From Skilled Hands » Giveaway

And the Winner Is:

fromskilledhands — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 16:07:48 +0000

Last Monday, I asked readers to identify an item and it’s use. I should have specified the intended use of the object, since the suggestions folks made were just as valid as the one I had in mind. The winner of my high tech drawing (where I drew a name from a hat) is Laura. She correctly identified the cherry oven rack puller, although I’d love to see it used to crochet, fly kites and hang from spinning wheels.

If you’d like to own one of these fine kitchen tools, stop in the Gallery, or use the contact form at the top of the page.

And, as always, feel free to leave me a comment, or a stone (o), to let me know you’ve stopped by.

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Made By Hand and Heart

fromskilledhands — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 21:23:47 +0000

This is one of the many wonderful things we have in the Gallery—all made one at a time, by hand, by folks like us.

Take a guess what this item is and how it’s used, and if you’re correct, I’ll enter you in a drawing to win one. And if you’re in our neck of the woods, stop in and take a look at what we have, wander around the Village, and take a walk. You’ll be glad you did.

The deadline for entering the drawing is Wednesday, November 3, 2010, at 12:01AM.

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Mug Shot Winner!

fromskilledhands — Thu, 20 May 2010 19:57:10 +0000

Kim Ayres is the winner of our Ugly Mug Contest, not because he has one, but because he won the drawing.

Kim is an extraordinary fellow. His writing is honest and clear, and his photographic images touch my being. They are as honest and clear as his writing. Some months ago, I wrote this about photography:

“When I look at a photograph, I feel like I have a glimpse into how the photographer sees the world. That’s what I like about photographic images—it’s not the “prettiness” of a view—it’s the quality of the light, the slant of the sun, the place where the shadow meets the light.

And once in a while, I come across someone who sees the quiet spaces, the places where my heart stops to linger and to rest. A person who sees the extraordinary beauty in ordinary objects, and who appreciates the sacredness of it all.”

Thanks to everyone who entered. If you are so inclined, you can order your own mug here. And, as always, feel free to leave me a comment, or a stone (o), to let me know that you’ve stopped by.

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Ugly Mug Contenders

fromskilledhands — Sat, 15 May 2010 13:23:57 +0000

I’ve decided to extend the deadline for the Ugly Mug Contest, so you still have time to send me a photo of your ugly mug! Tacky mugs would work, too.

Send to: from skilled hands AT g mail DOT com (remove spaces)

You could win one of our favorite hand crafted mugs! The new deadline is Wednesday, May 19.

Here are our newest contenders:

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Send Me Your Mug Shot: A Contest

fromskilledhands — Thu, 13 May 2010 19:47:25 +0000

It has been said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. There is no question that most mugs are functional: they hold the liquid which has been placed inside. There are, it seems, other factors that make a mug “work.” The size and weight of the vessel, and the size, weight and position of the handle are important to the user. And then there are other factors. How has the piece been decorated? For me a question is: has it been made by hand?

Some mugs are beyond description—- and that, my friends, is why we are having an Ugly Mug Contest. Send me a photo of your ugly mug and I will enter your name in the contest. The prize? One of our favorite mugs! Send your photo to: from skilled hands AT g mail DOT com (remove spaces).

Here are some photos:

And here is the mug and the comment that inspired this contest:

Kris stated, “I didn’t send a picture last time because I *hate my mugs! I don’t have a one that I love. I can tell by the image above that the handles of those mugs are perfect – plenty of space for more than two fingers, which I like. Want me to send you a picture of the mug I use but don’t love??”

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Mug Shots Revisited

fromskilledhands — Tue, 11 May 2010 01:19:34 +0000

Kris stated, “I didn’t send a picture last time because I *hate my mugs! I don’t have a one that I love. I can tell by the image above that the handles of those mugs are perfect – plenty of space for more than two fingers, which I like. Want me to send you a picture of the mug I use but don’t love??”

When I thought about it, I figured that if a slipcover company can have an ugly couch contest, then I can have an ugly mug contest. So send me a photo of your ugliest mug (from which you drink . I will do another high tech drawing during which I will draw a name from a mug. The winner will receive one of our favorite mugs.

**The deadline for sending me the photo is May 15, at 11:59 PM DST. I will post the winner on Monday, May 17. Email to from skilled hands AT g mail DOT com (remove spaces.)

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Mug Shot Winner

fromskilledhands — Mon, 10 May 2010 04:41:42 +0000

The winner of one of our favorite mugs is Laura P. I know she loves her little brown mug, and I hope that she will love one of our favorite mugs, too. Check back tomorrow for a look at our next drawing, where, you, too, will have the opportunity to win!

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The Story of Touchstones

fromskilledhands — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 13:52:40 +0000

So now I will tell you the story of the Touchstones. It was just before 9/11. I had been holding a piece of porcelain in my hand, musing about it’s texture and how it felt. It was like a stone. I rolled it into a comfortable form, and picked up a tool that I use for carving the tiles. I began to write words on the stones. No thought, just action. I rubbed colorants into the carved areas, like I do with the tiles, and fired the pieces.

These little pieces were like those that people all over the world hold: worry stones, beads and stones, and the like. It seemed that in the business of daily life, we—-I—-often lose track of things that I need to remember. These little pieces of porcelain were touchstones—-reminders—–to pay attention. I carry them in my pocket, and as I handle them, they help me remember.

A year after 9/11, I was in the studio. A couple came in. They were from New York City. We started talking. They were planning on walking, with a group of bagpipers, at dawn, from Battery Park to the place we now know as Ground Zero. The woman wanted to buy a touchstone that had PEACE on it. I gave her a dozen and a half or so, and asked her to pass them on.

A week or so after that, I received an email from a man who had been given one. He wrote that he had been in his office near the Twin Towers on September 11, and that receiving a touchstone was a life affirming experience—a connection with others who cared.

I continue to make them, on and off, when the time seems right to me. We sell them at our gallery in the Village of Peninsula, and I give them away when it is what I need to do. And that, my friends, is the story of touchstones.

As always, feel free to leave a comment, or a stone (o), to let me know you’ve stopped by. If you choose to leave a comment, I will enter you in a drawing for a touchstone.

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Mug Shots: Send Me Yours. More Updates

fromskilledhands — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:30:09 +0000

Send me a shot of your favorite mug and I will enter you in a drawing for one of our favorite mugs. (from skilled hands AT Gmail DOT com). I will post the winner on Monday, July 27, 2009.

Here are some mug shots:

“This is one of my favourites – a Royal Alma mug by Staffordshire. I love anything English and stone or potteryware..”

Kat Mortensen

“They are big enough for two measured cups of coffee, keep the contents warm, and big enough to warm my hands in the winter (all three weeks of it!). They tend to be the favorite mugs of all the younger folks that come for coffee because of their size.”

Patti Carter

“Though I have my favorites, any mug will just about do in the morning. This one was given to me by a friend when I resigned from the ICU. I miss Freddie and think about her when I pour a cup of coffee into this mug.”

Rudeek who works nights as a hospice nurse.

“Meredith’s Lake Catherine mug, which Mark brought her from Hot Springs, and my local Ashland Coffee and Tea mug Now, I feel like a cuppa coffee …”

Laura

“Here is my favorite mug.”

Mary

“Here is a picture of me with my favourite mug. Not sure how clearly it shows the glories of the mug itself, but it does show just how huge it is and that’s what I love about it most. It holds at least a pint of coffee which is what I need to get me going in the morning, sad but true! Not only does it hold a pint it keeps it hot too for as long, pretty much, as it takes me to drink it, which is a good forty minutes. It has no handle, and doesn’t need one, sitting perfectly in both hands as it does. Ideal for the Scottish climate: it’s a mug and hot water bottle in one! The glaze is a luminous cream with splendid green stripes all around it. Another thing I love about it is that it was hand-thrown by a particularly handsome potter who evidently loved his job. My fingers fit neatly in the ridges that his hands created and thus I feel comfortably connected to its origins.”

Eryl

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P Minus One

fromskilledhands — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 15:57:14 +0000

Signs of the python are all around: Larry has been getting his python ready for tomorrow’s parade; the Peninsula Art Academy’s artful python has emerged from it’s winter resting place. Our python has been enjoying being outside.

We are getting ready for the python scavenger hunt in the Gallery. If you can find them all, you win one! Lots of activities are planned in the Village tomorrow. Slither on over here to see.

While you’re in the Valley, wander on down the Towpath to Deep Lock Quarry. Hobo Days will be in full swing. It starts tonight with the Hobo Jungle Campfire, the official lighting of the hobo campfire. You can enjoy potlatch and hobohemia. Bring a can of soup for the hobo pot. Breakfast will be at 9:00a.m. tomorrow, and there will be activities all day. The election of the Deep Lock Quarry Hobo King and Queen will be at 3:00 p.m.. The campfire will be at 8:00p.m., and there will be more hobohemia Sunday, from 11:00a.m.-1:00pm. For more information, check out the MetroParks, serving Summit County website.

I talked toNaturalist Pat Rydquist (whose hobo name is Hummingbird) about Hobo Days. Thie is the 6th year of the event at Deep Lock Quarry. 30-40 hobos will camp in primitive campsites there. Hobos were really the first “leave no trace” campers. Number 8 of the Hobo Code of Ethics reads: “Always respect nature, do not leave garbage where you are jungling.“ For more information about the Code of Ethics, hobo terminology and hobo symbols, go here.

And don’t forget to send me your mug shot. You could win one of our favorite mugs.

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