Trunk Show Today!

I really should be taking advantage of this blog as a marketing tool... this will be a New Year's resolution, since we're coming upon that time of year.  And with that time of year are holiday festivities.  Speaking of which, holiday season is a busy time for shopping... for pottery!  Like today from 12-5.  At Ningyo Editions Gallery, 83 Spring St in Watertown.

There will be some fantastic artists' wares available!
Vonica Designs with gorgeous bags, pillows and textile wonderfulness.

Claudia Venon Designs creates comfortable, modern tops, dresses, and accessories for women.

Laurel's Bench is one of my favorite jewelery makers.

I love Merriweather Council's whimsical and cheerful embroidered hoops.



Vibrant, hand-painted pottery by me, ARC Housewares.

We'll also have some fantastic antiques, courtesy of AdVintage.

Come on over, have some fun  and do some holiday shopping.  Who wants to deal with the mall?

Sneak Preview

Here are some items I've been working on for next month's first annual Holiday Trunk Show.  Don't miss it! 

Large soup mug

Festive Berry Bowl

Holiday Ornaments

The Holiday Trunk Show is Sunday, November 13 (before all the holiday insanity starts) from 12-5 at Ningyo Editions Gallery, 83 Spring Street, Watertown, MA.

Be There or Be Square!

Some Inspiration

For my husband's birthday this past June, we started our summer with a weekend trip to NYC.  I was just getting over my first case of poison ivy (that's another story altogether) and a little on the miserable side.  Since I was uncomfortable in the heat but trying to be a good sport, we spent most of our time inside museums: the Expressionist print show at the MoMA on Saturday and the Cloisters on Sunday.  I loved the print show, since it reminded me of part of our honeymoon in Vienna, but the gorgeous pottery and tapestries at the Cloisters really spoke to me... sounds corny, I know, but the patterns, designs and intricate details on each piece made my jaw drop.  To think they were created centuries ago is amazing.  I think they might inspire some new pottery designs for me this winter.... take a look!

pottery pitcher and platter in the background

flower detail of a tapestry

more flower details

a meadow of flowers - my favorite

This is a horrible photo, but it shows the whole tapestry with all the detailed flowers.  Who doesn't like a fenced-in unicorn?

First Attempt: Frozen Yogurt

It's August.  How did that happen?  Where did July go?  Time seems to have flown by so quickly I never even wrote anything here.  I've got lots of catching up to do.

Since it's been real summer weather in Boston lately, I'm going to share with you my first attempt at making frozen yogurt.  It was a project my mother and I had planned to do together, since I had given her an ice cream maker for Mother's Day.  She and I are both huge fans of ice cream and frozen yogurt, a trait we inherited from her father.  We had agreed on trying frozen yogurt since that seemed healthier and less fattening.  I went to her house one night after work - after barely eating anything all day, due to my excitement about making our own frozen yogurt!  Having had day-dreams about opening my own "healthy" ice cream shop, I was so looking forward to actually giving this a go.  Could I even make palatable frozen yogurt?

We used a mango frozen yogurt recipe that came with the ice cream maker.  At the time, I was on a big white peach kick, so we substituted the mangoes with white peaches.  Unfortunately we hadn't taken into consideration the fact that mangoes are larger than peaches.  Next time we'll need to use more peaches.  We also used Greek yogurt instead of regular plain yogurt.  Because of Greek yogurt's extra tangy-ness, I'll add extra honey in my next attempt.  I think I'll also use some ground cinnamon - that could be yummy.

Here's a photo play-by-play of our fro yo adventure....

mixing the plain yogurt with sugar

measuring out one cup

adding 1 cup sweetened yogurt to 2 chopped peaches

the peach blended yogurt is mixed back into the bowl of sweetened yogurt. the ice cream maker parts are lined up in the foreground. 

all of the yogurt is slowly poured into the ice cream maker

after mixing in the ice cream maker for 30 minutes, we had a somewhat icy, a little on the soft side, peach frozen yogurt!  with the recipe tweaks our next batch will be even better when topped with delicious berries...mmmmm...

I could really go for some frozen yogurt right now.  I may need to make a trip to Berryline.

On a Roll....

OK, now that I've been quasi-obsessively looking for stand-out accessories in my favorite Etsy shops, I can't stop... here are a few more summer accessories you might enjoy...

Harvest Bubble Shawl by Clarice for those cool summer nights

Sunny yellow obi belt by Simone's Rose

Chunky coral necklace from La Marquise des Anges

Summer shrug from ileaiye

Eco-friendly tie-dye bracelets by Under a New Light

I can't get enough of this scarf trend that's going on. I love this lightweight, linen version from frenchfelt

Whimsical Starlette Sparkler hair pin by Giant Dwarf

Wedge sandals by Elena's Designs

Gorgeous robin's egg blue bag by MimsMaine

In honor of the Bruins winning last night's Stanley Cup... by tru.che

Summer Accessories

This past winter, during the endless days of snow and cold, I spent a lot of my free time scouring Etsy for unique handmade items and vintage finds.  Jewelry, pillows, ceramics, furniture... so much fantastic stuff to sort through. 

Since I've been busy working on my pottery this spring, I haven't perused my favorite shops in a while.  This self-inflicted hiatus is a great excuse to go back for a late Spring/early Summer update.  Here's my round-up of awesome accessories you can sport this summer for a swank and sassy look.

Wicker Handbag from Miss Farfalla

Silver hoop earrings by Laurel's Bench

Striped scarf from Bath Style

Clip-in Feather Extension by Hover

Country Fried Leggings by Bayou Salvage

Copper ring by AG Ambroult

Summer thongs by mohop

Sequined weekend bag by Independent Reign

Fossil necklace by Laurel's Bench

Crochet scarf by Ayca

Linen jacket by 13 threads

I don't want to get too carried away but I've found a lot of great items... I will definitely have to do a part 2 - very shortly! 

Rain, rain go away

Gaining experience is what's important, I kept telling myself on Saturday as I sat in my misty tent at Festival by the Lake.  The weather forecast hadn't been accurate in their precipitation prediction, unfortunately, and it ended up being a soggy day.  The tent I had brought to cover my space wasn't 100% waterproof, so a delicate mist came in through the ceiling.  I was thankful my pottery is waterproof and wasn't affected by the rain, unlike the watercolor artist who was a few booths down from me.

While it wasn't the beautifully sunny day I had imagined, there were still shoppers braving the weather.  Rain did not deter the fans of Festival by the Lake.  The event being 30 years old certainly helped the situation; the local die-hards would attend, regardless.

Being out and meeting people is what's fun about these shows anyway.  I was able to see a lot of familiar faces from growing up in Wakefield - some of whom I hadn't seen in 20 years!   It was great catching up with old friends and being back in my hometown.  The woman in the booth next to me commented on how nice it is to be a "local girl."  I had to agree!

I received some great feedback from people who stopped by my table to look at my pottery.  (I do realize people wouldn't likely tell me it was crap, either, but compliments are always appreciated!)  Again, it was another great experience and gain a better understanding of what people like.  I know what I'll be focusing on with my next batch of items for my next show in Topsfield on Sunday, June 26 at Absolutely Everything at 30 Main St.

before it got too soggy

Special thanks go out to my husband and my mom for helping me transport and set up all my stuff.  I couldn't have done it so efficiently without you!  (I had forgotten to pack all my table risers and plate stands, as you'll notice in the photos.  Thankfully my mom was able to find a couple in her basement for me to use.  I'm glad she hasn't had her summer yard sale yet.)