Hitting the Road!

Busy me! I am taking the show on the road. Right now I am planning for an upcoming craft show. I thought I could get by with just one table. Nope. I am going to need at least two & a dog kennel!

UPDATE ON GRACIE'S PUPPIES!!!!!

All still alive and wiggling! 

I estimate these pups to weigh around three pounds when grown!

 Twenty One Days Old Today.

 This is the Runt. He was the first one to open his eyes!

 

Four boys & Three girls

Mortar & Pestle by Beth Murr

Sometimes you open the kiln and that one piece just grabs you. Now if I can only remember how I did it! 

My new airbrush. Harbor Freight just $9.99  Love it!

I have been staying off the Internet and getting tons of work done.

I moved the Clay Cave. Huge improvement.

Pottery is my new love.

 Until We Bead Again, Beth

Problems with the Clay Boss Pottery Wheel

Heartbreak set in when my Clay Boss Pottery Wheel stopped spinning. What was the problem? Long story short - rusty magnets in the motor. I wish I had taken pics along the way but I didn't so I will explain. I had not used my pottery wheel all winter. Finally, the clay cave warms up and I throw a bowl. It turned out great. I leave it spinning for a few minutes. I walk away and when I returned the wheel had stopped. What the heck!? Did I blow a fuse? No. I spin the wheel by hand in the reverse way, it catches, spins a couple of revolutions and then stops again. I'm sick. I can not afford to replace my wheel right now. $500 + if I'm lucky. I call Creative Industries. I spoke with Debra. She was really nice and helpful. We come to the conclusion that my circuit board needs to be replaced. $75.00. Not bad. I'll take one. I wait patiently for it's arrival. It gets here. Feverishly I take off the old circuit board and replace it with the new one. No change. The wheel is still doing the same  thing. I can spin it in the opposite direction, it finally seems to catch and then only spins a few turns, then stops. I must have appeared really pitiful because now my son has joined in to help me. Together we decided to just go ahead and take the motor apart. I have nothing to lose because this is the next thing I am going to replace. I do not claim to to be an electrician, maybe I should have gone to school for that instead of nursing because they charge $60/hr for labor, but it really was not that hard to see the problem once I had the motor apart. There was a fine layer of rust on the magnets. I take a toothbrush and clean off the rust. Then I carefully put everything back together. It runs like a champ! Apparently there is much more humidity in my basement than I realized. I will be moving the pottery wheel to a much drier place today. I hope this article helps others who have had this same problem. Just be careful and remember to unplug your wheel before you work on it. A  $2.00 toothbrush could be all you need to keep from replacing a $500+ pottery wheel.

Chihuahua Ties World Record Seven Puppies!

                                         Puppy Soup!
My Chihuahua, Gracie, tied the World Record for the most Chihuahua puppies born in one litter on June 25th, 2010. They are teeny-tiny!! Four boys and three girls. If anyone is interested in owning a new puppy contact me on my website. http://www.untilwebeadagain.com/index.php?p=1_72_Contact-Me
I will begin to help Gracie wean these pups at 2 weeks old. If you have the time and ability to care for a very young puppy I will let them leave their mother before they are six weeks old.

Face Jugs

Has she gone off the deep end? No. If you have never heard of face jugs you may be a little alarmed right now. Let me explain. History states that face jugs originated in North Georgia and Western North Carolina. Well I live in Flintstone, Georgia and that is in North Georgia. So, why wouldn't I make face jugs? Makes sense to me. The story goes that face jugs were made to keep stuff in that you wanted the kids to leave alone. The scarier  the face jug the more potent it's contents. You might say this was an early form of childproof bottles. Some say that potters traded jugs with the moonshiners. Another story is that slave communities placed face jugs (devil jugs) on their graves to keep away evil spirits. If the jug broke within the first year the deceased was thought to be wrestling with the devil. They are so fun to make. I like them because they are very forgiving. The uglier it turns out the better! Please enjoy this short You Tube video about a talking face jug!

Other things going on in the Clay Cave. I will soon be able to check off something on the Bucket List. My cabinets will be filled with nothing but my own pottery. These leaf plates are just the beginning. Last year I planted sunflowers. They reseeded themselves, much to my surprise, and I used one of the leaves to make these plates.

Here's a sneak preview at some bisque and greenware I am working on. I'll get back to beading soon. Right now I have to take advantage of the weather and play in the mud!

 

The woods are calling me. I'm going on a nature walk to find things to incorporate with my clay beads to make jewelry and other needful things.

Sometimes a girl just gets lucky!

Sticker on the box $199.99. Price at the register $40.00. Died, gone to heaven and I see the light! This is the only type of light I can bead by. I have had a very small Ott Lite for many years. Moving on up to the big league. It has been a great day.





  

Earlier I went to see Debbie Baker at Clayworks studio. She had some pretty new pieces on display. Of course I had to get pics. I also picked up 50lbs of clay. I am going to make my own dishes. Pretty soon nothing but my own handmade pottery will fill the cabinets. That has been on my Bucket List since I was about 13. Dreams do come true if you sleep long enough.

Beaded Stethoscopes

Being a nurse it is only proper that I bead my stethoscope. Right? Right. I have done several. Here is my latest. I modified my Blackbird bird house needle case pattern to make this one. If anyone would like a beaded stethoscope please go to my website and fill out the Contact Me Form by CLICKING HERE.  There is no set price on these. Cost will depend on the pattern and type of beads used. This would really make a nice gift for a Graduate Nurse or even an Old Timer like me!

 

This is special. I have always wanted to do bead therapy at our local Children's Hospital. It is on my Bucket List. This group takes it one step further. Children are so brave, and so are the nurses that care for them. It's hard for me to watch this video without tearing up.

Returning to the Clay Cave.

It's hard to bead with mud on your hands.

Finally finished the sea turtle necklace.

I heard Turquoise is the color now. Happy to hear that. Brown was the color for a while. Man I LOVE brown. So, I am sure everyone has a ton of brown. Great! Because Turquoise and Brown look so great together. By the way, I am still searching for those brown beads with a gold speck that can only be seen under bright light that go swooshy when you rub them together.

Kate Boyan's Gallery of Beadwork & Blog

While I am busy in the Clay Cave I thought I would share some amazing bead work with you. This is Kate Boyan. She lives in Alaska. I would refer to her as an artist that paints with beads. I love her style. Be sure to view all the older posts on her blog. She is simply amazing. Click here to view her work.

My Kind Of Guy

Go To Kevin Richardson's Website

Raku Turtle Cabochons & Pendants

Yeah! Success! First test fire is a good one. 

Buy these turtles by clicking here.

The above Frog On A Leaf sold to Robbie. Check back often for more Raku Cabs & Beads.

Loaded The Kiln - Raku Test Fire

 
Wish me LuCk!
Okay I admit it...I tried to light the kiln but I guess I am too scared. Must wait patiently for the brave flame master to return.

Raku Beads & Cabochons Coming Soon!

Just waiting for the mud to dry!

Raku Kiln Blows Off Lid !!!

Do NOT try this at home. This video shows you how NOT to light a garbage can Raku Kiln. Learn from my mistake. We were very lucky no one was injured.

The Raku Kiln

Finally, one year after purchase, I am firing up the Raku kiln!

 

Mike, my son, lights it for me because I am too chicken to do it.

Chattanooga, TN Pottery & Supplies - Debbie Baker

 

Debbie Baker's pottery studio is where I buy my pottery supplies. She is so sweet and talented. She is a potter and she knows what potters need. She is also an instructor at CSTCC. See her for all your pottery needs. If what your looking for is not in stock, she will place special orders. She also does custom framing. Drop by and visit with my friend Debbie Baker.

Clayworks

2504 East 12th Street

Chattanooga, TN 37404

423-648-7687

Swooping in for a closer look.

 

For the past couple of weeks there has been a family of Chicadees entertaining me just outside my bedroom window. Today while I was taking a picture of  the Turtle necklace I am working on, one swooped in for a closer look.

Just a little closer.

Clay Turtles by Beth Murr

Here's what's happening in the Clay Cave.

I will be selling these little Clay Turtles in just a few more days. Each one is made by hand. Some will be Raku fired and some will be detailed. I will also be selling them in bisque so that you can paint your own. Turtle Cabs and Beads. Just in time for summer beach wear.

Until We Bead Again, Beth Murr

Publish Post

Save your scraps!

There's nothing as disappointing as running out of beads. Especially when you only need a few more rows. Luckily I had this scrap on hand so I could finish the Hummingbird needle case. Here a few tips for new beaders. Save your scraps. Only pour a few beads out in your tray at a time. That way you will have less beads to put back in your containers when you are finished. I hate cleaning up my bead tray.
Until We Bead Again, Beth Murr

Beaded Hummingbird Needle Case Pattern

 

Here it is! Seven little Hummingbirds feeding on flowers growing up a light post.

Buy the pattern by CLICKING HERE to go to my website.

Go Green and Save. You download and print.

 This pattern only requires 7 colors of Delica beads. 

The lid is painted black to match the light post.

You can watch my You Tube videos to learn how to make beaded needle cases.