Arrrgh!
No, this is not the hangover from our moderately successful Florida Pirate Festival, it's my primal scream of frustration over my laptop deciding that since i was on vacation, it was taking one too!
Only, it seems that my motherboard is on a permanent vacation. Which it decided to take just as i was gearing up to do the mailing for our annual Holiday Open House.
So, until Apple mails back my G-4 with its THIRD new motherboard, this is the only place you can find the details about it.

Ahem.
Despite a stunning lack of publicity, we ARE having & inviting you to

our annual Holiday Open House.

We're setting up the Celtic Annex at Art of Fire in Laytonsville, MD on

Friday, Saturday & Sunday from 10 til 5 each day

November 30, December 1 & 2 and doing it all again December 7, 8 & 9

Dancing Pig is debuting our TWO (!) new lines of pottery, our Crows & my newest collaboration (w/ Jillian of Mydwynter Studios) our Ceilidh pots. Yah gotta come by & fondle the new pots with their cool carving & glazes!

GreenMan Leather is going to have new stuff to show off as well. Wooden sided bags perfect for protecting your cameras & laptops, Band Braces, Cigarette Cases, the list goes on.

Tuatha is going to be there as well, with everything else any Celt (or anyone with great taste) desires. There will be Stained Glass, Jewelery & great Holiday Greeting Cards.

And of course, just across the parking lot, there's Art of Fire, with their incredible glass & gift gallery.

If you can't find gifts for everyone on your shopping list, you need better friends!

Plus, there's the added bonus of our beautiful, serene, peaceful setting. All of this is happening far, far away from the craziness of suburban shopping mall hell.

You'll be finding gifts that come with a wonderful by-product: they're all handmade, by human beings, whose passion for their craft shines through in everything they do. It's integrity you just won't find at the mall. Plus, the parking is much, much better!

Come on out to the Open House & do ALL of your holiday shopping with us!
Directions to Art of Fire can be found on their website: http://www.artoffire.com/ or you can be old fashioned & call us for directions, special orders & other details.
You can reach Dancing Pig & GreenMan Leather at 304-377-1952
& Art of Fire at 301-253-6642.
remember, until my laptop comes back-- probably middle of next week, November 27 or 28, i'm without email, so call us if you need to talk!

See you the first two weekends in December!

Greetings from sunny Florida!
Dancing Pig Pottery & Greenman Leather are on the first leg of our southern winter tour. We just had an reasonable weekend at the Lady of the Lakes Renaissance Festival.
OK, it was better than reasonable, but for the first time ever, GreenMan Leather OUTSOLD Dancing Pig. By more than two to one!. While i'm grateful that Darrell's leather was there to make what otherwise would have been a disastrous show, moneywise at least, into a success, my pride hurts!
I'm trying to get over it. And i'm also uploading pictures from that show here, so the good people at the Florida Pirate Festival can see how wonderful we are & let us into their show which is happening two weekends from now.
We're all about the pirate thing, so we really want to be there. If you know anybody connected with the show, put in a good word for us, please and thanks.
Here's a link to their very cool site: Florida Pirate Festival
and here is a link to some pictures of our booth at Lady of the Lakes (and some extra pics thrown in for good measure): jury photos for Florida Pirate Fair
if you don't have enough time to see the whole album, here are a few of my favorites:

Finally, some pictures!

Heck, we've even got a whole album up here: Opening weekend of Maryland Renn Fest.

It's been a great show so far. So good, in fact, that i have to stay at home this weekend & make more pots. So, the Celtic Weekend is happening without me.
Good news for you, there is going to be lots and lots of Ceilidh pots & some Crow pots & lots of Pyrate pottery there.















So go get 'em while they're fresh from the kiln.
And have fun at the Maryland Renaissance Festival for me. Remember our unofficial motto:
"Have all the fun you want. We'll make more!"

Maryland Renaissance Festival.
It's happening. Now.
So stop reading this, get your garb on & get out here.
It's fun. You'll like it. No, strike that. You'll freeking love it.
Turkey Legs, Pottery, Men in kilts, Wenches in bodices, Great Pottery, Good music & improv, lots of fun people watching. oh, and did i mention- Great Pottery!
What?!
You're still here?

Get out of here!!!
and remember unoffical motto Dancing Pig, esp when we're at MDRenn Fest:
"We're all here cause we're not all there"

Seriously folks, come see us at the Festival. Buys some pots. You'll be glad you did.
Here's the link: Maryland Renaissance Festival

Remembering who i wanted to be

it's early July & once again i find my self with not enough time, not enough money & far too much anxiety about Pennsic, one of my favorite shows of the year.
I've been doing this show for twenty{mumblemumble} some years and i still haven't ever felt really ready for it. Guess it's true, some people never learn!
Still, every year i seem to live up to my ex-husband's observation that, to paraphrase:"every year you bitch about how you don't have any pottery ready and every year you then manage to pull an extra 20 boxes of pottery out of your arse in the last week before we go"
It's true, but it's also rather painful, the pulling it out at the last minute trick. Still and all, i guess it beats the alternative which i suppose would be not really having enough pottery ready for War.
{sigh}
and with that entirely predictable whine, i'm off to the studio to make some pots for Pennsic.
See you at War, or if not then, at the Maryland Renn Fest!
with love & exhausted, muddy hugs
~Va aka the mad potter wot posts at midnight