Spring is Upon Us Soon

Stoneware bird in speckled green glaze.

Stoneware bird in Yellow Maize glaze.

I realized today that this coming Sunday is Daylight Saving Time.  Days will be longer and it will get dark late in the day.  It is the best  time of the year for me here in So. California.  And this time around is even better because we have had a late winter with rain as recent as last week.  One gets spoiled by the beautiful weather we always have, and when we get that little cold or rain it is just not happy times for me.  So welcome Spring!

Aquamarine glaze on Porcelain with Decal decoration.

I've also realized that it has been about a month without a posting here since the giveaway.  Interestingly I had comments to approve,,,,? I never had that, it makes me think that i may have changed some settings on the blog last time I fiddled with settings or something.

Another thing is that  I had not touched clay since November.  I was just not finding my way with it since the Holidays, then New Year's, then the weather.  Always an excuse I guess.  But the last couple weeks I have been making new stuff.  Birds and other colorful items ready for spring.  My sales have been really great lately as well and for that I am thankful.  These are few pictures of the new stuff.

Stoneware Purple glaze pendant and beads.

Earthenware pendant with watercolor
type technique

Being excited about spring can only bring one better thing after it.... Summer!

Giveaway Winner!

 The winner of the bird beads is!

Mary from Birch Bark Beads

I tried to get the widget from  random.org to show the winning number, but I'm sorry for some reason I just didn't know how to get it here.

The number chosen was number 4.  

Thank you all for entering, I will be doing another one in a month or so.

Mary, please email me at yolandasclay(at)yahoo(dot)com

The Bird and the Beads Giveaway

I've been wanting to do a giveaway lately, and like always just needed to get my act together.  Well, it is not totally together, but anyways here I am with a giveaway.   To enter the giveaway you need to post a comment on my blog let me know why you like ceramic beads, and how you heard about me and this blog.  Feel free to share this giveaway with your friends etc.  I need to get my  name out there and any little exposure helps.

I am giving away a set of six beads and a bird made from stoneware clay and glazed in a teal green shade.  They have been fired to cone 5.  The bird and beads are all handmade by me so please expect a little of the handmade  look and feel.  The bird I love, it's a little plump measuring about 1" and the beads range from 10 to 13mm. These beads will go to the lucky winner  when I announce it on February 11th.

Please leave your comments.  Last day to enter is Thursday the 10th.  The entry time will end at 9pm PST.   I will announce a winner  Friday Feb. 11th. in the morning.  Thank you for visiting and good luck!

Kiln Firing Results

Yesterday I opened the kiln and this is what it looked like.  I am happy to announce no pieces were lost in this firing, and that makes me happy.  This is what everything looked like once I got them all out

  

Do you like what you see?  Well come back Thursday because I will have a giveaway of one of those birds and beads.  I need to do one more firing to complete the sets and take pictures.

So I will see you back here on Thursday.  In the meantime I hope you enjoy these pictures.  And thank you for always stopping by the blog.                                    

Where in the world is Yolanda??

I know, I know it seems like after my last post I just disappeared to never be  seen again...Well not so really.  Holidays came and went, everything was nice.  Staying home this year and spent Christmas with friends and had a great time.  For New Year's it was quiet here at home.

I think part of my disappearance from the clay blog was the disappointing firing I had before the Holidays.  A full kiln of ornaments all went to the trash... the glazing was horrible.  It made me feel like crap really.  I still cannot pin point what it was, I did a small firing  afterwards of little things I make to give away like magnets, smaller pendants, some beads and the firing came out good.  So I am being brave right now and filled the kiln for a firing and it's going as we speak....  fingers crossed.  Here are some pictures of the kiln full right now.

Beads on wire before loading in kiln

This is the whole batch, about 150 beads and 30 pendants

Here is a view from above of the full kiln.  Not all those beads fit, I had about 30 pieces left for next firing.  I have to glazes more things to add to those and really use all the space possible.

This load I will probably open Saturday night or Sunday.  So until then I say, later.