Welcome March with New Comtemporary Designs

Welcome March. The first day of spring is just around the corner. I awoke this morning to the birds singing His praises and the sun was shining.

 I have finally taken some pics of new designs for 2010. I am really excited about these new designs. I have been testing the market by wearing a prototype and have received rave reviews. I will have to admit that the pictures are not the best since I was using a different camera. I still have not gotten mine fixed so I used the camera we have for the children. But, you are still able to see the designs. Of course, each design can be made with any texture design and glaze color giving a vast number of options.

The woven clay basket class I took last week was fun. Teresa at Everyday Art Gallery is planning some great classes for 2010. Make sure if you are in the area that you check it out.

Let it Snow..Let it Snow..Again

Well, today it is snowing outside the studio. The kids have been out of school for 4 days this week. We are just recovering from last weeks huge snowstorm. We rarely get snow in these parts. We get more ice than anything. We had between 5 to 7 inches last week and more snow, sleet and freezing rain from one system today and more from another system coming in tomorrow. I have spent time working a temporary job last week that  finished up earlier this week. I did manage to get a bisque fire done last Sunday. I plan on sanding, waxing and glazing today with a possible tie-dye break. After the last test tile firing, I was so excited with the new colors that I had to get more things made. I look forward to seeing these items all decked out in the new colors. I have made some rectangular frame links and some items textured in patterns I have not used in a while.

There is one problem that dampens my excitement. My digital camera broke last week. I won't be able to take pictures of the new items right after the glaze firing. I won't be able to put any of them in my etsy store right away. My camera is a Canon PowerShot S2 IS that is only 3 1/2 yrs old. The lens has malfunctioned again. The lens will not retract back when shutting off the camera stopping all operations. I had to have the malfunction repaired the first time during the first year warranty period. Now, I will have to pay to have it repaired or pay more money for a refurbished camera with a 90 day warranty. I really don't like that idea. I spent so much time researching cameras 4 yrs. ago and getting to know how to operate this one that I really don't want to have to do that again.

Well, let it snow..let it snow..again..I going to prepare to glaze

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