Random.org spit out number 5, so:

Congrats Lorelei!!

Enjoy your $20 gift certificate!

Thanks to everyone for all their great comments, and for taking the time to stop into my little studio.  Now it’s time to collapse on the couch and wait for the baked ham and beans to come out of the oven!

It occurred to me that perhaps I jumped the gun when I said that my favorite thing about autumn is the color explosion.  I think perhaps my favorite thing is all the goodies I cook in the fall.  During the summer, it’s so hot and humid that I stick to cooking a basic meal, with maybe some ice cream for dessert.  Once fall hits and the temperatures drop, cooking comes inside and my baking pans come out.

This year we took our three year old to this orchard in Acton.  I did most of the picking; Isaac picked a few apples, then he was off running around, with my husband hot on his heels.  Luckily we got our standing freezer running, as I cut up and froze lots and lots of apples for pies (my father’s favorite).

I also usually break out the pumpkin and butternut squash at this time of year.  Smelling the  nutmeg,  cinnamon and cloves brings be back to when my mother made holiday pies (she has since given my sister that task).  Heavenly.

The one food that I pretty much only make in the fall is my Auntie Marg’s Peanut Butter Fudge.  This is the only way that I will eat peanut butter, but boy, when it’s in fudge, I’ll eat a LOT of it.  Here’s her recipe; you have to make this on a very dry day or it won’t come out (but the goo will still taste good, trust me!):

Bring 2 cups of sugar, 2 tbsp of butter, and 3/4 cup of milk to a boil in a saucepan.  Cook to soft ball stage, then add 2-3 tbsp EACH of marshmallow fluff and peanut butter.  Pour into a buttered dish, then refrigerate till cool.

Try not to scrape down the sides of the pan while you’re cooking the fudge; if sugar crystals get into the fudge then it can granulate the whole thing (whoops, I kind of forgot that part–the danger of making something once a year).  At any rate, enjoy!

Fall Kiln Load

I have been wondering what sort of item to offer for the second giveaway.  Finally, I decided that I would offer a $20 gift certificate for use in my etsy shop.  What is your favorite thing about autumn?   I’m totally enchanted with the warm days and cool  nights, along with the spectacular color exhibition each year.

I’ll be drawing a winner at random at 4 pm; you can’t win if you don’t comment!

I thought I would give you a quick little tutorial on how these little goodies are made.  If you would like to try it yourself, I highly recommend Ceramic Bead Jewelry by Jennifer Heynen of Jangles.

It starts with a ball of clay.  I keep mine in plastic tubs so that I can rehydrate it as needed.

I roll the clay out using a regular wooden rolling pin and a pair of dowels that I use to roll it evenly.  I then either impress texture on the clay using texture sheets or stamps, or I cut out shapes and create the designs afterwards. The edges are smoothed, then they are ready for drying.

Once the pieces are finished, they are placed onto a square of sheetrock to dry; another board is placed on top to minimize warping.

When the pieces are dry I load them into some little bisque bowls that I made, then I load them into the kiln.  Bisque pieces can touch each other while firing, so I can heap the pieces into the bowl as I complete them.  One bisque load usually provides me with enough pieces for 3 or 4 glaze firings.  They are then fired to about 1800 degrees.

Once they cool, they are ready for glazing.  Loading the glaze kiln takes a bit of time, because NOTHING can touch.  The glaze basically turns into molten glass, so if any pieces are touching during the glaze firing, they fuse together as the kiln cools down.  It’s not fun looking into a kiln and seeing that half your pieces are lost!

Glazed pieces ready for firing

Loaded kiln.  My kiln is a Paragon Caldera S, which measures 8″ x 8″ x 6.75″ deep.  I’ll probably be purchasing another “collar” to extend the height a little bit.  Otherwise, it’s the perfect size for my workload.

Another giveaway will be annouced at 3 pm–stay tuned!

to Liz B!  E-mail your mailing address to dwinchelldesigns (at) gmail.com and I’ll ship your bracelet out to you Monday!

Thank you all for entering, and stay tuned–there will be another prize listed at 3. I’m going to extend the length of time for the next drawing.  There are so many great blogs to visit today, I’m not sure a 15 minute window is enough time to enter all your comments.

For my first giveaway I’m offering this bracelet, made with one of my asian connectors, stone chips, and copper findings.  All you have to do is leave a comment here and tell me: What are your favorite components to use in your jewelry?  Do you love buttons?  Are you a sucker for charms? Do share: I’ll be drawing a winner at 2.

I’m in the midst of getting ready for multiple shows, so my studio looks like a BIG storm has hit.  Lucky for you I found some pictures from when it was brand-new and relatively clean (anyone who works with clay can tell you that a clay studio is never really clean).  Anyway, on to the guided tour:

Luckily for me my craft doesn’t require tons of room.  This room is about 8′ x 9′, give or take an inch. If you step carefully you can make it in there unharmed.  Hanging on the backside of the door is one of those canvas shoe organizers in which I store all my underglazes, which I use for special effects or colors.  Up on the wall over my table (and on the bookshelf to the left) are my glazes.    Lets go closer:

The thread organizer holds all my small cookie cutters, store-bought and handmade.  I’ve since mounted it on the bookcase on the left to free up some table space.  That tackle box holds A LOT of my molds that I’ve made from polymer clay and two-part silicone compound.  The small bookcases to the right now hold more tools (at the time this photo was taken it held shipping supplies).  I’ve since popped the front door off that tackle box so I can open the drawers unimpeded.

Another view, showing all my molds stored in the tackle box.

I try to keep my “dirty work” and “clean work” separate, so I have a converted computer armoire that I use for jewelry making.

I manage to keep the keyboard tray fairly clear, but no guarantees on the other surfaces.  Gemstones in the gray box, my Ott Light lighting the way. On the keyboard tray you can see my bead board and some other boxes I use for designing.  Hanging on the doors you can see various beading wires on the left, and sterling, copper, and brass wires on the right.

Sometimes if I have multiple projects going, I move my glazing out to the dining room.  When I glaze my beads I stick them on bamboo skewers and set them in this flower frog vase.  The ice cube trays contained bisque pieces ready to be glazed (on the left) and finished pieces ready to be fired (separated by color).  The round ring of pendants in the middle is my sample ring; I have samples of all my glazes on white earthenware and terracotta clay.  Prepping those pieces were the best use of my time, because now I have a very good idea of how glazes will react and interact in the kiln.

When I’m in the “studio” I generally work in silence.  That room is next to my son’s room, and since I’m usually working while he’s sleeping, I don’t want to wake him.  If I’m glazing at the table I usually watch a movie .

Hope you enjoyed your tour of my space.  Next up: the Process.

Welcome to my studio!  My name is Dorothy Winchell and I’ve been making “beads of clay” for about a year and a half now.  I mostly make pendants out of earthenware clay; lately I’ve been trying to add more corresponding beads to the mix.

I’ve been a pastel artist for over twenty years.  The colors of the pastels have always lured me, and I suppose that is what attracted me to ceramics; most artists will tell you that opening the kiln is just like opening presents at Christmas.  Even with the same glazes fired to the same temperature, for the same amount of time, you always get something different.

Texture is another inspiration for me.  Some glazes break over texture, meaning they pool in the recesses, leaving highlights on the raised areas.  Those are always my favorites.

Be sure to check in at the Beads of Clay blog for a complete listing of open studio participants.  We will all be hosting drawings for commentors, along with various shop discounts.  I’m offering a buy-one-get-one half off your purchase in my Etsy shop or at my own website.  Please be sure to write “BOC Open Studio” in your notes to seller at checkout so that you receive your discount.

Coming up, pictures of my studio.  Sit down with a hot drink and enjoy!

Don’t forget to check out the other participating artists:

This year I’ll be participating in the BOC Open Studio on October 25 from 1-4.  Stay tuned–there will be two giveaways to commenters, plus special discounts in my Etsy Shop.

I’m off to go clean my studio–two weeks should be enough time, right?

About a week ago I went to our niece’s wedding.  Then that night I came down with some funky bug that put me in bed for two days.  I’m still not 100%, but I managed to get a custom order filled, along with some new designs (want to make sure the kiln is full, you know…). I listed some new items in my shop yesterday. Not all of the pieces above are in the shop yet, but I will get to them.

I’ll have a small table with my jewelry and ornaments at the farm on the 24th of October for the open house; to that end I’m working on a number of new “horsie” designs.  I also signed up for a craft fair in North Berwick the last Saturday in November, so I guess I need to get crackin on my snowflake designs.

My orders went out in the mail this morning, so I’ll be taking it easy this afternoon, hopefully to recover once and for all.

Stay healthy!