2013 Spring Jewelry Stringing Bracelet

Last fall when Jewelry Stringing magazine had submission calls for the 2013 spring issue, I was drawn to their Coachella Chic palette with it's bright and bold hues of gold, turquoise, raspberry pink, green and a spicy orange.  The palette named for the annual Coachella California music festival rekindled the hippie in me and inspired me to take out the macrame cord and get knotting. Stringing suggested creating something with a tribal or ethnic flare.

I started by making a simple square knot pattern with turquoise and gold hemp, and weaving in some of my Clayworksnh stoneware coins, stoneware golden beech leaves, and finishing it with a matching toggle I made from stoneware clay as well.  Some vintage fuschia wooden beads I recycled from some of my "fair finds" added some extra "oomph" and I completed the palette with some green and gold ceramic washers.  Some vintage feathers and a little dancing tribal charm put the perfect finishing touch for a very fun to wear piece.

My Bead Soup Partner!

I was so excited to find out my bead soup partner for the bead soup blog party swap is Betty James Happensteadt!

Betty is an accomplished artist and a teacher from Wheaton Illinois, and has a vast array of mediums she works with.  She loves "All things art" and loves to create realistic and organic sculptural forms in glass, metals, polymer clay and beadwork. She's also been an instructor in lampwork beads, drawing, ceramics, photography. 

Betty can usually be found in her studio the Genuine Article which is a workshop, gallery, bead shop, and a hands on classroom.  I wish I lived closer so I could check it out and take some classes from Betty!

Having Betty as a partner is a little intimidating as she is such a master and aficionado of fine arts and crafts, so I hope that Betty likes the soup I sent her and I can't wait to see what she's sending my way!  Here's a sneak peek at what I sent Betty.  You'll have to use your imagination.

I'm looking forward getting to know more about Betty and seeing what our collective creative processes bring.

50% Off All Hearts Sale and February Giveaway!

Save 50% Off on All heart items in my Clayworksnh Etsy shop through Friday, Feburary 8th. No coupon needed.

Heart Pendants, Components, Pins, Earrings, Ornaments and More.  Save 50% until midnight, February 8th. All Hearts and Heart Design Items are Marked 50% off.

** February Giveaway **

New Clayworks by Lisa Boucher Facebook Fans this week will be entered in a drawing for a $10.00 Gift Certificate in my Clayworksnh Etsy shop.  Winner to be announced Saturday, February 9th.

Cabin Fever & Valentines Sale!

What better way to spend a cold January weekend, than to take some photographs of my components so I can list them in my shop on Etsy?  

The past few years I've been focusing mostly on high fire stoneware and porcelain clay for my creations. However, my fondness for earthenware was rekindled at work recently when we had some staff pottery workshops before the holidays, or "Crafternoons" as we liked to call them.  We mostly made ornaments and it was so great that just about everyone got into it.  Here's a sampling from the fesitivities:

Since we were doing a large kiln firing of our masterpieces, I glazed several of my pendants, connectors and beads made from low fire white clay.  What I think I love the most about low fire clay is some of the fantastic bright glaze colors that I haven't quite been able to achieve with some the high fire glazes, especially the pink shades.

Yesterday while taking some photos, I arranged my pieces by color for a few group shots. These are combinations of stoneware, porcelain and earthenware.

I'm offering 20% off in my Clayworksnh Etsy shop today through midnight Tuesday, January 29th. Just enter code Cabin20 at checkout. Since Valentine's Day is only a few weeks away, I thought I'd get a jump on the holiday. Save on all items including beads, pendants, shawl pins, connectors, cabochons and more! Cheers to longer and warmer days!

Winter Happenings

Well, all of the hustle and bustle of Christmas has passed, and I hope you all are enjoying your holiday season. 

You might recall, back in September of 2010 I did a post on my future studio.  I've been patiently waiting and prompting Barry about getting it finished so I can use it. Well, one of the best Christmas presents this year has been seeing the progress being made from this:

 to this:

It's not quite finished yet, but it's all sided, has electricity, and heat, and by spring I'll be able to use it! Hopefully!

I was so engrossed in making ornaments this year, I'll be all stocked for next year's craft show.  I finally finished glazing the last batch of stoneware and porcelain ornaments and just removed them from the kiln.  These are decorated with actual snowflakes.

That should be enough of that until next year.  The snow however will be around for a while longer.  

Mixing it up with some low fire earthenware pieces, I recently glazed some bisque snowflakes & hearts, and here's some of the finished pendants and components I've been listing in my Etsy shop. As you can see, whether I'm using low fire or high fire clay, teal, turquoise, purples, green and blue seem to be where I gravitate with glaze.

Since Valentines day is on the way, I'll have to stir up some reds and pinks!  Until then, best wishes to you for a Very Happy New Year!

Black Friday Cyber Monday Giveaway Winners

Phew, That was so much fun!  What a way to get in the groove for the holiday season! Thanks so much everyone who participated in the Black Friday through Cyber Monday Event.

And the Giveaway Winners are.....

Purple Stoneware, Amethyst, Purple Jasper and Gold Leaf Earrings - Rose-Marie Welch

 $25.00 Gift Certificate for my Clayworksnh Etsy shop - Brenda Fegley

Thanks so much for shopping!

More deals to come in the weeks ahead which I'll be posting here as well as on my Clayworks by Lisa Boucher Facebook page.

Love My Art Jewelry Cyber Monday Sale and Giveaway

It's Cyber Monday, and that means, it's time for the Love My Art Jewelry and friends Cyber Monday Sale!

  

To celebrate this excellent event, save 25% off any item in my Clayworksnh Shop until midnight tonight!  Simply use coupon code ARTBEADS25 at checkout. 

 Save on Pendants, Beads, Components, Ornaments and much more!

I'll also be giving away a $25.00 Gift Certificate towards anything in my Clayworksnh Etsy shop.

 Everyone that makes a purchase in my Clayworksnh Etsy shop today will be entered in a drawing and the winner will be picked at random on Tuesday, the 27th.

This is a treasury I created featuring several of the artists that have Etsy shops:

'Love My Art Jewelry Cyber Monday Sale!' by Clayworksnh

Handcrafted Festive Holiday Beads, Jewelry and Supplies from a few of the participants in the Love My Art Jewelry Cyber Monday Sale Event! Be sure to check out their shops for specials through Monday! Find out more on the Love My Art Jewelry Blog.

Handmade Ceramic Toggle Clas... maryhardingjew... $10.00	Art Bead Jewelry SALE, Cranb... enlalumiere $58.00	Blue Pinwheel Ceramic Dangle... JeraLunaDesign... $25.00	Lampwork Beads - SueBeads - ... suebeads $40.00
One Two Cha Cha Cha - Pearls... jeanawells $34.50	Hexagon Snowflake Pendant an... MartiC51 $14.95	Gear Earrings Dark Brick Red... LindaLandigJew... $32.00	Night Skies - Lampwork and S... PattiVanderblo... $22.00
Remember When... handmade ce... artisanbeadspl... $30.00	Tin Can Earrings remaker $14.95	Snowflake disc beads - AJE C... THEAtoo $10.00	SALE Ceramic Jewelry Compone... MarshaNealStud... $8.00
Ceramic Bead De-stash marlasmud $20.00	Handmade Red Lampwork Leaves... KristiBowmanDe... $49.00	Dangle Earrings, Drop Earrin... LjBjewelry $38.00	Cobalt Blue Porcelain Snowfl... Clayworksnh $9.95

Treasury tool supported by the dog house 

Here's the complete list of participants in this incredible one day event: 

There's also a spectacular Giveaway happening today on the Love My Art Jewelry Blog, so be sure to check it out. 
 

Don't forget, the Beads of Clay Cyber Monday event is in full swing and there's lots sales and daily Giveaways happening there as well!  Please see my previous post for the list of all of the Beads of Clay members having Cyber Monday Sales.