Mud Whimsy Holiday Lineup!

Join Mud Whimsy this holiday season! 

I've been working SO hard to bring new one-of-a-kind mugs, collectible porcelain creatures, ornaments, planters, jewelry dishes, and more to the holiday shows I am participating in this year! If you can't stand to wait you can find works in progress and daily ornaments on my Instagram feed @mudwhimsy.

Mark your calendars and come and say hello at the following events:

Horseshoe Holiday Market  (click to be directed to the Facebook event)
November 26th and 27th ....... 10am - 4pm both days
Highlands Masonic Temple
3550 Federal Blvd, Denver, CO

Crafted Life Market  (click to be directed to the Facebook event)
December 3rd & 10th ....... 1 pm - 6pm (*Mud Whimsy will only be participating on 12/3)
East Simpson Coffee Company
414 East Simpson Street, Lafayette CO

Firefly Handmade Market  (click to be directed to the Facebook event)
December 10th & 11th ....... 10am - 4pm
Twenty Ninth Street (Next to Trader Joe's)
Boulder, CO

Ways to Please a Lady (click to be directed to the Facebook event)
December 16th ....... 5pm - 9pm
2716 Morning Glory Road
Fort Collins, CO

If you are unable to make it in person don't worry- you can find me online at  www.mudwhimsy.etsy.com

I am always happy to create a custom project and ship wherever it needs to go! Please place all custom orders before November 26th to guarantee Christmas delivery. 

I hope to see you this season but if not I hope that it is filled with joy! 

Fall Events

Hello! I apologize that it has been so long since I updated the blog.  Preparing for shows, working a part-time job, teaching private lessons, filling orders, and maintaining the business end of Mud Whimsy has been a tricky balance. I've been busy but I am so happy to be doing what I love!

I have some very exciting events coming up! Next weekend I will be out on the Pearl Street Mall in downtown Boulder for Firefly Handmade Market. 100+ other vendors are teaming up with the Fall Fest to bring something for everyone!

My booth will be near the iconic animals between 14th and 15th Street. I grew up playing on these animals and have many happy memories of them. I am making little porcelain figurines that are the likeness of the snail, rabbit, beaver, and frog, along with my many other porcelain creatures. I have also been busily making new mugs, porcelain jewelry, and hanging planters.

Just two short weeks after Firefly Handmade Market I will be participating in Open Studios Tour! I will have my studio open for visitors the first two weekends in October along with many other Boulder artists . A map can be printed out on their website at www.openstudios.org. I will post more about this as it is closer, but here is a peek at what I made for the opening reception happening September 30, 2016 from 6-8pm in the Boulder Public Library Canyon Gallery.

I hope to see you soon! 

Spring Calendar

Spring shows are coming up quick!  I hope you can make it to any (or all!) of the following events: Horseshoe Market...... May 7..... 9am- 4pm..... at 46th & Tennyson in Denver In the parking lot of Olinger Chapel, 4345 West 46th Ave, Denver, CO 80212. 100+ local art, handmade, vintage and food vendors, plus food trucks, mobile boutiques, DIY and family-friendly activities and more! Free admission. Firefly Handmade..... May 21&22.....10am-4pm..... 29th Street Mall in Boulder Founded in 2010, Firefly Handmade Markets supports and celebrates a return to the values of artisan craft. Over 100 vendors, food trucks, a kid's activity station, and free parking!  Jolly Goods First Friday...June 3...5:00pm-Close...4020 Tennyson Street in Denver I will be showcasing my work for one night only! Jolly Goods is a favorite gift shop in the Berkley Neighborhood of Denver. They specialize in handmade items, vintage, and gifts for everybody.  I always love meeting people that enjoy my work. I hope you can come and say hello and see what I've been creating! If you miss me at the Spring events, don't worry, you can always find me online in my Etsy shop and I will also be participating in a few select shows this Summer.

Custom Wedding Cake Toppers

Flowers are blooming, the weather is getting warmer, and wedding invitations are arriving. Wedding season is upon us!

I recently had the opportunity to make a cake topper for my cousin's wedding. It is something that I've been wanting to do for awhile. My cousin's wedding seemed like the perfect time to make something meaningful! When I gave my cousin some ideas she was like, "Oh, whatever you want. Whatever you feel like making."

She was pretty indifferent (total opposite of a Bridezilla!), which required me to get creative. I stalked her Facebook page trying to figure out what she might like and came up with little figurines of her and her future husband's pets, a cat and a dog. It was especially perfect because the dog is hers, the cat is his, and together they were all joining forces!

I was really happy with how it turned out, and most important, my cousin and her (now) husband adored it!

The stand has their wedding date stamped on the inside and can also be used as a ring dish.

If you are looking for a custom project let me know. I am always so honored when my work is chosen to help celebrate occasions, given as a gift, or just add beauty to someone's life! 

Mugs

Octopus Mug

 I've been thinking a lot about mugs lately. I have a lot of gratitude towards them. I made my first mug when I was in a college ceramic class because I wanted something special to drink coffee out of. My first mug was clunky and heavy, made out of stoneware clay with some swirls applied to the surface. The handle was on crooked, the glaze didn't turn out to be the color that I wanted. I used it anyway, for years.

When I reintroduced myself to clay about 5 years ago, I made a decision to just focus on mugs. I didn't have a lot of space in my small house so I needed to make small things. And mugs are always useful for a coffee addict like myself!  I made about twenty over the course of the class.  I experimented with sizes and handles, carving, slip trailing, stamping. I really honed in my style of carving into the surface. I loved bringing out small details, creating texture, and making something unique.

I started bringing my mugs to coffee shops, and would receive compliments on them almost everywhere I went. I used to say "Thank you!" and then retreat with my cappuccino to a quiet corner. After I got more comfortable I started saying, "Thank you, I made it!"

After awhile, baristas around town got to know me from my mugs. And then they started ordering their own. Sometimes they'd want something similar to what I'd already made, sometimes they had their own ideas. That is what started the path leading me to where I am today! Even though I make and sell so many other things now, mugs will always have a special spot for me. I still love making them, I'm still experimenting with new ideas, and I still bring my mugs all over town, only now I carry business cards to hand out after someone says, "I like your mug! Where did you get it?".

Feather and Arrows Mug

Line Doodle Mug with Luster

Owl Mug in progress (for a custom order)

Custom mugs in progress. They were partially glazed in this photo. 

Kiln Load

I unloaded my first glaze kiln load of the year! Alpine Modern is now very well stocked with little planters/sake cups/stuff holders.

Trident Cafe has 7 more tea cups in stock. Each one is unique and made individually. I've had a lot of fun experimenting with different color combinations!

I've also been busy making lots of new creatures. Let me know if there is a creature that you would like- I can custom make anything!

Happy New Year!

Happy 2016!

Last year, at about this time, I decided to take a big leap. I quit a stable part-time job that I loved and started making pottery full-time.  Looking back I am amazed at what I accomplished:

-I participated in 10 shows all around Colorado, most of them over the holidays.
-I filled 54 orders on Etsy and made four times more in sales than I did in 2014.
-I gained 140 new Etsy shop favorites (nearly doubling what it was before).
-My work was featured in a magazine.
-I started selling in 2 additional galleries.
-My Facebook page nearly tripled in likes and response over the year.

Those are numbers that I can look back on, but what makes me really proud is that my customer reviews are still 100% positive and I know that I really worked and tried my best with everything I did. I couldn't have done anything without the help of my many wonderful supporters so THANK YOU! I am looking forward to growing even more in 2016! Here is a little taste of what I will be working on:

 This month I am starting to create a new line of children's dishes.  I am getting so many great suggestions for animals to make and am really looking forward to seeing how the prototypes turn out!

 I had great response to my sculptural creature collection. It seemed like the weirder I got the more people loved them! I also started making custom creatures based on beloved pets. This year I am going to make sets of little creatures, for example,  'Ocean Life Creatures' which will have 4-5 ocean creatures as part of a limited collection. I am also planning on creating 'The Woodland Creature Collection' with a bear, fox, bunny, mouse, and mushroom; 'The African Safari Collection' with a rhino, giraffe, lion, hippo, and one other.... And I'm sure as I get working my mind won't stop there! (If you have suggestions feel free to comment!)

 Of course I will still be making many more of my one-of-a-kind thrown, carved and altered mugs. I really love making them, and it's always a miracle when I decide to sell them rather than keep them!

I have been going through a jewelry phase. I sometimes day dream about going back to school and studying jewelry making. I might decide to take a metal smith class this year, but until then I will make pendants with gold luster! I have a few of these in my Etsy shop, and can always take custom orders.

I feel so lucky to have been working on my art this past year. I know that I have grown immensely and will continue to do so.

(A big thank you to Brad Nielson who took all of my professional photos).