Blue Sky Pottery Company

Handmade Pottery and Ceramics by Deb Babcock

http://www.etsy.com/shop/blueskypotteryco

Enjoy a visit to Blue Sky Pottery where you will find fabulous porcelain and stoneware creations, one of a kind, functional pottery including whimsical teapots and tea cups, bowls, casseroles, plates, tumblers, platters, vases and tiles.

 

I'm a potter (aka ceramic artist for those who like more elegant titles :-) ) and I make mostly functional items for the home and office. This includes dishes, cups, bakeware, colanders, vases, pencil holders, serving pieces, and some decorative sculptures.

Most creations are made on my pottery wheel where I take a lump of clay and spin it to create a shape like a cylinder for a mug or a rounded form for a bowl. Then I often alter the form, carve a design on the exterior, add color through stains and glazes, add feet, handles, lids, etc.

My pottery goes through two firings in a kiln - one to dry it out enough so glaze will adhere and a second firing to 2150 degrees F to turn the glaze and clay body into a durable glass-like finish that can be used in the oven, dishwasher and microwave.

In addition to a pottery wheel and kiln, I also use a slab roller (a really fancy rolling pin to get my clay slabs of a consistent thickness) as well as carving tools, ribs for smoothing and shaping, brushes of all sizes for design, and all the measuring and mixing tools needed to make my own glazes.

My studio is 1000 sq feet located in an office building between a dentist's office and a doctor's office. Half the space is dedicated to a gallery where locals and tourists can come in and see and buy my work; the rest of the space holds my pottery wheel, kiln, slab roller and tools, clay and glazes. Generally people who come in to browse my work will see me working at the wheel or glazing pieces for the next kiln firing.

I'm located in a popular ski destination in Colorado (Steamboat Springs) -- home to around 50 Olympians who have competed in events such as downhill skiing, ski jumping, cross-country, etc. We get a lot of visitors both winter and summer because of the great hiking in the mountains here.

I've been an etsy seller since August 2006 and get a kick out of sending my work (over 3000 pieces of pottery so far) all over the world to be used in homes where I'm sure I have never heard of the food and or drinks being served in them.

You can tell from my work that the inspiration comes from where I live. You'll often find aspen trees, flowers, grasses, mushrooms and other flora and fauna of the area depicted in my designs. And I LOVE color, so browsing my shop is like traveling to the end of the rainbow.

Passion for Painting

Catherine's colours are simply irresistably vibrant and alive. She has return to her beloved roots in painting, enjoying an intimate relationship with colour, texture and pattern. Non representational abstract art is Catherine's passion. Enjoy a visit to her Etsy studio at
www.gutsche.etsy.com .

Catherine Gutsche is a mixed media artist in Ottawa Canada and works full time as a graphic designer and web master. She has paintings in private collections in Canada, the United States and Europe. She studied Fine Art/Visual Art at York University in Toronto, earning an Honours Bachelor of Fine Art degree with a major in graphic design. She worked after graduation for several years as a graphic designer in the vibrant downtown Toronto graphic arts market.

Since moving to Ottawa Catherine has return to her beloved roots in painting, enjoying an intimate relationship with colour, texture and pattern. Non representational abstract art is Catherine's passion.Travel has always played a role in Catherine’s life, beginning at the age of 16 with a trip to China during the period of Mao Tse-tung. China showed Catherine the importance in art of pattern. She was inspired by Chinese artists' ability to manipulate designs and colours to form intricate repetitions that are flipped or rotated to create artistic masterpieces seen on walls, floors, ceilings and household objects.

Exposure to the capitals of Europe during her university years, gave Catherine an appreciation for the great masters in all their glory – size, colour and textures – none of which translate in coffee table books. But it was in Australia that she gained a feel for the impact of colour where Uluru (Ayers Rock) changes from earthy reds to silvery-greys, with streaks of charcoal black algae. Nowhere else in the world are there colours that extend as far as the eye can see.Catherine brings all these experiences into her paintings, combining textiles, found items and paint, and finally allowing her joy of colour to spill onto every canvas she works on.

Creative Journey

Today's feature "Glad Ragzz" so eloquently describes her creative journey. She is inspired visually by beautiful and artistic pieces and loves to try new things in her work. I can relate to the excitement of trying a new technique and using new materials.
Have fun visiting her shop http://www.gladraggz.etsy.com/ and enjoy her feature!

by GladRaggz

I'm a visual person, and am inspired when I see something that I consider to be beautiful or artistic. I've always loved antiques and vintage clothing, so I also draw inspiration from the look and feel of old clothing and accessories. I find something very romantic, sentimental, and appealing about the fabric and abundant handwork that went into those lovely old gems. For a while I did a lot of needlepoint using the original Berlinwork charts, but now my work seems to be a combination of antique opulence and new materials.

Good examples are my winter handbags, crocheted with a variety of new, "high tech" sparkly yarns, and adorned with luscious vintage jewelry. Since moving to Florida, I've used a lot more color than I used to, and I love bright, happy reds and oranges. For summer, I like to use cool, crisp blues and whites, and try to weave "ocean" themes into my summer work whenever possible. Being someone who bores easily, I love to keep "moving" in my creative journey, always trying new looks, new materials, and never wanting to create the same piece twice. Unless I have a special request for duplicates, all my shop items are unique and one-of-a-kind.

Please visit my vintage shop and blog:

http://rekindledpassions.etsy.com/

http://www.carpetbaggercreations.blogspot.com/

Something Wonderful

Wooly Knits N' Bits has created some gorgeous baby items. You have to go and peek at her cute little knitted baby hats and booties. As a soon to be Grandma she is excitedly knitting, waiting for baby!

Wooly Knits N' Bits

There is something wonderful about moving stitches back and forth on two needles. It helps me clear my mind after a stressful day. I choose my yarn for their colour and for their feel. I do not knit in acrylics, they just do not have that softness that I am looking for. I am especially fond of hand dyed yarns. I am a soon to be grandmother and I have been knitting baby items with great excitement.I knit in the car, in front of the tv, and with my cup of tea at night. I will not have more than two projects on the go at once. My etsy shop features knitted items but also wonderful yarns for you to knit with.

Check out my etsy shop at http://www.woolyknitsnbits.etsy.com/

and my new blog at http://woolyknitsnbits.blogspot.com/