This is fun...

No photo today, still sorting through all of them.

I am having a great time with the comments from people who want to win the cards... Colleen is the only one I do not know. But I did live in Syracuse for a few years (what seems like a lifetime ago...), so I know her hometown...

I have decided that I will come up with a prize for the most interesting comment as to why you should win my cards. That will be a tough choice, they are all great!

At this point, for the original give-away, I am going to just place all the names into a 'hat' and pick one. How much more random can you get?

Card Give Away

I know, I have not posted for over a month. It has been a busy month for me.

I am going to give away a selection of 8 hand made greeting cards, made by me, of course. They will include some holiday cards and at least one using the washi paper quilting technique shown in this photo.

The give-away contest starts now and ends on Saturday, September 20. I will randomly pick the winner Sunday morning 9/21. When I contact you, I'll need delivery information to ship your cards.

Just for kicks, let me know why you feel you should win the cards.

After the holiday season is over, I will do another give-away featuring a piece of my porcelain pottery. Right now I need everything for the show and sales I have on the schedule.

Pyrography

This is a photo of one of my favorite pyrographic pieces. In other words, it is one of my wood burnings.

I have always loved Great Blue Herons, this picture was done in 1984. Even today, when I go walking with my friends at the track in Clemson, we are ever on the lookout for Herons. You might call them our mascots.

This was the second Great Blue Heron I did, the first was a clock. Both were burned onto maple.

I don't do a lot of pyrography right now, I spend more time with my porcelain and jewelry instead. But nothing compares to the smell of the wood burning. It is not an overwhelming smokey smell, but one that entices you like a good cookout, or a pot of soup simmering on the stove.

I finally got started scanning a photo or two to add here from the days before digital photography. I only scanned 2. But I have more to sort through to find the ones I'd like to share.

Off to work on another project... I just wanted to be sure to get a new photo up for all of you to see.

Oh, a follow-up on my friend Mike and how he is coping with the loss of his sweet Savannah. He still misses her and feels the void without her around. But to help fill his time and keep his mind occupied, he has welcomed a new addition to his family. Her name is Sandie (as in Pecan Sandie). Sandie is an adorable handful of a Yellow Lab puppy. I think she is maybe 4 months old... I am not positive. I hope to get a photo to share sometime soon.

Also, I need to figure out how to link you to Bunspace, a blogging forum for bunnies all around the world (and their owners) that Sharon has been sharing with me. But I need more time than I have right now.

Later...

The Best Totem Pole in Clemson

I mentioned that I had taught a clay class at the Clemson Arts Center a couple of weeks ago. Yesterday was the culmination show with selections of the artwork by the students. One of the projects my kids did was to make a totem pole. I encouraged them by telling them it would be the best totem pole Clemson has ever seen. To my knowledge, Clemson doesn't have any totem poles.

I needed to make it an easily disassembled totem pole so the kids could take their creations home at the end of the show. So each piece is sitting on a bamboo skewer peg and the upright is a 7 foot bamboo pole stabilized by a weighted tree stand in a planter.

There were 8 kids in my class ranging in age from 6 - 9 years old. Starting at the top we have a cat (opposite side is a dog), an alligator, a gorilla (opposite side is a fly), a puppy, a monkey (opposite side is a deer), a kitten, a dog, and a turtle.

It was a joy seeing the kids come in with their families and show off their work.

My samples are posted!

A couple of months ago, I sent some photos of cards I made using a technique from one of the companies we feature at our store. They emailed me back to see if they could post them on their web site. I have periodically checked to see if they were up yet, and they are now! They did not put my name up there, but listed the store.
They are here. This sample is not one of them... I designed this one after emailing the photos.
*Note, when you go to their web site, click on the Retail site link, then click on the card samples link in the band across the top. Finally, click on Sample Set 12. Those are all my original creations, the other samples they have posted are fabulous too!

I'm still here

I have been pretty busy lately with teaching classes at our store, teaching a clay class at the Clemson Arts Center for their summer Kids Camp and just trying to get my things organized. That, along with working full time and pulling a few of my things together for inclusion in a members show at the Blue Ridge Arts Center. I have missed posting, but I have no photos to add, and I know you all like photos to look at. Next time.
And I will show a photo of the completed re-arranging/organizing of my work space... I promise. I figure if I promise, it will give me more incentive.
I hope everyone is having a great July.

Rearranging

I had said that my week off from work was to include a big cleaning project. Well, I was cleaning out several years accumulation of stuff I no longer use or need. It was taking over my life.

I am happy to say that despite years of procrastination, it feels good to get rid of the junk. It took several years to accumulate, and is taking some dedicated time to 'decumulate'.

Pictured here is my drying table. It is actually a gorgeous spring-leaf kitchen table with opaque cobalt glass inserts. A little of the glass shows to the left of the table. It served as my kitchen counter in the small cottage I lived in last. I have another table I use for my casting.

Well, off to sort another box, Monday is trash day.