Sabine Brunner

Holiday Sale at the Berkeley Potters Guild

2011-11-22T10:20:00.001-08:00

Hello,
it is almost Turkey Day and that means it is almost Christmas. Time for some shopping...
Come and join me at the Berkeley Potters Guild Annual Holiday Sale.

November 26 & 27, December 3 & 4, 10 & 11 and 18 - 24.

11 A.M. to 5 P.M.

731 Jones Street x 4th Street, Berkeley, California

www.berkeleypotters.com

I created lots of new work, Children's cups and bowls, Tea Sets for children...

I hope to see you there.

Happy Thanksgiving,

Sabine

Birthday Cake

2011-11-03T10:10:00.000-07:00

Hello!

My friend Ursula made me a very special and artistic Birthday Cake and some beautiful and delicious cupcakes on Saturday.

Here are some photos. Everything was delicious and I am sad that it is gone!

Thank you Ursula! Love, Sabine

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-21T19:37:00.000-07:00

Hello,
today Luka and I went to a Pumpkin Patch in Clayton, California. I took some really nice pictures and wanted to share this one with you.
Have a nice weekend, Sabine

2011-10-20T10:50:00.000-07:00

Hello,
I have been busy making new things in my studio. I felt that it was time for some new work and I am excited to show you when it is done. Right now everything is being painted and glazed.

This is what I found yesterday. I know that it has been on the internet for a while but it is so true!

Have a nice day, Sabine

2011-09-12T10:55:00.000-07:00

Hello,

I created a new website and changed my blog.
Come and check it out! littlecup.com
It was time to update my website, take out the beads and show you my new fabric creations. I started sewing last year and got hooked. It is so much fun!

I am working on new ideas for my ceramics and I am making pieces out of fabric which will match my ceramics...I am not saying any more...

My next step is to update my Etsy site and add new items. I will let you know as soon as I am ready.
Have a great week, Sabine

Such a long time!

2011-08-10T10:58:00.001-07:00

Hello,

it has been such a long time since I posted something. I have started to work in my studio again and it feels good. I noticed that motherhood definitely messes with your brain. I used the wrong color in some of my pieces and they came out dark blue (it was supposed to be light blue). I guess I have to get used to this!

Luka is 6 month now and he is so active now, he rolls over and enjoys watching our dogs.

We went to Southern Oregon for a week and we had a great time. I will try to post more these days... Sabine

Mega Baby Shower

2011-06-06T11:17:00.000-07:00

Hello Everybody,

I just wanted to share a new photo of Luka. He is 4 month now!

We had his big Baby Shower last week and our friend Ursula made him a beautiful cake. (Actually it was for us and not for him!!! yummy cheesecake!)

Luka got 3 Baby Showers and we have gotten so much support and tons of presents. Amazing!

It has been a very special experience and we are super happy parents!

I started going back into my studio and next time I will show you what I made.

Have a nice day, Sabine

Gallery Reception

2011-04-28T14:48:00.000-07:00

Hello!

Please come and join me and 20 other ceramic artists for our newly renovated gallery reception tomorrow (April 29) from 7-9 pm at the Berkeley Potters Guild.

We are having food, wine and live music.

Our annual Spring Seconds Sale starts on April 30/ May 1 from 10 am - 5 pm and continues May 7 and 8, June 4 - 5 and June 11 - 12.

I hope to see you there!

Sabine

Luka 11 weeks old

2011-04-18T17:02:00.000-07:00

Hello,
I promised to post a new photo of Luka. He is now 11 weeks old. I can't believe how much time fly's.

He is our biggest joy. He grew a lot and changed so much from being a newborn to a baby who is alert and smiles when he sees us. We are very happy and proud parents!

I love to create!

2011-04-08T12:32:00.001-07:00

Hello,
it has been a while since my last post. Our son is now 9 weeks old and I enjoy every moment of motherhood. Since I don't want to turn this into a baby blog I will tell you that I (actually Niki and her necklace) got featured at the "I love to create" facebook page from Duncan Ceramics. Go and check it out! http://www.facebook.com/lovetocreate

Next time I will post a new Photo of Luka...

Luka!

2011-03-06T12:14:00.000-08:00

Hello!
We are thrilled and very very happy! We have a son now! His name is Luka and he was born on February 1. We got a call on February 2 and went to the hospital to meet him. We instantly fell in love with him. We are so happy that we finally became parents!

This beautiful pillow was made by my friend Silke. As you can see Luka loves it. You can check her blog here!
Your happy Mami... Sabine

Spring Blossom

2011-02-23T16:07:00.000-08:00

Hello,
I know that I post a photo of a magnolia tree every year. I just can't believe how beautiful they are. They only bloom for a short time and are stunning. We had some really warm days here a while ago and some of the trees are starting to come out.

Have a nice day. Sabine

Happiness in Mendocino!

2011-01-31T17:30:00.000-08:00

Hello!
My husband and I took the weekend off and we went to Mendocino. We stayed at a really nice hotel called "Stanford Inn by the Sea". It is beautiful, the rooms are really nice with fire places and the food is all vegetarian/vegan. We had a great time! Mendocino is one of our favorite places to go to.The ocean is just beautiful up there!

New Year, New Ideas!

2011-01-16T12:09:00.000-08:00

Hello and Happy New Year!
I know it is already mid January but it is still okay to wish everybody a very Happy New Year!

I relaxed between Christmas and New Year and started to think about some new ideas.
I have been hooked on sewing and will venture into sewing baby accessories and combing ceramics with fabric. I am working on redesigning my website and coming up with new pieces to show you.

As soon as I am ready I will let you know...

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-24T13:16:00.000-08:00

I wanted to wish you all Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!
May next year be a very creative year!

Sabine

Bedroom Makeover

2010-12-14T10:14:00.000-08:00

Hello,
I have been itching to redo our bedroom. It was done 10 years ago and long overdue. When I watched the last Sex and the City movie I noticed Carrie Bradshaw's new apartment.

I loved the wall color. I found the name online (Benjamin Moore's Electric Blue) and 10 days later our new bedroom was finished. I love it very much!

Finished Quilt

2010-12-03T09:03:00.001-08:00

Hello,
I finally finished my Quilt. I took a beginning quilting class at Sew Now once a month and made this beautiful Quilt for us and our future baby. I am not sure now if I should hang it up on the wall or just use it as a blanket...Hard decision!

I wish you all a very nice weekend.
Sabine

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T11:23:00.000-08:00

Hello,
I just wanted to wish you Happy Thanksgiving and show you my new sewing project. I made these 3 coaster for our Holiday show which is coming up this weekend at the Berkeley Potters Guild. The coasters go with 3 special mugs. I will take a photo when everything is setup on Friday!

Sophia Maya

2010-11-09T16:34:00.000-08:00

Hello,
I wanted to say a couple more words about our failed match. We took a couple of days off and went on a road trip to Southern California. It was great that we did this and helped us to come over our sadness. We both (my husband and I) are doing better now. We still miss our baby girl but we are also very happy that we had her for a short time in our life. She showed us that we are ready to be parents and that it is so easy to fall in love with such a tiny, beautiful and innocent baby.

Before we had her I was very nervous about changing diapers, feeding her, rocking her back to sleep but we felt that it is not hard at all and that we loved staying up with her at night and watching her every second. Every moment was wonderful and she taught us a very special kind of love!

I wanted to share a photo of her with you and bring this to some kind of closure! Unfortunately I never got to take a photo without her hat because she had lots of black hair.

We wish her a very happy life and we know that we might never see her again but she will always be our "first child".

Heartbroken!

2010-10-31T16:11:00.000-07:00

Hello!

We are heartbroken! I have an update on our adoption story. We got matched 2 weeks ago and on Monday (10/25) we got a call from our adoption lawyer that we should rush to the hospital because the baby had been born. A little girl! We went there as fast as we could and when we got there we were taken to the nursery to see our baby. It was a miracle and a very special moment! The baby was a healthy little girl 7.8 pounds with lots of black hair. She was beautiful! We loved her from the first moment on.
The birthmom is from Guatemala and she didn't want to see the baby at all. We took care of her and I stayed at the hospital all night long and fed her and changed her diapers. We really bonded.
We met the birthmother once and since she didn't speak English we didn't really talk a lot but we felt a strong connection to her.
The next day (Tuesday) we were released from the hospital and went home with our baby. We gave her the name Sophia Maya. Our attorney told us on the way home that we should remember that not all the paperwork is singed and we are just "babysitting". We ignored that advice completely!

Then at home we had the most wonderful 3 days with her. My husband said that it felt like Christmas every day. We were in heaven! Even not sleeping though the night and walking with her all night long through our house was a joy!

Unfortunately and that is were the broken heart comes from, we got a call on Thursday afternoon (right after we came back from our first visit to the pediatrician), that our birthmother changed her mind and we had to give the baby back. We were both in shock!
We had to drive to San Francisco and bring her back while crying all the time.
We have been crying for 2 days straight but now (Sunday) we slowly see the light at the end of the tunnel.

We know that we have to move forward and that our goal is to have a baby and become parents because that is what we learned from this experience. It was such a special feeling being a mom and dad that we will work on our dream to make it come through!!!

Brother Innov-Is 1200

2010-10-07T11:01:00.000-07:00

Hello,
long time no see...
I have been busy with lots of teaching and working in my studio.

I treated myself to a very nice sewing machine. (I think I deserved it after teaching all summer long...) I bought the Brother Innov-Is 1200 (used). It is a sewing and embroidery machine and I love it very much. It is so much fun even sewing a straight stitch. I am working on a quilt right now and have lots of ideas in my head...maybe some ornaments for christmas...

I also started playing around with the embroidery unit and this is a photo of what I made.

The design is from Germany from a website called Huups! They have really nice embroidery files. I will start to embroider some T-Shirts and Sweatshirts...
Have a good day, Sabine

US Citizenship

2010-09-13T10:39:00.000-07:00

Hello!
We became US Citizens on Thursday September 9, 2010. It was a very nice Oath Ceremony in San Francisco and we are very proud and happy!!!

My Cat Kevin!

2010-09-01T18:15:00.000-07:00

Hello!
I published my first book!
"My Cat Kevin" is a story of a little cat who likes to be wild. All the illustrations in this book are made out of clay. Kevin, my cat inspired me to tell this story. If you would like to order a copy of my book, it is available at Lulu.com.

Sadly Kevin passed away 2 weeks ago and this book is dedicated to him. He was 17 years old and I brought him with me from Germany. He was a very special cat and I miss him very much!

Seconds Sale

2010-08-26T07:54:00.000-07:00

Hello,
I am doing the Second Sale this weekend.
Come and join me for the
ACCI Gallery's Annual August Seconds
and Clearance Sale.

Thursday - Sunday, August 26 - 29, 2010
11am-6pm Thurs-Sat, 12-5pm Sunday
1652 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, CA 94709

Baby's Room

2010-07-25T13:09:00.000-07:00

Hello!
I know you might be confused since this blog was about beads and ceramics, but my focus shifted a little these days. Since we are in the process of adopting, it is hard to stay focused on ceramics. But my goal is to start working on some new projects in August, I have some good ideas.
For now I wanted to share some photos with you from our newly finished Baby's room/ Guestroom. We got most of our items from our friends Stella and Steven.

I think it turned out nice for the beginning and I can't wait for our baby to arrive!
We also finished our adoption website: sabineandstephan.com. Go and check it out!

Pillows!

2010-07-03T11:10:00.000-07:00

Hello,
I haven't been blogging for a while. It has been very busy here. I am teaching summer camps and that is going well and is a lot of fun.

Our Adoption Process is going well. We finished our home study and our "Dear Birthmother" letter which you can read on our Attorneys website - Adams and Romer.
I bought a stroller and some supplies and we are ready...
I also made some pillows for the baby's room and now I am working on a Quilt.

I guess my focus shifted a little from ceramics to baby related things...and sewing but I am still doing ceramics and will have a show next weekend. I will tell you more about the show next week.
Have a nice weekend. Sabine

Adoption Mugs

2010-05-21T08:57:00.000-07:00

Hello,
I told you about some special mugs I was working on a while ago. They are finished and I am ready to tell you more about this project. We are in the process of adopting a child. To help us raise some money to pay for the adoption, I made some limited edition mugs. Even though we are not sure who he/she is yet, we can't wait to become parents. There are so many children in the world who need a loving home and so many parents who long for a child. If you would like to buy a mug follow this link to etsy. I will add and update more mugs all the time.
Tomorrow I will start my new series about the adoption process.

Thank you very much for supporting us! Sabine

Big Spring Sale

2010-04-27T08:47:00.000-07:00

I am having a Spring Sale at the Berkeley Potters Guild, May 1 & 2 and 8 & 9.

I am looking forward seeing you there... Sabine

Special Mugs

2010-04-12T08:30:00.000-07:00

I am working on special project. I am making mugs lots of them, my goal is to make 100 of them. So far I made 30 mugs in a week and I will tell you more about my plans with them as soon as they are ready to be sold. They are for a special fundraiser...
More later...

Have a good week, Sabine

Happy Easter!

2010-04-03T23:34:00.000-07:00

These beautiful cupcakes were made by our friend and neighbor Ursula. They look so nice that I couldn't eat them yet...Maybe tomorrow!!!
Happy Easter, Sabine

I am back from Mexico!

2010-04-01T20:08:00.000-07:00

I hope it is...so far it has been pretty cold and rainy here in Northern California and I miss a warm sunny spring...

El Tuito

2010-03-23T08:47:00.000-07:00

Our trip to Puerto Vallarta is coming to an end. We met a ceramic artist (Patricia Gawle) here in town who has a gallery in PV and she offers trips to a little town inland called El Tuito. On the way we went to the Botanical Garden and that was beautiful. In El Tuito we met another potter his name is Luis with whom she is working together.

He showed us his some of his work and his kiln.

We took the bus back and I have to say it was a beautiful and interesting day.

Mexico!

2010-03-18T09:44:00.000-07:00

Ola!
We are in Mexico for 10 days, relaxing and enjoying the sun.

Yesterday we took the bus to Sayulita. We love taking the bus and it always feels like an adventure! We are staying in Puerto Vallarta at our friends apartment. This is the view from our balcony! I wish you all a very relaxing and wonderful day, Sabine

Sewing in Pink

2010-03-10T12:30:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned before, I am hooked on sewing. I took some classes recently and it is so hard every time to wait for my next class again. I started looking at different sewing machines and my heart was set on the Bernina aurora 440 QE which is totally out of my budget. Remember I can't really sew right now since I am a total beginner. My husband suggested to buy an old/ vintage machine that would get me all set up for now and I can start to practice. We found this beautiful machine on craigslist.
It is a 1950 Atlas machine and works great. And someday I will get my dream machine the Bernina...

Crazy about sewing

2010-03-04T10:54:00.000-08:00

Hello,
I have discovered the sewing machine. I took a beginners workshop last week and now I am hooked. It is so much fun! I am thinking about buying myself a sewing/embroidery sewing machine sometime in the future and start combining clay and fabric.
For now I can always go to SEW NOW our local sewing studio and use the machines they have.
I also learned about all the different embroidery features the sewing machines offer. Wow!

Blossoms

2010-02-25T08:15:00.001-08:00

I jut wanted to share these beautiful blossoms with you. They are in front of our house. They remind me of the Cherry Blossom season in Japan...

I love Japan... it is so inspiring and beautiful!!!

Max Raabe

2010-02-21T14:11:00.000-08:00

We went to see Max Raabe yesterday at the Paramount Theatre in Oakland. It was a super great concert! If you are not familiar with him, he is a German singer and band leader of the Palast Orchester. He and his orchestra specialize in recreating the sound of German dance and film music of the 1920s and 1930. We had a great night and if you have a chance to see/hear him, it is a treat!

Special Necklaces

2010-02-16T10:52:00.000-08:00

Hello!
I made 2 new one-of-a-kind necklace for my husband. He wanted to have a special necklace for a long time and finally I finished them for him. He loves them and is wearing one of them toady!

I wish you all a very nice week. Sabine

Back from Tucson!

2010-02-13T11:56:00.000-08:00

Hello,
I am back from Tucson (actually I am back for a couple of days) but I was too exhausted to write something in my blog. The Tucson Bead Show was not really good for me. I had one big sale from a gallery in Taos, NM which was great. But the rest of the show was poorly, mostly people browsing... and I have to say there weren't a lot of people at all. This is always a big disappointment (since the cost of traveling and staying in a hotel is pretty high). I now know that I will stick to shows which are close to my home and I don't have to pay for hotels etc...

I wish you all a very nice weekend. Sabine

Off to Tucson!

2010-02-05T10:31:00.000-08:00

Hello,
I am leaving today to go to Tucson Arizona to do the Tuscon Bead Show. I hope it is going to be a good show!!! This is my first time and I am a little nervous! I made some new beads and necklaces for the show.

I will keep you posted! Sabine

Ladybugs...

2010-02-02T17:19:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to show you a new bead. I am trying to get ready for the Tuscon Bead Show. If you are in the area, come by and say Hello!

Working on new necklaces

2010-01-28T15:56:00.000-08:00

Hello,
I am working on some new necklaces. I am adding seed beads to my pendants and I have to say it looks good. I am also working on some other designs....coming soon....

New Charms from Germany

2010-01-23T12:30:00.001-08:00

I placed an order on DaWanda for lots of different charms. If you don't know Dawanda it is a little like Etsy with different sellers and handmade items. I had everything shipped to my dad (who lives in Germany) and he mailed me all the little pieces. It is always so exciting getting a package!!!
I have some great new ideas and will incorporate them. This photo only shows "the tip of the iceberg"...

There is a lot more....
Have a great weekend! Sabine

Double Rainbow

2010-01-19T16:35:00.000-08:00

Here in Northern California we don't have a lot of thunderstorms. But there was one a little while ago and after it was gone, I looked out of the window and there was a Double Rainbow!!!
Very beautiful!

Sterling Silver Clasps

2010-01-18T12:04:00.000-08:00

I ordered some sterling silver clasps from Artbeads. When I saw them on Lorelei's blog, I really fell in love with them and had to have them!!!
They are beautiful and I am looking forward using them with my new necklace designs...which are coming soon!!!

Posted new items

2010-01-15T15:45:00.000-08:00

Hi,
I posted some new items on etsy...

Have a nice weekend. Sabine

Back in my studio!

2010-01-11T17:42:00.000-08:00

I am back in my studio with lots of new ideas. It is so difficult to start after taking a break for a couple of weeks, but I got back into the groove and I am looking forward to the finished pieces...

Silver Parrot

2010-01-08T22:23:00.001-08:00

Hello,
I just wanted you to see my pendant which is featured on the blog of
Silver Parrot. Go and check it out! http://silverparrotdesigns.blogspot.com/

Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T11:56:00.000-08:00

I wish you all a very Happy, Healthy and Creative New Year!!!

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-23T12:23:00.001-08:00

I wish you all Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Frohe Weihnachten!!!

New Addition!

2009-12-15T16:52:00.000-08:00

Hello!
We have a new addition to our "crazy" household. We adopted Niki's brother.
His name is Javi and we got him from our friends who had 4 chihuahuas (now they have 3 left) and a baby.

He is a beautiful and very sweet and funny chihuahua. We got him right before Thanksgiving and for the first couple of days we all had to get used to each other...
We now have 3 dogs and a cat and I have to say that is IT . You should see me walk the 3 dogs. It is hilarious!
Have a great day, Sabine

Holiday Buy Night!

2009-12-09T10:27:00.000-08:00

Hi!
I wanted to invite you to come to the Oakland's Holiday Buy Night.

Oakland's Holiday Shopping Mall-Ternative
Over 100 Artists & Vendors

Dec 10th and 11th, 2009
5:00-10:00pm
Inside Jack London Market
55 Harrison @ Water St.

Hope to see you!!! Sabine

Holiday Shows!

2009-12-02T13:04:00.000-08:00

Hello!
I haven't been posting anything in a while.

The Holiday shows are keeping me pretty busy. (These are my new cat sculptures...)
Our annual Holiday Sale at the Berkeley Potters Guild started last weekend and it has been a little slow. I hope that it will pick up in the next couple of weekends.

48 of the Bay Area's finest ceramic artists (including me) will gather to show their work this coming Friday December 4, from 5 -10 pm. Pleases join us for the first ever CAB+ (Ceramic Arts of Berkeley) Holiday Event. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Martin Luther King Jr. ceramics program.

CAB+ Holiday Event
Dec 4
5-10 pm
Leslie Ceramics
1212 San Pablo
Berkeley, CA

I hope to see you at some of the events!!! Sabine

Photos from BABE!

2009-11-17T10:42:00.000-08:00

Hello,
I am back from BABE! in Oakland.

It was a good show and I had fun showing my beads and pendants. I learned a lot and will be even better prepared for my next bead show. I signed up for the Tuscon Bead Show February 6-8, 2010. http://www.thetucsonbeadshow.com

I still need to unpack now...
Have a great day. Sabine

BABE

2009-11-12T13:29:00.000-08:00

Hello!
I am doing my first Bead show this coming weekend. If you are in the area, please come by and say Hello. I will post some photos next week of my table setup.

BABE - Bay Area Bead Extravaganza
Over 160 artists and exhibitors will be at BABE! this Saturday & Sunday, November 14-15, 2009 at the Oakland Marriott/Convention Center.

I hope to see you there!
Sabine

New Items in Etsy

2009-11-06T13:32:00.000-08:00

I added some new beads and pendants into my Etsy Store.

Come and check it out! - Etsy

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-27T18:08:00.000-07:00

We wish you all lots of fun on Halloween!!! Sabine & Niki

Saturday in the Studio!

2009-10-24T14:11:00.000-07:00

Hi!
I wanted to show you how a Saturday in my studio looks like....

I am working and they are just hanging around...

First Colors!

2009-10-16T12:39:00.000-07:00

Hello,
I took some photos of my new pendants and beads.

I am still experimenting with different color combination.

I am not completely happy with these and will work on some new colors in the next couple of days. I just wanted to show these to you.
There is more to come soon...

Ads in Magazines

2009-10-08T18:23:00.000-07:00

Hello!
I published an ad in the Stringing Magazine (Fall 2009) and in the Bead Style Magazine.

It is time to get my beads and pendants out there!!!

New Beads and Pendants

2009-09-30T09:46:00.000-07:00

Hello!
I got back into my studio and started working on some new ideas. I also started making new beads and pendants. They are not fired and glazed yet, but I will show you a photo when they are completely done.

Have a great day! Sabine

Swarovski

2009-09-17T10:46:00.000-07:00

Hello,
I am back from my trip and I have to say it is great to be home! I wanted to share the last trip we did while we were still in Germany. We stayed close to the Austrian border and decided on Tuesday last week to go to Swarovski in Austria. They have an exhibit called Kristallwelten - Crystal Fiction.

The entrance is very beautiful and looks great but I was a little disapointed from the inside.
The inside is created by Andre Heller a very famous Austrian multi-media artist. It has artworks from very famous artists inside. But still I was a little disappointed!

At the end you exit into the showroom and store and I was very surprised to see that the prices were really high, even for beads and other jewelry supplies which they also carried. But the showroom is beautiful and great to look around.

Now it is good to be home! Sabine

Bavaria

2009-09-08T00:08:00.000-07:00

Hello!
We have been in Bavaria for a week now staying with my husbands brother and his family. It is beautiful down here and the weather is nice and sunny.

My husband even bought a Lederhose and is wearing nothing else... he is wearing it California style with flip flops...

We are going home tomorrow and we are looking forward being home again. It has been too long and we miss our house, friends and our other dog Aiko and Kevin our cat.

Arrivederci Italy

2009-08-30T11:23:00.000-07:00

Arrivederci Via San Gallo!!!
We are leaving Florence - Italy tomorrow morning and are going to Germany to visit my husbands family. We had a great time here and will be back to check out more of Tuscany...

This is the entrance to our house where our apartment is/was...

The entry hall.... The house was once a palace but I have to say that the apartments are very basic...

I will tell you more from Germany... CIAO, Sabine

Italian Tubular Wire Mesh Ribbon

2009-08-26T04:46:00.000-07:00

You must have thought that my blog became all about traveling and being in Italy. It has not! I have been looking around for new ideas here in Italy. Unfortunately lots of stores are closed in August and I couldn't see as much as I liked. I finally found a store here in Florence which opened again Beaded Lily.

I bought some Menoni Italian Tubular Wire Mesh Ribbon there and I am looking forward exploring some new ideas at home.

Anniversary!

2009-08-24T10:50:00.000-07:00

Hello!
We had our 13th Wedding Anniversary yesterday.

Since we are still in Italy (Florence) we rented a scooter for the day and drove through the countryside all the way to San Gimignano which is approximately 60 km from Florence.
We had a blast!!! The Tuscan countryside is beautiful and riding a scooter is soooo much fun...

Rome

2009-08-22T11:37:00.000-07:00

Hello!
We just came back to Florence from Rome, Italy. Wow! what an incredible city. I have never been to Rome and it is breathtaking, amazing..... We only stayed for 2 nights but this is better than nothing at all. I know that we will be back.

The Colosseum of Rome… I couldn't take a closer picture because there were tons of people.

The Pantheon in Rome
The Pantheon is a magnificent ancient temple that was later converted into the church of Santa Maria ad Martyres. Dating from 125 AD, this is the most complete ancient building in Rome.

This picture shows me and Niki in front of the St. Peter's Basilica.

I have to say that I am not a very religious person (I was brought up Catholic and that is about it) but this was a very spiritual experience being inside the St. Peter's Basilica. I was very touched and it is the biggest and most amazing church I have ever seen.

Believe it or not - even Niki went inside St. Peter's Basilica and she was very sweet while being carried around.

Trevi Fountain at night.

I am tired now and will try to go to sleep soon. It is brutally hot here and there are lots of mosquito's. This is something not so great about being in Florence in August...But I am not complaining...

Ciao, Sabine

Piaggio Museum

2009-08-18T10:19:00.000-07:00

Today I went to the Piaggio Museum in Pontedera. It is located between Florence and Pisa.

I took the train from Florence. I have been a fan of Piaggio for a long time. I owned a Gilera once and later I had red Vespa 125 Px. Unfortunately I had to sell it before moving to California. Now since I am here in Italy, I am falling in love again with Vespa or the Piaggio Ape 50. It would be great to own one of them...

Venice

2009-08-14T04:52:00.000-07:00

We just came back to Florence from a 3 day trip to Venice. I love Venice, it is such a beautiful and breathtaking city. I have been to Venice a couple a of times already but it always feels new and exciting.

This time I also went to Murano. I have never been to Murano it was nice to check it out.

We stayed at the Lido Island in Venice and it felt really relaxing. The beach was right around the corner from our hotel. We had to take the boat to cross over to Venice, which is one of my favorite things to do.

Did I already mention that Niki is a big star here in Italy... Especially with all the kids....

Paper Mill - Cartiera Magnani

2009-08-09T11:57:00.000-07:00

We went to a paper mill - Cartiera Magnani in Pescia/Calamari. The mill is from 1404.
We were invited to visit the factory and had a beautiful day there. They treated us so well with a delicious lunch and a visit to the production area. It was a very nice and relaxing day.

This is the mill today...

We all needed a little SIESTA after a delicious lunch!!!

1st day in Florence!

2009-08-06T10:12:00.000-07:00

Hello!
I made it to Florence, Italy and it is great so far. I have been here before but that was 20 years ago and I can't remember a thing...
Yesterday we walked around the city and we had our first cappuccino...Yummy!!!

This is my husband Stephan with Niki.

Did I mention that I took my little dog with me. Niki - the world traveler!!! I am really pround of her because she took everything so well. The long flight and now all the people and the heat.

I bought a little bag for her and I carry her around whenever she gets frightened or nervous. That works out well.

Here are my first couple photos.

Duomo

Piazza della Signora

Ponte Vecchio

I will keep you posted.... Ciao, Sabine

New Necklaces

2009-07-26T11:52:00.000-07:00

I have been teaching summer camps all week long and I was always so tired in the evening that I couldn't blog or do anything else. Don't get me wrong I love to teach ceramics to kids but it is exhausting. I had 13 kids in my morning class and 11 in my afternoon class. But it is great to see all the wonderful pieces they make.

I wanted to show you these necklaces I made for my show in Palo Alto 2 weeks ago.

I have one more week to teach (only a morning class) and then I am going to Florence, Italy. I will blog from there and keep you posted on my adventures.

Camping

2009-07-21T19:15:00.000-07:00

We went camping over the weekend with friends. We went to Olema which is north of San Francisco surrounded by Point Reyes National Seashore. It is beautiful up there.
We had a great time and relaxed from all the stress at home.

I wanted to share these photos with you.

This is Niki the tiny Chihuahua.

And this is Aiko, a Small Muensterlaender Pointer.

Booth!

2009-07-14T08:22:00.000-07:00

I promised you that I would post some pictures from the Palo Alto Clay and Glass Festival last weekend. Here they are!

It was a beautiful show and normally it is a good show in terms of sales but this year it was very slow. But I had a good time talking to other artists and a lot of my people really liked my new jewelery line.

Have a good day! Sabine

Photos from my Garden

2009-07-10T21:42:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to share these two photos from my garden. The water lily is blooming and it is beautiful.

I am off to do my show now and will post some pictures next week.

Have a great weekend! Sabine

Palo Alto Clay and Glass Festival

2009-07-07T09:41:00.000-07:00

I am working to get ready for my show in Palo Alto, CA this coming weekend.

If you live in the Bay Area you should come to the Palo Alto Clay and Glass Festiva l this coming weekend. It is a beautiful show with 170 talented clay and glass artists. The show is from 10 am to 5 pm on Saturday July 11 and Sunday July 12.
I will post some photos here after the show.

Hope to see you there!!! Sabine

Signature

2009-07-02T07:46:00.000-07:00

I wanted to show you my new jewelry tags. They just arrived from Rio Grande. I had them custom made and will put them on my Necklaces and Bracelets.

I am so used to sign my ceramic artwork for a long time and I think it is important for people to know who the artists is which made the jewelry. What do you think?

New Items in Etsy

2009-06-23T16:48:00.000-07:00

I just listed some new items in my Etsy store. There are some one-of-a-kind pendants and beads.

Lorelei's Blog

2009-06-22T08:14:00.000-07:00

I am a follower of Lorelei's Blog and she recently ordered some beads from me. After receiving them she made some incredible beautiful bracelets.

She also wrote about me and my beads on her blog. Thank you Lorelei!

Go and check it out! http://lorelei1141.blogspot.com

Ad in Magazine

2009-06-19T19:55:00.000-07:00

I started to advertise in the Stringing Magazine to launch my bead business. I am now selling beads, charms and pendants.

Go and check it out...littlecup.com
Here you can see the ad as it is published in the magazine.

MOO Cards

2009-06-09T13:54:00.000-07:00

I got my new MOO cards last week and I love them.

I think they are so unique and the fact that you can choose 100 different images for 100 cards is amazing. Check it out! MOO.com

Working like Crazy!

2009-06-03T09:13:00.000-07:00

I am super busy and trying to get ready for the Open Studio and Spring Sale which starts this coming weekend.

I laid out all my pieces in the kitchen to see which pieces go together and what else I need to make. You should come by and check it out if you are in the area.
Pro Arts Open Studios at the Berkeley Potters Guild, June 6 & 7 and 13 & 14, 2009 from 10 am to 5 pm.

See you there!

New Designs

2009-05-26T10:41:00.000-07:00

Hello!

I am working hard on new designs for my necklaces, bracelets and earrings.

I made a lot of new beads and pendants and now it is time to start making them into jewelry pieces. I will keep you posted as soon as I can show you more (which will be next week, since I have to get ready for my Open Studio on June 6 & 7).

Back to work now!

Niki the Model!

2009-05-19T13:04:00.001-07:00

I took some photos of a new bracelet I made with Niki my little Chihuahua as model.
What do you think? Doesn't she look great!

I think I will use her more often and I am going to make some dog collars for small dogs and cats.

New Gallery in San Francisco

2009-05-14T09:31:00.000-07:00

I got accepted into a gallery in San Francisco yesterday. I am very happy about this. It is a really nice, modern, and beautiful gallery and I am proud being a part of this.

The gallery is called Artist Xchange. If you are in the area go and check it out and buy something...

Candy!

2009-05-05T18:45:00.000-07:00

I feel like a child in a candy store! I opened my kiln today and got all my beads out and this is always such an exciting time. When I put them all on a tray to carry them upstairs I felt like a candy maker and it feels great to look at all of them.

I will now photograph them all individually and put them on the web or make new jewelry pieces out of them.

Painting and Glazing

2009-05-04T18:37:00.000-07:00

I am painting a lot of new pieces right now. I try to get ready for my show at the Berkeley Potters Guild and I am in the middle of posting all my beads for sale on my website.
The kiln is firing right now and I will show you what came out of it tomorrow.

Till then, Sabine

Back from Oregon!

2009-04-28T10:39:00.000-07:00

I was gone to visit a good friend of mine over the weekend. She lives in Corvallis, Oregon.
I have to say that the people in Oregon are very nice and super friendly. The only thing which I didn't like is the weather. It reminds me too much of living in Germany. The sky was grey and you hardly saw the sun... Here are some images I took.

Now I am happy to be back in California and I am looking forward working on some new ceramic beads...

Beads and Pendants

2009-04-16T11:43:00.000-07:00

I am in the process of setting up my website to sell my handmade beads and pendants.
There will be selection of different beads, charms, small and medium pendants.

I will let you know as soon as they are available online.
Stay tuned...!
Sabine

Pink Bunny!

2009-04-08T18:56:00.000-07:00

Doesn't she look like a Pink Little Bunny?
Happy Easter, Sabine

Children's Artwork!

2009-04-02T10:58:00.000-07:00

I unloaded my kiln today from another class of teaching Kid's Ceramics and Sculpture. This time I had to take a picture and show you some of the pieces.

Every time I see some art work which really inspires me and is absolutely fabulous. I have to say that all the pieces are special but some simply stick out!
I hope you also enjoy what you see...

Back from Mexico!

2009-03-26T18:07:00.000-07:00

Hola!

I am back from a 5 day trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. This was my first time to Mexico and I really enjoyed it. Puerto Vallarta is such a nice town. I loved the weather, the people, and I went crazy with all the Arts and Crafts.

Street in PV.

Donkey enjoying a bath..

The view from our condo...

We had a beautiful romantic dinner at the beach. The restaurant is called La Palapa and I recommend going there...

I really had a hard time coming back!!!

Flower Pots

2009-03-15T18:14:00.000-07:00

Hello,
I finished some flower pots for a school auction this week. They came out great and I love them. I will make more in the next couple of weeks.

I hope you have a nice start into the week...
Sabine

White Elephant Sale

2009-03-09T10:27:00.000-07:00

I went to the White Elephant Sale in Oakland, CA yesterday. I highly recommend going there...

We love to go there and I mark my calendar every year. This way I won't forget because it is so much fun! You can find everything there and looking trough all the departments is amazing.

I always find lots of cookie cutters for my classes and come up with new ideas....

Ceramic Cat & Dog

2009-03-03T08:24:00.000-08:00

I wanted to show you 2 of my sculptural pieces which I made a while ago.

I got my inspiration from my own pets. I still think that they came out great!
I wish you a good day. Sabine

Ahhhh the sun is out

2009-02-27T17:33:00.000-08:00

This blog is mostly about art and art related topics but once in a while I will show you some pictures of my dogs and my cat. Today it was a nice sunny day here in Lafayette, CA.
Aiko and Niki (the chihuahua) found a tiny sunny spot in the living room and enjoyed the sun.

And later they really wanted to go out for a walk...

See you, Sabine

Who's your baby?

2009-02-23T16:57:00.000-08:00

I went over to the ACCI Gallery in Berkeley on Friday to sign up for the Annual Second Sale. While being there I checked out the recent exhibit: "Who's your baby? Contemporary Sculptural Dolls".

It is a beautiful and inspiring show and still going on till March 22, 2009. I will take my husband over there to see it too next weekend. Have a good week, Sabine

Artistic Luxury Exhibit

2009-02-16T09:23:00.000-08:00

I went to the Legion of Honor Museum in San Francisco yesterday. They have a new exhibit called Artistic Luxury: Fabergé, Tiffany, Lalique.

Wow what a beautiful exhibit! I have seen some Faberge Eggs before but I have never seen a collection of jewelry and decorative arts this large before. It is a MUST to visit... all the details and the craftsmanship...
I feel energized and got some inspiration. Have a great day!

The best ever Marketing Workshop

2009-02-09T10:25:00.000-08:00

It is Monday morning and I feel tired. But it is okay to feel this way since I took Alyson Stanfiled's workshop about Marketing over the weekend. Wow what a great workshop. I got so much information about how to promote myself and what steps to take online. My head is still spinning. If you have the opportunity taking one of her workshops don't hesitate, just do it.

I also bought her book and can't wait to read all the information but I need to process the two days first. Thank you Alyson!

Gallery Setup

2009-02-05T17:50:00.000-08:00

Today I had to set up my gallery space at the Berkeley Potters Guild. Our doors will open again this coming Saturday and then the Gallery will be open every Saturday from 12:00 - 5:00 pm.
If you are in the area you should come by and check it out.

Unfortunately the walls are all white and I think my work looks much better with a colored background. You can see another photo of my studio space below. I painted the walls red and it looks great with my work.

The Berkeley Potters Guild is a very special place with wonderful people. Here is a little about the story behind: It was founded in 1971 and is northern California's oldest and largest collective of professional ceramic artists. The renovated warehouse accommodates nineteen private studios.
Most members are production potters who create a wide variety of functional items. Others create one-of-a-kind sculptural pieces. Some work in traditional colors and forms influenced by an Asian aesthetic, while a few of our members make playful forms and decorate with intricate and colorful hand painted designs. The work reflects the broad spectrum of California contemporary ceramics.

While writing this I feel that I have to get back into my studio and make some new work.
Okay I will go now and start working.......... Sabine