Dancing Dolphin Pottery Studio - Home of Crop Circle Clay

New Year - New World - New Life - New Age

2012-01-23T22:44:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year!! Today is actually the new Lunar Year, the Chinese New Year--Year of the Dragon and the New Moon! That's a whole heck of alot of NEW energy flowing in today! Well, I say bring it on! Imagine what we want to create in our lives and Imagine the NEW WORLD that we want to live in! I'm personally very psyched for 2012. It's the ending of one cycle and the beginning of another. And, if enough of us carry the LOVE vibration we can raise our frequency high enough to carry all of us into the New Golden Age. Today is also the official jump start of the Age of Aquarius! Finally! Don't know about you all; but I've been waiting eons for this show to start and we have the front row seat. Or the back stage pass, whichever you prefer. Lightworkers, Rainbow Warriors, Peace Keepers, Light Bearers, Star Seeds I'm talking about YOU!

It thrills me to no end to see the positive changes taking place in our world right NOW. Occupy Wall St. or where-ever is one such example. People speaking up, taking a stand for what they believe in. Indigo Kids raising money to help their brothers and sisters in Africa get their own wells for clean water is another. The rise of Volunteerism in our country; people helping others without looking for compensation. I'm talking about people volunteering at the local Food Co-Op, Tutoring Students, helping out at Habit For Humanity or the Red Cross; among thousands of other amazing causes!

Overall, the change in attitude is palpable. For the better!! Look around. Maybe it's because we've just experienced a crazy few years of the world's economic system collapsing, including Wall Street bailouts while home-owners across the country lost their homes and/or jobs; add a healthy dose of earthquakes, tsunami's and other natural disasters--and you just can't take things for granted anymore. We appreciate each other, our jobs, our homes, our local communities and our global communities we've created on the internet. We want to re-use and recycle old items and turn them into something beautiful! Artists do this everyday. Communities are doing this on FreeCycle.org. Why throw out something that someone else can use? Keep the landfills empty and help out your neighbor!

The world is small. Those of us who interact on the net have friends all over the world. We communicate on FB and share videos on YouTube. We have the same needs and concerns. We all want to be loved and live a happy life. No enemies here. Different viewpoints, yes. But the same would just be boring, yes? A variety of cultural flavors and colors makes our global human family rich, diverse and beautiful!

Let your light SHINE! We are all here for a reason, we all have something unique to share. We each have something special to add to the whole. Live from your heart and the New World will be born within us first, then will manifest all around us! Namaste!

New Earrings and Pendants!

2011-10-20T10:06:00.000-04:00

Lilac Purple "Flower" earrings

Crop Circle Peace Pendant

Hello! I've been having lots of fun lately creating ceramic jewelry. I hand form small circles and squares to create ceramic charms and then turn them into earrings and/or pendants. Since I'm a big collector of artisan jewelry, this is thrilling for me! Some pieces are stamped for texture while others are adorned with peace symbol or crop circle decals, then fired again to burn the iron oxide into the piece. Most of the ear wires that I'm using are purchased from another Etsy artist who specializes in metal. I love her creations! So, these earrings are a collaboration. I love the oxidized look, whether it's copper or silver. If you haven't checked out my CropCircleClay shop recently, please do!!

Large hoop peace earrings

Spirit Quest to Serpent Mound & Messages from the Keeper of the Sacred Site.

2011-01-30T14:03:00.002-05:00

Introduction: In November of 2009, I went on a solitary pilgrimage to visit the Great Serpent Mound in Peebles, Ohio USA. I felt a calling to connect to Mother Earth there, to sit and meditate and to bring some healing energies into this Sacred Place. It's only about a 2 hour drive from my home, so I picked a beautiful Autumn day and took the drive. I had a wonderful visit to the sacred site and felt very peaceful for days afterwards! I knew that it was part of my Mission to do this and it felt very good! I wrote about my experiences in my Angel Journal where I meditate and do 'automatic writings' when I connect to Spirit. A week or so later, I had an idea to communicate with the Keeper of the Serpent Mounds. I believe there are Spiritual Guardians over sacred sites all over Mother Earth. They guard and protect the sites from dark energy. So, I made the intent to connect to the Keeper of the Serpent Mounds and I received a wonderful love filled message from a being called Tekmut. The first message is below. (Note that I wasn't sure if I got a particular spelling correct, which is why I put a ?? after the word).

Friday, November 20, 2009
Tekmut – Keeper Guardian of Serpent Mound in Peebles, Ohio
"Dear Diana, yes you are right, you have the right to know these things and since your heart is true I will share them with you. For you see, I am Tekmut and I am the Guardian of this place that you call Serpent Mound. I have been here for thousands of your years and even more than you know about. A Promise was made from the highest realms that if a true heart such as yours was to seek out my gifts that I would share them with that soul. Seems like to day is that day and I have a special gift for you, for you are the true heart that has asked for my gifts.

A special star was chosen to signify my return upon this plane and it has been called Zeleb(?) by your people. This star has come to a full return now and can be seen in your skies. Listen dear heart, for your heart is pure and I will share my story with you. The ancient ones saw this star and knew that it was prophetic, for the power of this star would help to bring about the great change that they saw for mankind. Mind you, this was thousands of years ago and their Seers were very powerful. Yes, they were correct. They built my structure to align with this great star and knew that when the star would return that my heart chakra would align with this star and be the trigger for the Ascension as you call it. Of course, there are many other triggers in place but there needs to be a number of them occur at the same time for the act to occur, do you see? I have been waiting for millennia for a true heart to share my story with."


Celestial marker for sacred ceremonies "Max Southern Moonset".

Tekmut continues: "The design of my earth mounds are very sacred and can be seen as a connection between heaven and earth. For you see, the snake is not eating the egg, but rebirthing it, or coughing it up. This is an ancient symbol of resurrection as you call it. Rebirth, Transformation, Renewal. This symbology was popular and widely known at the time of my creation. And it refers not only to Mother Earth but to all of humanity as well. Everything is going through a transformation right now, including the solar system as you know it.

Yes, so in summary, I am connected to this star, Zeleb(?) and when it appears again the time is ripe for humanity to rebirth itself. For Earth to rebirth herself. And dear heart, that time is now. It is not a coincidence that you are here now and connecting with me, do you see? This was a vital part of your current lifetime and one of the many reasons you came here (Ohio). You wanted to be here now in this lifetime to help with this event in any manner that you could. The mere presence of your human body with your true heart and soul helps me to connect with my star again. Your energy is encoded with the frequencies of light that I need. Indeed, many Lightworkers also feel this and come to visit me to impart their energies too. I am truly grateful for this and that is another reason why I am sharing my gift with you.

How did the ancients know all of this? Well, as I told you, they had very powerful Seers and they also had other assistance from your Starry family. The Pleaidian Light Beings also helped them and you were also a part of that team. Things are indeed all connected, dear heart and you are learning this well. The Pleiadians connected to the enlightened one of this tribe and explained to her the reasons for my creation. The tribal leaders agreed that my creation should be done for they believed the Seer and her visions. They also felt the power of my spot before I was created here. The ancients were very connected with the earth, they felt the power spots and revered them."

Diagram closeup

Tekmut continues: "I hope that I have done my part to impart wisdom to you, dear heart. I do not mind if you wish to share this information in your writings for I felt that it would be a beneficial way for others to learn about my dharma. I believe that you will trust my wisdom with respect and that is why I shared it with you. We will meet again, to be sure and know this: You are here for a very important reason and I am grateful to you for all you have done." (End).

Aug. 29, 2010...This morning I just learned that a Star Knowledge Conference is going to be held at Serpent Mound on 11-11-10 this year! I am very excited and hope to attend! This news made me think again of Tekmut and I wanted to connect with this wonderful Spiritual Guardian again. Here's the second message which I received from Tekmut. Also, I was concerned because I wasn't sure if I spelled the star's name correctly, so I asked for clarification on this. (Note added 1-30-11: I didn't get to attend the Star Knowledge Conference because of an illness in our family).

Sunday, August 29, 2010
Tekmut – Keeper Guardian of Serpent Mound in Peebles, Ohio
"Listen dear heart for it is I, Tekmut whom you have asked for. I am here with you now even though I am also watching over my sacred grounds at what you call the Serpent Mounds. Yes, many native peoples come to my resting place and observe the sacred passing of time at the events you call the equinoxes and solstices. I do not know of this thing you call the Star Knowledge Conference, but I am aware of many native peoples from many tribes who come to visit my mounds. Their energy is loved and appreciated by me and Mother Earth. For yes, this is indeed a sacred spot and I am blessed to be the one chosen to keep it sacred and protected these many millennia.

I am honored also that you wish to speak with me again, dear heart. For yes, I remember you well. You are pure of heart and soul. Your mission is a great one which will benefit many and we are quite a good team. My mission has been to assist Mother Earth also and to help her through her changes for many millennia. She has grown and changed and stretched her muscles when needed. She is ready now to give birth to a new form and that form will be a pristine new version of herself. In order to do this, she must shake and quake and shed some of her layers, this will purify many of the surface areas of her body. Many of your people will be lost but many will also be saved. This process is necessary for her to complete her cycle. She does not do it to harm anyone, but only to progress. It is a part of the natural order of things. You and those like you have come here in order to assist her in making her changes go as smoothly as possible. Your job is to bring in energy for her to make this transition as easy as she can. The more work you and your kind (i.e. Lightworkers) do to help, the better off you will all be. This is easy on your part, you must continue to focus healing energy and love to her. She needs this very much. She is a living Being, but only a different form than you currently inhabit. We are ONE and we are here to help.

As I told you before, I am built on sacred energy portals that the native peoples sensed many, many millennia ago. I (the Serpent Mounds) are part of her re-birthing process and am directly connected to the star Keleb in your skies. Do not worry if the name has changed or is not correct. This star was named so in my time and I am not aware of what your people call it today. My alignment points straight to this star which is really a planet which you may know as Niribu. Yes, I see that this name is familiar to you. This is a planet which sits on a very wide or large orbit and only comes by Earth on very rare occasions. It has been so far away for millennia and is now on its return path to Earth. I was built by the native peoples to mark Niribu's return and to announce when the rebirth of Mother Earth would take place. So, you see, dear heart, this time is fast approaching and this is why you and your kind, the Starseeds or LightBearers must also do your part! "

Closeup of serpent's coiled tail. Very powerful spot for me.

Tekmut continues: "FOCUS, FOCUS on sending love and light from your hearts and home planets to Mother Earth! Bring in that Galactic Energy and Universal Love Light to fill up Mother Earth so that she can make her transition smoothly. For a smooth transition will benefit all of mankind! We know that you know this to be true. Continue to visualize clean, clear water and glorious landscapes and vistas for Mother Earth. Fresh clean waters for the ocean life and deep blue skies and green lush forests and jungles. Your peoples are beginning to see how they are connected to her and are starting to see how to live in harmony with her. Of course, there are still many who do not care and those will pass away. All is connected and One and this is the future. This living in harmony with all beings will be your new future and the future of those who act as caretakers of Mother Earth. See the future that you desire and you will all create it so! This is what you came here for, and what those of like spirit came here to do. Your intent is powerful and those like you must join forces to envision the New Earth that you all desire.

I am here to tell my story, dear heart, so that you may share it with others. The native peoples of this land were great Seers and they knew that this time would come. Their visions told them so and they created my mounds with great love in their hearts for your generation. They imbued within me their strength and hope and love. For they loved Mother Earth and were great caretakers of her. They loved and respected her and have passed this love down through me. I am here to communicate and share this love with you and your kind. Please share my words and allow the love of other like-minded souls to hear my words. I am Tekmut and I am the Keeper of the Sacred Serpent Mound. May your journey bring you joy and enlightenment."
(END)

View from the "tower" that visitors can walk up to gain a higher perspective of the mound. Visitors are now allowed to meditate on the grounds surrounding the mounds, as long as you don't walk on the mound. This was fantastic!!

Footnote from Diana: Because of my wonderful love-filled experience connecting with this very powerful sacred site, I encourage all Lightworkers to honor your instincts when you receive a spiritual nudge to visit a sacred site! It appears that it's not only good for our own well-being, but just being there and sending our love and energy also greatly aides Mother Earth and the site itself. If you cannot make the trek in person I would suggest looking at a photograph and meditating on it. Namaste!

I'm in the mood to create teapots!

2011-01-12T19:06:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year! Maybe it's the season....cold, dark winter and lots of snow; but I'm ready to dig my hands in the clay and make some teapots. Pot 'o tea, anyone? Earl Gray is my favorite tea, how about you? As any potter will tell you, the teapot is one of the most difficult pots to make because of all the components that must fit together and work in unison. Honestly, I'm a bit fearful of lids. They have to fit exactly and I'm so not an exact type person!! I need lots of practice on making lids. Spouts and handles are fun for me! OK, to pump myself up for the challenge, I've been searching online for fun ideas. I thought I'd share a few of my favorites with you. They're all from ETSY SHOPS, of course! Enjoy and buy if you're tempted!! Amazing artists, every one!

AdrienArt

ClairesClayWare

JeffPenderCeramics

JudyBFreeman

MossBeachCeramics

Phillipspottery

SandyMooreDesigns

Lawatson

Tjoseem

Bellajoy

I have a thing for MUGS--can you tell?

2010-06-28T17:54:00.003-04:00

My husband had to build me a couple of shelves in our dining room just to house my mug collection. And they're full! The kitchen cupboard is also over-flowing with my ceramic mugs. I LOVE to buy one mug from each potter that I adore. They are a wonderful reminder of that artist's personal style. As you can see from my picks below, I like bright, cheery mugs! These artists all sell their creations on Etsy and I wish that I could buy them all! Click on link under each picture to go directly to their shops! Each of these mugs is for sale! Please buy handmade, support your local potters. Mugs make the perfect gift, don't you think?

Dorothy Domingo Pottery

Goddess Has Returned...A Tribute To Female Spiritual Warriors

2010-05-05T08:10:00.002-04:00

There was a time many, many years ago where the feminine side of the Divine was as revered as much as the masculine. During that time, I believe I was serving as a Priestess in a Temple, Isis's temple to be exact. Many of my present day Soul Sisters of the Light were there with me at that time. There is a deep instant knowing when we connect again in this lifetime and I'm so grateful for these connections!

Then came destruction and persecution for our beliefs. Many of us vowed to unite again when the Divine Feminine would return to the world. Centuries of testosterone based battles raged across the globe while the masculine ruled the Earth. Now, the Divine Feminine has returned in the form of many of US.

This is a tribute to the feminine Spiritual Warriors who have returned in body to be of service to all humans on Mother Earth at this time. Through their selfless efforts, they have inspired an awakening of consciousness and worked diligently to assist in the Ascension to come. I'd like to express an abundance of blessings and deep gratitude for the dedicated service that these women have gifted to all of us!

AN ENORMOUS THANK YOU TO THESE FEMALE SPIRITUAL WARRIORS OF THE LIGHT...!!

Madame Blavatsky and her teaching - Theosophy

Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Valerie Donner of the Ground Crew

Barbara Hand Clow - author and publisher

Judith K. Moore - Records of Creation

Karen Bishop of Emerging Earth Angels

Meredith Murphy of Expect Wonderful

Aluna Joy Yaxk'in and Center of the Sun

Ronna Herman - channel for Arch Angel Michael

There are many more to thank and I'll be doing that in my next post!

NEW Organic Crop Circle Clay pots are here!

2010-04-26T22:46:00.004-04:00

Here are some pictures of my latest batch of Crop Circle Clay pots. I listed them on Etsy over the weekend and sold 1 mug already. Woo hoo! With the exception of the 3 mugs, these pots were all hand-built. I've really been feeling like creating organic "flowing" wonky wabi-sabi type pots lately. I also added texture to the bottom of these pots with my stamps so when you hold them in your hands they feel fantastic!

I had alot of fun taking these photographs. I really love photography and always have. If you'd like to see my Etsy shop, you'll find the link over on the right hand column. Thanks for stopping by!

Spring Musings

2010-04-10T22:15:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was a gorgeous day! Clear blue sky, white puffy clouds and a chill in the air. After a week of early mid 70's temps, we had a thunderstorm and now we're back to around 50 degrees. Oh, well! At least we had a fabulous warm Easter and our early flowers are up and blooming. I've got both daffodils and tulips up and after the warm Easter weekend, all of the blooming trees popped! I was outside taking pictures of my pottery and I couldn't help but take pictures of our gorgeous red bud tree! With the deep blue sky and bright green grass as a background, I focused tight in on the buds. WOW! Love that pink!! It's so invigorating after the Winter Slumber that I felt in January. Mother Earth has come alive! I'm even hearing some new bird songs that I never heard before. (smile)...

Testing glazes is part of the process...

2010-03-23T21:34:00.005-04:00

For those who aren't for all intents and purposes obsessed with creating with clay, you might not realize all the agonizing decisions that we potters have to make. We are blessed to live in this time where there are literally thousands of glazes to chose from--especially those of us who buy commercial glazes! But, every glaze looks different fired on various clays and in different kilns. A glaze will even look different on pots within the same kiln! So, glaze testing is an on-going process for potters. Here are some pictures of some of my recent tests.

The KICKER is that to use my new LASER DECALS, I have to fire my pots 3x--taking them from a high fire cone 5 or 6 to a low fire cone 04. This is disaster for some glazes, and I have to know what this will do to my glazes and my precious pots!! It's such a heartbreak to be happy with a pot and then have it ruined in the glaze fire!

Crop Circle Clay comes in with Springtime

2010-03-16T21:56:00.000-04:00

Last Fall I had the inspiration to combine my love of crop circle patterns with my love of clay. The result is a new Etsy shop called "CropCircleClay" The first batch of pots came of the kiln this past Sunday and I'd love to share a few of them with you! There are really "Earthy" ones with the green agate (matte) glaze with dark chocolate on the inside, robin's egg blue/green glossy with light browns on the inside, and lilac and grape! In the future, I'd like to have a glaze palette set so that I'd have some blues, greens, purples and browns. This isn't as easy as it sounds because of working with the laser decals that create the crop circle patterns. Each pot gets fired 3x and from the last high fire to the low fire for the decals, many great glazes go funky--especially on my dark brown clay. So, I've been doing lots of test tiles in the last few months! Please keep tuned to my new Etsy Shop and I'll add more as I go! Happy Spring!!

Winter Slumber Begins...

2010-01-06T21:24:00.001-05:00

The excitement of "Happy New Years" has faded and now we're into the depths of winter. I feel myself falling into a deep winter slumber. The short days and cold nights make me want to stay inside curled up in a ball, only to waken for batches of homemade hot chocolate and stew. Weatherman is saying we'll have another layer of snowfall overnight. The country is in a cold freeze, we're all going through this together, even those in "sunny" Florida. This is a picture that I took on the farm, it's the moon rising over the frozen field.

Mother Nature Inspires Me

2009-11-24T18:57:00.014-05:00

I love Fall Harvest time in Ohio! There is a distinct scent in the air; it's dry leaves, campfires and crops being harvested all rolled into one. Deep blue skies and beautiful bright leaves! Leaves are one of my favorite things to study up close and personal. I'll have to get a microscope because I'm really fascinated by leaves. They're not all exactly the same at all. Even if you get them from the same tree--they can be different variations on a theme; and I think that's really cool. I gather as many leaf specimens as I can so that I can use them in my pottery. They come from our yard and downtown Troy near our store. Where-ever I am and happen to see some nice leaves, I pick them up! It's so exciting to see the clay pick up the veins and texture of the leaves! Then comes the challenge of glazing them!! I like to use a black underglaze first, to highlight the veins; brush on then wipe off with a sponge! Then I layer various other glazes on top; yellows, browns, oranges and reds. It's always thrilling to open up the kiln to see what you get!

New Mugs!!

2009-10-28T07:41:00.003-04:00

I've been playing with laser decals lately and here are my first results! I'm thrilled with how they turned out. The iron oxide in the toner burns into the glaze during a final low fire, so the designs are permanent. These 3 mugs are currently in my Etsy shop. I have lots more designs that I was to try, including more crop circles. Have a great day!

NEW Dolphin Sculptures glazed!

2009-08-12T21:09:00.005-04:00

Hey! Just took these babies outta the kiln and I have to say, I love 'em! Terry dropped our camera, so I had to take these with his cell phone--yikes. If it has a "micro" setting I can't find it! So, sorry for the blurries! As soon as I get better pictures I'll be listing them in my Etsy shop. Thanks for looking!

Labels & Masks

2009-08-02T10:37:00.005-04:00

I've been thinking about "labels" lately. You know, like how people label eachother in order to put them in a nice, neat category. "She's the wild one" or "he's a nerd." I can see this clearly living in a medium sized town where many people know one another, sometimes for their whole lives. This makes me crazy. None of us are good or bad or funny or angry all the time. There is no black or white, life is gray. Growing up, my sisters and I were taught to be "good girls." Meaning, be nice, don't show your anger because that's not good. I'm sure my parents had this behavior instilled into them too. But it's not good to hold things in all the time. You have to take off the mask and show yourself for who you are. Personally, I get tired of people thinking I'm so "nice" all the time. Sure, I have alot of empathy and I can't stand to see anyone (even a fly or ant) suffer; and I try to be pleasant to people when I can. But, I get angry and cranky and pissed off like everyone else!

Then, of course you have your cultural labels, like "Americans are rude, Italians are dirty, French are wimps", etc. I don't even want to get into racial and regional labels. Why can we all accept eachother as we are? We're imperfect, all of us. We're connected and we're family. Please take off your masks and I'll try to do the same. It takes honesty and trust.

We live pretty much like slobs, Terry and I. We both work full time, but find great joy in our creative passions. So, when we have free time we like to go to our studios and create. We don't really cook, clean, weed, dust, or do laundry until we have to. We're also "allowed' to be "selfish" because we don't have kids, so we are able to focus on what makes us happy instead of raising children. In a perfect world we'd be able to spend all of our time creating our passions and have a housekeeper, cook and gardener to do the rest. But, we don't and I have plenty of guilt because I can't do it all (Terry doesn't). I laugh to myself when I see all of our neighbors tending their lawns and flower beds while Terry and I have weeds growing through our gravel driveway and we're both in the studio. What can I say? Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a sink full of dirty dishes, but I'm off to my studio. Screw it.

ETSY MUDDY ARTIST FRIENDS...Check them out!

2009-07-27T15:12:00.013-04:00

Please CLICK ON PICTURES to go to Artist's
Etsy Shop! Thanks! :-)

1. CHARITY ELISE

2. JUDY B. FREEMAN

3. AMY HUNT

4. JD WOLFE (Jen)

5. Song & Branch (Karen)

6. Judi Tavill

7. Sweetpea Cottage (Jannett)

8. TMusichans - Todd

9. Morris Pottery (Denise)

10. Barb Dunshee

I'm so happy that I found Etsy!! I've met so many wonderful artists through this site and I'm very grateful. Please click on the pictures of the artwork you find here, it will take you directly to their Etsy shops! These friends are all from the Etsy Mud Team, of which I'm very honored to be a part.
Enjoy!

Artist's names, in order of pictures:
1. Charity Elise 2. Judy B. Freeman 3. Amy Hunt 4. JDWolfe (Jen) 5. Song & Branch (Karen) 6. Judi Tavill 7. SweetPea Cottage (Jannett) 8. TMusicHans (Todd) 9. Morris Pottery (Denise) 10. Barb Dunshee

REMEMBER--click on the pictures!

P.S. - Did you see my post from July 2nd? Here's the first post that I did with 4 Etsy Mud Team members! http://dancingdolphinpottery.blogspot.com/2009/07/muddy-friends.html

Quick trip to Florida

2009-07-25T21:48:00.005-04:00

Last week I took a quick trip to FL to help out my little sister who just moved down there from CT. I was overwhelmed by the heat, even though I knew it would be very hot. My northern body just does NOT do well in extreme heat. Anyway, the beauty of the ocean and the tropical plant life really struck me. Suddenly, I could see how artists naturally take in their environment and incorporate it into their art without even realizing it. I wanted to sculpt the trunks of a particular palm tree by the time I left! I am looking forward to returning in the winter! Let's see, I'll dig up some pretty pics for you...

Coil, Pebble & Spiral pots--glazed!

2009-07-12T17:38:00.003-04:00

Hello! If you've been watching the progression of some of my new pots, I first mentioned two large coil & pebble pots after they were bisqued fired, and then as I was glazing them with black underglaze to bring out the stamps and the textures. Well, here they are glazed! Each one was layered with many different underglaze & glaze colors, then wiped off with a wet sponge to give them a weathered look. There's something elemental about these pots, I can't keep my hands off them--tee hee!! The pebbles make you just want to touch them for some reason. They're both listed in my Etsy shop and in our store in Troy. Thanks for stopping by!

Muddy Friends!

2009-07-02T22:05:00.008-04:00

I've met wonderful friends through Etsy and the Etsy Mud Team. In this post I'm going to share a few of them with you! They are all wonderfully talented women and I encourage you to check out their shops full of beautiful artwork!

PLEASE CLICK ON PICS TO GO TO THEIR SHOPS!
(no particular order...)
1. LoveArtWorks - Kristin
2. LadyMudWerkes-Margarete
3. TerraWorks-Terri
4. Mudgoddess-Kathy

In the studio...glazing

2009-07-02T21:43:00.004-04:00

Happy Thursday, it's almost the holiday weekend for those of us in the U.S.! I just came in from my studio and thought I might share a couple of pictures. I've got 2 new coil & pebble pots that I bisque fired last weekend, so they're ready for glazing.

I've decided to cover them in black underglaze first, then layer other colors on top of the black; continually wiping off the glaze with a sponge. I want them to have a real "whitewash" or watercolor type of effect.

Here's the first stage...just put on the black tonight. I'm posting a "before" and "after" shot so you can see how much it helps bring out the stamps and the textures. (Nice towel, huh? Note to self, move towel next time! Actually there was a purpose for the towel, it was there to protect the bottom of that bowl from some black glaze on the wedging board). Too fun!!

Lotus Zen Fountain IN ACTION!

2009-06-23T18:03:00.002-04:00

Before I packed up my Lotus Zen fountain to take to Troy-Hayner Cultural Center for the "Small Scultpures" exhibit, I just had to get some pictures of it with water! Oh, I'm in love! I used a wide plastic tube from the pump up to the "seed pod" and it makes the sweetest sounds of water bubbling up into the flower. I ran it for 2 hours to test, and it didn't splash! This is the best news!! Also, I love to take pictures of water in action. It's amazing. I love to see faces in the water. The Opening Reception for this exhibit is this Sunday, June 28th from 2-4 p.m. Then the exhibit will run through August. See http://www.troyhayner.org/exhibits.html for more information. Cheers!

Doggy Love...

2009-06-15T18:52:00.006-04:00

I love my dogs so much! They follow me room to room in the house, and even stand right beside me as I'm outside taking photographs, or working in my studio. Here's an adorable picture of Buddy. He was standing in my pottery shots and I finally asked him to lay down. He did so right beside my new butterfly bowl! I wasn't even worried he would damage it.

Quee is our little black Lab, doesn't she look happy? She's a sweetheart who welcomed Buddy into our home a year and a half ago. She also taught him how to be a good guard dog!

Do you know the proof that God exists? He/She gave us dogs to love us unconditionally! What more proof do you need?

Pebble Pots!

2009-06-14T21:00:00.005-04:00

Hello! My first grouping of pebble & coil pots are finished! I love how they turned out and I hope that you do also. I'm having so much fun making these, and even the glazing is fun because it's more like painting than glazing. Here they are...thanks for looking! Oh, guess I should mention that I've got them listed on Etsy and they're in the shop window of Brower's if you'd like to see them in person. Cheers!

Lotus Zen Fountain - FINISHED!!

2009-06-10T22:32:00.002-04:00

I'm doing a happy dance!! I glaze fired my fountain last night, together with my pebble pots and it came out exactly as I had hoped! Yippeeee! Now I have to hook up the pump and then deliver it safely to Troy Hayner Cultural Center for the Sculptures Exhibit Opening Reception whichis on Sunday, June 27th from 2-4pm. It will be there until August. (sigh of relief)...

2009-06-09T22:04:00.004-04:00

[picture: pebble & coil pots drying]

Hello! I'm glazing firing the "Lotus Zen" fountain and my "Pebble & Coil" pots tonight! I spent most of the weekend and last night glazing and now I can't wait to see how they turn out! I'll post pictures here when they're done. Keep your fingers crossed! Cheers! Diana

Studio Creations...

2009-05-29T18:14:00.002-04:00

Hello! Happy Friday! I had today off from my day job, so I played in the studio this afternoon. I'm loving hand-building lately! This pot is made from porcelain and I'll glaze it a pretty transparent color so the butterfly & angel stamps show up. Guess how long it took me to make this pot! Give up? Four hours! It's not hard to do, just time consuming. I love the "pebbles" because it looks like a stone wall. Letting it dry slowly now.

Kristin's Fountain--finished!

2009-05-27T20:28:00.004-04:00

I'm doing a happy dance! I glaze fired Kristin's fountain and some other pieces and they came out beautifully! This is my "Mother Earth & Father Sky" glaze combination. Just wanted to share the finished piece. It's being shipped off to Seattle! Yeah!!!

Kristen's Fountain Update

2009-05-23T16:55:00.004-04:00

Hello! Happy Holiday Weekend to everyone! You might remember a picture of a bowl with a carved rim that I posted awhile ago. I said it was for a fountain that I was making for my girlfriend. All the pieces of this fountain were finally dry enough to bisque fire, so I heated up the kiln yesterday. Here are pictures of this fountain as they look bisque fired. I'm going to glaze them this weekend and hopefully fire on Monday!

Kristen loves birds, so I added a stylized birdie to the fountainhead. This is why it took so long to dry, I didn't want the bird to blow up in the firing! So far, so good! Now, the last glaze fire I did over-fired and ruined alot of pieces, so I'm a bit nervous this time around! But, the bisque fire was text-book, so I'm hoping that the problem was fixed. I still need to sculpt a kiln-goddess!

Lotus Zen Fountain update

2009-05-19T15:20:00.007-04:00

Last night after work and dinner I was feeling very tired (typical for Monday), so I didn't get very much done in the studio. I did managed to prep 5 smaller petals for the inner layer of my Lotus though. Then covered them with plastic to firm up a bit. They can't dry too much or they would crack when I attach them. Then I went inside and watched PBS' "Mystery" movie which featured Kenneth Branaugh. Haven't seen him in awhile and it was very good! Loved the music.

Today I attached these petals! (see pictures) Now I've got it covered up again. I'm debating on whether or not I need to add any more petals. I'll let this sit and stew in my mind awhile as it dries slowly.

Next I need to get the bowl and "stand" for the lily pad leaf thrown! This will have to wait another day as I have a meeting with the Troy Arts Alliance tonight.

Lotus Zen Fountain - "How To"

2009-05-17T20:55:00.010-04:00

Hello! How is everyone? I'm writing like many people will see this when I know it's probably only a small handful. What the heck! Anyway, in a crazy stupor I entered my Lotus Zen fountain design into a local Sculptures exhibit and now I have to create it! Of course I've known about it for a few months, but it just seemed like there was so much time! It's due the 3rd week of June, so I finally decided to get to it this weekend.

Thought it might be fun to take pics and catalogue them here--so folks would get an idea of how I create a Lotus Zen fountain. Also, for me it's fun to see it come together so quickly! (Kind of like those "home renovation" TV shows when you see a whole house remodeled in 30 minutes)!

First I sketch out my design, trying to figure out exactly how to assemble all the pieces to make it work as a fountain. So, it's more than a sculptural piece of art, it's also functional and therefore much more complicated to make. How to house the pump? Where should the water spurt out of? Will it splash? How to attach petals so they won't crack? What shape should petals be, like a lotus or a water lily? What does the seed pod look like? The Lily pad? What shape should the bowl be? Glaze color? Which clay? These are all questions that I ask and answer myself during the sketching process. I'd like to add that I tried 2 test versions of the flower itself before I came to this design. The first 2 were darn ugly!

Next, I rolled out a slab for my lily pad leaf. (not shown). I cut out a paper template that I drew by hand and then used it to cut out a piece of clay for the slab. Sit leaf aside to dry a little bit.

Seed pod formation came next--hand built/sculpted and poked holes (not shown)...set aside to dry.

Lotus petals--cut out paper template from hand-drawn petal. Rolled out slabs of porcelain clay, cut them into smaller squares, then covered them up with plastic so they wouldn't dry out too quickly. Then, I trace around the paper template onto the clay and cut out one petal at a time. I then "pinch" the clay, compressing it evenly to thin it out (see picture). I grabbed Terry from his wood shop to take a picture for me! I do this for each petal, then bend the bottom a bit so it can be attached there. Leave to dry a little bit so it will keep shape.

Then, I determined where the seed pod will sit on the leaf. (Note: real lotus flowers do not actually sit on the leaves, they have a very strong stem. But, my clay lotus needs good support underneath it, so I'm using the leaf!) Before attaching the seed pod, I cut a hole in the leaf--so that the plastic tube from the fountain can come up through the leaf and into the seed pod. Attach pod.

Next, after the petals are stiff yet still a little wet, I attach them to the leaf at the base of the seed pod. I use the biggest petals for the first row, then they are smaller as I go up. I got 2 rows done this weekend! I've covered it up securely so I can still work on it during the week. I hope to add 2 more rows, if possible.

Coming up: Throwing the base for the lily pad leaf and creating the bowl!

My beautiful world...in Ohio - U.S.A.

2009-05-03T00:32:00.007-04:00

Hello! We had a wonderful day here in Ohio where the sun decided to show itself after a week or so of dreary days. We've had a very wet spring and so the land has responded with beautiful green grass and dark brown earth. My husband and I went mushroom 'hunting' for morel 'shrooms but didn't catch anything! Seems we were too late in the season, or they just didn't form this year. Enclosed are some pictures that I took to give you an idea of how beautiful it is here! On a pottery note, I bisque fired the pots in my last post and I'm hoping to glaze them tomorrow. I'll write a note here after the glaze fire and hopefully will post some pictures!

In the studio...update

2009-04-25T13:47:00.009-04:00

Hello! It's about 82 and gorgeous in Ohio today! I've been fortunate to play in the studio in the last week and I wanted to show you some pictures of what I've been creating. I'm doing a combination of thrown and hand-built pieces. Lately I'm really loving hand-building!

Note: the pots in these pictures are all in the drying stage and so they haven't been fired yet. I'm hoping to be able to do a bisque fire either late Sunday or Monday night. The first picture is a fountain that I'm making for a really good friend, a Soul Sister in Seattle! This is the bowl and the fountain-head has yet to be created. I just carved the rim this morning.

I've got some custom mugs and soap-dishes in the works also...here are some more pictures!

Spring fever...

2009-03-07T11:31:00.003-05:00

Greetings from Ohio, USA! It's so beautiful and warm out today! I've been sitting outside with my bathrobe on, reading a draft of my "book" that I've started writing. My warm fuzzy blanket covered my legs to keep them warm as I sipped on hot coffee.

Keep seeing crows around me lately and I would like to figure out what they represent. I spoke with a Shaman last night and he said crows have different meanings depending on how many appear to you. Usually it's just one, but today there were 3 in a group. They kept coming and going, and flying directly over me! My tears welled up as they did this and I felt the love they were sending my way. After the 3 left, the 1 crow kept coming and going, landing in a large tree near me and calling. Then he would leave again, and come back 10 minutes later.

My willow tree who blesses my pottery studio with her long loving branches has bright green buds already! This makes me very happy. :-) Her name is Gaia and I love to give her Reiki hugs. This helps me connect deeply with Mother Earth.

Just came inside to get something to eat for an early lunch. Opened up all the windows in the house to bring in the fresh air. It's almost 70 degrees (F) already! This is quite a shock for us in Ohio in March!!

Have a wonderful day!
di

Casserole Dish!

2009-02-09T21:50:00.010-05:00

I made my first casserole dish and cooked mushroom chicken with yellow rice in it tonight. It worked beautifully! I'm not known for my cooking, but it was fun to bake in a dish that I made myself! (Going to keep this first one for myself because it was my first). My older sis, Debbie has already put in her order for a purple casserole dish for Christmas. Hopefully I can get it done by then. Actually, I'd like to make some baking dishes that are about 1/2 this length for making brownies. But, I've got to work on some new water fountain designs first! They are floating around in my head and I need to try them out. Thinking of more lotus blossom/water lily designs using porcelain clay. Porcelain can be semi-transparent if you get it thin enough and I think this would work beautifully for the petals! Cheers!

Winds of Change--for the better!

2009-01-21T07:42:00.007-05:00

Last August 4th, 2008 an incredible thing happened. I came home from work for lunch and saw this amazing, freaky storm system moving in over our town. A surge of energy went through my whole body. There was a straight line where the front ended (or started?) and behind that the clouds were writhing and churning--dark and ominous. I ran inside and grabbed my camera. I've never seen clouds form such a perfect line like that before, and the mass of energy in the clouds that followed scared me. It also reminded me of the film "Independence Day" when the large ships came in. The other odd thing was that there was no wind or rain. It just came in low over us and brought with it a powerful force. So, I took as many pictures as I could to remember this event. When I got back to work an hour later, everyone was talking about it! Someone came into our store and said "You have to see this--come outside!" Everyone was out in the street looking at it. I knew that something important was happening. What I didn't expect was the strong energy that it brought with it to affect me so much! I had been upset that we couldn't take our vacation because of our tight budget, but this "storm" forced me to release it. I spent about an hour crying and releasing this frustration. When the election came in November and the results were so stupendous--I knew then that this storm brought us the winds of change. Now, we have a new President and a hopeful outlook for our country and the rest of the world. Things are changing for the better! I'm just in awe at the massive power of our Creator and feel extremely blessed to be alive at this exciting time! We're in for a wild ride!! Let's enjoy it and go with the flow!

Time to get serious, people!

2009-01-04T12:48:00.015-05:00

I stayed up late last night because I took an afternoon nap. Happened to flip on TV and went to check out Larry King Live's show. Well, Larry wasn't there, but Wolf Blitzer was and they were showing live video footage from Gaza where the Palestinians and Israelis are fighting again.

Honestly, I don't understand this conflict anymore than they are both fighting for their Holy Land. I'm not diminishing this terrible conflict; but it really pisses me off! There are so many wonderful, beautiful people being killed in this quest for Holy Land. Enough already!!

Earthlings--what kind of world do you want? I'm sure you've noticed that things are changing. This is the outside reflecting what is on the inside of us. Many of us have not been too happy about how things have been working. Why are there still hungry people in the world when an elite few get a Christmas bonuses in the millions? Why the heck are there still wars and fighting going on?

Everything that was previously in the dark is now being exposed so it can be cleared away. In order for change to happen, material "institutions" such as the economy, government and religions will need to be shaken up. Think about when you clean your house. Things get shuffled around, piles of dirt are collected and cleared away. Our society is changing because we wanted this to happen! So, it seems really scary, but it is for the best!

NOW, as we're in the middle of it, we must remember to visualize the world that we want! Bring love into your heart and it will erase the fear. Love is stronger and it will win. We have to remember that the dark knows it's losing and is struggling to keep control. I believe there is much more love & light on our planet right now than dark. See planet Earth in your mind and just coat it all over with our Divine Mother's pink light of unconditional love! Ask that it seep into every being on our planet!

So, what do you want? "World Peace"...is wonderful, but be more specific! How about humans working together to build a healthy world economy? Sharing their light and love with those who are ill or hungry? Thinking about the other person and how they are feeling? People living life and enjoying it instead of working just to survive? Each person living life doing what they WANT to do instead of a day job just to pay the bills? Healthy, vibrant friends and family? Sharing, caring, honesty, clean & green living? "Think globally and act locally" is one of my favorite phrases!

It's time to get serious, step into our power and blast our love and light all over this beautiful, sacred planet!!

Best Sweet Potato Casserole ever!

2008-11-25T21:14:00.005-05:00

It's Thanksgiving Week and I want to share something with you...it's my Mother-In-Law's dish that I feel head over heals for...Sweet Potato Casserole. It's so yummy and filled with nuts and spices that you don't really even taste the sweet potato! This is coming from a gal that HATED sweet potatos my whole life. TRY IT! YOUR FAMILY WILL LOVE IT!

Louise's Sweet Potato Casserole Dish

1 cup milk (to double,-2 cups)

2 cups sweet potatoes (canned is fine) (2x-4 cups)

1-1/4 cups sugar (I use brown, Louise uses white) (2x - 2 1/2 cups)

2 eggs (2x-4)

3/4 stick of butter or margarine (melted) (2x-1 stick is fine)

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (2x-1 teasp)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (2x-1 teasp.)

Mix all ingredients with electric mixer. Bake @ 400 degrees (F) for 20 minutes or until it's set in the middle. 10 minutes before it's done (i.e. after 10 min or so of baking), add the mixture below on the top.

Topping: 3/4 stick melted butter, 3/4 cup crushed cornflakes, 1/2 cup chopped pecans (double all these if you are doubling recipie).

Let me know if you try it!

Happy Holidays!

Cheers! Diana

Fresh from the kiln!!

2008-11-12T10:18:00.003-05:00

Just opened the kiln last night and found some beautiful platters! I've also added some new funky soapdishes...

Check out my Etsy shop for more!

www.dancingdolphinpotter.etsy.com

~Etsy Mud Team--Mug Swap~

2008-11-04T19:36:00.003-05:00

Hey! I hope that everyone voted today, BTW! It's Tuesday, Nov. 4th, 2008.

I'm a proud (new) member of the Etsy Mud Team--a group of about 300 potters who sell their handmade pottery on http://www.etsy.com/ They are a great team that provides online mentoring, friendship and group promotion of our creations. I am in awe of their talent!

The Etsy Mud Team is currently holding a MUG SWAP! If we choose to participate, we trade a handmade mug (or mugs) with other team-members. The fun part is that we don't know who is sending us a mug! So, we take a picture of ourselves with our mugs first then upload it to the EMTwebsite. Then we're told who to ship our mug to. When we get our mugs, we then take a picture of ourselves with the mug sent to us!!

I've shipped out my mug and am waiting to get mine---it's like Christmas for adults! Check out this link to see everyone with their pots! http://etsymudteam.craft-sense.com/Challenges/viewchallenge.asp?ChallengeID=14

Bisque fire over weekend

2008-10-27T22:59:00.005-04:00

Hey! This will be quick because I need to hit the hay, but just wanted to let everyone know that I did a bisque fire this weekend and have lots o' pots to glaze now! Chips 'n Salsa trays, huge mugs and soapdishes are on the menu. I'll post them to my Etsy shop when they are finished! My head is swimming with glazing possibilites... :-)

Pottery Shop on ETSY

2008-10-20T21:52:00.007-04:00

NEWS FLASH : : : : : : : I've set up a Pottery Shop on the Etsy website! It's a great place where you can go to check out my latest pottery that is for sale... http://www.dancingdolphinpotter.etsy.com/

I'm two-wheeling it!

2008-10-20T21:46:00.004-04:00

Hey! I got my motorcycle permit on Saturday and bought my helmut today! This evening Terry (my hubbie) and I went out driving around to practice. I am riding his 2008 Honda Ruckus scooter and he's on his 1969 Honda 450 motorcycle. WOW! Going 25 mph seemed fast! But, my turns are getting smoother. The fastest the scooter can go is about 40mph, but it gets 100 MPG!! Cool! Maybe someday I'll work myself up to a "real" bike!

Fall is here!

2008-10-06T21:07:00.005-04:00

Hello, again! I don't know what happened to the summer other than I seemed to have spent most of it working on the Troy Arts Alliance. I was so stressed out with it that I couldn't get myself into my studio.

Anyway, I'm very happy that Fall/Autumn is here and the air is cool and light with a hint of dried leaves in the air! The older I get, the more I love the month of October--in Ohio anyway!

This weekend found me in my studio again and I'm starting to throw again! Yeah! I've got some fun functional pieces that I want to make for the holidays. These include Santa & Snowman mugs, Chips 'N Salsa trays, funky soap dishes and maybe some casserole dishes with handles. I've set up an account on www.Etsy.com and need to get some inventory going so that I can start up my shop! This will be fun!

Also, I can't wait to try more Lotus Zen fountains. The next ones will look more like water lilies (pointed petals) and I'm thinking of using porcelain for the flower part. I'm hoping that the porcelain clay will make the flower look translucent.

Attached is a picture of one of my new mugs and a FRESH chips 'n salsa platter. I'm using my brown clay again and it smells so awesome!

Cheers!

My Studio

2008-07-27T20:49:00.006-04:00

Well, it's Sunday night and I feel like I've spent all weekend cleaning my studio. Of course this isn't accurate, but it sure feels like it! I'm not much of a clean and tidy person (if I were I'm sure that I wouldn't adore making pottery) but there comes a time when one must throw stuff out and create some order amongst the chaos! After it started looking a bit better I took a few pictures to include it in my blog. I love to see photos of artist's studios to get a feel for their creative space. Not sure what my space says about me except that I haven't yet learned to keep it simple and color is good!

Dogs make the world go 'round!

2008-07-24T21:50:00.020-04:00

Terry and I don't have any children--yet. But, we're both animal people and can't imagine our lives without our dogs! We currently have 2 canine companions: Quee and Buddy. (Quee is sitting the wheelbarrow at the right and Queg is sitting on the ground in front of the wheelbarrow). Queg died suddenly last Fall from cancer on a Friday afternoon. That weekend, Terry and I wished we had died also. It was like losing a son. Can't say anymore than that, but I still miss him like crazy. Queg LOVED tennis balls! He would fetch the ball so many times that my arm hurt. Last Spring I was reading the last Harry Potter book outside in my Adirondak chair that my husband Terry made. I think I threw the tennis ball for Queg the entire time that I read that book! Queg was PURE JOY. He showed us how to live in pure joy in the moment. Quee is still with us and is the sweetest dog you'll ever meet. She is an excellent hunter and guard dog and has a very deep bark! She's 10 now and in her younger years she could have been a Dock Dog because she's a leaper! She is PURE UNCONDITIONAL LOVE! She's always right by my side in the studio and all around the house.

Buddy is a bit over 2 years old and still thinks he is a puppy. :-) He is incredibly lovable and happy. He makes us laugh everyday! Remember when you were a kid and loved playing with empty boxes? Well, Buddy STILL loves to play with boxes! Pizza boxes, clay boxes and even empty 2 liter pop bottles are his favorites! We adopted Buddy last Fall a few months after our wonderful dog Queg died. We're so happy that we did because he is such a clown. We lovingly call him our big doofus! He also howls to the emergency vehicles (ambulance, fire trucks) when they pass near our home!

New (to me) Kiln!

2008-07-20T20:54:00.006-04:00

It's been over 90 degrees here for 3 or 4 days and I'm starting to yearn for FALL! I'm very thankful that we have air-conditioning in our home!! Happy news today is that my friend Loretta sold me her used kiln and we got to pick it up today. It's larger than my old one and after 25 years of use it still works! I'm very psyched!! There's only one catch. After we got it into my studio we realized that the plug is different from our current 220v outlet. So, Terry has to change either the plug or the outlet. Oh, well. I'm so lucky that he's handy. :-) Time to take a break! We just ordered pizza and we're going to watch a DVD that we borrowed from my sister in law of Jeff Dunham's stand-up comedy. Should be a nice evening.

Welcome and a little bit about me...

2008-07-14T21:53:00.001-04:00

Hello! As a bit of background, I'm a potter living in Ohio in the USA. I began taking pottery classes in NYC in the mid-90's and was hooked. I lived in NYC for about 15 years and loved it. I miss it alot. Since then I've taken workshops, taught pottery classes for adults and kids, sold my work at shops and art shows--all with a Bachelor's Degree in English Literature. Hey, I didn't touch clay until my mid 30's so it's never too late to try something new!

I began creating table top water fountains about two years ago. I was going through a phase of making really big bowls. When preparing for a Christmas show, I thought: "Hey, I'll bring my fountain from home to show people what they can do with my big bowls". So, I did! Well, this one lady got really peeved at me because I wouldn't sell her my fountain! It really made me angry at first! I tried to explain to her that it was my personal fountain which contained my onyx dolphin that I got in Sedona, a huge quartz crystal from NYC, etc. She didn't care, she just wanted my fountain. I should have just given her an outrageous price and been done with it. Well, that aggrevating woman propelled me into my next phase--creating one-of-a-kind fountains. (I guess I should thank her but I don't know her name).

Since Fall of 2006 I have been coming up with many variations on the fountain design. It's a constant quest to create new ways to let the water flow without the splash--and of course getting a great sound! Some fountains are loud and some are softer, like a trickling creek. Please see my website for more pictures...http://www.dancingdolphinpottery.com/

In this blog I'll post pictures of new works as they come out of the kiln. I was also thinking of discussing things that inspire me. Symbols, shapes, colors, Mother Nature, and sounds are all important to me. I'll make notes on pieces so you can take a peek into my creative process. It's not really a "process" for me because that implies that you take action. Instead, it's a letting go, disassociating and disconnecting. My music and my dogs are the only distractions that I'll allow in my studio. That helps me go into my own little world and then time flies! Then it's play time! :-)
Di