Seashells and Teapots...

My latest concoction created with clay...

the view from the front,

and the other side with the lid removed.

You can see it before glazing process here!

1st Time Give away

I had to go inland for work this morning and

Oh My Goodness

108 degrees just 1/2 a mile inland from my cottage.

So thankful to be home and in the shaded court yard.

It is just past noon and here at Summerland Cottage in Laguna Beach the temperature is 78 degrees with cool ocean breezes.

I am so grateful !

Having empathy for all the local inlanders in this crazy heat,

I have come up with an unusual blog give away,

A one night stay in the guest cottage for this Saturday October 2nd 2010.

Check in @ 11 a.m. check out Sunday October 3rd @ 5 p.m.

The cost (is $1.00 to the winner only ), see details of the cottage on site below.

To enter leave a post under comments.

The winner will be selected and notified on Friday October 1st by 8:00 p.m.

You can view more photos and details of the guest cottage here.

http://www.vacationrentals.com/vacation-rentals/69505.html

Description below and stories of Summerland Cottage by Julie Nutting can be viewed at

http://julienuttingdesigns.blogspot.com/

One day last week I went to Laguna Beach to spend the day playing with my friend Paulette.

I can't even begin to describe her home. This historical seaside cottage is just a few blocks from the charming village of Laguna. Paulette's talents as an interior designer are very apparent as you walk through this delightful home but it's her gift as an artist that just makes my jaw drop. Her cottage is like a candy shop. You don't know if you want to look at the pink candy or the green candy. You don't know if you want to taste cherry, lemon or lime. There are so many flavors you just simply don't know which way to turn. One thing is for certain, you are filled with inspiration and you want to go back for seconds and thirds.

Still life

mini collection under glass...

with one of my seashell ceramic boxes included

A quiet Sunday

the weather overcast and cool

makes you want to curl up and contemplate

the mysteries of life

tucked under the eaves

the loft seat becomes the perfect perch above

the sparkling Pacific Ocean

to stay warm and cozy with a good read.

Creative Organization

a wooden box intended for ornaments

becomes the perfect home for a collection of vintage laces and trims

Cozy factor...

a comfy old chair

a collection of design books

tucked in an intimate lamp lit corner

invites one to cozy in and stay a while,

maybe pore over a few books,

and listen to the rain on the roof.

A little library with inspiration galore !

Fall nesting...

comes with the turn in the weather...

an assortment of favorite teas

and french cacao en poudre,

( a favorite treat in my coffee )

grouped in front of a vintage serving tray,

displayed in easy reach

on top of the antique Hoosier cabinet

It's beginning to feel like fall

.

Happy nesting...

Visual snippets of artful curiosities

and sweet mementos

that create ambiance in the sitting room

of Summerland Cottage

Daydreaming and doodling...

a new ceramic pedestal dish design...

while listening to a lecture

Playing with pink

polka dots prevail ...

on my new ceramic creations

A tiny corner of my world...

Where I have vignetted some of my seashore inspired creations

The lamp began as a vase,

then evolved into a lamp

( funny how that happens )

It was the perfect addition to the corner of the sitting room,

my favorite place to curl up in the evening hours

to read, and write in my journal.

Assemblage in a box

I painted the background paper

and pulled out a tray full of beauties,

then...

It's almost as if the little hand crafted ceramic jewels climbed in and assembled themselves.

I love when that happens !

It's titled Twin hearts

in memory of my twin brother

Summertime entertaining

.Super simple and quick,

delicious and healthy !

Here are the ingredients, all found at Trader Joe's.

Organics baby spinach

Seasoned mahi mahi fillets

Organics mixed medley cherry tomatoes

Hawaiian sweet onions

Fresh Garlic

Olive oil

Sea Salt and fresh ground pepper

Fire up the grill and while it is preheating

wash the spinach and spin dry

slice the tomatoes, onions and garlic

place the fillets on the grill for 4 minutes per side

Drizzle the salad ingredients with olive oil

sea salt and course ground pepper

add the grilled fillets on top.

I love how this recipe can be served hot or cold

If for some reason you have leftovers,

just slide them into a warmed skillet for a few moments

until heated thru, this is great served on a bed of pasta,

Bon appetit !

.

Poppy Orange

I've been doing a bit of sewing lately and seem to be frustrated

trying to find needles and straight pins.

So I pulled out my old sewing box tucked under the cabinet

and discovered some charming vintage sewing paraphernalia...

using a bright orange Bahia Gold cigar box

I corralled all the needles into the box

then I created a color coordinated collage

with some of the gems on the lid for easy access.

I couldn't resist including the now-famous

orange handled scissors by Fiskars,

first introduced to the world in 1967,

they seemed a perfect fit !

.

The creative process

Simple floral gift from lover is inspiration...

a test tile is made...

et voila !

the finished piece

Hydrangeas in bloom

inspire new ceramic creations ...

Playing in Pasadena

after 2 weeks of overcast skies at the beach an excursion inland for sunshine and shopping was planned.
The historic Huntington Hotel now named The Langham was to be home for the next few days.
The rooms are luxurious, well appointed and have amazing views that seem to go on forever.
The service was superior and there were lots of delightful extras !

I loved the hotels pink and gold stationery and matching packaging for all the toiletries.

These are much too lovely to toss, they will be re purposed later.

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I had promised myself to pop in Zinnia after discovering it on Paul Murray's

blog and was not disappointed.
There was inspiration everywhere, and a class in progress that looked like too much fun! No wonder they call it a space for contagious creativity.

I purchased ribbon, and as they call them "doo dads" along with the latest issue of Somerset Home and was delighted to find 2 girlfriends work featured inside.
Check out Julie Nutting's and Christie Repasy's articles and blogs.

Joe was most helpful and advised me on a Golden gel medium that I could use for gluing buttons on mixed media and would also work on ceramic pieces.

Thank you Joe,

It worked beautifully !

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In the 1500 block of Mission Street in S. Pasadena I came across 3 unique shops all in a row.
Marz that sells art, unusual cards, vintage accessories and so much more.
Rue de Mimo that has some amazing jewelry, accessories and the most unique clothing lines.
Camille Frances DePedrini for vintage jewels, adorable shoes and clothing made from delicious fabrics with embroidery and detailing so very feminine.



For lunch,
I highly recommend Julienne's, this place oozes charm and ambiance inside and out.
The meals and the service were outstanding !

Ceramic wine cooler

created using crackle glaze

a custom mixed ink stain

clear glaze and platinum luster

to create the look of a silver base.

I love experiments

especially when they are successful !

Summer entertaining continues at the seashore...

Platinum jewelry pieces

created with clay,

using platinum luster,

looking like little silver adornments from the sea ...

These little gems were inspired by my surroundings

and my fascination for the sweet finds glistening in the sunshine

discovered on the wet sands of the seashore.

For this project I began by sculpting a mould out of clay using typical sculpting tools

and a dull pencil lead for grooved details.

Once it is done it is fired and I then have a mould to work off of.

I created numerous press moulds that can be used repeatedly.

Rolling a small ball of clay in your palm and then pressing it into the mould,

then pulling it out gently and setting it aside to let it dry completely before firing.

After the 1st firing I added a clear glaze and re fired.

Then it is ready for the platinum luster glaze application and the final firing.

.

Now the possibilities are endless...

they can become jewelry pieces such as the lapel pin

using a magnet to attach it to clothing

( so as not to harm delicate fabrics )

or by attaching jewelry findings they can become necklaces,

charms for bracelets or key rings.

They also make wonderful decorative buttons!

later...

playing with package design ideas

using paper scraps found about the studio

Being curious about everything and living to create

there is always a new projects covering my large studio work table

that faces out to the sparkling Pacific Ocean.

Hand crafted gifts

with a sweet gift tag and custom gift box

created for a friend that sews beautifully,

( lives by the seashore )

and is one of the most creative people I have been blessed to know

.

Fun in the sun Summer Sandals

.

are enhanced with a bit of embellishing

seashells, buttons, bits of lace, vintage jewelry...

Miscellaneous creativity continues at Summerland Cottage...

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