Leftovers.

The aftermath of Thanksgiving’s abundance often leads to leftovers. Day-after meals often consist of various food-item concoctions. Turkey sandwiches are piled high with different side-dish items like stuffing and cranberry relish; turkey soup is derived from the bird’s picked-over carcass; or turkey pot pie is cobbled together with remaining ingredients. Depending on how many leftovers exist, a family might enjoy all of these aforementioned extra meals for days after the main event. At some point though, as the the leftovers dwindle, they lose their appeal. 

In the studio, I work with leftovers as well. I like to incorporate discarded and long-collected treasures into some of my creations to make them useful once again. This week I played with a new idea I’m developing for a craft party I’ll teach at The Muse on January 6. 

I created several textured medallion pieces from polymer clay I rolled out and cut into different shapes. I baked the pieces in an oven for about 20 minutes. When they cooled, I decorated each with layers of acrylic paints. 

I purchased several types of cord to experiment with and ended up using leather cord I already have to create the finished necklace. A variety of beads, recycled fashion jewelry and charms were strung and simply tied into place with a knot. I like how this adds some visual interest to the final necklace and makes use of items that might otherwise be discarded. 

At the same time, I used this polymer clay to create more shawl pins for sale at the Muse. The original design was made from clay I regularly use in the studio. Since these decorative fasteners are selling well and the polymer allows a quicker creative turnaround, I decided to experiment and make some with this alternate medium. These fun brooches also incorporate leftovers constructed from knitting needles, tubing from the hardware store, and collected beads. 

How do you use leftovers in your life? Click on the photo above to tell me! I’d love to know.

Teachable Moments

I speak clay. What I mean is, I’m familiar with the lingo associated with creating ceramic art. Fire, cone, underglaze, bisque, grog, raku and slip are all words that have special meaning to a person in the pottery world. The trick is learning to explain familiar terminology and techniques to someone unacquainted with the language. Sharing this knowledge not only helps educate a student wanting to learn about the craft, but also informs customers and other art appreciators.

For me, as I’ve probably mentioned repeatedly, teaching regularly opens my own eyes to new ideas and constructive approaches. It happened this week when I lead a group of students through the steps of making a wrap bracelet. I prepared the step-by-step creation and assembly instructions in my head so I could clearly explain them to the craft party participants. I demonstrated some of the construction techniques and answered questions as they arose. And my students did not disappoint! THEY, in turn, taught me a variety of imaginative ways to achieve the same end result. I learned too!

Remember these two shapes? I asked for your input and you were helpful and telling me your preferences in exchange for a chance to receive one of them as a gift! Thank you for sharing your insights! I am taking them all 'under advisement' to add this item to my inventory. Christine Link @SkeinnyDippngYarn is the lucky recipient of the oval shape on the right!

Teaching and Learning are two sides of the same coin. They go hand in hand. I continually discover additional approaches to my creative process by sharing what I know with others. And it’s not limited to clay. I try to adopt this approach with any conversation. What can I teach and what can I learn from this encounter? A fresh perspective is always welcome. Can you identify any recent teachable moments from your life? 

A visit to Green Spring Gardens in Fairfax, Va. this past week was filled with new garden ideas. I went with my friend Celia who speaks the language of Gardening. It was fun to try to absorb some of her wisdom and enjoy the beauty of nature. Of course, I came home with several new plants for my own landscape!

Common Denominator

Did you know there is a difference between straw and hay?  I didn’t know they weren’t the same. Hay is feed for animals to eat. Straw is what they sleep on. Each comes from a different part of the grain plant. I learned this valuable tidbit in a conversation while working at a local Fiber Festival this past weekend. I watched one of the demonstrations of sheep shearing and struck up a conversation with the farmer/sheep owner. Even though we live in two different environments, wool was our common denominator as we talked.

We all have things in common. It could be a shared activity, skill, passion, age, living circumstance, children, job or even disagreement. The list is endless. And probably common ground can be discovered even in a conversation with a complete stranger. Think ‘six degrees of separation,’ where the deeper you delve into what you share with a person, the closer you seem to get to a connection. 

Clay and fiber are two strong common denominators in my life. Sometimes they collide, like this past weekend at the Fiber Festival.  Several of my yarn-related clay items were part of The Knot House yarn shop's festival booth. It was an opportunity to meet new people who share my love of yarn (and clay) and reconnect with friends in attendance who also share those passions. 

Do you like jewelry? Want to take that passion one step further? Sign up for my wrap bracelet craft party sponsored by The Muse in Frederick, MD! I'd love to see you on Wedesdnay, June 21. I'll bring the supplies (and a batch of my chocolate chip cookies!) and help you make one of these special creations of your own. Click on photo for more details.

It feels good to find common ground. And I was reminded this weekend that what I share in common with people is far stronger than any difference we might have. Clay and yarn are just two subjects that open commonalities for me. What are some of your common denominators?

Making Dates With Deadlines

This past week was all about deadlines. For months leading up to the first full week of May, many supplemental goals needed to be set and accomplished. And since I have a tendency to revert to Monkey Mind (see past blog post!), this concept is not always natural to me. I think many people who think in creative ways struggle with deadlines, so I’m not alone!

Early in the week I delivered and set up a series of outdoor flowers to fill the pots underneath this pool-side table. 

I’ve learned that setting an end date is powerful and beneficial. I think it actually makes me more creative and enables me to accomplish much, much more. I’ve mentioned before I like to break tasks into small, manageable bites. All of these lead up to an overall end target. It works for me. 

The garden bell class was filled to capacity resulting in 12 happy crafters going home with their beautifully decorated and assembled garden art. Throughout the workshop, I set completion goals for the students so everyone knew what had to be completed so we could move on to the next creative task. It worked well. I'm already planning a wrap bracelet-making class for June. Stay tuned!

Over the weekend, I split my time between two wonderful local shows. I had prepped the featured clay pieces for the personality of each venue, visualized and practiced the set up for the display and demo, made a list, packed, delivered and set up. 

This annual fiber spectacular at The Knot House (held the same weekend as the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival) features Indie Yarn Dyers from far and wide.  People line up to get in and grab first dibs on limited inventory colorways of incredible wool. As a knitter, it's paradise. As a potter, it's an opportunity to share my knitting-related clay pieces with this creative crowd. I spent Friday and Sunday at The Knot House and spoke to numerous attendees as they stood in line to pay for their stash. I learned here too. Some of these creative stitchers set goals and have a plan for their projects and many others just wing it!

Saturday was an all-day/night affair at my favorite Frederick shop -- The Muse. The town hosts monthly First Saturday events. The Mayfest theme this month invited visitors to collect flowers at participating shops to build a bouquet as they meander. 'Blobs' (named because of their oval shape and ability to morph into several uses) were the featured clay item for the event! I demonstrated how these are made and had fun talking with a steady stream of customers. 

Deadlines are necessary for me to complete one idea and be able to move on to the next. As a knitter, I'm one of those people who likes to work on one pattern at a time until it's finished. I don't like to buy yarn without a plan of what I'm going to make. It's too stressful for me and I think it actually slows me down. It's the same when I create with clay. Goals, deadlines, to-do lists and a plan all make me more creative and lead me to finish what I start.