The Owls Are Back!

Gosh, it's been a year since I made any of these. Where did the time go? But some of you asked and I could not refuse. Besides I like these little guys. Six colors including a purple tummy owl that I really love. Of course, I love just about anything purple. Not lavender. Just a nice dark purple. Ok, I like lavender in spring. I'm quite seasonal (fickle?) about my color favorites.

Sometimes when I'm making beads, a new shape sort of spontaneously appears. I don't think too much about it. They just happen. These are a cross between a lentil and a coin bead with fluted edges. Or maybe they are squashed melon beads with holes in a different direction? Or maybe they are a new bead shape called the amoeba. I might start naming all of my beads after micro-organisms. Next up the paramecium followed by the spirochete.

This was a glaze experiment. I don't usually use this glaze on this clay because in the past it's gone all drippy and weird. But I like it now. Kind of reminds me of winter with that frosty blue.  I have no idea if I will get this result again because I can't remember just what I did to get it in the first place. Notes might be a good idea but then that seems way to organized.

Have I ever told you how much I like making bead sets?  It's a sort of sophisticated form of procrastination. I don't generally glaze them with any particular sets in mind. I could (and sometime do) spend ours mixing up different shapes and colors of beads. I tell myself it is work all in the name of getting that Etsy shop updated. But the truth is I like playing with beads.

Speaking of updating the Etsy shop, I'll be putting the owls and beads up tomorrow night.

Thursday, 4 October, 8 pm EST

BTW - The old porcelain is back

It's Bead Table Wednesday and here's a little peak at mine.

This might be a bit of cheat because you are not really going to see my bead table. Every surface of my studio is currently covered with porcelain pieces in various states of undoneness. I went a wee bit off track of the schedule this week and immersed myself in the new/old porcelain clay. When we moved here a year ago, I decided to go with a more local porcelain. Why ship clay so far. It's heavy. It's good to support local. I tried to love this new porcelain. I tried for a year. But you know, when you have had many dates over a years time and you haven't fallen head over heals in love, well, it's time to say good bye. So bye bye.

My new porcelain, which is the old one I started out with, is back. I love you. I am sorry I flirted with the other one. I don't mind your gooey-ness. I forgive for your penchant for warping and cracking in ways that I don't anticipate. I crack a mental now and again myself. You are beautiful in your own unique way and I'll never leave you.

OK, enough of the lovey dovey stuff. You can't see my work tables because it's a wicked hot mess in there. Piles of stuff. That photo up there is just a tiny glimpse of the gazillion pendants and such I made over the last couple of days. There's a new design in there at the top. A happy looking variation on a traditional Korean design of a chrysanthemum. I've got happy colors in mind for these. Maybe some moody ones too.

And along with the new/old porcelain the old owls have come back. Look at that. There is always one joker in the crowd that wants to go it's own way. Sheesh, I have never been able to get these little guys to behave. There's a largish pile of birds who are not really behaving much better.

They'll all be much better behaved when they grow up to be versions of these guys. Hey, couldn't leave you without one colorful photo, could I? Because really, naked clay is not that interesting to look at so the birdies and owls are a little color treat.

What's on your bead table? Any tawdry secrets that you'd care to share?