easter praise

 

Happy Easter.

I finished my vases in time… they didn’t make it to the gallery but this one made it to my table.

hatching swallowtails

I got a call from a local shop “can you make some new stuff for spring?” Nothing like a little pressure to get back to the wheel. Therefore, I am hatching some new swallowtails and monarch tumblers in the next few weeks. How many should I make? I can’t stop carving new print blocks, I may have to add a few new species. Can’t wait to glaze these.

forget the bunnies

I wish I could say this was purely by discipline that I am working ahead on Easter projects.  But truthfully it is fueled by my new dining room table.  I have been slightly obsessed with tablecloths, vases, plates…. decorative stuff that I put little value on previously.  After following a few internet rabbit holes (pun intended) literally everything I saw was completely designed around fluffy bunnies and eggs. What a sad thing this holiday has become…

As if plastic eggs could ever replace the amazing story, of love, death, resurrection, and redemption found in the Bible.  I know hospitality is more than decorations and menus,  it is about the welcoming.   Oh to share a meal and have ones home reflect  the warmth of the Savior. It’s a learning and making season for me.   I am enjoying my Mains book , ”If Christians, corporately would begin to practice hospitality, we could play significant roles in redeeming our society.  There is no better place to be about the redemption of society with the captive, the blind, the downtrodden, the more we realize that in this inhospitable world, a Christian home is a miracle to be shared. ”  Do you have an Easter or Lenten tradition in your home?

 

Daffodils have long been some of my favorite spring bulbs.  Emerging warm yellow blooms from the snow-covered ground.  I carved two new daffodil blocks and used old printers letter stamps to lay significance in the clay.  We’ll see how these fire up and fill with spring blooms.

mud pies & tea

We had THREE snow days last week and planned on going skiing up north for the other two, so my girls had a FULL week off of school, crazy.  With school cancelled, we had to make up our craft club as the roads were too treacherous even for clay!  I debated like crazy about splitting the group in two for this one, since the lesson was a bit more hands on,  it ended up happening naturally as a few were missing due to sickness.   It was sweet to work with a small group (six) and get to help the girls a bit more individually.  I’ll have to schedule a make-up for the make-up…

This month we made clay tea cups from coil pots and some fashionable clay beads.  This really counts as two different 4-H crafts, since clay is one category and jewelry is another.  I figured I would teach the a little early multi-tasking!  My hands were too messy to snap photos during the process but they turned out great. Can’t wait to see after they are glazed and fired.

I have enjoyed watching my girls grown in friendships with other girls from their class and school.  How fun to make art and invite these cuties in our home once a month. 

the next challenge…

I wrote this yesterday to post today…  All are trimmed and slightly altered.  I really am loving the square shapes and my new stamps that I made a while back.  I am trying to not fall in love with too many… but I wanted to share a few of my favorites!

day three: 100 cup challenge

 

Cup 100!

Day three I decided to throw mostly tall tumblers and small yunomi (tea) cups.  It cuts out on the handle steps.  I have enjoyed the rhythm of the clay and stillness over the last three days.  Today we go to pick the girls up from their grandparents – I mean I could have sat on the couch the whole time but this was WAY more fulfilling!  Just look at that happy bat that ushered me to my goal!

day two: 100 cup challenge

Day two – why did I give myself this challenge again?

I trimmed the first 40 cups and added handles to the mugs.  Below are the 30 mugs I threw on the wheel on day two.  This is what the bottoms look like before they are trimmed.  I found myself repeating shapes so I tried to make little sets that went together. As fun as this little project is to make, I am already dreaming about what glazes to use and matching them in pairs.  Two days down, one more day to go… 

day one: 100 cup challenge

My kids are off with grandparents and I found myself with a little extra time.  What a novel thing “time.”   Of all the ways to spend my time, the clay is just calling me this week. I have flirted with this exercise for a while – 100 cups.  It took me a while to get in a rhythm but today I threw 40, it seemed to work the best with Pandora on the computer.  Tomorrow I trim and add handles and throw 40 more.  I only have 3 days but they are wide open.  My normally chilly basement studio is a great escape during this heat and from this quiet home.

mine

We have several sets of these little colored ikea cups, when we rearranged the kitchen I put them in a low drawer so the kids could get their own glasses.   Although I love their independence, I  pick up cups all over the house.  ”Which color did you have?” is a very normal phrase, as is “I want pink.”   This spring I made a little cup of my own, pressed with a few of my gem stamps.  I’ve grown pretty attached to it – no need to ask the question, everyone knows it’s mom’s cup…

starting the week on the right foot…

Productive monday morning…  Wedding platters, devos, mugs altered by baby K, a walk with Hazel and my camera led to this beautiful poppy flower.  Just look at those cute baby feet smooshed into the clay – she wasn’t as big of a fan… oh newborn baby feet.