A Christmas Painting

I haven't painted for SOOO long! This morning I decided I needed to paint. I choose to work from a photograph that my husband took of me last month. I did a little editing and went from there. I'm very pleased with it. If only I can find a frame around here! I am hoping to wrap it up as a Christmas gift. =)

New Inventory @ MuddyPotts

Yesterday I finally had some time to glaze a few more pieces and I fired them today. I was very pleased. The only thing I need to do is make sure I have at least three coats of glaze on each piece. The little teacups could of used one more coat.

I decided to make sets this go around. I have a set of bowls, a set of dessert plates, and a set of teacups. They are all a little different so it's hard to pick which ones turned out the best.

If you're still looking for that unique handmade gift for Christmas, check out the fresh new pieces at MuddyPotts!

www.muddypotts.etsy.com

Happy Shopping! =)

A Blessed Weekend

This week has been CrAzY!!! And I'm so thankful to be starting a new one. I'll give a little recap:

Mon-Friday-Worked nearly nonstop to get my pottery ready for my first craft show.
Friday-My husband and I wrecked my truck on the way to set up for the Christmas Craft Show.

Thank you God for being with us. I am so amazed that we walked away without a single scratch. I just so happened to be reading a Christmas prayer that my mom had enclosed in the Christmas card she had made.

Saturday-Christmas Craft Show in Salida with the family. We had a long, but prosperous day. I had fun hanging out with my parents and my husband. D was such a good sport. Although I think if he hears another Christmas song played over a loud speaker, someone is going to get hurt...I sold 5 pieces and gained two very nice commissions. Thank you Nancy and Shannon and Pamela of Blissology. =) Networked with quite a few friendly artisans. Saw old friends.

Sunday-Helped move family over from the Western Slope to our neck of the woods.


In between all that, I opened up a new Etsy shop! Muddy Potts is officially open! http://www.muddypotts.etsy.com/. I listed a few items this evening and will get to the rest after I have some sleep. I am so excited to continue with my pottery. I've been neglecting my painting, but not for long. I'm hoping to be in show in New York this coming Spring. There will be updates later. =)

First Craft Show Saturday!

I can't believe I haven't made a post since the middle of November! I have been busy getting ready for the Christmas Craft Show coming up this Saturday. The other day I spent most of the day putting glazes on the bisque ware I had and fired it that night. I could hardly wait to open the kiln in the morning. And then I was disappointed to find that not much had changed from when I loaded it. I had used some old glazes that my mom had. I thought for sure they would work! But they didn't. So I will go into town tomorrow to buy some new glazes and give it another try. In the meantime, I've been throwing about four pieces a day. I'm limited right now because I only have two bats. But that will change soon. I hope!

I started to make a few Christmas presents yesterday too. In between sewing, throwing and trying to stay warm, I've been keeping pretty busy. I made a tasty soup this afternoon out of the December/January issue of Taste of Home (also known as Light 'n Tasty). It was yummy!

Tomorrow my friend Jen is coming over and we're going to make pine cone firestarters. I gathered three more bags of nice big pine cones today on my walk. And then bought some cinnamon oil this afternoon. It's a good thing we're making more. We're just about out!

A couple mugs drying and two vases that need reglazed and fired again.




This is what the pottery studio looks like right now. Eventually the siding will come off the other wall, both walls will be painted and have lots of shelving and the concrete floor will be stained. There will probably be another workbench as well. =)

Huge Holiday Sale on Etsy!!!

Today is the start of my big holiday sale on Etsy! Most paintings are 1/2 off and FREE SHIPPING on everything! That's BIG!!! I'm also in the process of uploading my newest clay creations. I just finished photographing them and now have to resize the images and get them into the shop. I'm thinking about firing another glaze batch today. I'll have to see what the rest of the day brings. It's a little cold out in the studio, but I know once I get out there and working it'll all be good.

I've been sick for the past few days and today is the first day I've felt like doing anything. I have so much I want to do and very little time. So I don't want to let this little cold bug get to me.

Hop on over to my etsy shop and see if there isn't anything you can live without! This is the year for handmade gifts. =) http://www.samos.etsy.com/

Upcoming Exhibits

It's crunch time!!!

December 6th~ 28th Annual Holiday Sampler II - Arts & Crafts Bazaar. 9 - 4:30 Saturday only - Chaffee County Fair Grounds. Crafts, Handwork, Art, Baked Goods - Door Prizes - Concessions Available - Come have lunch with us! Fund raiser of the Chaffee County Fair. (Salida)

January 30th~ Ceramics and Pottery Extravaganza-Exhibit and Sale 5-8pm Friday

This exhibit and sale will run January 30th-February 28th at the Fremont Center for the Arts in Canon City. The Soup R Bowl Party and Fundraising Benefit will be held Friday, January 30th from 5-8pm

My First Glaze Firing!

I'm home! YaY! I took a little leave of absence, but I'm back and working like crazy again. It feels good to get back into the swing of things. Only wish I could catch up on some z's. In due time though, right? Anyways, last night I glazed all my small pieces, loaded the kiln and started the very first glaze firing here at the new homestead. (Many many thank you's to my husband and our friend Mac who worked diligently to get the electricity up and running last weekend.)Thank you guys! I owe you BIG!


I decided to start with the smaller pieces and use them as guinea pigs. I'm using new glazes and a kiln that I've never used before. The kiln is my father-in-law's. It's a Paragon DTC 100. So far I am only using one shelf. Maybe if I learn how to make plates in the near future, I can stack more in there. But for now, one is good.

Tomorrow I'm going to Salida to visit my family and drop off some artwork to a new gallery. I was juried into an exhibit that opens next weekend until January 3nd. I'll be showing four pieces at Art Matters Gallery & Studio. If you're in the area, it's 142 West First Street in Salida.

New Works

Warriors
11x14 print

$20.00

Time:4
11x14 print

$20.00

My Feet
11x14
$20.00

Koi
11x14 print

PayPal vs Revolution Money Exchange

Most everyone I know that uses the computer has a PayPal account, myself included. A few months ago on Etsy, I was introduced to Revolution Money Exchange, a new way to receive and transfer funds online without the extra fees. I've been using PayPal for about three years now. And although they have been very good to me in catching people trying to get into my account and delivering my funds in a timely manner, I still get hit up for those small fees.

Say you sell a painting for $200. It goes to your PayPal account and then they take a small percentage of that. So when you transfer it to your bank account, you end up with less than $200. Now wouldn't you like to get what you asked for? I suppose that's how they make their money and stay in business and we should just start adding that little percentage to our artwork so that way we get exactly what the painting is worth.

Let's go back to Revolution Money Exchange. I'm still reading the fine print, but it seems that if someone purchases your work through Revolution Money Exchange and has an account with them, there are no fees and you get exactly what you asked for. The problem I see with this is that someone wanting to purchase your work through this newer company might not be familiar with it and shy away. They may also opt not to make the puchase because you will be rerouted to Revolution Money Exchange and be asked to start an account.

I'm going to do a little experiment. I will try and post two paintings for each new entry. When I do that one will be for sale through PayPal and the other through Revolution Money Exchange. I will do this until the end of the year and then tally the results and let you know the beginning of the year.

I would love to hear what you think about this and if you have any experience with either companies, good or bad that I should take into consideration for future sales. Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Blu Daisy and UpSiDeDoWn

Here are two new paintings on canvas board. Each are 8"x8", signed and dated on the back. They would look great in a frame, with or without glass. Both are watercolor and ink. Blu Daisy was inspired by a shirt I saw in church and UpSiDeDoWn was inspired by Jack Johnson. If you've never heard him sing, you should.

Blu Daisy 8x8 canvas board watercolor/ink $35



UpSiDeDoWn 8x8 canvas board watercolor/ink $35



You can purchase these and other cool finds @ my etsy shop.

http://www.samos.etsy.com/

Breezy, a Bear, and a Movie

Breezy is my newest painting. It's been quite awhile since I've been in the art room. I was inspired by all the beautiful leaves changing this month. Last weekend while I was on a family outing I saw so many colors! Oh, and of course my new IKEA catalog gave me a boost too!




After traveling across the state in two days, I picked up a movie at the Redbox, (my new favorite video stop) and selected Definitely, Maybe, not knowing a thing about it. Once I made it home, I checked my messages, returned phone calls, brought in a load of wood and started a fire...Ahhh. Now it's time for a good movie and a cup of tea.

Oh! I almost forgot! On my way home over the Black Canyon, I saw a black bear today! I was so excited since I've never seen one in Colorado. He had crossed the highway and was headed down into the trees. He was too quick to get a picture, but at least I have the memory.

FALL & ARTICIPATION

Yesterday morning we drove to Salida to drop off Aphrodite and Gucci to participate in the ARTICIPATION 2008. It was a family event where everyone could participate in ceating art. I had already had plans for the day and couldn't stay, but I'm anxious for next years so I can be more involved.

The plan for the day was a family day with my husband and my parents up in the mountains. We had a nice picnic up Mount Shavano and then took alot of pictures of the beautiful leaves. I absolutely LOVE fall. The colors are breathtaking! I found myself addicted to all the colors and every little dandylion-like flower I could find.

Thank you Carbondale!

Thursday was my first day working at the Fremont Center for the Arts. I'm volunteering twice a month starting in October. While I was there, my cell phone rang. Now I don't typically answer it when I'm in the middle of working, but for some reason I did. It was from a nice lady in Carbondale asking me to verify the dimensions on my sculpture, Night and Day. After I told her everything was correct I proceeded to mention that I was going to call them because I hadn't heard anything about the exhibit that is supposed to go up this month. I hadn't recieved the notification that I was accepted, and luckily had the chance to talk with this nice lady about it. So, September 19th I'll be delivering my newest sculpture to the city of Carbondale and attending the reception later that evening. YaY!!! Thank you Carbondale.

Lost in Translation

As I look back on what I've been doing or should I say, the lack there of lately, I am beginning to feel like I'm finally catching up with myself. Moving away has been good to me. I am finding time to do the things I like to do, but never made time for. Funny how nature brings you back to reality.

I have been throwing quite a bit lately. I have turned the breezeway into a pottery studio. And since D has created quite the workshop in our enormous garage and needed my workbench, he made me a new one for the studio. And it is already filled with pots, a plaster, glazes, tools, etc. Oh, and I found out I really can throw. I just need to use more clay if I want bigger pots! Hmmm.

Books I've been reading:

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

The Practical Potter by Josie Warshaw

Among Wild Horses by Lynne Pomeranz

Life in the Woods

Finally cleaned out the breezeway today! I have been wanting to do that for a month or so. It's the perfect space to throw. The wheel is all set up and I even made a bowl last week! But the house is a wreck again. Mostly the studio. I started hanging photographs and artwork up to make it a little more homey. Tomorrow I'll try to finish up the studio and get it in working order.

Our internet hasn't been working much lately, so it's been a chore to post any new work. I snapped some shots of our hummingbirds and another cactus that has a beautiful yellow flower.

ETSY NEWS:

Lori from http://www.beadsnbaubles4u.etsy.com/ asked if I'd like to collaborate our work. She creates gorgeous pendants from wood. The other day she posted two pendants, PoPeez and Orient Dream. Dandylion will be up soon! Check them out. They are priced just right for you or that special friend.

Yoga Today

Right before we moved, I found this amazing yoga site called YogaToday. They offer free online yoga classes everyday! There are three different instructors, all of whom are wonderful. Each one has their own unique style and way of teaching. I highly recommend this site to anyone who practices or is interested in the practice of yoga.

http://www.yogatoday.com/

ORBITZ

kaktus

It's only been several days that I've tried to post this. Since we've moved, our internet connection is not what it used to be. I have to catch it on a good day. And today is a good day! YaY! Anyways, KAKTUS is one of my newest works. I took this picture when it was ready to bloom. I found it ironic that we moved from the desert to the mountains, only to find this beautiful cactus to remind me of the life we left behind. I have adjusted quite well. I have always been a mountain girl and am extremely thrilled to be back where I belong. It's like living in heaven...Ah...It is a beautiful day!

Happy Friday

The other day I ordered minicards from Moo! It's a printing company based out of London. I read about them on Etsy and had to give them a try. They have a line of products that are ready made or you can upload your own images. On the back it says:

samos
www.samos.etsy.com ETSY

I love them! You should check them out and place your order today! Fast turn around.

www.moo.com






This past week I've had the sewing bug. I have this really cool new sewing book by Lotta Jansdotter called Simple Sewing. It has 24 easy projects with the patterns! I've made two so far. This reversible apron and a tote bag. I improvised once, other than that I followed the instructions to a tee!

PoPeez

Ever feel so overwhelmed by everything going on in your life, that you just can't help but do nothing about it? That's where I'm at right now. Between buying a house, packing, moving, the stress of loan operators, underwriters, buying a car, and my studio all packed up, I wouldn't be surprised if I get another gray hair! Oh well, that's life, right? So instead of getting up to do my morning yoga and start packing again, I decided to make a new piece of art.

Two days ago I witnessed one of my poppies blooming. It was the neatest experience to watch this plant bloom into a beautiful flower! Since then, I've been taking a ton of pictures with my new camera and then of course playing with them on the computer. I wish I could just leave an image alone, but I always find myself playing with it until it is something very different. Must be the artist in me.

Well, I should really find something else to procrastinate the move...

The sTriPeS Pillow

I sewed today! I've had this material for awhile now. And the pillow come to think of it. And even though we should be packing like rats, my hubby and I just needed to do something we wanted to do today. This whole house buying thing has been quite the rollercoaster ride and a break today was much needed. So while he played one of his new video games, I brought the sewing machine out and made a new pillow! Now I'm in the middle of a new apron for myself, but ran out of fabric, so I'm off shopping for now. Hope everyone has a fun and safe Memorial Day weekend!

skeeter

My latest work is another watercolor on canvas board. A dragonfly this time. Did you know that a dragonfly symbolizes change, like the butterfy?

drag·on·fly

n. Any of various large insects of the order Odonata or suborder Anisoptera, having a long slender body and two pairs of narrow, net-veined wings that are usually held outstretched while the insect is at rest. Also called regionally darner, darning needle, devil's darning needle, ear sewer, mosquito fly, mosquito hawk, needle, skeeter hawk, snake doctor, snake feeder, spindle.

Dragonfly symbolism crosses and combines with that of the butterfly and change. The dragonfly symbolizes going past self-created illusions that limit our growing and changing. Dragonflies are a symbol of the sense of self that comes with maturity.

SANYO VPC-S600

I can't help but play around with our new camera. It's small and so much fun!!! I love it!!!
THANK YOU MOM AND DAD!

playful pups

This morning I visited a dear friend of mine who raises Chesapeake Bay Retrievers. They had their third litter of puppies several weeks ago and I've been meaning to get up there to see them.

Look Ma! I can fly!

...taking time to smell the roses..um, I mean dandelions...

...Distinguished...Like this?

Thanks Linda for such a wonderful time. The bread is amazing. I'm sure going to miss you. ♥

Suzanne's Lioness

original watercolor 6x18

enhanced

Early Stages of Kakoon

Kakoon Grown Up

Felicity

Remember Sunday Breeze? Well, I finished the other canvas that I was working on and decided they needed to be together. =) So we have a diptych called Felicity, which is another word for happiness. Felicity is of two dandelions, one taller than the other. Felicity is part of my grass series and a spin off of Dandylion.

Did I mention last week that I have joined four Etsy Street Teams? I'm very excited to be a part of Interior Design Etsy, Visual Artists Street Team, ACEO Acetsy, and Gallery United. Gallery United just formed not too long ago. We had voted on a name and Gallery United it is! Now that we have a name, we'll be well on our way to promote each other and give support to our fellow artists.

Sending Love to my SiS!

Today my sister is graduating from Regis University with a Masters degree. I can't tell you how proud I am of her! I was going to be there cheering her on, but the weather has stopped me in my tracks. Nothing worse than changing your plans due to weather! Well, okay. There could be worse things, but I'm pouting right now so deal with it. =)

Anyways.... CONGRATULATIONS SIS!!!! I love you with all my heart and am definitely with you in spirit. I am SO VERY PROUD OF YOU!!!

All my love,

Sis

Favs for the Day

Etsy Buy Handmade samos

my treasury + blu in progress

i've been learning how to make treasuries for etsy. and i don't seem to have the patience or tricks to get one up yet, so i thought i would post some of my favorites here.

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade samos.etsy.com

i've really been wanting to paint all week! now it's friday and i only have one to show you! it's a work in progress. at least it's a start, right?