Little Ox Goes to the Beach!

Well, our first vacation as a family was a success! Except. . . . I failed to get that traditional family photo of us on the beach. . . I know, unacceptable. You must understand though, that my hands had sunscreen all over them and I had my giant camera with me (should have brought the tiny and accessible camera instead) And by the time all 15 of us made the move to the beach with all our supplies, I was tired!  At least this is how I justify it to myself. .

Here's just a taste. . . .





We went to Gulf Shores with Dusty's family. Ten adults and five children ages 7 and under, four of which are boys. . . . quite a wild bunch.

 This is Pierce. He is almost 3. Check out his sweet tattoo. Yeah, he's bad.

Maddox and Preston. They are only 5 weeks apart and already buds. Papa (Dusty's Dad) calls them Cletus and Roscoe. . . 

Sweet Hayden. She turned 3 on the day we left Gulf Shores. She is having a princess themed birthday party in a week or so, and got her ears pierced while we were away. Hello Kitty earrings, how fun is that! Makes me kind of want a little girl of my own. I said kind of!

Not a family portrait on the beach, but this time it will have to do. 

This was our neighborhood for the week. Nothing but beach houses as far as the eye could see. It was beautiful. I think I could live in one of these permanently.

We had an awesome time on vacation! I feel rested and ready to plan more clay workshops. I'm so excited to see the enthusiasm about the workshops at JoZoara Coffee Shop, as well as the at-home workshops that are coming up!

Thanks for checking in on Little Ox, and I look forward to showing you the latest out of the kiln!

Christmas in July!

By the end of this week I will be sitting by the seashore, toes in the sand. I can't believe we are taking our very first family vacation! Dusty, Maddox and I will be leaving on Saturday morning to spend a week with Dusty's family at Gulf Shores. We are so excited to get away and spend some real family time together.

 So, I've had PLENTY to catch up on before we depart. I started 3 custom orders this week, glazed and am firing (as we speak) the wonderful workshop pieces from JoZoara's Coffee Shop, and my NEW dishes are almost ready, too!

 Custom coasters in progress :)

Custom trinket dishes in progress. . . .

Soap dish, anyone?? I can't wait to open the kiln this time! I love having brand new pieces. . . These will make great soap dishes, spoon rests, tea lite dishes, or just about anything else you might dream up!

OH, and I started on CHRISTMAS! What?! 

I know what you're thinking; its too early, right? WRONG! Its never too early to start your handmade gifts for the holidays. That being said, I would absolutely LOVE to start booking some pottery parties! I'm talking about ornament making, or anything else gift-worthy. Time to  have some eggnog and dust off that favorite Christmas album! Please email me if you're interested in hosting a holiday clay workshop, perfectly set up for your Christmas gift-making!

                                         

 I'll be sure to update you when these guys are finished, they still have to be fired and glazed. I was too excited to not show them!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Independence Day. Maddox swam in the little pool, and the big pool, and ended his day with a leisurely ride (oh so slowly) on the four-wheeler with his Papa. I am so thankful to be free to do what I love in a place that I love. 

You know you want to peek!

I want to share whats going on with our workshop pieces. I LOVE each and every one! They are all so different and unique! I just finished the first step of the finishing process on these little beauties. When all the moisture has dried out of the clay, it is known in the clay world as "Bone Dry". This is the point at which I smooth all the sharp edges so they are all squeaky clean!

 Next they will all go into the kiln together for a "bisque fire". This comes before the glazing process, and makes the clay able to absorb the glaze in the next step. They will reach about 1800 degrees before they are fully bisque fired.

 I can't wait to glaze these!

 How sweet are these hearts?! I have a feeling we are gonna be super busy this holiday season. There are ALREADY gifts being made!

 I love this work. Please contact me for special group rates, as well as in-home workshops for the holiday season. . I would LOVE to help you make your Christmas gifts this year!

Speaking of the hand-made gift, my little sister just started selling her new line of hand-made beaded jewelry. These are so unique, no two are alike! The brand is Birdcage, and you can place an order, or find her work at Top of the Block Salon on Lokey Street in Murfreesboro. This looks like a pretty sweet gift for someone, I think. . . .

JoZoara Hosts First Little Ox Workshop!

 The first of the Little Ox Workshops was held at JoZoara Coffee Shop yesterday! We all worked on our own slab of clay, using rubber stamps and templates to cut out our magnets. I can't wait to get them to the studio to finish them!  We had a great turn-out (as you can see. . .) 

We all sat around the big table (which became COVERED in stamps!) Coffee was definitely a plus to this process! I love the coffee at JoZoara's. My good friend Ann pictured above got a Caramel Machiato, and I got my new favorite, a Banana Split (the hot version). 

Pictured above are some JoZoara "regulars" I guess you could say.  Ms. Jeanie (pictured on the left) is actually part of the "grounds crew". What a clever name for the team that works there! She brought her grandson Marcus with her. 

 Here I am, making my rounds. . . I couldn't help watching what people came up with. Pictured here is a dear friend of mine, winner of my latest workshop giveaway!  I must also give her a prize for using her clay to the fullest! She had hardly any scraps!

We had SO much fun! 

I can't wait to update you on the process of all our little pieces! 

The next scheduled workshop at JoZoara's will be on Monday the 18th of July. Space is limited but we'd LOVE to have you join us! Please contact me, Adriane, at littleoxpottery@gmail.com to reserve a space for you and a friend. You can also sign up at JoZoara's.

 Thanks for checking in with Little Ox Pottery, I hope you have a wonderful week!

Little Ox Workshops!

Little Ox Pottery is looking for people to participate in a new venture: Little Ox Workshops!  Anyone who has talked to me in the last few weeks has heard of the new idea (I can't seem to shut up about it!) What's more awesome is that nearly everyone ends up being just as excited as I am about the idea.

WHAT IT IS:  

Little Ox Workshops seeks to share the love of creating functional art in a group setting. Right now I am in the process of finding several different "hosts" for these events. These hosts include local businesses, as well as homes of those wanting a more private group setting.

THE DETAILS:

The class is $25 per person and includes all tools and materials for the project. The class will be open for  2 hours and will feature one particular project per class. We begin the class with a short demonstration and explanation of the process and then its playtime! 

 Workshops so far include: Magnet sets, coaster sets, ornaments, and wall hangings!! Are  you excited yet?

THE BEST PART:

I do all the "work" for you!! You design and create your own pieces. Choose from existing designs, or make it up as you go! When the class is over, I carefully take your hand-made pieces to the studio for firing and glazing. Pieces are returned to the host of the workshop in 2 weeks for pick-up! Shipping options also available!

WHAT ITS AWESOME FOR:

Date Nights

Girls Night Out

Birthday Parties

Work Parties

Team Building

Baby Showers

Christmas Gift-Making

Family Time

OR just because its FUN!

This class has been tested and APPROVED by many! 

If you'd like to know when and where these workshops will be taking place, get on my mailing list!

Contact me at littleoxpottery@gmail.com 

Fat Mugs and Party Mugs

I love making mugs! I love the personalites that come about from the many different shapes and characteristics they take on. I think I'll start a series of. . . .

 Fat mugs.  They are short, they are fat, and they hold lots of coffee.

Party mugs! These remind me of confetti and streamers. I'd love to have a whole line of just party themed mugs. . .wouldn't you want to party with these guys?

Just a thought. . . Of course I'd welcome other series suggestions! Email me at littleoxpottery@gmail.com. I'd love to hear from you :)

Hot out of the oven!

I've been very busy lately, a few custom orders here, and experimentations there. . . I've been obsessing over small dishes this week. Each one is cut out from a slab of clay, formed by hand, fired, glazed and then fired again!  I used several different colors and textures on them and I just love the way they came out! If you'd like to place an order for a set of these, or just one particular size, I will be accepting orders for the upcoming week. 

Largest $6             Middle Size $4             Smallest $3

You will find so many uses for these little dishes! How about use it for that coffee spoon you always set on a paper towel? --(that's what I will be doing....)

Other suggested uses:

Place for your:  tea bag (as pictured. . .)

candle,

keys,

pocket change,

fortune cookie messages

oreos!

spoon to rest

cashews

Please email me for any special requests on color, etc. I will be making these for  just a limited time. .

Here's a favorite custom order that I just finished. I love when an accident turns into something I'd like to replicate again. . .This one had a slight bend in it at first, and then I made it worse, thus making it look better. Who knew? I loved making this one, so if anyone else out there likes this mangled look, do let me know!