Where is the time going?

What a crazy time we are living in right now!

So much has happened since I was last here to share. States all over the country shut down just about everything in hopes of keeping the COVID-19 virus from spreading too fast to too many people.
Our schools here in SC were closed the week of St. Patrick's Day. The restaurants, gyms, hair salons and other "close contact" businesses were not too far behind. They closed retail businesses on April 7th. We worked in the store, with appointments for curbside pick-up as well as shipping that week. We then took Good Friday and Saturday off before Easter. Starting that Monday, we spent a week working from home, filling orders and meeting customers as needed. The state allowed us to re-open on April 21, but we decided that we would limit our days and hours to 4 hours a day for 3 days a week. The numbers are still too high for comfort. Yes, they are probably not accurate, but still, neither of us wishes to be responsible for one of our high-risk family members contracting the virus because we did not follow our instincts.
Just this week, we decided to add one day (still 4 hours only). Restaurants, gyms... are all open again, and attractions were able to open this past Friday.

What we did to help with people who suddenly were needing to find things to do at home was to make up kits for creative things. Most have been greeting card kits, but we have done a simple beading kit as well as face painting on a cloth mask. Each are only $3.00! check them out on our Facebook page or our website.
As of yesterday, we had sold over 575 in 2 months! I spend my working at home time cutting the parts and assembling these kits. The living room has been taken over!

Other than purchasing a much needed new tablet on amazon, most of the stimulus money that I have spent (which is only about half) has been spent with independent businesses. I purchased masks from two friends who have Etsy shops. I purchased beads from an independent bead shop. I buy takeout meals from independent restaurants. I was a strong supporter of the Shop Local/Shop Independent movement for a long time before all of this hit the fan.

I hope whomever happens upon this post is doing well. I am grateful that at this point, I do not know anyone personally that has been diagnosed with the virus. I do know people who have had friends or family members that have.

Be safe. Be well. Be respectful of others who may deal with all of this differently than you do.

Up and running!

Thank you to my brother Rick for checking out the wiring diagram and the kiln and fixing the mistake I made. I am now able to fire the large kiln with no problem.

The small kiln I have not given a test firing yet.  It seems possibly the tube of the kiln sitter was out of alignment and the sensing rod was getting hung up thus keeping it from tripping the power off. I do not have anything of my own to test fire it with at the moment, so it will have to wait until I can get some things made. (* EDIT - still not working correctly.  Will just have to use the large one for the time being.)

In the meantime, my car went into the mechanic last week.  I have had a whining noise from under the hood for a few months, but the most disconcerting was the new grinding noise coming from the rear axel area.  It sounded like I was dragging a branch.  I did not see anything, but thought it could possibly be the wheel bearing go bad.  I needed the car for a house/pet sitting a half hour drive away.

I dropped it off on a Thursday morning.  Their schedule was packed with appointments and they had to work me in around them. To get an appointment otherwise was at least a two week wait. I waited patiently to hear back.  They called at about 4:45 on Friday afternoon for me to come by to pick it up (they close ot 5:00).

It was not the wheel bearing (YES!!!), it was indeed a branch caught up in the undercarriage that was causing that noise.

The whining noise under the hood was the alternator and pulley that needed replacing, the alternator was nearing it's end of life. Thankful for the branch making me think it was a bad bearing for getting me to the mechanic sooner than later.

After a brief case of it overheating (a connector to the cooling fan knocked loose) that was corrected on Monday, all is running smoothly.

I am needing to get my hands back into the clay to create! It is my calming and rejeuvenating activity. And, I also need to get product for the store as well as Mistletoe Market.

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.

Sun & Sea Creative Bead Chat Challenge 2012

I have been part of a group on facebook called Creative Bead Chat.  Bead lovers from all over share their creations and tips and all sorts of things.  They are a wonderful support group, personally as well as creatively.
I was chosen by Random.com to be one of the recipients of the beads for the Sun & Sea challenge.

Here is what I started with.  I pulled together some things I thought would go well with the ceramic, polymer, shell, copper & glass I was provided with.

My own textured & patina'd copper sheet & wire with the challenge goodies.

 The first item I made is this double strand copper necklace & earring set.
I took 1/3 of the sheet of copper & made it into charms.  The bail of the donut is embellished peyote stitch.  The copper ear wires are hand made by me.  The beautiful copper clasp provided is on the back of this piece.

Ocean Breezes

Ocean Breezes Earrings

 This bangle was next.

Shell We Dance

 Adding some pearls, aquamarine & sponge coral helped set-off the beautiful components provided.

On The Boardwalk

 The glass beads were beautiful enough that I wanted to spotlight them on these hoops.

Sunrise

I had so much fun creating with the items supplied by some very talented bead artisans.

My pottery is still my first love, but beads and creating things with them come in a fairly close second.

Thank you to all who organized this challenge!  And thank you to all of the others who have participated.

Feel free to comment below, I won't know what you think (good, ambivalent or bad) unless you do.  And, I don't bite!

Please visit the other blogs that have participated in the challenge.

Most of all, have fun!

http://www.yayjewelry.blogspot.com/

http://cswdesignsbyhehe.blogspot.com/

http://alice-dreaming.blogspot.com/

http://blog.aimeesjewelrytreasures.com/

Suggestions anyone?

As I have been working on getting large mugs made for the people that have ordered them, as well as mugs for other orders, I have been thinking.  (I know, I better be careful, thinking can be dangerous!)

I would like to offer a little more diversity in my product.  I will keep the current items, and I will pull out some of my Victorian Hands that are just waiting to be fired, but I am looking for an idea of where to go next?

Another look at my booth at Mistletoe Market 2010

I have thought of several different things... a nice vase or two, a teapot (shorter and rounder than the coffee pot), I'd love to do plates (but haven't had too much luck with them in the past), beads, pendants, buttons, spoon rests, the list goes on (and on).  But I would like input from all of you out there as to what you think would be a good thing for me to add.

All suggestions are welcome, I value your opinions.

Thanks for stopping by my blog, and thank you in advance for your suggestions!