Riley Insists On A Sale Extension...

Riley just turned 11 months old yesterday - and just like the rest of his teething, his one year molars are arriving a little early...



And if you have ever had to deal with this, you will totally understand how I have gotten absolutely nothing done since Saturday. No new silk knots or shards listed into my Etsy shop as promised...

So I am going to extend the 25% off my Etsy shop through Wednesday midnight (may not have a chance to change pricing until Thursday morning, can't promise though).

I am hoping to snap some pics tomorrow and list them soon after.

Thanks for understanding!



But comforting this little darling has been my priority... I wish those big teeth would just be through already. Top and bottom on one side...

-- Pictures Taken With & Posted From My iPhone

25% off Etsy Shop Sale This Weekend!

Right now everything in my Etsy shop is marked down 25% off retail pricing.

This sale goes on until Monday, November 29, 2010.

It will be the last one I'm running this year - so have fun shopping!

I'm hoping to get a few new shard pieces up in the shop by Monday…

Happy Holidays Everyone!!!

Jewelry For Artist Home Shows...

I feel like I dropped off the social media network in the last couple of weeks...


I have been preparing to send off a bunch of my work - as finished jewelry - to some friends that are hosting an Artist Open House sale of all kinds of handmade items.


The above pic is my dining room table (see, that jewelry making area in the basement studio needs to get done ASAP)...


I am SO thrilled at how these are coming out. I will be sending out a newsletter with the information for the open houses (4 of them in three weekends - starting this weekend)! Middletown and Wilmington, DE will be the towns they will be in. I will send out a coupon in the newsletter as well for the open houses - so make sure you are signed up (see side bar to the right or my website).

-- Pictures Taken With & Posted From My iPhone

Something New for Marsha Neal Studio in 2011

I am going to try something for a year. A Marsha Neal Studio "Specials" blog dedicated to a whole bunch of giveaways of my porcelain pieces (and whatever else I feel like throwing in there - silk, leather, jewelry findings, beads, scarves, gift certificates, etc) for 2011.

I decided to do this on it's own blog because of my general overstimulated and overworked brain that cannot seem to keep up with all the different things going on in the world of blogging.

I wanted to make it easy for you to grab one of my pieces, make something with it, post a picture & link back to my blog, and have a chance at winning a fantastic gift from me (trust me - they will be fantastic!).

There are 3 or 4 ideas for monthly giveaways already listed there. Then there are a bunch of "at the end of the year" giveaways too. And I'm open for more suggestions...

All this comes about from an idea I had today while doing a MASSIVE cleaning & organization of my "new office studio space". I have way too many beads & jewelry making supplies (yes you read that right!) That and I really get something out of making people happy, and seeing how my pieces make people happy - I just want to give it all away! And I would - except I need to actually start to pay off some of this business debt that I have gotten myself into and show a profit from my business - like soon!

So I'm thinking - if you can help me to promote my business for 2011 by making stuff with my work, selling stuff with my work, buying stuff with my work, share links to my website (which is really starting to come together - it will premier in January if no major setbacks are found) or blog, Etsy shop, etc - I will give you a ton of chances to win more of my stuff…

It should be like a virtual beading night with friends… One that happens every month - all of next year!

So go ahead and break out the good food, the wine and the chocolate and have at it! Let's see what you have (oh - that's another good idea for a giveaway post - what does your MNS clay pieces stash look like?). See the brain just never stops!

I'll be updating the Marsha Neal Studio Specials Blog with more details and photos of giveaways.

Oh, and of course - something extra special for the end of 2010 too...

Second Saturday State of The Studio

Welcome to the Marsha Neal Studio version of the Beads of Clay Blog: Second Saturday State of Your Studio Post...

Pshew - that was a lot to type!



Right now my clay area & glaze area has been serving as my jewelry making area. Mainly wire work & hammering...



The slab roller is the perfect height for working while standing and banging out some wire...



The back of the studio is still a mess... It's been one of the catch all areas for all kinds of jewelry making & craft supplies. I have every intention of making this the place where I can keep jewelry making projects in the works.



You can see all the storage bins that I have things stored in. That is part of the problem - they are stored... Not in a usable organized setup at all.



A friend of mine (Kim) was nice enough to bring this point to my attention and then proceeded to start to collect these bead bins for me (we traded for beads :). Needless to say - it is awesome to have beads & findings at my fingertips by just grabbing a case and having everything right there!



I have all these pieces pulled for jewelry making - the top basket is full of pieces ready for ear wires & oxidation... I am SO proud of myself for finally getting something done that I have been wanting to do for years...



Then this afternoon I finally got to glazing some more shards (have been trying to get here all week!).



And I have been using these trays from my bead show days to keep various shapes & sizes of shards separated for easier pairing for glazing...



And since it is technically Friday as I am writing this post, here is an image for self portrait Friday (Ornamental Blog). Trying out my new earrings & wearing a stressed face from this week. Not happy with where my studio organization is. But not upset about it either. Just annoyed...

I am down a size in pants just this last week and about 20 pounds since pregnancy (pre & post was about the same for me).
Go Weight Watchers!!!

Wonder if I'll get any more studio organization done before next month's post... Or just more jewelry making???

Thanks for stopping by!

-- Pictures Taken With & Posted From My iPhone

Earring Experimentation...

I have FINALLY got my butt in gear and banged out a pair of earrings for myself...


I have had this idea in my head for a while... I now think it was from 3.5 years ago when I took a class with Susan Lenart Kazmer at Bead & Button.


Cause when I sat down and looked through some books for inspiration, I pulled her book on "Making Connections", paged through and lit up when I saw her "Trapeze Attachment"


That's it!!! That is what I had in mind when I started making the shards... Eureka!

So after banging out a few tries with variations, I think I am going to try this pair out tonight & see how they feel with my hair down & around them (will they tangle, pull - we'll see!)

-- Pictures Taken With & Posted From My iPhone

Obsessive Ways Of Creation...

Is it just me? Is it because in work in porcelain? I feel that sometimes I just can't pull myself away from making these...





I feel the same way about really good milk chocolate too (who am I kidding - anything chocolate!)...





To me these coils of clay marked then cut into even sections even remind me of the tootsie rolls that Chloe got for Halloween...





I can't help but to work in batches. Obsessively...





Especially when the clay has perfect plasticity & moisture...





I could sit and make these for hours...





In fact, that is what I did with our "extra hour" yesterday...





Phone app (or maybe it was me - I am completely ok with suggesting it was not the tech, but the user - at times...) made pics turn sideways - so I apologize for these...





Started making shards with holes at the skinny end...





There are many more casualties this way - but I must make some. Have been inspired by some great dangle earrings I "hearted" on Etsy the other day...

See - obsessed! Going to get them from the kiln right now to glaze them up...

Become a fan on my FaceBook page: Marsha Neal Studio to see pics from the studio as I am working on these new projects!

Jewelry making sessions are next!
-- Pictures Taken With & Posted From My iPhone

Lentil Beads Are Making An Appearance...

Last week a friend - LeAnn of Summers Studio - posted a tutorial and link from the Beads-Of-Clay Blog to a post she had done on her own blog about making Lentil beads...

Something inside me stirred and I HAD to get into the studio to revisit the ideas of making lentils...



This pic above is just taken this morning after my first kiln unloading...



Above you see the "making stage". This is the putting the two halves together part...



Oops - a step before - this is all the halves (textured circles that have been domed) setting up on drywall... Then I "clay glued" the halves together.



This picture above is after the first firing (the bisque firing)...



Two different layers of colorant & glaze have been applied to these (will hopefully look similar to the blue, black & white one pictured)...



Then into the glaze firing (@ 2232 F)... Each piece suspended and then weighted down to prevent excessive sagging of the wire as the special high temperature wire heats up...



After a 24 hour period of heating up, then cooling down, the kiln is ready to be unloaded and pieces looked over.



These pieces look much better out of the kiln - which is a breath of fresh air! The textures are on both sides - some the same, some different...



I just love that puddling blue... I'm a bit obsessed with it at the moment...



And here is a side shot of the piece. They were all textured along the seam where the two halves were joined for a more finished look. I also really like the way the lines make a vertical path for your eyes to follow as you turn the piece over...



Then these were left as domed cabochons (no hole). I am picturing these with oxidized silver...

Wish I could instantly be an awesome metalsmith right now. But I have friends that are and will one day brush up on my metal skills once again...

One step at a time...

Lots of other cabs being glazed this week to be sent off into three directions - 2 private requesters that are LONG overdue and to Darlene of D7 Studio for the upcoming Marlborough, MA bead show in a week and a half.

I guess I should put some up on Etsy too... Early next week!

-- Pictures Taken With & Posted From My iPhone