Earthen Art

I've taken a couple of ceramics classes with my daughter over the past couple years and had so much fun that I'm taking it again this semester. This time, my husband is taking it with me. The class seems to have a different feel or vibe each time. I think it all has to do with the people in the class and how many there are. It's very crowded this time and it's been a little challenging to get into it, get creative, and have fun with so much noise and activity in the classroom. But, we're hanging in there. It's getting more fun as the semester goes on. There seems to be a few less people. I'm not sure if they've dropped  the class or if some of them just don't show up every time. And, some of our projects are coming out of their final firing. That's always so exciting!  After the initial creation, the first firing, the creativity with glazes, and then the final firing, it's fun to see how it all turns out.

The teacher comes up with different projects/assignments each time. This semester, one of the first projects she gave us was to make a pitcher, teapot or vase where we started with a flat, rolled out base and then took rolled out pieces of clay, pressed things into them to make texture, and assembled the pieces into our chosen vessel. I used an oval for my base and leaves, twigs, tree trunks and a pine cone to create texture. I wasn't very excited about the project to begin with. But, as my teapot started to take shape, I started to really enjoy it. Here's the finished teapot...

I'm not crazy about the spout.  A rounded, gracefully curved spout would have looked much better.  But, at the time, I couldn't figure out how to do that.  Here's the other side...

I created a handle that looks like a branch...

After I had all the textural pieces assembled, I embellished it with some little critters.  Here's a moth...

A ladybug...

Some of the leaves are pressed from natural leaves, like the one on the right.  I created a few others by pressing/drawing them into the clay with a needle tool, like the one on the left.

Here are a few more of the natural textures...

Here's a little worm...

And, a garter snake crawling up the spout...

There's a lizard on one side.  Unfortunately, part of his tail broke off before the first firing.
So, it's a little stubby.  But, that happens to real lizards.  This one just won't be able to grow it back.
It would have made it through if I'd attached it a little better.  It seems to have pulled away a little more when it was fired.  Lesson learned.  

The lid is a leaf with a handle that looks like a little stump of wood...

I used "Woo Blue" glaze.  I rubbed a lot of it off on the leaves and other areas that I wanted to highlight.  Those are the brown areas.  It's blue where I left the glaze thicker.

I love how it turned out.  It's like a piece of art.

My husband used some natural elements to create texture as well as some man made items.

I'm not completely sure what all he used but I love it.

He finished it off with a vine-like edge and handle.

I love how it turned out and I think he's pretty happy with it too.

We think it's very usable too.  Hmmmm?....Maybe some sangria!

One of my goals this semester is to improve my throwing skills and get better at making bowls.

In the process, I've been watching lots of videos on YouTube where I've found some fun ideas.

One of the videos I watched showed how to embellish the edge of bowls and create different shapes.  It's amazingly simple and so much fun.  Here's one of my first attempts...

I'm trying to get a little creative with my use of glazes.  I used two different blues on this one.  There's Stoneware Blue on the inside, Woo Blue on the outside, and Stoneware dribbled down the sides from the top.  I like the results.  Although, there are bubbles in it that aren't attractive and are a little sharp. The instructor thinks it's because the glaze was a bit thick and the firing might have been a little short.

Here's a little one.  It's glazed in Woo Blue.

I love the blue and brown together.  It's so pretty.

Here are a couple more practice bowls.  I used a glaze that seems to have been an accident when they mixed it.  They're calling it, "Mystery Celadon".  I decided to give it a try.

I'm not crazy about it.  It's a little pale.

Here are two more little practice bowls...

I used Tea Dust glaze on the left one and Woo Blue on the right one.

I have a few more bowls with shaped edges in the kiln right now.  I think they'll be finished next week.  I've had some good luck this week with throwing larger bowls.  That's very exciting.  It'll be a few weeks before they're glazed and finished though.  I have so much I want to do and try but the semester is flying by. I think we only have three more weeks to create.  Then, it'll be Thanksgiving and we'll only be able to do glazing and final firings.  I have a feeling I'll be taking this class again!  ;-)

Rewards

I did it! I finally got around to getting a mammogram for this year. I just kept putting it off or this reason or that. Mostly because I just don't like getting them or the bit of worry afterwards as I wait for the results.

But, whenever I finally get it done, I reward myself with a bit of yarn.  This year I got this...

Isn't it pretty?  I just couldn't pass it up.  The colors are gorgeous and so fall-like.

Plus, it's cotton!  Cotton just put it over the top and made it totally irresistible.

The yarn shop I visited shares space with a little antique shop.  While I was there, I also found this...  

It's cute and it was on sale.  I ended up paying about $6 for it.  I thought it was one of those mass produced things that you'd normally find at Home Goods or somewhere like that and that it had somehow just made it into the antique shop.  But, I opened the back to remove a piece of lint and clean the glass and it looks like it's hand and home made.  It's a cut piece of felt with hand stitching and it's in a store bought frame with the mat and the picture label still inside.  If it is one-of-a-kind, that makes it an even nicer fine.

Time to get back to work on my dresser to buffet transformation.  The project is underway and looking amazing.  I hope to finish it soon and post pictures.  Have a wonderful day!

Home Brew

As if we didn't have enough things to keep us happily occupied...we have now added something new...home brewing. We already knew we liked beer.  And, not just any standard, mainstream beer.  We like craft brew and all the adventurous flavors it comes in.  That makes home brewing perfect for us.  We can create flavors we like and experiment with new ones and countless combinations.  And, it turns out to be very affordable.  Aside from the small cost of a few pieces of equipment (thermometer, hydrometer, fermenting equipment, some bottles, sterilizer, etc.), the cost of making the beer is very inexpensive.  Many types of beer run close to $10 a six pack and higher.  Home brew can cost pennies per bottle.  Plus, you get more than just good beer to drink, you get the entertainment and fun of making it, the satisfaction of making it, and a good feeling of knowing exactly what's in it.

My husband cooked up a batch of IPA about a month ago

that we were able to start drinking this week.  It's so good!

The initial stage of cooking took several hours but a lot of that time was just checking the

temperature and waiting.  Salsa loves to 'cook' and since it was beer...which she also likes...

she wasn't about to miss out on "helping" with this!

After cooking the mash, straining, rinsing, and boiling the wort, the fermenting began.

The next morning was very exciting!  It was alive!  The bubbles were coming out the tube like crazy and the bottle was full of movement.  That went on for a few days as the movement and bubbles slowed down.  Then, the tube was removed and an air lock was installed on the top of the bottle so gasses could still escape but it was still protected from the air.  We moved it into our pantry to ferment.

After two weeks, we added honey to create bubbles and bottled it.  The gallon jug filled seven bottles.  Then, it was another two week wait for the carbonation.  We stored the bottles in a plastic storage bin with a lid, just in case any of them were to explode.  We've heard of that happening and thought the bin could help contain the mess.  Luckily, that didn't happen. 

Two weeks later, we placed the bottles in the fridge to chill.  Then, it was tasting time.

Success!  It's delicious and the carbonation is perfect!

It was so much fun and the beer is so good that we're now hooked on home brewing.

We're lucky to have a great, local shop that sells beer and wine making supplies.  The shop is "Brewliterate" in Canyon Lake, California.  They have a little shop in the town center and an online store as well.  They're prices are great and the owner is super helpful.

We went there this morning to watch a demonstration and bought some more supplies and ingredients to make several more batches of brew.  The grains smell so good.  I think they're pretty too....that made the owner chuckle a little when I said that but I think the colors are pretty and they're all natural, which is beautiful all in itself.

We bought two row malt, black malt, caramel malt, chocolate malt, honey malt, and roasted barley.  We're planning on making a stout this time that should have a rich flavor of coffee and chocolate.  We're brewing tonight.  Our house is about to be filled with the wonderful aroma that comes with it.

I can't wait. Mmmmm!  

Serenity Scarf

I wove a scarf this week.  It was a quick and easy project and I'm pretty happy with the outcome.

It all started a few months ago when I bought some yarn that I'd instantly fallen in love with and knew immediately that I wanted to weave with it.  The blues and browns are pretty.  The yarn is "Serenity Garden" and the colorway is "Twilight".   This project took two skeins for the warp and one and a half skeins for the weft.  It's done in plain weave with 12 ends per inch. 

As I wove it, the colors in the yarn created stripes and a slight plaid-like feel.

The finished size is 8 1/2" by 90", plus 5 1/2" of fringe on each end (101" total).  The long length will make it possible to wrap it around my neck a couple of times for more warmth, or drape nicely for a pop of color and texture.

Such pretty colors!

I love twisted fringe and have been wanting to try it for a long time.  I finally did it!  But, now I know why there are fringe twisting tools.  My fingers got tired very quickly from all the twisting.

The weather forecast is showing hope for cooler, fall-like weather.  Maybe, I'll get to wear it soon!

Fine Details

My husband and I went up into the local mountains last weekend and camped.  We had looked forward to four days of relaxation and cooler temps.  The temps were cooler than at home but not anything like the cool mountain air we had hoped for.  We went mountain biking one morning but it was so scorching hot that I started feeling awful and we kept it short.  The only other exercise we got were a couple of short hikes and walks around the campground with the dog. When we got out and about from the campground, I played around a little with my new phone and snapped some pictures.  We found some plants with beautiful, feathery seeds.

  These were so pretty, glowing in the morning sun.

The fine details are amazing.

All the little swirls remind me of photos where the camera shutter

has been kept open and lights have moved about to draw swirly designs.

The feathery coverings on these seeds look even softer.

Click on the picture for a a better, closer look.

I'm not sure, but it might be some kind of milk weed. 

They're popping out of pods like this...

The soft, fluffy coverings on these seeds are longer and look like soft hair.

It appears that something on this plant must be quite tasty to these bright red bugs.

I'm impressed with the photos I took with my new Razor phone.  I was surprised to see how many features it has, including macro, zoom, various lighting and color options, etc.  It even has a feature that takes panoramic photos and it matches the scene as I turn and snaps automatically as needed.  And, I love how I can just tap the screen where I want it to focus.  I have a lot of playing and learning to do with it.  Not to mention LOTS of learning with the phone in general.  It's my first "smart" phone and I was very frustrated with it for the first few days.  I'm starting to get the hang of it now but...as with the camera feature...I have a LOT to learn.

As for our long weekend...it was a nice getaway.  Hubby did a lot of reading while I did a lot of knitting.  We enjoyed our time together along with good food, drink, and the beautiful scenery of the Idyllwild area.  It's one of my favorite local places.  I'm always amazed that it's only about an hour from home and so worth the drive every single time we visit.  

Fabulous Find

Our dining room has been a music room for years.  It has been home to a piano, harps, various small instruments, music and supplies.  But, now that my daughter has gone off to college and taken her harp, it's looking a bit bare.  I think it's time to turn it into a dining room.  And, just last night, I was on the internet looking at dining tables and decorating inspiration.  I need and want to do it all on a very small and creative budget

Fast forward to this morning...hubby and I were headed to the gym for a workout but before we even got out of the neighborhood we spotted a yard sale that looked like it was worth stopping for.  I'm so glad we did!  We found this dresser, a matching mirror that attaches to the back, and a nightstand.  All for only $30!  The size was just what I was looking for to use as a buffet in our dining room.  I like the look, the details are really nice, and the price was great!  It took only seconds to decide we wanted it.  If we had gotten there any later, it probably would have already been sold.

After we bought it, we looked it over more and realized it was a high end brand...Henredon!

I know we got this for a good price even if it was a no name piece.  But, this changed everything.  This brand is quite expensive new.  The MSRP on a similar dresser is about $10,000.  But, used, it's still pricey.  I found some of similar size going for $600-$2500!  It's not all in the name either.  It's actually a good quality piece of furniture.  It's all solid hardwood...no particle board or plywood!  It's very well constructed with dove tail joinery, hardwood sides and bottoms for the drawers, nice hardware, and beautiful details.  I love the twisty details on the drawers.  So pretty!

It even has removable dividers in the top, center drawer.  Nice!

The mirror attaches to the back with two bars and the height is adjustable.

It also has hardware on the back for hanging it on the wall.

The fancy detail at the top of the mirror is metal, just like the drawer pulls.  Pretty!

I didn't really want the nightstand but they wanted to include it.  I may use it as a side table.

It even has a built in electric outlet on the inside of the cubby with a hole in the back to run the cord for a lamp or other electric item.  Nice!

There are some scratches that could probably be repaired and polished up but I'm planning to paint it.

I'm so excited!  The size is perfect and it's going to make a wonderful buffet!  The value of it all makes it even more exciting!  I have a feeling the owner didn't realize what she had.  Just like I didn't realize what I was getting until we got it home.  It's a level of furniture I normally couldn't afford...even used...except for this kind of deal.  I'm sure feeling lucky today!  But, most of all, I love it!