Clayin' Around

I have a new found love....creating with clay. I discovered this hidden passion one day while treating my daughter to a day making pottery. We needed a special date together, and this setting provided us the perfect atmosphere to chat away as we attempted to mold our clay into a reality.

Crafts and hobbies have always been at the center of our household, it's been that way since the children were big enough to hold a crayon and scissors. The closest we ever got to clay though, was using "play dough", allowing them to become familiar with the molding and shaping process. I never really liked play dough because I thought it smelled bad. But after the kids graduated from play dough, we embarked on the adventure of paper mache, another process of designing and shaping. Then we moved on to the more durable clay strips found on the shelves of every craft store. Looking back, numerous school projects included some formation of this type of clay; whether it was a mountain range, the planets, or some shoe box book report. Oh the memories they gave us!

But the clay I want to refer to, well, it is the real deal. The real stuff.

As with anything new, becoming familiar with the clay and tools was a little more of a challenge than I thought! But once my determination set in, I fussed and fussed with this big clump until it actually looked like something! I was able to hold up my piece and smile. It brought tremendous satisfaction. Michelle will tell you the same thing; learning to master your materials just takes time. The process tested our patience I have to say, and now we laugh when we look back at those first few hours trying to construct our precious art!

If the two of us enjoyed clay so much, then I was certain my other girls would as well. We have all gone into the studio on different occasions and agree that pottery is like a therapy of sorts, because you can get lost in your ideas, and tap into a creativity you didn't know was there. Now, when I go there to play with clay, I walk into the place like it's my second home. I know where everything is, so I can settle in, get comfortable and get my hands all dirty making something new. What secret surprise is waiting to burst today?

The green coaster in the photo above is Michelle's. She has surely expressed her taste in this one, hasn't she?

Some recent creations are now decorating my home, and a few projects are in the works for Christmas gifts. 

Have a little exploring inside you waiting to happen? Working with your hands and watching the clay take shape is truly fascinating and rewarding at the same time. Try it...you'll like it!