Cool Craft Market: December 14-16

Join me in downtown Asheville December 14-16 for some holiday fun and great handmade gifts at Handmade in America!

Cool Craft Market: Holiday Edition and VIP Preview Party December 14-16, 2012 VIP Preview Party Friday, Dec 14, 5pm-8pm $10 + one item for Homeward Bound of Asheville. See below for items to bring. Market Saturday, 10am -5pm, free Sunday, 11-4pm, free Location: HandMade in America Office HandMade in America is located at 125 S. Lexington, Suite 101 Asheville, NC 28801. HandMade in America's front doors are located on Hilliard Avenue between S. Lexington Ave. and Church Street.(Paid parking located across from front doors. Free parking available as you can find arounf block) This December, HandMade in America is excited to  host its first annual Cool Craft Market: Holiday Edition. This Market will feature 25 vendors from around Western North Carolina, selling both functional and decorative items including clothing, accessories, pottery, natural products, kitchenware, and ornaments. The Cool Craft Market will be a fantastic place to find one of a kind gifts ranging from $5-$300, just in time for the holidays! On Friday, December 14th from 5-8:00pm HandMade in America is having a VIP Preview Party, with item donations to benefit Homeward Bound of Asheville, a group with a mission to end chronic homelessness in the city. Guests of the party will have their first choice on market items as well as free food and drink to celebrate the holiday season. Come enjoy local craft and local music by The Willows. Local wine and food will be served. Tickets will cost $10 and HandMade asks that everyone bring one item from the Homeward Bound of Asheville necessity's list. (See below) This Party is sponsored by Element Advertising, WNC Magazine, Storm Rhum Bar and Bistro, SignARama, Asheville Brewing Company and Homeward Bound. Items to Bring *Homeward Bound items are not required on Saturday and Sunday but we will still accept donations throughout the weekend. For A HOPE Ground Coffee Toilet Paper Disposable Razors Sugar For Pathways to Permanent Housing Cleaning Supplies – Trash bags, paper towels, all-purpose cleaners Toilet brush, Broom, Mop, Dust pan Plates, Bowls, Cups, Silverware Pots and Pans Coffee Pots Dishrags/Dish Towels Toasters Microwaves Shower Curtains, Liner, and Rings Pillows Blankets/Comforters Sheets (full and queen) Participating Artists Ryan-Ashley Anderson Linda Azar Anja Bartels Elynn  Bernstein Amy Brandenburg Julie Fawn Boisseau Melanie Carreira Chad Alice Hagen Linda LaBelle Jude Lally Cara  May Sandra McCartney Mary  Mikkelsen & Henry Pope Dyann Myers Christopher Perryman Susan Seidman Michon Sentner Matthew Smith Cara Steinbuchel Lori Theriault Barbara Updike Anita Walling Doc Welty Sheree White Sorrells Daniele Wickel

Liebster Blog Award

Liebster Blog award

Thank you New Day Pottery for nominating me for the Liebster blog award.  

The Liebster Blog award is given to bloggers who have less then 200 followers. "Liebster" is the German word for "favorite".  Here's how it works:

Each blogger should post 11 facts random facts about themselves.

-Answer the questions the tagger has set for you, then create 11 new questions for the bloggers you pass the award on to.

-Choose 11 bloggers (less than 200 followers) to pass the award to and link them to your post.

-Go to their page and tell them about the award.

-No tag backs!

Random facts about me.

1. I am originally from Vermont

2. Random past job: I drove an ice cream truck.

3. I worked in theatre for over 10 years.

4. I was in a Freddie Mercury video while in London.

5. I collect vintage cookbooks.

6. I have six very cool studio-mates.

7. I just got a smart phone, and luckily my 14 year-old goddaughter is teaching me how to use it.

8. Random past job: talent agent.

9. One dog, one cat, lots of 'mo-hair' clothing.

10. My mom and stepdad are in the Coast Guard Auxiliary, and they look very sharp when in uniform.

11. Oddly, I love to travel almost as much as I love to nest.

New Day Pottery's Questions for me:

1. Where did you grow up.

 Central Vermont, then moved to Georgia during high school.

2. What is your favorite place to visit?

Someplace I've never been.

3. How many pottery mugs do you own that are not made by you?
hmmm...not sure I've ever counted. At least 40, probably more.

4.What is your favorite book?
Hopefully the one I'm reading.

5. How many art shows do you participate in every year?
Not as many over the past several years as I've been trying to 'nest' my studio, but still 4-6 locally/regionally.

6.What is your favorite pizza?
Thin crust, no cheese, spicy sauce, black olive, caramelized onion, baby bella mushrooms, roasted garlic. Sometimes a little julienned prosciutto too.

7. What kind of music do you listen to most?
Depends on what I'm doing - in the studio I may listen to 'All Songs Considered' when I want to hear new or off beat music, but then I'll also loop Springsteen albums on the ipod for 'comfort and joy'. One of my studio mates loves to blast Tom Waits, and another likes broadway soundtracks. It's all good.

8. Beach or Mountains?

Mountains.

9.Favorite TV show?
It used to be CBS Sunday Morning when I had a tv. 

10. Last movie you saw?
Looking for Sugarman -  HIGHLY recommend it.

11.Favorite child hood memory?
Riding the bus from Tampa to Atlanta with my bestie after a week at soccer camp, probably driving everyone else on the bus crazy with our constant laughter.

My nominations:

Whistle Creek
Jen-A-Fusion
big fat art cloth

Christine Hartman Art

Bruce Starr's Paintings

Bark Photography

Eleanor Pigman

TPB/readyhezzie

It's Just a Painting

Blue Fire Studio

Oy Clay Pottery

Crazy Green Studios' questions for you.

1. Where did you travel last?

2. When did you know you wanted to do what you're doing now?

3. Who was your favorite teacher?

4. What's in your fridge?

5. Who was your first 'hero'?

6. Who was your first 'crush'?

7. If you could have a super power, what would it be?

8. Favorite board game?

9. Who would play you in a movie about your life?

10. Words to live by?

11. What advice do you have for the next generation?

Shop Early. Shop Local.

Crazy Green Studios accepts the 2012 and 2013 Asheville Go Local Card. For all purchases over $100 of pottery by Lori Theriault at The Village Potters' Gallery, use your Go Local card to receive a 10% discount.

Use your card on December 2 at our Holiday Open House for an extra 10% off that!

Shop Early. Shop Local.

Studio La Chouffe: Community & Collaboration

It has indeed been a busy summer, and anyone who only follows me here can tell it from the lack of regular posts (something I'm always trying to improve). So thanks for following if you're still paying attention here, and if you didn't know, you can also keep up with the many doings of Crazy Green either on the facebooks, or on my webpage (linked on the right side bar) or via my endeavor as one of The Village Potters at our website or facebook page. Thanks again.

studio la chouffe

Something I've been wanting to do with this blog is to highlight other sources of my own inspiration. In this case it comes in the form of a visit to Studio la Chouffe, the home of Holly deSaillan clay & mosaic. Holly and I became friends when we both had studios at a community clay studio, and we have remained mutual fans, sources of inspiration and instigation for each other.

My first goal was just to highlight her wonderful slip-straw built studio where she makes her beautiful mosaics, and show how her unique approach of tumbling her clay and glass components makes her works beautiful to see and touch. Well, that's still my goal, but Holly was recently commissioned to make a large (over 30 feet long!) mosaic for the private 'Visiting Garden' at the Department of Social Services in downtown Asheville. Her "Appalachian Animal Parade Mosaic" will feature animals of the area along with tiles representing indigenous plants, and her approach to the project most definitely fits the description of a collaboration, and a true community collaboration at that. The mosaic, and the entire Visiting Garden project, is the brain-child of talented native plant specialist Sadie Adams of Growing Native Nursery.

Holly de Saillan, unloading more ceramic shards

To make a mosaic of this size, Holly will use a combination of glass and ceramic shards, along with ceramic tiles. For the tiles that depict indigenous plants, Holly had help from the kids attending the Asheville Community Design Lab through Roots & Wings School of Art (where she will teach this fall). 

native plant tiles (even poison ivy!)

The tiles will line a portion of the wall, and ceramic and glass shards will make up the animals. For the ceramic shards, Holly has called upon Asheville potters to share their rejects and broken pieces*, and I'm very happy that my glaze tests and 'oops' pots will have a good home and a second life in a beautiful piece of art that will bring much happiness to children and their families visiting this garden. 

array of donated pieces awaiting the hammer and tumbler.pieces shown donated by myself, Sarah Wells Rolland, and Kyle Carpenter

My studio mate Sarah at The Village Potters has also made some contributions, and I'm sure more members of The Village Potters will be donating by the end of the commission! 

one of Holly's beautiful mosaics greets you on the path to studio la chouffe

I made a visit to Holly's studio to see the initial process involved in getting ready for this installation, which she will begin in the next week and will complete by the end of August. That seemed daunting itself to me, and after seeing what she's doing to prepare, it's no less daunting in my mind, but having seen Holly's work on other levels, I know she's just the person for the task!

the sweet little 'hula kiln' that will tirelessly fire all the tiles for the Appalachian Animal Parade

Studio la Chouffe is, as I mentioned, of slip-straw construction, and I'm happy to say I helped there too! After the studio frame was built, we had several work parties to fill the walls with a mixture of clay slip and straw bale, packing in beautiful colored bottles that now bring beautiful light into the studio.

inside the cool, clay walls of studio la chouffe, with beautiful, diffused dancing light of many colors!

Holly's partner Basil has continued more studio construction, including a gorgeous back deck. Holly's work and esthetique add to the landscaping that they've done together to make the studio grounds a welcoming place for humans and critters alike.

another happy member of studio la chouffe

I also mentioned Holly's unique approach of tumbling her glass and shards. It's hard to describe the difference this makes. Tumbling of course takes the sharpness off the edges, and gives glass shards a soft hue  and actually brings more depth to the tones in clay shards.

the tiny tumbler, hard at work!

Her little tumbler has been working 24/7 since she started preparing for this commission, making her what I like to call a "small batch" mosaic artist. Each time the tumbler completes a cycle, she has another box full of shards ready to go in, and as they come out, they get added to piles of other shards that she carefully sorts based on how they'll be used in the mosaic.

chards, out of the tumbler

I've already made this into a much longer article than intended, and I've only scratched the surface! So this is just the introduction - you'll learn more about Holly as I continue to follow the progress on this project, and you'll get to see the mosaic wall develop before your eyes! Take note and follow closely, because this finished project will not be open to the public, but only to those families visiting the Social Services office.

If you have been following me at all, you know that I've been happily immersing myself in the experience of being a part of the Collective at The Village Potters, and the collaborative atmosphere that is leading toactual collaborations with my studio mates. Collaboration is nothing new in the art world. Many gifted artists find alignments with others and I think it's very natural that they explore the 'what if' of working together. I'm happily experiencing that in my own studio, recently beginning a series of collaborations with Sarah Wells Rolland, the first of which is now showing in The Village Potters Gallery. One of the pots I'll be donating to the mosaic project is an early glaze test in preparation for that collaboration, and it makes me so happy to know those pieces will be a part of another piece of art!

*any Asheville-area potter with high fire (cone 10) shards to donate, please contact Holly deSaillan via her website. And if you're on the facebooks, you can follow Holly's progress in her Appalachian Animal Parade album on her page.

carving away at new works

just a quick peek at some of what's going on inside the studio:

these are being developed as a 'thank you' to a lovely group of supporters who helped me join The Village Potters. It's a celebration on many levels to make them!

And the celebration continues in a collaboration with my studio mate & mentor, Sarah Wells Rolland. It's still in process, with more whittling to come today.

A new design born of love and happiness...

Introducing a new design line, one that I will call the "F&A" line in honor of the groom & bride who inspired it with a special wedding commission:

There will be some adjustments as I work out the design on new pieces, but I quickly fell in love with the elements while decorating these mugs, and I'm looking forward to seeing where else they'll grow.

Happy Mother's Day!!

Happy Mother's Day Mom!! I know you wish we could spend the day together, and so do I, but you also know that you're with me every day, and it's not just because of the daily phone call!

So while I cannot bring you dozens and dozens of roses today, I hope you know that if I could, I'd shower you with them daily, just like our phone calls. 

But you would run out of vases, so just consider every phone call a single rose (like I do), and then you'll always have a beautiful bouquet (like you!) on hand.

So I hope you'll accept this 'virtual' showering of roses, along with my continued showering of love, admiration, and awe for all that you are, as a small but sincere Mother's Day gift.

And there will be a visit soon! Details are in the works - till then, I look forward to my 'rose a day' on the phone, and the strength, love, and grace that comes with having a mom like you!

Happy Mother's Day Mom - I Love You! xoxoxo

Out of the Kiln, Into the Show!

all loaded and ready to go

Well it's finally happened, dear readers. The kiln was built, the inspectors all nodded, the sprinklers were changed, and we fired. And oh boy, did that kiln fire! 

going into reduction

The first firing in a new kiln, and even though this kiln has been working for someone for over 25 years, it's pretty much brand new as it was deconstructed, moved, then reconstructed partially with new brick and a slight adjustment to its layout. So the first firing was fast, and a little hotter than we intended, but the work that came out was still very pleasing, and with the information learned, we'll move ahead to more firings and soon will have the entire process finely tuned. I'm now working on some very special pieces for my next full kiln - small tokens of great appreciation to many people who have supported my transition into The Village Potters, and I'll be sharing that process in the blog soon.

two of the pots headed for display at The Junction

But for now, almost as quickly as they came out of the kiln, much of what was fired in this load is already out the door or soon to be out the door. Some so fast I didn't even get a picture, like the oil bottles and olive oil dipping bowls that were delivered to The Tree & Vine, or the mugs delivered to The French Broad Chocolate Lounge, or the water cups and aromatherapy diffusers that went to the Downtown location of Sensibilities Day Spa. Luckily, I won't load in my display at The Junction until next week, so I had a chance to take a couple of quick snaps (above). I'll take some very quick snaps of the rest, and what you don't see here you'll be able to see soon at my facebook page.

Much of what is left will go with me this weekend (Saturday & Sunday) to the Weaverville Art Safari, where I am a visiting artist to my lovely host, textile artist Susan Webb Lee. 

coneflower tumblers

Susan and I worked together back in the days of Echo Gallery, and it was there we learned how nice our worked looked together, and I'm really looking forward to having her gorgeous textiles beneath and around my pots again! 

small plates

The Art Safari is a self-guided tour of artists' home studios in the scenic area surrounding Weaverville and Barnardsville, NC. This year I will be among 41 artists and visiting artists, showcasing all media of work. If you're in the area, please stop by and see me and Susan, we're at stop number 19 on the map, or come by the Preview Party on Friday night and say hi!

coneflowers in bloom at The Village Potters

You'll also find some of what came out of the kiln at The Village Potters Gallery, and after this weekend you'll also find me there feverishly working away at another kiln load for more exciting developments ahead. Stay tuned...

It's Getting Closer

There's a light at the top of the stack ... a little further up, a little more iron, a few more inspections, and it'll be time to fire!

Spring Awakenings

If you only follow me here, you'd think I've been hibernating, but that's far from the truth. Here's a glimpse of what's been happening since the first of the year:

teaching some classes...

making some pots...

bringing back a favorite design...

...and they're blooming up nicely...

I finally got the new logo on cards, website, and blog...

working on some marketing for The Village...

...where I worked the bevvie table...

At The Village, we threw a party for our friend
Cara to celebrate her growing business... 

attended Nan Jacobsohn's workhop at
The Village Potters - looking forward to
the next one with Barbara Knutson!

Was invited to join Susan Webb Lee
at this spring's Art Safari in Weaverville

moved again, dog and cat settling in nicely (with roomie's cat)

And most recently and exceptionally thrill-producing: the kiln is moving into the studio!!

New Year, New Look, New Adventures Ahead!

I think newness inspires more newness. Since taking the big steps to join The Village Potters, there's been a lot of "new" - new studio, new studio mates, new gallery, new teaching center, new classes, new students ... lots of new, and all good!

And now we enter a New Year. Part of me thinks I don't get caught up in all the hoopla around the New Year.  I do set intentions, but I don't make resolutions (there's a difference - check back a few posts for more on that), and yet I can't help feeling that the flipping of our calendar year is a perfect time for asserting a true commitment to one's intentions. I guess that could be a resolution, then again it's also something I might do when the calendar flips over a new month or week.


In the spirit of embracing all the new that has happened and that lies ahead, here's a short list of what's 'new', both recently and ahead in this new year, and a little peek into what makes me such a grateful girl this New Year:

A new website! This has been in the works for months, and over the past two months it's finally come together with the help of the Artist Geek, Laurie McCarriar. I've been futzing with what to do with a new design for most of the past year, and it seemed to all fall together when I realized that 'homemade tastes better on handmade' was exactly what I was trying to say. It feels so good to once again have a site up that is representative of what I'm doing, where I am, and what's ahead. It's still growing, so check it out and stay tuned! I also joined Artist Geek's "Art Dates" program, and I'm already benefitting from getting some better organization to my online endeavors. Everyone should have an Artist Geek!

New classes at The Village Potters! To say I'm grateful and excited to be in a studio that gives me space to work and teach is a slight understatement. Jo (pictured above) started her classes last month, and this week another class opens with new students and happily one returning student from my previous teaching studio. I love having other people sharing their 'new' with me too! Check out the schedule if you've been meaning to find your sanity outlet (it's cheaper than therapy!).

New look on the blog! You may have already noticed that, but since I was making a list and all... the new look was inspired by the new website, and that's inspiring the new business cards that will soon be printed (also designed by the aforementioned Artist Geek).

And a new cut and slightly new look for me too!



Other upcoming new adventures include:


• moving the kiln into place at The Village Potters, which will inaugurate my firing in the same place where I throw for the first time in ... well a long time!


•  attending the first Master's Series workshop at The Village Potters: Nan Jacobsohn will be demonstrating her Bas Relief techniques, and I've been thinking about my trees in that technique since I found out she was coming. Her demonstration workshop is January 27-28, in case you'd like to join me.


•  building a body of work to submit for membership in the Southern Highland Craft Guild. This will involve a lot of other 'news', like testing glazes in the new kiln, deciding which line of work to highlight, developing some new forms to be included ... very exciting!


So that's most of my news. I'm sure there are more, and more to come. Thanks for following along this far, and check back for more soon!