Pottery for the Parentless- First Load

For as far back as I can remember, I've loved to create.  The type of media didn't matter.  Give me crayons, I'd color the paper, the crayon box, and the art table.  Give me carrots and broccoli and ranch dressing at dinnertime, and I'd make a vegetable forest with ranch dressing clouds.  Give me acorns and leaves and grass outside, and I'd made a salad in the dirt.  Whatever it was, there with it was an instinct to turn nothing into something.  There was a desire to give expression to something deeper going on within.  It's incredible how the Lord bestows upon His children various traits of Himself, whether that's creativity, a heart for the poor, hospitality, insightful intellect, a desire to reach the nations, a servant's spirit, etc.  It is a privilege to walk with our very own Creator using the gifts that only He gives.  This is the basis of why I've always, and will always, create.  

The Lord has granted me with a passion that draws me closer to who He is.  I believe He wants me to use this gift in a way that would bring others to know about Him.  One way I hope to spread the good news of Jesus Christ and His love is through Pottery for the Parentless.  Pottery for the Parentless is a not-for-profit art venture in which the proceeds collected from the selling of handmade pottery go towards the A.M.B.E.R. adoption fund at Grace Church in Memphis, Tennessee.  AMBER stands for Adoption Magnifies the Beauty of Eternal Redemption.  The fund was established to financially assist families in the pursuit of adoption for the sake of sharing God's adopting love.  My hope is that, through the purchase of my pottery, people will not only be contributing towards a family's adoption for the sake of the gospel, but will also have gospel-sharing opportunities as they use the pottery with family and friends on an everyday basis.  As people interact with these handmade, functional wares, I hope that conversations will spark about our Redeemer who has "adopted us as sons" (Romans 8:15, Galatians 4:4-6, Psalm 68:5-6, Ephesians 1:5) and who Himself was adopted into the lineage of David through Joseph.  Our very Creator was "adopted" by Joseph! (If you're interested in more information, read Adopted for Life by Russell D. Moore).

So here it is, the first load.  I will be glazing for the next couple of weeks and then needing to run the pots through one more firing before they are complete.  In the meantime, business cards are getting printed and Etsy site is being finalized.  Goal is to have items posted on Etsy.com (pending no disasters) a week after Thanksgiving.  If you don't see something you're looking for as a Christmas gift, contact me and let's see if I can get that done for you!  

Happy pre-viewing!

Logo designed by my friend, Caryl

Mug assortment

Bowls - deeper for cereal, salad, etc.

Dinner plates

Assortment of pots

No load is ever complete without breakage!

Looking forward to cleaning up the messy studio once pots are cleared out for firing.

Chips n' dip

Slim mugs with experimental handle

Gallon pitchers

Wrapping each pot in bubble wrap to transport to Cottonwood Studios down the street for bisque firing.  The clay is so fragile in this state, so this part takes some time.

Cups with inverted handle for thumb placement

More mugs, experimenting with different body styles and handles

One customer requested a mug with a "big handle," so this is it.

Salt n' pepper shakers with cork insert

Ready to be loaded into the car and fired to bisque.  Next week - Glazing!