New Wool

I have been trying out some new yarns for felting.  This 100% wool from Italy is really nice.  It seems like my local yarn store only has a limited supply but for now it is fun!

Custom Order Hand Bag

Here is a felted hand bag I just completed for a custom order.  It was fun picking out the colours and altering my original design to suit what my customer was looking for.  I hope she likes it!

Quiet in Blog Land

Pottery Update - My blog might be quiet but the studio is active.  Productive no, but I have been going through a huge learning phase.  7 weeks ago I made some new glazes and they have been a challenge but I'm getting very close to fixing them.  It will take a little bit of tweaking over the next few months but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now.

I  finally ran out of clay and had to switch brands which is proving to be a whole new set of challenges.  Luckily I have lots of online resources and wonderful potters who have been giving me tons of very useful advice that is making all the difference.

Needless to say, I do not have any pictures of new work to post.  Oh I have lots of pictures of my disasters that I have been sending to people for advice since a picture says a thousand words.  What would we do without digital cameras and the Internet?

Crochet Design Update - I have just completed a commissioned felted bag.  As soon as I sew on the button I will post some pictures.  I haven't been crocheting as much lately because my pottery dilemma's are eating up a fair chunk of my spare time.  But I have ordered some new 100% wool which should felt nicely.  Another experiment, just like my pottery, the experimenting never ends.  Who said that hobbies are supposed to be calming and relaxing?  *sigh*

Work has been busy and my spare time a little stressful but I keep telling myself it will all pay off when I get it figured out.  Wine helps too.  Sometimes a lot of wine.  And when I am feeling really frustrated or angry all I have to do is turn on the news and realize that my little problems are so completely insignificant to everything else going on all over the world and I should just be grateful I have a home, a job, a family, a safe place to live and spare time to create with clay and yarn.

Switching from Stoneware to Porcelain Clay

Who knew that switching from Seattle Sea Mix 5 Stoneware to Plainsman M370 Porcelain could be so drastic!  Porcelain is so silky and smooth that I am considering making a lovely facial mask out of it!  LOL.  It is way more plastic and durable BUT will it hold up to the strength I need for hand-building?  Time will tell and I have asked for feedback from the experts as I never realized that one clay could differ so much from another.

I was always too afraid to switch clays because the Sea Mix was what I have been using since day one.  I finally ran out of clay from a local pottery supply store that is no longer in business so I had to make a change.  I choose Plainsman because it is a Canadian company and I always try to support the local economy when and where I can as well being local (Alberta, BC) the price was better.  I am also hoping I am doing my part in cutting down on green house emissions since the clay does not have to travel as far and at 40 - 50 pounds a box, it is heavy!

For the last month I was fretting about my glaze disaster and now I am moving on to fretting about my choice in clay.  Eventually I will have everything worked out and be on my merry way but every time I learn a little bit the more I realize I have sooooo much more to learn.......

Join Our Mailing List

Join our newsletter mailing list! Our newsletters are sent out every 2 - 4 months and we will not share your email address with anyone.  Trust me I know how much spam we all get!  Our newsletters will keep you in the loop with what is going on in the studio; classes and workshops; new pottery and crochet creations; and dates and locations for any art shows or craft fairs where my pottery and crochet will be for sale.

Felted Laptop Bag - $70 Custom Order

Custom order your own durable and protective laptop bag today from the choice of 69 colours!

Pendants - $5 or $15 with leather cord

Some sample pendants below.  Click on each photo for larger view.  To purchase online visit my Etsy store.

Art and Felted Bags

I had to share this as I had a more than one person compare my felted bag to Van Gogh's Starry Night. 

Crochet Lions for the 2012 Olympics in London

Cool videos with artist Shauna Richardson as she works on her HUGE crochet lions for the 2012 Summer Olympics.  A recent article and additional video can be found on the BBC website.

Felted Bowls - $20 Small, $45 Large

Custom order your felted bowls directly from my Etsy Online Store and choose from one of 69 colours.

Glaze Colours Decided

Here they are, the final choice for glaze colours - fern green, antique blue, cream read, cappuccino and black.  Buckets of glazes will be mixed up this weekend.  AND if you think they look great individually, wait until you see them used together.  I hope you like these colours because these are the colours you will see for the next 2 - 3 years based on the amount of glaze I will be making!  I am committed now!

Newest Felted Hand Bag - $120 Custom Order

You can custom order a bag just like this with the choice of 69 colours for $120.  Super durable, practically indestructible!  Measures 10" x 10" and 5" in width.  Why pay more for a Gucci, Prada or Coach bag when you can have a one-of-kind hand crafted original in your choice of colours?

If you do not knit or crochet you probably think $120 is expensive.  Here is the breakdown.  It took 20 hours to make and I am a fast crocheter.  Each square takes 45 minutes.  There are 16 squares.  Then they need to be sew together, strap and handle added.  Then felted, shaped and shaved (fuzzy from the felting process).  Shrinkage through felting means that I need to make everything 35% bigger, therefore more time and more yarn.  If I charged a minimum wage of $10 an hour, the bag would cost $200 not including the cost of the 100% wool.  Seems like a bargain now doesn't it?

Felted Tea Cozy - $60 Custom Order

A friend of mine asked me to make her a tea cozy for her father's birthday.  I hope he likes it! 

You can custom order a tea cozy just like this from a choice of 69 colours.  Measures 10" wide x 8.75" tall.

Crochet Classes - REDUCED Price

I have reduced the price for Introductory Crochet Classes to $65!  Sign up now for the upcoming classes in March or May 2011!

Felted Bowls - Medium - $45

Custom felted bowls are $45 - measures 7" wide and 4" high. Choose from 69 colours upon ordering.

Latest Felted Purse with Ceramic Button

This purse was designed by me as well as the ceramic button was made by me in my pottery studio. I will take custom orders for a purse like this - $99. For colour choices click here.

Ceramic Buttons

What goes better with crocheted sweaters, bags and accessories? Hand-made ceramic buttons! The first batch of 80 came out of the kiln this week. They will be available for sale directly from my studio, at Stitch 'n Bitch evenings or at craft fairs (Feb 12, 2011 - Roundhouse).

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Click on any of the photos above to zoom in and see the detail. The sizes range from 1.25" to 2.75". Prices are $1.50 - $2.50 each.

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To see more photos visit my Facebook Fan Page or Photo Album.

Tea Bag / Spoon Rest

My husband put his spoons or his tea bags on the corner of the sink and it makes me crazy so these tea bag/spoon rests were developed out of necessity! The measure 2.5 inches square. To purchase visit my online store. They can also be custom made with initials instead of the word tea or just one initial and 3 leaf imprints.

October 2009 Show Newspaper Article

Reminiscing on fleeting moments Encore Squamish Chief, Squamish, BC - Just found this archived article on the Art Show I did at the Foyer Gallery in October 2009. Enjoy!

Farmers’ Market making winter debut, Squamish, BC

Farmers’ Market making winter debut Local News Squamish Chief, Squamish, BC

See you at the February 12th market. Just in time for Valentine's Day!

The Pottery Process

To create a pot (term used for anything made of clay whether hand-built or on the wheel) the process takes 2 – 3 weeks. Initially each piece is made in 2 stages, the initial body of the work and any additional pieces which are added (handles, lids, decoration) or trimming of the feet (bottoms). Sometimes this occurs over 1 – 3 days depending on how wet each piece is. Too wet and it will collapse. Too dry and the additional pieces will not adhere to each other.

Depending on the time of year it may then take anywhere from 4 days to 2 weeks to dry. Living here on the west coast of British Columbia where it can be quite damp especially during the winter months, it can take up to 2 weeks before a pot dries. Once it is dry it is called greenware.

The next stage is to bisque fire the greenware. Firing is the process of bringing clay and glazes up to a high temperature. The final aim is to heat the object to the point that the clay and glazes are “mature” – that is, that they have reached their optimal level of melting. (Pots and other clay objects won’t look melted; their melting is on the molecular level.)

Bisque firing the first time the pots go through high temperature heating. It is done in order to vitrify the clay pots enough that they won’t be harmed when glazes are applied, but not vitrified to such an extent that the glaze won’t adhere correctly.

The bone-dry greenware is very fragile and must be loaded into the kiln with a great deal of care. The kiln is closed and heating is slowly begun.

A very slow temperature rise is critical. During the beginning of the bisque firing, the last of the atmospheric water is driven out of the clay. If heated too quickly, the water will turn into steam while inside the clay body, causing the clay to burst.

When a kiln reaches about 660°F (350°C), the chemically bonded water will begin to be driven off. By the time the clay reaches 930°F (500°C), it will have become completely dehydrated. At this point the clay is changed forever; it is now a ceramic material.

The bisque firing continues until the kiln reaches about 1730°F (945°C). This usually takes 8 – 9 hours. At this temperature, the pot has sintered, making it less fragile while still porous enough to accept the application of glazes.

Once the desired temperature has been reached, the kiln is turned off. The cooling is also slow, to avoid the pots breaking due to stress from the temperature changes. After the kiln is completely cool, it is opened and the newly created bisqueware removed. I fire to cone 6 therefore I bring the temperature up to 2232°F (1222°C).

At this point the bisqueware can be glazed, painted (with glaze) and decorated with glaze using many different forms.

Once glazes have been applied to the bisqueware and have had a chance to dry, the ware is carefully loaded into the kiln for the glaze firing. Pots cannot be allowed to touch at all, or the glazes will melt together, welding the pots together.

The kiln is heated slowly to the proper temperature to bring the clay and glazes to maturity, and then slowly cooled again. This also takes about 8 – 10 hours. Only after the kiln has cooled will it be opened and unloaded. It usually takes 12 - 18 hours before it is safe to open.

Winter 2011 Newsletter

Happy New Year Everyone! Our Winter Newsletter just went out!!!

Lots of exciting things going on in the studio!

Did You Know?

Did you know that unlike knitting, crochet cannot be replicated by a machine? There are machines that call themselves (or rather their manufacturers call them) “crochet machines”. They weave a fabric that from a distance resembles crocheted lace. However, when looked at up close, it truly is a simple warp and weft weave! The machine just has complex templates for weaving. On the other hand, machine knitting is indistinguishable from hand knitting, assuming even tension by the hand knitter, because the machine actually creates a knit stitch for each stitch. The so-called “crochet machines” can only make woven lace fabric that looks like crochet from a distance, and there are no machines that even attempt to create a facsimile of crocheted fabric, such as a sweater or afghan. I’ve seen the fake “crocheted” curtain panels and tablecloths produced on those machines… they aren’t particularly attractive and I’ve only seen them in cheap “diner” style restaurants and WalMart’s curtain department. So, if you see a bargain priced crocheted doily (Michael’s loves to sell these as decorating accessories) sweater or afghan, you can bet your last dollar that it was produced in a sweat shop somewhere by some woman or child working for pennies… or less.

January Classes, Stitch 'n Bitch & Art Show/Demo

Introductory Crochet - 4 Tuesdays - January 4 - 25, 2011, 7pm - 9pm

How to Read Crochet Patterns - Wednesday January 5, 7pm - 9pm (one class)

Stitch 'n Bitch - Every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month - 7pm - 9pm

Art Show & Sale - Last Sunday of every month - 10am - 3pm

For more information on class outlines and calendar of events visit my website.

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Due to the size of the studio and safety concerns working with studio equipment, we are not able to offer any pottery classes. The closest community studios are Gleneagles Community Centre in Horseshoe Bay (West Vancouver), Delbrook Community Centre in North Vancouver, The Whistler Pottery Club in Whistler or The Shadbolt Centre in Burnaby.

Felted Messenger Bag

Here are some before and after photos of my first felted hand bag in Mocha Heather, Oregano and Black. Why pay hundreds of dollars for a bag from Gucci, Prada or Coach when you can have a one-of-a-kind hand made bag from Sunny Daze Design. My bags are designed by me and you will not find a duplicate anywhere!

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To see colour choices for custom bags click here or here.

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To purchase this bag or to visit my Online Store click here.

Happy Holidays from SDD Studio!

Officially Open for business!

The studio is finally 100% complete! As of this evening feel to pop by anytime to purchase your Christmas gifts or just to say "Hello" and see my new space. I have pottery, crochet, crochet wire jewellery and sprouts ready to buy. I also have gift certificates on hand for purchase also.

Call if you want to drop by 604-892-1239.

For updated photos of the studio click here!

Christmas Shopping Online!!!

I have just updated my Etsy Online Shop with all of my crochet wire necklaces as well as some more pottery and crochet items.

For Squamish residents - if you are going to purchase an item online let me know in advance and I will remove all shipping charges and you can pick up the item from my studio in Valleycliffe.

I will be adding some additional items this week also so stay tuned!

Updates

Come see me tomorrow December 2, 2010 at the Garibaldi Elementary School Christmas Craft Fair from 5pm - 8pm. I have priced all of my pottery and crochet items very CHEAP because I need more space!! Everything is $20 or less. I also have crocheted wire necklaces - $25 each or 2 for $40 plus DIY Sprout Kits!!

The studio should be complete December 4th and open to purchase items for Christmas!

New for 2011 - Felted Hand Bags

In 2011 you will be able to order custom felted hand bags made from 100% Peruvian Highland wool. Photos to come shortly (above are examples of what to expect) . Here are the 69 colour choices!

New Glaze Colours for 2011

These are some of the colours (along with black) that you will see on many of my new pieces in 2011. Note that many of these colours will be used together mainly with black. It will be fun to see how the experimenting goes! Stay tuned!

Sprout Kits - $25 - Have fresh sprouts all year round!

Get Sprouting!

Sprouts are one of the most complete and nutritional of all foods that exist. Sprouts are rich with vitamins, minerals, proteins, and enzymes. Their nutritional value was discovered by the Chinese thousands of years ago. Over the past several years numerous scientific studies have shown the importance of sprouts in a healthy diet.

Have you ever heard of a vegetable which continues to gain vitamins after you harvest it? Sprouts do this. Sprouts are LIVING foods. Even after you harvest your sprouts and refrigerate them, they will continue to grow slowly and their vitamin content will actually increase. Compare this with store-bought vegetables and fruits, which start losing their vitamin content as soon as they’re picked and often have to be shipped a thousand miles or more in the winter.

Why eat sprouts? There are many reasons. In addition to providing the highest amount of vitamins, minerals, proteins and enzymes of any food per unit of calorie, sprouts deliver them in a form which is easily assimilated and digested. In fact, sprouts improve the efficiency of digestion. Sprouts are also deliciously fresh and colourful.

With the current economic crisis, not to mention the fact that so much of our food supply is contaminated with pesticides and pollutants, it’s nice to know you can grow your own sprouts in your home and become more self-sufficient.

Sprouting at home takes only a few moments a day and can produce a good portion of your daily requirements of the nutrients you need from fresh produce. The hassles are minor, the costs are low, and the freshness is wonderful. It is a very effective way to add raw foods to your diet.

Sprouts are nutritious. They are baby plants in their prime. They have a greater concentration of vitamins and minerals, proteins, enzymes, phytochemicals, anti-oxidants, nitrosamines, trace minerals, bioflavinoids and chemo-protectants such as sulphoraphane and isoflavone which work against toxins, resist cell mutation and invigorate the body’s immune system than at any other point in the plant’s life even when compared with the mature vegetable.

So why pay between $2.00 – $3.00 for 100 grams of sprouts purchased at a grocery store when you can grow fresh sprouts on your counter top for pennies a batch? In 2 – 7 days you can have organic sprouts of any kind with the use of the sprouting kit below that you can use over and over again without soil!

Our kits are $25 each and include a special sprouting lid,1 litre jar, 2 sets of organic seeds to make 4 large batches of sprouts (equal to eight 100 gram packages you would buy at a grocery store) as well as detailed information.

You can also follow along as I experiment with different types of seeds via my Sprouting Photo Album.

Integrating Yarn and Clay

I am always looking for ways to integrate both pottery and crochet. This is a commissioned by I did for Suzann Thompson the author of "Crochet Bouquet". The crocheted fern is a pattern from her book. To read more about this technique visit Suzann's Blog.

Visuals Meeting - Wed Nov 17, 7pm

This Wednesday night we will be discussing "Sales and Marketing 101" for the Visual Artist. I am going to over load you with information but don't worry, you will have a hand-out to take home with you in case you want to take advantage of the many free or very inexpensive ways to market yourself and your art.

When: Wednesday November 17, 2010
Time: 7pm
Where: Quest University - downstairs from the cafeteria in the Private Dining Room. Go to the University Service building and take the stairs or elevator downstairs to the 2nd floor.

Dee-Ann LeBlanc will also be developing upon the Visual website with some really existing news to the changes and additions to the new Visuals website.

See you there!

Piggy Hat

I just finished this hat for my niece who specifically asked for this piggy hat. I think one of the biggest pleasure about creating something is giving something hand-made to someone you care for.

Crochet Wire Jewelry

Lately I have been dabbling with crocheting with wire. I wanted these to be unique because there are so many people who make jewelry and I didn't want to duplicate anyone else. Above are the first 14 I have made over the last couple of weeks and I will be making more! I will be sellings these at the Garibaldi Elementary School Craft Fair on December 2, 2010 as well as I will have them available in my studio for purchase.

New Studio = New Blog!

My old blog hasn't been updated much in the last year as I haven't touched clay in over 12 months! Isn't that horrible? I have been busy with my corporate recruiting business (www.PlacementPros.ca) which I started back in March 2008. It is rolling along nicely so it is time to focus on pottery.

Luckily I have had my crochet to fall back on in order to have a creative outlet. I have also been dabbling in sprouting and crochet wire jewelry.

My new pottery studio will be completed in a couple of weeks. I am so excited to finally have a space I can call my own! For updates on classes, events and art shows please drop by my website at www.LisaElbertsen.com

I will be updating this blog on a regular basis with new pottery and crochet projects and mainly pictures of things that I am working on. Stay tuned!

Feel free to visit my old blog (2006 - 2009) as that is where it all started.