Gifts Under $25

We try to provide handcrafted items in all price ranges.  Here's some ideas of items we have in the gallery that are priced $25 and under.

We have soap/lotion dispensers in all shapes and sizes.  The one in this picture is from a potter in Portland, Oregon, and has beautiful tones of reds, blues and greys.  We have candles that are made in Seattle that smell heavenly.  The bowl is from a potter in Seattle - the colors are gorgeous and I was surprised to see the price was so affordable.  The tray is from another potter in Portland, Oregon - and has lots of cool textures and interesting glazes.  The brown mug will hold your large morning coffee or tea....or how about a beer in the evening?  We have new photographs in the gallery from a photographer on Guemes Island.  This one would look very cool in a kitchen.

The purple & green bowl is one of Mark's pieces.  It's perfect for a candy dish or salsa. The small blue tumbler is decorated so beautifully and is a perfect little cup for your bathroom.  The yellow and black creamer is one of several pieces we have in this color scheme. The mussel shaped salt & pepper shakers are a fun item and sure to spark interest.  We have several styles of mugs from our many potters.  Add a pound of coffee or a box of tea and you've got a wonderful gift.  The small bowl has beautiful glaze and textures and is made by another Portland potter who has a reputation of being one of the best in the area...and you can own a piece of his work for $25.  We also have some linoleum block print cards - each one is handmade and embellished with watercolor.

This is just a small example of the wide range of items we carry for any budget.

....and I haven't even showed you the jewelry under $25 yet!

“No great thing is created suddenly." - Epictetus

I like to collect quotes, so I want to share some of my favorite quotes on creativity, along with some pottery made by some very creative people, our students:

Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun.” ~ Mary Lou Cook

“Don't think. Thinking is the enemy of creativity. It's self-conscious, and anything self-conscious is lousy. You can't try to do things. You simply must do things.”~ Ray Bradbury

“Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine and at last you create what you will.” ~ George Bernard Shaw

“The imagination imitates. It is the critical spirit that creates.” ~ Oscar Wilde

“Enthusiasm is excitement with inspiration, motivation, and a pinch of creativity.” ~ Bo Bennett

"Let me ask you something, what is not art?" ~ Author Unknown

"An artist is someone who produces things that people don't need to have but that he - for some reason - thinks it would be a good idea to give them". ~ Andy Warhol 

“The principle goal of education is to create men who are capable of doing new things, not simply of repeating what other generations have done - men who are creative, inventive and discoverers” ~ Jean Piaget

Mother's Day Ideas

Mother's Day is this Sunday - so, what do you get for the person who gave you life? Handmade items are always appreciated by moms. But not all of us are creative enough to come up with an idea. Let one of the artists at Throwing Mud Gallery do the creating for you!

Any woman likes jewelry and we've got different styles for many tastes - from simple classic to eclectic, we're sure to have a pair of earrings, bracelet or necklace that mom would love.

Maybe jewelry isn't your mom's style. If mom loves her coffee or tea, why not get her favorite flavor and a handcrafted mug to go with it?

For the mom who loves to cook or loves having beautiful serving dishes, we've got any size and style of bowl that she could want.

Moms that love to garden or display flowers, would appreciate a new vase and we've got vases that will hold one single stem or a big bouquet of flowers.

We've got journals or notepads for mom to record her thoughts, small glass dishes to hold her jewelry, beautiful fused glass wine stoppers or letter openers, teapots, soap, wood boxes and even some small items just to make her smile - like a raku fish or a pottery cat.

Fun and Functional Art

As Mark and I were hurrying through an art show in Seattle several weeks picking up artwork from some of our artist friends, one booth in particular caught our attention. I stopped by to chat with artist, Shauna, and complimented her on her artwork. We ended up placing an order with her and now we have some of her fun pieces in our gallery.

Shauna has two different styles of artwork. She has whimsical bright colored paintings and a more classic "fine art" style. She takes her beautiful paintings, has them archival quality reprinted and uses the reprints to make wonderful journals, notepads, coasters and even clocks. Each of her paintings is filled with pattern and color and lots of detail to capture your attention.

The title of the piece used for the above clock is "Peace Through Music" - I love that!