Well, we’ve finally done it. Seth and I have FINALLY opened our Etsy shop, The Mountains & The Sea! We are still very new to this but we’ve been wanting to do this shop thing for many years now and we actually did it. We’re proud to have our art out there and we’re truly loving the response! We took the time to set up a blog for little art collaboration on Tumblr, create a Facebook Fan Page (Like us!) and we started posting on Twitter. The Mountains & The Sea is our newest addiction and it’s a healthy one, so it’s OK!

We have big plans to create, create, create! Seth is a master at fantastical illustrations and he’s really gotten back into painting everything from wall art to wearables. He has some great ideas for future shop items – so stay tuned! I have really enjoyed creating ceramic beads and pendants for the past year or so and, after many requests, I have finally gotten around to selling my jewelry! Eventually I will start listing some traditional, non-wearable pottery and various other handmade goodies. So, follow along with us and visit our shop to see what we have in store.

The Mountains & The Sea on Etsy: mountainsandsea.etsy.com
The Mountains & The Sea on Facebook: facebook.com/mtnsandsea
The Mountains & The Sea on Tumblr: mountainsandsea.tumblr.com
The Mountains & The Sea on Twitter: twitter.com/mtns_sea

A week ago, today, Eli turned one. It’s hard to believe that time has moved so quickly but he has made this year so much fun for the whole Jones family! He’s a hilarious kid and I have loved watching him grow. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Eli!

An independent, at-home pet sitting and care service – Happy@Home



Professional Photographer – Richard Byers

A Photographer with a unique eye – Maxibelle Photography



Producers of high quality EOD Training Aids – Improvised Electronics

Veterinary Hospital and Pet Resort – Rocky Creek Veterinary Hospital



Visual Artist and Pro Photographer – Pam3la Art & Photography

This year I went from being a teacher’s assistant to an actual preschool teacher, unexpectedly. At first I was a little weary about the whole teaching thing but, after getting into the groove, it has turned out to be loads of fun! The kids are a riot… truly hilarious things come from the mouths of 3-year-olds!

In addition to working at the preschool, I have gotten to work on some great projects at the college. Hopefully I will be finishing up a large design project early in the New Year and can finally share all of the work that I’ve been putting in over the past few months! I just marked a year at the college in early December and I’m proud of what I’ve created this year, and I really enjoy the folks that I work with, which is so important to me. I’m glad to share a workplace with some very talented minds!

Seth and his dad are really getting into the farm now, selling online and locally (visit Jones Family Farm on the FB!). They have accomplished a lot this year and have been a hit with restaurants in the region, creating a great client base through Foothills Connect, with some big chefs asking specifically for their specialty produce. Seth is having a great time and I’m so proud of the work they are doing, and my tummy appreciates the fresh veggies, too! I know this year is just the tip of the iceberg – the future is looking green!

The pups are still adorable, of course! Although Flash and Tuesday have both been put on a diet, and we recently found out that Flash is allergic to nearly every tree and grass in this area, the pups are in good health. *sigh* Poor Flashy will be starting his allergy injections next week but on the upside, no more itchy-scratchy from our boy! Hooray!

In my few hours of personal time, I’ve been trying to keep up with my personal projects and creations, pottery being the biggie this year… a year filled with purposeless pots. Over the past few months, I’ve really gotten into jewelry-making pretty hardcore. I started making ceramic jewelry simply because every week was a battle with the wheel. And, after a month or two away from wheel throwing, I came back to it and made some pieces that I really love. Hopefully this good relationship will continue into the New Year! In addition to my ceramics, took a class with Dana Summers over at Obsessions Beads and learned a thing or two about wire-working and am loving it! And, of course, when I get time and/or requests, I’ve been shooting and designing. I hadn’t really realized just how much work I’ve created in my personal time this year but it really has been a year packed FULL! Look forward to future posts… there’s so much to share!

Although this year has been a struggle in many ways, I am extremely grateful for the people I have in my life and for all of the happiness and blessings I have been given. I hope the New Year greets you and yours with health and happiness, and a year filled with grand adventures…

About a year ago, I had a great day. Of course I’ve had many great days since then but this particular day was especially fun for me because it was the day of my very first maternity shoot! Emily was 6+ months pregnant and wanted to capture the moment. Her belly was round and adorable, and both she and Adam were glowing!

Getting silly…

A great sunset for a beautiful couple.

The necklace is simple jersey fabric, cut and stretched, then sew together and braided at the end for a tied closure. The ceramic bead is a rectangular bead that I slabbed out and constructed with this project in mind. A simple two color glaze, fired to perfection. Although the combination of colors won’t go with everything, I really love how vibrant the glaze is and I think it makes a really stand-out piece of jewelry. And, it feels nice to wear something that was completely constructed, from scratch, by my own hands.

• I got a job in December in the communications department at A-B Tech in Asheville, working part-time.
• Worked for most of the school year as a teachers assistant at a local preschool. LOVE IT!
  
• Pottery class is fantastic. Although I have been taking classes for months and still struggle with centering, I’m still going strong!
  
• Jones Family Farm is growing, growing, growing! The guys just sold their first online order to a local restaurant today and have been selling produce at Michael’s Market. I even got out there and hoed around the garden this week (ha!). Exhausting in this heat but it felt so good to be working the farm!
  
• Signed up for a summer sewing course (hooray!) at A-B Tech. Can’t wait to actually understand my sewing machine.
  
• Freelancing left and right (4 logos for photographers in the past 6 months) and several other logo projects, ads, and email marketing. So much work! WOW!
  
• I DIY’d my own photo studio and took school portraits. Backdrop stand, light stands, handmade softbox, and a large diffuser were all made for under $50! I was so shocked when the parents of the kids ended up loving the photos, many saying they were the best school portraits they’ve ever seen. I was flattered and so excited by the results of my hand-built studio. Nearly every parent bought prints, too!
  
• I joined a local woman’s group and have met some wonderful folks here! We go out, have a great time hanging out and make donations to local causes.
  
• My aunt and uncle talked Seth and me into white water kayaking with Green River Adventures in Saluda. It was a great day!
  
• My photography has been pushed to the side since leaving Raleigh. I still take photos but without my Flickr crew, it’s hard to stay motivated. I really need a local group and have been considering starting one of my own with some friends from work. We’ll see what the summer brings.

and last, but certainly not least –

• Seth, the pups and I are doing well, are loving our house on Main Street and the new life we have in the foothills of North Carolina.

I hope to get back to what little blogging I have done. With summer vacation, I’m sure things will lighten up and can make some free time to post. Time will only tell!

The new house is so “us” - it’s just perfect. As soon as we get all of the boxes unloaded and everything has its place — paintings hung with care, furnishings just in the perfect spot — I’ll share a video walk through with everyone!

Since our move, excluding the endless unpacking, I have been constructing the perfect website for me! I’ve learned a good bit about languages that I had no clue about previously, specifically with my adventure in jQuery. I always love a design challenge, however frustrating it can be, and this site didn’t let me down there. Although it looks simple, it was more challenging than I guessed it would be to construct but I’m so proud of the results! Please take a look and share your feedback and constructive criticism. Next up — spreading the word that I’m here, open for business and looking for work in the Asheville area!

In other news, I started a pottery class that was recommended to me by my landlord and I have already gone through 6 weeks of classes. We started with pinch pots and coil work, moved up to slab creations, and finally worked on the wheel. I’ve made one really impressive vase (a slab creation), still just greenware / not fired, that I’m proud of and have gotten many compliments on, and some copies have even been made by my fellow classmates. I’m a trendsetter, what can I say?! I’ve had limited time to work on the wheel, with only one perfect cup completed , but am really enjoying working with slabs! Although it is time consuming, hand building is so much fun!

So there is my not-so-brief update! With that said, I think I’m going to start writing more often. Hopefully this blog won’t be so poorly neglected in the future! For now, I’m signing off but I won’t be gone looong…

While you wait, you can feast your eyes on yet another of my film experiments – a short stop-motion film featuring some of my favorite vintage lovelies from my camera collection! Enjoy, and I can’t wait to present the new and improved site for Indie Danielle Creative!

Thanks for stopping by.

Check out the short stop motion movie that created yesterday!
More recent work to come. Stay tuned!