Playing Catch-Up

Hi there!; yes, it's been months, time flies, and I feel like I am playing blogger catch-up every time I get around to posting; I have it in the back of my mind, burning of guilt, like a little voice in my head that says...yes, another week without getting around to post anything in your blog, not a single word, not a simple photo...zilch.

Let me tell you, I have no kids, only a husband and a very babied spoiled Yorkie that I love as my human child...I keep a 9-5 job, keep an etsy shop, a side business, multiple spring craft shows, stay social in 4 platforms all while playing therapist to my family, and trying to desperately squeeze some "me" time which I feel I haven't properly had since last September.

It is so very hard to juggle many things at once, and while I love to be super busy, it does take a toll, and many things do give and fall through the cracks here and there...and my blogging seems to be one that falls through the cracks ever so effortlessly...but seriously, I still feel guilty.

 

So let me recap...

 

 

January: I spent inside, I put away all of my Christmas decorations....The start of the new year always gets me into home-decor, I want to clean and organize and re-arrange everything...of course this meant organizing my studio,to make it more efficient and neat which of course helps when you're expecting an avalanche of work incoming.  January also tested me, as I had to "impatiently" wait to hear from the shows I had applied to, in the hopes of being accepted...waiting is not my forte.

 

February: I got some shows approval, the main one being Carolina Fiber fest....I began to create a large amount of pieces, as I felt very confident this would be my biggest show and challenge yet. Of course, I always begin my list with very large quantity numbers, always to edit that in a realistic way..maybe if I had a better studio (not inside my closet and a side office table), maybe if I was a full time potter...but maybe I should try to keep my sanity by learning to predict quantities better, so I don't have to create so much in such a short period. My goal was over 500 individual miscellaneous pieces.

March: The stress was on!, I had barely made 100 pieces, with a month away from my first craft show, I was working until 3-4 am every day...my house was a mess, I was solely focusing on my business, letting my home kinda fall apart ..no time to cook or work out..no time for anything else really.....thankfully my husband is amazingly supportive and doesn't complain if the dishes pile up like the Eiffel tower...he may not wash them, but he doesn't blame me or complain..and that helps *_^

 

 April: STRESS + PANIC ; with a week away from my first 3 day show, I was about 50 yarn bowls short...I needed to bisque, glaze and high fire so many pieces...my awesome kiln powered through and performed amazingly!, I ran him every single day for about 9 days straight...I had never fired so much...but I was under a personal deadline, and I needed to make it happen. Of course, with pottery, anything can happen..and I mean anything BAD...now add the finicky porcelain diva that she is, and you have a recipe for heartbreak and potential disaster....overall I lost 10 pieces to bad glazing outcomes...cracking , etc. each piece that doesn't turn out well breaks my heart...but it is something I must learn to accept.....not easy though.

March and April were also filled with booth display designs...I had a new tent and new table and was focused on creating -or rather requesting my husband to build certain pieces that would store away flat, taking the least amount of space in my SUV for the shows...I created banners, burlap tablecloths, business cards, and played around with table setups to maximize my show space, while adding personality and interest to my booth.

 

 

So it's mid May...and tomorrow I'll be doing my last show until fall...I feel relieved and look forward to reclaiming my weekends, and spending more time with my family and dedicating time to sprucing up my home..tending to my neglected garden...play with my baby puppy...spend time outdoors... 

 Sometimes life gets so busy we forget to LIVE...but life will always be busy, and You must make time to enjoy, share and recharge....

I hope to be blogging at least once a week...it may be short and sweet, but at least the little voice in my head will stop yapping *_^

Have a splendid RELAXING weekend

Xo,

             Meli

A hectic week with a lot to show for it ^_^

Hi dear friends!

 

This has been a super stressful week, mainly because of my reg. 9-5 job...I get extra stressed when it takes my free time away from doing my pottery, but today is friday, and until monday morning, I rule my weekend ^_^

 

I have been making, glazing and firing many pieces this week, but let me show you all my goodies

 

Enjoy the photos

My new dessert dish line YUM! ^_^



This line will offer the possibilities of customizing the text and color! so cute!..coming very soon! *_^

This is the large batch of yarn bowls that were in queue from orders, they were glazed, high fired and shipped to their happy owners ^_^
 

A fabulous thing happens when I open the lid to a cooled kiln after a high fire!

All the great finished new pieces! so perfect *_^
 




All the orders get wrapped up and shipped..a happy process!, I love wrapping ! ^_^



 

I haven't knitted in a few months, but it always helps me find a little zen time to have a knitting project...so I worked on a chic and super easy triangle knitted scarf in a very chic bubblegum pink!

I am absolutely loving it!  My yarn bowl customers will receive a copy of this pattern with their purchase ^_^

 

Between all my work, house chores, pottery, knitting and family, I take the time to enjoy all the little things around me, I am so thankful for all I have, I am very blessed and God is to be thanked! ^_^




My sweet baby Chloe, the apple of my eye *_^

I am so looking forward to a nice relaxing weekend ^_^  I hope you have a beautiful weekend yourself!

XoX, Meli

A busy week & a new Kiln!

Hi dear friends!; another week has raced by, but for me, it has been a fabulous fast week, filled with many new wonderful things and improvements!...here's the recap:

 A recently organized and more stylish studio/craft room -- This is what I did most of my long weekend, I painted some furniture on saturday, and organized and re-decorated my studio/craft room all day sunday and monday. It looks wonderful!, and every time I walk inside, I feel happier and more inspired to create wonderful pottery!

 

A new automatic kiln and its very own brand spanking new kiln room! --Meet Steven! (I dubbed him after my husband, because he's hot! hehe). Yes, I have been waiting for this bad boy to arrive all the way from Palm Beach, and it recently came, and my amazing husband spent his long weekend building my fabulous kiln room, along with doing all of the electrical work required, and now it is time to do a test firing and start firing all my work in-house!!.

Until now I have been firing my pieces at a firing studio where I pay for each firing, and it is terrifying to have to package all of my "oh-so-very-delicate" greenware and drive 6 miles to it, many a time losing several pieces to the commute....one of the main culprits is the various train tracks I have to drive over...I literally cringe and screech as my car rolls over them....it is so painful to see my hard work be wrecked by bumps on the road, literally! *_^.  But no more!

Here are some pieces I am currently working on :

Carved Porcelain Pieces -- I am working on a "luxe" line, where I push my abilities as an artist and create more detailed and time-consuming work....these will be amazing to work on and amazing to own.... so far I have a gorgeous vase I will call "Honey-Combing", it is a stunning piece!, so far I have spent over 2 hours between hand-building it, sanding it, and now carving it...but the carving is only 1/4 done, and this weekend I will work on it more, hopefully completing the carving, so it can be bisque fired, and then glazed and high fired.

I am open to color suggestions!, so do share your opinion on what color you think this vase should be!


I hope you have a wonderful weekend!


XoX, Meli