Sea glass inspired necklaces

Inspired by the little seaside town where I live 

and the ever-changing colors of the sky and ocean 

these tumbled glass beauties were created

 by mixing and matching a variety of natural materials

with bright, beautiful shades of blues and greens.

I wanted to create multilayered, multifaceted pieces

that can be layered or worn alone

and are perfect for that statement pop of color.

Grateful to have them included in the latest Jewelry Affaire Magazine!

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My latest masterpiece in clay,

Inspired by black and white photographs of a beautiful old statues

 and amazing masses of flowers at a cemetery in Paris.

I've created this vase using heavy cotton fabric dipped in slip 

and artfully sculpted to create the massive flowers 

embellishing the top.

This is just how my imagination works...

I'm feeling blessed and thrilled with the result just out of firing 

and thrilled to have it featured in Somerset Home Magazine!

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Fishnet with seashells pitcher

This lovely came about when a girlfriend gifted me 

with something new to experiment with.

A cotton steaming cloth that made me think of fish netting.

I dipped it in slip and draped it across a pitcher shape

then added some of my seashell pieces to attach it here and there.

Because the netting was a rather tight weave

 I had to blow out some of the clay 

so it would show off the pattern and design.

Continuing the asymmetrical composition on the opposite side 

with my seashell creations.

YaY, another successful experiment!

The latest dish!

... a creative new challenge for me,

working with china paints.

Many of us have our collections of china with beautiful roses 
hand painted on vintage vases and dishes. 

Being inspired by painters of the past I wanted to experiment and put my own twist on it by creating a local dish with a map of my little seaside town of Laguna Beach.

I recently had the opportunity to be inspired by some amazing pieces created by Franz A. Bischoff at the Joan Irvine Art museum.

Here is a brief history on the artist...

Franz A. Bischoff (1864-1929) began his artistic training at a craft school in Bohemia at the age of 12. He trained in ceramic decoration. In 1882, he came to the United States and worked as a painter in a ceramic factory in New York City. He moved to Pittsburgh, then to Fostoria, Ohio, and finally to Dearborn, Michigan, continuing to work as a porcelain painter.

      Bischoff became one of the foremost porcelain painters of his day and is still regarded today as the greatest American porcelain painter. His porcelain works were exhibited at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago and at the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis. He founded the Bischoff School of Ceramic Art in Detroit and in New York City. Additionally, he formulated and manufactured many of his own colors, participated in exhibitions and won several awards, earning a reputation as "King of the Rose Painters."

He first visited California in 1900, and finding the climate and scenery appealing, made plans to move his family, arriving in Pasadena in 1906. In 1908, he built a studio-home along the Arroyo Seco in South Pasadena, which included a gallery, ceramic workshop, and painting studio. In 1912, he took an extended tour of Europe where he studied the works of the Old Masters and the Impressionists.

    On his return to California, Bischoff turned to landscape painting and gradually abandoned porcelain decoration. Through the 1920s, he painted the coastal areas of Monterey and Laguna Beach, the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and the desert near Palm Springs. Some of his most charming works were painted in the small central California village of Cambria. In 1928, he and his friend, the artist John Christopher Smith, traveled to Utah, where they painted in Zion National Park. He died at home, on February 5, 1929.

Bischoff exhibited with the California Art Club and the Laguna Beach Art Association. In 1924, he received the Huntington Prize, an annual award given for the most popular painting at the California Art Club exhibition.

Embellished Cardigan

I found the sweet peachy pink cardigan at The Gap

and loved the color, fit and length.

By now, my readers would know I can't seem to

just leave it as it was created.

I have several lengths of beautiful vintage laces

needing to come out of hiding and be shown off.

They seem the perfect embellishment.

I layer them and then

they are easily hand sewn on to the sweater.

Then feeling it needs a bit more,

I pull out the treasured vintage button collection

and pour it out on the table looking

for just the right lovelies to create a button bouquet.

The magic mesh comes in handy for laying out the gems

and then sewing them into place.

I cut away the extra mesh and add a magnet to attach it with,

so the fabric will not be damaged by the weight of the pin.

Fortunately I have the perfect vintage crochet top

that works beautifully as a camisole underneath.

I'm loving the happy spring colors being shown this season!

Crochet and clay

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Vintage crochet top beginning to unravel...

is dipped into wet clay

and successfully transformed

into a treasured new ceramic vase !

For this project I had been experimenting with cotton string

dipped in liquid clay and attached as a design element to a piece,

it was quite fun and successful.

So when a favorite vintage crochet top was beginning to unravel

and I didn't have the matching yarn to repair it

I chose to repurpose it.

I began by cutting off a bell shaped scalloped edge sleeve

that I could shape into a design over a tall vase form,

and having covered it in slip I then carefully pulled it up over the wet clay form.

Next I gathered the raw edges of the top of the sleeve

and created a base to tuck them inside of and give it a finished look.

The inside and base were glazed after the first firing to make it water tight

but I chose not to add glaze on top of the crochet section on this one.

I wanted it to still have the look and texture of

the original cotton top.

Some may say this is an example of repurposing at its best,

I am thrilled with the end result !

and grateful to share the joy!

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Pink confections

.Pink confections created with clay

just in time for Valentines Day !

just having fun with ceramic clay

still time to decoupage, embellish

and continue to play

and it all started when my friend Cheryl came to visit Summerland Cottage

and gifted me with a set of Fiskars fun paper edger scissors

Thank you Cheryl !

♥.HAPPY HEART'S DAY . ♥

Seashore ceramic dish designs

I've been up to my elbows in clay lately,

fortunately, it seems to have been worth it.

You just never know what will happen during a firing...

Out of all the mediums, I enjoy playing with,

I find ceramics to be the most challenging.


Thrilled to share the fun and creativity in Somerset Home Magazine.

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