A Handmade Spring: Fostering Creativity

Do you have someone you know who treasures the lost art of letter writing? Or someone who loves all things preppy and monograms her sheets, towels, stemware, you name it? How about that person who loves decorating to make her house feel like a home?

Fostering Creativity specializes in handmade stationery, custom floral arrangements, home decor items, and even photobooks - perfect for upcoming birthdays, graduations, and weddings.

I, personally, can't get enough of Amy's newest stationery designs. And one can never have too many notecards. She has everything from classic and timeless to preppy and pink. And monogramming them gives them that extra something special.

Rustic Spring

Onyx Damask Collection

Simply Green Collection

More than just stationery, Amy's "passion for paper" extends to invitations, announcements, and cards for any occasion like this one for Mother's Day.

Another great idea for this time of year are Amy's photobooks. They are a great answer for those who want to scrapbook, but never find the time. Amy can put together a beautiful book to commemorate a birthday, wedding or anniversary, or even baby brag books. Find some samples here.

And last but not least, find a beautiful custom floral arrangement for Mother's Day, housewarmings or birthdays. If after the previous post, you still don't feel comfortable making your own, Amy can help you by creating something to fit perfectly in any decor.

A Handmade Spring: Floral Arrangements

This is one of my favorite handmade gift ideas. Any excuse to roam the silk floral aisles of Michael's, AC Moore, or Old Time Pottery is fine by me. But don't let them intimidate you. I try to keep it simple and focus on three things.

1. Color - Choose a dominant color and one or two accent colors. Keep it simple.

2. Size - Think about the finished size of the arrangement and choose flowers accordingly. I also like to choose a variety of sizes using smaller flowers and different shapes as accents.

3. Texture - Choose silk grasses, wheat stalks, and "fuzzy" stems to add texture, depth, and interest.

Oh, and don't be afraid to walk up and down the aisles several times, pulling out stems and trying out different combinations right there in the store. It's okay to play : )

Here are a few arrangements I've made as gifts and for our own house. Without assuming my style is your style, hopefully they will give you some ideas for your own gifts. But of course, if you're still intimidated, check out Fostering Creativity and have Amy make one for you! I have two of hers in my house, too!

I made this one for my MIL's birthday last year. Sorry for the busy background. I chose cranberry with sage and yellow accents- a classic combination. The magnolias are the large focal point flower with smaller hydrangeas for variety and all those "fuzzy" stems for accent color and texture.

Here is a potted arrangement I made for our kitchen. I chose all foliage and greenery for this one, but varied the size and variety, brought in accent colors with the striations on the leaves, the purple stems, and the small green flowers.

Here it is on top of the fridge.


And here is one in our bathroom. I wanted a green tonal look for this room as an accent to the navy, white, and slate blue in the rest of the room. The tall green "cone shaped" flowers are the focal point with the cat tails adding texture and the round flowers added a contrasting shape and another shade of green.

One last tip to save on cost is to use the premade "floral bunches" they sell in the store. You will need to cut everything apart when you get home so it doesn't look so fake, but use the bunches to your advantage. They can save you money and give you a dominant flower with several accent stems. In the first arrangement for my MIL, the magnolias and some of the fuzzy stems and grasses were purchased separately, but the hydrangeas, leaves, the fern like stems, and the pale greenish yellow clusters all came on the same bunch. I just cut it apart and mixed it together with the other stems.

A Handmade Spring: Stone Lotus Pottery

Because I know you were all disappointed when the Handmade Christmas series ended, we're back with a few ideas for your spring shopping. Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, graduations, birthdays, and weddings are all great opportunities to think about handmade gifts.

Gift giving is definitely an art and a subtle one at that. Gifts are always appreciated and should not be expected, but I think it's safe to say we all know the feeling of opening a gift and immediately realizing it was last minute or rushed without much thought. We are still grateful because a gift is a gift and it is the spirit and the intent we should recognize, but couldn't we make it that much better? Take the time to think about the important people in your life. If you know them, is it that hard to think about their interests and taste?

Here's one example: I have a friend who treasures warm baths, a good cup of tea, scented candles, all things cranberry and pumpkin, is in to running and exercise, classic jewelry with a twist, and appreciates a well made designer handbag. Would I send her gardening items or vintage dinnerware just because I liked them? Probably not. But if I found a heavenly scented pumpkin sugar scrub or a cool turquoise and silver necklace, definitely.

In the spirit of finding just the right gifts to tell people how much you care about them, we're hoping this series will introduce you to some new ideas (and of course, remind you of a few you've seen before : )

Of course, Stone Lotus Pottery, is a great place to start. And it's not just us saying that...we introduced lots of new spring colors and designs and all of you like them just as much as we do! Pottery can make a wonderful gift, be it wedding, birthday, Mother's Day. Deviled egg plates and other serving pieces can make your Easter table that much more beautiful. And our jewelry may be just the right gift for that eclectic, artsy friend of yours! We have a wide range of pieces from large platters and bowls to the perfect "little something" like a pair of earrings or a spoon rest for your favorite cook. Shop now and check back often, we are always introducing new pieces.

Here are few items available in the shop now...

Orbit Necklace

Medium Kiwi Green Bowl

Large Red Deviled Egg Plate (you all loved our small ones for Easter!)

Blue Rutile Teardrop Earrings

Look forward to new jewelry designs in the coming weeks as well as more spring arrivals. Mom is busy working with new glazes and designs and we hope you all are as excited as we are!

Commenting

I know some have had a few issues trying to comment on our giveaways, so here are a few tips. First up, I did turn on the anonymous commenting feature, so you do not need a login or account. You can just leave your name in the comment itself!

To comment, click on the word "comments" at the end of the post. Type your message in the box. Scroll down to choose your identity. For those of you with google email addresses or blogger accounts, you can sign in. For those who prefer to comment anonymously, select the last choice for "Anonymous". Click "Publish Your Comment" and you're all set! Just remember if it's a giveaway and you choose to comment anonymously, include your name/email so we can contact you.

Again, we're sorry for not having this feature turned on. I thought it was a default setting, so I never realized you all didn't have the option! Hope this helps for our next giveaway!

March Giveaway Winner

Courtesy of random.org, our winner is comment #6....

Shannon!

Thank you to everyone who participated! Shannon, I will get your bowl out to you in the mail this week.

Check back often for new items being added to the shop and more giveaways in the future.

Also, as an apology for those trying to comment "anonymously" without setting up a blogger account, I did not realize that feature was turned off! I fixed it yesterday, but will soon post a short tutorial on how to leave us a comment for some of our non-blogging shoppers. We wouldn't want you to miss out on anything : ) Thanks for bearing with us.

Etsy Love: Karisma by Kara

Kara is a local gal who I had the pleasure of meeting in person just the other day. She placed a pottery order with us and I couldn't resist taking a peek at her lovely Etsy shop. She is new to Etsy and her shop, Karisma by Kara, is a gem. Her jewelry uses natural stones like onyx, turquoise, and jade mixed with wire and polymer clay. Head on over and give her a little Etsy love.

Here are just a few of her lovelies...

Coyote Blue

I planned to post a feature showing our two latest coyote blue plates. They made a lovely pair, but I listed them separately (to share the coyote blue love around a little bit more : ) and one was purchased within hours of listing! But here is the other one, still in the shop, and ready to find a new home....

March Giveaway!

We're having so much fun with our giveaways, we decided to continue into March. So far you've seen earrings and coasters, so it was time for a bowl. This beautiful porcelain bowl is glazed in rich blue and just a hint of ash along the rim. The bright white porcelain clay allows the bright blue to pop. It's a versatile size and could be used as a small serving piece, a simple home decor item with potpourri or small fruit, a great catch all for keys or loose change, or as the base for a floral arrangement. (6 inches wide and 3 inches deep)

Here's a great example of using pottery in an arrangement.
Ready to enter? Hop on over to the shop and tell us about your favorite kind of pottery. If you've purchased from us before, think about what drew you in. If you haven't, think about something you like in our shop. What type of pottery is it? Do you prefer functional pottery like serving bowls and plates with a specific purpose? Does it help if you can imagine it in your own home and know exactly how you'll use it, like coasters or trivets? Or do you prefer to splurge on something unique like our jewelry that is more indulgent and less functional? Functional or fun? Abstract or purposeful? You tell us.

Leave a comment on this post telling us what you think and an email address or link to your blog. We'll pick a winner in a week on Sunday, March 22, so enter now for your chance to win this bowl....

(Note: If you've noticed all of my personal comments, we've opened this up to friends and family who email me an entry.....not everyone is as blog savvy as our faithful blog readers : )

Get a second chance to win if you post a link to our shop and giveaway on your blog. Just leave a second comment letting us know and we'll enter your name twice!

Only available for shipment within the U.S. You must leave a way for us to contact you in order to win. Once notified of winning, you have one week to provide a shipping address or we'll pick another winner. Good luck!

Spring in Bloom

Just a few lovelies added to the shop today....

Spring Green Bowl

Coyote Blue Fluted Shell Plate

More coyote blue plates on the way....

Facebook

I finally caved in and created a personal Facebook page, but if you follow our Stone Lotus Pottery blog and have a Facebook account, become a fan with us there as well! Follow this link to see the SLP Facebook page.

Etsy Sale

Some of the preview items are already in the shop, but also check out the latest sale items. All sale jewelry ships free with any other item. And a few new bowls and trivets on sale as well!

Happy shopping!

Preview Pictures

So the last post was apparently a little mean. All this talk about new stuff without any pictures, what was I thinking?!? As always, if you see something you can't live without or want to give as a gift, just let me know and it's yours before it even hits the Etsy shop. I will be adding some tonight, though, so speak up!

Without further ado...

Coyote Blue Coasters (set of 4)

Kiwi Coasters (a more subdued design kiwi green and blue- set of 4 coasters)

Square Lace Plate in Coyote Blue

And another plate (both 7 inches square)


Love this Leaf Plate, forest green with the tips done in sunflower yellow and fire red. It's slightly deeper in the center like a candy dish and oh, so lovely!



More spoon rests, although there are two in the shop right now, so you may not see these there just yet. Let me know if you see a color you want, though.



A LARGE spring green and forest green bowl. 8 inches across and a good 3 inches deep


A large, deep bowl in oxblood red and ash on the rim


An abstract square shaped bowl in coyote blue (it will be in the "seconds" due to a small crack in the rim)

Love. Love. Love. Our Fluted Shell Plate in coyote blue.

An abstract lace pattern in coyote blue.
It's a small candy dish size, about 1 1/2 inches deep.
Small carved bowl in blackbird blue and cobalt blue


A new glaze called shino- an earthy brown, rusty red color.
This is a wide shallow bowl.

A wide shallow rim bowl in oxblood red and shiga.
Carved Rim Plate (this time with a green center!)
Scalloped bowl in cobalt and blackbird blue

We're working on our next giveaway, also! Stay tuned.