Whipped Bakeshop is the Best!

The lovely Zoe Lukas from Whipped Bake Shop brought us cupcakes last First Friday! Chocolate with peanut butter frosting, so yummy. Erin (my Clay Studio cohaught) and I thought they looked lovely on this Molly Hatch cakeplate 

We went to the opening of Whipped in Fishtown a few weeks ago. They did an amazing job of the place with massive amounts of subway tile and a super chandelier from Badhebadu. I wish them the best of luck with the bake shop. 

Pencil Heaven

"Designed by felissimo for social designer this complete set of 500 colored pencils consists
of 20 units, each pencil telling its own story with a unique name. you cannot buy the complete
set of pencils all at once, but you can receive them over the course of 20 months.
four different display methods let you keep your pencils at hand, while being displayed either
as an artwork, or kept aside as a special collection. the cases have been designed especially
for the 500 colored pencils and are available in a limited edition."

Up and Coming: Brian Jones

I met this guy at the Philadelphia Craft Show this year. We carry his work at The Clay Studio and I was really excited to see his new work at the craft show. Brian is using a buttery white glaze with bright blocks of color and I love it. I bought a plate at the craft show but have my eye on some bigger serving pieces at the studio. Check out the work and tell me what you think.

Lunch

Today was a computer day-website and blog mania, mixed with a bit of handle making (the last ceramic kitchen cabinet handles for my friends Tim and Sara). I did however manage to stop to make lunch and I though I would share.

 I made tomato thyme soup, grilled cheese and asparagus with salt and pepper. Tomato soup is amazingly easy to make.

one can tomatoes

half a can of veg stock (half as much in volume as the can of tomatoes)

pinch or two of thyme

salt and pepper

dash of tabasco

Put the tomatoes in the blender, puree and transfer to sauce pan. Add veg stock, thyme, salt and pepper and tabasco.  Simmer for a few minutes and serve with a dollop of cream in a nice Meredith Host mug.

Handmade Breakfast with the Family.

 

For Christmas I got  my family a new Cuisinart coffee maker that grinds the beans and all that jazz. They had an awful one that burned the coffee every time. I also thought they needed some dishes not made by Ikea or me. Mom got the Jen Allen mug, Jake got the Charlie Teft Rabbit, Dad got the woodsy Matt Hylek  I drank from the Maria Dondero that I bought during her TCS show a few months back. My family is really good at breaking dishes. I am hoping that they can figure out how to keep these beauties safe.

This Black Bear Lunch Platter made by Sue Tirrell was a gift for Thanksgiving.

The rectangle plates were made by me in between under grad and grad school.

Minor Malfunction

Resident artist Joanie Turbek just had her solo show at The Clay Studio and boy was it a hit. It was really exciting to see people interacting with the work. So often people are uncomfortable walking into these environments but Turbek's work really engaged the audience.

Turbek writes "“each piece is an attempt to fulfill a personal and specific human need. Efficiency is not necessarily valuable when dealing with personal issues; therefore metaphor and humor dictate form. In our society, the products we own are a clear portrayal of who we are and what is important to us. I see my work as a form of portraiture, both of myself and of the communities into which it is inserted”.

Turbek is curating an NCECA show called "The Souvenir Shop" I am excited to see it.

What is Tardigotchi

My friend Matt Kenyon just returned from a residency in new zealand with a very sweet but a little sad video. Watch it. You will smile.

"Tardigotchi is an artwork featuring two pets: a living organism and an alife avatar. These two disparate beings find themselves the unlikely denizens of a portable computing enclosure. The main body for this enclosure is a brass sphere, housing the alife avatar in an LED screen and the tardigrade within a prepared slide. A tardigrade is a common microorganism measuring half a millimeter in length. The alife avatar is a caricature of this tardigrade, its behaviour is partially autonomous, but it also reflects a considerable amount of expression directly from the tardigrade’s activities (like eating)."

Hiroe Hanazono

The cup I drink out of at work and the chihuahua named Drew that I looked after last week both came from Hiroe Hanazono. Pottery Making Illustrated just outed all her secrets in this fantastic article and Ceramics Arts Daily is giving us the sneak peek!

If Only Santa Had Known

Tim Lewis is a studio furniture maker right here in Philadelphia. His Studio is in Fishtown, right around the corner from my old warehouse studio. I am starting my Christmas list for next year right now....and these strap chairs are at the top of the list. I think I might have a finished living room by the next time Santa wiggles down the chimney.
Also these stools and table from the Plank Series would be a perfect addition to the living room.

Shoko Teruyama sent amazing work for the annual holiday show "Gifted" at The Clay Studio. Of the 60 plus artists that sent us work, I have to admit her work is my favorite. This three owl plate might have to be an early birthday present for myself.

And I recently discovered this design studio called makelike. They have done amazing things with logos and store design but I have to say, their succulent wall paper is absolutely the best thing ever. It is five color screen printed with metallic gold lines. And they are succulents! my favorite! It is not cheap but it is certainly on the list. You just never know.