgo a birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese's due to a mean temper tantrum. Several chances were given, none were taken. That is the way it is sometimes. We are learning to use our words and express anger with them and not hit and stomp and kick. It is tough to be a six year old. It is tough to be a 37 year old.

A few ideas made it to paper. A trip to the 99 cent store was enjoyed by all. Found a few kid books, Harry Potter make-your-entire-mouth-blue-gum and batteries. A few beads were made. This months firing is fast approaching and I have many more beads to make. My friend Carol Ann, a wonder gal if ever there was one, did some excellent necklaces and one idea in particular it seems to me needs to be worked out in clay. A great idea of clouds with rain drops is in the works with her blessings to do so.

Here are a few of her fine works... Go C.A., GO!

Whew! The ride starts again!

This has been a hectic month! Calder turned 6 and had a great birthday party. Wonderful friends and family all around! Loads to plan with that and orders to mail out. We also started swim lessons this week which is FABULOUS in the heat. With all this fun going on I'm not too quick to jump back into bead making. I received an invitation a few months back to submit photos to Lark books for a up coming book that Tonya Davidson is writing titled "Making Ceramic Beads" to be published fall 2008. The deadline was this past Monday and I had spent the better half of two weeks trying various set ups to "professionally" capture the projects I wanted to submit. I really got put my camera through a work out. Thankfully with all that is going on, my love Robert helped me through the new settings and what not. It looks like we got a few good shots. Hopefully one will be good enough for a book. Here are some photos of the new GLAZED Tarot tiles!