clay: christmas clearance sales

I am finally putting up some of my autumn and Christmas decorations (which I always buy at end-of-season-sales). However, the Epiphany is not until January 6th, and so I'm okay that I didn't decorate until after Christmas. One of these pears still needs an iron oxide decal, and my aim is to also make pomegranates with Speckled Buff clay (of which I just bought a bag) to go with these pears.

The day after Christmas, I found these mini-decor bottle brush trees for 50% off (just $3.50 and $4.50) at World Market after admiring my sister-in-law's numerous holiday trees. Therefore, I couldn't resist buying these two trees and resisted buying more--there were only 2 large trees left. Luckily, my husband didn't give me too much grief about acquiring more stuff. I try to be a minimalist as much as possible, but I still love my much taller artificial pencil tree and the tons of food and nautical ornaments to decorate it. These trees will continue to be future cuteness in my Christmas décor, and I'll continue separating out what is not most loved when I box up decorations after the holiday. I suppose next year I could flock and decorate them with tiny ceramic ornaments and fairy lights, but I rather like them unadorned as well and next year will surround them with pine cones and seashells.

I bought this snowflake carousel tealight candle probably 2 years ago on clearance at World Market, and so I must've just paid $5 for each; I had gotten a few for my brother's kids' families and am glad I kept one for myself. It’s so cute. I was surprised that World Market didn’t carry them this year, or at least I didn't see their usual array of spinning Santa and reindeer and angels tealight holders. Next year, I'll buy a bag of Frost porcelain clay and make a lot of delicate snowflake and star ornaments with silver and gold leaf inside the text. 

I’m chuffed that this wave candelabra is stable and that the candles appear to be upright. It'll be part of my holiday tablescape when I finish gold leafing my large and small Christmas white ceramic trees with star cut-outs. 

I went to the ceramics studio last night to refine a planter pot made of speckled buff for my sister-in-law's snake plant.                        

I also put a large starred Christmas tree on the greenware shelf, but am still wanting to make more for the holidays next year to gift and to sell. I could stop by Clay People and buy a bag of Frost porcelain if they have any left and make more trees and ornaments after I drop off Christmas presents at my brother's. Yeah that’s today’s plan. More clay action.