Playing With the Hand That Was "Delft" You

First off let me say....MARCH 26th !@#$#@  Come on Julie you can do better than this.  What have you been doing that keeps you away from your blog that ten's of people read?  Well quite a bit actually.  I've been to Toulouse, Dufort and Paris France.  (didn't see anyone's underpants) I've been to Washington DC with Meisha Barbee.  I've spent a marvelous week at a retreat in Virginia and next week I head to Las Vegas, Sin City, Clay Carnival to teach my class that gets its inspiration from delft pottery.  Most of you know what delft pottery is but if you don't it's that blue and white pottery that makes you think of tulips, wooden shoes and the boy with his finger in the dike.  Well that is what it makes me think of.  For the class I am under constraints of time and clay.  It is a four hour class and we will be using shades of blue and white. Here is the picture I sent Donna Kato for the class description.

It can be made using only one cane that you take slices from at different stages of the reduction.  In coming up with the class I made several blue and white canes using a fairly simple cane technique that I came up with while I was working on my Chuck Close portrait.  I decided I would try to challenge myself to see how many different ways I could use these blue and white canes.  Now I wish I could say that all of these projects are finished but remember who you are dealing with here.  Her last blog was March 26 for $#$% sake.

This necklace is mostly finished.  I have to add some beads and a clasp.  I am taking a findings class with Kathleen Dustin and hoping I can get some inspiration after the class.  The focal "bead" is done like my framed mosaic pieces but with a more simple cane slice in the center.  You can't see but the sides have cane slices too.  Now normally I would have put in on a cord and called it a day.  I think it is beautiful on its own.  I have some dear friends who have encouraged me to complete my necklaces with more beads (in order to make them more saleable) so that is what I have done here.....well....that is what I am going to do here.  Do you see my problem?  Maybe this is why I am not in the business to make money.  Or maybe that's why I am not making money. 

Here is another unfinished necklace.  After seeing posts about Melanie West's traveling necklace I thought I'd make some big shiny balls.  So I did.  Now what?  I put the three of them together on a cord.   Didn't like the way that looked.  Put in some spacer beads.  Better but still no good.  Then I decided I would try a multi-strand necklace.  Still playing around with that.  Of course I dropped one end and all of the small beads went flying when I was trying to set it up to photograph.  Taking this necklace with me to a retreat for more advice.  Please feel free to add some comments on what you think. 

 

 

 

I decided to make a few necklaces and pendants that might sell at Clay Carnival.  So if you are going be sure to stop by the store before you hit the slots!  These are more likely what I would wear....What can I say I am a casual girl.

As you can see I am getting quite a lot out of a few rather simple canes.  Well, simple when compared to my face canes.  I like bracelets so I did a couple of cuff bracelets.

 

 

Then I went way outside my box and made a .......box.  Actually I covered a ceramic box that I bought at Michaels.

 

 

 

Then I really blew the box up and made this piece (that really isn't anything yet because it has no holes or a pin back yet) that is a cross between an organic piece and a framed piece.

I have some earrings that I know you will be shocked to hear are not finished but they weren't even close enough to photograph.  I hope you forgive me (and I am talking to you, Barb D.) for being so late but that you have enjoyed my blue and white period.