Monday, January 25, 2010

New Ceramic Support Spinning Bowls


For those of you that follow my blog, I thought I would give you a little update on what I've been working on lately.  As you can see, it's not jewelry! 

Back in the fall of 2009, Dave designed this support spinning bowl that was wider at the base than the top. Apparently, other support bowl makers thought this was a good idea as they have been incorporating Dave's design into their work.  We have been getting great feedback from our customers that have used this bowl, and they really seem to like the  decrease in friction the ceramic surface provides.


The three ceramic bowls seen in the photo above can be found in our Grizzly Mountain Arts Etsy shop in the "Support Spinning Bowl" section.

Monday, January 18, 2010

Craft Hope for Haiti

A wonderful Etsy shop has been set up to raise funds for the Doctors Without Borders relief effort in Haiti.  Please take a few moments to visit this shop.

Thank you!

Thursday, December 31, 2009

Happy New Year!


I just wanted to take the opportunity to wish all of my wonderful patrons a very happy New Year!  I hope you all have a very healthy and prosperous 2010!

Thursday, November 12, 2009

New Druid's Eggs on Etsy!


Are you having a feeling of deja vu? :) I've decided to move these two pendants over to my Good Dirt Jewelry Etsy shop from Zibbet.

Dave carved the original egg for me, then made a mold that I use with earthenware clay. These two Druid's Eggs have been glazed with earthy green glazes--one is a paler color and the other a very organic mixture of greens and browns. These pendants will arrive in a gift box and shipping is FREE, and did I mention they are only $19!

*What Are Druid's Eggs?*

The Druid's Egg (also “glain,” “serpent's egg,” or “snake stone”) was a talismanic object sacred to the Druids. Tales about it resemble those of the Philosopher's Stone sought by the alchemists. Its myths may also be related to those of the Omphalos, a meteoritic stone which was kept at Delphi and was thought to be the egg of the serpent-monster Python. In legends, the Druid’s Egg is credited with endowing its possessor with the ability to obtain almost all he might desire. The Druid's Egg was also believed to create a favorable outcome in courts of law, so much that the Romans outlawed carrying one into any courtroom. If you'd like to learn more about the legend behind the Druid's Egg, please visit the listing for these items on Etsy.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Ceramic and Myrtlewood Support Spindle Spinning Bowl


This is another joint project between Grizzly Mountain Arts and Good Dirt Jewelry :) Once we had finished this piece, I could hardly wait to photograph it and get it online!

This design turned out even better than we had planned!
We have created a support spinning bowl that has combined the efficiency of a ceramic surface with the stability of a wide beautiful wooden base. Our ceramic bowl measures 1 3/4 inches in diameter, and the myrtlewood base is 3 1/4 inches in diameter. The wooden base has been adorned by Dave with pyrography (burn etching). Four felt dots on the back keep the wood from scratching other hard surfaces.

A few more photos of this piece can be found in our Etsy shop where it is listed for $29 with FREE shipping :)

Friday, November 6, 2009

Two New Druid's Egg Pendants


I'm giving a new online selling venue a try! Zibbet.com

Dave carved the original egg for me, then made a mold that I use with earthenware clay. These two Druid's Eggs have been glazed with earthy green glazes--one is a paler color and the other a very organic mixture of greens and browns. These pendants will arrive in a gift box and shipping is FREE, and did I mention they are only $19!

*What Are Druid's Eggs?*

The Druid's Egg (also “glain,” “serpent's egg,” or “snake stone”) was a talismanic object sacred to the Druids. Tales about it resemble those of the Philosopher's Stone sought by the alchemists. Its myths may also be related to those of the Omphalos, a meteoritic stone which was kept at Delphi and was thought to be the egg of the serpent-monster Python. In legends, the Druid’s Egg is credited with endowing its possessor with the ability to obtain almost all he might desire. The Druid's Egg was also believed to create a favorable outcome in courts of law, so much that the Romans outlawed carrying one into any courtroom. If you'd like to learn more about the legend behind the Druid's Egg, please visit the listing for these items on Zibbet.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

New Ceramic Support Spindle Bowls

From time to time, my husband who is the artist behind Grizzly Mountain Arts fiber art tools, and I join forces to work on a joint venture. These ceramic support spinning bowls have been just been added to our Grizzly Mountain Arts fiber art tool line!

When researching support spinning bowls for Russian and Tibetan style spindles, we found that there are two important attributes that need to be incorporated into the bowl. One, is the reduction in friction by creating a ceramic glazed surface--don't forget, wood spinning on wood is how boy scouts start fires :) Second, the bowl needs to be stable to keep from constantly tipping while the spindle spins.

Grizzly Mountain Arts and Good Dirt Jewelry, have worked together to create a ceramic support spinning bowl that is cone shaped. Our bowl measures 3 inches in diameter across the bottom with a recessed well to support the spindle on top. We are making our support spinning bowls in a variety of glazes and no two pieces ever come out of the kiln the same. Every ceramic support spinning bowl will be one of a kind.

Grizzly Mountain Arts ceramic support spinning bowls ship for FREE and can be found in our Etsy shop for $19!