A Pearl of a Potter

I LOVE pottery!!!! That is my confession for today. I have always wanted to play in mud and I literally did throughout my childhood. But mud creations tend to melt when it rains. My senior year of high school I got to go to a "fine arts school" which was a part of my high school and there I actually got to play in the mud and have it fired. So potters are my secret idols and at times I have to deal with a bit of jealousy toward them for the fact that they get to play in the mud.

I met Pearl of Fehu Stoneware a few months ago through the Boomers and Beyond Etsy Street Team. I fell in love with her work....then when I got to "know" her I came to love Pearl as well. Just the thought of Pearl working at her wheel or firing raku in the snow wrapped in a blanket makes me smile. Pearl's pottery makes me covet! (my goodness, this post must be a time of confession!) Just look at these lovely pieces of art!!!

I love this one!! The glaze is gorgeous!!!

RAKU Valentine Broken Heart Dish

The crystalline glaze on this bowl is so pretty!!!

Raku, stars and wonderful crackling...can you get any better?

What is it about crackle that I like so much? Isn't this weed vase adorable?

"Fehu is a Rune of fulfillment: ambition, satisfied, love fulfilled,
rewards received.
It promises nourishment, from the most worldly to the sacred and divine."

Pearl works in her studio and lives with her family in the beautiful state of Colorado. Please, do yourself a favor and visit Fehu Stoneware.

blessings, ZudaGay

Blends

One of my favorite things about working with polymer clay is making blends. A polymer clay artist named Judith Skinner discovered a way to put two (or more) triangles of colors together, run them over and over through a pasta machine and create a graduated blend from one color to the the other. Although I've been doing this for quite some time, it never ceases to thrill me! I
love to show other people how this works and see the amazement in their faces. So fun!!! I do have some favorite blends that I've used over and over, but I have been playing a bit here lately and I think my favorite one goes from purple to blue to lime green. I think it is so yummy!!! I also like the turquoise to yellow. Here are a few flowers made with my new blends.

Ever So Lovely with Ever So Dear

The second in my Featured Artist Series is a jewelry artist whom I met through two of the Etsy street teams I am in, CAST and BBEST. (Christian Artist Street Team and Boomers and Beyond Etsy Street Team)

Diane from Vermont is Ever So Dear. She makes lovely pieces of wearable art with unique and carefully selected elements. I will let you read what she says in her profile about her designs:

"Art & it's many mediums have always been an important part of me. I love creating! - it's as simple as that.

Although I have taken many courses in art during high school & college, I am primarily a self-taught jewelry designer & artisan.

I love the process of playing with colors & textures, mixing natural organic elements with a bit of Swarovski, & trying new directions.

I have been making jewelry for just over 10 years now, & have been selling my jewelry creations to shops in VT & CT.

Whether I make the piece beautiful & refined, artistic & edgy or sweet & whimsical,
I want to make you smile & even make your heart sing!

Living here in Vermont with my husband; I can't help but be in awe at all the glorious beauty that God has made! I am thankful for the wonderful gift of His creation. With each piece I make, I am thankful for all of His blessings including sight & touch! And with each piece, I really do pray, that you will be blessed too! :)"

I had such a hard time selecting just a few items to share in this post. There are so many of Diane's designs that I just love!!! So please!!! go visit her shop and see for yourself these beautiful creations of this very lovely woman!!!!

Feel exotic in these Moroccan Sunset Earrings

All the components of this Jewels of the Forest Bracelet are perfect!

I love the blacks and reds and silver in Madames Midnight Dream...Yummy!

This is my favorite, I think....although there are a couple of others that are close seconds.
Nesting Necklace....perfect combo with a theme!

Nesting Necklace, back

When you browse through Ever So Dear, be sure to click on all the photos or you will miss the details. And, it is all in the details!!!

blessings, ZudaGay

Number Seven!!!

Introducing our seventh grandchild, our fourth granddaughter
Anika Claire
Born January 9, 2008
9 pounds 14 ounces
21 inches long

This Anika in the warming place. I have no idea what it is called.
Just to show how filled out she is and her lovely skin tone.

Anika, mommy, daddy and big brother!

Big brother Eli being......Eli.

Sweet picture of Papa and granddaughter.

Me and our precious girl.

I am showing this because this is how my life will be when mommy goes back to work!

Beautiful Anika Claire - one day old.

Grandchildren are a blessing from the Lord!!!!

Blessings, ZudaGay

CHAUNCEY DESIGNS

This is my first featured artist post. I am hoping to do one a week.

Today it is my pleasure to feature a friend of mine from the Boomers and Beyond Etsy Street Team, Eileen from Chauncey Designs. I LOVE Eileen's work, and I am so honored to have the privilege of owning one of her pendants!! Thank you Jessica, Todd and kids!!! Isn't it lovely?! It looks perfect on my black jet beaded necklace!!!!


To get to know Eileen a bit, here is a portion from her Etsy Profile:

"Hi, I'm Eileen, I live in Philly, and in a nutshell..... I just plain love making stuff. Always have. Over the years some of the things I've enjoyed are photography, machine embroidery, silk screening and candle making. Glass caught my interest almost 10 years ago and has been my #1 passion since.

The name Chauncey is a nickname that an old friend of mine and I call each other. Its the main character from the movie Being There but more importantly when I hear it, it reminds me that good friends are one of life's best pleasures."

One of the things that I wasn't expecting when I opened my Etsy shop was interacting with other sellers, finding such lovely people, and in the process making new friends. What a delight it has been getting to know fellow artisans from all over the world!! Now I too have come to think friend when I see the name Chauncey.

Let's look at a few of my favorite pieces from Chauncey Design.

Isn't this the prettiest blue...and oh the shimmer and depth.....sigh....

This one is now on my want list! Love the soft pink and the rose!!!

Oh, and this one is so sweet!!!

To see more of these beautiful pendants, please click on the link to Chauncey Designs and visit Eileen's shop, you will enjoy your stay!

blessings, ZudaGay

Waiting

We are waiting. We as a society are so impatient! I hate to generalize, but we see it where ever we go. Just before Christmas people were in such a hurry. If you are just a bit slow taking off when the light turns green horns will honk. Long lines at check outs often cause short tempers or at the least tapping feet and sighs. I am usually a pretty patient person. But right now, I am tired of waiting! I want to meet a new grandchild. I remember what that last couple of weeks of pregnancy felt like and I am sympathizing with my daughter. But babies will be born when the time comes. Not many go too far past due. It will happen....and I will try to remember to take pictures!

But for now I have one flower to show. It is the same colors as the turquoise and yellow flower but the colors are lightened, softened and I think it is sweet.
So for now I am striving to patiently wait.......... with anticipation.
blessings, ZudaGay

First Post of 2008!

It is the fifth day of the new year already. I am so slow and time moves so fast!!! I have been playing with a new petal technique that I am loving and having so much fun with. I listed two flowers made this way and they both sold right off the bat! I have no idea if it was the different look of the petals or because they weren't black and white or red. I have been stuck in black and white and red for some time now. That happens often with me...I wonder what that means??? Here are the two flowers that sold so quickly:


I have been thinking about ways to get myself motivated to blog more. I think I am going to try to do a shop review once a week or so....we will see how it goes. I'd also like to come up with at least two other "topics" that I can cover each week. That would give me three posts a week and I should be able to do that.....should... I have to confess that I am one of the most unorganized people on earth!! And I don't like to have a schedule and I don't like to follow rules or directions or recipes or have to watch a clock!!! Okay, now you know the real me and you thought that I was this nice sweet gramma. hehehe.... I also want to do a regular give away because they are so fun!!!! And I love giving things away....I feel just a bit like Oprah! Well, we are both female and close to the same age and........well that is probably where the similarities end. :)

If you have any topic suggestions, I would love to read them!!!

blessings,
ZudaGay