Continuing on...

I am back at work.  I think the pain has subsided enough so I can handle working a full day.  Yesterday was a success.

I also had 2 classes on the calendar.  One for this Saturday and one for next.  The one next Saturday was to be a clay cup class.  That one has been cancelled.  I cannot get my right hand into the clay to even make the samples.  This Saturday is an Iris Folding card class.  That, I was able to work with some of what I had and carefully chart some new patterns to some clipart shapes.  The four cards are pictured here:

I don't have the patience today to figure out why this is posting sideways... another time perhaps.

At least I was able to get something done so I didn't have to cancel that class as well.

I also have a cast that leaves my fingers and thumb more useable.  So, I am driving... short distances.  I can grip the steering wheel with my hand easily enough and I can turn the wheeel a bit.  Most of the driving is done with my left hand thoough.  This has allowed me to get back to house/pet-sitting!  I had to cancel one job because it was to start the day after my slip & fall.  That did not make me happy at all.  My friend was able to stay home while her husband went to work on the boat in FL. This time I am watching the cats of a friend as she spends her first summer vacation at the beach with her children and grandchildren, but not her husband.  His decline in health began while on vacation last year and he passed away last week.  This vacation was already paid for.

Back to work, I guess!  Thanks for checking in.

Happy Wednesday!

I am getting into a creative groove and was excited to have a customer/student ask if they could make a dimensional porcelain (or other ceramic clay) heart wall hanging.  She showed me photos of what she had seen another artist do.

Well, not wanting to copy, and not having the photo in front of me (just my memory of what was in it), I proceeded to try to fabricate a hump mold to create them on top of... that failed me... so, instead I just used a curved piece of lightweight chip board, like gift boxes are made from.  In fact, I used some shirt boxes I purchased at the dollar store.

This was my prototype.  It is still un-fired in this photo.  It is difficult to see that it is a convex curve.  The ones in class are much more pronounced.

The glazes I ordered on the 4th didn't arrive until the Monday after the Saturday class... frustrating!  But, they couldn't have used them that day anyway.

I have made multiple test tiles to sample a variety of glazes and their compatibility with one another.  When those are done, the ladies can glaze!

Out with the old and in with the new

It has been a busy year.  I have been working at our store, which consumes 6 days a week, and I have been busy with house/pet-sitting as well.  My one regret is that I have not had as much time to put into my clay creating as I had wanted to, for a number of reasons, including not being home in the evenings while house sitting.  I also was just not in that frame of mind for a bit and it took a lot to get myself back into the groove.  I hope to not have that happen this coming year.  (I think I say that EVERY year!)

One thing I did do was make a family favorite treat at Christmas time: Strufoli.  It is an Italian treat, from what we can tell, it probably is Sicilian.  I had not made it since the 1980's!  My intention was to make it last year, but the very night I was planning to make it was when I got so sick.

It started with Mom's recipe:

This is not the copy we used to use in her cookbook, but it is in her handwriting.  The "original" was long ago stained with oils and probably honey as well.

Then, after mixing the dough, I rolled it into small balls:

Once I was about 2/3 of the way through rolling them, I started heating the oil in a shallow pan on the stove.  I also started to heat the honey mixed with the orange rind.  I added the surplus lemon rind I had grated for the dough.:

Once the dough had been fried to a light golden brown, I drained it on paper towels, along with some slivered almonds I also had lightly toasted in the oil:

Into the infused honey they went, and then they drained a bit before placing them in the serving dish:

Once in the dish, they were joined by the almonds (which had also gone into the honey bath) and sprinkled with colorful non-pariels:

It was sooooo good!  Memories of Mom & Nana came flooding into my head as I taste tested the first piece.  Brother Rick and his wife Alice were visiting over Christmas and he approved of the taste.  We also brought it down to our niece Karen's house the day after Christmas and our Sister Sue approved.  Karen and her brother Bobby and his wife Shelly also approved, although they don't recall ever having it before.  I was sure to leave some with all of them.  I then brought a bit into the store yesterday to share with our friend Marissa (who had made it before) and she liked it.  (Her 2 year old son loved it so much he stole all of the leftovers from her!)   I just wish I had known her mom Rose was going to be in the store on Christmas Eve, I would have brought some for her to try, it is one of her favorites.

If you have never had it before, it is not an overly sweet treat, the sweetness comes from the honey, but it is delectable!

My next project is to get a sample puffed heart wall hanging done out of porcelain for a class I am teaching in January.  And also pull out the Teapot mold so I can make an Ebonyware teapot for a customer who received one in the 1990's and had broken it.  It was such a surprise to open that email and read that she had looked to see if I was still out here and still making pottery.

May 2017 be a year of healing and of joys.  I was horrified at how nasty all sides got during the US presidential election.  I can only say I did not like any of the candidates from the time the first one threw their hat into the ring.  But we must persevere and try again next time to find a cast of candidates better suited to the job at hand.  I know some of you may disagree with me, that is fine.  If we all had the same tastes and same opinions, the world would be a very boring place.  It takes all to make things work.  And a lot of the politicians on both sides need to learn how to work together and compromise.  This all or nothing attitude has made the work of our presidents difficult for many years, through several presidencies.

Ok, my semi-rant is over.

Peace to you and yours.

Progress!

I have been busy with a lot of house & pet-sitting jobs lately, but I am trying to squeeze in some creative time in between to build stock for the Mistletoe Market.

I have a kiln load of angels bisque firing at the moment, and included in that firing are some pumpkins!

The pumpkins second from the left in both rows are mine, the others were made by 3 of my students.  I have since made more and will have some available at Mistletoe Market.

A customer came in The Mercantile yesterday and asked if I had a new design for ornaments this year (in addition to the angels), so I am working on a couple of ideas there.  I am also working on some leaf ornament samples for a class I will be offering in a couple of weeks.

I had a scare today while Dad was out, I looked out the front window as a Pendleton Police car pulled into our driveway.  P A N I C!!  It turns out that some kids called 9-1-1 and would not let the operator speak to an adult.  And it was from a cell phone that showed it was about where our house is.  I sent him to a house a couple of doors down where I know they have children.  There aren't many on our street.

So, that is about all I can report on today.

Christmas in July Iris Folding

I said that I would show the completed samples of the Iris Folding cards I designed for the Christmas in July class.  Well, here they are!

Well, after seeing the patterns I drew, did you think the cards would look anything like this?  It was so much fun creating these for my students.  I love how they all turned out but, I do have my favorites, which one(s) are yours?

Where oh where has Cindy been? She hasn't blogged in AGES!

I haven't been very good about blogging... my apologies.
I haven't even spent the time browsing other bloggers writings... shame on me!
I am busy with work, my sister is just now able to be at the store more hours.  The radiation treatments took a lot of energy away.  The one thing we are the most grateful for is that it was NOT cancer.  If it weren't for Dad and the wonderful friends we have, I would have run myself into the ground!  I am thankful for that every moment of every day.
It is the time of year that we start stocking the shelves with wonderful gift ideas.  Terri had the window of opportunity, after recuperating from the surgery and starting radiation, and went to the Atlanta Gift Market in July with our friend Phyllis.  (I went to Chicago with Mary for the Craft & Hobby Association show)
We also are gearing up for Christmas and the other end-of-the-year holidays with card and gift making classes.  That is where it gets tough for me.  I want to offer everyone lots of classes, but in the evenings, I am the only one who can teach for the time being.  If I were to offer classes every Tuesday & Thursday evening, and throughout the days Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday, I would not have a milligram of energy for life.
Next week, Mary & I are headed off to Orlando for a trade show.  The rep group deals with paper arts (rubber stamping, scrapbooking...) and Mary & I will be taking several classes between us to learn new ideas and techniques.  We have a lot of talented & creative people in our lives, it is nice that Mary can be a part of our staff and share her talents with those interested, and share a big smile while she is at it.  And, since Terri is still physically unable to handle a trip like this, I am glad to have Mary as a travelling partner as well as someone whose opinion I can get while shopping for creative goodies for the store.
What do I do in my spare time these day, you ask... and do I even have any spare time?!?!?  Well, I still do occasional house & pet sitting and enjoy these little get-aways so the pet's humans can get away.  I am at my nephew's house this weekend, enjoying the dogs and the peacefulness here at the lake.
When I am at home, I am working on my pottery.  I have my Fall show coming up in November at the Anderson County Museum;  Mistletoe Market.  It is my 6th or 7th year (I lose track of time...).  That is the first weekend of November.
I would post photos, but I am not on my own computer...
I hope to not be such a stranger 'round these parts...

A beautiful Spring Day

No, this is not a picture from our garden... it is a stock photo from my desktop...

Today is a gorgeous Spring day!

Did you remember to "spring forward" with your clocks & watches?

I have been absent as of late on here, I hope to be able to change that.

I am working on mugs and all for the Celebrate Clayton show the end of April, but today, I will take a break & go to Greenville for the FLW Fishing Expo for a few hours with friends.  I promise - I will NOT get a treble hook embedded in my leg!
We have been busy at the store.  Dad has been building new display fixtures to Terri's designs for the 'Garden Corner' and the toy department.  We have been having a lot of fun with the Osher Lifelong Learning classes in Wire & Metal Jewelry.  (We have some extremely talented students!)  And, we have been busy planning for a guest instructor to visit in April.  Nathalie Metivier from Magenta Rubber Stamps is going to be teaching a 3-hour class on April 22.  And in a week and a half, we have gotten 27 spaces filled!  (The limit is 30.)

I hope to be able to update things more often.  I have been sidelined by a number of things adding up.  And, on top of that, I got an Android phone, so the old desktop doesn't get fired up as often.  I plan to change that!

Meanwhile, I hope you all enjoy this Spring day.

I'm here!

I've been busy working with my sister and our friend Phyllis to prepare for a big card making class we are putting on this Friday evening in conjunction with the Heirloom Anderson Rubber Stamp & Paper Arts Festival being held at the Anderson Civic Center this weekend.  We have 20 people signed up!  It should be LOTS of fun.  We are having it at New York Pizza (can't seem to add another link - grrrr) on Civic Center Blvd..  The students get pizza & salad with their class as well!
I WILL post photos! (Both here and on the store's blog TheMercantileStore.blogspot.com)
Today, my favorite traveling bead wholesaler comes to town for me to pick beads for our next trunk show!  MMMMMMMMMMM - BEADS!  It should be an all day event.  Then our local rubber stamp club (The Crafty Crew) has it's monthly gathering at the store.  It will be a LONG day, but a VERY enjoyable one!

This is not one of the cards we are making, just one I made in a class last week