What the heck is that?

This has been a doozy of a week. The kidlets are off of school this week, which I guess is a good a time as any to get strep throat. At least we can take medication for it and we haven't missed any school or homework, which  always adds to my frustration. I know you know that when you work from home you are never allowed to just rest and get better but I really did try to. Sometimes just putting in a movie and getting into bed with your work tray can feel like a rest. Calder and I rested and watched Secretariat. I was weepy throughout and loved it. I made some of these while watching....

I could call it a bead cup or bead boat... 

Robert thought it was a thumb wrestling helmet. 

I love antibiotics.

LivMe's Lovely Lotus

Sorry! I can't pass up an opportunity for alliteration! Liv & Me is the design duo and mother/daughter team of Kerstin and Olivia. They opened their etsy shop in December, 2010, and have transformed ceramic pendants and beads, leather and copper, semi precious and glass beads into lovely and elegant jewelry designs! The shop is relatively new, but I can tell their lovely designs will be well received!

For My Love...

These crackle hearts were a Valentines gift for Robert.

In 1992 we went to visit my second cousins in Portland, OR. They run a successful pottery business that did not stop running on account of our being there. Being young potters ourselves we relished watching as they carefully unloaded their kilns, and still hot from the firing proceeded to carefully paint on thick black Japanese ink. We watched in amazement as cousin Debbie wiped away the ink to reveal a map work of inky black lines on the pearly white glazed bowls. I will never forget that feeling of awe and amazement at their work. They are not technically minded folks who still to this day do all their work by the "books" no computer involved. I was hoping to show a bit of their work... I will always be grateful for their generosity with their talent and knowledge. If you are in the Portland area, look up Debbie and Andre Shapiro. Amazing potters. Lovely people.

Jackpot!

Andrew Thornton is giving stuff away again! Good stuff! Stuff that makes me want to weep! Check out his stuff! You can enter too! YUM!

If You Are In The Area...

If you happen to be in the Grand Rapid, Michigan area, between February 21st and  26th, please hop over (maybe I should say ski over, I've been told there is lots of snow!) to Bead Quest to see the goodies I sent owner Cheryl Tom for a trunk show! Here is a sneak peak!

Sweetness. And a Bead Bundle Finds a Good Home.

Here is our Valentines Day tradition....

Cards.

Magnolia choose hearts as her theme.

Calders choice of sweet Gizmo beat out the mean gremlin. 

Thanks to everyone who shared their traditions and activities! I wish I could send everyone a heart! I now have some new ideas for next year! The random integer generator chose lucky number 5 (somethingunique)! Please send your address to (gaea (at) gaea (dot) cc) and I'll get you your bundle! 

Here are your random numbers:

5

Timestamp: 2011-02-16 23:16:23 UTC

Free Love!

I have to say, Valentines Day is my favorite holiday! So I am giving away a bundle of bead love! Just leave a comment by Wednesday with your favorite Valentines Day activity (HELLO CHOCOLATE!) and I'll randomly pick a name to send this bead bundle to! YAY! Now go have some chocolate!

Happy Valentines Day Sale!

Happy Valentines Day! Use code "BEMINE" to get 10% off on all etsy shop items!

LOVE! LOVE! LOVE!

Run, Dorothy Run!

Some times it feels like these bundles are making a run for it! Quick while she's not looking! I want to play with them but they keep escaping to etsy! (To good and loving homes!) Thinking up the names for these sets can be entertaining sometimes...

Ruby Slippers

Lemoncello

I Want Candy

 

Analogous

Earthenwood + Gaea = Fun!

My Earthenwood Design Team package of goodies arrived a few weeks ago and held wonders of the ceramic beady sort! There were two problems. 1.)  Finding the time to play with them and 2.) Finding them!!!! I put them in my "safe" spot. The spot that was just for special things that I didn't want the dog to eat, the kids to "play" with or the cats to burry in the yard. A clean dust free place (ha!) that would be so secure that I would actually never find it again. Yah. Not good. So clever me, I decide I just pop over to Melanie's etsy shop and buy them.  With new package chained to my person I've actually made a bit of time (I'd hoped my new enamel work would have been included in the designs!) to play...

Since I am sending the designs off to Stringing for consideration, I'll only be showing bits and pieces!

Oh My Stars!

And hearts and moons and clouds and swirls and..... etsy.

My Morning Went Up In Flames!

Last September I got all fired up (pun intended!) and purchased an enameling kit from Barbara Lewis' Painting With Fire etsy shop. I just busted it out of it's box this morning and it was like the idea of it set ME on fire and I couldn't be stopped! Laundry? What ever!? Dirty Dishes!? F$#& off! I cleared a path to a table and then cleared the table! Set up a kiln shelf and un-bagged a few colors. Read the instructions for the 10th time and then held my breath....

The unnerving sound of the torch was a bit to overcome but once I had a bead held in front of the flame, everything else melted away (I really do apologize for all the punnyness!) Rolling the bead on the wire in the heat I dipped it into the white and returned it to the flame. WOW! It melts! Two more times and then I was ready for some color! A light lavender color.

Then the idea hit me and I shut it all down to bend some wire! First some simple overlapping rings then some tear shapes.

Periwinkle, white and lilac.

 If I have it all up and going I may as well attack it! I think I may need to make some rings too! I am so excited to have this new tool in my design tool belt!

SWEEEET!

They are just so sugary and sweet! Like easter came early and is shaking it's booty at you! (That was quite a mental image.)

Open Hearts...

It was a burst of spring colors from the kiln this afternoon! I had a few glazes that were giving me trouble in the last few firings but I think I worked the bugs out. It totally freaks me out when an otherwise reliable glaze goes all wonky!!!  I even went so far as to contact the manufacturer and sent in samples. They couldn't see a problem in their test firing. All I know is when one batch acts completely different from another, something has changed. Here is what came out! Coming soon (tomorrow!) to an etsy shop near you!

Open Heart

Happy February 1st! I just love Valentines Day! I am a bit heart obsessed. Don't know why but I just love seeing them! These are being fired right now. I tend toward bright non heart colors but a few will be pink and red. I also made a few small bowls in the same design...
Open Hearts!