chARiTy elise designs

Studio show and sale 2011

2011-12-21T13:49:00.000-08:00

This has been one crazy year-- and the last few months, kind of the icing on the crazy cake. With unbelieveably mixed feelings, we had to close our wonderful tea house in early October. The details and "fall-out" of that process continue to unfold with no great clarity.... on the heels of the closure of the shop, my husband began a long stint of working out of town which has him in Baltimore for two week stretches back for a quick weekend, and then off again! To say that these things have been difficult on us would be a great understatement.....

With Dan out of town, i wondered if i would be able to pull off my - what is now annual- studio show and sale. This would be the 4th year, and i hated the idea of not doing it. It seemed like a tragedy to skip it-- it is, after all, really gaining some momentum now.... and my guest list is fairly long-- i didn't want to disappoint! So, unsure of whether or not i really had enough work to even justify it, and not sure how exactly i would pull it all together, i went kind of nuts getting ready. My children probably suffered the most for it.... but they are such very good sports... and actually really helped me a lot with cleaning up the house and preparing.

Somehow, it all came together. As it turns out, it was my best show yet, and i had more than enough work to keep it looking bountiful and well stocked! I sold lots of work-- many paintings included! -- and this is really the most wonderful part to me-- the paintings. because that is what i love the most!! In the next couple of days, i will start to inventory what is left and begin packing things away. I have a few "appointments" set up for folks who want to do a bit of last minute shopping, and then i will move forward with putting our house back together and beginning to work on creating more work! My goal this year is to try to stay ahead of the busiest show seasons.... the key element here is to stay/ get busy working again right now and adding to the existing inventory that i have and just to keep churning it out and stocking it away. I would really like to avoid the pitfall that seems to trap me every year; where the winter months seem to pass by without my doing a great amount of work and not getting down to business in the studio (in a serious way) until sometime in the spring. This year i will strive to keep up with production all along, thereby (hopefully) avoiding the summer stress-out that i usually end up in. we'll see how it goes :o)

Here are a couple of photos from the show before i take it down. To see more, check out the album that i posted on my facebook business page: chARiTy elise studio show 2011

the last photo shows a couple of the paintings that sold. so excited to get back to some painting!

Featured Artist at the Yellow Daisy Festival this year!

2011-08-17T08:42:00.000-07:00

so, i haven't been here for awhile and that is because i am out of my mind preparing for THIS!!!

come and see me if you can!

Yellow Daisy Festival 2011

studio goings on

2011-06-24T09:07:00.000-07:00

The summer is in full swing and the crunch of preparations for fall shows is on.... Normally i start panicking around March and try to dive into big-time production around that time.... Now, with the tea-house and other responsibilities added to the mix, March, April and May came and went, and here we are nearing the end of june.... starting to feel the pinch of the "closeness" of fall, and specifically the Yellow Daisy Festival; my biggest show of the year and the beginning of my craziest season. So, these days i am diving into studio work as often and as much as possible. These last few weeks have been packed with all sorts of different work. My wooden magnets with funny/ inspirational quotes/ messages/ pictures are sort of a bread-and-butter item for me, and so i try to get oodles of those made before anything else.

so many bits of paper to cut....

The photo above shows a step mid-way in the process of creating these magnets..... Another item on the list this week are bud vases. On Monday and Tuesday i spent the day (s) making as many as i could from an entire 25 lb. bag of clay.... aching legs, feet and wrists and 263 bud vases later.....

They don't look like much now.... but after some cleaning up, sponging off smoothing, under-glazing, an initial bisque firing, some staining, more wiping off, glazing on the inside and drying out, then some glazing on the outside- in many different colors.... another firing, after which i will glue super-strong magnets on the back of each and every one..... i will wind up with a tidy, colorful pile of something like these:

and on that note, there are really only a few available minutes for studio time today.... so i had better hop to it. Today i need to work on a painting- the 4th revision-- for an exciting project that i am not ready to disclose to you quite yet. stay tuned though, because i will be making a formal announcement soon. I can't wait to tell you about it!

It doesn't look like much yet.....

Snow day number 4 and "stuck" in the studio

2011-01-13T11:14:00.000-08:00

So, Atlanta has been hit with some snow and ice. In any other city- where there are more than 8 plows and maybe a salt truck or two... the maybe 5 inches of snow that fell on monday would be a total non-issue; dealt with on monday... a quick pass through with the plows, a scattering of salt- maybe some sand- and good to go. But here in the south, we are just not prepared for weather of this nature. It literally shuts us down. School- and all county and government agencies- has/ have been closed for the last four days. There will probably not be school again tomorrow-- and then it is the weekend! oh- and MLK day on monday- so no school then either!

I know that many people around here are getting pretty stir crazy. Admittedly, it is a little harder having children around for so many days in a row. Thank goodness my in-laws are so amazing and helpful- aaaaand- right around the corner. The children are with them for the day and having a grand ole' time. And i am here, "stuck" in the house and i couldn't be happier. Really. I could be "stuck" here for weeks on end and not have a thing to complain about. I am listing things on Etsy that i haven't been able to get around to forever; like this tray and these earrings.... and many other wonderful things!

I have also been taking photographs of many more items and editing editing editing.... as well as finishing out some other pieces so that i can run a bisque fire. Trying to stock the shop with some items that will be good for valentines day. I also just finished a painting and am beginning another right now. These paintings- the images - are intended for a very special occasion/ opportunity that i can't mention yet, but hope to be able to soon. stay tuned!

I hope you are all having a great day. If you are feeling "stuck" inside, i challenge you to do something creative. Maybe pull out some watercolors and doodle with paint... Grab a box of your kids' crayons and get down to some scribbling. Crayons are really underrated. :o)

here is a shot of our cozy, twinkly house as the snow was falling on Monday night

snow days are also great for organizing cupboards and cabinets

and for photographing the hundreds of items you have waiting to be listed in your etsy shop

Now, if you will excuse me, i have some scones to make. :o)

so.. yeah. um.... it's been five and a half months

2010-11-07T09:53:00.000-08:00

do you think that i will ever get into this regularly? because i would very much like to.

not to mention.... i was going to do a give-away when i hit 50 followers, and now i am at 63. which is great! except i haven't done my give-away yet! grr... so today i will gather a couple of goodies together and draw a name and we'll see who we get! it will be good to cross that off the list!!

it was a crazy insane summer leading into a doubly insane fall. the tea house is a busy place that consumes much energy and resources... and that is wonderful. it also makes it a lot harder to be in the studio for any regular hours, and so my ability to work on artful things is pretty cramped and hindered by other responsibilities. i don't say this to complain, but only to help me keep things in perspective. like this blog :o) i want to write regularly and i see it as something that will evolve.... but i need to be understanding enough with myself to see that there really hasn't been an opportunity for it to become a part of my routine yet.

Anywhoo... i babble.

when i have been in the studio, it has been great.... and as always i have so much fun working with the materials- whether it is clay, or paint or wood.... i was spending a lot more time painting through the spring and into the summer than i had in years, and that was feeling really good. I am working with a friend on a book of prayers for children, featuring my artwork, and it has come along really nicely. hopefully we will get it fine tuned and off to a publisher soon. We have a thumbs-up for the most part and now are just waiting to get it completely polished. That will be fun to share with you when it is available.

Other than that, i spend time with my true love--- CLAY! making lots of dishes and serving pieces as well as jewelry and buttons galore. i have so many pieces to photograph and list on etsy and have been so busy running in different directions that i haven't had a chance to photograph and list them. I just keep renewing items that are already there so i stay visible in the category... but i need to get listing some new items because i have so many fresh pieces just waiting in the wings!

Okay, well, i must get back to my house-cleaning - which is the task of the day (and much neglected of late. the dust bunnies have morphed into something more closely resembling cattle, and i fear that my small children may be trampled if i don't take care of them).... but i will leave you with a couple of photos of this and that...

hope you are all having a happy, cozy sunday. i and i WILL be back again soon. i promise.
pinkie swear.

this is a painting/ clock that i did for a fundraiser held last moth for G-CAPP and an even that was held at Ikea here in Atlanta.

here are some of my leafy tapas plates getting ready to go out for a custom order. i have some left that i will be listing as sets and individually in my etsy shop soon.

magnetic bud vases-- all of these have been listed- chARiTyelise.etsy.com and a few of them are already gone... but there are some still for the taking. They make such great stocking stuffers and teacher gifts, that i really need to get making more so that i can have a bountiful selection for the rest of my holiday shows.

okay-- that's all for now. have a great day!

bloggety blogging.....

2010-05-24T08:27:00.000-07:00

...is so hard for me!! but i really want to get better at this!! .... i am so inspired by people who post regularly- and interesting, thoughtful things.... i feel like i spend so much time running around like a chicken with my head cut off, that sitting down to write about it seems like a waste sometimes. but i really want to cultivate the regularity of it and make it a habit for myself. so- don't give up on me y'all! i have a lot to say..... i just need to remember what it was!! hehe.

in other news, i got out of town for a few days last week. it was a much needed and very appreciated time away from my day to day, and a renewing and invigorating opportunity to be with other artists and people who appreciate the arts, at a wonderful conference in Pensacola, Florida. The conference is called, "Wings to the Spirit", and aims to explore, among other things, the relationship between art and our spirits. There were a number of wonderful presenters and workshops... One of my favorites was a talk given by a wonderful, and very well known Canadian painter named Sasha Rogers. SashaRogers.com who also happens to be the daughter of another painter who i love named Donald "Otto" Rogers. Her work is evocative of great landscapes and expansive vistas, but none of it is painted from landscape.... she talks a lot about her work describing the "place-less" and as an exploration of light and the spaces in between.... this is a terrible summation of her work, and she describes it all so brilliantly and articulately.... (you can read more about her work on her wonderful website). I was inspired, not only by the works themselves, but the way she spoke about them, her process and the things that are the most rewarding about others experiencing her work. The people who buy and live with her enormous, incredible paintings, often come to her telling her that they sit with their coffee in the morning and look at the painting... and that it is sort of a meditation for them that helps them start their day in a wonderful way..... or that, when they come home and sit and experience the image that it calms and soothes them; helps them to find peaceful places within themselves. She said that this type of feedback is the highest compliment that she can receive.

It got me to thinking more about why i do what i do and make what i make. It is not a new question that i posed to myself, i think about these themes often... but since i have been doing more painting of late, and was getting ready for an exhibition at the tea house... i found myself thinking again about my artist's "statement".... which i have never really formalized into something that is typed up and printed out for anyone to read.... i have always found myself sort of stumped by what to say, and feeling like what i make is too "all over the map" to describe or talk about in any kind of tidy or succinct way; so i always veer away from trying to describe it too much. Anyway, i have been thinking about it more and more and what i feel about it right now is that my own work is very much about joy. Joy that i feel from the process of creating it, joy as the "stuff" from which it is inspired... and joy as the hopeful outcome and experience for other people. For me, one of the highest compliments that i ever receive about any of my work is that it brings other people joy; that they are happy when they see it, or use it- or give it as a gift. There are other ideas and themes that i like to explore and that i could talk about here, but i will save that for another post.... because what it all boils down to right now, as i think about it, is this theme. JOY.

well.... that's all for now. heading into the studio for a few precious moments to see what i can come up with. joyfully!

yellow butterfly

2010-03-25T08:12:00.000-07:00

one year ago today my best friend's father passed away. He was like a second father to me and i loved him as if he were my own daddy. (and i still do). i was with him when he passed, along with so many of his dear loved ones. For days we surrounded him with prayers and love- for him, for one another.... and with song-- one of the languages he spoke so well. and our hearts broke and simultaneously rejoiced as he slipped from this life into the next; no longer plagued by his pain.... the spring trees were bursting with blossoms and the birds were singing with all of their hearts; yellow butterflies flitted between the trees and flowers and Danny's soul departed from his body as we sang him home.

I think about him almost every day. His life example inspires me and spurs me on to be better and greater, more patient, more loving, to work for unity and peace and create work which makes others happy.... which may, in some way, inspire someone else. Thank you Danny for your love in this world. i feel your spirit whenever the wind blows.

27 followers!

2010-03-12T07:04:00.000-08:00

thanks guys! yay! i am more than half-way to my first goal of 50 followers! thank you so much- i appreciate your being here! i am working on a few things right now to make part of the surprise package when i reach my first 50 followers, and i will post a picture soon of the actual contents of the box! for now, it is back to the studio to finish up this mug order, glaze some earring components, work on some paintings, do some paperwork and catch up on some other orders. oh- and list some more pieces in my shop --like this one

Have a great day all! thanks again for being here!

hi there!

2010-03-10T11:08:00.000-08:00

hey there! just checking in to say hello and that i have not forgotten this little blog! i have been sick with the cold that never ends for a couple of weeks now and i am finally on the mend.... but nursing a bit of a head-ache today.... that, coupled with the gray and rain today sort of make me want to just drink peppermint tea and curl up with a good book. Alas, i am fasting and there will be no tea for me until after sunset and i have approximately 19,000 things on my to do list, and so i don't have the luxury of doing much relaxing today.

i pulled a fairly good sized mug order out of the kiln the other day and was so relieved to have it out of the way, as it had been hanging over my head for much too long. The mugs were picked up and the check was written and then i got a phone call; "The mugs are too small". all of them. and so i need to re-do them all. harumph.

but i did pull some other sweet things out of the kiln that are colorful and springy and now i need to take a bunch of photos.... but let's see if i can find a picture to share with you for now, before i head back into the garage to throw some bigger mugs. ugh.

totally unrelated to the post above.... these are some little magnets i made about 2 years ago.... i am thinking of making some more.....

and these little flower components... because they are so bright and cheerful

and i am so eager for spring!

where have you been all my life?!?!?

2010-02-24T12:35:00.000-08:00

OMG. i never really say that. but it kind of makes me laugh.... and it did seem sort of appropriate right now because i am sooooo excited!! so- OMG!!! PRECIOUS METAL CLAY--- where have you been all my life??? my friend Molly, of Rockwater Glass, here in atlanta, gave me a little package of this stuff to play with a couple of months ago... and then she fired it for me and it went for a little tumble in her rock tumbler the other day.... i used a silver tarnish on one set of beads- just experimenting, and the other pendant and beads i left in their super, shiny, fresh from being tumbled state--- and i am IN LOVE!!! these photos aren't the best, because i have missed the best light of the day and am taking these in the office with very poor light--- but i was just too excited to show them off to wait for the correct lighting!!

i think i am going to have to keep these for myself. Then again, i always say that, and somehow, i always end up selling the things i like the most. I guess i will just have to make more!! my head is swimming now and i can't wait to get my hands on more of the stuff!!!

i can't wait to try something else!! look out for these

and forthcoming pieces in my my etsy shop soon!

woot!

2010-02-23T09:11:00.000-08:00

so i am up to 20 followers now!! thanks guys and gals!! now that i know that SOMEone is reading this blog (besides my mom) i am inspired to write more often, share more information and do some fun give-a-ways and things of that nature! SOOOOO..... i have set a goal for myself... to get 50 followers! of course, ultimately i would like more than fifty followers :o) - but for the time being, that seems like a doable and realistic goal to shoot for in the next months. When i reach 50 followers, i am going to do a fun give away.... a little care package of sorts.... a little jewelry something, maybe a mug and some magnets or something of that nature-- a little assortment of fun goodness!! when the number reaches 50, i will print out everyone's names on paper and do a good, old fashioned drawing from a hat! (or maybe i will use a bowl- but you catch my drift!) and then i will announce the winner and send them their goodies!

In the next week or so, i will draw together the things to be included in the giveaway and then share some photos with you! so, spread the word! this blog is going to get bigger and better! stick around!!

a little teaser..... sample mug and earrings.....

something like what you might get if you are the lucky winner!

piles of possibilities

2010-02-22T13:46:00.000-08:00

i often like to take pictures of materials, tools and unfinished work even more than finished pieces! To see the mounds of pendants, beads, buttons and other components grow before my eyes as they wait for their bisque firing is so much fun! i thought you might get a kick out of seeing some of the yummy little things waiting to go into the kiln this week! ...along with a big custom mug order.... that i need to get back to right now! ...cause i am running late, and only 22 minutes left with the babysitter here!! gotta run!

can't wait to see these bathed in color!

the lighting is a bit different here.....

buttons, and pendants and earrings- oh my!!

front page news!

2010-02-15T09:15:00.000-08:00

it isn't too often that i get featured on etsy's front page, so when i do, i do a little happy dance! (insert happy dance here!!).... check it out!

playing catch-up

2010-02-09T12:48:00.000-08:00

The thing about having two full time jobs- in addition to being a mom to two small children, is that you are never, EVER caught up! Work for the tea house- the fabulous- you must visit and/ or buy some tea- tahCha.com has been keeping me most busy for the last few weeks, and i have only been able to dabble in the studio.... yesterday i was finally able to get in there and do some much needed cleaning-- so at least this lays the groundwork to be able to begin working in there again!! additionally, i took about 700 photographs (well, probably more like 300) and then uploaded and edited them on the computer.... (you can't sell your work online unless you take pictures of it!). Today i hope to list a few of these newly photographed things... but it remains to be seen whether time will allow. The children will be back soon and then there is the business of feeding and bathing them. i just made them dinner last night, for crying out loud! why do they have to eat every night?! (of course, i am just joking here. mostly anyway). Otherwise, the rest of the afternoon will be spent in the garage continuing to throw mugs and yunomi for custom orders, the tea house and my dwindling selection on etsy.

Here are a few pics of some of the things i was photographing yesterday and hope to list soon.

I just realized that i had not yet listed anything in my shop with this design... People at my shows buy them all up!

starting to get some spring fever i must say.... these pendants

are awfully fun- and so very springy!!

are you sensing a theme here? i love the bright colors on these rainy days!

here are a group of them together.

Some of these little cuties will be listed here soon--- so come and visit and check out what i have going on in my little corner of etsy!

getting back to work

2010-01-19T13:50:00.000-08:00

The holiday season, family obligations and the business and "busy-ness" of the tea house have kept me from being in the studio very much, and from being able to list new things on etsy.... all great reasons, but still a little frustrating.... largely because i have so many pieces ready to go that are just waiting to be photographed, or worse yet- have ALREADY been photographed and are just sitting and twiddling their thumbs waiting to be shared with the world! not that there are too many people waiting with bated breath to see what's coming out of the studio.... but anyway....

so today, after a phenomenal business meeting with my partner and a woman with whom we may work in some capacity (more cannot be divulged at this point... but it is exciting stuff), i picked up my littlest one, played on the playground a bit and then took her out to lunch. That was a rare treat as we don't get too much one on one quality time any more, and she was delighted by the opportunity to be with mama for a little while before she went to her grandparents for the day. i was delighted too! upon my return home and after certain domestic chores involving dogs and taking out garbage etc... i finally got out to the garage to work on some mugs for an order that i got a few weeks back. I threw a few pieces but then had to take a break because my clay is not as nice and soft as i like it to be for throwing, and i wasn't coming out with forms that i loved... so here i am; thought it would be a nice chance to check in with this blah-blah-blog and say hello. maybe i'll mist the clay and wrap it up for tomorrow. I have a couple of paintings in the works that i could spend some time on instead.

here are the first few strokes on a canvas that i worked on throughout my show last month

color number two introduces itself... a nice warm ochre...

mmhmm... let's get some red in there...

bringing in the green...

okay- this is starting to get fun!

a detail of what is starting to happen....

now we're getting somewhere.

almost finished....

detail of almost finished painting

all done!

this and other paintings will be on display at tahCha tea house in an upcoming show... i'll keep you posted with details of the event and the opening reception.

this painting measures 2 ft by 4 ft and is painted in a combination of acrylics and oils.

studio show and sale

2009-12-09T10:38:00.000-08:00

here is a shot of part of the show; a couple of new paintings on the walls, mugs and tea cups galore, a sample of my "lamp revamps" and a little peek at some garden markers and some of the glass pieces by my friend Molly of Rockwater Glass

this is a shot of some serving pieces and plates from my "global impressions" series; they feature stamps and textures inspired by the art and culture of different places in the world and are glazed in earthy browns and black along with various shades of green and blue.

a detail of some of the "global impressions pieces and another new painting called, "Pupil of the Eye"

here is a shot of a few of the earrings that i had out when the show began. Many of them are gone now, but i just finished out about 40 more pairs yesterday and have now added them to the mix. One of the nice things about doing a show that runs over the course of a few weeks is that you can keep adding new and fresh work! If you live locally and want to come by, give me a shout and we can arrange a time for you to stop in!

studio show and sale this weekend!! AAAAAAH!!!

2009-12-02T11:52:00.000-08:00

if any of you live locally and would like to come check out a sweet show-- check it out!

this is the link to the e-vite for my studio show and sale! i have been a busy busy little bee and am so excited for this show! it is only the second year that i have done a show here in my own studio (though i have been doing other shows for many many years), and it is just too much fun! I have been working on all of my standards- mugs and serving pieces, jewelry, clocks and garden art.... and this year i have 10 new paintings to show and also a boat load of adorable ornaments for your holiday tree or to use as unique and beautiful gift tags! There are a bunch of new jewelry designs- earrings, necklaces and pendants galore!! and many more clocks and mirrors than i had last year!

There is a lot for me still left to so, so although i would like to stay on the computer and tell you all about it... i had better get going and DO it!!!

here is a little teaser.... some of the fun pottery dishes that i will have available.... in this photo, just waiting for their clear glaze and final firing! come see me if you can!!

what i do when i should be doing something else

2009-11-12T11:25:00.000-08:00

i am really quite the master of procrastination. more than anything, i need to be cleaning up the studio, beginning to set up for my studio show and glazing glazing glazing.... instead, i can't seem to stop painting. i thought i would start a couple of canvases to pick away at in the weeks to come, and now i am obsessed working on about 7 paintings and NOT glazing. what is wrong with me?

and here is a link to some more in progress..... paintings in progress

staying focused

2009-11-10T14:14:00.000-08:00

Sometimes i have such a hard time staying focused and on track in the studio; especially when i have so much to do. I blame it on the rain today.... but really i am just having trouble keeping up with all of the things that need to be doing. I worked for the morning in the studio sanding and smoothing the edges of a bunch of trays and dishes that are dry and waiting for their initial firing. The mud gods weren't with me for much of the time, and i ended up breaking a number of pieces under my - apparently not so gentle- touch. bummer. I was hoping to get the kiln fully loaded and get that bisque fire done before the evening rolled around, but it was not to be. Having to drop work in the middle of any task and go to pick up a little one from school always throws me for a bit of a loop, and today it really threw me off my game.... what could/ should have been about a 45 minute round trip, turned into a 3 hour tour of school, a few different printing places, the craft store, the post office, and, why oh why did i even go inside? TJMaxx. it didn't seem like any of these little errands were taking too long until i got home and realized that it was 2:30 and that my work day was already moving quickly towards being over. I guess at that point i just got discouraged enough that i haven't really poured myself into much of anything since then.

The trouble is, i have a busy weekend coming up with out of town guests and soccer games and a drop off for a holiday show that i do every year, and my studio show is NEXT weekend! i am so ill prepared for this year's show, and i really should be spending EVERY waking moment making things, and finishing the hundreds of things i have already started... not to mention cleaning the studio and the rest of the house, and starting to set up the show....

I see a few all nighters (or VERY late nights) in my immediate future.
and lots and lots of coffee.

this treasury is on Etsy's front page right now! yay!

2009-11-05T10:07:00.000-08:00

2009-10-08T08:22:00.000-07:00

the photograph in this listing shows a chARiTy elise mug in its natural habitat.

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=32258968

how can i expect that anyone would want to read this when i don't ever write anything?

2009-10-08T07:28:00.000-07:00

And why is it so hard for me to write anything here? It's not like i don't have anything to say. i have loads to say! and i certainly have a lot of work that i could show you. i could at least put up a picture or two once in awhile!

Well, alright then.... here are a few pictures.

I did a little craft show this past weekend at an elementary school in my area.
Here are some of the jewelry pieces i was selling there. My lego guys are a big hit!

These are trays full of pendants and pins and then folks can choose which kind of cord or chain they would like.

This year i opted to pay for a double booth space so that i could really spread out. I modified the booth from my standard set-up and left the big folding screen at home, and it looked pretty good, i think.

2009-05-18T05:46:00.000-07:00

It is no secret that i am completely addicted to texture. I look at EVERYTHING around me and think about how i can capture its texture to incorporate into something pottery related. So, i collect antique (and other) buttons, funky cabochons, quirky miniatures and toys, sea shells and fruit pits.... I make silicone molds of them-- as well as the bottoms of shoes, wood-carvings, cookies,fruits and vegetables, baskets, clothing, thrift store finds... I carve stamps and texture sheets out of linoleum and soft cut, from clay and plaster, i make stamps from bubble wrap, perforated steel, hardware cloth, nuts and bolts and screws.... So, i hoard all of these things and then i use them to make ceramic pieces which i hoard as well. All fine and good. i use many of these things to make earrings and pendants, rings, magnets, embellishments for my own art and pieces for mosaic. The thing is, i make way more than i can ever really use. They pile up and take up space in the studio. You would think i would stop making them- stop collecting them.... but i really can't! So, once again i will be listing more of these items in my etsy shop-- so that others who love and appreciate them can use them in their creations too! When i first opened my shop, i had more pendants and tile type things for sale, and for some reason i stopped making them available... i guess it seemed like too much of a bother to list such small items.... But now, spring is here, and i am eager to get the studio in working order again- eager to clean and organize and systematize-- and also excited to share some of my finds with you!! So, please check in soon and often as i will be creating a flurry of listings comprised of materials for others to use.

Speaking of which, i need to get in there and make some more stamps because the last batch has been picked over as well....

2009-05-11T08:25:00.000-07:00

Here is a shot through the front window at night (the patio furniture inside obscures some of the view)

This is a shot of a little retail "island" in the center of the store- it has not been merchandised yet but we have just been playing with its placement.

Here is a view of the "tea wall"-- canisters full of loose leaf tea, european bakery case waiting to be filled with amazing confections and pastries, chalkboards ready to be filled with menu items; the grid wall is a place for hanging some retail items, clocks, mirrors, etc...

Panning around to the right a bit... showing more of the retail area... this picture was taken more than a week ago- before the other furniture was placed....

Equilibrium?

2009-05-11T07:57:00.001-07:00

That is a word in the English language, right? i am pretty sure i have heard of it before, though its meaning certainly eludes me right now. I tell you what folks, i think i am trying to wear a few too many hats. I am in need of some serious balance, and i am not sure when/ if / where i am going to find it.

As you may or may not know, i am in the midst of opening a tea house here in Atlanta. We closed on the property where it is located on New Year's Eve and have been working on getting the doors open since then. I will not bore you by carrying on and on about what that entails or HOW MUCH THAT COSTS... suffice it to say- a LOT--- on both counts. I don't mean to sound like i am surprised by this information- i knew it would be a hard row to how and that it would cost us a lot of money.... but as time goes on, and things keep getting checked off the list.... new, expensive, complicated items continue to be added. Everyone asks us, "When is the big day?".... "When are you opening?" and i am so tired of having to say things like, "as soon as possible"... "as soon as we can get and pass our health inspection".... I don't mean to sound like a martyr here- or like i am in the midst of something that has been forced upon me-- and honestly, it is my amazing business partner who is doing the lion's share of the work- the organizing and ordering, the meeting with the $&%*# county, writing up the menues etc etc etc (hundreds of thousands of things). But i have been pretty obsessed and busy with the whole project too (as have our husbands- who have been amazing and who i could write a whole other post about) and have been so caught up doing this and that for the shop for the last few months that the other parts of my life have totally fallen by the wayside.

I do laundrey at least once a week - and by that i mean that i wash a number of loads of clothing- most of the dirty laundrey being made by the children and my DH. fine. normal. but the the clean clothes get piled and piled higher on the couch and on the childrens' dressers and left in laundrey baskets, and noone can find anything to wear, and when it is time for soccer, we can't locate shin guards and there are dirty dishes in the sink, and the dishwasher needs to be unloaded and there are ants on the kitchen counter and so much dust and dirt and pet hair on the floors that the dust bunnies can't even be called dust "bunnies" anymore and really resemble something more like "dust buffalo". ( I almost got trampled by one this morning)... The puppy is chewing on and ruining the childrens shoes that are left here and there, they eat too much maccaroni and cheese lately, I can't seem to return phonecalls for the life of me, the family room looks like it was the setting of a small tropical storm.... and blah blah blah blah blah blah blah. I miss my kids and have not spent nearly enough time with them lately-- i can see it especially in the little one and it is breaking my heart. and finally, (well, not finally- the list is so long- but this is where i will end this rant) i have not been in the studio making or glazing anything for almost two months- with the exception of stamps and a few pendants and buttons. If you know me at all or have seen one of my overflowing sketchbooks, or had the "priviledge" to hear me carry on about any of the 207 ideas that come into my head all day- you would understand that this is just not ACCEPTABLE. i NEED to make things. When i don't make this, i am a crazy, grumpy person. I have not even been able to take and edit the photographs of all of the pieces that i had made up to two months ago and that is making me crazy too.... finished work, just sitting, not selling-- getting dusty for crying out loud!

so, i am really carrying on here... and i don't think anyone will want to read this... and i am not looking for sympathy .... i just need to put some of this out there so that maybe i will stop feeling so nudgy. I know that it will not always be like this and i know there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and that one day- hopefully in the very near future- our doors will be open for business and there will be people serving tea to lots of customers and i can be back in my studio making mugs and bowls and buttons and paintings and mosaics and jewelry and magnets and clocks and garden markers.... that i will play with my kids again and have time to read them more stories and take them to the park and have picnics on the play structure out back....

alrighty then. that is all for now. i apologize for the rant. but i DO feel a little better. and now it is time to change out of my pajamas and get over the the aforementioned shop before my partner thinks that i have run away.

hmm.... where COULD i run away to?.................................

egad.

2008-11-16T19:38:00.000-08:00

despite my best efforts.... okay. scratch that. in spite of my best INTENTIONS... once again it has been more than a month since i have been here. truly it is for good reason. this is my busy show season and between trying (though not so much) to list pieces on etsy (i have hundreds- literally hundreds - of photos of pieces- especially jewelry pieces... taken and edited and waiting patiently to be listed... and it is like pulling teeth to get myself to list the darn things.... that and the fact that they sell so well for me from the studio and at shows that i sometimes don't feel like bothering with the listing of them....) and art shows and drop-off appointments at gelleries and preparing for my studio sale in two weeks and my brother's wedding (which is, incidentally, here at my home) in less than a month.... NOT TO MENTION (not screaming, just emphasizing) the fact that i have two little ones who i adore beyond measure and who keep me hopping all day long.... i have not been able to give this blog the attention that it needs and deserves.

so, i am here now... and what to say..... except that i am soon heading to bed because i promised myself not to stay up late tonight because i have been working into the evening almost every night for weeks and it is making it hard for me to get up and get the children ready for the day. and that i don't want to show up at Ben's school with bags under my eyes and clay in my hair (which is what will happen if i don't sign off and take a shower and go to bed).... but here i will include a few photos of some of the things that keep me up at night. i have so many ideas in my head and my sketchbooks and shopping list margins and collections of this and that.... coupled with how easy etsy has made it for me to add to my already huge collection of beads and buttons and cabochons to make more yummy molds and stamps from.... that i could stay up all night every night making new things and never run out of inspiration or the desire to have my hands in the mud!

These buttons are such fun to make and glaze and i have only recently been selling the on etsy. My jewelry and button pieces move so quickly at shows that i don't list them online as often as i would like... but these cuties are in my etsy shop right now http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16886257

a sweet little faux bois tray that is glazed in a textural blue that i love

one of many little dipping bowls featuring designs from my collection of handcarved (by me) stamps inspired by the patterns and motifs of art from around the globe.

a detail of some wall flowers. i love them all grouped together in a "bouquet". i would like to make enough at one time to hold a bunch out for myself and decorate a large wall area in my little girl's room with them.... a big sculptural garden mural!

falling back in

2008-09-22T07:22:00.001-07:00

This year was the 40th annual Yellow Daisy Festival at Stone Mountain Park in Stone Mountain, Georgia. For those of you who have never been to or heard of the festival, it is rated by Sunshine Artist as the number 1 art and craft show in the country. This was my 7th year participating in the show, and it was another banner year. There weren't as many shoppers as usual, but i was very fortunate to keep my booth pretty busy throughout the 4 day show. The weather was gorgeous, and as usual, i enjoyed having my booth right next to my folks who were also having a good show -- http://lean-on-me.com/ (check out their website for their online catalog-- canes, hiking, walking and ceremonial sticks all handmade by my dad!)

Here are a couple of shots of the booth this year.... having a lamp lit and some cheerful twinkle lights overhead really has helped to brighten up the inside of the tent. I keep meaning to make or order a sign for the booth, but for some reason can't seem to get around to it. Not that there isn't too much to look at in here already!

These are some of my popular "inspiration tags"; people seemed to gravitate towards these more than ever this year.... i guess many folks need a little extra inspiration right now....

I am always looking for different ways to display all of my jewelry in this busy little booth. The earrings looked fun this year hanging here and there from the tags that i made using a very funny stamp from an etsy seller i buy from sometimes- http://terbearco.etsy.com/

i stumbled on this today

2008-06-08T19:30:00.000-07:00

this is a segment from a show that i was on for the DIY network a few years ago. They did a subsequent piece with me a year or so later which was actually a ten minute (or so) segment on one of their programs. The piece that they are showing here was a little interstitial segment. Sort of funny. i definitely didn't call myself an expert on this subject, but they wanted to make it sound like i was! hehe. enjoy!

http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/cr_diy_people/article/0,2025,DIY_13752_2276943,00.html

here are a few pictures that show some of these eggs in better resolution. I don't make them too often these days as they are quite a production.... and it seems that i am moving more and more things out of the way so that i can play in the mud. But i do still enjoy the process and have spent many hours making thousands of these little eggey jewels. A few years ago i even got a commission for a dozen of them to be made into ornaments for one of my favorite designers- Rebecca Cole. (remind me to tell you a story about THAT tv show sometime! good times.)

blah blah blog

2008-06-06T18:28:00.000-07:00

dang. best intentions to keep up with this blog have left me with only a few entries to date. I guess i can be comforted partly by the fact that i don't spend too much time writing about my work because i spend most of the time making it? It is true that i have been spending more hours working in the studio and less in the office-- aside from the time that i am on etsy and trying to list more items these days. I have definitely begun to find a correlation between listing more pieces more often and selling more. I guess that that should really be a no brainer, but i seem to just be figuring that out. What can i say? Etsy has really been my first online selling experience to date and i really feel like i am just starting to get the hang of what i am doing here.-- not that i have sold gangbusters on etsy yet... but things are picking up. The world of selling online is loads different than selling at shows and i learn more and more every day about what i am doing. thank goodness!

I have also been working a lot more on the wheel these days... primarily bowl and plate forms, vases and other vessels, and particularly mugs. i really want to arrive at some mug and cup forms that i feel comfortable producing in quantities. I will never (well, never say never) become a production potter, but i would like to develop the skills to be able to make more things more quickly, better and make them the same -- or very similar- if i want to.... so my journey towards that goal continues.... i have also been working on new stamps- clay stamps, carved linoleum, soft-cut and staedler erasers... also making more press molds, both out of clay and silicone, in my never-ending search for new pendant and button designs. Yesterday and today were mostly spent making porcelain buttons and pendants.... it is a never ending job to keep my supply of these little goodies up, and it seems that no matter how many i make, there are never enough.

One other item that i have been giving greater attention is my product photography. Due to some consultation with my mud team friends and in part from their wonderful suggestions, i have been taking more photgraphs of my pieces with more colorful and interesting backgrounds. The gray to white background just ceased to do it for me-- with my pieces. I think it looks quite professional and very striking with many peoples' work, but with mine it has often felt somewhat incongruous. Combining different colors and textures in the backgrounds of the photos feels like a much better fit, and i think that the resulting pictures are a testimony to this. what do you think?

Before and After

2008-03-14T08:26:00.000-07:00

So, i will never stop being amazed at the dramatic difference between a piece of pottery in the bisque state, covered with glaze waiting to be fired a second time... The chalky colors, dull surface etc... transform so completely in the glaze firing, that every time i open up the kiln, i almost gasp aloud! I am so familiar with the colors i use, and do many designs with frequency, you would think that i might not still be so blown away by the change, but i always am-- and i love it!! Of course, i am often working with underglaze colors under a clear glaze, and so when i am working at least i am seeing a shade of what i will end up with. What is more stunning (and nerve wracking frankly!) is when i am working with stoneware clay and using mid to high fire glazes. You would never be able to tell by looking at a bucket or other container full of glaze what the finished glaze color will be (well, once you are more familiar with glazes, you might recognize a certain glaze and then have some idea... but to the untrained eye-- no way). There is a rutile blue glaze that i love, for instance, and whenever i use it i can barely believe that it will turn out to be blue as i am applying it... in its wet form it is dark terracotta... so unlike its finished state! i'll show a before and after look at that another day....

but TODAY i want to show you a "before and after" of an earhenware piece that i am excited about... it is my entry for this months Etsy Mud Team challenge-- "the Critter Challenge". (Check out the Etsy Mud Team website for more information and some of the other critters as they are being uploaded and entered into the challenge http://etsymudteam.craft-sense.com/). So here he is, my little critter in his bisqued and painted with underglaze state, and then in his finished, shiny and bright glazed state. I hope you enjoy seeing the difference!

The first two photos are of my little clay friend

painted in underglazes before the glaze firing.

These next three pictures are of my little turtle

in his terrifically colorful and bright finished glaze state.

This piece measures 10.5" long from head to tail,

8.5" wide from fin to fin,

and the shell is 7.5" long and 5.5" wide.

2008-03-12T10:43:00.000-07:00

here are a few of the "springly" things that are coming out of the studio right now;

these earrings are some of my faves.
i really love this new pendant; the contrasting glaze colors

and the beautiful pool of melted blue glass in the middle .
this fun little mug shares the same colors of the pieces above

and has attitude to boot!

let's give this another whirl

2008-03-12T10:30:00.000-07:00

after a few attempts at blogging in the past, i am giving this another go. i have another blog in which i posted a few times here and there, mostly about the children (babies at the time) but decided that it was time to jump on the blogging bandwagon and put up a little bloggity-blog about my work. i am also interested to see how many times i can use the word blog, and derivatives thereof in this one paragraph….
really though, i am anxious to connect with the world again in this way, and hopefully use this forum as a way to explore and watch my work evolving, share news about what it going on in the studio, my triumphs and failures… and explore the relationship and balance between mothering and making art– particularly pottery , as this has always been my main obsession. In recent years, it has taken up more of my time and resources than the other mediums in which i involve myself. In the past six months or so i have become active on Etsy, and it is there where i have connected with a larger community of “mudders” in the Etsy Mud Team. It has been terrific to be a part of this group and i have learned a lot from many experienced potters and clay artists there. More than that, i have really found a wonderful group of supportive friends who work together to promote each others work, share glaze recipes and clay tricks, and talk about everything clay-related, and not clay related! As a stay at home mom of two little ones, i can say that the mud team has been invaluable over the last few months in helping me to connect to another part of the world, outside the four walls of my happy house. because, as happy as it is…. it does sometimes feel lonely in here, and it is darn good to feel relevant in other areas and arenas of life! so, a shout out and big thank you to the Etsy Mud Team for helping me reach outside of this studio and house in a completely different way! Thanks for all the help, and suggestions and support– and especially for the laughs!
Since joining Esty last May, and beginning to list items in July, i have sold 90 items to date. I am pleased with this number, but hope that as time goes on and i can begin to really promote the shop, and create more work, that the numbers will continue to grow. I have been doing art and craft shows for about 8 years now, and dabbled with consignment and wholesale accounts. These have all been rewarding and i am eager to give my Etsy shop - chARiTyelise.etsy.com more attention and hopefully grow it into another successful avenue for sales. I also plan to continue to develop my personal website charityelise.com and become more and more organized so that everything can be current and up to date! please check out these sites if you get a minute.
well, motherhood calls, so i need to wrap this up for now. more again soon- there are many things i need to figure out on here, so bear with me as i navigate around and discover how to do what i want to do with this blog. thanks for reading!