April is such a welcoming month. The smells of earth, orange blossoms and flowering Palo Verde trees is bursting the senses here in the Sonoran Desert. It inspires us all to open the door, look out the window, dust off the patio, buy some new plants and outdoor decor. Time to invite some friends over for a glorious evening for backyard fun. Ahhh, it’s so lovely. I am dusting off the old man winter, inspired by Holy week, Passover and Resurrection day. Seeing friends I haven’t seen at church in a over a year…. was so warm and hopeful for…
Tag: handmade
Finding Blessings In All This
Wow, It took the C virus to really appreciate my students. It took the Corona Virus to really make me feel the joy of teaching. I can’t explain it very well but I think it might have something to do with connecting with people who love to create and be a part of something in real time, in real person. There is a lot to be said about this. I am naturally an introvert. And when the whole shut down happened I thought, I got this. I can to this. It’s what I do! But it wasn’t that easy. I found…
The push, the pull….
When you plan for a getaway, do you begin to tell yourself, ” I’m running out of time… I can’t go,… my house, my pets, my plants…. need me everyday”? Yes? No? I do. I always feel a push to get business tasks out of the way and a (constant) pull of tasks that seemingly need to be repeated. So, before I take a much needed time off, I get very stressed trying to cover all my bases. Somehow it all seems to work out. But getting to the finish line can be exasperating. My nine year old granddaughter,…
Mosaic Mural; Corrales, New Mexico Style
A finished mosaic back splash is a perfect touch to a custom home, Corrales, New Mexico style. Incorporating handmade tiles of barrel cactus, flowering Yucca, flowering agave, and flowering aloe, along with a Jack Rabbit, butterflies, purple cactus, a family of quail,gecko, hummingbirds, and the sun peaking through the clouds. The project took two days to install. The owners were so gracious to me as well as their 6 well behaved cats. Since I never got around to Go Pro-ing the installation, here are some still shots of the process. My travels…
Arroyo Garden Murals
Last week was the completion of the tiled murals I was hired to make and install. This is my first commercial job and it actually went pretty smoothly. No different than installing for homes. Well… maybe a little different. It’s a mans world in a construction zone. Being one of the 3 women…everyone was very respectful and helpful. As promised, I told you I would post pics of the project. I didn’t have a Go-Pro. I wish I could’ve had one but maybe the next project, which is coming up this summer. I decided to have professional pictures done of…
Lead by the Spirit
Many things inspire me, all day long. Here are a few Shadow Box sculptures that were inspired by gardening, bird watching and nature with a bit of whimsy. Hummer with Wild Flower Ceramic Shadow Box
A Month of Hearts
Ahhhh, February 14. A day for love. A day for sweetness. A day for affection. Are you at a loss of what to get for your lovely love? I have some ideas. I love hearts. I make them all year long. Hearts with wings, flaming hearts, hearts with leaping rabbits, hearts with birds, hearts with pockets for cats to hide in, American Flag hearts… So many to choose from: These are available at my Etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/RobinChladDesigns?section_id=6939494&ref=shopsection_leftnav_4 As I announced in my blog back in January, I am enamored with Essential Oils and not just any essential oils. I…
New Work in the Old Pueblo
So it’s February. January flew by. I feel I was only present for half of January because what ever was going around…..you name it, I caught it! I am glad to see January ’16 leave. And good riddance. Meanwhile, I have been busy with new designs for an up coming tile mosaic job I have been hired to create. It’s always exciting to have a new challenge, a reprieve from the daily bread and butter. I will give you a sneak preview…..based on the mural I designed and created for a Rocky Point, Mexico sea side residence over the summer/ 2015. I…
June is Wedding Month. Give something unique.
June is the month for weddings. Do you know anyone who is getting married this summer? I do. My nephew is getting married. I am excited for him and his future wife. His mom and dad are so proud. And I know what I am going to give them. One of my botanical pottery pieces. I have recently designed some fun, whimsical serving dishes, spoon rests, dipping bowls, candle holders, change catchers. I also have keepsakes for weddings and anniversaries. It’s a tradition to give a pomegranate to a Jewish wedding couple. Why…
New Classes, New Work and The Newness of a New Year.
Happy New Year! I am so glad 2013 is O.V.E.R. The New Year brings a new chance to start over. To dress yourself in a new attitude, with new ideas, new hopes, new dreams, new love, new promises, a new skip in your step. 2014 here I come. I am looking forward to new things. I am looking forward to bright changes and overcoming some really bad habits. I started it off by doing a juice fast! I am still fasting and I’m on my 5th day. I am obsessed with living healthy. I’m sure my friends are sick…
Robin Chlad Designs 