Beautiful Spring

neighbors beautiful camelia's bloom early

peony

columbine

The Puddha Naps.

Sand Drawings

......and more sand

Sand mans coming round.

I've been up late again, being my ordinary night owl self.

So I better get some sleep. It's a good thing I only need 6 hours at most.

Sand in my eyes

So, the way I do this is to design the whole dish of sand, then I begin to create a pattern within that design, eliminating some of the intricacies to obtain a better design. It's experimental, but creativity works best being flexible and learning new things.

I very much enjoy design, Sand design is challenging.. it falls apart easily.

Sand garden

These kind of take on lives of their own, these short lived drawings and sculptures in sand.

 But the sand sits here in this large antique wooden container from Japan, and as I walk by it catches my eye, and I stop for a break, which I am usually not good at doing. I do a little designing, then go one my way, for hours or a day before it calls me to finish it up. I recommend it for creativity.

More sand gardens, and a pet store trip looking for sand.

looking for sand but found this guy instead. ..No he's still there..

Moon and Sun

Transformation

Sand....bowl

Sand Garden

Sand Gardens...Imagine a Gold sand garden. Or midnight Blue or Black..

Nagaoka Castle

I found my photo of Nagaoka Castle from when I was there. I had to post it here. 

Sending my best wishes to Japan,  and all of Japan. 

I love you and always will.

Sand Gardens. I need new beautiful sand. Anybody want to invest in sand with me?

I have a new container I need sand for.
I went to Home Depot. Their play sand is ugly, it's gray, and seedy looking. They no longer carry a nice white sand.  I've been looking around now. I'll need a 100 lb bag to manage this new garden, and it's going to be beautiful.

I found a place that sells, Safe Sand, and they have all colors; amazing, but pricey, and shipping would be as much as the sand which is, gulp, 79.00 for 50 lbs.

I was thinking black or gold.

I am in love with the gold dunes of Morocco, ummm, against the blue sky.. Wow!

Imagine a black sand garden.
But I will get white until I figure a reasonable way to make black or gold myself. I am wondering if I could

or should use my coloring oxides I use in glazes. Might not be safe. I'll see.

I think either would be nice for my new garden, but I can't tell you about it, you have to come bac

But imagine a black sand gardens. I will probably get white until I figure out how to get black or make it. I have dyed sand before. Oxides? May not be safe, I'll see After all I have many oxides in the studio.

Bonsal American Se (Wrb) 60Lb Natural Play Sand 15555 Stone & Sand Product

SANDTASTIK WHITE PLAY SAND 25LB BOX

Ideas for outdoor sand box that cats can't mess up.
I had a Weber that was great for little kids to sit in and play.
Screen for 18" Fire Pit
Shinerich Industrial Ltd Fs 35' Rnd Fire Pit Srfp46 Outdoor Fireplace

Table ware; Japan, Russia.. Lomonosov, France... Rochere, Finland... iittala. Williams Sonoma....Pillivuyt.

My eclectic table; cups and saucers from Lomonosov of Russia. Fanciful swirl cups. I love them, I only have two, colorful plates I found at a thrift from Japan, hand painted, I only bought 3 of 6.. ??

The white plates are French Pillivuyt Queen Anne from Williams Sonoma, but I warn you, (an aside here) they are used at the store, and they scrounge them up from everywhere, you Don't get new dishes.
 I bought 4, thats $112.00, and I had to take 3 back, one was scratched so bad it's unimaginable how it could happen, to me, and I work with clay and glazes. The others were just scratched, but new isn't scratched. Not only that, (and I have had businesses, and worked in gourmet), and we never sold display stuff as new, It isn't new it is used.

 I tried to review this information for their online reviews, and they wouldn't accept it. I wrote to Pillivuyt, and it is being looked into. The manager, (who I really like) at my local WS store wasn't very understanding that I'd want 'new' mdre for 'full' prices??? Hmm. I know it isn't her policy to sell used dishes though.

So I'll review it here for all of you, maybe they will get it worked out, But I can tell you, those dishes at Williams Sonoma are NOT in good shape. Pillivuyt only sells the Queen Anne line there. I love the pattern, and I have long loved and used Pillivuyt, but I wish I hadn't bought them now as I need more from time to time and don't want used mdre.

Back to the picture, The amythyst glasses are from Frances oldest glass works, Rochere.  They make the cool bee glasses you see everywhere now. It's heavy durable glass.

The glass bowl and lovely blue glasses are from Finland's oldest glass works, Nuutajärvi. (I used to sell these at my store). I sold Pottery from Tunisia too when they first exported to the US, and I have pieces that are historical, since that potter died. Now Williams Sonoma has some pieces, but they are not nearly as nice as what I had at my store, which was in the 80's and 90's.  Because the potter died the whole outfit went out of business and they didn't export to us again until recent years. They sold lovely sconces, and lamps of terra cotta, jewelry, and I was getting ready to sell their berber rugs when the business collapsed. He painted fushias on his couscous sets (bowls), no one could do what he did. Imagine a business here going going bankrupt because the potter died.

 The Blue patterned bowl, Japan.

Place mats are new, and handmade as most of my stuff is, info on that later.  Port Townsend is where I got them. They have really nice ones with cool indian-ish designs for 5.00 each. I needed plain , My rugs are patterned enough.

But what do you think, too much going on? So far it is my spring look..I have so many interesting things from all over the world, I don't care to do a boring matching thing, but I do like to get it together, I will be working on it. To be honest I need new Pillivuyt  pieces, but that is on hold due to Williams Sonoma's used dishes.

Snow Geese In Skagit Valley

I know, its the same ole thing every year, tulips are next, Actually this isn't this years picture, but you get the

idea!

Our Giant Green Sea Anemones, they get big and small depending on what they eat and how much.

 And they can live for 100 years,

The Pier at Coupeville WA

Our Newest Ferry, The Chetzemoka

I wasn't expecting riding the new ferry, but spontaneously, per usual, I decided to go to the island before going home rather than going to Paulsbo again.
It's about four months running now, the Chetzemoka. Very nice little boat. I approve this ferry!!! After this ferry, I headed home via Clinton, but Mukilteo was running to Edmonds. That run was about 50 minutes. It was smooth as glass too. sunny. Nice day, but when you're tired, you're tired.

I had to drive another 40 minutes after arriving in Edmonds. If I watched the local news I'd have known and would have just driven around instead of riding the ferry.

I may post some history on the Chetzemoka later, but as Linda said in comments it was the name of a ferry on the Mukilteo run years ago. This new one runs from Keystone on Whidbey to Port Townsend on the Olympic Peninsula and is one of our more substantial runs.