Found in Pockets: A Laundry List

So much can be told by the boys' pocket contents during this school year.  I don't know why, but I kept it all in an orange box above the washer/dryer, and I'm so glad I did!  If this doesn't describe "a year in the life" of two boys, I'm really not sure what does.  The time capsule contents:

2 purple Fender guitar picks
the upper body of a random action hero
an American flag pin, slightly rusted
a green plastic monster
3 rocks, one with a Sharpie-drawn face
an Christmas elf cupcake pick, still slightly sticky
skate stickers, 1 Thrasher, 1 Element

lime green floaty keychain, sans keys
red and black pipecleaners
rubber bands, 1 green, 1 blue, 2 brown
a small spring
1 yellow Lite Brite peg
pencil leads that don't fit any pencil in the house
dice, 1 red, 1 clear hexagonal

golf tees, one natural, 1 yellow
an electric outlet protector
1 clothespin
gold confetti
half a blue eraser
1 yellow crayon
innumerable legos
metal screws
1 magnetic dart
1 metal jack
a tooth?? what the...??
2 Peppermint Patty wrappers
lots of safety pins, buttons, paperclips and change
a blue snowflake stencil
1 orange Nerf dart
2 red plastic Silly Putty cases with putty
1 mangled yellow Starburst

I love them.

The Blues

Saratoga Blue

Sometimes a theme presents itself over the course of some days or weeks and I ignore it until I just can't anymore.  And sometimes I am crossing my fingers that when I connect the days' dots, there will be a picture there.

This week I am paying close attention, as I am at a happy "inventory crossroads".  I sold most of my inventory at my first retail sale (thank you everyone!), and now I have a clean slate.  (There's something so freeing about those empty shelves!)

I thought I'd dive right in, but aside from filling some existing orders, I found myself needing a little thoughtful dot-connecting.  So I scrolled through my camera's memory from the last couple of weeks and noticed a definite theme: BLUE.  I am an admitted color junkie, so picking a favorite hue is like  picking a favorite child, but blue always seems to find its way to the head of the table.

Not namby-pamby blue.  No, no, Nanette.  Bring me Cobalt! Electric blue!  Saratoga blue!

Lately, it's been a subtle blues all the way, like this high-fire sheer opal, which I love...

but looking at my snaps from a recent trip to Santa Cruz, California - (Why oh WHY is the light so different and amazing there?  Those hard ceramic blue skies...sigh...) I think some low-fire saturation is in order.  Just look:

Uphill Blue

Royal Teeth-ache-y Blue

Casino Blue

My new framed artwork is ripping a page from this book.  I love using these shiny, candy shell Envision glazes: turquoise, teal, royal, and sky. 

Weekends are dangerous when all your boys are safely occupied at a skate demo.  Plenty of time to surf that delicious Big Ceramic Shop website: www.bigceramicstore.com  and order Galaxy, Peacock and Larkspur!