A New Year

Holy cow how time has flown and things have changed since I last posted in my blog!

After relocating twice, I have finally returned from wince I came, back home in good old Indiana. I haven't decided if I am happy about being sucked back in to the black hole, but I am content to be near my family and most of my friends.

Two of the greatest things in South Bend are my beautiful niece Gabriella Alexis and handsome nephew Collin Patrick, born in July 2011 to my brother and his wife. The last six months has just been awesome, watching them grow and I can't wait to see what kind of people they will become. I am looking forward to teaching them all the things I know about and I can't wait to take them everywhere.

My life here in South Bend is just as busy as ever, between the new job with all the new responsibilities, trying to reconnect with friends and family, making a strong effort to get into shape and playing in with clay, I don't have much time for anything else, but I try to squeeze in more.

Starting January 14th, 2012, I will be teaching an introductory ceramics class at Moon Tree Community Studios on the Ancilla College Campus just west of Plymouth, Indiana. I am very excited that I have an opportunity to start sharing my knowledge with others. I can't wait to share my passion for getting dirty and creating functional and unique art. I am also working on setting up a class for children at Fire Arts Inc in South Bend, Indiana. Hopefully I will have more information about that class soon.



Besides teaching, I am also taking part in classes at Fire Arts Inc. This past fall I had my first introduction into High Fired Stoneware and Raku Firing. I learned a few lessons and hopefully will not make those mistakes again. I truly fell in love with Raku!! I am not one who likes to take time decorating the pottery for a glaze fire, but Raku just solves that problem. I've always loved Raku fired pieces, but now that I've created my own, I just can't wait to do more! Unfortunatly, most of the work I did this fall is not worth sharing, so I don't have any photos of finished pieces. They looked pretty awesome before I glazed them, but we had some problems with the glaze quality (first time I've used custom mixed glazes) and the kiln misfiring. I'm going to try and re-fire several pieces and maybe I'll be able to salvage them, keep your fingers crossed.

I am always full of ideas, I love being inspired to create new ideas and I love Inhabitat,

a weblog devoted to the future of design, tracking the innovations in technology, practices and materials that are pushing architecture and home design towards a smarter and more sustainable future.

I was inspired by one of their DIY projects to create Felted Wool Mittens out of recycled wool sweaters. I thought that they would make fantastic Christmas presents. So I did a little research on the internet where I found out that a pair of mittens goes for $35 on Etsy.com. So I dug a little deeper, I found a fantastic how to guide on the blog Five Green Acres and then I went shopping at my local Goodwill & Salvation Army. I ended up making 7 pairs of mittens for my cousins and friends for Christmas. They turned out wonderfully, so warm and cute. I would love to start making them to sell.

In the next 51 weeks I have set a few goals for myself:

• Create one craft item a week for a year
• Focus on losing the spare tire around my waist
• Develop my pottery skills
• Create a successful pottery class for kids and adults
• Become more confident in my abilities at work
• Take time to stay organized
• Buy a house and start making my own Home
  

Made 4 U Pottery Designs

I have always had a creative side. I have spent many years learning how to create different types of arts & crafts. I have been making things for as long as I can remember. I learned how to sew and knit in 4-H when I was a kid. I attended many types of arts & craft camps. I've tried painting and drawing. I think I have finally found a form of art that I think is really me, pottery.

My first pottery class was in 1988. It was a hand building class through 4-H. I made a bowl that we used for many years as a water/food dish for our cat. This class only gave me a taste of what pottery was and I had longed to take other classes. I always wanted to learn how to throw on the wheel. I'm sure part of this was sparked by the movie Ghost. Everyone knows the scene where Patrick Swayze & Demi Moore are playing with clay.

I finally got the opportunity start attending a open studio pottery class in September of 2008 at the Parks & Rec Department in Truckee, Ca. I remember walking into the first class and being asked by Susan Dorwart, "What would you like to do?" to which I replied, "I want to learn how to throw". She gave me a look and explained that it was very challenging and tried to talk me into making something hand built. I was adamant that I was there to learn to throw. She got me started. It was challenging. Demi Moore had made it look so easy and really it is not.

Over time, practice and research I finally started to comprehended how to create things on the wheel and I just fell in love with the whole process. I love getting down and dirty with the clay. I love experimenting with glaze. I enjoy researching new projects and techniques. I love the reward of seeing a piece go from start to finish and then seeing the looks on the faces of the people who receive my pottery. There is so much more for me to learn, but I think I have come to the point that I want to start selling my creations. This has lead me to create "Made 4 U" Pottery Designs. It is my intention in the near future to start selling pottery to the public.

I believe my pottery is unique in design and function. Unlike most pottery I have seen for sale, I am focusing primarily on creating pottery intended to house plants. This may change over time, but I find joy in making beautiful things for plants to live in. Over the last year I have made many styles of flower pots the majority of which I have given away as gifts.

Please contact me if you would like to order a custom flower pot made by me just for you.