Overwhelmed And I Like It...

Have you ever been here?

Just brimming with new ideas, remembered themes, overwhelmed, wondering just what to pick up and run with? 

And if you had 8 arms - they would be overflowing as well with things you are trying to do?

So you will have to bear (grumble) with me a bit as I get through this without over-boring you…

I invite you to pick up some of this energy and see if it inspires your work as well…

First - I took this image a couple weeks ago...

I love catching birds in flight - their wings are magnificent!!!

I have a file here on my computer with photos specifically of birds in flight - they are awesome!

Northern Mocking Bird

Now that I have started Master Gardener Training - two classes on basics in Botany - I am starting to see things in plant terms. 

I was SO excited for this for you don't even know how long!!!

Spiderwort - Monocot

We learned about cells through basic stem and leaf growth and functions. Monocots and Dicots were touched on today. This spiderwort is a Monocot. It is no longer just a plant above the ground which I adore - it is a plant that has it's venation running parallel to the plant growth. It is important to remember too - the SOIL it grows in, is it's foundation - take care of the soil, which helps your plants thrive. Something I admit really not paying too much attention to. 

Grasses were an example given of a monocot. And I am familiar with it because I love to sit in the grass and pull it apart - well - peel it apart rather. Know what I mean - pick a piece with layers, then pull each layer back? Think monocot when you do this and you'll see where I'm at. I ran across the photo above that I took the other day of growth in my garden, and see it totally differently now. Ahhh…

We also got a bit more insight into what Master Gardeners are.

Volunteer educators for short.

And where we fit.

Think backwards or from the bottom - up:

 Community outreach volunteer based educators for "agriculture" and gardening.

Through Cooperative Extension of New Castle County, DE.

Which falls under the University of DE and DE State Univ. - which are land grant universities.

Which are funded through the County, State - I believe - then the Federal Government.

Then into the clay studio:

I took a couple of quick moments yesterday to play with clay in the studio. 

Focusing on tiny beads (thanks Kelley for the inspiration & addiction) that I'll probably keep to use for jewelry projects for myself. 

I made some teeny tiny shards too - these have a more subtle texture to them and they just reminded me of pupa. 

Reminded me of a pupa I came across 2 summers ago in the garden. I believe some sort of Hymenoptera (bee or wasp). The pupa was dark red and about 1.5" long and 3/4" around - maybe a Cicada Killer?

Not a big fan of those… So I have thoughts on making some pieces that have more wing structure from the stages of the insect while inside a pupa. Bringing the Entomology into the clay.

And this…

I just opened up my kiln after returning home from class and this is what I got. 

The yellow/brown, the green/blue and the blue/purple palette test tiles from Coyote's big sample pack of glazes. 

Talk about being overwhelmed with choices. And you thought it was hard to decide which of my pieces to buy (wink, wink).

I'm the one that has to decide which of these glazes get to go onto a piece - how do you decide that?

Or rather, how do you limit yourself to that. I can't. It's an addiction. I need intervention at times or I'll be making a ton of stock just for my own satisfaction of making stuff…

Overall I am just happy I got to get some tests running.

More details with some of those findings will be posted on my monthly Commercial Glaze Post over on the Beads-of-Clay blog on the Third Friday of the month (3.18.11).

I think these tests may last me a few months of postings once I get all them going.

Also I am throwing the idea around of starting a Wordpress.org blog and getting rid of this blogspot blog. 

I have some decisions to make about that - mainly being that I can run the business end better from the wordpress.org blog, but am not sure if I want to make the transition at the moment. 

Considering getting rid of my actual website and putting things up on Etsy. 

Dave and I have had many conversations about this. 

Took an online workshop last night through Blacksuburg Belle's website and have new business ideas brewing too based on blogging. 

After the kids were in bed and I was telling Dave about April's site and what I had learned. 

He asked me why I wasn't doing some online consulting type live sessions? Hmmm… Why haven't I?

100 people max x $35 = $3,500 for an hour of live chat (oh, the work that goes into getting it all pulled together too - but still!). It's not about just the money, it's about a level of understanding and success. Something I haven't quite obtained yet…

What do you think? Maybe I could be a motivational speaker of sorts. Or am I just full of sh.t?

Ok - off for an hour of putting decals on pieces for Emmi Beads Trunk show.

I have a MG meeting tomorrow am too and want that decal firing going by the time I am home.

Crap - glaze firing too…

Oh, to be able to get this timing thing down!

Well - blog post is done. 

Thanks for stopping by!!!

Leave comments if you have a chance - would love to hear the feedback about my blog post spewing...