A Sampling of Wares

This is a bowl that will be at the Winter Gift Market.  It's about 8" diameter.   The design is all hand-painted with layered designs.  $40.00

I've made a couple dozen of these frog ornaments for $10.00 each. 

Soap dishes are 14.00 each or 2 for 22.00 at the Gift Market

This one is plum color with a lace design. 

Plate with two tumblers

Holiday Shoppe in Hyrum Civic Center

These are the glazed and fired and ready for the tree frog ornaments. $9.00 each. I have some in Hyrum tomorrow.

My display table at the Hyrum Civic Center

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Cache Valley Gardener's Market is a Joy

Granddaughter's first pottery. I'd buy it--wouldn't you?? She played house with it as well as ate dinner off of it.

As you know I love to hike. This week's hike was Stump Hollow up Logan Canyon. We were the only ones on the trail except for a bike rider.

I know I always include flowers whenever I can. A typical Indian Paint Brush

The man I love

Notice the insects. What are they?

View from the trail.

Pale yellow Indian Paint Brush

Tiny aspens

A natural sculpture

Scouts work--love it!

More scouts' work

My stuff

I've loved doing the Cache Valley Gardener's Market whenever I can. It's every Saturday into October at Merlin Olsen Park. I had a group of great scouts from Paradise 1st ward. I also was able to make some beautiful pottery with my three-year-old granddaughter. Her pottery turned out so beautiful and it was fun to see her insist on eating her hamburger on her new plate even though it didn't fit! And drink milk out of her new cup. I enjoy seeing the joy on a child's face when they can create something with their own hands. Here's some examples of my newest work and pottery made by children.

This, That, and Sa in Carole's Studio

I'm working pretty hard in the studio to get ready for Summerfest and keep up with the Cache Valley Gardener's Market and the Wheeler Historic Farm. Of course I always take time out for walks, hikes, and bike rides and writer's meetings. This week Sa (from Thailand) came back to the studio to try one more time to throw a 12" cylinder. He worked at in for at least a half an hour and couldn't get it past 11 inches. For some reason after 11" his cylinder just couldn't get any higher. He finally asked for me to try and I was able to get it to 12 inches. I've been doing pottery for 35 years, so yeah it's not a big deal for me. Sa started doing pottery less than 9 months ago and could only work on it during his classes in high school. As an exchange student from Thailand, he'd never thrown pottery before coming here. He also hadn't done other types of artwork and yet won a high school competition in painting and his work was featured on the front page of Cache Magazine two weeks ago. He's a happy, extremely determined young person. He goes home to Bangkok on Sunday. What an inspirational guy. I wish him the best, but he won't need my well wishes--he'll go far in life.

On a walk near home

In my studio with freshly made pottery

Sa beginning his 12 " cylidner

Sometimes I feel like the luckiest person alive

Freshly made bowls. Getting ready for Cache Valley Gardener's Market

On a hike near home with my friend DeAnna we got to see Indian Paintbrush

DeAnna with Avon in the background

A patch of Lupine

The end of our road. What you can't see is that we had just witnessed a mother sandhill crane coaxing her new baby across. We stayed way back to give them room. Unfortunately so far back you can't see them.

I love this willow that struggles through losing limbs. It has had better days.

Arrow leaf balsam root--prevalent this time of year.

Sa, an exchange student from Thailand is putting on handle on a mug he made.

It's been fun to share my studio with Sa. He's such a happy, talented, and hardworking young man. He leaves in June.

One of Sa's raw (before firing) mugs. I love his designs.

A rare sight. This young bullmoose was galloping by our house this morning. He seemed pretty frantic. I hope he found some shelter. We watched him run one way and then another. Finally disappearing from our view.

Sometimes I feel like the luckiest person alive. This time of year is really fun. Everything comes alive in Avon. My studio no longer requires the heater to blow full-time. I'm getting ready for Farmer's markets and art festivals. The sounds, sights, and smells of nature and wildlife are all around. Hiking weather is perfect. Life at it's best.

A slab built planter

Who would have thought that instead of building snowmen, we'd have enough water in the neighborhood for rafting--almost. Anyway I've been catching up on some writing, but last week got back in the studio to finish up some honey pots and tumblers for an order. While I worked on glazing my friend came over the studio to make a planter. She had an idea to make a pot with vines. First she rolled some slabs, wrapped a bucket, made a bottom--always scoring or course. Important if you use a form like a bucket, orange juice can  or other still form, you need to wrap the form with paper first. Otherwise the clay will stick. Then she started rolling the loose coils. Scratch and wet the coils, but don't press so hard the organic-growing look disappears. Make sure you pull the bucket out before the pot starts to shrink. Remember clay shrinks as it dries and it will crack if something resists this like and immovable form.
This is the way it looks so far. I'll update with the final product. I've decided it's definitely more fun to work with a friend.