This week we welcome the lovely Alice Hunt and her beautiful ceramic work! Alice is giving away a $20 voucher to use in her shop this week – see details at the end of the post!Where Do You Live?
I live on a beautiful small lake in Michigan.
Where Do You Do Your Work?
My studio is all over the house.  When I work in the clay I am usually in the laundry room.  The slab roller “lives†on top of the dryer and shelves of tools are on the walls above it. The kiln is in the garage, I paint the glazes and underglazes at the table in the sun room.  Inventory and beads are stored in one of the upstairs bedrooms and I work on the coffee table in front of the TV when I assemble necklaces and pendant cords.  Photographing inventory for Etsy and the computer work are both done in another upstairs bedroom.  Yes, my studio is all over the house.
What’s your favourite place in the world, and why?
Home is my favorite spot in the world. Â I love to look out at the sky and water and the gardens, all right outside my windows. Â I have traveled and seen lovely places, I have lived in many other houses and places, but everything I need and want is right here.
Tell us a little bit more about yourself! Your ‘day job’ or business, family, hobbies…
My main day job was being a mom. Â I loved staying home with my children. Â There was always something creative to do, Â decorating the home, Â whether it was interior decorating or decorating for the season or a holiday. Â Gardening was always something I enjoyed also and it became an obsession for a while when I began to tame the weeds and quack grass around my current house.
I have been involved in owning a couple of retail gift or gallery type shops for a few years each time.  People don’t realize what hard work that is.  It was fun, but much like being a parent it is a 24/7 responsibility.
I have also worked as a teacher assistant and substitute teacher, and that was part of the inspiration for starting the line of seasonal, holiday and cute pins and earrings. Â I wanted something nicer than the commercial and often plastic holiday and seasonal jewelry available when I wanted something cute to wear to an elementary school job.
What did you want to be ‘when you grew up’?
For as long as I can remember I always wanted to be a mom when I grew up. Â I also wanted to be an artist, Â the practical side of me chose teaching at the elementary level.
How did you first get into your craft/art?
I first got into making porcelain jewelry after many years of dabbling with painting flowers and landscapes.  Never satisfied with my work in that area I decided to take a class at the Kalamazoo Institute of Art in the clay department making holiday ornaments.  I decided I could use the techniques to make holiday  and seasonal pins and earrings for my teacher friends.
Later, Â people talked me into experimenting with buttons and that has led me into many new designs of a more contemporary nature.
I make jewelry and buttons in porcelain and stoneware clay.
What are you most proud of making?
What am I most proud of making? Â That is difficult to decide. Â When an idea really works it is very gratifying. Â Some of my exhibition necklaces have been the most challenging and fun. Â They are the most elaborate and creative things I make.
What do you like the most/least about selling your wares online?
The most surprising thing to me in selling my things online is the time it takes to process everything and get it up on the website. Â Taking the photos and editing them can be fun but with five photos of each item for Etsy, the minutes really add up.
The most fun part of selling online is when someone appreciates my work enough to buy it and then knowing it will make someone happy. Â I recently had my first international sale, a pair of earrings to someone in Tokyo Japan. Â That was exciting and I Â wrote a blog about it. Â After years of setting up booths at art fairs all over the state, it amazes me that I can get up in the morning and find that someone on the other side of the world has bought one of my things.
To sum up my work in one sentence, Â I would call them, Â Elegant little sculptures that are fun to wear.
Visit Alice Online!
Website: http://alicehuntstudio.com
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/alicehuntstudio
Alice is giving a $20 gift voucher to use in her shop this week – and she’ll pay the shipping, too! Open world-wide!
To Enter:
1. Visit Alice Hunt Studio and come back here leaving a comment about your favourite piece from the store.
2. For additional entries, leave a comment saying that you: followed or subscribed to Epheriell Designs (or already do); have twittered about the givewaway; have shared the giveaway with friends on Facebook, or; you have written a blog post about it.
3. Entries close next Friday, the 13th of August, at 12pm Australian EST.
The winner will be chosen via Random.org
Remember to leave me a way of contacting you.. and Good Luck!
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handmade bluebird earrings
I like the Handmade Porcelain Butterfly Pendant Necklace
frugalmdmom at comcast dot net
I absolutely adore the ‘Handmade Necklace Porcelain Beads and Butterfly with Earrings’ – what a stunning necklace!!