Whew!

Two long days at the ceramic studio, and I used up 50 lbs of clay, made a giant mess, met some quirky old ladies, and acquired a serious backache. I love being a full time potter!

 I made somewhere around 20 pieces in the past few days. I built some by hand and threw a few on the wheel.  I'm trying out a new kind of clay and experimenting with new designs. If they turn out as awesome as I hope, I will have a fresh batch ready for etsy in a few weeks. I've been working on single stem flower holders, serving trays with dipping dishes, spice jars, and soap dishes. I also made a fountain that looks like a flower. I am so excited to be able to start a new line of fountains. I have been playing around with the pumps and tubes and hope to have a fully functional one up for sale soon!

In other news, Ive been cooking a lot recently. I hope to start posting pictures and recipes on here as I try out new things. Why not share the deliciousness? So many things are in the works, stay tuned for new developments and have an awesome 4th of July!

One of my flower fountains in progress (not yet fired)

The finished flower! With the pump working! however this one has a crack on the base so I am making another.

Me at the studio with a crazy vase I'm working on. This piece has been fired once to harden (vitrify) the clay, I will glaze it and fired it again to finish it.

My Esty Store is now Open!!!

So, I decided to take the leap and open my shop! I know that not everything can be perfect from the beginning so, I just went ahead and started!

Check it out at JoyTakesRoot.etsy.com!

I give credit for my awesome logo to http://www.justlikethatdesign.com  I love the way it turned out, simple yet unique!

To start off my shop, I listed a few of my favorite paintings which I thought well represented my style.
Now that I'm an official etsy seller I have to get motivated to get ready the business side of things, Yuck!

So I'm off the the county courthouse to get my DBA and tax license! Then to the bank, gotta have some cash right? Then to Hobby Lobby to get started with my packaging supplies....and the list goes on and on. Can't wait for all this behind the scenes work to be done so I can go buy some more clay and get messy!

This week I have also been working on setting up my studio and trying to make it completely functional. So far, with my friend Megan's brave help we have tackled most of it. Below are some before and after photos. But do not fear this is not the final photo! I will post some others after I get it all neat and tidy. Have a great weekend, I'm off to conquer my to-do list!

The first step of a great adventure!

I am on the edge of opening my first shop on etsy.com! I can't wait for the day I finally get it all set up and see the ceramics currently scattered around my studio, posted for all the see!

A few random notes about me....

-I love everything about clay, messy hands, and organic forms.
-I create by touching and sculpting a new design rather than careful planning.
-I am obsessed with cooking! Here's to no more bland food!
-Fall is by far my favorite season, mostly because of its focus on leaves, which I have always been in love with.
-I grew up in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, and I love drinking coffee in the rain!

I'm sure you will slowly learn more about me as you read, but I don't intend for this to be a "all about me" blog. More of a space to share creativity and enjoy life!

Thanks for reading! -Michelle