DORAN GODDESS PLANTER

DORAN GODDESS PLANTER

Full view of the Doran

I've been so busy this spring that I haven't had time to post my planter preview of available planters so I've decided to post just one. The Doran is special in that I used a beautiful crystal that sits among the clay leaves that adorn her crown. I hand sculpted her out of stoneware clay and she is 6”w by 6”deep x 11” high . I fired her to a high temperature in my kiln so that she can be placed outside all summer. She has a look of mystery upon her original hand sculpted face.

Close-up

I think she'd make a lovely mother's day gift and I can ship immediately so that she arrives on time. I have priced her at $76. plus shipping. I prefer using Paypal or checks. If you are interested, you can e-mail me and we can go from there.

The Doran

Some call her a witch because in her presence, miraculous events sometimes occur. She is known to be able to cure many illnesses with the ointments, teas, tinctures and potions she makes with her herbs. She spends hours cutting, removing seeds, shredding roots, turning, drying, crushing, steeping and distilling. She uses eyebright, pennyroyal, primrose, lovage, borage and comfrey. She carefully watches the seasons: She dies with the winter and rises with the spring. She is totally in tune with the harmonics of nature because she is able to see on luminous levels. She believes we are all in some way linked together; the birds, flowers, trees and plants and somehow are part of something much greater than we are able to comprehend. She is majestic, serence and at peace with herself and the universe that surrounds her..she is a doran…

Cheryl Dolby

View of Back

Thanks so much for viewing~ Cheryl

SHE-WOLF TALA BURNING BOWL

SHE-WOLF TALA

BURNING BOWL

Full Picture of Tala

Sold. Thank you Angie!

The name 'Tala,' is of Native American origin. It seemed an appropriate title for my latest burning bowl. For those of you who are new to my art blog, here is an explanation of what they are and how to use them.

Wolf Detail

Unity Church has a special ceremony each New Year’s Eve. A large bowl is placed at the altar and each member of the church is asked to write down problems or vices they wish to annihilate from their lives.. It could be a wish to quit smoking or drinking. It might be a desire to loose weight or to quit any of a number of addictions. Each person places their list into the bowl and at midnight, the bowl is lit. Everyone watches as the fire burns away all the troubles.

Back

I created a smaller, more personal bowl in my burning bowl series. This is the first offered this year. I used stoneware clay to sculpt her and a wolf emblem and feathers as embellishment. Her basin is stained glass, which I fired in the kiln. Tala is 4”w x 4”d x 8 ½” high and her price is $68.00. If you are interested in purchasing her, please e-mail me and we can go from there. I prefer using Paypal or I take checks. Thanks so much for viewing!

Close-Up of Stained Glass Base

OLERON BERRY TART AND SUNSHINE TEA VESSEL

OLERON BERRY TART AND SUNSHINE TEA VESSEL

Sunshine Tea Vessel with Oleron Berry Tart

After I finished reading Ruth Reichl's book, “Tender at the Bone”, I knew I wanted to try the Oleron berry tart she tells a story about. It's French and like most French cooking, it is melt- in- your- mouth delicious. I love the fact that any berry can be used in the tart. As a matter of fact, I only had one cup of raspberries instead of the 2 called for in the recipe so I substituted with 1 cup of blueberries.

Full Picture of Sunshine Tea Vessel

What better way to serve the tart than with a cup of tea shared with a friend. Of course, I had to use the latest tea vessel I created. I am calling her Sunshine because she brings a smile to my face when I gaze upon that golden antique mustard yellow and butterscotch shino I used for her glaze. I also added beads and a steampunk lid. Her face looks wise and mysterious yet full of light and happiness. She is 9” wide by 4 1/2” deep and 5 1/2” high and serves 2/2 large cups of tea.

Tart and Ice Cream

I have priced Sunshine at $89.00. If you would like to purchase, please e-mail me and we can go from there. I prefer to use Paypal or I accept checks. The best way to brew tea for vessel is to place cold water in another microwavable container. Heat water and then pour into vessel in which either tea bags or a tea strainer or tea ball has been placed. Place lid back on and allow to steep for 5 minutes or so. Serve. The lids are an integral part of the vessel. Be sure to hold the lid as you pour the tea. As in all my tea vessels, I have used lead free glazes.

Steampunk Lid

Oleron Berry Tart

Pastry:

1 ½ cups sifted flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 pound sweet butter

2 T. cream

1 egg yolk

Method:

Put flour and sugar into a bowl. Cut the butter into small squares and add to flour-sugar mixture. Toss with your fingers until butter is coated with flour and then rub until the mixture is coated with flour. Rub until the mixture resembles cornmeal.

Add cream to egg yolk and pour into flour mixture. Mix lightly with a fork until pastry holds together in a small ball. If not moist enough, add a T. or so of water to bring it together.

Sprinkle flour across a counter and place pastry on flour. Push the dough with the heel of your hand until it has all been worked through. Gather into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and let rest in fridge for 3 hours.

Remove and allow to warm for 10 minutes and sprinkle more flour onto the counter. Flatten ball into a disc and roll out into an 11” circle. Fit gently into an 8 or 9” tart pan with removable bottom. Press into pan gently, being careful not to stretch the dough; trim off edges and put into freezer for 10 minutes until firm.

Preheat oven 350. Line tart shell with aluminum foil and fill with dried beans. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and beans and cook 4-5 minutes more until golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool while making filling.

Filling:

3/4 cup blanched almonds

3/4 cup sugar

3 T. butter, softened

3 large egg yolks

1 t. vanilla extract

4 cups raspberries or other berries

Put almonds and 3 T. of the sugar in food processer and grind to a fine powder. Cream butter with remaining sugar. Add egg yolks stirring until smooth. Add ground almond-sugar mixture and vanilla extract. Spread almond crem into bottom of prebaked tart shell. Carefully cover the tart with 2 cups raspberries. Sprinkle with 2 t sugar, bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool for 2 hours. Just before serving, cover the top of tart with remaining 2 cups of berries. Serve with vanilla ice cream if desired.

You can cut the steps down by using one of the frozen pie crusts if you'd like. I use them often but decided to make the tart the original French way this time and it was delicious!

COOSAPONAKEESA NATIVE AMERICAN NECKLACE

COOSAPONAKEESA INDIAN NECKLACE

Coosaponakeesa

Try saying that 3 times! A few years back I designated the name to another one of my pieces and wrote a post about the life of this courageous Yamacraw Indian woman. My friend, Gene, her many times great grandson, certainly inherited some of her qualities. You can read the post about her life as well as a bit about Gene's here.

Detail

"Her name was Princess Coosaponakeesa (“flying white horse”). She was the niece of emperor/warrior Brim of the Creek nation. It was that relationship that gave her the title, “princess.” Born in the 1700's, she was married 5 times. One of her husbands was John Musgrove, and she took the English name Mary Musgrove. She was a Yamacraw Indian of the Musogean tribe and the Wind clan, and she learned to speak English as well as Creek. She was the only Yamacraw Indian who spoke English at that time.

Close-up

When military leader James Edward Oglethorpe landed in Savanna, Georgia in 1733, he selected her as the cultural liaison between Colonial Georgia and the Creek nation. For her services as an interpreter, she was given the islands of Sapelo, Ossabow, and St. Catherines near Savanna, Georgia in 1760. Later, the English took the land away from her and she became very upset. She was thrown in jail at Ft. Fredrica where she caused a lot of trouble. Eventually, she was reimbursed for the loss of her land with 2000 pounds sterling from the auction sale of Ossabow and Sapelo. She lived into her late 80's, an age that very few reached at that time.

I used various Native American embellishments and turquoise in creating Coosaponakeesa. The focal point is one of my original hand sculpted faces. She is 2 1/2" wide x 6" high and 23" from the neck to top of her face.

I have priced her at just $89. If you wish to purchase, please just e-mail me and we can go from there. I prefer Paypal or checks. If you'd like more views, please click my etsy shop. I can ship out immediately.

Thanks so much for viewing.

Cheryl