Black Friday

I have not blogged for a while. I have been trying to catch my breath after the furniture market,  art shows and custom orders. I have started working on new finished jewelry designs for next year and make porcelain snowflakes for my upcoming Etsy Ceramics and Pottery showcase. I know that alot of us love to shop the day after Thanksgiving but really don't like the crowds, traffic, or long lines. The internet has helped us out greatly. We now can sit back in front of the computer and shop til we drop. In honor of this new tradition, I will be featured in an Etsy showcase on Black Friday. You can look for new items added to my shop as well as the snowflake ornaments. This year they will come in a box ready for gift giving.

Now for a little history lesson..
According to Wikipedia, "Black Friday is a term for the Friday after Thanksgiving in the United States, which is the beginning of the traditional Christmas shopping season. The term dates back to at least January 1966 -- "Black Friday" is the name which the Philadelphia Police Department has given to the Friday following Thanksgiving Day. It is not a term of endearment to them. "Black Friday" officially opens the Christmas shopping season in center city, and it usually brings massive traffic jams and over-crowded sidewalks as the downtown stores are mobbed from opening to closing.
More recently, merchants and the media have used it to refer to the beginning of the period in which retailers go from being in the red (i.e., posting a loss on the books) to being in the black (i.e., turning a profit)."



In North Carolina today, we finally have some much needed sunshine so I am off to take lots of pictures of the new items that I will be adding to my etsy site for Black Friday. I look forward to shipping you all the items that you purchase from me through my etsy site.

-Tracy

I have just finished and delivered to wholesale customers the porcelain snowflake ornaments in time for the holiday shopping season.  I love these ornaments.  They are time consuming to make. Each one is hand formed, bisque fired, sanded, glazed, fired for a second time in a clear glaze before applying and firing the mother of pearl lustre. I always have to make extras because I always break several somewhere along their journey.
I have several sizes and styles. Each one is signed, dated, and comes in a gift box with a certificate of authencity.

You can purchase one from Everyday Art Gallery and Southern Spirit Gallery but I betcha can't buy just one.

Let the Holidays Begin

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Fall Open Studio blog event. If was fun to meet and greet everyone and share our studio spaces. This event also taught me a little more about how to use blogger.com so you got love that.

I would just like to declare in the famous words of my pastor's wife after our Candlelight Coffee event.."Let the holidays begin!"

Remember that you can shop with me until midnight tomorrow Oct. 26th in my etsy store or my website.

PS. Look for more information and photos of our Candlelight Coffee after Nov. 14th.

Second Giveaway Winner

Congratulations to Sharon P. on winning the necklace. Sharon please make sure I have your email so that I can get your address and let me know what length you would like your necklace.

Fall Recipe

When I think of fall, I think about Thanksgiving and Christmas a time to praise the Lord. I also think about a favorite dish that we eat during the fall and winter. I am not sure about other parts of the country but in the south we love to make and eat brunswick stew. It is said that this stew originated in Virginia, the state I was born in, around 1828. Churchs and fire depts. around here will have big fundraisers where they make and sell this stew. They are usually made in a huge cast iron pot over an open fire. However, when I make mine I use a 16qt stock pot and a modern stove. The stew is made with a variety of meats with chicken and beef being the most common. I recently sampled a stew with chicken, beef and pork. Typically the stew has potatoes, tomatoes, lima beans, peas and corn. I have my husband's grandmother's recipe that my mother-in-law taught me to make. If anyone is interested in the recipe, I will be glad to email it as I feel it is rather long to put into a blog.

I hope everyone is still enjoying the Open House. Remember you can still shop after the open house is over.
You can shop with me through Monday Oct. 26th at the sale prices on either my etsy site or my website.

Works in Progress

I am currently working on my limited edition porcelain snowflakes for wholesale customers. I have a few in the kiln awaiting a bisque firing, but still don't have the kiln working. I have been waiting since the beginning of Sept. to have it fixed. I will be on the horn tomorrow to my electrician friend to schedule some time hopefully this week. In the mean time, I am busy rolling out the clay and forming them.

Second Giveaway

This is the second giveaway today. It is one of my finished bola cord necklaces. The pendant is porcelain and one of my new colors for this fall. I would describe the color as persimmon. What would you call this color. It is lighter than the picture. I tried to get it as close as I could. All metal components are sterling silver and the bola cord is brown. The lucky winner can choose between 16", 18" or 20" bola cord in brown. It retails for $36.00.  Get your comments in quickly. I will announce the winner at 4:00pm.  Remember that you can shop with me until Midnight Oct. 26th on my etsy site or my website at a 25% discount.