Lighten Up

One of my favorite parts of the holidays are the lights that dress up the winter darkness. I have a visceral memory of driving around my Arlington, Va. neighborhood with my mother and father when I was very young to enjoy the colorful house displays.  These days, my family enjoys perusing our neighborhood to enjoy our local light shows in the same way. This is a holiday treat to treasure. 

On the flip side, the stress of creating a perfect holiday is also evident this time of year. Selecting the perfect gift, cooking the most delicious meal, acknowledging every family tradition, all at the same time can take its toll on the enjoyment of this festive season.

So lighten up. That’s my mantra for the holiday season. So much of the stress we put on ourselves this time of year, is self-imposed. It’s not a competition with our family or friends, or I don’t think it should be. It is probably impossible to create the perfect holiday you have pictured in your mind, and that’s okay. Do holiday time your way, the best way you can.

Here’s my nod to holiday decorating this year. A little tree covered in chili pepper lights next to my blooming Christmas cactus!

The holidays can be about spending time with loved ones. Gifts are nice, but time together is what we remember. Share some food, play some games, take time for conversation. Build those memories that truly last a lifetime. What better gift is there than that?

Click on the photo to tell me about your favorite holiday tradition.

Showdown

It’s the time of year when hours (and hours) of preparation in the studio crash into looming holiday show deadlines. Choosing what to create, how much to make, facing self-doubt, and emboldened by manic inspiration — this is a familiar scenario. Make, sell, repeat.

This pre-holiday crunch is not unique to me; all types of craft artists I know experience this creative clash around now. Good organization skills and attention to the realities of my creative process (how much time it takes to make…) have taught me and helped diminish potential disasters. Also, learning to say no and understand my own creative limits have aided in successfully steering me through this busy season. 

My Holiday Open Studio this year will benefit the Frederick chapter of Mom’s Demand Action For Gun Sense In America. Stay tuned for dates and further details!

As daylight hours shorten and the winter holiday season beckons, it’s easy to burn out from internal pressures to perfect each celebration. Maybe it’s best to ease up on our unattainable expectations; pick the festivities, traditions, recipes and people we’d like to focus on and just concentrate on that. Note to self: Instead of making holiday activities a showdown, concentrate on forging a memorable event that is personally attainable. 

Shiny Objects

I think it’s safe to say we are in high-season of ‘shiny objects’. The sparkly holiday lights brighten early darkness and festoon neighborhoods and businesses with a magical effect. The excess of edible treats is abundant at parties, office gatherings, and annual religious occasions. Merchants bombard us with reminders to choose just the right item for our entire list of gift recipients. If you are like me, it’s easy to get overwhelmed.

So what’s the best approach? It’s sometimes easier said than done. Overall, what I try to do is personalize my participation during this season of overload. I’ve found it’s okay to say no to outside pressures bombarding us to create the perfect memory for the holidays. What is best for me may not resonate with your own tolerance and desires. Take note of what you enjoy about the holidays and do that. If there are ‘shiny objects’ you don’t really like, you can eliminate them.

Donations are another way I override the excesses of this season. Gifts to a charity in the name of  a family member or friend accomplishes much more than searching for a present just for the sake of giving someone something to unwrap. These kinds of lasting gifts are meaningful tenfold.

As I finish up a prolific year in the studio, I want to make sure I thank all of you for your encouragement, ideas, orders, and overall support. It has been a great year of creativity for me. I am one lucky clay artist!

Reading Some Meaning Into Words

These three words summarize how I feel this time of year when my emotions run the gamut. It’s been awhile since I’ve posted a pottery giveaway. Read to the end of the blog to see which ClayByLaura Club member will receive a package of these small bowls this week!

It’s been a busy week back in the studio. Pottery from the Huntsville show is unpacked, new ClayByLaura inventory has been delivered to The Muse in Frederick and my hands have been back in clay to begin creating the variety of special orders I received on my trip. I had to reorder another half a ton (yes, 1000 lbs) of clay from my supplier because I’ve used up that amount since June. The pressure to create pottery and also embrace the bounty of positive holiday spirit can be overwhelming at times leading to some bah-humbug moments.

Falalalala sums up the cheerful attitude I also embrace this time of year. Preparations for upcoming holiday shows continue including a wrap bracelet-making craft party on November 5 in Frederick hosted byThe Muse; a private demonstration for a tour group visiting Frederick November 9; a month-long Holiday open studio hosted by Stacy Krantz of InBloom jewelry; and a fun craft show at Calvary Methodist Church December 9 in my childhood Arlington, Virginia neighborhood. I may squeeze in another show and my own open studio too. (Of course, if there is something you'd like me to make for you, let me know. I ship my pieces throughout the US!) I do like this flurry of activity.

What I believe about the upcoming holidays is they encourage togetherness, shared traditions, great food, and time spent with family. What could be better than that?  For me, the holiday season has begun. I’ve been sampling the Kit Kat bars in anticipation of our neighborhood trick or treaters. I’m working on the details of the Thanksgiving menu I’ll host for our family.  Hanukkah, Christmas, and New Years are not far behind. Maybe you experience all these conflicting emotions too. I think it's probably normal.

Congratulations Lee! I'll be sending you a package to help you kick off your own holiday spirit too! Are you a member of the ClayByLaura club? If you'd like a chance to win some pottery and receive other club benefits, click on the photo to join in!

Presence – The Gift That Keeps On Giving

The days after holidays can be a letdown. There is such a build-up to a particular day and event, that when it’s over and done, it can be a little sad. My remedy to this natural ebb and flow is to focus on the positive, and think about the lasting gifts each holiday brings.

Knitting is one of the ways I sit with my family and enjoy their company. 

Sure, presents and elaborate meals are nice, but what I truly remember about holiday events of the past is the people. The time we spend together talking, laughing, and enjoying each other’s company – those are the gifts I most remember. As each holiday comes around, and past family traditions are shared with new friends and growing families, it’s also a good time to reflect on those no longer present. 

Some of our family traditions for Christmas include Chinese Food carry-out, a trip to the movies, and playing a board game. These memory-building activities are a fun way to spend time together, relax, laugh, and enjoy each other’s presence. What are the holiday traditions/memories that are important to you? Click on the photo above to tell me!

I did manage to slip into the studio this past week to finish up some commission pieces. This unique colander will replace a broken one that was made long ago for a special friend. I already have lots of new ideas brewing and am excited to get back in the studio to create in the new year ahead. 

MishMash

Mishmash is the perfect word to describe what’s going on in the studio this week. There is a lot happening all at once. Several custom projects have been completed.  I’ve participated in two different Open Studio sales. Internet purchases are pinging my cell phone. And, I still want to be in the studio exploring some recent ideas. Probably lots of creative makers are experiencing this combination of controlled chaos in their lives as well. Maybe you are too!

Take a drive to this Open Studio and you won't be disappointed! Stacey Krantz invited a wonderful mishmash of area artists to participate in her annual Open Studio including me. Not only is her fantastic workspace filled with her own amazing creations, there are gifts galore to satisfy a number of people on your holiday list. I've already shopped there myself and made note of some more I'd like to purchase. I'll be in Stacey's studio this coming weekend -- so I hope you'll stop in and say hello.

The winter season is full tilt for many people who are balancing their regular life schedule with additional social events, home decorating, holiday shopping, family gatherings, special cooking and baking activities. It’s a good time to remember to pace ourselves, say no when it’s too much and choose to spend our time on what’s personally valuable. It’s different for each and everyone. 

Here's one idea that's brewing for me. After a conversation with a friend who was using one of the 'cake plates' I'd made for her many years ago when I was primarily using the potter's wheel, I started thinking about how I could recreate this popular item using my current hand-building methods. In between everything else that is happening in my studio, I quickly made a sample to see. It's a start and I already know how to make some improvements to the design. 

Embrace the mishmash of your life right now. Weed out what doesn't work for you. Think of ways to improve your experience. Try new things. And stay positive!

A Season Of Treats

Halloween kicks off a treat-filled holiday season tonight. These days, I think just as many adults garner pleasure from this dress-up candy-laden holiday as do kids! I think its safe to say we all love treats, so it’s not surprising that the upcoming fall and winter holidays are filled with special traditions, recipes and gift-giving. Each holiday has its own unique emphasis of associated treats.

Do you have a special pie you bake for the holidays? I'd love to know your recipe. Click on the image to send me one that would make this baking dish filled with just the right treat!

Special recipes are prepared in association with many of the upcoming holiday celebrations. These once-a-year treats are often shared with family and friends, building traditions to be repeated each season. Food is a great way to share treats with loved ones. How about sharing one of your special recipes with me? Click on the pie dish to send it to me!

The studio is filled with tons of gift items. I'll be in Columbia, Maryland on Saturday November 5 selling at a Holiday Show and then hold a special Open Studio/FUNdraiser in Frederick Maryland on November 12 to benefit our local Blessings In a Backpack organization. Click on each event to see more details. If you can't attend, remember you can always shop on-line or make an appointment to visit the studio at a later date. 

Gift-giving is another way we share a treat in the coming months. When we can indulge someone with a present that brings them pleasure – it’s a great feeling. It doesn’t have to be expensive or elaborate either. Even spending time together is a treat. 

Over the years, I've created a new angel each season to honor my friend Patti Cain who died of breast cancer; I always donate a percentage of my proceeds to Breast Cancer Research, Hospice and Charity Organizations. This year I've developed an 'angel wing' . Each unique design can hang from the bough of your holiday tree or year-round in a place of honor to remember the angels in your life. Click on photo to order yours!

Then there’s the Golden Rule. Treating others the way you’d like to be treated is one of the best rules I know. This type of treat is one of the best to achieve. Kindness and how you treat others reverberates and multiplies tenfold.  

Gift Giving

"'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free

'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,

And when we find ourselves in the place just right,

  'Twill be in the valley of love and delight."

Joseph Bracket - Shaker Dancing Song

As autumn shortens the days and the weather becomes brisk, the fall holiday season beckons. It seems as if the stores, shopping malls and advertisers shove it in our face before we are ready to think about Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas or Hannukah – but the retail planning for these festivities needs to happen far in advance.

Lots of potters I know and follow are readying their inventory of holiday wares in anticipation of upcoming sales events. I am in the same mind-set. The dilemma is figuring out what and how many to create. I’ve mentioned before my passion for the clay process that includes figuring out the best way to make multiples of an object. I often make a couple of samples of the final product until I’m satisfied with the outcome. Next, I develop a template out of manila folder as a pattern guide. I gather any other necessary tools and begin cutting and assembling.

The holiday sales season is a chance to experiment in the studio with new shapes and colors and revisit the reliable sellers. This fall, I have been asked to create new designs for a corporate client gift, a fund-raising holiday sale and a craft retailer. I'll also be teaching a class or two in the studio; students will create a mosaic serving tray. If there is a special gift you would like me to create for a client, loved one or hostess, now’s the time to speak up! Are there items I create, you would like to give or receive as a gift? Please let me know.

Think about supporting local, hand-made or small business operations when you fulfill your holiday shopping list and gift giving this season. It makes a big difference to those of us toiling away in our studios and shops on a regular basis. A special gift from the ClayByLaura studio lasts far beyond the excitement of the holiday season bringing enjoyment to the recipient each time it is used throughout the year. New holiday items will be available for sale through the website, studio and local retailers beginning in late October. Let me know if you are looking for a specific item or color and I'll be sure to make it for you!