Haystack and Combat Paper...A GREAT combination!

If you follow me on Facebook and Instagram, you know that I attended a week long workshop at the Haystack Mountain School of Craft in Deer Isle, Maine.  It occurred the week before the normally scheduled workshops begin for the summer, aka "Pre-Session". Our group wasn't the only one there...the other group was the volunteers who do the maintenance at the facility to keep it in tip top shape for all us crazy artisans.  So I'd like to take a quick minute and say THANK YOU to the Haystack staff and all the volunteers!  Y'all do an amazing job! 

From 24 May through 30 May, a group of 21 Veterans who are also artists congregated at Haystack for an amazing week of fellowship, creativity, and inspiration.  This workshop was hosted by a group called Combat Paper NJ (headed up by the talented Dave Keefe), which is a sub-group of the original Combat Paper Project organization headed by Drew Cameron out of CA. 

Combat Paper is still a relatively new movement/project/organization, having just been established in 2007.  But what IS combat paper you may be asking yourself?  Well, it's paper made from old military uniforms!  This is a brief quote from the Combat Paper Facebook page that sums up what Combat Paper is

"Through papermaking workshops, veterans use their uniforms worn in service to create works of art. The uniforms are cut up, beaten into a pulp and formed into sheets of paper. Participants use the transformative process of papermaking to reclaim their uniforms as art and express their experiences with the military."

 The old and retired from service uniforms are cut up into small pieces that are roughly the size of a postage stamp.  These pieces of cloth must be free of seams and anything else "holding" it into it's prior form.  Once 1 pound of material has been cut and processed, it is ready to be placed in the "beater" (seen above.  The green motor with the yellow surround).  This device then macerates the uniforms, breaking them down from these small square pieces of fabric into individual fibers.  The uniform is mixed with water and 100% organic fibers (since the uniforms are essentially plastic, i.e. polyester, organic material is required for the paper making process to work).  All these components are then processed through the beater to make a lovely pulpy slurry which is then poured into the black tubs.  Screens are used to "pull paper" sheets from the slurry.  These sheets are then pressed flat onto a polyester sheet and left to dry.  Roughly 24 hours later, a fresh piece of paper is dry and ready for some art.  If you do things the conventional way.  But by now, y'all should

know I don't do things the normal way. :)  Dave helped me pull a sheet of paper and he pressed it flat for me...but that was where the conventional method stopped and my crazy sculptor brain picked up.  I had brought some wire with me because I wanted to create an armature and sculpt with the paper pulp (which did NOT work.. ha).  I took the wire and coiled it into different sizes.  I then ripped up this wet pulpy barely paper sheet and wrapped it around the coils.  An abstract sculpture if you will.  I had fun with a medium I was unaccustomed to and was able to create some really different items.  I also created some fun and funky jewelry with the copper wire I had.  I made my own components and links for the charm bracelet, then made a spiral to house the combat paper for the earrings.  The charm bracelet has pieces of uniform as well as pieces of combat paper strung on the chain, effectively creating the charm bracelet.  However, my first creation had a little more to it then that.
  I still created the coil...but was inspired by two similar but equally different ideas.  The first being geological core samples, showing the history of a place or event through time.  The second, being an image I remember seeing of broken pottery shards held together in a metal mesh wall ... I wish for the life of me I could remember where I saw the photo so I could share it... but alas..I cannot.  In my metal coil/spring, is the "core" of combat paper.  In the very bottom is the finished product - the paper.  In the middle is dried paper pulp.  Above that, the small square cut outs of the uniform.  And at the very top, are larger sections of uniform that are uncut and may still have some of the seams sewn in. Very monochromatic, but very telling of the process itself I do believe.

The week culminated in an art show and poetry reading at the Haystack Community Center.  There was plenty of time to create, but also plenty of time to just chill and relax.  While it may have been a workshop, it was also very much an art retreat, and I loved absolutely EVERY minute of it!  It was a time to meet new folks with similar goals, even if our art was created from a wide variety of mediums.  A time to recharge and enjoy the beauty that is Haystack.  AND, I personally used it as an opportunity to scope out the facility to see if I would be willing/able to participate in a ceramics based workshop.  and GUESS WHAT!!  I CAN!!!  There IS a handicap accessible cabin that is next to the chow hall.  The ceramics workshop is just down a small and not very steep set of steps.  Perfectly do-able!!!!    And with that, I shall end this post with some pictures of me thoroughly enjoying the sun and having my toes in the water. :)  TTFN my friends.

Introducing....Healing Arts of Maine!

Hey there folks!  Thank you for sticking with me, even though I haven't posted in what seems like ages!  I cannot tell if I'm crazy, stupid, a glutton for punishment, or all of the above! But a major reason for my hiatus has been a project that is VERY near and dear to my heart...

Freedom Fest 2014 - Fort Kent, Maine

In exactly ONE MONTH, you want to make sure you are in Fort Kent, Maine!  For what, you may ask?  Why FREEDOM FEST, of course!  This event holds a near and dear place to my heart.  It is an outdoor concert to raise money for a Veteran Museum and Community Center to be built in Aroostook County, Maine.  This event is a joint project of Martin-Klein American Legion Post 133 and the Fort Kent Historical Society, and has been in the works for nearly a year.  Why should you make the trek out, you ask?  

Studio Fruit Basket Upset

Yes, you read that right...a fruit basket upset.  It's a term I grew up hearing from my mother.  Anytime the furniture in a room got rearranged, it was a "fruit basket upset".  I've been making due with my old studio set up because I thought we would be moving this summer and didn't want to do the extra work.  The way life has it, we will be staying in our current location for another year, so I decided to better my studio.  It was functional before...but as my sales increased and the business grew...and my health deteriorated, I can no longer throw. 99% of my work is now handbuilt from slabs of clay.  So the wheel (sadly) has just been collecting dust, and the studio was getting cluttered.  It took me 4 days..but I finally have it done...and I love it!  SO much more user friendly!  Here is what it used to look like:

   

Shoutout to Nancy of Spinning Glass Studio

Glass and ceramics are a unique combination...I love melted glass and incorporating it into my ceramic pieces.  Here, Nancy deals with just glass and creates beautiful beads which she then uses to create some absolutely beautiful jewelry!  Keep on reading and get to know Nancy a bit better!

Name:  Nancy Bariluk-Smith

Business Name(s):  Spinning GlassStudio

Date Business Was Opened/Created:  2007

Types of Items/Services Offered
I started this business as a fiber artist or a "Feltress" as my husband called me! I began adding bead onto my felt and then moved into making glass beads .I love the way glass moves and interacts with itself. Its magical. I started creating jewelry out of the beads I was making. Each bead has its own personality and finding a way to make that bead shine is the part I really enjoy.

Making Your Own Pottery Tools Tutorial

Do you ever sit at your work table/wheel, WISHING you had a certain tool...but not having it??  Or needing a specific size/shape for sculptural work and there's NOTHING available that will work for your needs?  Well...why not make it yourself?!?  I've seen several different tutorials put together by other potters/ceramic artists and took ideas/suggestions from each one to create my OWN way of doing things.  Keep in mind this is my FIRST attempt at making my own tools...  Still a long ways to go before they look pretty...but I'm pretty sure they'll be functional. :)


SO without further adieu...

First Solo Art/Craft Fair

  So.. the weekend after Thanksgiving this year was my very first SOLO arts/craft fair.  I've done a few in the past, but it was always with a fellow potter, or other Maine artisans.  With the type of ceramics I make.. nearly ALL of them are personalized, so I make the orders as they come in.  That being said...I had virtually NO inventory to speak of.  So for the end of October and all of November, I was busting my @$$ trying to make sure I had inventory for the Christmas show.  I made a bunch of earrings and ornaments, thinking those would be big sellers.  Lower price points, great gifts for the holidays, etc.  Needless to say, they weren't!  I had a smorgasbord of sales.  My goal, was to bring in enough profits so I could replace my iPad that I got two years ago. 

When The Past Comes Back To Haunt You...

Ya know how life has a tendency to get in the way?  Well yea..  Life has kinda kept me on my toes the last few weeks so I apologize for my absence!  I was going to write about the damn government shut down...but I decided that would just be an angry rant and decided against it. :)

But this...I feel is important and might help those of you who actually read what I have to say.

I was talking to a friend of mine the other night...we were reminiscing about our antics while in Kuwait.  I asked him if he could believe it had been 4 years since that time...  He said, "No it hasn't been... it feels like it was yesterday..."  And that got me thinking...  He also asked why certain things smell a specific way causing him to remember the past...Did you know your olfactory senses have the strongest link to your memories?  That's why when you smell the perfume your grandma used to wear, you immediately think of her even though she may have been deceased for 10 years.

Me and one of our docs.

Especially for veterans who have seen war, flashbacks are a very real occurrence.  Not everyone will act out those flashbacks; many will look like they've "zoned out".  In reality, they are reliving that memory as if it were on a big movie screen.  As my friend and I were talking, I remembered a patient I treated.  He was clinically dead, but we were able to revive him despite his severe injuries.  I was holding c-spine (maintaining head control), looking him in the eye and making him talk to me to keep him conscious.  His eyebrows and eyelashes were burned off.  He had burns all over his body; the stench of burning skin and hair is a smell that I will never forget.  He had multiple broken bones and partial amputations.  His carotid artery started bleeding through the bandages and I had to use my thumb as a plug to stop the bleeding in his neck.  While all this was going on and he was being treated by 4 other medics; we talked about getting his 5 year old and my 7 year old together when we both got home and they could play football together.  I will never forget his face, his eyes staring up at me, pleading with me to reassure him that all will be will.  When he was MEDEVAC'ed from our facility, he was alive.  He made it all the way to Germany before succumbing to his injuries.  I was sent home not too long after due to my seizures and made it to his memorial.  It's something I will never forget.  And there are times where it seems like it was just yesterday...The day after my husband knew I was in a funk and I explained to him what was going through my head, and he did the perfect thing.  He just let me be.  Sometimes all a person suffering from PTSD who is dealing with the aftermath of a flashback or night terror needs, is to be left alone for the day...to have that time to sort it out in their own mind.  He was there for me when I needed a hug, when I needed to talk.. but he also gave me my space.  I spoke to my friend on Tuesday... and parts of our conversation brought up memories I had pushed aside..I am wondering if perhaps my inability to close them off again resulted in my seizure last night.  Stress and lack of sleep are triggers.  It was as I was falling asleep I guess.  My hubby told me about it.. which makes sense and explains the sore tired muscles I have today.

My service dog, Kane, also knew something was up.  He didn't leave my side all day long.  It's been 4 years since my deployment to Iraq, but there are times where it seems like it was yesterday.  I see all the people I treated in flashbacks before my eyes.  Sometimes in night terrors.. sometimes when I'm zoning out during the day/day dreaming.  Sometimes it's the same scene, other times it's like a movie on fast forward and I see everything.  Sometimes the tears start flowing and I don't know why...I can't stop them, they're just there.  Sometimes I'm cranky and I snap at my son and husband.  Sometimes I'm able to smile and be thankful that I made it home despite my health issues. And sometimes I feel guilty because I survived and some of my friends did not.. (it's called survivor's guilt).. 

I bring this up not because I want your pity...but I believe that people need to be aware that when it comes to PTSD, there's no timeline in when we get better.  Some days are better than others... And sometimes it's all you can do just to get out of bed.  A certain smell, word, or the way a specific landscape looks can remind us of the dust bowl we were in and the horrific things we saw.  When we withdraw or pull back, it's not because we don't love you, it's because we're trying to deal with the images and memories in our head.  If you've never been there, if you've never seen it...it's hard to talk to someone who doesn't understand.  Rather than just listening, most people try to understand and interrupt to ask questions.  While I admire their desire to learn in order to understand...when you're hurting, the last thing you want to do is educate.  If you want to learn more, ask during a GOOD day, or do some research online.  Want to help your friend but don't know how?  My husband wrote an AMAZING post about how to support a loved one with PTSD.  Please check it out.  Some items may work for your situation, some may not.  But it's some good information from an outsiders point of view.

Dealing with PTSD, Depression, and/or Suicide as a family member or friend

Iraqi sunset

I know this isn't my typical post... But this is about the day in my life.  And not all days are hunky dory peachy keen.  Some days suck.  This week has been full of those sucky days.  But that's why I have my pottery.  When my hands are in clay... a lot of this stuff seems to dissolve...and I feel better.  At times, it's better therapy than any shrink could ever do.  Not to diminish the importance of a psychologist in the healing process for veterans and/or those with PTSD... but for me...art therapy has done more for me than anything else.

Don't be afraid to reach out for help.  Don't know how to explain what is going through your mind/heart?  Grab a pen...a pencil..a paint brush.. some clay.  And just create.  It doesn't have to be the next Picasso.. it just has to help you through the hard days... And for me.. I can assure you that it does.

http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/

Playing Catch Up

So much to do, so little time...I had that feeling all summer with the wedding coming up, and now that the wedding is done.. I still feel that way!  But in a good way.  So here's a brief run down to get ya all caught up.
- Got married August 10 to the man that completes me in every way imaginable.  It was a windy day, rained right up until the ceremony and then it stopped.  It wasn't a heavy rain.. a sprinkle really..  but it was a great day, filled with laughter, family, and fun. :)  OH!  And I made all the wedding favors. :)

- Have had several doctors appointments the last month ranging from neurology to urology.  Fun stuff, huh?  bleck.  As a matter of fact, I have 2 more appointments coming up on Monday!  But I think those are the last two for a while...unless something drastic happens.
- Got my son all enrolled in school (my big 6th grader!), attended an orientation, and he started school August 21.  They start fairly early here, because it is still a very rural community with farms all over the place.  They have a 2 week vacation in September/October so that the kids can help with the potato harvest.
- Re-opened my Etsy shop (www.etsy.com/shop/jsbarts) after it had been on vacation for nearly 2 months while we were doing all the wedding preparations.  And in the last week, I've gotten 3 orders!  All for the same pumpkin spoon rest!  I guess I need to make lots more of those!
- Began selling my stuff at a gift shop in Caribou, Maine; that is known for carrying quality, handmade items, but MOST known for carrying Amish made furniture.  Hoping to do well there.
- Started making Christmas ornaments to get all stocked up for the big art/craft show that is done up here in Fort Kent at the University.  I've been told it's a big to do and that I SHOULD do relatively well.  Keep your fingers crossed!

I think those are all the major items...I've also decided to nix the themed days.  They're not really helping me stay on track at all...I am going to keep Mudita Mondays, as I believe those are important.  It's always nice to recognize someone for their efforts and be genuinely happy for their successes, whether it is of any benefit for you or not.  There needs to be MORE positivity in the world.. and more recognition of the good things people do.  So yea... that's staying.  :)

Lots of ideas for upcoming posts.... so stay tuned my friends!

OH!  and I almost forgot.. I am running a Labor Day sale at my Etsy store.. until 2 September.  Just enter "LABORDAY" in the coupon code to receive $5 off any purchase of $15 or more in my shop.  Please spread the word!

TTFN

Wacky Wednesday - I'm Getting Married on Saturday!!! OMG!

Today, is August 7, 2013.  3 days....  that's it... 3 days until I become Mrs. Barnes.  So much left to do, but so much that has already been done!  I posted a tutorial last week about how I made our wedding favors.  I'm hoping they're a big hit, and everyone likes them. :)  I thought that doing the whole "DIY" wedding thing would be easy... Boy was I wrong!  It seems like the littlest things can affect the entire event.  Our rental for tables and chairs fell through so we have been scrambling trying to figure that out..  Pretty sure we've got it squared away...  But jeez!  Have you ever tried finding someplace to rent/sign out tables and chairs less than 2 weeks out from a wedding?  NOT an easy task...

But we have mason jars filled with blue glass stones that will have small candles in them hung all over the yard...  Glass jars with the same fabric used to create the boys' kilts wrapped around them with daisies inside, all set up along the aisle, and then moved to the tables to decorate them for the reception.  Programs printed, food is being taken care of my family...  good lord.  I'm pretty happy that I get along so well with my future in-laws.  They have truly been amazing! 

I will say... that all this wedding planning has put a HUGE dent in my sales for my pottery.... I put my Etsy store on vacation, and it kind of sucks not having that income filtering in.  May not have been much, but it was enough to allow me to replenish my glazes and such.  I am hoping to open the store back up again very shortly after the wedding...

Anyway... I'm sure there is something I should be doing, final wedding prep and such... so off I go for now! 

TTYS!

Thank you for stopping by!

Mudita Monday - Andrea Mayo

I may be biased.. I know that I have been gloating about those that are close to me and how happy I am for them because of different aspects in their lives...

Today is no different.  My little sister, Andrea, is an AMAZING person!!  For the last 6 years, she has been competing at national and international levels for biathlon (skiing and marksmanship).  After a knee injury and surgery where they actually had to take a ligament from her hip and put it in her knee...  it became evident that her competitive days were coming to an end.  Did that stop her though?  Oh hell no.  She has moved to Utah with her boyfriend (who is also a competitive athlete from Canada) and started going to school for massage therapy.  She was salutatorian of her high school class, and is not afraid to be her own person.  I've never met anyone as quirky, happy go lucky, passionate, and animated as my little sister.  Her happiness is all that matters.  I could not be more proud of the young adult she has become, and is continuing to grow into!  Andrea, I love you babygirl!  Keep up the hard work, and you will achieve anything and everything you set your eyes on!!

Tuesday Tips - Pushing Through the Pain

Good morning! And yes, it's technically morning at 12:45 am on Tuesday.  Currently, I am laying in bed with my legs up, my heating pad on my back turned on, listening to the clicking sounds of my kiln running.  Today started out a little later than it probably should have..

For the last week, to be perfectly honest, I have felt like shit.  I haven't been able to do a whole lot in the studio which has significantly set me back.  I have my very first big event that I'm doing solo to get ready for.  I have heard that "Hallowell Days" is a big deal, and the gift shop, Autumn Equinox, that I have some items at on consignment, invited me down to have a table during this event.  So of course I'm going!!  She gave me some suggestions about what she thought would go over really well... I had some ideas of my own floating around in my head...and then nothing... I was laid up in bed...and did I mention that the event is this weekend?  On Saturday...  I know what you're thinking... Plenty of time to run both a bisque and glaze kiln..right?  NOPE.   Has to be ready by Thursday morning for reasons that may get expanded on in a later post.  So I've gotta get this kiln unloaded, hopefully early tomorrow night (it's a bisque load), glaze all the necessity items, load the kiln, and hopefully have it cooled by Wednesday night/Thursday morning.  OY.

 

So my day.... I woke up at 11ish...snuggled with my punkerhead for a bit... got out of bed, made coffee...surfed around on FB and played my Smurf game (on my iPad... I love that game!  hehe)..while my head cleared.  Finally around 2pm, I went to "work".  Rolled out some clay, finished off some pieces, worked on my sculpture some...which hind sight would tell me that I could have used that 1.5 hours making stuff and getting it outside in the hot sun to dry..  but oh well.  Finally, at 2300 (11 pm), I got the kiln loaded as full as it was going to get, and started it.  I do have some bisque ware already waiting to be glazed, so while the kiln is cooling, I can be doing something productive at least.

But my point to all this rambling...is I HURT.  Sometimes "work" just isn't fun.  Even though pottery is my passion, my therapy for a myriad of things, I also treat it as my job.  I would love nothing more than to be able to support my family with my art.  That would give me the greatest joy!  This show means a lot to me.  I REALLY want to do well, take down some quality pieces, network, connect..all that good stuff.  So I pushed myself a helluva lot harder than I probably should have today.  And I am definitely paying for it tonight.  But it is worth it.  "No pain, no gain", right?  :)  No matter what you have to push through, or mountain you may climb; when your business seems like a struggle and you just want to give up.  Don't.  Those are the times when you have to keep on pushing, reach the peak, and see the beauty you created, and would have missed had you quit/given up when things got tough.

Keep on keeping on!  Every journey, no matter how big or small, starts with a single footstep.

http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/

Friday Fun - Where Has Time Gone??

It's Friday already?  REALLY?!?  Crazy....I guess having a seizure and being so exhausted afterwards that I sleep basically 2 days away has a way of messing with your week...  But at least the last 21 2days have been VERY productive and I've felt sooo much better!!  

I went to Lowe's with a girlfriend of mine and my punkerhead last weekend, and we found some pretty awesome shelves for a really good price.  I only needed one set....BUT...at that price... I couldn't pass it up... So.... I got 2 !  hehe  My honey put them together for me yesterday, and I spent a majority of yesterday organizing them and putting my "office" together.  My shipping "station", photography area, and an actual desk/table next to my shelves to call  my office.  I cannot believe how much more efficient I am and how much more work I get done now!  Well...yes I can.  But still.  It's AWESOME!  I have shelves set aside for boxes, bubble wrap, greenware projects that need to be out of the way while they slowly dry, bisque ware that needs to be glazed, and there's even a shelf for my honey... "BOXES READY TO SHIP"... HEHEHE  Since I can't drive, I rely on him to take everything to the post office.  And since we live in the middle of no where... our little post office closes at 12:30 (I KNOW, RIGHT?!?!?) and we don't have a mailbox, we have to have a damn PO box.  Granted, if push comes to shove, we can go to the post office in the next town over, but that's a 15 minute ride... the post office here close to us is a 2 minute ride.  Still frustrating!  I can't even schedule for the mail man to come pick up the packages... I don't think.. now that I'm "thinking out loud" about it... I'm going to have to call and look into that! :)

Anyway.... Hope you enjoy the photos of my "office" transformed (these are from yesterday... I'll get some new pictures with it all spiffied up soon!)  It's nice...because it leaves the sun porch... aka my studio... to be completely for CLAY.  :-D  Love it!!!  (Thought I'd also throw in a pic of my messy work table... hehe)

Tuesday Tips - Loading A Greenware Kiln

Wow... can't believe it's 5 pm already!!!  I have been searching all my links and references in an effort to be able to tell you guys where I got my information about loading a greenware kiln.  If I find it... I will definitely share it!  If any of you potters/ceramic artists out there can share the link if you know what I'm talking about.. PLEASE, feel free to leave it in the comments!  :)  Anyway... back to the tip of the week...

Mudita Monday - Angie Blevins

I could not be more happy for, or more proud of a dear friend of mine!  She is a retired veteran of the US Army and the US Air Force (I believe??  Correct me if I'm wrong Angie... Sorry if I am!  You know my memory sucks!  hehe) 

Angie Blevins is an inspiration in more ways than one.  Not only did she serve our nation, retiring from the US Army as a MSG (E-8), but for the last 3 decades she has pursued her love of painting/drawing.  She is a very talented water color painter and sketch artist.  Some of her sketches have been used by local law enforcement officers and have actually helped catch the person of interest she was brought in to sketch!  Her mediums of choice are oil, ink, and pencil. 

Keep on keeping on Angie!  I LOVE your work, and value our friendship greatly!  You are an inspiration to many!



You can find Angie on her webpage and through Facebook:
WEBSITE :  http://www.rtist4u.com/
FACEBOOK :  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Angie-Blevins-Art-/265653300169153

MUDITA!!

Friday Fun - ABC Get to Know ME!

So going along with the theme, I figured Friday would be a free for all.  Gives me leeway to write about my life, family, and miscellaneous items that might not otherwise fit.  Today's Friday Fun tidbit is an "ABC Get To Know Me Quiz" that I found on The Little Owl Shop Blog (THANKS! :) )  So here goes!  Hope you learn something about me and perhaps are inspired to do the same.

A. Age: 29

B. Bed Size:  Queen...and it's not big enough!  With myself, my fiance, my son, and my service dog Kane all trying to pile into one bed sometimes...it can get crowded!  haha

C. Chore that you hate:  scraping/grinding kiln shelves and putting kiln wash back on.  Time consuming and has to be done outside.  Non pottery related... I hate doing the dishes!  Always have... but now, standing that long to wash the dishes is physically painful... but on the good days I still try to help my honey out.  He takes such good care of me. <3

D. Dogs:   2; my service dog Kane, and my fiance's dog Charlotte.  Charlotte stayed down with his parents when we moved up north though.  She has a lot of health issues and needed to be closer to the vet...AND... his mom and gram just didn't want her to go.

E. Essential start to your day:  Coffee!

Kane and I at a restaurant in Virginia.

F. Favorite Color:  Blue and a dark amethyst purple.

G. Gold or Silver: Silver/white gold

H. Height:  5'7"

I. Instruments you play:  In middle school I played the french horn...and taught myself some basic piano back in HS...but that was 10 years ago..

J. Job Title: Retired Disabled Veteran.  AKA Differently-abled Veteran Ceramic Artist in Training.  Only been doing this 1.5 years, but it has fast become my passion.

K. Kids:  I have an 11 year old son from a previous marriage.  Hope to add to that sometime in the future.

Hummingbird perched on our patio chair. May 2013.

L. Live:  Northern Maine, about 10 miles from the border of Canada.

M. Mother's Name: Kathy.  

N. Nicknames: Na-Na.  One of my younger sisters couldn't say "Shawna" when she was younger...so she called me "na-na" and it stuck.  Everyone in my family (mom and sisters, dad not so much) calls me by it.  My fiance's pet/nickname for me is "love monkey".  There's a story behind that one as well... Maybe I'll get into that one in a later post.

O. Overnight hospital stays:  Several.  First one was when my son was born, another one about 8 years ago, and 2 in a 1 month time span while deployed to Iraq.  Again, maybe I'll elaborate more on those on a later date.

P. Pet peeve:  Ignorance.  Racism.  People being judgmental in general.  Live and let live.

Q. Quote from a movie:  "Hakuna Matata" = No worries!  Yes, from The Lion King. :)  But it's a great quote/phrase to live by.  Live life for today.  No sense stressing about yesterday or tomorrow.  Yesterday is in the past and you can't do sh*t about it, and you don't know what tomorrow will bring...so again, why stress about the unknown??

R. Right or left handed: Right handed!

S. Siblings: 5 by birth, 1 by marriage.  :)  I have 5 younger sisters ranging in age from 27 to 15.  And as of August 10, 2013, I will have an older sister. :)  Sister-in-law by technicality, but she's great and I love her just the same. :)

T. Time you wake up: It really depends on the kind of night I've had.  If it's been a bad night and I'm up with leg pain, it will be closer to noon.  Most of the time I go to bed when I'm tired and wake up on my own.  Recently though, I've been trying to get on a somewhat normal schedule so I can wake up with my son when he starts school in the fall.

U. Underwear:  The comfy kind! :) 

V. Vegetable you hate:  Not a big fan of kale...I like most veggies... thankfully I'm not a picky eater.

W. What makes you run late:  My memory.  Another "side effect" of Iraq.  My short term memory is HORRIBLE.  We have to stop half down the drive way after we leave to go someplace at LEAST once because I forgot something in the house that I need.  

X. X-Rays you've had:  Oh good lord... WAY too many!  Ankle, knee, foot, entire spine/neck... MRI's and CT scans of head and body...

Y. Yummy food that you make:  I can't cook anymore. :(  My left hand has weakness in it, and I have a tendency to forget stuff.  Add on top of that the inability to stand for long periods of time... And my culinary days are limited.  BUT on my good days... I make a mean stuffed porkchops that my fiance LOVES.

Z. Zoo Animal:  I love the beautiful colors on all the exotic fish... and the peacocks.  The peacocks remind me of the mythical phoenix...of which I have a large tattoo of on my arm.

Well there!  Those are some pretty random questions!  I hope you've learned something you didn't know about me and had a good chuckle...or at least smiled!

TTFN!

Working on some fine detail work.  :)

http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/

When You Think of Maine...

What do YOU think of?  For any people, my out of state friends and family included, the first thing that comes to mind is probably moose....and then it's lighthouses.  I was contacted by a gift shop in Kennebunk that typically sells beach themed items and asked if I had anything like that.  Well...I didn't.  So I started playing with my new extruder, which led me to play around with sculpting... So of course the first thing I make is a lighthouse sculpture!!  hehe  Better to go big than go home.  Afterwards I made some cute little trinket plates..  

Back to the lighthouse.  I wish I would have taken more photos during the process of me sculpting it... but alas... before and the first after photo will have to do. :)  If you have been following my blog for a bit, you know that there are 3 steps to the handmade/handbuilt ceramics process.  First ya make it....then ya bisque fire it (1900*-ish F.  Cone 04 for the potters out there).  Then it gets glaze fired (2200*-ish F.  Cone 5/6). 

So the photo to the right shows the stage of just having been constructed on the left.  And on the right is the post bisque firing with underglaze/glaze added to it.  The lighthouse itself was extruded (yes, I have a hollow cylinder extruder die.. LOVE IT!! :) ).  Then I added all the little "stones" one by one.  Let me tell you what.  It was a PITA!  haha.  And then the tall grass that you can see around the door?  I used my little handheld extruder and attached each "blade" individually.  Again...a PITA!  haha.  But I love the attention to detail.  I can't wait to see what it looks like when I pull it out of the kiln!  The intention is to put a light in it so that it is an actual lighthouse.  :)  I will either update this post with the finished product, or just write a new one... Haven't decided yet. :)  Here are some more "beachy" themed items that have had a clear glaze coat applied and loaded into the kiln.  Will be happy to see the finished product of these too! 
                                   

Apple Valley Bookstore

Thanks to my Kickstarter project, I was contacted by Eric of Apple Valley Books in Winthrop, Maine.  He expressed an interest in having some of my items there on consignment, and of course, I jumped on that opportunity!!  :)  Took me a little while but I got some items sent down to Winthrop (which is roughly 5 hours from where I live in Wallagrass) and they have it put up on display.

Taken from their Facebook page: 

We're an independent bookshop on Main Street in Winthrop selling new (upstairs) and used (downstairs) books. We want to be your personal booksellers!

 

We are happy to special order books for you! Give us a call or stop on by!
We offer 20% discount on most books and can often find out-of-print books, as well. Please support your local bookseller...:)
"We vote with our wallets. And if you care about the unique character of your community, if you believe in rewarding the rugged independence of small businesses, then your local independent bookstore deserves your support, now more than ever. This is an admittedly counter-cultural effort—but that is part of its appeal and sense of purpose.

Bookstores are different than other stores—they reflect the soul of a community. They are a place for meeting, browsing and reflecting. You bump into friends and neighbors, and see a book on the shelf you might have never crossed paths with before. They offer time for contemplation and conversation."

- John Avlon of Book Beast


You can find them on Facebook HERE. 

They're website is:  www.applevalleybooks.com/

Mudita Monday - 20 May 2013

It's time for Mudita Monday again!  "Happy Happy Happy"!  hehe  Any Duck Dynasty fans out there?  You will know what that's from.. :)

Today, I want to show my appreciation to one of the most amazing women I have ever had the

OLD SCHOOL!  hehe  Mom, Dad, myself, and my sisters Brooklyn and Brittny...26 years ago.  <3

privilege of knowing.  Today just so happens to be her birthday!!  She birthed six "nerd children", never gave up on her dreams, served our country as a Soldier in the US Army, and demonstrated to her children what true love looks like.  Who am I talking about?  My MOMMY of course!! :-D  No matter what our individual situations are/were, she was always there with the required tough love to help us get back on our feet and learn the lessons life has to offer.  She has always supported our dreams and encouraged us to be the best we can be in whatever profession/occupation we chose.  I would not be the woman I am today without her love, devotion, and encouragement.  She is strong, stubborn, emotional, loving, selfless, dedicated, hard working, studious, and an inspiration.  I could go on...but there just aren't enough adjectives that can describe how amazing of a woman she truly is.  If you have met my mother and been her presence, you can understand all that I've said. 

I don't know what else to say... My mommy is awesome.  She provided my sisters and I with an amazing childhood where many life lessons were learned that have made us all strong adults and productive members of society.  There is nothing I would take back about my childhood.  There aren't enough words in any dictionary for any language to truly explain what an inspiration my mom is.  So thank you mommy for helping to make me the woman I am today.  <3

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Mudita Monday - 13 May 2013

It is rather refreshing to be thinking of all the positives in ones life, rather than focusing on the negatives.  There is so much negativity in the world, that sometimes by taking a step back and looking through a different lens, the world doesn't look so dark. 

Today, is all about my future mother-in-law (MIL).  The last eight months have gone by in a whirlwind.  While it did seem that the winter dragged on and on...now that we are only three months from the wedding, it seems like it was just yesterday that my fiance and I set our wedding date!  Robbie, my future MIL, has been such a tremendous help!!!  She went with me to go dress shopping for my wedding dress, planned my bridal shower this past weekend with gram (her mom)..and those are just a few examples of the icing on the cake.  When Justin and I first started dating, she (along with the rest of the family) welcomed me into the family right away and made me feel welcome.  When I introduced her to my 11 year old son, she didn't bat an eye, but welcomed him with open arms and already considers him her grandson and part of the family.  If there is ever anything we need, she is one of the first ones to offer to come help.  She faces some health issues as well, but always makes sure that Justin and I are all set.  When she and John come up to visit, she helps get the house back to being squared away and clean.  She watches her great-niece and nephew during the week after school as well as during school breaks. 

I can see now where Justin gets his constant giving and selfless behavior from.  Robbie is selfless and gives all she can to her family and those she loves.  I am very lucky indeed to be able to call her "mama", my MIL.  Thank you for all you do for our little family mama!  I don't know where we would be with your help and support!