Jay Jasper's Blog, page 80

The Alchemist’s Studio In a Nutshell

We are very excited to share a video with you that we’ve created as a short promotional piece to highlight our process and work! We have also added this video to the front page of our website

If you have a spare minute and change, you can see the video below, or better yet check us out on youtube and subscribe to our channel! I would love to hear your impressions and thoughts on this video!

Thanks for reading, and maybe watching!

Sign up for our newsletter to be entered to win your own raku vase (and more!)

– click here to find out how –

Do You Remember Looking At The Clouds As A Child, And All The Things You Would See?

This week our raku pottery vase will take you back to your early years, or maybe not so long ago.

When was the last time you looked up at the clouds and unleashed your imagination? My doing so this week inspired both the name and story for this week’s vase!

The Nephelai – $118
Free Shipping Included in US and Canada

Raku pottery vase ‘The Nephelai‘ tells the tale of these offspring of the Titans Oceanus and Tethys, who at first glance you may not see, but they definitely have a seat at the table. The water table that is!

They also don’t like Tori Amos very much. Look up at the sky some time and you may see, hopefully only a few, clouds.

Or so you think!

What you might be seeing are the white billowing robes of the mostly transparent, but beautiful Nephelai.

The Nephelai were the nymphs of the sky, and if you’ve ever forgotten your umbrella and then got wet on a rainy day, it’s their fault. For these nymphs were far more than just a pretty face.

They would spend their days collecting water in their cloudy pitchers, carrying them to the heavens. When all the pitchers were full, they would pour them from the heavens and nourish the earth with the water.

Talk about being prepared for a rainy day! Watch out Tori Amos! The next time you are bouncing off clouds you might hit one of the Nephelai and spill their jug.Maybe it’s Tori Amos’ fault when it rains?What did you think of this weeks raku pottery vase, ‘The Nephelai’ and their story? And what was the last thing your imagination let you see in the clouds?

You can check out more of our raku pottery vases (and their stories) here! If you would like your very own raku pottery vase, you can sign up for our newsletter, because we will be choosing a lucky subscriber for a pottery gift basket that includes one, which you can see here!

“All My Jewelry Has Stories” – Eva Green

Happy Friday!

Did you know that we make jewelry?

(and a lot of other stuff too actually! click here to see)

Yep! Each piece is individually made by hand here at The Alchemist’s StudioIntergalactic Yoda Pendant – $28
Yin Yang Pendant – $28
Medicine Wheel Necklace – $28 They make great gifts and shipping is included in the US and Canada!Raku Copper Blue Buddha – $25
What kind of jewelry do you like?

Much more is available over on our
newly updated jewelry page!

If you have questions about a particular piece of jewelry – or any of the work we do – please be sure to get in touch.

we hope your week has been kind to you and that you’ve been kind to yourself.

Born To Be Wise

And over it all, the butterflies swarmed, like a million yellow-pettalled flowers dancing on swirling winds.

~ Steven Erikson Yellow Owl – $75
Shipping Included In US and Canada
I just go with the flow, I follow the yellow brick road. I don’t know where it’s going to lead me, but I follow it.

~ Grace Jones

Click here to see more owls

I really enjoyed both of these quotes and just couldn’t pick! So here they both are! Which one do you find resonates more with you at this moment?

I See A Mug In Your Future

I predict you will be
seeing some new mugs soon!

Maybe there is one in your future? We are currently working on some tarot card inspired mugs.

As you can see, each mug will include a different tarot card and I am going to be prototyping several different glazes to accompany the tarot graphic.

One of the fascinating things about the tarot that I find of great interest

Is that the cards of the major arcana are symbolic of a person’s journey of life. Thus it makes sense that the fool starts it all off, representing our willingness to make mistakes – for that is how we learn.

Which tarot card would you be most interested in seeing on a mug? Let us know in the comments below!

You can also check out our other mugs here
if you are looking for a new warm beverage vessel.

On The Wheel Wednesday

Believe in love. Believe in magic.

Hell, believe in Santa Clause. Believe in others.

Believe in yourself. Believe in your dreams.

If you don’t, who will?

― Jon Bon Jovi.win your own raku vase (and more!)

– click here to find out how –

She Had Flower Power And Knew How To Party!

Our raku pottery vase

Flora’s Hope, celebrates a very special Roman goddess. Flora was not only the goddess of flowers and spring, but she was also the goddess of youth and her initiates really knew how to throw a great party!

Flora’s Hope
$120
Shipping Included In US and Canada
Speaking of great parties

Flora even had her own festival! Floralia was traditionally held between April 28th and May 3rd and typically included drinking, flower costumes, plays, mimes, and ended in a hunt and feast! This festival celebrated the renewal of life – which is something I would like to do more of – especially when I wake up each day!

What is a song that you would want to have played at a festival that celebrates life?

And what do you think of our raku pottery vase, ‘Flora’s Hope‘? Let me know in the comments below!

Have a great day!

Mugshot Monday

“Everybody should believe in something. I believe I’ll have another coffee.”

– unknown Mug 15 $3 8
Shipping Included in US and Canada

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.

win your own Mug (and more!)

– click here to find out how –

This Week At The Studio In Photos

Lilac blooming A vase made as part of managing anxiety during this most recent covid lock down.

This is day 25’s creation. You can see more here A wildflower found in the forest. Not sure of the name, any ideas? (Turns out it’s a Lady Slipper! Thank you commentors!) Helios came out from behind a cloud
$98
Shipping Included In US and Canada
Ferns openingThat’s been the week here.

How’s your week been?

He Thought He Was The Cock Of The Walk, But He Wasn’t

Our raku pottery vase this week

Is called ‘Helios‘ and tells the tale of a hard working sun god. Pulling his chariot across the sky he saw all. Unfortunately, he did not see what a bad idea it would be to make an enemy out of Aphrodite!

The story of ‘Helios’ is a cautionary tale to mind your own business or you might make an enemy, that when you mess with love, and in particular the goddess of love, hearts will be broken, explains why mortals should not get involved in the affairs of the gods, and why roosters crow when the sun rises. Spoiler alert – it has nothing to do with Colonel Saunders.

Helios
$98
Shipping Included In US and Canada
You would think a hard working sun god

Who is busy all day pulling the sun through the sky would not have much time for trouble, but you would be wrong. Sure, it must have been a lonely job working everyday all alone, making it difficult to develop deep friendships and relationships with other gods. But if you are Helios, always watching from the outside, you also see many things happening that others don’t, like the abduction of Persephone by Hades.

Aphrodite, goddess of love implored her husband Hephaestus to spend less time in his forge and more time with her. Her pleas fell on deaf ears, and to make matters worse he would often not shower after his long days working in the heat. She often wondered why she as such a beautiful goddess would be stuck with a sweaty, smelly workaholic.

Her marriage was not something that would deter her

From finding some solace in the arms of a more powerful god like Ares. Ares, god of war and Aphrodite were having a secret affair, but of course Helios saw them and could not resist sharing the news with Hephaestus, who caught them with an invisible net during their next rendezvous.

Aphrodite and Ares were not yet deterred from their hook-ups. So when Hephaestus told his wife he was going to be away for awhile, they seized the opportunity to meet. Ares did not want to get caught again, as Hephaestus was his brother and he did not want to strain family relationships even more, so he enlisted the help of a young mortal name Alectryon to stand guard.

Now most of you know

that mortals tend to fair quite poorly when they are tangled in the affairs of the gods – just ask poor Io.

Sure enough, Hephaestus caught the two lovers again. Poor Alectryon was turned into a rooster – which is why roosters crow when they see the sun coming up. Try not to think of that the next time you roast a chicken for dinner!

And the namesake of our vase would not get off lightly.

Aphrodite would create enchantments causing Helios to fall in love with a mortal princess. She also made sure that Helios’ previous lover found out about his new romantic entanglement. A story that would not end well and would be told another day.

What do you think of our latest raku vase, Helios and it’s story?

Let us know in the comments below. You can check out more of our raku pottery vases here, and if you would like to win a free raku pottery vase, you can find out here.

Have a great weekend! Stay safe!