Jay Jasper's Blog, page 66

This Week At The Studio In Photos

Preparing a Greek salad from the garden A series of jewelry we have been working on, much more work to go Our recent Nova Scotia provincial election included “The Battle of the Johns”

Spoiler: John won. The Lovers Mug – $48
Free Shipping Included In the US and Canada
A new apple from our McIntosh apple tree! VERY sour (but great for pie!)That’s been the week here.

How’s your week been?

For Lovers

~ A new series of mugs I have been working on ~

“The minute I heard my first love story, I started looking for you, not knowing how blind that was. Lovers don’t finally meet somewhere. They’re in each other all along.”  –RumiI am working on other mugs like this which are based on the tarot.

What do you think of this new mug series?

More mugs can be viewed here.

If you don’t see one for sale in the colour you like,
please contact us and we can work with you directly.

6 Tips to Self-Publish Your Book

So you want to self-publish a book?

As you may or may not know, I have self-published my first book. With that complete, I wanted to share with everyone embarking on the same adventure some tips and things I learned in the process.

Join me as I hop into my time machine to visit my past self with these tips and for the most random musical soundtrack for my journey. Some of these tips may seem obvious, but when you are smack dab in the middle of a major project it can be easy to lose your perspective.

Identify Your Audience & Purpose:

Maybe your book is finished or you are still working on it. You need to ask yourself a few questions. Why are you writing your book? Who will want to buy this book? And most importantly – how does your book benefit the reader?

Knowing this information will help inform your thinking in all of your planning. Whether you are writing a book for a niche audience or the mass market, you need to understand this information.

Channel pure energy into your book.Identify Your Projects Value:

You may be thinking you are writing your book just for you. And maybe you are, but if you want other people to buy it you need to know what value it brings to a potential reader’s life. It might be as simple as bringing beauty to their lives. Maybe it is to entertain, educate or inform? You are going to need to articulate this information succinctly and repeatedly if you want people to buy your book.

Some of the worst lip synching you will ever see! It’s a syn! (Extra points for that musical reference)Take the Time to Make a Project Outline:

Writing a book is a major undertaking. Many writers will create an outline for their book, which helps many immensely. I have news for you. You are going to need an outline for your adventure in self-publishing too. Be sure to include all critical milestones, deadlines you have, and any promotional opportunities you have identified. Make sure you have a clear timeline for your project and build in some extra time, because there is a good chance you will need it.

Keeping time on your side will reduce stress and prevent a mess.Money, Money, Money:

Unless you live in a rich man’s world and that rich man is you or a friend of yours you are going to need a budget for your project. Make sure you get a quote for the printing of your book and any services you may require to get the job done. Set up a full and comprehensive budget for your project that includes printing costs, design and layout costs, shipping and and any promotional costs you may have. Most important – figure out your profit margin so that you can calculate your break even point, which is where you start to make more money than you spend. This may help you identify your sales goals.

Las Vegas or Monaco? I will take Monaco for $500 Alex!Know When to Take Break:

Self-publishing can be full of challenges, particularly if you are new to it! You need to be on your game, which can be hard when you are mired down in deadlines and work. The more relaxed you are the better your work will be. There is a balance you will need to find between the place where you can do the most work effectively and staring at your computer screen struggling to lift your fingers and not break into sobbing. Find yours!

You will make better decisions if you take good care of yourself.Celebrate Milestones, But Keep on Keepin’ On!

So with any luck, your book is printed and copies are on there way to you and those first readers! Take a moment to pat yourself on the back. Remember it is not everyone who can write their own book and even fewer who can get it published. You should be proud! There is nothing like the feeling of holding your first self-published book in your hands. You can count on seeing a few things you may want to change in future printings, and that is okay.

Once you have cleaned up the confetti and recycled the champagne glasses, know it will be time to roll up your sleeves again. You will know need to promote your book and gain readers.

Promoting your book will take strength and fortitude, but it is an investment in yourself!

I hope you enjoyed this post and found it helpful. Feel free to ask any questions in the comments below and I will answer. If you are interested in learning more about my journey as an artist and things I have learned along the way, you can subscribe to my newsletter here.

And since I need to follow my own advice, here is where I add a shameless plug for my own book!

Printed copies of my book are ready for order on my website as well, and you can get your copy here!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Breakfast Was Late But I Was Reallllllly Hungry . . . So I Ate The Universe!

I have a confession to make. 

I like eggs.  Scrambled, fried, eggs benedict and even the cosmic egg!  Maybe you have figured out what I had for breakfast!  You might be wondering what a cosmic egg is? 

The Brahmanda
Available – $138
Shipping Included In US and Canada

Click here to see more paintings like the one in the background of this photoThe cosmic egg

Or world egg is a common mythological component of many cultures and is usually involved in a creation story.  “The Brahmanda” is the name of this raku pottery vase.  The Sanskrit term Brahmanda is derived from two words – ‘Brahma’, the Hindu creator diety, and ‘anda’ which means egg.  Not only is the idea of a cosmic/world egg a part of Vedic mythology, it is common among many other cultures and civilizations like the Norse, Greeks, Phoenicians, and Egyptians and even among modern scientists.

Modern science has resurrected the concept of the cosmic egg.  Our version of this ancient myth is that all the mass of the universe was compressed into a gravitational singularity prior to the Big Bang.

I find that this vase has a very galactic feel to it, with it’s hues of blue and metallic, and textural components.  What story does this vase make you think of?  Or what does it remind you of? 

This vase, and many others, are featured in our first book
“A Potter’s Dream: Myths and Legends.”

You can see more of our vases here.

Summer Days, Drifting Away

“The sun, with all those planets revolving around it and dependent on it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as if it had nothing else in the universe to do.”

—Galileo Galilei Gooseberries, blueberries and raspberries from our gardenand An ornithological reminder of the
sweetness of summer Summerberry Owl – $75
Shipping Included In US and Canada
What is something you love about
the summer where you live?

Click here to see more owls

🤜 Thursday Throwdown August 2021 🤛

Welcome to this Month’s Battle Of The Vases!

It’s vase-to-vase combat like you have never seen before!

How it works: We share two vases and YOU vote which is your favourite! The winner will then move on to the next round to face another competitor!

Last time, Father of the Sea and Mother of Dragons battled to the death! Your vote has determined that

The Mother Of Dragons
is heading back to the cave! Mother of Dragons – $240
Shipping included in Canada and US
The Series so far Gorgeous Vases of No Contact Wrestling Vase Name

Gossip Girl
Phoenix Reborn
Pillar of Atlas
Evangeline
Ogopogo
Iris En Ciel
Original Twin
Kermit The Vase
Haring’s Dance
White Walker
Sobek’s Tears
Mount Olympus
Argus
Draupnir
Grandmother
Old Soul
Make It Work
Hope Rising In Springtime
The Eye Of Horus
The Eye of Balor
Electra
Mother of Dragons
Father of the Sea
Madame Pele’s Flow
Elysium
Flora’s Hope

Wins/Losses

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1/1
4/1
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A new pair is coming up this time! Draupnir– $74
Shipping included in Canada and US

‘Draupnir’ tells the tale of dwarven headhunters, a father’s love, the ultimate wealth multiplier, and a journey to hell and back. It’s about a gift, made in response to a wager, that almost cost a trickster his head.

Forged in fire, Draupnir was one of three gifts which also included the Mjollnir and the Gullinbursti. They were created by dwarves, Brokkr and Sindri, as part of a wager with Loki. Loki made a bet that they could not make better gifts than the Sons of Ivaldi.

Loki must have lost his head, betting against the brothers. He was very wrong, and this was no small wager.

The dwarven brothers may have won the contest because of the Mjollnir (Thor’s Hammer), but the Draupnir was literally worth it’s weight in gold – actually eight times it’s weight in gold!

It was time for Loki to pay up and he had wagered his head. But as usual Loki had a trick up his sleeve. He argued that in order for the brothers to take his head they would need to injure his neck and that wasn’t part of the bargain.

The dwarves discussed, and settled for sewing his lips together with wire.

Perhaps just to shut him up.

‘Draupnir’, old Norse for The Dripper, was no slouch of a gift. It was a golden arm ring with a special ability: every nine days it would drip out eight new arm rings of the same weight and quality of gold!

Move over Michael Bloomberg, that’s quite a return on investment!

This arm ring would become a prized possession of Odin’s, but in the ultimate act of a father’s love Odin placed it on the funeral pyre of his son Baldr.

But the rings story does not end here.

In the land of death, Baldr would give the ring to the messenger god Hermodr, who would ultimately return it to Odin.

A circular journey to Hell and back rings true for ‘Draupnir‘ – but if you buy this vase, please don’t return it to me.

It’ll be yours. I insist.

Iris En Ciel – $80
Shipping included in Canada and US

‘Iris en Ciel’, tells the tale of sisters on opposite sides of a war, loyalty to the gods, travel by rainbow, and a goddess with a sweet tooth who was a messenger that would give the postal service a run for their money while bringing your prayers to the gods.

Fraternal twins Iris and her sister Arke, would both born to be messengers to the gods, but would have very different fates. Iris would remain loyal to the Olympian gods. Her sister Arke would choose to get mixed up with the wrong crowd. She would become messenger for the Titans in what would be their losing war against the gods of Olympus.

This mistake would cost Arke her wings and earn her ticket to the Titan prison known as Tartarus. Tartarus was a deep dark dungeon in the underworld. Not a very nice place, but she got off lightly compared to another Titan whose story we have told.

Iris, however, would not waver in her loyalty to the Olympian gods. She would remain their messenger. It was thought that she had a rainbow coat and used it to create rainbows to travel from place to place. In between what must have been her exhaustive duties as messenger for the rather high maintenance gods of Olympus, Iris would still find time for her other duties. Clearly the winged goddess knew the plight of a working woman!

Iris also helped humans connect with the gods. She assisted by bringing people’s prayers to the gods, and sometimes even intervening herself on someone’s behalf to their benefit.

Those in the know were aware that Iris had a sweet tooth. She really loved date squares, and those who were wise to this morsel of information would leave her a sweet honey cake. Have a prayer you want answered?

Better get baking!

Who will be your victor? Be sure to get your vote by adding it in a comment BELOW! Their fate is now in your hands!We will share the winner (and update from last Time) next month

See even more raku vases.

win your own raku vase (and more!)

– click here to find out how –

Snake Oil Salesmen Everywhere Hate Him!

It’s been said, it’s not easy being green.

It’s also not easy being a legendary dark ages saint. Raku vase ‘Scattering Snakes‘ tells the tale of St. Patrick and much slithering, or so the story goes!

$64
Shipping Included in Canada and US
It was not easy for St. Patrick, being a missionary on the Emerald Isle.

He had been beaten, imprisoned and even captured by pirates before becoming a much loved religious patriarch of folklore.

His followers and public relations machine had to work over time to carefully craft his image. It’s no wonder that they would choose to start the story that St. Patrick banished all the snakes from Ireland, as the snake was thought to represent the devil himself, ready to tempt people into ungodly acts – like dying beer green!

Unfortunately for St. Patrick and his followers, it is now known there haven’t been snakes in Ireland since the last Ice Age.

I guess those who made up this tale learned to sell snake oil without any snakes.

Nice story though!

On The Wheel Wednesday

“Meep Meep Meep, Meep Meep Meep Meep, Meep Meep Meep.” – Beaker from MuppetsWhat piece of wisdom do you think Beaker was sharing today? Have a great Wednesday!

Interested in a raku vase but not sure where to start? Try this

Creating Across Time

Enjoyed An evening making jewelry And Inspired to create a series These may be individual jewelry pieces or perhaps assembled into a mobile (with more pieces yet to be created)

What do you think?

Mugshot Monday

“Such a magnificent sky, White Currants from the Alchemist’s Studio gardensand it’s nothing but white paper!” Mug 18 $35

Shipping Included in US and Canada Pierre-Auguste Renoir, French Impressionist painter, 1841-1919

More mugs can be viewed here.

If you don’t see one for sale in the colour you like,
please contact us and we can work with you directly.