In the Studio this Week

Last week I spent most of my time glazing rainbow houses.  

I glazed some brights and pastel-colored houses. I am working my way through my list of orders. I will be shipping out some orders in the next few days. So if your order is in this batch, you will be getting a shipping notification soon. 

 

I also started cutting some clay blocks to make the next batch of rainbow houses and a few samples for the fall themed house. I hope to have a sample to share soon. We’ll see how much I can get done. I need to ship a dozen orders out first. 

 

I also worked on a batch of wholesale pig magnets for the local visitor center in Fayetteville. I need to make pig ornaments this week if I have a little time. I want to get those made and delivered before the next home Razorback game! I also make Arkansas shaped ornaments and magnets that are also sold in the Fayetteville Visitor Center in the square in downtown Fayetteville. I'm working on restocking those as well. 

 

So that’s all for this week. I have a lot of work to do!

 

Garden Markers for the Creative Gardener

Ceramic Plant Markers

Plant markers are a fun way to decorate your garden and to
mark your new or existing garden plants.
I've seen many different creative and fun styles of markers out of different materials. Some I've seen are made of stamped silver spoons, wooden spoons, and even tongue depressors! As an artist, I believe in decorating any space. Gardens are no exception!


I am a 'wannabe'  gardener, but since I work with clay I decided to make some plant markers for the garden I dream of.

My gardening has mostly involved flowers over the years, but herb and vegetable gardens are perfect little gardens for the pretty plant markers.

Veggies? Herbs? Flowers? Potted Plants?

Any herb, vegetable, or flower can be stamped into these plant markers. I have received orders for plants that I have never heard of, so it has been a learning experience for me! What are your favorite plants?

Update: I am not currently taking orders for the plant markers. 

Happy Spring Planting! 
Beth

Creating Little Clay Houses

Beth S Macre on Etsy

Little Clay Houses
I have been making little clay houses for 8 years. I sell them on Etsy and in local arts and craft shows. Although I am not the only artist that makes little clay houses, there are not many, that I know of. There are others that sell them on Etsy (that are very cute), but I feel like mine are unique to those. Not to say that mine are better than others. Just made differently. As with anything creative that you sell, you need to make your product stand out from the rest.

The Creative Process
Occasionally people ask how to make something like my tiles or my houses. All I can say to that is to explain what materials I use (see my list below) and suggest that they buy some supplies and start creating. I took high school art and a ceramics class in college that taught me the basics of working with clay. The rest I taught myself. When I see something that I like, I do the research about the process and develop my own process and try to make mine unique from the other works that I admire. All artists, makers, and small business entrepreneurs should be doing the same. Find what you love to do and add your ideas to make it your own. You shouldn't take one person's idea and copy it. But you can make something that has been created before and make it original. Add your own ideas to it. Do some online research to see what is being done in your medium. Don't copy. We have seen how plagiarism has gotten some people into hot water lately. Plagiarism is not just about copying words. An artist owns copyright to their own original creations just as a writer does.

I will happily tell you what kind of supplies I use and where I purchase them. What I will not tell you is a step by step process of making my little clay houses. For one, they are all different. They are all one of a kind, but I do add, to each one, something to make them unique to my work. That would be something that you will want to come up with for your own work. You would not want someone else to use your design, use your words, or use your ideas. So make your work original. Make it obvious that it is your creation. I have spent the last 8 years working on my designs and learning what works and what doesn't through trial and error. It is an ongoing process to come up with new ideas. I keep a sketchbook to jot down my ideas and work them out later.

What can you do to make your work stand apart
from another artist?

How can you be authentic with your own art?

Supplies I Use
Low fire white earthenware
  - I buy it locally from a shop owner that is about a mile from my house. But I used to purchase it through Blick.com.
Variety of Ceramic tools
 - I purchased my tools through Blick, several years ago. These tools last a long time. A good variety of wooden tools and carving tools would be a good start for a beginner.
Canvas cloth covered board
 - I used cotton canvas that I stapled to a piece of 1/2 inch plywood.
Small Kiln (for small work)
 - I purchased mine online, from Clay-King.com.
Variety of Low Fire Glazes
 - I use Mayco Stroke and Coat (shown in the photo) They can be purchased online also. I have purchased from Blick, but they only sell the Pint size bottles and the 2 oz. bottles in sets. I like to order from Clay-King or The Ceramic Shop for the 8 oz. bottles and 2 oz. sizes for testing new colors.
Watercolor/Acrylic type paintbrushes
  - I use a variety of styles of watercolor and acrylic brushes to apply glaze. You just need to experiment with a variety of styles and sizes to see what works best.

The supplies that I use are pretty basic supplies, except for the kiln. A kiln is not something that you would just go out and purchase without making sure that that is something that you really want to do.

So if you do not have a kiln, then you will need to find someone or some organization that does have access to one. I will talk more about my kiln in a later post. I wrote a little about the kiln in this post: My Little Kiln.

Until next time, have a wonderful week!

It's Been a Long Time

I took a break.

A break in blogging, that is.

I have been very busy making and creating art, though!

Back in September, the last time I blogged, I was getting ready for the big fall craft show(s). I really had to focus on getting ready for the 2 shows that I had on my schedule. One in October and one in November. Then life happened and I never even got around to blogging about the shows! And then Christmas happened. After Christmas, I thought things would slow down, but actually, business (and life) got even busier!

And real life happened. 
To be completely honest, some personal stuff was going on that just took all of the energy that I had left in my body and soul. Things that I just couldn't bring myself to talk about, nor could I pretend that things were just fine. And I do not want my blog to become a 'poor me' story. I want to keep it positive. So I just didn't blog. But things are better now, so I feel like I can share my art again. Maybe eventually share the 'personal stuff' that almost brought me down. Really.

But, I have a lot to catch up on here!

Today I will just start with War Eagle and the Boutique Show.

October 2015:  War Eagle Fair 

War Eagle Fair is my biggest event all year. It is a 4-day craft show that is held every year in October. That same weekend, there are dozens of craft shows all over NWA (Northwest Arkansas).

This craft fair is held under several large tents. My booth is in tent #2. 

We plan to be back in the same spot in October of this year.
Dates for 2016 are October 13-16

This show is great for the handmade businesses. It is a well known, highly attended, and is a destination for many people every year. Sometimes the traffic caused by the large crowds can be overwhelming, so it is important to come early! 

For information about the Craft Show, visit their website here:  

War Eagle Fair

November 2015:  NorthWest Arkansas Boutique Show

The Boutique Show was nice. It was local and only 10 minutes from my house, but...sales were not good enough to convince me to return this year. I really wish I could, but my handmade work cannot compete with the Boutiques. Maybe I will try it again someday, but not this year. It is a great show that is highly publicized and really brought in the crowds. This is a 2-day show.   

For more information about the NWA Boutique Show, go their website here:

NWA Boutique Show

Now that I am blogging again, I promise to keep it up. I want to give updates on what I am working on in the studio! I have been busy!

So, until next time...

Have a great week!

Beth  ♥  

What I'm Working on Wednesday

It is already June?

This month I am playing catch up. Last month was spent taking care of family, so I didn't get much time to post here. Again. Family first though, you know?

I am signed up to be in two large art shows this fall. One in October, and one in November. I was a vendor at War Eagle Fair, in October last year, but this will be my first time at the show in November. The November show is a big local Boutique show.

This summer will be filled with creating lots of items to sell at each show!

Houses on a Hill

War Eagle Fair
October 15-18, 2015

NWA Boutique Show
November 6-7, 2015

I am also creating new houses and sculptures for my etsy shop and working on custom orders.

Custom Made House

Between the two shows and keeping my Etsy shop stocked, I am/will be very busy for the next several months.


Happy Wednesday!



What are you working on?



Beth♥

Little Clay Houses

While gathering photos for my new website (still under construction) and applications for shows, I realized that I have to focus on making things that clearly identify my work.  I love to create so many different things and use different media, but my time needs to be spent on the things that I want to promote for sale in my business.

Those items that I want to focus on, include the whimsical little clay houses and accessories, bowls, cups, ornaments, and other small gift items. I also want to do more whimsical acrylic paintings, adding textures and collage elements.

Little Clay Houses

I love creating these little clay houses, and more than that, I love to see people smile when they see them! They are so fun to collect and create little vignettes around the house! Or put them in shadow boxes, or windows, or even create little terrariums with them.

Custom Clay Houses

Update* Occasionally I offer custom clay houses when I have time to take pre-orders for semi-custom houses. Based on the sizes that I typically sell during a Ready to Ship restock.

In the past, I have created custom houses that show the colors and details similar to your own house. While I loved creating those custom houses, they could be very time consuming and difficult to create without problems in both the creation process and the finishing process. Currently I do not take custom house orders because of the time involved.




I am also adding more functional, yet decorative, pieces to my work, such as bowls and plates and cups. I will talk more about those, and my textured paintings in upcoming posts.  For now...

...Have a great weekend!


 Beth♥

New Studio Space - Part 3

Welcome to My Studio

In my last post (part 2), I showed the desk/drawing space side of the new studio. Today, I am showing you the clay/painting side of the studio. Since this photo was taken, I have started back to work there and it is back to its usual cluttered, but productive space. See second photo for the busy artist at work look!



Back To Work
Now I can turn my attention back to my little Etsy shop and to get ready for craft shows for this year.

I've made clay houses, trees, mushrooms, hearts, birds, and some Believe Tree ornaments. I have to make up for the time I've spent packing and moving. Now I can have fun in my new space.

I am hoping to add one or two more shows to my schedule this year.  My goal is to raise enough money to buy a larger kiln! It takes a lot of time to fire larger items in my little baby kiln. It is perfect for my little houses and other little things, but if I want to expand my little business, I need a larger kiln! Wish me luck!

My Need for Organization
For now, everything is organized. I'm sure as I work more in the space, I may decide to rearrange things and I'm sure I will paint some of the furniture pieces, so they don't look so random. But because of all of the 'stuff' (art supplies), I must keep everything organized, so things do not get chaotic. I can't work in chaos! Because I want to become more Focused this year, I need to declutter. My cleaning out may become someone else's treasures!

Back in the corner, I have my printer on top of the cabinet with my paint supplies, plus the thrift shop cabinets with more paints and glazes. Yes, I feel like I have too many supplies. I want to get rid of some supplies that I no longer use. That could take me awhile to weed out the slightly used supplies that I can part with. I may have to put some supplies up for sale, just for my need for organization.

Studio Tour - Part 4 

Until next time...
Beth ♥

Heart Homes ... A Look Back Six Years

HeartHomes for February 

Original Set of My Hearthomes
2009

Six years ago, I started creating little clay houses, that I called Hearthomes. They have gone through some changes over those years, but they have always had the little hearts, both on the front and back, and on the bottom of each house.

Today, I thought I would share some pictures
of the houses through the years.

The first set was painted with acrylic paint.
This first set, was featured in the Arkansas Magazine, At Home in Arkansas. If I could find the link to it, I would post it!

After that first set, I decided to try glazing them.  
I never used acrylics again, after that first set. I like the effect that the glaze creates.

Here is a Montage of a few of my houses over the years.

2009 - 2015

Not only have they become a little more polished, but my photography skills have improved a tad.

Last year, a friend of mine, dropped and broke one of her little houses. She had a set of 3. She likes her houses because they are a little rough around the edges...original style houses. So she asked if I could make her another one similar to the broken one.  It took me awhile to get to it, but I finally made it last month and sent it to her and she was happy to have the set back together.  When I put the old one next to the newer one, I realized the big difference. There is still a more polished look to the newer one.

I think I may revisit some of my old style houses, with the newer polished look. We'll see what happens this year. My style is always evolving.  Whatever I come up with, I sell them from my Etsy shop and a few local Arts and Craft  Shows during the year.

Beth♥

Holiday Orders and Holiday Markets

I can't believe it's almost December already. Since War Eagle Fair was over, I have been busy filling orders and preparing for TWO holiday markets that I am going to be participating in this year. These are all new opportunities for me, since moving to Northwest Arkansas.

The first event is next weekend!

Community Creative Center

Holiday Bazaar

(Facebook page)

December 6th at the Community Creative Center in downtown Fayetteville.  It is the same day as The Little Craft Fair at the Fayetteville Town Center, I think both will be great events. I hope that both Holiday markets will be on your shopping schedule!  Hope to see you there!

In my next post, I will share where I will be selling December 17th - 21st! Watch this blog!  I'll give you a hint...Bentonville! 
**Edit: The Bentonville Market was held from December 10th - December 19th. Blog post to come! 

I just thought I would share a few photos of the things that I have been working on.

I have made a lot of Believe Trees! Here are a few.

And I've been making some textured bowls. 

And a few plates: 

Hope you had a good Thanksgiving! 

Beth♥

New Art Festival Booth Display Part II

The evolution of my booth...
I'm pretty happy with how it turned out this year. I plan to keep it set up pretty much like this next year. I may add a box to display more ornaments, but other than that, it worked pretty well. We received many compliments on it at War Eagle. It has changed quite a bit since my first one in Georgia. My first Art Festival booth was pretty sad. You can see my first pitiful booth here.

Setting Up Process
Last week I wrote about surviving my first War Eagle (see that post here) and said that I would talk more about my booth set up this week.  I will share photos from the start of set up to finish. It was quite a chore to put up, but we had 2 days before the show to set it up.

Since this event was under a large tent (4 large tents actually), and our space was 8 x 13, we had to modify our set up. In outdoor shows we used an EZ-up tent and use the frame to hang things from.  But that wouldn't fit in this space, so we had to come up with something else for support of my backdrop.  My trusty Assistant, my Hubby, Asst. Sam, came up with the idea for the backdrop frame. (That's him on the ladder) He used electrical conduit to create the frame. We used that to hang the curtains for my backdrop.

Since we didn't have the EZup tent sides, I bought some white curtains to fill in and used the pink curtains that I bought last year, for the corners. I think it adds a pop of color and makes the booth stand out and easy to find! I used the turquoise curtains and table cloths last year, along with the white table skirts.

We added the white shadow box displays to the stair-step display this year.  That worked well to display my little houses in little groups to show customers examples of how they can be used.  We also added the tall white cabinet to display groups of houses, decorated plates, and larger houses.  It all came together, just as I had envisioned. Next year will be much simpler since we have all of the display worked out. I just need to concentrate on creating enough to sell over the four day show.

Thank You
Thanks to my Hubby for all of his work putting this together and sticking with me the entire show. I couldn't have done this without him!

Thanks also to my Mom for sewing the pennant flags for my bunting across the front of my booth and on the back wall. It added so much and many people commented on it also!

And thanks to my Dad for building my stair step display for my houses a few years ago. They work great!

I am so blessed to be surrounded by family that are supportive and talented. 

Click here for links to:
I Survived War Eagle ... Part I
Booth Changes 2010

Beth♥

Excited and Nervous

So much to do in such a short time! War Eagle is October 16th - 19th!  Do you have it on your calendar yet?  Be sure and come by War Eagle Fair. I will be under the big white tent...#2 to be exact. If you are there, stop by and say Hi!

I have been very busy working to get as much ready as physically possible for this show. I haven't blogged for a couple of weeks because I've been trying to stay focused on creating.  Which also means limiting my time on the computer...my biggest distraction.
 
So, for now, I will post a collage of a small sampling of clay items, plus the little painting that sneaked in there. I will have these items, plus a lot more at the show.  I will post more photos as more things get completed.


Beth♥ 

Whimsical and Custom Clay Tiles

I've been making clay tiles for about 6 years now. The first ones that I made had fish themes. Then I decided to make a whimsical house on a tile, which led to custom house tiles and my little mini clay houses.  I gave a whimsical tile to a friend of mine for her birthday several years ago. Then she bought another one from me. Then she decided she wanted to have a set of 3.  So I recently completed the final one to go with her set this week.  

New Whimsical Tile

Pictured is the final one, then the set of 3.  She plans to hang them on the wall.  Some people put them up on an easel.  

I also just finished a custom tile of a customer's house.  After remaking it once (because of cracks that developed), it finally is finished.  

The very first custom tile I created can be seen in a post (here), way back in 2008! 

So now it's back to the drawing board! Have a nice weekend! 

Beth♥

Set of 3 Whimsical Clay Tiles

Custom House Tile