Etsy Mud Team Winter Holiday Challenge!

It's time for the Etsy Mud Team Winter Holiday Challenge!  Members participating in this challenge make objects that feature a holiday and/or winter theme. Everyone who votes in the challenge receives a coupon good for 10% off at participating member shops.

I hope you'll support me and vote for my Kaleidoscope Snowflake Stocking Ornament handcrafted from terra cotta clay and hand painted with detailed bright white snowflakes on a varied teal and blue background.

Please Click here to vote for my stocking.  Voting is open from November 24th to midnight December 1st. Thank you so much!

Artists for Disaster Relief Raffle

My friend Andrew Thornton from Allegory Gallery is hosting a raffle among other efforts to raise funds to support the disaster relief effort for the recent typhoon in the Philippines. 

Banner by Sheila N. Thornton

Several artists are donating jewelry, art and jewelry components.  All proceeds go to the cause. Raffle tickets are only $1.00 each and they can be purchased now until December 5th.  One winner for all these great prizes will be picked on December 5th.  To find out how to purchase raffle tickets click here.
 
Prize Contributors Include: Andrew Thornton, Sheila Thornton, Lisa Lodge, Lisa Boucher, Barb Cherwaty, Maria Richmond, Jan Durkin, Joan Tucker, Lana Weed, Gretchen Schueller... and more!
 
If you are interested in contributing something to the raffle prize, contact Andrew with a picture of your donation and its retail value.
 
Andrew has been posting some of the prizes on his Facebook page.  These are the pieces that I'm donating from my Clayworksnh Etsy shop for the cause:

They're all made from tan speckled stoneware clay and include two seahorse buttons, four starfish connectors, four beads and a surf's up starfish pendant.  Total retail value $85.00.
 
Tickets are only $1.00 each!  Try your chance at winning these prizes and more and help raise funds for the people in the Philippines.  Please spread the word.

November Spot the Newt Winner!

Congratulations to Sue Bracy, winner of the Spot the Newt Contest in the November 2013 issue of New Hampshire Magazine!

 

 

For spotting four hidden newts in advertisements throughout the magazine,

 

 

Sue won three of my Clayworks stoneware New Hampshire silhouette mitten ornaments.

 

 
 

Another great reason to Spot the Newt!  There's a new prize every month from a member of NH Made.  Pick up next month's issue of New Hampshire magazine and try your eyes for spotting the next four newts!  A loyal subscriber myself, it's one of my favorite magazines.  Always packed with informative and entertaining content about the Granite State. We're both proud members of NH Made!

 

 

Clayworks Open House and NH Open Doors Weekend!

a weekend of many firsts....

Last weekend was the grand opening of my Clayworks studio and my first time participating in NH Open Doors, a statewide shopping and touring event. Sponsored by NH Made and the League of N.H. Craftsmen, NH Open doors includes a wide variety of participants and events. 

Including anything from craft demonstrations, musical performances, wine tasting, etc., it's set up so you can plan a tour for a specific region of the state if you like, and make stops at several of the venues in that area.  Clayworks is #602 in the Lakes Region on the NH Open Doors Map.



Stoneware Maple Leaf Pendant ~ Clayworks by Lisa Boucher



 This was the perfect catalyst to get motivated to set up my little studio.   I signed up months ago, and kept warning Barry that we were on the NH Open doors map in hopes that the pile of dirt that was next to the studio would be moved beforehand.  Happily, not only was the pile of dirt moved, but we finally had the driveway paved, and we now have a new lawn.  Maybe I'll do these events more often.

 

The building has been finished for a while now, complete with a little heater, tile floors and a beautiful big window in the back.

The only thing that was left was to assemble my pottery wheel which is almost complete.  In the meantime the wheel doubled nicely as a table for the event. On the right side of the building Barry put a little ventilated room for my kiln.  Woo hoo!  It's something I've been wanting for a very long time so I can't tell you how excited I am about this.

I spent the week setting up my racks with my ornaments, and finished jewelry, and displayed my pendants, beads and components in baskets. An unexpected and fun trend for the weekend was helping people select beads to go with pendants they picked out, and stringing them together with matching silk cord. 

Thanks so much to everyone that stopped by over the weekend!  It was so great to see you. While the weather holds out, I'll be having another mini open house this weekend, Saturday only from 10-2.  So, please stop by if you're in the area!  84 Middle Road, on the corner of 109A and Number 9 Road in Center Tuftonboro. I'll have some cider and treats waiting.