Every so often I literally stumble across a new design idea. This time I tripped over it in my backyard.
One afternoon in early February, I was out filling up our fountain/bird feeder with our overly curly garden hose. While I was wrestling with that stupid curly hose it got wrapped around a nifty metal garden cross that I won in an auction a few years ago. I love that cross because it’s made out of old lawn mower blades with a second cross of formed scrap metal attached on top.
Anyway, back to the Hose From Hell…. (more…)
I used to say that everything important in life I learned from reading Peanuts and watching Bugs Bunny cartoons. I guess I should amend that bold statement to include Dr. Suess. (more…)
My Mom
I’m celebrating Mother’s Day by remembering ten great things about my Mom.
James Bond had nothin’ on her in that department. I learned early ot to eat those big green olives out of the special jar in the fridge. She replaced the juice with straight Vermouth. Nearly burned off my tonsils..
From my formal dance dresses to replacing the tattered silk lining of my 1920s era “gently used” wedding dress, she was invincable. Some of my earliest and best memories are of the two of us looking at pattern books and material for entire mornings at the fabric store, to find just the right one for some event important to me.
By hand. Every stitch. Hours and hours of cutting squares and triangles and laying all gajillion pieces out on her bedspread. Nope she didn’t use a pattern, it all came out of her head. One of my most prized possessions is the queen size quilt she made using pieces of almost every dress she ever made me. When I look at each square I can remember every one of those dresses too.
She copied it exactly, just from that one picture! It was a sweater worn by Princess Diana when she was preggers with William, oh so long ago. It had a sweet face koala bear on a tree that started on the front and wrapped around the side and back.
She “redecorated” the bathroom that we three girls shared by hand painting little frogs peeping out from the window shutters, winking at you from behind the shower curtain and even a bullfrog that looked like it was hopping from the back of the seat into the toilet bowl. Okay, maybe you’re weirded out by frogs but we thought it was hilarious.
Case in point, she didn’t leave my butt by the side of the road when I’m sure she was sorely tempted. She excercised that patience to the extreme when she cross stitched alphabet wall quilts for each of my kids. Holly’s has very detailed Beatrix Potter characters with each letter. Ian’s has the original Winnie the Pooh characters, complete with the nail in Eeyore’s tail. And yes, she drew each pattern out on white paper herself to create the cross stitch pattern.
She especially had fun the year when she got to have lunch and naptime with Holly every day after kindergarden. By that time she was homebound for the most part. Getting to teach Holly how to place Old Maid and Candy Land and hang out watching Vanna White together every afternoon gave her such joy.
She leaned in so far to see him that her head was in the way of my view and I actually didn’t get to see Ian make his grand entrance at all. It was actually pretty funny and the only time that I felt like laughing in that 12 hours… Anyway, she asked me if she could be there for the delivery because since she was put under for the delivery of all five of us, she had always wondered what it was really like.
. It’s because of her that my husband fell in love with me.. He says that once he found out that I knew who Arnie, Jack and The Shark were, he knew I was the only girl for him!
Faithfully watched them through the Staubach years and most of the Troy and Emmit generation. Have to think she and Tom Landry are up in Heaven together, shaking their heads over the sorry state of the Cowboy Nation today though.
Momma, I miss you. It’s been 20 years but I think about you a hundred times a day and still wish that I could pick up a phone and tell you something great my kids did. Then I remember that you’re up on that pink cloud keeping an eye on things and you already know how fabulous they turned out. Thanks for doing such a great job with me. I love you.
Yes, Pinterest is addictive. Pinterest is PRETTY! Pinterest is FUN, FUNNER, FUNNEST!! But Pinterest is also a serious new heavy hitter in the social media marketing world.
I found this really great article with a gajillion ways to use Pinterest for marketing and I definitely recommend that you read it but I also know that you are all pretty busy and may not have time to read all gajillion suggestions. Soooo, here’s my list of just 11 ways you can focus your efforts on Pinterest to more effectively market your business. (more…)
I was privileged again this year to be a part of the Empty Bowls Luncheon on Friday. It was the Empty Bowls 10th anniversary event raising tons and tons and tons of money to benefit the Tarrant Area Food Bank. Not sure what this year’s grand total is going to be but I’m betting that it blew last year’s record total out of the water! I’ll keep you posted…
I love being a part of this event as both an artist and a volunteer because it’s just a blast! (more…)
Who could help but be inspired and uplifted by that glorious blue Texas sky today. Only thing better was George Strait singing ‘Here she comes, a walking, talking True Love…” to me. Add in a perfect temperature of 74 degrees, in February no less, and driving with the windows down and the radio UP.
Loud.
Yes, sometimes I think I’m still a teenager.
My sincere apologies to all of you getting our La Nina rainfall in the form of snow by the pound. I will stop gloating now but it was a freakin’ awesome day!!!
This bowl was one of the first in my Organic series that had more primitive look and styled pieces. It’s a thick and chunky shallow curved rectangular piece with sea green inner glaze and my signature matte black glaze, burnished with metallic patina in shades of gold, silver and copper. The center of the bowl features cobalt blue stained glass fused to the ceramic surface.
I hand built this wonderful bowl in a slightly asymmetrical square shape, with a rolled rim, round pedestal foot and multiple layers of rich texture. (more…)
I was inspired recently while at the reception for two close friends who renewed their marriage vows to celebrate their 25th anniversary. Since that’s (unfortunately) a pretty rare achievement these days, I wanted this design to be really special! (more…)
If you are looking for hand made, original ceramics for your home with perfect form, vibrant colors and fabulous whimsical designs…stop looking.
You are there!
My friend Christie has an absolutely magical touch with clay, together with a wonderful style that brings wit and whimsy to even the most mundane, every day household objects.
Enjoy this short interview, get to know Christie a little bit, then I invite you to explore all of the wonderful goodies in the whimsical world of Christie Cone Ceramics.
PS- Christie is adding Wise Men to her Nativities this year. Wait til you SEE them, they are so cute! Oops.. can Wise Men be cute?…
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Honestly I discovered ceramics by accident. I was a full-time high school art teacher and was given the opportunity to head up the ceramics program at one school. Up until then I had only worked in clay two times before- once in high school art class and once in a college intro to ceramics class. It was a challenge to stay ahead of the students (who had already taken a year of ceramics) but after that experience I decided to open my own ceramic business. I had totally fallen in love with clay!
2.What is your favorite thing to do in your chosen art?
I begin almost every piece I make with a slab of clay. I really enjoy all the variables this starting point allows me in creating a three dimensional form.
3. What’s something new going on in your studio that you’re really excited about?
My new wall pieces! I am working on some tiles of clay that are “sewn” together post firing resembling a quilt! I haven’t posted any photos of them yet but will very soon on my facebook page.
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