Happy Halloween Everyone!!!

Auction Piece Finished!

I have mentioned that John and I were invite to participate this year in the 28th Annual Seagrove Pottery Festival this year.  The festival will take place November 21st and 22nd at the Seagrove School, 528 Old Plank Road, Seagrove, NC. (visit www.seagrovepotteryheritage.com)  This is the largest pottery show in North Carolina!  There is an amazingly long list of potters that will be there, so if you ever wanted a piece of North Carolina pottery than this is the place to be.

My piece is soneware with iron oxide and Rutile Blue glaze.  It measures 10" high and 6 1/2" in diameter at the top.
 
There will be an auction on Sunday, where all of the potters have donated a piece.  All the pieces will be marked with 1) the name of the shop, 2) signature of maker, 3) November 22, 2009, 4) 28th Seagrove Pottery Festival on the bottom.  They are due to the museum by November 1st.  So, being the last minute kind of person that I am, I finally finished my piece, took pictures and filled out the form.  Tomorrow we are going to deliver it! (And since we have to go by the North Carolina Zoo, we are going to make a day of it.
http://www.nczoo.org/) 

Wednesday Window #3

Yesterday I mentioned that I am a Spring/Summer kind of girl.  And last night it was cold and rainy - blah.  So, I decided to post a picture of where I would rather be for the next several months....

This picture was taken in Belize.  It is of the Caye (or as we say "key") where the Smithsonian Institute has their research center.  What you see is about 3/4 of the island.  Not sure I would want to be there during a hurricane - but any other time, would be wonderful!

Fall is all around us (and mushrooms, too)!

I will have to say that I am a Spring/Summer person and not a Fall/Winter person.  But, on Sunday I took a little walk at the studio and found several surprises.  If you have read my past blogs, you know that mushrooms are very fascinating to me.  There are so many kinds and they seem to pop up all of the time.  I was out for about 10 minutes and these are a few that I found.  I can't imagine if I was able to spend the whole day!

Spread the Love

We like to spread the love on the Handmade Artist Forum.  So a shop is picked for each day of the week and then we try to promote them and their stores everyday.  I was picked for Thursday!!! 


I have picked an item out of each store that I like...

Monday, October 26 http://makinthebestofit.etsy.com/       
Cobalt Blue Cafe Mugs with White on White Rose Design http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=6419850
Tuesday, October 27 http://coffeebreakdesigns.etsy.com/
Autumn Leaves in Spice Handwoven Scarf  http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=31313747  


Wednesday, October 28 http://annmadestuff.etsy.com/

Stuffie Monster   http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25352527



Thursday, October 29 http://kittysartandstuff.etsy.com/

Reversable Multicolored Cats and Yellow Cloth Bowl http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=32623795

Friday, October 30 http://taogem.etsy.com/
Picture Jasper Gemstone Cabochon D http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=33219128

Saturday, October 31 http://sedgeworks.etsy.com/   
Prairie Bracelet of Turquoise and Citrine Gemstone Beads in Blue and Yellow http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=18150477

Sunday, November 1  http://cyberfiber.etsy.com/
Vintage Silverware Bracelet Diamonds http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=31742711

Please, stop by each one of these stores and SPREAD THE LOVE!!!!  You can help us out be sending some tweets, posting to Facebook or just spread the word!

Fortune Cookie Friday #2

Today is Fortune Cookie Friday!!!



To start with you need a little background...  In our family there is only one way to read a fortune cookie.  After you read your fortune you have to add "IN BED" to the end of the sentence. Ok? 


Here is today's:



"You always bring others happiness" ...

"Daily Numbers - 7, 3, 0" and "Lotto Six #s - 11, 88, 36, 52, 16, 28"  I don't play the lottery (or "pay my taxes" as my husband says), so maybe you will get lucky!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Wednesday Window #2

Today's picture:

While living in Kenya, we visited Lake Nakuru with a friend.  We had a visitor help himself to a morning snack of figs and crackers!

I am so happy today!!!!

My husband, John, comes home today.  He has been in Kenya for 10 days.  I know that doesn't sound very long , but to me it is forever!  We have only been apart like that once before and that was this past summer when I went to help out my Mom after her surgery.

Our family lived in Kenya for six months.  John was doing research and teach medical students, while I taught art at Kenya University. 

John took this trip to help on a research project that he has been doing for several years now.  He is trying to find a drug that will help/cure/prevent AIDS.  He and his team have written numerious grants and set up many tests and studies so far. 

When we were there in 2006, we tested a number of women with AIDS and John has been following their progress.  So far, things are looking pretty good. 

On this trip he also had the opportunity to meet with Wangari Maathai.  She had just been to Meredith College (where John works) to lecture about her memoir.  "Unbowed,” a memoir by Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai, who has been a trailblazer on behalf of women and the environment.  And then from Meredith she went to meet with President Obama.  And then she headed back to Kenya where John was able to meet with her again. 

So now I am off to the airport and I can't wait to see him!

Fortune Cookie Friday #1

Today is Fortune Cookie Friday!!!


I love oriental food and I eat a lot of takeout!! I am allergic to wheat so I cannot eat my fortune cookies, so I have decided that you should have them.


To start with you need a little background...  In our family there is only one way to read a fortune cookie.  After you read your fortune you have to add "IN BED" to the end of the sentence. Ok? 


Here is today's:



"You will be fortunate in the opportunities presented to you" ...

This fortune says, "Daily Numbers - 4, 5, 8" and "Lotto Six #s - 11, 43, 14, 41, 3, 35"  I don't play the lottery (or "pay my taxes" as my husband says), so maybe you will get lucky!

Also: Islandlife808.com does "Aloha-Friday".  They ask a question and then you answer it.  Then you leave a question on your blog and link it back to theirs.  It is a great way for bloggers to get to know other bloggers out there!

my question:

  The State Fair is here, so I want to know how much money would you plan on spending per child to take them?

leave your answer in my comments, and if you want visit islandlife808.com to see more, click on the link: http://islandlife808.com/memes/aloha-friday-104/

Have a great Friday!!!!!

Keeping up with the blogs and Today's Wednesday Windows

I was looking at some of the blogs that I follow this evening and realized how seldom several blogs are actually  updated.  I have a huge blog list, some 125 or so, and yes, I read them all.  It really doesn't take that much time since only a quarter or less write new blogs each day. 

I started thinking that maybe I should do a little better with the blog writting myself.  I decided to add a couple items during the week:

Wednesday Windows -  A photograph or series of photographs that one of us has taken on our travels or around the studio.
and
Fortune Cookie Friday - I love reading what my fortune cookies have to say and want to share them with you.

So, since it is Wednesday, I will leave you with the photo of the day. 

This is from a trip to Rhode Island, 2003. (I love architecture!)

Maquerade Ball and Birthday

I wanted to invite everyone to the Masquerade Ball that the ClayFire Artists and the Polymer Clay Smooshers are having online.  It is a promotion, sale, and giveaway!  Please visit http://polymerclaysmooshers.blogspot.com/
All of the artist that are participating are listed on the left hand of the their blog.  So please take some time and visit their shops.  You can also go to Artfire.com and type in MASK to search and you will find many of the shops there also.

Now for the Birthday -   John had his 65th birthday this week!!!  - yes, you heard me 65!  It took the three to light the candles and they did it at the table because I was afraid they would all be melted into the cake if we didn't.  I even opened the door because I thought the smoke alarm would go off.  Nancy decorated the cake and for some reason she wasn't thinking and put 64 on the cake, so that is why there is the plus 1, but that just makes it special.

Now I hope he will think about retiring so we can play in the studio more!

Sunday Show

I wanted to thank everyone that came out to see John and me in Chapel Hill at the Festifall this past Sunday.  It was nice to meet some new folks and it was a great day - the weather couldn't have been better!  But, the best news is that this show was juried and we won 1st Place!!!!  This was our first outdoor show (and only our second show ever) so it was a real honor to be picked.

My friend Mayshanna Pandora was the People's Choice winner!  Please take a look at her site and see some of her new work.   http://www.mpandoraart.com

This is a picture of our booth (and yes, I know the banner isn't straight - but I wasn't about to try and fix it with all of those pots there).  We had purchased a new tent which was great.  It made it look more professional and it kept the sun from melting us.

As you can see John got his workout packing and unpacking and packing up again all of these pots.  Yes, we sold a number of them, but we had tons of them!

Now, it is back to the studio to make some more for our show coming up in November!!! (maybe I will take a couple of days off...)

The weekend (but no time for rest)

I wanted to give you a sneak peek at what John and I have been up to.  These pieces and more will be at the Festifall on West Franklin Street in Chapel Hill, NC on Sunday (1-6pm).  We are booth #35.  Please come by, we will take 20% off if you tell me that you read me blog. Plus, we would love for you to vote for us for the Peoples Choice Award.

Hope to see you there!

#1 - Handbuilt slab by John
#2 - Handbuilt coiled by Kitty, "Seeing Eye to Eye"
#3 - Handbuilt coiled by Kitty
#4 - Handbuilt coiled by Kitty