New Things to Come

That is just a catchy phrase to make you read.... my bad.
I realized that I haven't written in about a month. I am bad at this blogging stuff, but you all know that already. So let's skip the apologies.

Thanksgiving was wonderful, Christina came home Tuesday. We went to San Diego on Thursday to spend Thanksgiving with Glen's family. Barbara as always was such a great host and boy is she a good cook too! We took Sparky with us, so that's always appreciated that she lets us do that, Sparky is so needy. We spent the day with great company and for that I am thankful to have the Boyd's and Henehan's in my life. For some reason nobody got their cameras out this year, so I have no pics to show the fun had.

Christina left Sunday morning and the house has been quiet since then. It's nice to have her come and visit, but it's also nice to have her go back... am I bad again??

I had a tutorial to show but the last step didn't work out... the glazing. Glaze ran down and there were some pinholes. So, I will have to wait for next firing to do more pieces then. It has to do with texture so I will give you that much today.

In this post I want to thank all of you who have supported my little ceramic creations, been there for me as a friend. I truly appreciate all of you. Wishing you all the best of the Holidays. May love, family, peace and happiness fill your hearts and home forever.

Dia de Muertos

Today in Mexico and other Latino countries is the day for the celebration known as Day of the Dead. In what appears to sound like a day of mourning and crying is actually pretty much the opposite. Dia de Muertos is actually a celebration of the life of our loved ones who have departed. The tradition is to celebrate by visiting their place of rest and bring to them a lot of gifts to make their place look happy, festive and colorful. Flowers is the first of gifts brought, maybe their favorite dish and drink, favorite music, candles. All these things look so pretty because as you know the Mexican culture and folklore is always full of bright colors.

Today I came to realize that while I was growing up we never went to the cemetery to visit anybody, I knew about the celebration but never went to one. We Didn't have anybody that was so close to us that had died and that were resting near us. My Mom's parents and siblings and my Dad's father had died many years ago, some even before I was born in their home state in Southern Mexico. It wasn't until I was 24 that my maternal grandmother passed away in Tijuana. Being the first closest member of my family that passed away. By that time I was living in California already and was very well adjusted and assimilated to living here. It took another 14 years for us to suffer a major loss. On July 2000 my Mom passed away, that was a very hard time for us and for me sometimes it still is. I didn't visit her resting place today because she is in Tijuana, and I don't make the trip there very often but I had my sister get flowers for her.

Today I went to visit my Aunt and my cousin whose resting place is in my neck of the woods, they both died last March less than 24 hours from one another. Mother and son rest together. My cousins and I brought our chairs, chatted and then prayed the rosary. We went to lunch afterwards and caught up with things going on with our kids nowadays. It was my first visit to the cemetery on this day and it was very nice to see a lot of people visiting their loved ones. Someone even brought the mariachi band! (I love mariachi). It was just the perfect day under the hot California Sun.

This is a picture of what my Mom's resting place looks like. My brother Gustavo is so good at maintaining and cleaning all the time. I am always thankful to him, and I am blessed he is my brother.

A day with Lana

Last week I attended a one day workshop with Lana Wilson at Saddleback College in South Orange County. I was looking forward to this day since I read about it in her website... May or June I think. I emailed the instructor at the college and did not hear anything for 3-4 months, I thought that I was not going to be so lucky to get in. But I did! and it was great to attend.

Lana is a very lively and energetic lady. Her life is full of experiences from the many years being a potter, her many travels, her children, a life well lived.
She incorporates times in her life as she is describing her clay work, how a technique happened to be created when she was doing something totally different from clay, or how the night before she was thinking while lying in bed of how to improve a technique that she would show us that day. She is truly fun to watch and listen to. I wish her several days workshops were near by, I'd go in a hearbeat.



While she showed us a lot of stuff in the one day workshop, I will talk about a few things that stuck. She is working with colored slips right now in creating functional pottery, something that was not done by her years ago. She adds the slip to a wet slab by brushing coats of different colored slips. And then proceeds to alter the clay in many ways by carving, stretching, throwing it on the table, stamping and so much more. She created several pieces in the day and I manage to get some pictures of a cup, vase and a couple plates.



Lana is very giving with sharing a lot of her techniques of doing clay. I see her as a kind person who probably saw in us the eagerness to learn and to create something new, beautiful and fun with our own hands. She gave us that sense that it was okay to do whatever we wanted with what she taught us and if in the process we learned something new, or a way to improve (hard to believe) to take on it and just do it.

Thank you to Richard White at Saddleback for letting me in, and to Lana for being a great teacher and an inspiring me to take clay to a new level.

How could I

Well, here I am again with another apology post. I am so bad in keeping this blog current, I don't know what it is?? Well, I do know a couple reasons why... but there is more than a couple, but I will not get into the couple ones I'm talking about. I am finally walking much better than the last couple months after surgery in July. I can say that walking as my exercise is great, so that has me a little happy that I can walk with my neighbors again.

Also, I am missing the girl now that she is gone to College, so that is taking some time to adjust. Sadly to top it off I had to put my sweet kitty down a few weeks ago, not having her has been very hard. Every time I think of her I start crying.
She had been sick since the beginning of the year and we were trying to figure out what was wrong with her. In the end it was just too much to put her thru more tests. She lost a lot of weight in the meantime and gain some back and ultimately lost some more. Sassy was a cat who LOVED to be petted, she was the neighborhood's cat and paraded herself everywhere. Many of my neighbors are sad to hear she is not here anymore. She was quite a character always demanding of my attention, she also outlived many cats around us that were lost to coyotes. She was a smart and loving kitty that will be missed greatly.

I will post in the next couple days about a clay workshop that I took a few days ago with a very fun and wonderful clay artist from the San Diego area. I have admired her work for several years and felt very lucky to attend the one day demonstration she gave at the local college.

So without making anymore promises of keeping this always current, I'll just say, hasta luego.

Taking care of business

I had knee surgery two days ago on the 29th, all went well. Except that yesterday morning I was not feeling pain, I was actually feeling pretty good so I saw no need to take painkillers. SOB! by 6pm the pain was so ever present, took two pills and it took about 3 hours for the pain to start fading away, by that time I took another dose and poor baby was crying wishing that I had not been hopping around all day.

Another reason for not taking the meds was that they make me so sleepy, dizzy and kind of depressed. So while I'm making one thing better (pain) I'm screwing up others....ugh. Today I have been in and out of sleep like in a fog, but oh well pain has reduced a lot, so, so far good for that. Thanks to Glen, my sister Laura and Christina for being there for me and taking such good care, specially Glen who did the driving and heavier load the first two days.

As it is I am taking care of business in the knee dept. but not on the clay dept. Just a couple orders to get done but not much
that I need to worry since the people waiting knew that I would be out of commission.

Back to the pillow. Later.

Getting old

I found out yesterday that I may need knee surgery on my right knee, not what I wanted to hear. I had surgery on that same knee 15 years ago when I had a torn meniscus. Everything went well then and I really didn't have any problems since. But about a month ago I twisted the knee when I was trying to get in the car, didn't hurt horribly but it has been a constant nag to the point where I have slowed down my walking tremendously. And for those of you who know me you know that it was back in February that I started walking a lot after taking care of some health problems, and I have been able to lose 16 lbs.

But now I need to take care of this before it gets any worse. I am waiting for a call to set an appoinment for a MRI. It's funny that the first surgery I had was about the same time, I remember taking advantage of the 4th of July weekend to recover better w/o having to go to work for 4 days or something like that. And here I am now at the same time.... same knee and same problem, a torn meniscus.

I feel that once I turned 30 the warranty on my body expired and it started bringing on aches and pains, changes on body, the rate of hairloss quadrupled, depression set on bla bla bla. And don't get me going on turning 40!

I think the reason I didn't want to hear about surgery is because I haven't fixed my shoulders that have been bugging me since my late 30's... been putting it off for a looonggg time and now I have to take care of this first. Oh well, c'est la vie.

Tustin Chili Cook Off June 7th

Hey! come and see me and grab a bowl of chili! Sunday June 7th 11am to 6pm with all the sunny sun California has to offer. Don't miss the biggest Chili Cook Off over 40,000 heads will show up to eat, listen to music, drink beer, put their legs in a contest, and buy buy buy handmade...!!

http://events.ocregister.com/tustin-ca/events/show/85859801-tustin-street-fair-and-chili-cookoff

Be there! I'll be waiting for you. Old Town Tustin, you really can't miss it.

Patchwork Aftermath

Thank you everybody who came Sunday to the Patchwork Show. I was very happy to see people who have bought from me before, have taken a class, friends and as always is fun to meet new customers and to see how they like what I make. Patchwork is a fun show always. Sales were good and I'm happy to apply the profit I made to buy new materials and start all over again. It was fun to share with Kayte as she is such a lively and fun girl.

One BIG surprise I had was to see a very good friend that I consider more family who drove all the way from San Diego, Jennifer and her 3 little kids. She had read my post on Facebook in the morning and didn't have plans for Sunday, so off they came to check it out. Her kids are too adorable and full of life and energy. The girls got necklaces, and the little boy got nothing.....sorry. Happy to see you all.

I takes a couple of days to recoup from shows, they have lots of work to do before, during, and after that's why I'm posting today. Now I'm preparing for the next sale, on June 7th. I will be at the Annual Tustin Chili Cook Off from 11 to 6pm, the location is Old Town Tustin and it goes for blocks. OTT main streets are Main St. and El Camino Real.

Earrings for Patchwork

Here is a few pairs of earrings that will be available this Sunday May 17 at Patchwork. Come and say hi. Read on the post just below to find out what Patchwork is.

Patchwork the Biggest Indie Craft Show in the OC

This Sunday May 17 in Santa Ana, The Road Less Traveled Store and the all famous Harvey's Bags are putting their 4th show of the biggest and most popular handmade indie crafts, Patchwork. This will be my third time doing Patchwork and I must say that I always have fun. It's crazy, it's crowded, it's wild and I love seeing lots of people come and appreciate Handmade. You can see all types of people, young and old, families, friends together having a blast, enjoying the most fabulous creations vendors have to offer, along with great music and delicious food.

Patchwork is located at 2202 N. Main Santa Ana, Off the 5 freeway and just in between the Bowers Museum and The Main Place Mall, it goes from 11am to 5pm.

I will be sharing my booth with my friend Kayte from www.LuckyFindDesigns.etsy.com Kayte makes such cool bycicle basket liners, aprons and purses with fantastic fabrics from all over the OC and LA. Other etsy sellers will be there too like www.amymaydesign.etsy.com with her fabulous jewelry and all of her popular button earrings. Amy will be sharing with Jackie from www.madebyjackie.etsy.com and all of her super adorable and beautiful paper creations of all ocassion cards and tags among other little cute things she makes. In the same lot will be Miss Yvette (all the way from SD) her store is www.offthehookhats.etsy.com with all of her knitted creations.

As you can see Patchwork is a gathering of friends who like to create, congregate and enjoy a beautiful day of sun and warm weather doing the things we appreciate most, having fun and yes...making sales too. Patchwork is free!! Come and see us!

This Mother's Empty Nest

My daughter graduates from high school next month. As the time approaches for graduation and later the time for her to go off to college, I cannot help but think of how quiet this house will be. It has been getting quieter for a while now. She's been busy with homework, getting a job last year, getting her driver's license and being a full blown quiet teenager. I've come to realize how much I will miss her presence and having her around even when at times it seems she is not here.

This is a big thing happening in a young woman's life, but I can undoubtedly say it has been a long awaited moment for both of us. As she steps into a new world of new friends, being away from home, a new place to live, a new school, and new adventures it's hard for me to see my only child leave, no matter how long this awaited moment has been. So, as I prepare these months to finally cut the umbillical cord I will enjoy this time and continue to guide (nag) her, motivate (push) her, expect (nag again) from her, and love (love?) her.

In the end all I could have thought of teaching her has been taught. It's up to her to put those things into practice, it's up to her to follow the best road for her, it's up to her to continue expecting the best of herself, it's up to her to make the best life for herself. But for me, it's still the time to continue loving her forever.

Soul at Home Artisan's Craft Faire

Sunday May 3rd. from 12 noon to 5 pm. Soul at Home in Tustin will be holding their Annual Craft Faire. Soul at Home is a yoga studio, spa, and a home market. In there you can find unique items for you and you home. With a green emphasis on many of their products you leave their space feeling relaxed from yoga and the wonderful feeling than in a little way you're helping our wonderful planet. The store is beautifully decorated in soft earthy colors with lots of pieces that inspire you to become in tune with your inner self. Come and visit us this Sunday and come and enjoy a day of peace, art, and fun.

Soul at Home a Marketplace for Living is located in Tustin, 17612 East 17th St. off the 55 freeway. Come and see my ceramics jewelry and many other handmade good for you and home.

Happy MayDay!

Happy day to all of you who celebrate this holiday. In Mexico May 1st. better known as Dia del Trabajo is a National Holiday. Dia del Trabajo is the equivalent of Labor Day. No one works... well no one is supposed to work but of course the ones who do are those in the retail business, hotels, grocery stores. Government, schools, post office will close on this day.

I remember growing up May 1st. was a day celebrated in Tijuana with a parade (desfile). Unions would do the route, as some school bands, and students were made to do it too. As with any other parade the end of the line was filled with food vendors, craft booths, carnival, music and a lot of fun were you could stay for a while and enjoy having a day off. People who did not participate or who did not care for the "desfile" would opt for going to the beach, shopping, or just stay home and catch up with things. For some if the day fell on a Friday or Monday you could do a puente (long weekend) and do something more fun like going away for the weekend. I remember for many people in this bordertown a popular destination was Disneyland, San Diego Zoo, or Seaworld. People would save for months to have this little mini vacation and enjoy the fruits of their labor. Huh! What a concept. Something you don't hear much anymore...saving.

I don't live in Tijuana anymore, and I don't know if the tradition still exists, but wherever you are and whatever you do, I hope that this day is enjoyable because a day off for all the other days you work is a nice break!

Spring is Almost Here!

But the Gift Guide for the California Crafter's Club of Etsy (CCCOE) has launched their own Gift Guide as of Feb.1st.
Over 65 Crafter's from California have signed up to advertise and sell their Handmade Goods. Come and take a look and see what all the fuzz is about and all the wonderful things are made in our beautiful state!