The Handmade Soap Blog

March Madness Winner Is...........

Let me start by apologizing for taking so long to do this blogpost! I waited to hear from the winner than the week just got in my way.

So, let me start by saying thank you to everyone who took a bit of time to post on my blog for their chance to win. And those who purchased, tweeted, or blogged about it, Thank you!

You can see what I gave away on the post March Madness Giveaway, it was a great set if you ask me. :)

The lucky winner was Sharon, who blogs over at Sarcastic and Stressed. Congratulations Sharon!!

I put everyone's name on a spreadsheet, sliced it up and placed it into a bowl and drew it out the old fashioned way, by closing my eyes. I find it more fun that way than random generators online.

Thanks again to everyone who played. For those of you who have, please accept 20% off any order good through the end of April. Just place SOAP BLOG in notes to seller and I can send an adjusted invoice or reimburse.

Stay tuned for the next give away!!

Muddy Monday with BeggarsTombPottery

Today we will be meeting Carmela over at BeggarsTombPottery. From what I learned from her interview it appears she has been dabbling in pottery for a long time. Not only does she have a really cool store name, but she has a wide range of pottery in lots of colors to appeal to everyone. So lets get to it:

Q - 1. Tell me a bit about yourself.

I'm a retired health professional turned potter. I was introduced to ceramics at the tender age of 6 by my maternal grandmother. She would let me clean her pieces and sometimes paint them. I really hadn't done any ceramics until I was working and needed something to keep me grounded. I took a pottery class at a local art center, I got bit by the clay bug and here I am.

Q - 2. How do you decide what to make? What is your thought process or inspiration?

What is your thought process or inspiration? I get my inspiration from the everyday things around me. I like things to be either functional or whimsical and sometimes both. I feel that everyday objects can and should be beautiful and enjoyed.

Q - 3. What is usually going on in your studio while you are working? Such as do you blast music, have silence, or watch soap operas?

I am a big mystery fan, particularly Agatha Christie or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle so I put in DVDs to listen to in the background (I've seen them all so many times I can almost quote them verbatim). If not that, then music is played on XM radio. I listen to a wide variety of music but mostly, classic rock and bluegrass.

Q - 4. Where else can we find you on the web (such as your own site, blog, twitter, facebook etc.) or in brick and mortar?

I can be found at Etsy, Facebook, and Twitter. So far that is it, but who knows where I'll be in the future.

Q - 5. What are your favorite websites to visit?

Besides the above places, and the Etsy Mud Team forum, I like to visit, ebay, CNN, http://haaretz.com/ (an Israel Newspaper), and the University of Texas Longhorns clubhouse...I'm a very big sports fan.

Q - 6. What is your favorite color?

Green

Q - 7. What is your sign? Yeah, yeah,sorry, I know a lot of horoscope junkies.

Leo

Q - 8. Now can you share an embarrassing moment, or at least tell us a good joke? We all do need a bit of humor ya know.

When I was in high school I was on the tennis team. We were practicing at the community center and some guys were playing basketball on the court next to us. They kept staring at me and smiling. Finally, my coach came over to me and told me that my pants had split. I had to go change in the coach's car and then got ribbed at how quickly I could do that in the back seat of the car.

Q - 9. Last but not least - If you were stranded on a desert island and could only have 4 things, what would they be?

My husband, my dog Iko, The complete collection of Sherlock Holmes, and toilet paper!

Thank you Carmela for such a great interview! It is great to know you can change very fast in the back of a car, LOL! Sorry, sometimes I just cannot help myself.

So be sure to go visit, Carmela at BeggarsTombPottery, there is some fabulous items that would make a great gift for yourself or someone you know! Plus she loves the challenge of custom work!

Here are just a few great examples of her work:

Muddy Monday with Montezumamudd

This Monday we will be getting to know the ever fabulous Etsy mudder Phyllis, from Montezumamudd. She claims her sign is Cancer and she is a big time crab, I disagree. She puts up with a pain in the butt like me,  but then again I don't live with her, lol! I can contribute a few extra pounds to Phyllis from some fabulous bowls I purchased in the past that just work so well with ice cream...mmmmm. So sit back, relax and get to know Montezumamudd:

Q - 1. Tell me a bit about yourself.

I am a retired architectural drafter residing in southwestern Colorado. I work from my home studio which I share with my dog, Whiskey.

I was first introduced to clay eight years ago. I was living in La Paz, Bolivia, with my family and had the exceptional opportunity to study under master ceramic artist, Mario Sarabia. From the moment my hands first touched clay I was hooked, and all these years later I’m still in love. I love the versatility of clay - the endless possibilities. A simple ball of clay can become something so very different and unique depending on the artist and the moment.

Q - 2. How do you decide what to make? What is your thought process or inspiration?

I am an “on the fly” creator. Unless I am making a custom piece, I don’t set out to create a specific item. I wedge and center a lump of clay, and then let it take over.

Q - 3. What is usually going on in your studio while you are working? Such as do you blast music, have silence, or watch soap operas?

I prefer to work with some sort of background noise – Public Radio, an eclectic mix of music from my Ipod, or pod casts of This American Life and Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me are the norm.

Q - 4. Where else can we find you on the web (such as your own site, blog, twitter, facebook etc.) or in brick and mortar?

I could not keep up with the daily, or even weekly, posts to my blog, so I retired it a few months ago. I find my website much easier to maintain – www.montezumamudd.com

Q - 5. What are your favorite websites to visit?

Etsy, of course! Who doesn’t love browsing the various shops in search of that perfect item. But, my absolute favorite website is kiva.org. They truly get to the heart of poverty by offering micro-loans to people in need.

Q - 6. What is your favorite color?

I like rich, dark colors, although charcoal gray has always been my favorite.

Q - 7. What is your sign? Yeah, yeah,sorry, I know a lot of horoscope junkies.

I’m a Cancer – big time crab! (I find this hard to believe!)

Q - 8. Now can you share an embarrassing moment, or at least tell us a good joke? We all do need a bit of humor ya know.

Not gonna share any embarrassing moments – they will stay in the past where they belong! A silly joke instead - “What do old women have between their boobs that young women do not?” “Bellybutton” :D

Q - 9. Last but not least - If you were stranded on a desert island and could only have 4 things, what would they be?

Drinking water, a life vest (I don’t swim), a set of oars, and a boat. (For someone who doesn't swim she sure sounds like she wants off this deserted island, brave woman!)

Thank you Phyllis for a fantastic interview! Below you will find a few examples from Montezumamudd. Her store is loaded with some fabulous pottery that would be great for yourself or a gift!

Muddy Monday with Eoff St. Studios

Happy Monday everyone! Before you start drinking some Irish Wiskey come on in and say hello to Eoff St. Studios whose user-name on Etsy is scarecrow3331. Adam is a great mudder from the Etsy Mud Team who seems to have so many talents. From his interview he loves cooking, darn where has he been all my life?? Ok, enough fantasizing about a man who can cook, here is his interview.

Q - 1. Tell me a bit about yourself.

My name is Adam Bedway. I live in Wheeling, WV with my beagle Marley and soon I'll have another one named Nigel. I am an artist, potter, restorer of old things, avid recycled (i hate to throw ANYTHING away), landscaper, builder, and a thousand other things. These days I focus mainly on pottery. I like to make functional work that people use everyday, at least I like to think that people use my work everyday. I like to cook, and I think that helps me to make better pots.

Q - 2. How do you decide what to make? What is your thought process or inspiration?

Well, like I said above, I really love to cook. So when I'm cooking, or thinking of cooking, I usually come up with my best ideas. I use my pots all the time in the kitchen so that I can try to get a better feel for them, and come up with ways to improve them. I also like to look at old industrial machines and utilitarian objects. I like for things to have a purpose, a certain job, and I think they should do that job well. When I'm in the kitchen or the studio I look for ways to improve both the function and the aesthetics of my pots.

Q - 3. What is usually going on in your studio while you are working? Such as do you blast music, have silence, or watch soap operas?

I have to have music playing. I usually listen to my Ipod really loud. I have ADD too, so I'm usually buzzing around working on seven different things at once.

Q - 4. Where else can we find you on the web (such as your own site, blog, twitter, facebook etc.) or in brick and mortar?

Whew, this list keeps getting bigger......let's see.....

on Etsy: http://www.scarecrow3331.etsy.com
on Twitter: http://twitter.com/scarecrow3331
on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/inbox/?ref=mb#/pages/Eoff-St-Studios/48984899910
on Makerspot (my blog): http://scarecrow3331.makerspot.com/

For those of you who prefer the real world, you can see my work in the Wheeling Artisan Center on Main St. in Wheeling, WV and also in Artworks Around Town in the Upper Market House in historic Centre Market in Wheeling. Soon you will also be able to see my work in other shops around Wheeling as I am collaborating with a local soy candle company to help raise money to improve Centre Market. I'll be posting updates on my blog and putting the products up on my Etsy page. Also, this summer I will be participating in the Ballston Artist Market every second Saturday, May through October as well as other craft shows and art fairs.

Q - 5. What are your favorite websites to visit?

I love to look around on Etsy, and Apartment Therapy. I frequent the Etsy Mud Team page as well as a few other blogs. I recently discovered Feedly, which is incredible. If you haven't already checked it out, you definitely should.

Q - 6. What is your favorite color?

Does plaid count? I dunno, at the moment, I'm really into reds and grays, but I also love brown and blue. I'm not a big pink guy, or yellow, unless it's muted.

Q - 7. What is your sign? Yeah, yeah,sorry, I know a lot of horoscope junkies.

I'm a Pisces, which I think rocks!

Q - 8. Now can you share an embarrassing moment, or at least tell us a good joke? We all do need a bit of humor ya know.

Oh man, there are sooooooo many stories I could tell here about the hundreds of times I've been injured, but I think I'll share a story about when I thought I did something very embarrassing without anyone noticing, only to have one single person notice, and constantly remind me about it.

I should start this story by saying that I give my friend Stephani a really hard time. We have one of those almost brother and sister relationships, and I'm constantly making fun of her for something. So when the opportunity arises (and it does quite often) for her to get back at me, you'd better believe that she doesn't pull any punches.

I was moving into my apartment about two and a half years ago, and I decided one evening to have a couple of friends over for beers. My apartment has a very long central hallway and I had laid plastic drop cloths on the floor because I was patching and painting all day. So after everyone had arrived we gathered in the living room because that was the cleanest place in the apartment. At one point during the evening I went to the restroom and on my way back I slipped on one of the drop cloths. This was no ordinary slip however. I slid like fifteen feet on one foot and flailed my arms in the to try and balance/ catch myself. The whole thing had to look ridiculous. Luckily I stopped like 5 feet before the opening to the living room so no one saw my little dancing act, or so I thought. After I recovered (not gracefully by any means), I looked all around to see if anyone had seen me, of course, the one person in the whole world who saw the entire incident was Stephani. Well, needless to say she was falling on the floor from laughing so hard, and of course, everyone else who was there heard the story, with a pretty accurate little reenactment dance from Steph. To this day, she brings that up at least once a week.

It's a good thing I have a great little story about her getting her hair stuck in a ball of clay while she was failing at throwing on the wheel................ (oh come on, share...lol)

Q - 9. Last but not least - If you were stranded on a desert island and could only have 4 things, what would they be?

Oh man, that's hard. probably someone to talk to (my dog maybe?), a Leatherman multitool (because you can do ANYTHING with a Leatherman), the surrounding ocean to be filled with swimming cows, chickens, and pigs (because I despise all things seafood), and.........Les Stroud from Survivorman.

Thank you so much Adam! Be sure to check out a few of the cool items below and go visit Adam's store -  Eoff St. Studios and send him some love or send someone else one of his fabulous pottery!

I Just Got Crabs! Hermit Crabs, that is.

I love animals and after my cat Phil passed away in 2005 (after having him almost 15 years), we really haven't had any major pet. We had a few Beta Fish with each one not lasting long no matter what we did. We do have two guinea pigs the children got for Christmas in 2007, which are adorable and fun. Even though I am the one stuck cleaning their condo.

My daughter has a little fear of dogs, due to our neighbor having two schnauzers, with one of them being a bit crazy aggressive. So I am not going to run out and get one just to ease her fears, though my husband and I couldn't agree upon a breed anyways. Another reason is we do like to go to Florida to visit the kids grandparents, so having another cat or a dog is a bit harder than smaller animals that you can bring to a friends house.

What I have always wanted was hermit crabs. I just think they are very cool little pets and not a lot of maintenance. So last week I went out and got 4 new hermit crabs and some accessories to go with them. Of course I did a lot of research (junkie that i am) before getting them so I would know how to take care of them. Believe it or not, they are very social creatures and live in groups of 100 or more in the wild. Their name is a bit deceiving.

They enjoy fairly warm temps and humidy over 70%. I only have  a plastic cage at the moment, still a good size but I eventually would like to set them up in a bigger glass terrarium. I have to break my husband in slowly....lol.

The kids think they are cute but won't hold them, which is fine with me. I enjoy telling them about them and the whole science aspect of it for them, but I do like calling them mine. With two kids who want to share everything with me, there isn't much I get to call my own anymore.

I named one, and the kids named the others. The most social is Mr. Eugene Crabs, then there is Anikan, Padme and Shelly. Anikan, Padme and Shelly are starting to socialize a bit more but it will probably take some time. Plus they are nocternal so they don't really wander around till later in the evening.

Well here are a couple of pics I took so far. I will try to get the others out of their shell, but the only one so far is of course Mr. Crabs, he always has to say hello.

 

Muddy Monday with PatsPottery

Today I bring you a fabulous interview from Pat over at PatsPottery. She hails from Florida and has a shop full of fabulous ceramics that I would love to fill my cabinet with to use everyday! How can I expect anything less than awesome from someone with the same name? Just don't ever call me Pat, lol. I think I will remain Patty till I am scattered about the ocean!

Q - 1. Tell me a bit about yourself.

As soon as I read this question I started writing a book.  The trouble is, I am 68 and have had so many different lives:>)

My life now, though, is the best.  My third marriage has lasted 35 years and I have the most wonderful DH.  My two boys are grown and I do not have any grandchildren, as much as I kept telling my boys I wanted girl babies, they didn’t mind.  

My babies are a very naughty Shih Tzu and one very old kitty. Also, we go to the zoo a lot;>)

Found my love of clay four years ago, and as I am obsessive compulsive, I eatm sleep and breathe clay 24 hours a day.

If I hadn’t found Etsy,  I would have had to build another house to store my pottery

Q - 2. How do you decide what to make? What is your thought process or inspiration?

I do a LOT of reading.  All the pottery books and magazines.  I read out the entire Broward library’s stock of pottery books, twice.  I get so much inspiration from them that I make lists.  I am afraid I don’t have enough time to make all of the things I want to do in my lifetime. 

 I believe that my art should not just sit in a shelf and look beautiful.  Sure, I want it to be the most gorgeous thing in your house, but I also want it to be the piece you reach for when you want to use something. Function is very important to me.

Q - 3. What is usually going on in your studio while you are working? Such as do you blast music, have silence, or watch soap operas?

I really enjoy the quiet.  My DH has the TV or radio on 24 hours a day, so when I go down to my studio, I have time to think and plan and dream, in silence:>)

Q - 4. Where else can we find you on the web (such as your own site, blog, twitter, facebook etc.) or in brick and mortar?

In one of my other lives I was, and am, a dietitian.   I have a diet online business website that I run every day from my studio along with my pottery website and etsy website.  I also have a blog, which I am very bad at doing.   You are going to be my inspiration:>)

Diet Web Site:  http://www.diet4uonline.com/

Pottery Web Site:  http://www.stonewarepottery.net/

Blog: http://stonewarepottery.blogspot.com/

Etsy Web Site: http://www.patspottery.etsy.com/

Q - 5. What are your favorite websites to visit?

Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/

Etsy Mud Team site http://etsymudteam.craft-sense.com/

Design Style Guide  http://www.designstyleguide.net/ 
Flicker: http://flickr.com/photos/patspottery/

Q - 6. What is your favorite color?

 I am Aries, and all Aries love red!!!

Q - 7. What is your sign? Yeah, yeah, sorry,  I know a lot of horoscope junkies.

 I am Aries, and all Aries love red :>)

Q - 8. Now can you share an embarrassing moment, or at least tell us a good joke? We all do need a bit of humor ya know.

I told you, I am an animal lover, so I love this joke:

                  The following was found posted very low on a refrigerator door:

Dear Dogs and Cats: The dishes with the paw prints are yours and contain your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food. Placing a paw print in the middle of my plate and food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.

The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack. Racing me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help because I fall faster than you can run.

I cannot buy anything bigger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort, however. Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other, stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out on the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm.

For the last time, there is no secret exit from the bathroom! If, by some miracle, I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the knob or get your paw under the edge in an attempt to open the door. I must exit through the same door I entered. Also, I have been using the bathroom for years - canine/feline attendance is not required.

The proper order for kissing is: Kiss me first, then go smell the other dog or cat's butt. I cannot stress this enough.

Finally, in fairness, dear pets, I have posted the following message on the front door:

TO ALL NON-PET OWNERS WHO VISIT AND LIKE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT OUR PETS:

(1) They live here. You don't.

(2) If you don't want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture. That's why they call it 'fur'-niture.

(3) I like my pets a lot better than I like most people.

(4) To you, they are animals. To me, they are adopted sons/daughters who are short, hairy, walk on all fours and don't speak clearly.

Remember, dogs and cats are better than kids because they (1) eat less, (2) don't ask for money all the time, (3) are easier to train, (4) normally come when called, (5) never ask to drive the car, (6) don't hang out with drug-using people; (7) don't smoke or drink, (8) don't want to wear your clothes, (9) don't have to buy the latest fashions, (10) don't need a gazillion dollars for college and (11) if they get pregnant, you can sell their children!

Q - 9. Last but not least - If you were stranded on a desert island and could only have 4 things, what would they be?

My DH

My very naughty Shih Tzu.

My very old kitty.

The holodeck from Star Trek, I forgot to tell you I am a Treky and my very naughty Shih Tzu’s name is Tribble.

Thank you so much Pat for the fabulous interview!

So please pay a visit and show some love to Pat over at Patspottery. Just save me some of those plates as chocolate brown is such a wonderful color, so warm and yummy! Here are some photos and links to just a few of her fantastic items:

 

March Madness Giveaway!! Get yourself some free soap!

It has been awhile since I had a giveaway on my blog so now seems a good time. March is one of those long months as we all wait patiently for spring, well at least those of us in New England do.

So, what can you win? You can win one of my soap and soap dish gift sets along with one lip balm of your choice. I will be adding more flavors of lip balm throughout the month, so don't worry if there isn't a flavor you love yet!

Here is the soap dish set and shot of just one of the lip balms I have:

What you need to do to win is any or all of the following:

1. Visit Pixiesoap.com or my Etsy store Pixie Soap and come back here and post a comment of which  soap you would choose if you won.

2. Every item purchased till the end of the month will get you an entry. One entry per item.

3.  Blog about this giveaway, then come back and give a link to the blog.

4. Tweet about this giveaway. Just remember to put @pixiesoap when tweeting!

Entries accepted till midnight the last day in March. Winner will be drawn and posted on April 1st (and no, it will not be an April Fools Joke!)

Just remember to include your email or some way to contact you if you are the winner.

So go have a look, spread the word, and thank you!!

Muddy Monday with ArtsieLady

I am glad to bring you the next installment of my Muddy Monday interviews. Today's guest is Ceci over at ArtsieLady on Etsy. When she first sent back her interview, I loved it. I admire her positive outlook and her free spirit, it must be the Aquariann in me. :)

Unfortunatley Ceci has lost someone close to her since submitting this interview, one of her dogs named Kahuna. Please take a moment and read Ceci's blog all about her beloved family member here. It is a touching story made to remember and cherish the time they had together, a good memory to help soothe the pain and loss. Pets are just like family members and I too, have felt the same way, so thank you for sharing your love with us Ceci, and I hope the memories stay with your forever and the pain leaves quickly.

Now here is Ceci's fabulous interview:

Q - 1. Tell me a bit about yourself.


I'm Ceci...53 a Libra. Born and raised in Hawaii and sent away by my parents in the 70's to Germany to live with my brother in law and sister. It was the 70's and drug sex and rock and roll was a part of my life. Hence being sent away to a country that had a lot of drugs. Duh??? Loved it there and used my time to travel Europe. One of the best things my parents did for me. Returned to USA married and had one child who is now 30. Divorced my husband which was the best thing I did. Moved to Texas where I finally ended up meeting my mate of 17 years who was my Orthopedic surgeon....Ah hem....Moved to the beautiful but wet Oregon coast. I took a pottery class at a community college there since there was nothing to do in the rain. Was the Vice Pres of the Boys and girls club for 4 years as well as being highly involved in many other non profits. Started the monthly art walk in that community which is still on going. Created and chaired the artist open studio as well which I really loved! I retired 10 years ago when I got fired for going back to Hawaii to take care of my dying mom. Nice huh?! I continued to take classes in clay to use the equipment. Bought my own wheel, kiln and have now been potting for 12 years. We have two Labs who own me and whom I treasure. Moved from the coast to the High Desert of Central Oregon in Bend 3 years ago where life is good.

Q - 2. How do you decide what to make? What is your thought process or inspiration?


Hmmm, to decide what I will create varies. One year, I hiked 200 miles and on a lot of the hikes I would find really cool wood from the trees and I started to pick them up. I used them on my Raku pieces as handles. I did this previously when I lived on the Coast of Oregon. I used driftwood for handles and seagrass to tie the piece of driftwood to the pottery. You know, when I sit at the wheel I kind of let my mood flow and the clay and my hands just decide to cooperate and do it's thing. I don't always go in with a specific thing in mind. That happens only once in a while or if I'm on a roll with something and it really clicks I do that until the feeling dies. Creating with clay is really emotional with me.

Q - 3. What is usually going on in your studio while you are working? Such as do you blast music, have silence, or watch soap operas?

That comes to the question about whats going on in the studio as I work. You know sometimes I just gotta have head crushing loud loud music raging in the background. I can be so jazzed up that my head will be rockin' and my foot stompin. I have very eclectic taste and depending on my mood will listen to jazz, blues, Hawaiian,hard rock, and on rare occasions show tunes from broadway shows like wicked and Phantom of the opera. If I'm in there when my soap is on....well that's cranking so I can hear it over my wheel and slapping of clay on a table.

Q - 4. Where else can we find you on the web or in brick and mortar?


I can be found on the web on my blog: www.cecisartandothermagicaladventures.blogspot.com and my etsy shop www.artsielady.etsy.com and finally my webpage.... www.fivecatsstudio.weebly.com and if you are a twitter addict like me, you can follow her there - twitter.com/ceci97439

Q - 5. What are your favorite websites to visit?

My favorite web pages are other potters sites. But I do watch a lot of Utube videos of potting by many artist. Some are live feeds working with clay and including our own KH Phillips he will do a live feed of his wood firing. Love all of that. I think we potters can be obsessive about everything clay. At least I know I am.

Q - 6. What is your favorite color?

I have several favorite colors. I love the color of new green. You know the new bright green of new growth in the spring. Love love love that. I also love the rust with orange and red together as in the fall colors. Hmmmm, I see a theme here don't you? LOL

Q - 7. What is your sign? Yeah, yeah,sorry, I know a lot of horoscope junkies.

(Did you notice she automatically included her sighn in the first question, love that!) I'm a Libra. I'm a funny Libra though I think. I do like everything to be in balance but sometimes when I feel such unfairness I will get so involved that it would make me crazy. Not necessarily a good trait is my temper. I don't think Libras are suppose to have a bad temper but with age it seems to have softened. A good thing.

Q - 8. Now can you share an embarrassing moment, or at least tell us a good joke? We all do need a bit of humor ya know.

My most embarrassing moment I believe is when I was a senior in high school. I was trying out for the cheerleading squad (really, why did I do that?? That's not me!!) anyway, I was in front of the group deciding who would make it. I wore short shorts and a flimsy RED crop top. I forgot that I was going to a cartwheel in my routine and when I did.....yup the crop top fell down around my head (I was upside down) and exposed my boobs to other students and many of my teachers. Uh, yeah, you could say I was as red as my crop top. It was the 70's you know.

Q - 9. Last but not least - If you were stranded on a desert island and could only have 4 things, what would they be? (mind you she was very sweet and didn't giggle at me for writing dessert instead of desert, yes I did it about 3 times!)

1. good all in one pocket knife/tool leatherman
2. solar ipod
3. flint
4. a good looking strong,smart, healthy 30 something man

Bahahahha, strand me on an island why don't ya!!!! Can you tell that maybe, just maybe I've already thought this whole thing out??? Must have been while my mind was wondering while I was potting!!!!

Thank you so much Ceci for a great interview! It is certainly my pleasure to learn so much and have fun learning, about so many great artists whose work I admire.

Below is some great items from Ceci - aka ArtsieLady. So be sure to check out her store and her other links and show her some love!

What Handmade Soaps are on the Curing Rack here at Pixie Soap

After taking a vacation to Disney in December and busy sales, I have been working as fast as I can replenishing stock and working on some new goodies. So after just finishing two batches of soap today I thought to take a minute and give you a quick rundown on what is on the soap racks that may not be on the shelves yet.

So here goes:

Passionfruit Papaya - Not sickly tropical but a perfect blend of Passionfruit and Papaya. Yummy! Should be ready in the next day or so.

???? - Limited Edition - Not sure what to name this bad boy yet, but it is a warm spicy mix of some sandalwood fragrance oil and personal blend of essential oils with a bit of sweet almond meal added for mild exfoliation. This is a limited edition because I generally use a complete base of vegetable oils but this is one I made with some added tallow that I actually rendered myself. Some day I will post about rendering your own tallow as it isn't a very easy fun project, but it certainly makes a nice hard bar of soap!

Butter Bliss - This should be done in a day or so also. One of my unscented soaps LOADED with an assortment of butters! Shea butter, kokum butter, mango butter, coffee butter, cocoa butter...need I say more?

Shea Heaven - Another unscented soap (I like to keep a large assortment for those who do not like fragrance of any sort). A soap loaded with a bit more than 35% Shea Butter and a heavy dose of Sunflower oil. Skin loving stuff I say!

Goats Milk, Oats and Honey - Another unscented big seller. Restock made with skin nourishing goats milk, oats and some honey. Always a classic.

Coconut - A very light scented straight up coconut soap. Made with coconut milk for those vegans who still enjoy a milk based soap. I actually posted a picture of the Coconut Soap when I first unmolded it, check here.

Gardenia - Lovely floral that isn't overpowering. Great for the upcoming spring and summer seasons.

Buds N Suds - Another of my unscented restocks. A fabulous soap made with Budweiser Beer. Great for everyone but men love it!

Elements of Bamboo - Great blend of bamboo, cedar, mixed with lemon, tangerine and ginger. A great scent for both men and women.

Tea Tree and Eucalyptus - Another restock. A great pick me up scent and great for those with oily skin due to the added tea tree essential oil.

Peppermint - Restock as I do like to carry this all year, why would you only like it during the Christmas season? A fabulous soap with Peppermint essential oil and swirled with pink clay.

Just Good Soap - Another restock as I only have 2 bars left, ya nothing like waiting till the last minute. One of my unscented soaps loaded with skin loving ingredients such as oats, jojoba oil and avocado oil. Just good stuff.

So this is currently what is on the shelves but I of course am making more all the time. Plus this week I will be having a making blitz on some old and new lip balms, so stay tuned!

Muddy Monday with MorrisPottery

Today I bring you a great interview and artwork from Denise and Paul over at MorrisPottery. A married couple who both play in clay all day without killing each other, imagine that!

Even though they may be joined at the hip for business, they answered all questions as individuals, well at least until Paul went to bed and left Denise to type up all the answers, lol.

Q - 1. Tell me a bit about yourself.

Paul:

I was raised in a suburb of Detroit MI. I started playing with clay when I was about nine years old. I dug clay from woods behind my house and made all kinds of things on our picnic table. In retrospect, I know I was experiencing the buzz of creativity, and of finding a medium with which to express myself. At 15 I started to learn to use the wheel, and at 19 moved to Minnesota to work in pottery. I've worked in a lot of places since then.

Since 1983 Denise and I have lived here at our place 60 miles north of Minneapolis. We work mostly with wood firing and salt glaze using clay slips and glaze to paint our pots.

We raise quite a bit of our own food, have 2 dogs a cat, some reptiles and birds our daughter left us to take care of while she's at school. We have always made pots together for the last 27 years so we have spent more time together than most married couples.

Denise:

I too was enamored with tactile activities at a very young age. My first clay was a play dough my mom made out of flour salt and water. I went to seven different schools and lived in 6 different towns in Minnesota. When I was three credits short of my Art BA I left school to go work as a hand builder and studio help in a production pottery. In 1990 I finally finished my degree.
I met Paul at that first job, and like he said we have been working together ever since.

Q - 2. How do you decide what to make? What is your thought process or inspiration?

Paul:

Over the years we have covered a lot of ground and have used many different techniques. These days I mostly concentrate on creating surfaces that lend themselves to our images. Functional pottery has been the main focus for along time, but lately I've realized there are a lot of things I'm not so interested in and have pared down the variety of forms I make to focus more on the painting aspects. New ideas often develop slowly at evolutionary speed, other times suddenly, like a mutation, due to an observation of nature or a new use of a brush or tool. Nature and animals are my main influences.

Denise:

The functional pots that I collaborate with Paul on are my most spontaneous. I love using the slip trailer, a syringe-like tool, in my case. I'll experiment with any animal ,fish or plant, but I never get tired of doing the horses. My sculptures have always been a part of my repertoire, as well as tile and slab work. Rabbits, horses goats, pigs, chickens are all subjects I have worked with. When I depict any animal or person, I want to show a flash of life. Like you just caught sight of the rabbit,and the next instant he will hop off.

Q - 3. What is usually going on in your studio while you are working? Such as do you blast music, have silence, or watch soap operas?

Paul:

My studio is usually a mess, Local radio going "songs from the best times of your life", dog scratching at the door.

Denise:

My studio is sometimes up at the house where I made my most recent six sculptures. I do venture down to our shop once a day to check for pots that need work, and I have added an electric kiln so I am sorting out years worth of sculptures and getting them glazed and finished. I like working at the house in the winter where I can pop in on the computer and work on my website,photo shooting/editing Etsy listing, customer care,promotion, and packing and shipping. I like TV and usually have it on.

We have our booth set up in our living room and it makes it easy to organize the pots and inventory them.

Q - 4. Where else can we find you on the web or in brick and mortar?

Denise:

Our website www.paulmorrispottery.com and MorrisPottery.etsy.com
Our work is in Sivertson's Galleries in Duluth and Grand Marais

Q - 5. What are your favorite websites to visit?

Paul: 

Never Do. (yes, the man says never, I only fell on the floor for a moment)

Denise:

I like blogs from other potters on the Etsy Mud Team. I also like to mostly lurk on the Pottery Glass and Porcelain board on Ebay, but sometimes I help identify pots. I also learn a lot about old pottery and glass there. I like looking at the hatcheries this time of year and seeing all the colorful poultry.

Q - 6. What is your favorite color?

Paul:  Green

Denise: Green

Q - 7. What is your sign? Yeah, yeah,sorry, I know a lot of horoscope junkies.

Paul: Cancer

Denise: Scorpio

Q - 8. Now can you share an embarrassing moment, or at least tell us a good joke? We all do need a bit of humor ya know.

Denise:

Well now Paul went to bed, and he's the funny one! Maybe I'll just say that we do laugh a lot. A sense of humor is so important when two people work so closely for so many years.

Paul: See his answer for #9

Q - 9. Last but not least - If you were stranded on a desert island and could only have 4 things, what would they be?

Denise:

If stranded I would want reams of paper, pencils, a really long book, coffee

Paul: (yes, I spelled desert as dessert again!)

If I was stuck on a Dessert island I would want a blueberry peach pie, a pan of brownies, a pistachio ice cream cone, tin roof sundae.

Thank you so much to both Denise and Paul! Below is just a few items from their great shop! So go check out their amazing pottery over at MorrisPottery, heart them or go buy yourself something or a gift for a loved one!