A little painting, a little yaking....

Ah, what could be more perfect....

For the Fourth of July we headed up to the family camp. Probably my most favorite place to be.

My idea of a perfect day is heading up there and spending the day enjoying the pond, and having time to relax which usually means creating.  Typically playing with clay or glazing. This time I packed up some earthenware bisque pieces, underglazes, bead racks, brushes and palettes.  I had them all set up nicely outside on the picnic table, and out of nowhere, came a flash of lightning.  So I moved everything on the porch...

I decided to bring anything but blue glazes, because I love blue so much it seems I've been going heavy in that direction lately.

So I brought only shades of salmon, pink, reds, corals,

lavender, lilac, amethyst, orchid,

bright green, avacado, blue green (ok that's the only blue - sort of), and light green.

After painting for a while, the storm passed over, and the sky cleared up again.

So I decided to take the kayak out for a spin around the pond.

There wasn't a soul out there except birds and some croaking frogs.

I'm always finding interesting plants out there, so I find it fascinating to stay close to the shore and see what's blooming.  This pink flowering bush caught my eye. My friend Lisa Amato Staten helped me identify it and it's called Mountain Laurel.

Apparently this pond monster has been out there for years, but it was especially noticable this trip. It was munching on some millfoil and other delicious pond treats.

Before packing up I had time to go back and finish up another coat of glaze. 

I love this place.

Lori Anderson's July Cup of Bead Soup!

Lori Anderson ~ artist, blogger, and jewelry designer of  Pretty Things hosts a Cup of Bead Soup each month.  What's a Cup of Bead Soup?  Every month a different bead artist sends Lori a batch of beads, and Lori takes the ingredients she receives, creates fabulous finished jewelry pieces ~ and blogs about her techniques, thought processes, and obstacles she meets along the way.

For the month of July, I'm excited to say Lori will be using some of my clay pendants and beads in her creations!  To celebrate summer, I sent Lori some of my new stoneware beach theme elements featuring starfish, waves and Atlantic auger shells.

I've also included a blue earthenware floral pendant with matching beads in Lori's soup mix ~

 I can't wait to see what Lori creates with my clay components! Please join me in observing Lori's creative process with some help from her son Zack, as she will be posting periodically throughout the month on her blog:

Ready for the Beach ~

I started listing some of my new stoneware beach pendants in my Clayworksnh Etsy shop. 

Made from tan speckled stoneware clay,

Day at the Beach Stoneware Starfish Wave Pendant

and glazed with some of my favorite Coyote glazes - Gun Metal Green, Shino, Oasis Blue, Almost Teal, and Pansy Purple.

Tidal Pool Stoneware Shell Necklace Pendant



More to be listed soon.... 

Happy June!

Celebrate almost summer with 15% off in my Clayworksnh Etsy shop.

Enter CWJUNE15 at Checkout.

Seashore Soup

A few years ago when on vacation in Florida, I spent some time making some tile molds, which I did use to make some tiles, but haven't had a chance to glaze yet.   From out of nowhere a couple weeks ago I had a thought that I should use them to make some pendants.  Ahh!  Brilliant!  Why didn't I think of that before?  Probably because they're a bit larger than what I'm used to making, but hey, some people probably prefer larger focal beads.

Here's a few bisque pendants I made from white low fire clay. 

And a few made from stoneware clay that haven't been fired yet.

Upcoming Event~
Lori Anderson of Pretty Things hosts a Cup of Bead Soup ~ where every month a different artist sends her a sight unseen batch of beads, and Lori blogs about the process of using those beads to create finished jewelry pieces.  I'm very excited to say I'll be featured in July, and it will be really fun to see what Lori creates with the soup ingredients I send her.  

I'm in the process of painting some of my new beads and pendants to send Lori, and don't even know myself which ones I'll choose.  I'd like to send her some stoneware as well as some low fire white clay pieces. You'll need to check out Lori's July Cup of Bead Soup creations to find out more.

May Day Giveaway and Avatar Winners!

Thank you to everyone who helped me decide which avatar to use so I could give the snowflake a break for the summer. 

The majority rules.....

so, out with the snowflake and in with the dancing starfish!

The winner of the starfish dangles has been contacted.

Thanks everyone for participating!

Also - to celebrate May, I'm offering Free US Shipping in my Clayworksnh Etsy Shop to my Clayworks by Lisa Boucher Facebook Fans.  Just enter FBMAYFSUS at Checkout.

It's NHPTV Auction Time!

 New Hampshire Public Television is the state's only locally owned and operated television station, and has been a resource for cultural enrichment and education since 1959.

Be sure to tune in to the live NHPTV Spring Auction beginning Friday, May 6 – Sunday, May 15, 2011 at 6:00 pm each evening…you cannot afford to miss it!  



Support public television and bid on everything from spa treatments to art, cars, books, vacations, cars and homes, etc., etc..  You name it, it's probably available at this auction.  Last year I bid on a massage gift certificate from the incredible Erica Bickford, LMT who donates every year And works the auction, and I was So exicited when I actually won her certificate for a glorious massage!!

You can also bid on this set of six handcrafted Clayworksnh seaside wave pins I've donated for the event:





Each donation makes a difference! Proceeds from the Auction supports funding for NHPTV's programs and educational services.  See you at the auction!  For more information visit NHPTV.org.

May Day Giveaway

Well, I haven't seen any snowflakes for a few days, so maybe it's safe to start thinking about putting away the turtlenecks and start digging out the shorts?  Maybe...  It's a thought anyway.  I think it's also time to put my snowflake avatar in storage for the summer as well, but I'm not sure which one to replace it with. 

Please leave a comment on this post with the one of four avatar hopefuls that you prefer, and I'll use the one with the most votes.

Oh, and the giveaway... My Sea and Surf Starfish Dangles

Glistening in the sea and sand, these dangle earrings of varied blues, beach sand and mother of pearl are made from white low fire cay with raised starfish design and measure 3/4” in diameter. Finished with blue & pearl glass beads, and sterling silver ear wires.

The Avatar choice will replace the snowflake on Etsy, on my Clayworks by Lisa Facebook Fan Page, Twitter, on Beads-of-Clay, Ceramic Bead Artists, the Etsy Mud Team, NHMade, among others. 

I'll be announcing the winner of the giveaway as well as the summer avatar on Saturday, May 7th. Thanks for participating!

Also - to celebrate May, I'm offering Free US Shipping in my Clayworksnh Etsy Shop to my Clayworks by Lisa Boucher Facebook Fans.  Just enter FBMAYFSUS at Checkout.