Wrap this gorgeous creation around your neck and face the day with style and flair.
By omanepadmeom.
Clay Crazy Pottery
Judy Frederick is a potter who started out in a field that couldn’t possibly be more different than shaping clay by hand: computer science. As a computer programmer and systems analyst, she enjoyed a profession that was challenging and rewarding in its own way, but still left her wanting more.
In 1998, Judy started experimenting with clay as a way to express her more creative side, the side that got little attention while she was immersed in the high-tech world. Her first efforts in clay were hand-built, and were focused on figurative forms.
Wanting to explore more of her creative side, Judy took classes in all of the studio arts, including painting, drawing, sculpture, and ceramics. She enjoyed working with all the different types of media, but was continually drawn to three-dimensional work, particularly ceramics.
As her work progressed and matured, she was led to create functional, utilitarian pieces that could serve people in their every day lives. She found that focusing on the functional did not hinder her creativity at all; the clay would still speak to her, telling her what it should become, whether a teapot, a flower vase, or a serving plate.
Not all of Judy’s work is purely utilitarian. Some of it is just for fun, including jewelry, holiday and seasonal ornaments, piggy banks, and decorative vases and other vessels.
Her style and technique continues to evolve, as she is always experimenting with new decorative glazes and new shapes, including surface decorations like cut outs, relief, ceramic applique, and creative handles.
All of Judy’s work is one-of-a-kind and completely handcrafted from a lump of clay. She only uses lead free and food safe glazes, and all of her work is oven, microwave, and dishwasher safe. She can even do work in custom sizes and colors, just contact her for details.
You can see her work in person at the Potter’s Guild of Baltimore in Hamden, Maryland, and you can also purchase her work from her online shop.
My Daddy Puzzles
Ryan Ringel’s boys are hard on their toys. Any parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle or big brother or sister can probably relate. Ryan’s oldest son especially loves a good puzzle. But when ordinary, store-bought puzzles were subjected to his enthusiasm…over time, the results were not pretty.
Of course, store-bought puzzles are merely cardboard or chipboard with a sticker slapped on, or paper glued to the front…hardly designed to stand the test of time. Ryan’s boys were going through puzzles like tissues during flu season.
One day, Ryan was inspired to make more durable puzzles while watching a sculptor use a scroll saw to create intricate patterns in wood. He figured the same technique could be used to make puzzles for his kids, puzzles that were more interesting than the standard square or rectangle, as well as tougher than the flimsy ones from the mall toy store.
The first puzzle (“Faye Fish”) was a huge hit with the boys, and could keep them entertained for hours, without breaking apart, peeling, or bending. Soon, Ryan was making puzzles for the kids of his friends and neighbors, as well as his sons’ classmates, and My Daddy Puzzles was born.
Every puzzle is drawn by Ryan, and cut, sanded, stained, and painted by hand in his Alexandria, Virginia workshop. Each design is available in a variety of paint colors, in natural stain, or unpainted.
The poplar or maple hardwoods used to make them are grown and harvested in the USA, and the paints and stains used to decorate them come from a company in Ohio.
The puzzles are simple, yet challenging enough to keep kids as young as 18 months entertained and mentally stimulated. They’re painted on both sides to add a layer of difficulty, and range in size from 5 pieces for the littlest ones, to 10 pieces for older children.
Visit the My Daddy Puzzles web site to find out which Washington, DC-area art and craft shows they will be attending, or pick one up from the online shop.
California Dreaming…
I did a fun and spontaneous search on etsy tonight for “summer” and this tote quickly caught my eye! La Lune Designs is based in Leavenworth, Kansas and their shop is stocked with a great assortment of bags, pendants and baby blankets.
Wondering why summer is on my mind? Well it was a beautiful sunny weekend here in Vancouver – and even though I was working the view from my window kept me smiling. But that’s not it! Both my husband and I are self-employed, meaning during our busy seasons (about 6-8 months of the year) we really put it into overdrive, so sometimes it’s tough to have time for ourselves, each other, and our friends. It’s tough but we’ve gotten used to it and for me anyways it helps me to enjoy the off-season even that much more.
Buuut I don’t think I’ve explained myself fully, and I think there’s more to this story!
Since it’s been more than a month now with no days off – we decided we should head up to Whistler (beautiful mountain town, 2 hours drive from where we live in Vancouver) in a couple weeks for a weekend getaway. Lots of relaxation, no computers, you know the drill! Now I love Whistler but we usually go there at least once or twice a year – so I figured maybe I could cook up something a bit more exciting… And I think I have!
I secretly booked us for a quick trip to La Jolla beach in California! My husband loves to surf so I think he’ll be pretty stoked when I tell him where we’re actually going. I’ve decided to let him know the day before and I know he’ll be surprised because I’m not exactly Mrs. Spontaneous! It’s a really quick trip but seeing as I have never been to California and have dreamed about it for years I’m feeling really lucky that we can go.
So lets talk surprises, I had so much fun planning this one that I think this is something I need to do for family and friends more often. I’d love to hear your stories – small and big ways you’ve surprised someone you care about!
On a Silver Platter
It’s no secret that I have an obscene love of food. What most people don’t know however, is how much that love extends to the utensils and dishes with which food is prepared, served and enjoyed. I would wager, in fact, even my own family is in the dark as to how deep my fondness for all things food-service related runs.
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