By admin on March 30, 2012
I haven’t written a lot about pottery lately. There are so many things going on that make my heart ache. On October 18, 1999 my friend, classmate, and teammate Maggie Wardle was brutally murdered by her ex-boyfriend on the campus of Kalamazoo College. Even now, typing that sentence makes my eyes well with tears, but I am still a firm believer in finding the good out of a bad situation.
It has been long road. After the pain subsided somewhat, Maggie’s family started the Remembering Maggie Fund. The proceeds are used to help educate young men and women about the dangers and warning signs of relationship violence. Since the fund is under the umbrella of the Kalamazoo Community Foundation we have to raise a certain amount of money annually. This year we have to reach $25,000 by August 31, 2012 and we are already at $23,200!
This weekend Martha (Maggie’s mom), Rick (Maggie’s step dad), and I will be at selling Maggie’s Hat at Spring Into Wings Arts and Craft Show at Wings Stadium in Kalamazoo, MI. Maggie’s Hat is a knitted hat where each stitch has a meaning. The hat is a way to commemorate Maggie Wardle and to raise awareness and funds to stop further instances of relationship violence. If you want knit the hat, the pattern is here.
Martha, Rick, and I make the heart buttons that adorn the side of Maggie’s hat. Each button is handmade out of porcelain clay and displays a butterfly decal, the symbol of the Remembering Maggie Fund.
New this year are the hat and scarf combo. Now you may be thinking winter is over, but you must not be from Michigan. It will still get chilly in the evenings for months to come and why not show your support against relationship violence and remember Maggie. Below Martha is modeling Maggie’s Hat and Scarf.
We also haven’t forgotten about the little ones in your life. We also offer Maggie’s hat for babies and children too! This cutie is not included.
But Heidi, how much are these beautiful handmade creations? Good question! Adult Maggie’s Hat are $35, scarf/hat combos are $50, single scarves are $25, children/baby hats are $25, and headbands (not shown) are $15. If you have anymore questions feel free to contact me.
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Posted in Maggie Wardle, Maggie's Hat, porcelain, Remembering Maggie, Remembering Maggie Fund |
By admin on March 24, 2012
Throwing down is a way to fix a problem area in your pottery on the wheel. Throwdown is also a term used to describe a fight, which could also be an accurate description for working on the wheel! This past year has been a fight to grow my business and now you can see how I fight with clay.
Posted in Bella Joy Pottery, porcelain |
By admin on March 20, 2012
If you are not familiar with Trayvon Martin’s story I will sum it up briefly. Martin was a 17-year-old unarmed black male that was shot dead by a 28-year-old neighborhood-watch volunteer George Zimmerman on February 26, 2012. This is an oversimplified version, but you can Google Trayon Martin for all the details.
Martin’s story is heartbreaking on so many levels. For starters, Martin was unarmed. Two, Zimmerman should not have been captain of his neighborhood-watch due to his lack of training. Not to mention his previous charges of resisting arrest with violence and battery on a law enforcement officer, that were later dropped. Three, charges have not been brought against Zimmerman for his murder of Martin!
My father was born in Springfield, IL, the birthplace of Lincoln. I’m not sure if it is that commonality that makes him fascinated by Lincoln and the Civil War or just plain intrigue. But the man loves Lincoln and reading about the Civil War. As a child our family vacations revolved around Civil War battle fields, particularly Gettysburg. Last month I was in Philadelphia and Baltimore for two wholesale shows and was accompanied by my father. So when my dad read me a passage from Carl Sandburg’s biography of Lincoln it was par for the course. The passage my father picked was about the state of slavery and the monetary value of slaves. We talked about our ancestors that were slave owners and how my grandmother told my father he was not allowed to EVER use the “n” word.
My father has always talked to me about “the curse of slavery.” As a young adult I shrugged it off, but as I aged I realized he was right. It really hit home at the Pennsylvania and Baltimore Convention Centers: most of the artists were white, most of the buyers were also white, but most of the convention center workers were black. It’s the curse of slavery that keeps blacks down. It’s the curse of slavery that makes black parents give talks to their children about how to act in public or around cops. It’s the curse of slavery that makes my friend Maria (a black woman) afraid to drive down south. It’s the curse of slavery that is making a mess out of Trayvon Martin’s untimely death.
Last week I finished rereading my favorite book To Kill A Mockingbird. My grandfather was the spitting image of Gregory Peck, while my own father’s philosophies are similar to Atticus Finch. Is it time for American’s to reread this classic and ask how much have we really changed?
Posted in ideals |
We also haven’t forgotten about the little ones in your life. We also offer Maggie’s hat for babies and children too! This cutie is not included.
But Heidi, how much are these beautiful handmade creations? Good question! Adult Maggie’s Hat are $35, scarf/hat combos are $50, single scarves are $25, children/baby hats are $25, and headbands (not shown) are $15. If you have anymore questions feel free to contact me.
