Gift Guides and more!

Well I don't have any of the lovely images that my photographer shot this past week yet, but I just wanted to stop in here before the weekend to say 'hello'! It's been a busy week at the studio, with me trying to re-stock some of these lovely mugs for the One of a Kind Show coming up in a couple of weeks.  There are a number of Gift guides out there that are featuring my work and I've spent the week packing up orders and shipping them off in the midst of trying to re-stock.  It's busy and I feel like a little elf dancing around the studio trying to get it all done in time.
Speaking of which.  Ceramics takes time, so if you were thinking of putting a little dahlhaus under the tree this Christmas, please note that my last firing will most likely take place early December.  I'm not expecting to make new work late into December, because I'll be planning a special someone's birthday party, getting ready for Christmas, and spending time with loved ones after my last show on December 8-11th.  So, please note that my shop is up-dated to include ready-to-ship items that can still make it in time for the holidays!!
Ok, off to the studio for the day I go- have a wonderful weekend (finally sunny out here- time to rake the leaves:).

In the studio this week

It's been a busy week and lots has been accomplished.  Here is a sampling of what will be coming out of the kiln later today.  Large Platters and plates, teapots of the Poppy and Ginko variety,  lots of bowls, and a few more blue bird tile frames that already have homes to go to! Well ok, there's also the odd mug that didn't turn out in the last firing and a few more poppy bottle vases that will be off to the Glitz Gallery in Winnipeg (along with a bunch more stuff)! There has been a little more silk-screening going on in the studio, and some new wheel-thrown forms, with thoughts of new glazes and designs brewing in my head.  Not only did I manage to do all that (without my summer studio assistant, who is currently at Haystack), but I somehow squeezed in enough brain space to do some touching up some of my paintings that I managed to drop off downtown today.  So yes, busy week in the studio.

Here's why:
We are going away for the next 5 days to a really beautiful place that we go to each year for Dean's staff conference.  Since there is some child-care provided for the mornings, I will be taking my laptop along to get my PST (provincial sales tax 7%) worked on for the past 6 months since the HST (harmonized sales tax 15%) is due to come in.  Boo.  I know.  It's really no fun.  The fun part of the 5 days will be in all the hiking, the zip line, the swimming at the beach and the pool, and playing ball hockey with my boys. 

I'm getting ready for our big studio shop, an open studio with some amazing artists and designers in my building on June 26 & 27 from 11-5.  If you are in Vancouver, you should come. It's going to be great.

One night only, The Cheaper Show is happening on June 26th and I (and 199 other amazing artists) am showing 3 paintings all selling for a mere $200 each for one night only! Did I mention that it was only for 1 night? Anyways, I dropped the paintings off yesterday and judging by the empties on tables from last-night's 'brainstorming session', it's going to be quite the art party. Indeed!

So that's been my week!  Oh, and I haven't forgotten.  Yes- I must announce a winner for the cupcake stand give-a-way.  It's truly my pleasure to announce that the winner is:

 Maryka who wrote: beautiful stand for those beautiful cupcakes! I would love to have such a roost for my confections!
I think those truffles she's been making would look mighty fine on this cupcake stand!

Thanks again to all of you who entered and made my week so bright with your lovely comments and suggestions of how you would use my cake stand!  I loved all the ideas and also, just to let you know that those cupcakes by coco cakes were melt in your mouth delish!

Pre-wedding shoot jitters...

Truly, I did bite off a little more than I could chew when I took on the assignment of making cake plates and Tile frames in 3.5 weeks for a wedding magazine shoot in PINKS, creams and whites.  Pink, for those of you that understand anything about glazing, is actually a tricky colour to get for mid-range to high fire glazes.  I fire to a cone 6-7 and pink stain mostly burns off at this temperature.  3.5 weeks is not quite enough time to actually burn screens of my pattern ideas, wheel-throw and assemble cake plates, screenprint 'raspberry coloured' underglaze, dry and bisque fire the cake plates, make 2 new glazes, including one matt pink and one transparent pink glaze, test the glazes and then try to paint gold luster around the rims of the cake plates once they've been fired.  I will say that I ended up falling into the cardinal sin of completely winging it in the end, for lack of time.  And yes, one of the 2 pink glazes I committed to completely burned out and is now milky clear.  Not wanting to end this journey in tragedy, I've decided not to do the gold luster after-all.  Besides all the toxic fumes, I'm not sure I wanted to risk the gold looking 'brassy' or copper.  Finger's crossed that what I've made is what the stylist/photographer/editor were hoping for...

Cupcakes by CocoCakes- seriously, these melt in your mouth and are the best- not too crazy sweet, cupcakes I've ever had.  So pretty too!

Blim Monthly Market- the Inside scoop!

heyday designs by Claire Madill- loving the new beaver jar!

Wikkerink Design- belts and wallets made out of recycled bicycle tires would make a great gift for Dad's for Father's Day!

I'm all for a little cupcake now and again too- Coco Cake's will be at the market!  Remember to get there early- she always sells out really quick!

So the details again:  the Blim Spring Market- happening at Heritage Hall on Main street in Vancouver, from 11-4pm.  I'll be sharing a table with the lovely Amy again and there will be lots of handmade local lovelies to be had for Mother's Day, Father's Day, weddings, gifts and more!