ARTGARDENLAURA...living the dream...pottery/art/life

Fresh Art Class Schedules...

2012-01-12T12:26:00.000-08:00

Stopped in at the local print shop and printed up a few hundred flyers...only noticed 2 dates that were wrong, so will be changing those by hand. Hope that is all there is... Oh well, what do I expect with 52 different classes offered, boy am I going to be busy the next few months.

Now I just need to get the schedule into everyone's hot little hands... I have it posted on my website: artgardenpottery.com which is still a miracle to me that I figured that one out. I posted it to my facebook, my Artgarden Pottery facebook page and now I am in the process of entering about 400 names I have collected over the past 7 weeks to create an email mailing list...not to mention the legwork I need to do of passing brochures all over town, if you want to pick up some to share with your friends..feel free to grab some & Thanks!

So alas I will be on the computer today...after this email list, I still need to do paperwork: paying artists, figuring out tax stuff, you know all the fun stuff of running your own business! It's these days that are not my funnest, when people say to me "oh you don't work, you get to do something you love everyday..." when I hear that I would like to dump all this paperwork in their lap! But the more organized I get the better this job gets.

I am really looking forward to next week, when I can throw again and make some new product.

Started the day...cleaning the birdcage, washing dishes, and now off to inputing email addresses, oh the glamour of it all. The Fed Ex gal should be coming with a frieght truck full of bisque pottery today, so that should be fun to unpack and restock the shelves...

Living the dream...have a great day,
Laura

New Art Class Schedules....FINALLY!

2012-01-11T22:10:00.000-08:00

My eyes are bugging out of my head from looking at this damn computer for the last several days, but today I did it...I finished my Art Class Schedule Brochure!

I just have to go print some off in the morning...I just finished posting it to my website, which is a miracle for me. Go look at it: artgardenpottery.com

I am just not that tech savy. Still need to tweak the fonts, boy is it tiny, but you get the idea.

Class examples to follow...

Calling it a night..yay me,
Laura

Today is my store's SIX week anniversary...What a crazy whirlwind!!!

2012-01-03T18:52:00.000-08:00

What a crazy ride it has been...the last six weeks seem like a blur. The flurry of opening the new store, trying to figure out systems for running the Paint Your Own Pottery Studio: keeping up with firing & reordering...

Selling out most of my Pottery in the gift shop... and just putting in the long hours to keep this place going. Oh ya, and I was famous last month on the Venue...great way to get the word out. Thanks Melea!

Today I finally cleared off a little bit of desk around my computer....I had a chance to take a breath. Most kids go back to school tomorrow, people are back to work now. I expect things might slow down just a bit and that is okay. I've got my bills paid, customer work firing in the kiln, and class schedules swirling in my head.

Trying to figure out which fire to put out first. Class Schedules!!! should have that done by Friday. Need to do some remaining custom orders for customers. Really need to throw some pottery and refill the gift shop. Busy girl....but busy is good.

So thankful for the new store, so much busier...trying to get it all done. I will try to post more regularly as you follow me on this crazy ride.

Thanks,
Laura

BIG PROJECT...I think I can see the end in sight!!

2011-10-14T21:58:00.000-07:00

It is all starting to come together, this little dream of mine. So much hard work, but I am nearing the end of construction and ready to make some work to fill up my amazing gift shop.

Spent the week finishing the pottery painting studio: floor, shelves, loading & pricing bisque, and building classroom tables ( which are all painted bright red and orange, thanks to my mom)...

I am going to take a few days off starting Sunday and hope to recharge my batteries before the last big push before I get this project finished...Need to make lots of product, I have two shows in Moses Lake in November and my last big one of the year in Spokane on the 18th, then I am done with shows and can open my new fabulous store in downtown Moses Lake!

Just in time for a HANDMADE HOLIDAY...SEE YOU ALL TUESDAY, NOV. 22...YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS IT!!

Happy Fall,

Laura

The NEW ARTGARDEN Pottery...coming together....

2011-09-13T13:38:00.000-07:00

The shop is finally starting to come together...

I now have the front window full of some Halloween Bats and Bowls...

Meanwhile inside the store, I am busy building my front counter complete with columns and trellis. I am using my old barn door from my Saddle Club Barn that I had when I was 6 years old with my first pony and then again in my 30's when the Saddle Club was torn down to make way for Walmart. Such great memories around that barn door....

Took a week to build but I love it!!!

My old fashioned windows and cabinet remind me of stories of my grandfather's City Bakery in Okanogan in the 50's....I like the idea of an old fashioned Mercantile Store, makes me think of my grandmother Edna working the counter at the Bakery....

A great orchard ladder, one of my many treasures I have found this summer...will become the trellis between the gift shop and the pottery studio...check out my great grandmother Josephine Mayer's Potters wheel from the wheat ranch on Sagebrush Flats, she was out there in 1902, loving painting, pottery, and gardening...never met her but think of her often....

Transforming old fixtures and furniture from my past store with paint and plywood to update my look..

Fabulous heavy farm windows that will hang between the gift shop and pottery studio...

So many fun things in store for ARTGARDEN...Follow my progress on facebook @ Artgarden Pottery and under Laura Mayer, come friend me... I update facebook constantly.

Today, going to take a break from remodeling and sit and make some product...just me and the CLAY!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS....GRAND OPENING OCTOBER 1, 2011!!!!!!!

Bellevue Art Festival=Great Success!!!!!!

2011-08-08T19:33:00.000-07:00

Sold almost all of these fabulous flowers!!!

Mushrooms....New Popular Item!!!

We had such a great weekend...all those late nights of glazing and creating really paid off!! We had the best booth location smack dab in the middle of everything!!!

We're not Angry....We're Happy Birds!!

Now I am getting ready for the next big thing....BUGGY BARN Quilt & Craft Show at the end of the month & then my GRAND OPENING....FINALLY SEPTEMBER 22!!!! Be sure to mark your calendars...would love to see you there!!!

New Store vs. New Product

2011-06-14T17:38:00.000-07:00

Just spent a fabulous weekend in beautiful Everett at Legion Park at SORTICULTURE GARDEN ART SHOW...it was awesome! The people were great, show was a nice mix of artists and plants and sales were good. Nice once in awhile to find a good show with good sales. Found out that these birds are very popular...had one left Saturday afternoon and I sold out first thing Sunday morning. Need to make lots of birds between now and my next show in Bellevue and then watch them fly away.....
So now I have come home and in looking at the calendar, I have a lot of BIG SHOWS between now and the end of August...so much to do! And I am trying to open a new store, that just might have to wait, I need to get so much product made and I have a show almost every weekend in August...so who knows when I will open, I'm doing the best I can and I will keep you posted...maybe mid july...maybe, oh but it will so be worth the wait!!! I am very excited about it.

This week I am trying to make as many platters as possible...I need to do some illustrating and get some of these new drawn platters done. They are turning out to be quite popular as well...busy girl! But busy is good...

Come find me on facebook...friend me under Laura Mayer. I will try to figure out how to post and link and all that to my facebook page Artgarden Pottery. Be patient... I do post a lot to my facebook/Laura Mayer page...easy to do from my phone.

Happy Summer....

Ready,Set, Remodel....

2011-04-09T14:42:00.000-07:00

Good bye old Artgarden....such a cute store. Now its time to tear it all up and move 25 miles away...just a bit overwhelmed...

yikes...I am home from vacation. Had a great time in Washington DC: art museums, georgetown(cupcakes), mt. vernon, great food, and a good time to relax.

But now holy cow, its time to remodel, repaint, pack it all up, etc. Just not sure where to begin.

This is a BIG PROJECT. I will try to post lots and you can watch my progress here...

wish me luck.

LAURA

Big Changes this Spring...Chirp, Chirp..

2011-03-28T17:49:00.000-07:00

New birds for Spring...Chirp...Tweet...Chirp

Think I found my new hot seller...these were gone by 2 on Saturday. I just finished my third art show this spring this weekend, Custer Spring Craft Show in Pasco. Had a great show, nice to see some old friends and some repeat customers from last fall. Got lots of comments on my booth, it was loaded with pots and garden art...lots of happy color. The set up wasnt too bad, got there early at noon on Thursday and finished by 6pm with 2 hours to spare. Usually I am the last to setup and it stresses me out. My mom was a great help, nice to have such great company. We went out for fantastic Mexican food at Fiesta...yummy!!!

I had a new line of illustrated platters & pots...I like the watercolor effect, it is fun to draw on the pottery, lay down the glaze and see what magic the kiln provides...

Unfortunately, my poor mom woke up hoarse with a head cold, by Friday night at six my Dad came and picked her up. Saturday, my good friend Debbie Martin came down to hang out with me it was great to catch up with her in between customers. My sweet Aunt Sara & her husband Norm came on Friday and Saturday and even went home with a few new 'watercolor' pieces. I also got to see my cousin Mike, his wife Terri and son Jeffery...it had been years. Sunday was slow....I spent it sketching and then packing up took about 3 hours, slow and steady and I was tired. But I wasn't the last one, there were 4 people still packing up!!

My next few shows ( if I get in, not confirmed yet) are Garden Expo on Sat. May 14 in Spokane, Sorticulture on June 10-12 in Everett, and then Bellevue 6th Street on July 29-31( I got Best in Show in '09)...Those should keep me busy!!

Going to take a break this week....getting on a plane for Washington DC. Yea!! Big city= Art/New Gaugin Show at the Nat. Gallery + play tickets at Ford's Theatre + Ballet at the Kennedy Center+Days spent exploring the city with cool shops and fascinating museums. Ready to recharge my batteries...Just in time for a great big leap to a NEW STORE....ARTGARDEN POTTERY.

Yup, the ARTGARDEN in Ephrata is closed. Just finishing up a few custom orders and packing up my art, my store, my studio,....my life.

The NEW ARTGARDEN POTTERY will open in mid May, in downtown Moses Lake (104 West Third) in the Laketown Landing Shopping District on Third Ave. next to the Hallmark Card Store. My new store is twice as big 2500 sq ft. ... I will have a unique ARTISAN GIFT SHOP in the front featuring my artwork as well as several local artists, also I will carry select retail and some vintage for sale. I am creating some new funky displays with rakes, ladders, old planks, and picket fence. That's the fun part...love doing cool displays. The main middle third of the shop will be a PAINT YOUR OWN POTTERY STUDIO!! Fun!!! The shelves will be lined with bisque pottery ready for the painting. We will offer Birthday Parties and theme nights...Date Night, Student Savings, and Midnight Margaritas!!! I will also be offering art classes in clay, watercolor, soldering, etc again in the fall... So that's what I have on my plate...I will try to keep you posted. You can also follow me on FACEBOOK under Laura Mayer. Happy Spring...Wish me luck! Lala

CRAFT SHOW BUSY & PREPARING FOR A NEW ADVENTURE...

2011-02-21T12:48:00.000-08:00

I really BELIEVE I can get it all done with a little hope and a prayer...

These next few months should be a wild ride...

This weekend I will be @ the Spokane Fairgrounds for the Spring Home & Garden Show.

Next weekend I will be back @ the Spokane Fairgrounds for the Spring Craft Show.

Then back to the Artgarden in Ephrata to make product like crazy for a few weeks.

Then down to TriCities for the Spring Craft Show @ the TRAC.

Then off to Washington DC for Jim's Conference.

Then I will be MOVING.....almost ready to sign the lease. Yes, I am moving to Moses Lake...Hope to do that the first part of April and have the gift shop open maybe by EASTER!!

Crazy I know...will keep ya posted.

Excited & Slightly Overwhelmed,

Lala

Spring Craft Shows...Can Spring Really Be Around the Corner?

2011-01-24T14:14:00.000-08:00

My next big thing...SPOKANE HOME AND GARDEN SHOW at the Spokane Fairgrounds, February 24, 25, 26, & 27!! One month from today....Panic!!

Here is part of my display from last years Flower Show in Seattle, I did well there but, boy, it was just too expensive. So I will be trying Spokane this year...

So... have I been spending the weeks following Christmas diligently working on product??...What do you think...nope.

I have been sleeping in, making it into work doing some purging. I brought in my giant garbage can and filled it all up with old dried out clay. Threw away a bunch of student work that I haven't seen the students for a few years, didn't figure they wanted that half finished project.

I have been sketching lots, been catching up with my community service groups: riding my horse getting ready for the Posse & sketching and designing ads for the Columbia Basin Allied Arts Spring Art Soiree & Auction for April 15 event.

I have also gotten the SPRING ART CLASSES AT THE MOSES LAKE MUSEUM AND ART CENTER finally submitted. Here is a link for February Classes...the rest of the Spring Art Classes should be up in a few days. You should check it out, there are going to be some fun classes for all ages.

I am trying to sporatically toss and organize, because I am preparing and praying for MY BIG MOVE, I want to move my store to Moses Lake soon. I think I have a strong lead on a building...I will know more about that in the next few days. So that is so exciting and it makes it hard to concentrate.

When what I really need to be doing is making more of these.... BUGS!!

And lots more of these...SPRING GREEN POTS. I think I am almost completely sold out of my green bowls...so popular.

I am also hoping to make some CLAY TILE QUOTES mounted on barnwood for the home and garden.

Yes, I am a little panicked about only four weeks to get lots made. Unfortunately, that is just how I roll. I think you have to have some downtime to regroup and get ready for the next big push. So for now it is off to stock up on inventory...

I will let you all know as soon as I find out about the BIG MOVE...cross your fingers for ME!Exciting times ahead, its gonna be bigger & better...can't wait!!!

Time to wrestle some clay...Lala

LAST CHANCE SHOP LOCAL BIG SALE!!!!

2010-12-09T13:47:00.001-08:00

Home from the Craft Show Craziness...Now settled back into the shop. So many cute plates and mugs ready to sell for the Holidays. Spent yesterday getting the shop set back up after traveling for so many weeks. Now I will be here at the Shop Tuesday-Saturday 11-5:30 now til Christmas.

Hope to sell lots, put the entire store on sell 10% off, 15% next week and 20% the week of Christmas! Mention this blog and get an additional 10% off one item.

These are pictures from last year but I do have similar items this year...will try to post new pictures soon!!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS, ENJOY!!!

CRAFT SHOW CRAZINESS...

2010-11-11T12:47:00.001-08:00

HOLIDAY SEASON IS COMING.....

oKay...here goes gonna try to do this post fast, because I have lots of glazing to do today...Busy, busy making snowflakes and all sorts of fabulous winter goodness..

I am in the midst of my craft show spree for the fall...Last weekend I did the Custer Craft Show in TriCities...met lots of great people, sold some nice pots and a few snowflakes...Had a nice weekend selling art and hanging out with my mom, Karen. She is hillarious, she gets a little overwhelmed with all the shopping opportunities at the craft show...didn't see much of her Friday or Saturday as she was running around shopping and visiting with my sweet aunt Sara. Really mom is such a big help, she does such a great job watching my booth and making some big sales, THANKS MOM! I even got to take a nap one day.

This weekend, I will be in Moses Lake at the High School Commons for the Soroptomist Craft Show from 9-3. I will be nice to be home so I can get some more work done in preparation for my next big show...next weekend I will be at the Custer Craft Show at the Spokane Fairgrounds for Fri, Sat, & Sun.

Busy rolling out platters...these are the snowmen from last year. So I got to get busy.

I did get a very exciting birthday present in the mail yesterday...a brand new SLABROLLER from my super fabulous boyfriend Jim....he is awesome!! So excited to get it installed and start using it. Hopefully tomorrow I can get that going.

So today I am glazing...got to get the kiln loaded tonight with some new stuff for saturday... Made some new charms for necklaces and some small handmade text bowls...should be interesting will post those pics when they come out....

Have a fabulous day...enjoy every minute no matter how busy you may be...

Love, Lala

So much to post....

2010-09-24T15:47:00.000-07:00

It has been such a crazy month dealing with the collapse of my studio ceiling and traveling on many creative adventures...

The ceiling collapsed on Aug. 11 and now we are at Sept. 24, I have had to be out of my studio due to workers, mold on the ceiling, and more workers... They should be out of here on Tuesday, and I was able to open my gift shop back up Wednesday. So almost back to normal....

I am so excited to just get back into the flow of it all...I went to SPARK again this year. So amazing! Will post more later, met so many wonderful creative women this year. Made some cool stuff. Hung out with my great friend Sandi, that I have known since we were little girls. Got to chat with my buddy Rhonna ( the head Sparkler) from college. Such a great experience will tell more later, with photos.

Spent a week at my fabulous friend, Cass Barney's house with her awesome family.
We just played and crafted non-stop for a week....awesome!

So now I am getting ready for the Farmer's Market tomorrow in Moses Lake...just unloaded the kiln with a dozen Halloween bowls! Some to ship and some to sell tomorrow...exciting times here at the art garden....stay tuned!

Love, Lala

Summer Vacation....August

2010-08-30T15:04:00.000-07:00

This was yesterday...a beautiful day in the country @ the Buggy Barn Quilt/Folk Art Show!!

Let me catch you up on the last month....more pictures and posts to follow....

The Beginning of August...Life was a blur until the Bellevue Arts Festival, I was on a rollercoaster of crazy productive days with little sleep as I raced towards the deadline of my biggest show of the year. I did it and it was great, but it is always hard to recapture the Artist Flow of Creativity...I kinda took the month of August off. I have been randomly in and out of the studio this past month. The first few weeks of August I had to get everything unpacked from the big craft show...

Then I spent a few days rearranging and resetting my super cute gift shop...looks so cool, wish I was in a bigger town with more traffic...someday!?!?!?maybe soon!!! will keep you posted on that...

Started riding my horse more and attending Sheriff Posse Practice with my friend Taffy as we prepared to patrol the Grant Co. Fair..Love my horse, Max, he did so great at practice and was so popular on patrol...fun!!!

The night I was to leave for a vacation to Detroit, I walked into the shop....it smelled wet and I looked up and the ceiling had fallen in???!!!!

My little old lady landlord upstairs, her supply valve on the toilet busted and flooded her apartment upstairs...where did the water go? ARTGARDEN..what a mess.

So before I could leave to drive to seattle, I spent 3 hours trying to move my things into the back room so the cleanup crew could rip out the ceiling while I was on vacation in Detroit! Luckily mom & dad were here to let them in and supervise..still waiting for them to put the ceiling back up and I havent unloaded the backroom and there is still some general cleanup to do...could have been worse, but such a hassle. Went on vacation in Detroit...Jim had a conference there. That conference is always fun with dinner parties everynight, get to dress up, wear lots of jewelry, and be fancy...Detroit is a very empty city, everything is boarded up and a little scary, did venture out to the Detroit Institue of Art- it was a fantastic museum, one of the best I have seen. Must See! Did have trouble finding a cab back to the hotel, panicked just a touch.

So from then on, I just used the rental car, much better especially with GPS! Drove to Dearborn and spent the day at the Henry Ford Museum-

I thought the Weinermobile was cool...my last name being MAYER and all..

fantastic, especially the Greenfield village where Henry Ford had collected all sorts of historic buildings, my favorite- The Wright Bros. Bicycle Shop. Awesome! It was the actual building...crazy.

Took a day and drove to AnnArbor, excellent adventure. That town is so cool and arty. Went to Motawi tileworks-beautiful. And then I tracked down Red Shoes, I have been following this blog for about two years...I found her shop and it was so weird how similar her shop, her product line, her artwork and her parakeets were to mine. I got a little freaked out...I feel like I have an artistic twin out there... So overall Detroit was a great break, so fun to get out of town.

Then this past weekend and adventure in the country...

The actual original Buggy Barn, now a very cool quilt shop...

The folk art show was up the hill from the quilts and buggy barn..

Getting home from vacation, had to get ready for this last weekend, for a quilt show/folk art sale at the Buggy Barn in Reardan, WA. I had no idea what to expect, so it was quite an adventure driving the backroads of eastern washington to Reardan kinda the middle of nowhere in a good way. I got there and set up on the most beautiful little farm in the middle of rolling fields of wheat. The entire weekend was magical. Beautiful weather surrounded by wonderful quilts blowing in the breeze, hanging on the fences, nailed to the barns. I had so many fantastic customers that loved my work. It was just such a great successful weekend...

I also discovered a new craft...needlepunch embroidery!!Had to start it in my hotel room on Saturday night, so fun! Can't wait to get home tonight to do more...

Anyway, that was my month...my condensed summer vacation! I woke today renewed and inspired for fall. The days are cooler and the nights are crisper. And the day after tomorrow is Sept. 1, which for me is the first day of fall and more importantly the first official day I can legally start decorating for HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OH man my favorite time of year!!!

!!!!!!Okay I am just finishing this post...really did I just sit here for the last hour and a half...must learn to post faster. Its the picture thing, gotta get faster....!!!!!

Stay tuned... So gonna get off the computer and go throw some giant TRICK OR TREAT bowls and start thinking all things HALLOWEENIE!!!!

hAPPY fALL.....Love, Lala

Craft Show Aftermath...

2010-07-28T16:00:00.000-07:00

After several long weeks of working til 3 or 4 in the morning some nights...I made it to my big craft show. The Bellevue Arts and Crafts Festival: 6th Street Fair. I was all worth it, I even did a little better than last year, still it is so much work. I am having a hard time getting back in the swing of things. I still have my trailer parked out front ready to unload, it will just have to wait til tomorrow to get unloaded.

Exciting things are happening here at the ARTGARDEN, I got a new website name: artgardenclay.com Nothing built yet, but that is my next big project. I have had several people wanting to order bugs and such from with so I have got to get with it!!!

Getting ready to jet over to Moses Lake to teach a soldered charm class, FUN. Hopefully tonight I won't set off the alarm at the art museum. Last night I got flustered and forgot the code...the police officer was very nice and my students vouched for me that I wasn't breaking in, I even had a key to prove it. ArghHH! Quite embarassing oh well.

Will post more later as I reset the shop. Man is it a mess!

NEW PRODUCT SHOTS FOR THE BIG SHOWS....

2010-06-18T14:49:00.000-07:00

Spent the afternoon the other day, taking some quick photos to send off to some big crafts for fall...

Garden Bugs and Flowers out front in my garbage can planters...

Garden Pottery...loving my new sunflower watering cans...start with a lump of clay as my mom likes to say...

Rustic Pottery and Leaves....

Wicked cool Halloween Decor and Trick or Treat Bowls sitting on my Greatgrandmother Josephine's Potters Wheel...

Awesome shot of my Winter Wall tiles and Ornaments....love my iPhone, sometimes it takes the best pictures...

KIDS AND CLAY

2010-06-18T14:43:00.001-07:00

i LOVE little kids and clay...their enthusiasm and vision is alway so amazing...making clay mirror frames...will be glazed next time...stay tuned.

girls on one side boys on the other...thats just how they ROLL...

Teaching Clay here there and everywhere...

2010-06-18T13:59:00.000-07:00

Gonna try to keep with my goal of posting more often....

The last few days have been spent teaching glaze and clay classes at the Moses Lake Art Museum (MAC)...

Last night I had a group of ladies schedule an Adult Art Party, there were beverages, stories and lots of glazing...fun.

Right now I am waiting for my kiln to cool from last night and I am prepping boards for a birthday art party this afternoon....

All this teaching is fun to share with kids to adults... Here is to a busy summer teaching!!!

Remember to ALL summer art classes are in Moses Lake this summer, call them today 766.9395 to sign up before they fill up!

FINDING TIME FOR THE DREAM...

2010-06-16T14:33:00.000-07:00

Do you feel like the days get eaten up my all the tiny little things. The days this week are being taken up by all the little things....I am really excited to work on a new line of 'Flower Girls' that my buddy Cass made a few of last weekend, I want to continue playing clay.

However in my effort to get a little more tech savy, I have been spending way to much time posting photos, blogging, building pages...all that computer stuff. Man that takes up time. My new goal is to post more often, but I must be efficient so I can get to the clay. That is my goal.

This weekend, we were talking about our perfect day...you know when you get up at like 5 am and run/walk, eat something healthy and head to the studio and be super productive, I am sure you dream of such a day. Ya well it never seems to include the random errand or the 2 hours spent building something on the computer and then it mysteriously deletes or your truck all of a sudden decides it needs new brakes...oh the joys of real life, but we can still hold out hope for the perfect day.

I have been spending my mornings teaching at the Moses Lake Art Museum, kids are a clever interesting bunch...I never get tired of seeing things with the joy and wonder of a kids eye.

Okay just for today, classes taught...platters drying...truck brakes finished....emails sent...blog posted...CHECK!

Let's break out the clay...................

ARTGARDEN BUGS CHECK IT OUT....

2010-06-15T17:05:00.001-07:00

I am getting lots of calls about my garden bugs....check them out below.

ARTGARDEN BUGS IN ACTION!!!

ARTGARDEN CLAY GARDEN BUGS

2010-06-15T15:58:00.000-07:00

Visions of grandeur of websites, webstores, internet whatever dance in my head. I would love to have a cool website/webstore with all my product available to purchase, but alas there is just only one Lala and until I figure out a way to clone myself that all just might have to wait until the end of summer.

Lately I have had a few phone calls about purchasing my garden bugs.My garden bugs are THE most popular thing I make. People love them and they add such a great POP of color in the Garden... So I have posted a few photos below with prices, and I would be glad to ship them to you asap. I am just a phone call away and I can do credit cards over the phone. So your garden can be infested with a little ARTGARDEN joy....

LADYBUG & WORM...$5 DOLLARS

LITTLE BUTTERFLY & SLUG...$7 DOLLARS

FLOWER...$8 DOLLARS

BIG BUTTERFLY & SPOTTY SNAIL...$9 DOLLARS

DRAGONFLY...$15 DOLLARS

All the bugs are HANDMADE with JOY by me, ya that's alot o bugs...

They are fired to about 1800 degrees and are on Stainless Steel Rods,they will NEVER fade or rust...These are ceramics so they don't like ice, but they are quite sturdy...

Just give me a quick phone call, I can help you out with color selection and then we can run your card or you can mail me a check...then we can ship the bugs right away.

Call me @ the ARTGARDEN: 509.754.1855

Clay Camp at the ARTGARDEN

2010-06-15T15:16:00.000-07:00

One of my most favorite friends came to visit this last weekend, Cassandra Barney. She brought her awesome triathelete/ceramic teacher/cool sister, Sari and I invited my artsy friend from my childhood, Sandi...and we spent four long days at the ARTGARDEN: creating, sculpting, and glazing.

It was magical the freedom to create and feed off one anothers creative spark. Loved it. Kept saying the entire time..."I can't believe you are here". Cass and her sister live in Utah and Sandi lives near Seattle. So this is my creative posse, but they live so far away. Last time we were together it was post SPARK, so it was fun to get together again.

We spent Thursday and Friday making all things clay...garden art, houses, flower girls, ornaments and more....Then on Saturday and Sunday we glazed our little treasures. So much fun. Four long days, we were so tired by Sunday night, but oh so much fun....

I have known Cass since college her amazing creative husband, Dan Barney and I went to college together and then Cass and I ended up sharing an art room my first year of teaching.... It was great to share some studio space just being creative again.

It was a dream to have her just working away in my studio... we are both working artists working away in our studios alone. We text back and forth during the day and I am comforted to know my creative friend is working away on her art while I do mine, I just always wish she was here....and then she was...DREAMY.

Regroup...

2010-05-10T14:03:00.000-07:00

My life is a constant rollercoaster...busy busy racing to put out the next fire.

The last few weeks have been consumed with teaching, developing class schedules, firing projects, etc. It has been paying the bills, but hasn't left me a lot of time to create and make product.

Needless to say the studio is somewhat of a disaster. I have product to put away...I started Farmer's Market Saturday, so I will be doing that most Saturdays. After a long winter it is nice to get out and see the community. I did okay. I was quite early...I don't usually see 6 am, but I was able to set up okay, took me a little longer. Should get faster as I get into the swing of things... I have clay to reclaim...oh how I dream of a pug mill, someday. For now I will have to get some soaking and make some platters out of it. I have really been going through the clay with all of these school projects. Will need to reorder about 500# of clay this week, I think I am down to about 50#.

I also need to reorganize my glaze and take some inventory, and then I will reorder that as well. I also have a mountain of paperwork...I hate the paperwork and my files are a mess. To think my first few years of college were spent studying accounting, what was I thinking. Ugh.

So this is the reality of living the dream...somedays I get to just sit in my studio and make stuff, but it is those other days or organizing, cleaning, and paperwork, where I really feel I have to work at it.

I don't think I am alone...I have talked to other artists about this artistic cycle. Mad flurry of creating and efficiency, followed by the regrouping and clean up. I think the organizing of studio and paperwork, is the lull before the creative storm.

It's okay, I will be working on my list so I can get my chores done so I can get my hands back in the clay... I am really excited about this month. I don't have a lot of classes to teach so I can really focus about getting into produciton.

My next BIG BIG thing is the Bellevue Arts Festival 6th Street Fair in July 23-25. They called me the other day to inform me, that because I got BEST IN SHOW last year, that I didn't need to submit a jury fee and they were giving me my choice of a corner booth in the middle of the festival. Exciting!! So now I will have even more sides to sell from out of my booth....planning something even bigger and better for this year.

I am really trying to start NOW planning for Bellevue, so I don't have to kill myself and my mom & friends with so many late nights right before the show...gonna try to be a little better prepared, we will see...I will keep you posted.

Okay...enough about me. Anyone else out there that feels this way?

I got to get to work....

Teaching Clay in the local Schools...

2010-05-10T13:28:00.000-07:00

The last several weeks, I have been teaching in the local schools. I did a two week afterschool project with Ephrata Middle School where we made picture frames and wallpockets...43 projects! Then last week I spent a day at the Middle School teaching the art classes a Clay 101. They were starting their clay unit, so I gave a very brief overview of clay, glaze, construction methods, and the wheel. It was fun to be back in the classroom teaching.

The last few Wednesdays, I recently did a clay flower project (72 flowers) with Coulee City Elementary...the entire elementary school k-5 did an amazing job. They are all becoming quite the ceramicists... I went there in December and we did a clay mirror project, and then we did this project for Mother's Day!
All of their projects were a great success, love the idea of all these great little kids marching home with a flower in their hand. Made me remember why ART is so important for kids, the steps, the process, the creativity...all so important.

This flower was done by Ava Heathman, great paint job! It was so great to get into the schools and give the kids a chance to create. Coulee City's PTO paid me to produce this project, which was a win win for both of us.

Here they are 72 all in a row....now that's a garden. It inspires me I need to make some more flowers for my shop.

All this teaching has got me thinking...I have been talking to some local principals about heading to their schools to do the same thing, teaching the kids and possibly some inservice days teaching the teachers.

I do love to teach it is so rewarding to share with another and to see that creative spark when they create.

Looking forward to teaching this summer at the Moses Lake Museum & Art Center: I have 11 kids classes and 14 adult classes scheduled...should be fun!

Cannon Beach...Art Offerings...Cass Barney

2010-05-04T13:47:00.001-07:00

Words just really can't describe the power of the ocean...

I went with my Jim to visit my fabulous artist friends Cass & Dan Barney , she was having an art opening in Cannon Beach for the spring art unveiling... her paintings were so beautiful....I have started a Cass Fund, someday I want to walk in and buy one of her wonderful paintings...she is so cool! I feel recharged...I spent time with people I love seeing dear cherished friends, enjoying the calm powerful beauty of the ocean, making art... the thing I love about living in eastern washington is how big the sky is...maybe that is what I love about the ocean just the space and how endless it is..it feeds me...

Last time I was at Cannon Beach with Cass, we made a little art movie...I got to thinking the thing I love when at the ocean is looking for all the treasures you find, a cool shell, a piece of driftwood, a rock.

Decided to create my own little art offering... whipped up some clay ocean pod thingys and headed to the beach and my creative friends...

We drew mermaids and offered them to the sea...imagining what people who discover them think is the coolest part. Art is an offering...feeds me and feeds another.

Cass(http://churningsandburnings.blogspot.com) was the videographer for the event, can't wait to see what she comes up with...

More photos and story of the movie to come... stay tuned.

Planting the garden @ ARTGARDEN...

2010-04-05T16:30:00.000-07:00

Oh great grandma Josephine would be proud as I planted wheat from the Mayer Ranch out in my pots on top of her antique potter's wheel... I will have to keep you posted to see how my crop turns out, thought wheat might be a fun pop of color...will plant my peas tomorrow!!! Yippee!!!

Pansies and Ranunculas...love early spring flowers!! Can't plant much before Mother's Day, but PANSIES I can count on, they are one of my very favorite flowers...

Planted some pansies and scattered some wheat.... Spring is a coming here at the ARTGARDEN...stay tuned I have so many new ideas popping up in my head!! Fun...

Spring Ukranian Egg Dyeing

2010-04-05T16:16:00.000-07:00

Tis the season to break out the dyes and the wax and do some egg dyeing...I taught a class last week at the Moses Lake Art Museum to a lovely group of ladies. They came up with some fabulous color combinations and learned a little somethin' somethin!

I learned this ancient wax resist technique when I was an art teacher at the Waterford School in Sandy, Utah...it is so fun as such simple materials can turn a simple egg into a work of art.

It is a wax resist technique as you use a metal funnel "kiska" and melt beeswax into it and draw on a raw chicken egg.

After dunking in several dyes and saving your favorite color, then at the end you use the candle to melt and remove the wax revealing the beautiful pattern you created... so fun!

Here are their masterpieces, a sure sign of spring!

Show Entries...

2010-03-25T11:53:00.000-07:00

It is that time of year to submit entries and photos to various shows around the region. I find that it is a great place to interact with a large customer base and I have a great range of price points...from $5 Ladybugs to $200 birdbaths. I enjoy doing the art festivals in the summer...

I submitted to a few on the west side of the state by Seattle as well as a few around Spokane to the east...now I just have to hope and wait to see if I get in so I can plan my summer, oh the not knowing!!! Here's to a successful summer...

Garden ART...handmade ceramic Flowers on rebar, and lots and lots of bugs...Slugs, Snails, Worms, Ladybugs and more...

These bright colored Spring Green Pots are always popular...a little art for the kitchen...

Thumbpots...an ancient watering technique, I first saw these in Colonial Williamsburg Virginia. This is how the colonist would water their gardens, no hoses then. Each pot has holes in the bottom, you dip them in the water to fill them and then plug it with your thumb, then lift your thumb and the water drains out...magic!! These have been around since the ancient Greeks, they called them 'Water Theifs'. Clever Greeks!!!

I took that ancient idea and added my own colorful spin...everything is better with color!

Here is a shot of my booth...shows always like to see how you display your work! Sometimes that is an art in itself...I enjoy setting up my booth I always like to make it look like a fun little gift shop, people seem to like it...I got Best in Show at Bellevue last year, so exciting!!!

Spring Cleaning...

2010-03-24T10:22:00.000-07:00

Okay after the mad flurry of the Flower Show it took me about a week to rest up and then started the spring cleaning...life as an artist is a rollercoaster. Periods of intense deadline focused work, then the deadline, then the aftermath: a period of cleaning up and putting away all that was set aside when you were in the intense flow of creative work... I don't think I am alone in this, am I? I talk to my other artist friends and they experience the same thing. Talking to my friend Cass Barney and she said "when we organize and clean our studios that is time to reflect and get ready to be creative again..."

True...I don't feel guilty for organizing it helps me for the times when I am in the creative flow of work and don't have time to clean up, I don't feel bad then either.
I am trying to plan better...to set little deadlines for myself. So I don't have to race 100mph 16 hours a day when I come up on the next big deadline.

Trying to get the creative juices flowing again...cleared my white board the other day, cranked up the music and decided to just fill it with sketches...my ideas, inspiration that swirls in my head...no to do lists, that is for another place... It is good, I like this giant sketchbook page visible in my studio and all the white countertops clean and waiting for my next creative adventure. Life is good here at the ARTGARDEN ready to burst into spring!!!

There is nothing...really not much better, than the hope and promise of new buds bursting forth in the spring...my favorite time of year...a fresh start.

Flower Show Aftermath...

2010-02-16T11:32:00.000-08:00

Northwest Flower Show 2010....great jump on Spring...I am ready bring it on!!

The show was a great opportunity this year made enough that it was worth all the hard work, now I have lots of inventory and a bunch of new contacts. Sold a lot of thumbpots and a bunch of bugs, even a few birdbaths.

I was really happy with my booth set up...everyone loved my moss wall with the bugs. It was cool to step up my craftshow game to the Washington State Convention center in downtown Seattle...this was the big time!!! Took about 8 hours to set up my booth with help from my mom and my friends, thanks girls!

I made some good future show contacts as well as people interested in wholesale accounts, so that was great...

Craftshow aftermath....it took me most of the week to dig out from the pile of inventory and props from the show. I was also just so tired from working 16 hour days for 4 weeks straight, took some time off last week...but now I am rested and ready to go! My new computer is still in the box so hoping to set that up any day now...then I will be blog crazy!

Stay tuned...great things ahead!!

Clay Garden Bug Factory....

2010-01-19T12:15:00.001-08:00

I have been a machine making bug after, bug after bug...

The goal is a thousand ladybugs...so far I am at 470. Give or take a few jumped off of the board as I was loading the kiln....

Worms...I lose a few in transportation and firing, these are a little fragile.

Butterflies ready to take flight into the kiln...

I sent out a shout out to my friends to help me glaze..so far Danelle, Sandy, Jill, Annette/Monica & family, and my mom have answered the call...THANKYOU PEOPLE!!!

I know my lack of planning shouldn't be everyones emergency...but oh well I have been busy. Two weeks from today...is the big set up day for the NW Flower & Garden Show in SEattle. Check it out at gardenshow.com

I am excited but quite nervous to pull it all together gonna be some late nights...oh well, living the dream!!

New Year...Next Big Fire/NW Flower Show

2010-01-04T11:35:00.000-08:00

Oh a fresh new year with visions of grandeur....really my first big goal is to be a better blogger. I love to read a dozen or so daily blogs and get so excited with a new post. So I will try to be better...And most importantly my goal for this year is to ENJOY THE JOURNEY & BE WHERE YOUR FEET ARE... so when I add craziness to my schedule I will ENJOY it...

My work life is always about putting out the next big fire..the Northwest Flower & Garden Show it is...not to panic but I now have 27 days to get it all done, the making, the firing, the glazing...ya it is going to be a little bit crazy in the studio. I must like it that way, a little exciting that extra bit of pressure....So I start today, might be a crazy ride hang on, time to start thinking about COLOR....yay I love color and spring and all things bright...my favorite subject. I tell myself this is fun and enjoy the process...I will keep you posted!!

Love my FROGS, bugs and more...the goal is to make thousands of these critters. I see some late nights in the next few weeks...oh well, Living the Dream!!!!

Ready for a creative adventure to recharge & SPARK!!

2009-11-04T22:01:00.000-08:00

Got quite a bit accomplished today, trimmed pots...so they can dry and be fired on Sunday when I fly back...yes, once again I am running a tight schedule. Leave for Utah tomorrow afternoon, spark it up for a few crazy days with friends, fly back Sunday morning...hoping to be able to fire and glaze Sunday afternoon.

Time to get some Christmas Pots in Production::::Next Saturday, Nov. 14...I have the Soroptomist craft show and must drop off all of my work for the Art Museum Holiday Show....so needless to say next Saturday is the next big deadline...oh living the dream...

Getting ready to SPARK!!!

2009-11-04T09:49:00.001-08:00

Okay so its a picture, maybe I can figure out how to rotate it...baby steps! Just so proud I could get it on the blog. This is my platter for Spark right before it went in the kiln last night at 10pm...ya I am a last minute kinda girl.

Lots of last minute things today before I head to Utah tomorrow with my friend Sandi...as we start our creative art adventure. I am heading to SPARK put on by my fabulous friend Rhonna Farrer from college, with my best friend Cass Barney as the sparktacular keynote speaker for the event....Can it get any better, girls weekend with so many friends and the chance to be creative...should be a nice break before the craziness of the holidays happens.

Gotta get the shop together, trim pots, make snowflakes, and pack today...busy, busy, busy!!!

Salmon Days....Success!

2009-10-04T22:15:00.000-07:00

The thing I love most about my job is putting a smile on someone's face and a little joy in their life with something I created. This was my first Salmon Days. Saturday was a little cold (bring snowboots to keep my feet warm next year) and a little slow, but I did sell a lot of spooky bats, just making life easier to decorate for halloween. Sunday was a spectacularly beautiful day...perfect crisp sunny fall day. I was happy I got to spend it outside. I had some nice sales throughout the day, had a few customers that I had seen this summer @ Bellevue so that is fun to develop a following. It is always so exciting when people like what you do. I guess that is why I like to do these big craft shows, it is a nice bump in sales, but mostly I like interacting with so many customers it is good feedback and fun to see how people react. My new Black/White pottery was very popular...this post would be so much better with pictures (I'm working on it!) One of my proudest moments this weekend: it only took 2 1/2 hours to set up 6:30am-9am'ish, thankyou Sandi & Jim...and when it came time to teardown, I was finished and driving off by 8pm, it only took me 2 hours to pack up, and the best part is I WAS NOT THE LAST ONE, there were at least eight other people stilling packing as I left. I felt so good about that, as I am normally the last one packing up and oh the pressure when the cops start letting the traffic back through. I was really happy with my packing this time, I am getting better at this craft show thing everytime. It is always fun doing craft shows and nice to look back on a job well done, usually my mom,Karen, does these with me, unfortunately she was sick so I did miss her. Thankfully, my great boyfriend Jim, came through and hung out with me all weekend, he brought me snacks and water and watched my booth during potty breaks, couldn't have done it without him!

To all the people I met this weekend, thanks for stopping by...here's to great things ahead!!!!

Ready for the Big Craft Show...Salmon Days

2009-10-02T20:43:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is Salmon Days in Issaquah: Sat. & Sun. 10-6pm...I think I am ready just nervous about the setup I am always so slow and I only have 3 hours in the am. Hope it doesn't rain. Anyway, here's to selling out! That is my dream to one day sell everything I take...could happen. Wish me luck!!

My first oil painting in 15 years....

2009-09-24T20:57:00.001-07:00

Luscious...the paint is fabulous, I had so much fun painting these fabulous red poppies...Will work on a better picture, but you get the idea...

The Second Post

2009-09-24T19:57:00.001-07:00

Finally a second post, I am in Utah and my friend is helping me enter blogland. So here goes... Put my life on hold back home and headed to my friends for a little mini vacation. I went to college in Utah and taught school for several years, I left in 1998 and haven't been back since 2003...so it has been a long time since I have seen a lot of these people... Happiness is visiting my good friend with nothing to do but visit and paint.... currently in artistic recharge mode visiting my fabulous famous artist friend Cassandra Barney and her wonderful family in Utah.

I took one oil painting class in college which wasn't very good it has been a good 15 years since I picked up an oil painting brush...I have learned more in the last few days than I did in a semester at school... Loving this oil paint, it is quite fun, I might have found a new art medium....and you know what that means...ART SUPPLIES!!!! So fun.

Here is Cass and I painting away in her sunfilled studio... this is where the magic happens. Cass is one of my very best friends, I have known her and her wonderful husband, Dan since college. Cass and I taught art together at the Waterford School in Salt Lake City years ago. It is such a treat to visit her and her family. Nice to push pause on my hectic life and come visit friends....

We have been painting when we can, took a trip to Sari's Art Room, Cass's sister that teaches ceramics and art at Pleasant Grove High School. We were talking glaze and clay projects, so fun.
Here in Utah until Saturday, and then back working hard in the studio on Monday. I am busy getting ready for the Issaquah Salmon Days Craft Show on Saturday & Sunday, Oct. 3 & 4.

2009-02-15T20:07:00.000-08:00

Oh my I am such a virgin blogger, but I love reading so many...figured I should start my own. If only I could figure out my camera and how to post images. Something to look forward to. Busy in the studio, classes have been slow so I am entering full on production, trying to get a ton done this week. Really want to stock pile the inventory to be ready for summer and wanting to get on Etsy. Oh such big goals for a small town girl...just watch me take off.