New Porcelain Halloween Pendants

Marsha Neal Studio: New Porcelain Halloween Pendants

Here is a quick Mosaic I made of some samples of the new Porcelain Halloween Pendants that I am making and getting pictures gathered for my Etsy shop so I can get some of these listed and hopefully sold...

They are going to retail at $14 each (they are in the size range of my medium pendants).

Keep an eye out…

There will be some finished pieces as well in the Marsha Neal Studio Etsy Shop and the My Mom Pattie Etsy Shop. I've got a bead night tonight with some friends up in PA and I am hoping to be inspired to actually make some jewelry!

BeadFest Today...

I really wanted to get to Beadfest by lunchtime... But I wasn't…


By the time I got there around 3pm, Chloe was napping in the car (got a good hour nap in on the drive).

I didn't get very far at all in the show (I talk way too much!). Must be that I don't get out of the house much thing… So I am planning on going back on Sunday (by myself) and actually taking out the Digital Nikon SLR and getting some decent photographs…

Here are some beads that Chloe and I picked out from our good friends booth: Artful Beads Studio and Workshop: 

She went right for the purple beads - and they were all shiny beads - so right up her alley!

Chloe received a stuffed (very cute) pig from Kelly of Beadfuddled. It was love at first squeeze… She had it with her the whole rest of the show, the ride home, then was giving "little piggy" piggy-back rides around the house! She is now asleep with her new little love… Thanks Kelly! As always - your gifts are huge hits (Riley was sleeping and did not get his yet - but will get some pics of that for you & will show you on Sunday at the show)…

I have some other pics to show you all that pertain to those new decal pieces I fired last week for BeadFest & Etsy that I would like some feedback on. But I'm wiped and ready for bed. Lots of stuff planned for tomorrow "at home". Got to get an early start…

Ok, real quick: the above picture of three sizes for the Keyhole Oval pendants was taken with the Digital Nikon SLR with the standard lens (another reason why I was late to BeadFest - photographing stuff I was dropping off). I think I may need a better lens for getting pics like this. Need to work on lighting (a tent over it maybe?), focus, background? I like the stone and moss, but it it too distracting or is it ok because the pendant is so "sepia & white"? I am thinking of using these for my Etsy shop...

Have fun shopping at BeadFest if you are there. D7Studio, Booth #408 has my pieces… Stop by and take a peek. Darlene has a ton of other really cool stuff & Kelly Russell of Beadfuddled is there too!

FREE ADMISSION PASS TO BEADFEST PHILLY (CLICK ON THIS).

-- Pictures Taken With & Posted From My iPhone

Glaze Test Picture and Link Help...

Ok, I need some input if you have the time…

I want to make a picture for the side bar that can be used to link to the Beads-of-Clay blog posts that I do with the Cone 6 commercial glazes.

Thinking about using this one…

Not sure if the blue type is good though…

Maybe White will stand out better against the black…

And the white type will go with the white lines on the tile (my Lick texture…)

***I updated it with the white lettering… See below***

Then the next thing I want to do with it is figure out the html that goes with it so if someone else wants to use the image, they can copy and paste the html and the picture appears then links to the BOC blog…

Advice? I am sure I can get it figured at some point…

But time to go feed Riley and get off this computer for a bit of one on one time with him...

New Pieces Revealed...

I have just put Riley down for his morning nap (please let it be a long one!) and unloaded my kiln from Saturday night firing.

And I wanted to give you a peek:


Ok, these pieces have been sitting for a year (maybe 2) in the I have not a clue how to finish them pile. This pile (plastic shoe bin really) is to receive some finish other than my normal textural glazes...


I wanted something that would make them look... Earthy. Dingy. Old. Natural. Organic. And something cool to look at (that - "oh, let me look at those" as someone grabs at it to see the colors and textures up close.


And all the while meeting my need to have the piece smooth enough and colors captured enough to be "worry-free wearable".


This shot above has one of the pieces turned over... Double-sided-yummy-crusty...


I spent the entire day on Sat working in the studio doing more glaze tests. I am getting ready for three things: my BOC 3rd Friday Glaze post, BeadFest next weekend, and placing a huge glaze order with Coyote Clay for more glazes.



Fall is right around the corner and I feel like I'm about to hit my stride...

Let's see what makes it to Etsy & Beadfest... Hmmm...

-- Pictures Taken With & Posted From My iPhone

August Second Saturday: State Of Your Studio

Every 2nd Saturday of the month the beads-of-clay blog is hosting this blog event:

Second Saturday, State Of Your Studio!

This is a great way for everyone to post pictures of their creative space on your blog 

(I don't think it is limited to clay or jewelry making specifically).

Then link it back to the BOC blog.

So this is how my studio space looks today (as I am preparing for Bead Fest and my BOC Cone 6 glaze blog post next Friday): 

In the middle of lots of glazing!!!

The above picture is of my slab roller / glazing area…

Here it is from an earlier/wider shot this morning when I first started…

Ugh - the dumping grounds. All the things that are in need of a place go there. Will better organize it soon…

This shelf does not meet my needs (too wide to support the weight of clay) and will be dismantled this fall during the studio makeover…

And this is my bead storage area. Not my Marsha Neal Studio clay beads - but rather the gazillion beads I have bought and traded for over the years of traveling with bead shows.

Yes, one day I will get into this stash and actually make stuff… 

Maybe right after the website is updated!

There is a lot of display stuff stored there too. Since I am not doing shows I really need to edit that down a bit too… My life and studio needs are changing - this fall should be the perfect time to go through it and get my butt back in gear.

Thanks for swinging by! Next time we'll have coffee too… Especially since it will be September and I should be starting to get into the thick of re-organization… I can't wait!

-- Pictures Taken With & Posted From My iPhone

Busy As Ever...

I have been busy making new decal pieces, glazing, glaze testing (SO excited to share my results next Friday on the BOC blog)...

Here is a batch of my new decal pieces drying, getting ready for the kiln firing (they will be more sepia toned vs dark black)...

Even though "I" will not be selling my pieces at BeadFest next weekend (my friend Darlene of D7Studio in booth #408 will be...), I am planning on being there for a bit. And there will be lots of my new work there for you all to see...

In the picture above, see that tray up top of the decal tray... Those are a lot of the new pieces I got from Bisque Bead Supply, waiting to be glaze fired then to have decals applied… Hopefully I'll get some of them finished for BeadFest!

At least I don't have to stress about manning the booth this year! Although I probably will on Saturday for a bit so Darlene can shop a bit. Kelly Russell of BeadFuddled will be there selling her work too in the D7Studio booth… 

There are FREE admission passes available to the show if you plan on going. 

See, more money to spend on beads now… 

Those Interweave Press people are super smart!

Hope to see you there!

Or if you can't make it, check out this blog and the D7Studio blog for pictures I hope to upload live from the show floor on Friday and Saturday...

-- Pictures Taken With & Posted From My iPhone

Silk Shipment

Isn't this just a beautiful sight???



I think I like my dining room table that much more, covered in a new shipment of silk strands from Silk Painting Is Fun...



This is what they look like in the box...



Out of the box....



Then sorted into color palettes so I can see what I have vs what I ordered and which ones I need more of because I want to make up new bundles for my Etsy shop...



Then they all get put into their specifically numbered and named baggies and into the drawers. All ready to be pulled when an order is placed through my website shopping cart.

The new colors are not up there yet... They will be sometime soon (still have to name a few of them)...

-- Pictures Taken With & Posted From My iPhone