Handmade Pay-It-Forward!

This is a fabulous idea and I'm so happy to have randomly stumbled across in time to be one of the first 5 to comment on the blog post this morning (serendipity!). Read on...

I am entering into the following agreement with the first 5 people who comment on this post and then commit to doing the same on their blog. Just read below and if you feel up to the task, copy the following into your blog and leave me a comment.

I am willing to post overseas (I am in Canada), but remember you must commit on your blog to do the same for others.

1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I send you. But you may be pleasantly surprised. It will definitely be craft related.
2. What I send will be made just for you, with love, by my own hands. See, I can go to your blog and read your posts and a really great idea will pop into my pretty little head.
3. I promise I will complete all 5 gifts this year - 2009.
4. I will not give you any clue what it’s going to be. It will be something made in the real world, that you can touch and feel, and not something cyber. Perhaps you'll send it forward to someone who will absolutely love it.
5. In return, all you need to do is post this text on your blog and make 5 things for the first 5 to respond to your blog post. Send your mailing address - after I contact you to confirm. Everyone is welcome. I guarantee that you will receive something from me providing you do the same for 5 other people in your blog post. Are you game? Let's do this and I can't wait to send you what I hope you'll consider a nice surprise!!!!!!!!!

(If you have stumbled across this post, and you need a pick-me-up, and you are number 6, go stalk the blogs of the first 5 who respond until they post their pay-it-forward and get on their list. Seriously. That, to me, is exactly what this is about.)

My Messy Studio.

I spent the afternoon preparing and packing up an order headed for PEI, then a couple of hours making teabowls. The teabowl is such a simple form but I really feel like these are evolving so much every time I make them. They are one of my favorite things to throw at the moment.

I also attempted to photograph some of my pieces with a (very) simple makeshift set-up. I'm not happy with them - it was too difficult to get the right lighting in my studio which had bright sunlight coming in from both sides. Everything looked bleached. I'm sure it would help if I knew more about my camera but unfortunately that is something I don't have time for and am not interested enough to make the time. I'm thinking about hiring someone who knows what they're doing.

From Men's shirt to Toddler Dress.

I found another fantastic and easy sewing tutorial online that I just had to try. It involves repurposing an old men's shirt (I bought a few at a thrift store on a 50% off day) and turning it into a super cute toddler dress. I've finished one so far and really love how it turned out - I can't wait to start on the second. I've got so many ideas of how I could modify these. You can find the tutorial here.

Toddler Backpack.

I recently bought this pattern from happygiraffe on ETSY. I had been looking for a backpack pattern for my little one for awhile now and I was so happy to stumble across this one. It turned out great and my daughter just loves it.

A day at the Crafters Market.

A friend and I went out for a little stroll around one of the local craft shows today. It was put on by a Fredericton based group who are pretty new as far as getting shows together and the whole thing was very casual and very wonderful. In fact, I knew most of the vendors there and had great conversations with many of them. I may consider becoming part of this group in the future - as I had mentioned before, selling some of my work at retail prices would be a really positive thing for me.

One thing that was said to me that has stayed on my mind was a comment made by Denise MacLean (a fellow potter) who said something about "working smarter, not harder". This really struck me because I have been working so darn hard these past few months and since all of my sales have been through wholesale orders that means I'm only getting paid half of what each pot is valued at. If I started to do some more retail, then I would only need to sell half the work to make the same amount of money. Half the work means less time, although overall more productive time in the studio. And since time is something that I hardly have an abundance of, I think that would fall under the umbrella of 'working smarter'. An ideal scenario though, would be to find a balance between wholesale and retail.

There it is again, that ever elusive balance I am always striving for.

Oh, and I bought myself some fabulous handmade soaps and a new journal. I am very excited about these. I just hope I can gather up the courage to write something in the journal soon - I am someone who is absolutely terrified of writing on a new, blank page in fear of ruining it. A silly thing I know but I've had a sketchbook for over a year now that is just perfect and I have yet to put a single mark in it. I keep telling myself that the right time will come...

Serendipity at it's best.

I was feeling a little blue this morning and found myself sitting (ie. wasting time) in front of the computer when I came across a little video on facebook posted by an old friend from high school whom I had not talked to in years. I was feeling overwhelmed with all the work that I need to be doing in the next few weeks without having any real sense of direction, and feeling stressed due to the lack of time and money that I always feel is hanging over my head. That video was just what I needed to regain perspective.

I had so appreciated this at the time that I left a short, simple message just saying "Thank you for sharing, Namaste". I didn't expect anything to come of this but then I quickly got a message sent back to me offering an email with some e-books on the subject of spirituality that I might be interested in. Of course I was, and so within such a short time of feeling lost, I received those books that had just the perfect information in them in regards to the direction my work has been taking over these past few years and with inspiration to spare. It truly was just what I needed.

Thank you Dave. Namaste.

I have a toothache.

"Unmade art is like a toothache. It's always there distracting you. You're always focused on that darn tooth. If you are writing a novel, the novel is always with you, always posing the question "what next?" Ditto for a sculpture or a painting in process. That brainchild wants your attention!

Unmade art will always pain and distract you - yes, even when you're supposed to be listening to your child's homework or focusing on world peace. Don't get me wrong or understand me too quickly. Children matter. They deserve to be really listened to, and we cannot do that if our unmade art is still competing for our attention. World peace matters, but you may not be able to do anything contructive about it today, while you can make art - and, in my opinion, if we put a little more energy into creation, we might put a little less into destruction.

Maybe all you can do about world peace today is make some art and improve your own goddamn mood. What do you think?"

-Julia Cameron, 'Letters to a Young Artist'

I think I need to get over it already and go buy those supplies I've been thinking about for weeks. I need to get back into the studio to fill the few orders I've got pending then I need to get a start on my paintings (they all exist in my head!) for my show in July. I need to get things moving again. NOW!

Down Time II

So I went to bed feeling great the other night then I woke up feeling terrible. And I've since been in bed sick - three days now. Funny how when you finally stop to take a break then your body decides it has had enough and so it shuts itself down completely. I've noticed this pattern in myself over the past few years and I really wish I could find the right balance between feeling 'blocked' (i.e. not working) and then completely overdoing it.

Balance in all areas is definately something worth striving for.

Down time.

Studio work has come to a stall...not so much because I want it to, but because I've run out of supplies, though I have been enjoying the much needed break. After a few days from hell (excuse me) I decided that I needed to give myself a little something. With my schedule the way it's been lately, I probably only get time to shower twice a week or so - gross, you say? Maybe, but who am I kidding? Anyway, today I made a body scrub. And now I feel like a million bucks.

Here's the recipe I used. I just sort of made it up as I went and it was fantastic.

3/4 cup brown sugar, blend in some oil (I used sweet almond oil with a small amount of jojoba oil - so good for the skin. You can use anything really, even vegetable oil. I would suggest to avoid mineral oils though - so NOT good for your skin). Blend well until you have a nice, slushy consistency. I added 1 tsp. of a chocolate fragrance oil with a little vanilla essential oil just because I had it on hand (what can I say? I'm stocked better than most craft stores). You can use any essential oil you might have. Maybe 8-10 drops?

I put this on and well, scrubbed, before I got into the shower. I had never made a sugar scrub before and really liked it alot better than those salt scrubs you can buy. For one thing, it didn't sting (if you have any small cuts or scrapes), and the texture was much gentler. And once I got in the shower to rinse it off, my skin felt so smooth and the oil was so moisturizing that my skin didn't even feel tight and dry afterwards, which it usually does. You definately have to use this before getting in the shower though, because I tried using more in the shower (just because I wanted to use it again!) but the heat sort of melted the sugar and it wasn't as effective.

Now I'm soft and smooth and smell like a cookie. Mmmmm.

Birthday parties galore...

So birthday party season is among us. My youngest just had her first birthday at the end of April, with my oldest turning 3 at the end of May. We've also been to 3 other birthday parties in the past 2 weeks. The social lives of these two children is so beyond anything I could ever imagine mine to be these days *sigh* and so, I've been crafting lots. And it's actually been putting me in the mood to sew. For myself. Hopefully there will be more to come on that later...

For now, here's the little stuffie that I made for my daughter's first birthday. There's only one small problem - it would seem her older sister has fallen in love with him and he has since spent every night in bed with her and when I try to get the little one to play with him, she quickly throws him to the floor. Oh well, at least he's loved.

And, for another little one, I made this headband. Here it is being modelled by one of my little princesses (I couldn't help myself!). Precious.

Potential?

Since starting this blog (and my other family-oriented one focusing mainly on my two beautiful little girls), I have received numerous compliments on my writing. This pleases me to no end. It excites me because along with the million other things I hope to do in my lifetime, I have a secret desire to write. I think I have a children's book or two in me (so I could do illustrations as well), as well as a novel. Hazel Richardson, my writer friend - you can google her - said something I found to be really interesting once. She said her stories play out like movies in her head and the work comes in trying to capture it as it's happening. Though I found it intriguing to think about having little movies play themselves out in front of me, I don't think my process would be like that. I imagine mine to be more auto-biographical, only not - if that makes any sense. An expression of thought, emotion, and feeling...something that would, on one hand, be inherently personal; but on the other hand, would be true to everyone, as we are all the same when we take off the social masks that we wear and leave behind the identities given to us by others. It would be about finding a connection. After all, isn't that what art is all about?

If only there were more hours in a day...

I would:

• make a new bag for Spring. I've been thinking of using some reclaimed leather - maybe from an old coat from the Salvation army or some other thrift store.
• finish the duvet cover I started ages ago. And finish painting the dressers I am re-doing. My bedroom needs some TLC!
• clean my bathroom properly. (sigh)
• pick off all the stickers on my furniture and walls.
• catch up with some friends - you know who you are.
• spend more time teaching Kaia how to ride her tricycle.
• be prepared for Sabine's first birthday tomorrow (I love you Bean!)
• spend some time sketching ideas for my show coming up in July to get the thoughts moving from my head into the physical realm.
• read a good book.
• carve some wooden spoons.
• get back into yoga and start meditating more often.

Going solo.

I've been booked to do a solo show at a gallery in Hartland, New Brunswick over the month of July. That means in only two short months I should have enough work to fill a gallery space on my own. That means I need to be working on this now, (or should I say yesterday?). The only problem is, I've still got pottery orders to fill. Three to be exact. I had only one, but have since received a re-order (already!) for work that was sent out only a week and a half ago, and I've also picked up another gallery (I'm feeling the love from Halifax!). I keep telling myself that all this interest is not a bad thing but if I'm not careful - meaning I absolutely cannot take on anymore work - I am quickly going to get in over my head. There truly is nothing more I can do short of giving up on the few hours of sleep I get at night and well, that's just silly.

Charlotte Lane...yum!

I've got some work on it's way to Charlotte Lane in Shelburne, Nova Scotia. This is actually a restaurant and craft gallery and it looks amazing! I will definately have to plan a little trip around southern Nova Scotia this summer to check out all these shops.

Bogside Gallery

Another order out the door! This has been a tough month but when I look back and see what I've accomplished it gives me a great feeling. Bogside Gallery is located in the Hydrostone Market in Halifax, NS and now they carry a great line of work from Greenwood Pottery!

Love from Love, Me

Here's a little post about my (and a friend of mine's) work at Love, Me Boutique in Halifax, NS. I've been feeling a bit overwhelmed and tired today - yes, even despite the beautiful sunny weather - so it was a nice treat to see this and it has given me a little boost to get on with a late night ahead.

http://lovemeboutique.wordpress.com

Edgewater Gifts & Gallery

My biggest order is up and out! And do I ever feel a huge surge of relief...that one was really stressing me for awhile. The experience was worthwhile though. I now have a better idea of what I am capable of when considering my other two little commitments that keep me busy so much during the day and into the night; I have a better idea of how much I can realistically produce with the limitations of the size of my kiln; and, I have gained a much better perspective on how to load my kiln with various pieces (which things to try and fire together, etc, to maximize the space). Whew. A little breathing room is great.

So after all that work, everything is gone to Edgewater Gifts & Gallery in Miramichi, New Brunswick. I had hoped to deliver the work myself in order to check out the gallery while I was there. It's a funny thing to have work in stores that I have never seen myself - and I'm curious!

This gallery won an award at the Atlantic Craft Trade Show for 'Most Outstanding Retailer' so I was extra excited when I got an order from them. And, I know a couple of other great artists who have work there so I am super proud to be one of them now. Yay!

Creative Dream list #6-10

I've been thinking of adding to this list for awhile. Of course, it's all been in my head for ages but like I said before, sending it out into the universe is the way to make things happen. And again, these are in no order of importance! Creativity is a spontaneous act!

6. To get my Etsy shop up and running - I really think this would be beneficial to me since I've been so lucky to have my work be so well received. And, selling things for their retail price (meaning I get paid what my time is worth) sure beats all this wholesale work I've been doing. Which leads me to...
7. Sort out a means of photographing my work from home. This means setting up some sort of space designated for photography where the lighting is good and I can get professional results. This would enable me to update my portfolio, start selling online, and...
8. Get juried into the New Brunswick Craft Council. This is coming up soon so I really need to be looking into this now.
9. To refinish the old dressers I've got for my room and to repaint the walls. It's such a mess because I never have the time to spend on it and it sometimes it gets really overwhelming. I want to create a retreat for rest and relaxation!
10. To get the rest of my orders completed and sent out on time and to get some really interesting work done for my solo show coming up in July. I am already starting to feel stressed for time so I really hope for this to fall into place over the next couple of months.

I think the first thing on my next list will involve some free time and a vacation!

A break from the studio.

A little friend of mine had her first birthday today and, not being one to buy much of anything, I made her a birthday present. Her mother mentioned once that she liked birds and I had this pattern that I found online awhile back that I've been wanting to try so, on a little break from the pottery wheel, I sat in behind my sewing machine and made this. It was a bit of a pain to put together, and a little rough as a first attempt, but the I think the outcome was worth it. I hope she liked it. I might make another one for my little's ones first birthday coming up at the end of next month.

I've been trying to post a link to the original pattern but am not able to get it to work for some reason (note to self to figure this out). If anyone is interested, just type in 'spool sewing bird pattern' in your search field and you should find it quite easily.

Love, Me Boutique

My first order has gone out so I now have work selling at Love, Me Boutique in Halifax, Nova Scotia. This is a great shop with a fabulous owner who really cares about promoting Canadian artists by "providing handmade, small-run products for wearing, living, and giving." I am very excited to be a part of this boutique. If you're ever in the Halifax area, check it out. It looks great - I can't wait to get there myself.

http://www.lovemeboutique.ca/

Not tonight.

I should be getting in the studio. I have mugs that desperately need handles. The thing is, it's almost 10pm and I've just spent the last two hours trying to clear drains and fix plumbing problems in my bathroom (thanks Nana!) and all I can think about is going to bed with some of that chocolate frozen yogourt in the freezer.

Never enough time!

My days now start at about 6:30 am and end just before midnight - and I actually get to sleep through on select lucky nights . I've completed my first order but made a little boo-boo (can you tell I spend all my time with children under the age of 3?) with my firing schedule when I thought the whole order would fit into one kiln load. It was soooo close, but no matter how I stacked it, and unpacked and repacked it, there were just a few little pieces that I couldn't get in. So, now the order is going to be a few days later than I expected because I need to get in a second firing. I'm pretty embarrassed about the whole thing...maybe I should have anticipated the problem? And, of course, there is the issue of doing it all at the last minute but everything around here only gets done at the last minute because that's the only minute I have! Oh well, I guess it's all a part of the learning process...

I hope the woman on the other end is understanding (and just a little bit forgiving!). She seemed really nice when I met her and talked to her on the phone the other day.

It's been awhile...

I've been working hard, accomplishing lots, and spending more hours awake and less hours sleeping than I would like. I haven't been procrastinating as much as usual (yay for me!) which pretty much means I haven't been spending as much time on the computer as usual. And, when I am online, I've taken to playing around with this new website I've come across that is all about colour and pattern! Yes, there are others like me! So many in fact that there is a whole networking site based solely on creating colour palettes and playing around with colour design and looking for colour inspiration. I can see this being a huge time-waster for me if I'm not careful.

Check it out: www.colourlovers.com

I must say though, it sure is nice to see the pots piling up in the studio. My first order goes out next week!

My birthday!

In my beat up, old baby album there is a yellowed and fading newspaper clipping that my mother cut out of the horoscope section predicting my future (and all others born on this day). It's in French, but here's what it says:

'Si vous etes ne aujourd'hui: Vous avez le don de l'expression ecrite et etes souvent attire par les arts. Vous trouverez a la fois success et bonheur comme acteur, peintre, dessinateur, danseur, ou decorateur. Votre faculte de creer n'est pas limitee seulement aux arts, mais s'etend a d'autres secteurs. Dans les affaires, vous vendrez et reussirez dans les relations publiques, la publicite, la Bourse et la banque. Vous etes aussi inventif et decouvrirez ce qui peut etre benefique a l'ensemble de la communaute. L'enseignement et le service social vous conviendront aussi.'

For those of you who may not understand, this says that I have a gift for written expression, and will be attracted to the arts. A career as an actor, painter, illustrator, dancer, or decorator would suit me. It goes on to say that my creativity is not limited to the arts but that I could find success in public relations, the media, teaching, and social services. It also says that I am inventive and may discover something that will be beneficial to the community at large...

What a thought!

A hard day's work.

I spent all day rearranging and organizing my studio. Though I haven't yet gotten a start on those orders, the movement felt good and now I am eager to begin. Oh, and I smashed a lot of pots today. So satisfying.

A few photos.

I've decided to post some photos of my new line of work. I am not entirely happy with them but this is where I need to keep reminding myself that so much about making art is about the journey, not the destination - that what I want to do here is journal the process in order to see the progression.

I used to think I was quite good at photographing my work but it has been awhile (a few years) and when I tried this time, I was really stumped as to how to fix some of the problems that arose, mostly involving lighting. I also don't think that the colour is true to real life (I think they are much more vibrant), and I am not happy with how the stained, bare clay on the outside seems to fade into the grey background. I need to find a way to make these pots really pop out from the photo...luckily, my husband is really into cameras and photography and has lots of experience in lighting so next time, I think I'll bring him along :)

I rather like the composition of this last one but with the bowls stacked this way you can't see the contrast of the glossy, brightly coloured insides. I think I'll make a narrow rim of colour on the outsides from now on. I tried it on some teacups and I think it worked quite well. You can see what I mean here:

Serendipity:

'the state of discovery, by accident, of things not sought; the discovery of something by accident while investigating something quite different; a fortunate occurrence created by unanticipated luck'

This is the wikipedia definition - the best one I could find. The one that speaks to me most is the final sentence: a fortunate occurence created by unanticipated luck. I have experienced many instances of this in my life, especially in relation to my art. I am someone who believes that when you are following your 'calling' or passion so to speak, that the universe opens itself up in mysterious ways to help you on your course. In order to be receptive to this though, you have to know what it is that you want. Like the saying goes, you have to help yourself in order to receive help. As a sort of experiment in this, I wrote a list in my journal a few days back of a few of my 'creative dreams'. The reason for this is that writing it down brings a sort of clarity, or purpose, which leaves you open to serendipity, which aids in manifestation. (For more on this, I highly recommend anything written by Julia Cameron, an amazing writer on the subject of creativity). My list went like this (in absolutely no order of importance!):

1. to write and illustrate a children's book - or maybe collaborate on the writing with a great storyteller.
2. to attend university again to study art history.
3. to teach art and the importance and role of creativity in the world.
4. to become a certified yoga instuctor.
5. to have an art studio overlooking the beach.

Would you believe that this week I met a very interesting woman who also happens to be a writer? And that just yesterday I received an email from a friend who I haven't been in touch with for awhile asking me to teach her how to use the pottery wheel?

So, in response to all this, all I can say is 'Merci'.

Divine intervention?

What I wanted was some extra free time to get some work started in my studio. What I woke up to this morning was one of the biggest snowfalls of the year, with everything closed or cancelled, forcing my husband to stay home from work and all of us to stay inside...guess I haven't got any excuses today.

Get back to work!

I really need to get back into the studio. I attended the Atlantic Craft Trade Show (my first real show on my own) back in early February and my pottery was very well received - I got into 7 galleries/gift shops! I couldn't have been happier with my success over that weekend. It is a great feeling to have all your hard work pay off. After working pretty well flat-out for about a month and a half in preparations beforehand, I was completely exhausted afterwards and now two weeks have passed since I've been home and I haven't even stepped foot into my workspace. The thing is, I've got orders to fill now and need to get back on track.

First thing in the morning...

A second attempt...

It's been over two months since I posted last. The perfectionist in me wants to delete everything I've done and start over so as not to have that big chunk of empty time taking up space but the spirit in me says that that is not an honest portrayal of the this process and what I am trying to communicate. I may not have written when I intended to or even when I wanted to but struggled to find the time but that does not mean that the pursuit of my creative dreams has been at a standstill.

Fear can be a very sneaky and debilitating thing at times. Fear and overcoming fear almost always plays a huge part in the creative process. When I think back to times when I meant to update this blog, I think it may have been (or should I just say it was) fear of speaking of my hopes and dreams that held me back. After all, if I shared them and my experience didn't live up to my expectations, would I then be seen as a failure? Would I then have to struggle through disappointment and embarassment? When I see this in writing, I realize that I essentially am saying that I am afraid of myself and my own thoughts and well, that just seems silly. Fear loves to live inside our heads and when we are able to get past it and open the door to let it out, it has a funny way of dissolving into thin air and that is what this is really all about.

I read something yesterday that made me think. It was about having to 'live through the struggle in order to learn how not to struggle'. Makes sense, right?