button bracelets

One hundred yards of waxed linen thread. That is what I ordered; so when I saw the button bracelet tutorial at www.hopestudios.blogspot.com I got out my button box and made some of my own.

You double the thread and start with a loop at the front. I decided what button I would loop it over and used that for my measurement. Its important to use a long length of thread, there's lots of knotting and criss crossing you'll be doing.

From the back

Two finished and one new one set to go. On the bottom bracelet you can see how I loop the thread over the button I will use for the closure to make sure it will fit well. I've been wearing one of the braclets all day and its really comfortable and secure.
Emptied kiln, planted some freesias, threw the stick for Emma (about fifty times), two cappucinos and not one mishap.

I took a break yesterday and went antiquing and brought home a new village.

And We had a picnic near Morro Rock at Sandy Cove. Fish and chips with lots of vinegar

This curlew was very friendly, he followed us as we walked along the shore

there were feathers all over the sand

Stopped for pots but came home with more plants than pots. Look at those blooms! I bet you wouldn't of been able to resist either. I will be listing what I did manage to buy tomorrow on Etsy.

Later: In the depths of the button box I found some faience beads that I made last year along with some African trade beads, and used the same formula for a bracelet with those too.

I can't wait to go back to Sandy Cove for another picnic. That place has left its footprint on my heart.
Happy Sunday

xxx

juliewhitmorepottery.etsy.com

for good measure

I've been trying to let my customers know what the size of things are by carefully measuring with wooden yardsticks I keep all over the house. But this way you can see how three different sizes of pots compare to eachother.
I think by holding them in my hands like this you can get a better idea of how they would feel in your hands. You don't really need more than say this porcelain beakers is five inches tall and lightweight. I'm going to be adding gold highlights to the beakers today and firing tonight to list tomorrow. The pots too, but no gold there, I'm keeping them old school
I usually put one of the animals from the farm next to something too. for good measure.
By the way, the hills are turning green around here.
And I've been birdwatching. I took this picture of a cedar wax wing in our yard this morning. They are so wild, and to see a big flock land in one of our juniper or other berry trees is enough to get your tail wagging all day.
Bird beaker with hollyhocks. I sewed some cut up hankie pieces on this linen top for spring.
My button hole stitch is my sewing claim to fame.
Here I'm being inspired by a mouse pincusion my friend Nancy gave me.(thank you Nancy, I love it.xx) Its made by Jennifer Murphy, a girl who really knows her way around a needle and thread. She has a charming blog where you can see more of her work: http://www.andothersillythings.blogspot.com/

A bouquet for you!
Thanks for visiting
xxx
juliewhitmorepottery.etsy.com

green fingers

My camellia is in full bloom. Its ten feet tall and looks like its covered with snow there are so many blossoms . When we moved here it was a scraggley five feet , I cut the berries that were choking it, cut off the dead wood and I might even have talked to it a little bit. Does this mean I have green fingers?
I have flower fever lately. Here's the pot right by my front door, I have a habit of stuffing it like a turkey at Thanksgiving but its always blooming for me.
More painted pots just out of the kiln
I went to the nursery today just to see if the rannuclus were in. Not yet. Any day now they promised.
Blooms from a wild geranium that grows all over my garden.
Yes, more camellias, with little sprigs of lavender mixed in. I just looked at my hands and there is not a tinge of green there, I'm not a great gardener but I do treasure flowers and time spent on my plot so much . With true gardeners I think its must be like Reginald Arkell says
'Green fingers are the extensions of a verdant heart'

The mister drew this name from the hat for the hedgehog pot. Pippa's Garden, my email address is jkwhitmore@hotmail.com , I will send this off as soon as I hear from you.

Happy gardening everyone! February is the month to start your sweet peas~

xxx julie
juliewhitmorepottery.etsy.com

tulip trees

It started when i saw the tulip trees blooming in San Luis, just a few days ago. When I arrived back home, I glazed some of my old clay pots, and painted them with signs of spring.

You can see why I was so inspired.

From left to right, hedgehog with nemesia, viola in a morning glory seedling pot, and thyme and thyme. I think that if you don't have a kiln, you could paint these with white acrylic and do the same thing. Even cut out pictures , glue and glaze with sealer.

Some think of spring as a time to enter their prize tulips in bulb competitions.

There are those who smell it arriving in the very air around them

Then discuss new forget me not seed varieties with gardening friends.

I visualize acres of sweet peas in my tiny side garden.

Some are more the vegetable type

Just this morning I decided to take the path marked 'Spring'.

I hope I meet you there

xxx

julie


ps thank you for you wonderful and sweet comments from my last post, meant so muchxx

pss I forgot to add I'm giving the hedgehog pot and holder to a random commenter,
the pot is originally from France, the little clay holder from our nursery right here

juliewhitmorepottery.etsy.com

you'll never know, dear

I've been thinking about love alot lately. Married love, friendship love, and mother love especially.
Mr. and Mrs. now. I hope they know whats ahead for them , but you never really do, do you?
Just hope there is lots of luck and love in reserve......
Journey's end in lover's meeting, especially for loyal donkeys
How wonderful it is to have a friend to laugh and cry with!
My beautiful mother on the left with me on the right. You can pick your friends and mates, but not your mom. I was lucky with mine. Fun loving, nuturing, art loving and as you can see, stylish. Here we are on one of those rare days, where everything conspires together for happiness. Beautiful Santa Barbara weather, an art show at the beach in the morning, then lunch at El Paseo downtown and visiting grandma and grandpa in the afternoon. I loved my mother so much. miss you , always will. xxxxx
juliewhitmorepottery.etsy.com

big

Well, bigger anyway. This is the largest thing I have done in years: Part of my New year's resolve to make some larger things. 24 x 30 and a month of Sundays to paint. Wonderful Sundays with the fog ebbing around , then leaving me for the day with a nice light to paint by.

Swiss artist Paul Klee was one of the pioneers of cubist paintings in the early 1900's.
I've been seeing alot of these riffs on cubist paintings in the last couple of years and have been planning on doing one. Since you portion off the canvas, I thought it was a good way to go big.

I primed the whole canvas first with yellow ochre acrylic. Then I used a ruler to keep the edges square.

I used mostly greens and blues for the base colors, with lots of building up with white, gesso and acrylic mediums for texture.

In a way they are folky like patchwork quilts.

(I'm still going to make tiny things.)

Here's how I start. Over a yellow ochre primed canvas I squared in the blocks of color
on this 8 x 10

When it dried, I went back and tightened things up and added the first layer of color for the images and words.

After more detail I finished with this soft Gel gloss. Its wonderful. I looked long and patiently for the right finish. It adds texture and a subtle sheen.

I put it on and let dry overnight.

Now its time for a new year and do I wish that yours is healthy and prosperous and happy?

Yes

yes,

A thousand times

yes!

xxx

julie

juliewhitmorepottery.etsy.com