Ballantyne Magazine and a Teapot of Ours!

I'm sorry I have been too busy to post lately! I was excited to see Samantha's post about the article in Ballantyne Magazine that features pots of Seagrove including one of Bruce and Samanthas of  Bulldog Pottery and one of mine and Pam's, as well as some of our neighbors in Westmoore, Michael Mahan and Westmoore Pottery and one of Whynot. Thank you Ballantyne, and thank you Sam for pointing it out!

Pam and I do collaborations, similar to the one above, on teapots, she makes the teapot and I do the handles and lids in sterling silver, forged, stamped, formed. We've done these collaborations over the years and they have been  very successful and we appreciate all that have supported our efforts! It has been really a nice thing to be able to add my work to the teapots and I appreciate the magazine attributing the teapot to me, but it was a collaboration of both of us, not just me!! Credit must be given to all that deserve it!!

If I could turn pots like Pam, well wow. She is some thing and someone, so creative, smart, fun, interesting, and she is my BEST friend!! I feel so lucky to have my sister be my best friend, and to have someone like Pam be my sis! Life is good, very, very good!

It is cold here, very cold for this time of year and we have had snow-yippee!! Bring it on, but maybe wait till January. We have had the wood stove and fireplace going and the house has been very warm. Kitties in the morning like to stay close to the fire--this is less than 2 feet away from the fireplace. Chester has taken the pillow I made Bacchus, as his own, and Tasha has resisted leaving the heat to letting Rusty hang out above her. This is huge, she is a princess, but she is my princess!

Tis the season, be kind, be loving and make some changes and start the new year on a positive note!

Jugtown Pottery Holiday Kiln Opening - Dec. 4

Saturday, Dec 4 is the Jugtown Pottery Annual Kiln Opening. There are lots of beautiful pieces from wood and gas fired kilns. I will be working all week to create some new pieces and more of my birds on perches.

The museum opens at 7am with hot drinks and refreshments. People come early to get a number for the line, then peek in the windows to start their lists! Doors open at 8:30!

Later that afternoon from 3:30-5:30pm the NC Pottery Center will host the opening reception of Collectors Eye, Series I: Seven Perspectives.


So come early, there are several other holiday openings Saturday including Westmoore Pottery, Chris Luther Pottery, Bulldog Pottery, Avery Pottery and Tileworks and Thomas Pottery and end up at the NC Pottery Center. The exhibit looks great!

 Here are some images from the Jugtown web site.

NCPC Going, Going, Gone Auction

Coming right up, April 25! The annual fund raising auction for the NCPC (NC Pottery Center). Pam and I collaborated on a tea set that we are donating. This year the North Carolina Pottery Center is partnering with Leland Little Auction & Estate Sales, Ltd (LLAES). In addition to an outstanding selection of contemporary and vintage pottery, the auction will offer pottery related items, such as books, posters and photographs. These items will be available for viewing on three web sites www.auctionzip.com, www.ncpotterycenter.com and www.llauctions.com which will offer national exposure of the items, artists and the North Carolina Pottery Center. The new expanded preview period, which opens later this month, also provides an option facilitated by LLAES, Ltd., for absentee and advance telephone bidding for persons unable to attend the live auction. The doors open at 3:30 and the auction starts at 5pm. Come out and bid on some truly wonderful pieces and support a great museum!


then I made this:

Contest, but it is about you!

I have been focusing on my Facebook page too much lately, then decided to update my web page but my web host doesn't seem to be able to work with me, time to change hosting companies. I am switching from Frontpage to Dreamweaver, which I hated when I started doing the www.CelebrationofSeagrovePotters.com web site, then got used to, and then started really liking it so switched www.NCPotteryCenter.org over to it. NO problems! So let's think about my own site. Got it all set and ready to publish, doesn't work with Dreamweaver and what they gave me as specs. time to switch Hosting companies. Stay tuned and hopefully my web site will be changing somewhat and getting more up to date!


www.NCPotteryCenter.org will also be changing as I have been appointed to replace a former board member and so will be (hopefully!) going on the Board next weekend!! The NCPC is a great organization and I will be so happy to be adding what I can to their BOD. If you are not familiar with it, please visit the web site, come to Seagrove and visit the NCPC and see that it is truly a museum of great importance. We, in Seagrove, are so very lucky to have a museum of this caliber located in our little town of many pottery makers, and oh yes, Seagrove is the largest community of working potters in the US, so maybe it all is just fitting as it should be!



Celebration of Seagrove Potters was a great endeavor, took many hours each week and I have loved my involvement in implementing it. Time has come to let others take over and move on to other things! And one can spread one's self a bit too thin when one is volunteering time on something that one really likes doing! (Note to self, remember that!)

Now onto another topic that I just posted on my JLK Jewelry Facebook page. If you aren't a fan and are on Facebook please become a fan and a friend. Following is a post I just did on Facebook. I would love to see some comments here! I know that there are at least a couple of you reading this. And yes, marketing myself better must become a priority this year, well at least make the list this year!

OK JLK Jewelry fans, I'm thinking we ought to have a contest for a piece of jewelry. I'd like to build up the number of fans on my page, but those of you that are already fans ought to have at least 2 entries or more if you can bring in more fans in this contest. So tell me, is there something you'd like to see me do?

I know a lot of what I do is one of a kind... so give me some ideas on how we can do this....create a one of a kind to enter to win, you design it-I make it (this could be fun best design gets made and won-this could become a series!!!), I make something and post it. I am open to ideas so post them or email me at jennie@jlkjewelry.com, but I would sure like to get something going soon!!

I know a couple of people look at my blog, so please leave some comments or email me privately at jennie@jlkjewelry.com. I'd like to do this contest both here and on FB, but I want it to work for those that want to win something and that like my work. Plus this will help give me inspiration, and maybe get me past my leaf fetish.....more pix to come on that subject!!!

Two Weeks Left

Wow, the time flies by!! It is hard to believe after so much prep work all year the Celebration of Seagrove Potters AND the Jugtown Holiday Kiln Opening are past. I've just posted some new items on my web site. I had to cut off the special orders and will continue with what I have in inventory. And i need to think about some shopping myself. A fun task I must say!!

These are on my What's New to buy page should you be looking for a last minute gift. And for those that might want a miniature jug necklace there is just one left at Jugtown.

A Big Headed Turtle

The things we see around Jugtown. I was heading up to the shop this morning and saw this little guy by one of the kiln shelters. I got Trav to identify him and hold him for me. What a big head for such a little guy! Trav relocated him to the water garden as he was a long ways from water, given his size, though his speed through the grass was something. He is a very young snapping turtle. I looked but didn't see any other family members around.

Busy Weekend

It was a busy weekend at the Kiln Opening. People were lined up in the morning and throughout the day it stayed busy! After things calmed down mid morning Wes and I went over to David's. He had some gorgeous pieces! One of these days...... (know anyone that is looking for a house and land outside Winston??)

Nancy invited us to stay for kimchi stew with Karen and Dan. It was great and good for the bad cold I have been carrying around with me. Why don't I have my camera when I need it?!

This is the busiest time of the year for many of us. I have several orders for holiday gifts and am grateful for all of them! So thank you my loyal patrons! And I hope to post something fun here soon!!

Excitement at Jugtown!

It has been an exciting week here. Craft in America has been filming for their next segment. The crew is from all over and are a great bunch of people. They were here on Tuesday and again today. This afternoon they will be filming the unloading of the wood kiln that they filmed loading and firing on Tuesday.

I'm back in the studio working on pins and realizing that I have very little inventory and will have to work like mad to build up stock for the Celebration. Monday I'll get back at it full steam. Tomorrow Wes and I are getting married! The house is almost all done, just little projects and a LOT of cleaning! so lif is very exciting these days, and not just at Jugtown!