long days nite

Working on my site tonite I realized I haven't taken a day off in months! This must mean I really love what I do. The ideas are flowing, the kiln is on and if I could just stay awake all the time I could get everything done on my to-do lists. Tonite I made great progress on one of my to-do list items. I started a press page for the site. I've been truly blessed the past year with wonderful features and mentions in-print and on the internet and now I have a place to keep track of everything. I am still sorting thru all the links to web mentions and trying to locate a few of the print features, i know it will always be a work in progress. I invite you to take a look-see and please let me know if any I missed, especially the print ones : )
Happy Saturday nite!

waiting for spring

This morning it is way too cold to work on the the patio carving bowls. Which is something I love to do. Our neighborhood is quiet during the day so I turn the radio on low and carve my heart out! I can't wait until spring. Marley is snuggling in her bed with a blanket and the heat blowing on her, she has no idea how wondeful our life will be once the weather warms up! I am pretty excited too! We are now becoming fast friends, I've been kindof quiet about our new pup because I've been battling the teething and her love of biting my nose! Its super cute but come on! One can only have their nose nipped so many times. Patience - its just a stage...

I am still working out my new designs and with that looking at flowers and other botanical images to inspire and include. I realized last nite that I have bits and pieces spread across a few sketchbooks and random bits of paper so this afternoon I will start to finalize my late spring offerings. I have quite a bit to sort through and hope to use all of it in some way. Maybe on one of a kind pieces : )

I'm off to throw, mix a bit of glaze, glaze pots and fire the kiln- then make a pot of tea and set to work designing. Oh and here will be puppy play time too! Can I do all this in one day?
happy presidents day!

love and ice!

I love weather! It's doing a strange raining, icing snowing thing outside on top of about an inch of fluffy snow so it makes a nice crunching sound when I walk. Wouldn't it be so nice to be snowed in for Valentine's Day?! I've been so busy I was going to skip doing something for Valentine's for Little Flower then, I thought, who doesn't love a last minute sale? so:

Love My Customer's Sale!
24 hour Valentine's Day Sale- $5 shipping on all orders
at Little Flowers Designs

Plates!

A new design and a new form for a new year! First up is the new Soaring Swallow Polka Dot Dinner Plate, I am so pleased with this plate I am going to make a few just for me! I also have bowls and tea cups to match. And for everyone who has asked if I can do my Just Friends pattern on a plate, here it is! I have the plates set at an introductory price right now and they are only available through my website. The price will go up but, for now, please get your orders in : )

I have also added a little something to the site at a super low price ($15) the One Scoop Birdy Bowl this little bowl is clearly a souvenir of the Just Friends pattern for everyone that wants a little friendliness in the palm of their hand! The price won't be $15 forever so order away on this one too - I have a big old batch in the works and they will be ready to ship by Feb. 19th. I just might cap the making at 100 one scoop bowls, I'm still deciding on that.

Puppy news for anyone interested! Miss Marley is doing good, she's settled in nicely and we are working on her training. She has the concept of being a good girl down but still needs to work at it. She lost at least 4 of her puppy teeth this week so she's had it a bit rough and is biting everything in her own lady-like manner. She hasn't damaged anything and seems to love all her toys (which are mostly toys I bought for Healy even though he wasn't feeling well enough to play with them, he would be super pleased that his little sis is having so much fun with them, he was the best at sharing!)

Studio! the re-stocking of the site is coming along and I have more new designs to introduce. I am working to balance out everything so I feel creative and renewed while filling orders. This year I am going to be adding a one-of-a-kind category to the site for larger items like platters and serving bowls.

Me! I am trying to be a healthier girl. So ommmmmmmmmmm, yep, trying to do yoga everydayish and meditate. This is required when you have a new puppy in the house! And once it gets above freezing, I can take Miss Marley on long walks - I used to walk Healy all the time - so much that people thought I didn't work! haha! I am wondering if those same people will notice that I have a different beagle. Oh, and a funny! A woman in my neighborhood thinks I am both my mom and daughter! So, I guess some days I look pretty old and others incredibly young.

Have a great weekend! and be sure to look at my site. xoxo, Linda

e-mail list!

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where did the week go?

February already? The past week slipped by without my knowing it. I've been busy in the studio and with our new pup Marley. I'm gearing up to post new work to the site this week. Just a few items to start. One current pattern on a new form and one new pattern on 3 differnt forms. Well, vessels really! Pictures still need to be taken so I have nothing to show right now. But, trust me, the new work will be worth the wait ; ) Also, the following tea cups are now in stock and ready to ship! I also have a second batch of Just Friends tea cups ready to fire and should be ready to ship by wednesday at the latest. So, go ahead and visit the shop! Happy Saturday Nite! I'm a glazing fool, with a few puppy play time breaks every here and there!

Little Miss Marley

Meet the newest member of our family, Marley!

She is about 3 months old and a happy little gal, she will be my new studio mate and everyday companion. We rescued her yesterday and so far she likes to play and get really muddy, chew on stuff and cuddle. She plays hard, then sleeps. Last nite was a little weird because I had to keep getting up to turn up the kiln. This little girl is the best, she was so well behaved. She even slept in with me today : ) We are puppy proofing the house, we didn't realize how much would interest her and have quite a bit to put away. She will help us keep the house tidy- especially if we don't want little puppy teeth marks in everything!

Happy sunday, here's to a long and healthy life together.

indieshopping & friends

Welcome to everyone who found their way here from indieshopping! And Thank You to Annissa for featuring me! What a nice way to start a Friday! For those who would like to read the interview - here's the link. And be sure to check out the entire indieshopping site for interviews with other designers and the best of independent design.

Studio News! Good things are coming! The kiln is on now, started late last nite & tended to all through the nite. So being the very sleepy girl that I am, today will be a day to clean up and get ready to unload the kiln, glaze and final fire. Be sure to check back here, I think by Tuesday I will be ready to reveal my newest design and show off my newest form - dinner plates! As with all of my work it is hand carved and these plates, while lovely for everyday use, will also spruce up your walls. Today is Steve's birthday so this evening, at his request, we will have a quiet celebration. We have to get up early tomorrow, hopefully more on that very soon!

My Friends! They are such an inspiration to me, not only are they great people, they do some amazing things. My dear friends Sue and Tom, packed up everything last month to move from our little corner of Pennsylvania to their new home in the middle of New York state! Although I miss them, I couldn't be more happy for them!! They are both very talented and have recently launched their own websites! Tom is an avid collector and gatherer, his site RetroEclectica suits him perfectly! Make sure to visit often as he is just getting started and has some really cool and hard to find stuff! Sue is an amazing quilt and art doll creator. Sue was the best sewer in high school and all these years later she is still sewing up a storm(ok, we're not that old but, we're not fresh out of school either!). Her new website MishMoshArt is filled with her creations, two of which are pictured below. I'm a huge fan of everything she makes and can't wait to see what she comes up with next. Her feel for combining materials is truly unique. Take a close look, her work is quite intricate with beaded details.

good monday

It's been a very good monday. Production is in full swing in the studio, all items should be in stock and ready to ship by February 1st. Tea cups are everywhere and now the plates are starting to really amount to something! I am nearly finished two larger orders and feel a bit of creative freedom coming on. I will be posting a few new bowls to the shop in the next few days, they are from my current designs and never made it on the site. I am trying for a mid-February site update with a few new designs and rounding out the offerings for the current ones. I've really settled into a good rotation in the studio so that I am constantly doing something different. Throwing, trimming, carving, glazing... the holidays were a frenzy of making and shipping with very little time for thought, this year I hope it will be different, a little frenzy is ok, but not the kind where I can't sleep!

I've been thinking alot about Louise Bourgeois, she is one of my favorite women artists. She is 95 years old and I believe she is still making art. She is such an inspiration, both her sculptures and drawings have been subjects I revisit over and over. There is something about her work that just draws me in. I am also in awe of her life, to be so motivated and such a force in the art scene, ahhh, someday!

sunday plates

Since I am nearly out of clay (more will be picked up tomorrow) I decided to start on a new form, plates! I used to love making plates and haven't made them in awhile. Customers always ask so, I have done some custom plates but, the new plates will be for the website. I'd like to expand on the designs I already have and as I introduce the new designs, I'd like to make them available as place settings. Plate, side plate, bowl. Offered a al carte! So today I fiddled around with a few plates to test it out and see. I didn't snap pics yet but, its going very well : ) I started with my Just Friends pattern so I'll have samples available next week - this is the most requested with my Dahlia pattern at a close second. The way orders are shaping up, this week will be one of vase making and a few sushi sets. Then plates! pictures to come...
Have a beautiful Sunday evening.