Beads, beads, beads

When does a little ball of clay become a bead? My answer is when someone uses a straw to make a hole through which to thread it. I make a lot of them. I find making beads salves the too busy mind, lets me be productive when I don’t feel particularly creative, and lets me play in the clay when we are on the road. Beads are small, round (thus durable), repetitive, yet fruitful. They use up clay that may be getting dry. With my long history of rolling cookie balls for our favorite molasses treats, clay balls also avoid a lot of calories. 

What does one do with clay beads? About an inch across, they might qualify as weapons of mass destruction if one were to wear them, although it has been done and smaller ones work well for necklaces and as weights for crocheted shawls. I put them in my windchimes, but the clever manager at Lost River Artisans’ Co-op, Doug Gronholm, uses eight of them to make sets of weights for picnic table cloths. I’ve used Doug’s weights many times and they are great. Like making windchimes, Kahoka beads are well worth rolling! 

Gathering a flock

I have a request for a windchime with sheep on it. Others have asked how I make the mobiles, so here’s the process behind their creation. They are challenging to wrap, but there are several hundred Kahoka windchimes scattered across a couple of continents.

I start with a theme and cut out clay figures with cookie cutters or free-hand. The wee forms are cleaned, dried, and bisque fired. Then they are glazed and fired to Cone 6 and the real fun begins. 

My friend Susie collects drift wood for me from the Chesapeake Bay. I clean the wood and drill it, and then thread my strings, using beads for spacers. I usually incorporate smaller figures into the upper parts of the mobiles and larger ones on the ends. Sheep are great, being rounded and without vulnerable projections. I epoxy the knots to keep the wind from untying them if people hang their mobiles outside. Then I spray everything—the rope to keep out moisture and the wood in case of invisible in-dwellers. Indoors, the mobiles last indefinitely. Outside, they will last several years in a protected spot such as a screened porch. They don’t baa, but they sound wonderful!

Simple Pleasures

This is the time of year to notice and appreciate the simple things that can get lost in the glitz and glitter. What are your simple pleasures? I have too many to list but I cherish the time to think about them-- to put aside the busyness and dwell with the moment. There are the birds that stay around and accompany us through the winter, the impressions that pine needles and cedar twigs make on the clay, and the clever and thoughtful homemade gifts that people give each other this time of year-- not the big fancy gifts but the creative ones. There is the warmth of the wood stove and the pleasure the cats cozying up to it. There are the dog’s circles of sheer joy in the snow. There is the music so special to the holidays, and those memories from the past. I love small gatherings, the catching up, the quiet times, the lights and goodies, and chances to learn something new. I love the opportunity to reach out to someone I can assist in some way, and the time to hope all over again for peace.  I wish you the warmest season’s greetings, wherever you are. May you have safe travels and quiet moments. And may your pleasures be simple and profound. 

The world of little plates

What does one do with plates only about 2½ by 3½ inches in size? I asked a few folks. Bill said, “Put sushi on them.” Pat said, “Keep my rings on it overnight.” Molly’s response was to use it as a spoon rest, Doug’s as a soap dish. Liz immediately envisioned her wee tray as a “tea bag cradle.” Jon feeds his cat on one small Kahoka plate. He points out that he has two so that Little Annie does not go hungry when one is in the dishwasher. He says this started when he learned that cats don’t like eating out of bowls that force them to bend their whiskers. 

These little plates come in many colors and textures. Some are a bit rounded, others nearly flat. They make great stocking stuffers and inexpensive small gifts for the holidays. I started making them when someone requested a couple dozen little plates last year. She covered them with holiday treats and then plastic wrap, added a bow and a tag, and passed them out at her office celebration. I love it when people use my pots (and little plates) creatively! There really is no excuse for bent whiskers!