Rooted, Issue 8 (September
2008)
Th air has that definitive fall tang and crispness.
My favourite season!
Our Rowan tree is heavy with berries and the maples are already showing hints of their fall colours.
Our September issue is full~ a featured artisan, some new products and updates and some of our favourite suppliers, too. We apologize for our late issue, but computer troubles slowed us down!
We always welcome feedback, comments
and suggestions about our little publication.
Curse You Barbie!
 *shakes
fist and grumbles vaguely threatening reminders about the mysterious
incident of the Barbie doll head found under the dock one summer and
Gangrene Ken's green leg*
My just turned three.
So
far we have avoided commercial TV and she barely knows who Dora is (we
won't mention the incident with her watching TV the other night,
finding Go, Diego, Go and loving it, no, we won't). We have a
Barbie/Bratz etc. ban in place from birth which has been the cause of
much undermining by family members, but we have stayed strong, clean
and Barbie free for three years.
For her birthday cake this year, my mother was read the riot act about what images she got on
the cake. When asked, Rowan requested a cow. The baker claimed she had
never heard of a three year old who wanted a cow instead of Dora or
some other character. I was pleased and proud of my little weirdo.
Andy and I made a big purchase, of a Plan Toys
dollhouse (eco-conscious, recycled wood, natural etc.), and family were
contributing rooms and dollies. I was so excited! I had scrimped and
saved for this and couldn't wait to play, er, I mean, have Rowan play
with it.
I hadn't counted on Emma. My youngest sister (20) has
been dying to get Rowan a Barbie, but being the conscientious Auntie
that she is, she wouldn't get one before age three because the
packaging told her not to do it. So on the day before the big  dollhouse
reveal, Auntie Em gives Rowan her very first... yes,... Barbie Doll.
And Emma even brought along her own so they could play together.
When
Rowan first brought Barbie to me, I was shocked that the first thing
out of my mouth about her new toy was 'Isn't she so pretty?' Gak! I
quickly covered with a 'and I am sure she has a great mind and a
savings plan, too!'. What a geek.
Rowan LOVES it. Loves to brush
her hair. And when the dollhouse was given, she claimed it as Barbie's,
even though Barbie is like a Baby Godzilla tromping through it with her
dainty little pointy feet. Sleeping in the wooden dolly's bed. Doubling
over in the wee shower. Dancing on the roof (typical!).
What's a mother to
do?
I guess I will have to reveal my secret stash of my mother's Barbie
clothes, made by my grandmother (and as recently as 3 years ago
fought over by my sister and I) so this third generation can play, too.
I mean, we all turned out all right and I am sure it will be years
before Rowan and her little friends play N@ked Town like my sisters and
I used to do with Beauty Secrets, Western Barbie, Gangrene Ken and the
whole gang (except the headless doll, we left the rest of her under the
dock, too!).
This month's feature is an interview with Rhode Island based potter June, of Rising Sun Earthworks~ home of lovely and useful stoneware.
BTRT: Tell us about yourself.
RSE: I'm a 45 year old WAHM of 13 year old twins, married 15 years to an
electrical engineer. I'm 1/2 Japanese, crazy about animals (especially
dogs), and have a juvenile sense of humor.
BTRT: How did you get started with pottery?
RSE: I actually have a degree in studio art with an emphasis on
ceramics. However, I did NOT learn much, and had to re-teach myself
everything when I started again years later. After receiving my degree
I was so fed up with my terrible art education that I threw it in a
drawer and got a job as an animal control officer. About a decade
later, I was the mother of 18 month old twins and my husband surprised
me with a used wheel and kiln. I chewed him out royally because I
thought he was sending me a message that I must be bored sitting at
home with two toddlers.... however, I did manage to sneak out to the
garage and start dabbling in the mud during naptime.
BTRT: What is your favourite part of your art? Least favourite?
RSE: My favorite part is doing what I call "wet work" or getting
head-to-toe filthy in mud as I throw or handbuild my pots and
sculptures. My least favorite is putting on handles and attachments,
and glazing. I really hate glazing, LOL...
BTRT: What inspires your work?
RSE: Thinking up items for a specific use. I really like to make things that are used rather than displayed. I don't want my items to be put behind glass- I want them to enrich somebody's daily life.
Also, hearing suggestions from customers. That can go both ways,
though. Something I hate to hear is "you know what you should make...."
but then again, sometimes those suggestions have ended up being my most
popular items! So I guess I should bite my tongue!
BTRT: Impress us with cool facts about pottery that we didn't know...
RSE:Hmm, that's a tough one. Well, for one thing, clay is really just mud. I create stuff from mud.
A common myth is that if there is an air bubble in your clay, your
piece will explode in the kiln. Not true. It only happens if your piece
has not dried completely and the water inside turns to steam. If that
happens, it will explode whether there is an air bubble or not!
It takes about 12 hours to fire, and longer to cool a kiln. And
most items are fired at least twice. They go through a bisque firing
(around 1950 degrees). Then they are glazed and glaze fired (around
2200 degrees)
Boring, I know.
 BTRT: How do you take care of yourself?
RSE: Huh? I'm supposed to do that? Well, I knit. I love to knit. That's what I do if I'm not throwing clay.
BTRT: What is your favourite meal to eat? to cook?
RSE: I love Japanese food but my favorite meal is Hungarian stuffed
cabbage rolls- I just never get to make it because nobody in my family
will eat it. My favorite things to cook are cookies, quiche, and eggs
benedict.
BTRT: Do you believe that 'balance' exists?
RSE: In terms of work vs. family? I do believe it exists- it's just very difficult to achieve.
BTRT: Anything else you would like to share about art, life, mud or fire?
RSE: I consider myself an artisan- not an artist. I prefer making things that are useful rather than things that are decorative.
Some friends and I refer to our kiln openings as "Halloween" or
"Christmas morning." When we open the kiln- a kiln disaster looks like
Halloween and makes us scream, and a successful firing feels like
Christmas morning!
Clay can be rewetted and recycled up until it's fired. If a crack
appears after firing we have to throw the pot away. If a glaze doesn't
turn out we can attempt to refire it but it often doesn't work. There
are really no "re-do's" in pottery.
Thanks to June for her candid responses and interesting (eyes, June, it is!) information about her craft. I have been a fan since June made me a custom honey pot last year! You can find June's gorgeous and practical creations in several places:
Changes & Stocking News
September 10th at 9 pm will be the
last stocking (sniffle, sniffle) of Take Off Your Shoes. But as often
happens, opportunity knocks and the TOYS mamas are headed into a new
venture with some other talented WAHMs, so stay tuned for details! The September theme is CIRCUS!
We are continuing to stock at Etsy on a regular basis, and that is the place to find playsilks of every size and colour, as well as toys and most of our clothing.
On September 15th at 9 pm we will be stocking fall clothing at BTRT on Hyena Cart.
And we look forward to collaborating this fall with Cars from Papa, Hibiscus Baby, Mama Stone, Sweet Mama Small Sugar, Natural Madison and Laine's Magnifique!
 TRUE
COLORS
Our Fall True
Colors event is set to launch on September 30th!
This season we have 25 dyers all set to create with the chosen colorway~ red, brown and natural/cream.
We are expecting yarn, clothing, toys and more.
Each item will be auctioned off for the dyer's chosen charity.
New at BTRT: The Twirligig!™
 All natural active fun for children of all ages.
So what is it?
Start with a hand dyed silk streamer (11 x 60"~ that's 5' long!).
Coordinate with a hand painted and sealed (water based, non-toxic sealant) wand (approx/ 18" long).
Use quality hardware and hand stitch the silk to protect it from snags and to add a nice decorative touch.
Put it in the hands of a child.
And you have a Twirligig!
Run, jump, dance, spin... this toy calls for action and energy!
Got busy kids? These won't work unless they move, sneaky, huh?
 We use high quality silk with hand rolled hems. We have chosen this length for our streamers as we found that the narrower/ longer streamers tended to trip up children and get trampled on much more often. This size is very easy to untangle when spinning and the hardware cannot be removed by a child. Suitable for all ages. Young children should be supervised as with all long items that can tangle around them.
There is also the option to add more streamers of various sizes to your wand, in an array of solid colours.
We currently have Twirligigs in stock at our Etsy Shop.
A
Few of My Favourite Things
The following reviews are independent and unsolicited, I
just love these things and want to share the love! I will try and
include a review or two each month~ gives me a reason to
shop!
Take a Peek at These Etsy Shops~
a & a : Downright adorable fashions for little girls. Beautiful photos and patchwork. We own several of these headbands and they are a real hit (and a perfect fix for flyaway toddler bangs!).
neskat: Pretty hair pretties in felt! Such delicate little stitches on nicely sized barrettes that hold very well.
dyeing for colour : softest. merino. ever. One of my favourite supply shops for felting.
jellybean : trees and gorgeous watercolours? I'm there!
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Next issue: October 1st
(God willing and the creek don't rise, as they
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