Mudita Monday - 2 Sept 13 - Sandy Lamontange

As one of the leaders of the Etsy Maine Team, I get to assist in choosing the "MOM", also known as the member of the month.  There's no prize.. just recognition for a job well done.  

This month, our MOM is Sandy Lamontange.  And let me tell you.. it is well deserved!  She works hard to create numerous treasuries featuring as many team members' works as she can, and she always spreads the love.  She doesn't focus or favor one specific person/shop.  So this month, we all plan on creating treasuries in her name, with her being the #1 featured shop!  If you're on Etsy, please help us celebrate Sandy's nomination as our Member of the Month.

Scarf made by Sandy of Grandma Sandeze

Sandy's shop is called "Grandma Sandy's Boutique" and features beautiful hand knit items; from socks to scarfs, bibs to booties..  Her creations are truly top notch quality!

 This scarf is one of my favorites!  I love the colors!  Blues and greens have always been partial to my heart.

I couldn't think of a better person to write about today, on this Mudita Monday.  Namaste and Mudita to you Sandy! <3

Wondering what this whole "Mudita Monday" thing is all about?  Go HERE, to my initial post to learn more about it. 

'Til next time my friends!


Thank you for stopping by!

Mudita Monday - 06 May 2013

MY VERY FIRST MUDITA MONDAY...and this blog never made it to being published.  WOOPS!!  hehe  Better late than never, right?? 

It's hard to pick just one person to celebrate today.  In recent months, there have been SOO many people that have stood by my side when the going got tough..Today, I wish to celebrate and bask in the joy of my fiance.  No matter what is going on in our daily lives or the state of myself, he always puts on a strong front and is there for me.  He supports me and my business unconditionally.  I don't really appreciate watching sports such as basketball or baseball, but I sit in the living room just to be in his presence because I know watching it brings him joy.  He has sacrificed so much for us to get where we are today, and there will never be words enough to let the world know how much I love and appreciate all he does for our family.  <3 

My fiance is the kind of person that wants to do for others and not seek payment in return.  We recently found out a very dear friend of ours was having severe kidney issues...his first question was about what his blood type was, because if Justin was a match, he would get tested to see if he would match as a donor.  <3  He currently looks like one of the men out of the show "Duck Dynasty", because he has been growing his hair out starting over the winter in order to donate it to a charity that makes free wigs for children who lose their hair due to cancer. 

What can I say....I love this man!  He is selfless in so many ways, and brings joy to any room he enters.  So today...I celebrate my future husband!  I look forward to a lifetime of happiness with him!! 

Patriot's Day

Good day to you all and thank you for stopping by!  Today is Patriot's Day, the day we commemorate the battles of Lexington and Concord which were fought near Boston in 1775.  Anyone remember the Paul Rivere poem?  Patriot's Day is typically held on the third Monday of April and is a state holiday for Massachusetts and Maine.  Though many people do make the mistake since the names are so close, Patriot's Day should NOT be confused with Patriot Day, which marks the anniversary of the terrorist attacks in the USA on September 11, 2001.   In the areas of Lexington and Concord, there are numerous reenactments for the public to see.  Anyone in Massachusetts planning on going to one?  I've never been to one and would love a first hand account and/or pictures of what it is!

(Information found on Timeanddate.com)

How are you celebrating Patriot's Day?  Why not take the time to support a disabled veteran in her pursuit to gain as much independence as possible, regardless of her disabilities?  Who might this person be, you ask?  Why ME of course!  Last week, Monday, I launched a Kickstarter project to raise funds in order to acquire equipment for my pottery studio to make the processes of creation more ME friendly...if successfully funded, it will give me near complete independence when it comes to my pottery, and I won't have to ask my fiance to help!  When you have to rely on someone on a daily basis to get around because I can't drive, for help getting into bed on my bad leg pain days...gaining any form of independence is a true blessing.  Please help me reach my goal.  You can find my Kickstarter project HERE.

Time for a little Kickstart..

I've been busy working on a little project the last several days.  Though I do my best in my little home pottery studio, there are still tasks that need to be done that are very difficult for me to accomplish with the equipment I have available.  I LOVE what I do.  I infuse my emotions into each and every piece I make.  My heart and soul goes into my work.  Clay absorbs the sorrow, the pain and hurt, the joy of accomplishing a new level in a task... It heals all wounds...for me.  With all this in mind, there are various pieces of equipment that will greatly help me as I continue this endeavor.  SO, I created a Kickstarter project.  For those of you that have linked up with through Facebook, you may have already seen the link.  For those of you that haven't, here is the little blurb I have been sharing. :)

"The last week, I have been quietly working on a project, reaching out to a few people for guidance and advice. Well, today, it goes public! I have started a Kickstarter project to help achieve some goals with expansion for my business. This will help make creating pottery so much easier. Please check out the page, spread the word, and help me achieve this new milestone!
Freedom Through Clay - Kickstarter Project "

Many of the pledge rewards are NEW items, not yet released to the public.  My Kickstarter backers will be the first ones to receive these new creations in my new line of ware...inspired by dragonflies! 

If you have a moment, please look through the project and considering lending a helping hand.  If you can't pledge anything, no worries!  The key is to get the word spread out through the digital web.  Sharing is caring, right?  :)  So share away and help me accomplish this goal!!

Coming soon:
Feature on Spruce Cottage Knits!!

Been a while...

So I have been thinking that I've only been MIA for a month...but my last post was nearly two months ago!!  My apologies!  It's definitely been a roller coaster few months.  My health has decided to throw some wrenches in the generally day to day life.  Haven't been able to work as much in the studio as I have wanted...nor have I had the where-with-all to do all the computer and bookkeeping work needed...like I still have to file my taxes for the biz...  I have 2 more weeks to get with it!  Let's hope it doesn't take me that long!

In other news... a New England magazine featured my garden stakes!  AND I'm listed as #1 of the 4!!!  I was SOOOOO excited!!  Here is the link if you have a few moments to check it out:

Four Spring Finds from Mainers on Etsy

On March 29, I unloaded a glaze kiln full of goodies.  MOST everything turned out the way I wanted and was hoping for.  

And believe it or not...my kiln was FULL...4 half shelves and 2 full shelves!  I have a smaller, home-studio sized kiln.  it works for me and the size space we have.  As you can see...LOTS of handbuilding going on in the Mayo house.  I have a hard time throwing for any long period of time unfortunately, because of pain and weakness in my legs.  *SIGH*  But that's ok. 

On a final note...For those of you who commented on my Facebook post about the first 10 businesses to comment I would leave feedback/feature for ya...I promise you I haven't forgotten!  As I said earlier... life and health kind of got in the way!  I will working on those features in the coming days, so stay tuned!!

Shoutout for Four Winds Farm

Day 3 of 10

(In a society dominated by big name box stores, it is quite refreshing to network, interact, and shop from small businesses.  Especially when they are local!  For 10 days, I will be talking about 10 small businesses that I have the pleasure of having made their acquaintance.  Networking is everything, as is reaching out a helping hand to your peers and neighbors.)

 

 

Four Winds Farm in Maine is run by Jan Winsor.  After purchasing their farmhouse in 1997, she met members of the Saco Valley Fiber Artists and discovered that she could combine her love of animals, art, and teaching into one endeavor. They now have a small flock of sheep, along with a variety of other animals at Four Winds Farm.  Jan is a very talented fiber artist offering felted, knit, and woven fiber arts and sculptures.  She also hand spins her own wool!  Wool sculptures?!? you may ask.  Look again at the adorable little lab picture...That is a felted wool sculpture...NOT their pet!  

Her Facebook page is full of many more examples of exquisite felted sculptures and felted soap.  Need a souvenir of Maine?  Why not lobster felted soap???  

     In a world where everything is mass produced and you never know where your purchases are REALLY coming from...Four Winds Farm Maine makes us all feel a little bit better.  All of her wool products are produced right at her own farm.   Meet Josie and Morgan, twins, displaying their gorgeous winter coats. :)

 

For more photos and information about her amazing fiber art, you can find her on Facebook HERE.

 

She has her own website, www.fourwindsfarmmaine.com which you can find by copying and pasting the web address, or by clicking HERE.

 

You can shop for your fiber art needs at her Etsy store, HERE.  

Thanks for stopping by to support small, local businesses!!  Please continue to follow me the next 7 days for more shoutouts to small businesses! 

 

   

Productive Day!!

 Today I came to the realization that my sleep schedule is finally getting back on track!  I'm going to sleep earlier...but I'm not sleeping the day away which makes me a happy camper!  I woke up at 8 this morning, enjoyed a couple cups of coffee in my mug that Mark  Campbell made for me.  I LOVE being able to look at my baby boy's smiling face every morning, and every time I drink something hot.  This is my GO TO mug, for sure!!

Once I woke up, I got to "work" and started rearranging my Etsy shop.  It needed some early spring cleaning!  Now the sections make much more sense and items can be more easily found.  Added some new items that I am quite proud of.  (You should check it out..www.etsy.com/shop/jsbarts)

And to end the day on a bright note..I threw 3 of the most beautiful bowls!!!  I can honestly say that they are the BEST I have ever made!!  I had intended on making a couple of soup bowls for a non-profit event, Empty Bowls.  But I soon realized that with 2 pounds of clay...the bowls turned out to be a little larger than a soup bowl.  More like a really large salad bowl, or a small serving bowl.  Regardless, I'm pretty proud of them!!  I'm slightly disappointed that I can only sit at my wheel for 20-30 minutes at a time before I need to take a break for at least an hour (due to my disabilities).  But, as I hone my skills, I am able to produce more pieces that are better quality in that time frame. 

Trimming a bowl

 I've had to redefine my definition of "productive".  I want to continue to make with my hands, and pump out as many of the ideas I have running around in my mind.  But I know that my body will retaliate and I will not be able to create on the wheel for days.  A slow and steady pace is one that I need to learn to embrace more than what I do.

At any rate!!  Today has been a good, productive, and a-ok day.  Even health wise..it's been ok.  Not great..but not bad either.  :)

Fighting Through the Pain

Yesterday I went grocery shopping with my fiance and cousin and discovered what my limit is.  (ALWAYS looking for that silver lining...ha).  My legs started hurting after 30 minutes of walking, pushing the cart and using it as a "walker".  Took us a total of 45 minutes to finish everything.  Needless to say, I was a hurting unit.  Today wasn't a whole lot better.  But I had "work" to do. 

When you love what you do, you never work a day in your life.  :)  My pottery and ceramics allows me to zone out and fight through the pain.  Today was just such a day.  I had a lot of pieces to glaze and forced myself to get it done.  Lots of little trinket plates with various stamped impressions, pendants, and several custom orders.  My cat plate was one of them...they are quite popular!  The display on the shelf changes with each plate, so each one will always be unique. 

Also in the kiln is a lighthouse light/nightlight.  First one I've made and really like how it turned out.  I'm hoping that the glaze job I did with my cousin turns out just as well and highlights the awesomeness of the piece!  hehe 

I have several more custom orders that I need to start working on.  I love custom orders, and made to order items, as they give me something to focus on.  Rather than the stabbing pain in my legs, I instead focus on the creative aspect of my pieces.  The detailed hand painting some of them require.  the hand-built pieces that require extra attention.  When I'm in the middle of the creative process, I zone out.  It can be a nice reprieve from the pain.  But the moment I come out of the zone, the pain is no longer blocked, and it comes back with a vengeance.  Tonight is such a night.  After my glazing marathon, and starting the glaze kiln; I am in my wheelchair.  Ah well.  So is life.  There are good days and bad days....and today is just "one of those days".

I know my posts are kind of all over the place right now.  Thank you for staying with me.  I'm trying to get my mind back into the habit of writing with fluidity.  I used to write quite fluidly without much thought; but now it's more difficult.  I lose my train of thought, have a hard time finding the right word, difficulty explaining certain things...just part of the package I guess.

Anyway...THANKS for all your support.  I love feedback and critiques..so please leave me comments.  I'm open to corrective criticism.  It's the only way I'll get better!

<3

Etsy Maine Team M.O.M

WOW!  I'm really glad I decided to take a break from playing with clay and was on the computer editing pictures!!  It was just announced that I was nominated to be Etsy Maine Team's Member of the Month!!  What a GREAT way to start the new year!!!  <3  THANK YOU to all my colleagues and friends who nominated me.  You all are just too much!!

Please check out the Maine Team blog HERE.

You can see my "About Me/Profile" section HERE. 

You can support the Etsy Maine Team on Facebook HERE.

I'm just...stunned...and truly honored!

From Raw Clay to Finished Ceramics

Happy Hump Day!!

I get a lot of questions as to why it takes so long to get a custom order done.  People don't understand that turning raw clay into a finished ceramic piece takes a lot of time.  The more intricate a piece, obviously the more time has been spent.  So, I figured I would give you a run down on what it takes from start to finish.  :)

Chaos VS Order

Good evening to all! 

Man is my sleep schedule all FUBAR!!!  I haven't been falling asleep until sometime between 0400 and 0500 in the morning and waking up after 1400 (2pm)!!  OY!  Today was no different.  So while everyone else is getting ready to eat supper, I'm gearing up for my lunch.  :)  Damn insomnia...if you can call it that.  Once I fall asleep, I stay asleep for the most part.  So I don't know if I can call it insomnia.

FINALLY was able to wrap some Christmas presents that I had ordered online.  Made me a happy camper.  Seeing something under the tree.  It's not much, but it still put a smile on my face.  Have I mentioned how much I LOVE Christmas???  :-D  Now, I'm impatiently awaiting for the rest of my goodies to get here.

Through some networking, I have come across several blogs in recent days and have noticed a theme amongst many of them.  They have a schedule of postings, so to speak.  On Mondays, certain topics are discussed, Tuesdays might be to highlight treasures they've found or treasuries...etc.  What do YOU think of that kind of set-up???  As readers, do you like/prefer blogs that have a set schedule of postings, or do you like the random tidbits and posts?  Let me know in the comments section!  Would love lots of feedback on this one!