Ole & Lena's

Little John does it again!

2009-03-01T10:19:00.006-06:00

As many of you know Ole & Lena's held a broom making class last month. The instructor was Little John, who is well known in the area for his talent for making brooms, and a wonderful time was had by all who attended.

For those of you unfamiliar with Little John, his real name is John Holzwart and he has been making brooms for quite a while. He is not only a broom maker but also an artist, gardener, wild forager and along with his partner own Moonwise Herbs. Whether he is collecting branches for broom handles, mushrooms for supper, or fibrous plants for cordage, he is always inspired by the natural world. Little John also teaches several different classes for the Driftless Folk School located in Viroqua, Wisconsin, and can always be found at the Country Fair held by Organic Valley every year. We at Ole & Lena's would like to thank Little John for sharing his knowledge and talent with everyone.

The class was attended by 9 people, several who were getting married and wanted to "jump the broom" at their handfasting and thought it would be exciting to make their own broom. Of course there was lots of laughter going on as there were three Jennifers taking the class. The youngest broom maker that day was Harley, who was 12 years old and he did a great job on his broom. The class took 4 hours and included a short break for hot apple cider and birthday cake (we had two people celebrating birthdays).

After the class was over it was picture taking time so we could all show off our very own brooms. We all decided that it would be fun to do it again and talked to Little John about coming back to do another class, and we decided that next time we would have a willow basket making class as well as a another broom class. We may have been strangers getting together but we parted as friends all looking forward to doing another class together. If you would be interested in taking a class that we may offer please sign up for our newsletter on our web site.

Until next time, Happy Crafting!
The Mudpuppy

A Worthy Cause Needs Your Help

2009-02-12T02:52:00.001-06:00

Passages, Inc. is a non-profit organization operated by volunteers to provide safety, protection, and support to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. In addition to maintaining a shelter, Passages offers community education to foster cooperation in working towards a non-violent future.

For the past six years, Passages and WRCO have had an annual radio event designed to promote peaceful homes and raise money for the work that Passages does in the community. This year in concert with their radio production, they are promoting the organizing of teams to assist in raising donations for Passages. Ole & Lena's is proud to be a team member, helping to ensure that Passages will continue to support those men, women, and children who find themselves entangled in domestic violence or sexual assault.

On March 25th, the radio show will start at 9:15 am and run until noon. During this time, Passages will be contacting the team leaders for a live accounting of the funds collected by each team. This year's radio show motif will be Daytime Soap Operas. Through a series of short reenacted "soap operas," they will explore the dynamics that cause domestic violence and sexual assault. As in past years, between the dramatized parts of the radio show, staff and dignitaries will speak on behalf of creating peaceful homes.

Ole & Lena's is asking for your help in reaching our goal of raising 25,000 to be donated to Passages. No amount is too small to make a difference.

You may contribute using the widget in our sidebar or send a check or money order to:

Passages, Inc.
P.O. Box 546
Richland Center, WI 53581

If you or someone you know is in need of assistance, call their 24-hour crisis line at 608-647-3616 or 1-800-236-4325.

Boost your ceramic sales during slow times

2009-01-31T00:38:00.003-06:00

January is one of the slowest times for sales due to cold and snowy weather that keeps people from going out and also because it is tax time, however there are some things you can do to boost sales during this slow period. I use January to do home parties. Usually I get a few of my friends or regular customers to host a party for me and invite some of their friends over for a night of fun and shopping.

To plan a home party you should plan it like a home party plan from one of the major companies such as Tupperware. Select items to take such as wall arrangements, statures and figurines, kitchen items and up coming holiday items. I always try to take 20-30 items to my parties which I use as samples to take orders on. I also explain that these sample items may be purchased that night if anyone is in a hurry for a particular item. Be sure to explain that any of the items can be painted to order or personalized.

When conducting your demonstration emphasize that ceramics play an important part of home decor and there are pieces to fit all areas in any color and any decor. Answer questions to the best of your ability, make suggestions but allow the customers to make their own final decisions.
Show several pieces and describe the technique that went into painting it such as dry-brushing, underglazing, or the use of fired gold to enhance the piece. Your prices should be a slightly higher than what you would sell them for in your shop as people come to parties expecting to pay more for items, but they do want something unique for their money. Since you are taking orders for items you will need to decide on a delivery date, or if it is a large party you could have two delivery dates, however make sure you can finish the pieces by the time you say you will.

Before the show discuss with the hostess what percentage of the sales she will get as a gift certificate for having the show and be sure to give her a thank you gift the night of the show. Small inexpensive items, paints, brushes or decal sets can be used as game prizes. I also take along a "catalog" I made up containing pictures of the pieces I am able to make so they can place orders, but again, keep in mind the time it takes to complete the pieces. The success of a party is not in the volume of the pieces sold but in the quality and unusual pieces or effects of the items you show off.

A sample party plan is:

Introduce yourself and your business.
Announce and show everyone what your hostess is getting for having the party.
Play a few games and give out small prizes. (many of the games played at home parties such as Tupperware can be adapted to ceramics)
Show and describe several pieces that you have brought with you, and let the guests know that you offer classes at your shop so they can also learn to paint their own pieces.
Let everyone know that the pieces there are for sale and that you do have a catalog with many pieces in it that you don't have with you that they can order from.
Announce that your hostess has some snacks for everyone and that you are available for their questions or to help them with their orders.
Once the last order is taken, figure out what the hostess is getting as her gift and let everyone know.
After the party give the hostess an envelope containing a copy of the order sheets for each guest's order as she will be collecting the money from her guests to pay you upon delivery.

Home parties such as described here can make you anywhere from $100 to $1,000 in a night and more often than not gain a new customer at your shop. When I do my shows I always enclose a thank you card with each order before delivering them to the hostess. The thank you note gives me the opportunity to thank the customer again while at the same time reminding her that if she is interested in hosting a party and earning free gifts she can always contact me or she can come into the shop and learn how to make her own pieces.

Now get out your date book and call your best friend to host a party for you.

Happy mudding,
The Mudpuppy

Broom Making Class

2008-12-24T00:13:00.002-06:00

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to take a broom making class. I had a great time and made several new friends as well as a beautiful handmade hearth broom. Since we here at Ole & Lena's offer all types of handcrafted items, I thought it might be fun and interesting to offer you the chance to spend an afternoon with us making an old fashioned broom of your own.

Date: February 25th, 2009
Time: 12:00 noon to 4:00 pm
Cost: $50.00 (includes all materials)

Bring a friend and receive $5.00 off your registration fee. Payment is due by January 15th. Class size is limited, so sign up now!

Payments can also be mailed to us at P. O. Box 240, Hillsboro, WI 54634

Original Retired Ty Beanie Babies with Tags

2008-12-14T21:56:00.006-06:00

We stumbled upon a treasure trove of Original Ty Beanie Babies and are offering them at incredible prices through our eBay store Some of them are current, some are retired, and most of them still have their tags attached. They are available for a very limited time as our focus is on handcrafted items. Get yours before they are gone!

How do I get started in ceramics?

2008-11-16T08:32:00.004-06:00

Many people come into my shop and after browsing through the gift and decorative items located in the front of the store set their eyes on the full service ceramic shop located in the back half of the store. I hear comments of "my mother used to do ceramics years ago" or "I wish I had the talent to do ceramics" as they look over the shelves of greenware and bisque for sale. I explain that doing ceramics is not hard, can be very relaxing, and is something the whole family can enjoy together, to which they reply that there is so much to learn in order to get involved. Well guess what, if I can do it anyone can!

The easiest way to start is by painting pieces that have already been cleaned and fired to bisque. By doing this you learn to use different brushes for specific styles of painting such as color book painting or dry brushing, how to blend colors, and get the feel for handling the brushes to create personalized pieces. It takes very little investment, just the bisque pieces, some paints, and a brush. There are books with designs that you can copy if you need inspiration.

When just starting out and not knowing if you are going to continue it is not necessary to spend a bunch of money on supplies. I use and sell Doc Holiday paints so I recommend buying 6 basic colors (blue, yellow, red, white, black, and a nice shade of brown) to get started. I also suggest purchasing Doc Holiday's "Pearl-it" and "Antique-it" as it means you are starting actually starting with 18 colors since by adding the Pearl-it or Antique-it to any of the other colors will give you that color in a pearl or an antiquing. By mixing some of your colors you can make several shades of different colors, giving you the most for your money. Add an inexpensive set of brushes and you are ready to go. I personally have put together a kit which contains the above paints, a brush kit (contains both round and flat brushes in different sizes), and a small mixing palate, which I offer in my shop for the cost of $34.95 for people who want to try ceramics, so check shops in your area for similar packages. As you progress, or decide when you decide you are going to continue with ceramics you can then purchase other colors, better brushes, and build up your supplies. Should you decide ceramics are not for you, you won't have a ton of money tied up in items you will not use.

Starting out by painting bisque pieces will give you practice time, build up your confidence to go on to bigger items, learn different techniques, and let your creative juices flow. One thing to remember is that using acrylic stains does not allow you to create waterproof or food safe items. For that you will need to move on to the next step which is painting with glazes.

Until then,
Mudpuppy

Next week: Cleaning greenware

Horse hair firing as a ceramics technique

2008-09-16T07:49:00.005-05:00

Many of us who love ceramics are always looking for new ideas to make our pieces unique. Well, here is a technique that you can do that will never look the same way twice. It is called "HORSE HAIR FIRING" and you actually use horse hair on your piece to create a pattern that is always different.

Items needed for this technique are properly fired bisque (cone 04), glaze, forge tongs, heavy gloves, and of course horse hair. It does not matter the color of the horse hair as it will always come out as a black design when it burns into the glazed piece. If this is the first time you are doing this technique I would suggest using a smooth, round or cylinder shaped vase. You can always experiment with other shapes, glazes and finishes once you have the basic technique down.

Clean your greenware in the usual manner and fire to a cone 04.

After your piece has been fired and is ready to glaze, apply 3 coats of gloss glaze. We recommend a clear glaze but you can use any color you desire except black. When it is dry polish the piece with a soft cloth. Fire the piece to the recommend cone (generally a cone 06)

As soon as the kiln shuts off, with your gloves on carefully remove the piece from the kiln with forge tongs and place on a hard surface such as the top of the kiln or a kiln shelf. You will need to work quickly as the piece will cool off rapidly so you only have a few minutes. Drop or drape strands of the horse hair across the hot piece. This will create a lot of smoke and a strong odor so be in a well ventilated area. The hair will curl and burn into the piece immediately creating a unique design.

Let the piece sit and cool off. Polish it with a soft cloth to remove any excess burnt hair and create a nice sheen. You can add embellishments if you choose to further decorate your piece.

Horse hair firing can be done in all kinds of ways over a variety of finishes including earthenware, stoneware, porcelain or raku clay. Polishing the finished piece will give it sheen and close up the clay pores protecting the surface. You can also apply a wax or sealant to protect the surface from oil and dirt. While this process is simple, it can be dangerous and extreme caution should be used when handling hot ware.

For more information on this great technique check out "Home Grown Pottery" and see her wonderful pieces or do a search on "horse hair firing" and see pieces done in several styles.

Until next week,
Happy mudding

FREE TIPS, TRICKS, TECHNIQUES, AND PROBLEMS SOLVED

2008-09-12T20:03:00.004-05:00

If you are like me and search the web looking for new techniques, answers to questions you have about what you may be trying to do, or trying to find out why you are having the problem you are having with a certain product, then this site will surely be of interest to you and one you should bookmark so you can always come back and see what's new.

We receive many phone calls or people coming into the shop with questions about problems they are having that we have decided to use our blog to help spread information to help with problems people are having, share technique ideas, help people find molds or greenware they are searching for, and learning new things. If you have a question or want to know something as simple as how to contact a certain mold company or as complex as how to do a certain technique just drop us a line and we will get an answer for you.

Here are some of the questions we have received this week:

How can I keep the holes in my salt & pepper shakers from blocking up when I do the glaze firing on them?

As we all know all items coming into contact with food must be glazed to be food safe and salt & pepper shakers are no different. Making the holes bigger is not the answer to this problem, however there is a very easy solution. The next time you get ready to glaze fire a set of salt & pepper shakers, place a wooden toothpick into each hole before you place it into the kiln to be fired. The toothpick will burn away and the hole will remain open.

While belting a plate mold I had the belt too tight and it broke the top section of the mold. It is from a company that is no longer in business and I sell quite a few of these. Is there any way to fix this mold that it can still be used?

One thing you don't want to do is glue the pieces together as the glue can protrude from the crack and cause a line or deformity in the piece when it is poured. The best way to "glue" the mold together is to use evaporated milk. Paint the raw sides of the pieces that need to be joined together with evaporated milk, put the mold together and belt it as you would if you were going to pour it. Due to a chemical reaction between the milk and the material the molds are made from it will bond it together in a "super glue" kind of way, leaving no seam line. Let the piece sit belted for 5-7 days before using. Strange as it is, this really works the best.

Got a tip you'd like to share? Having trouble finding how to do a certain technique? Want to know how to find a mold company or ceramic shop address? Drop us a line and we will help you find what you are looking for.

Next week.....How to do horse hair firing.

Hillsboro Handi-crafts

2008-09-12T09:24:00.001-05:00

Hi and welcome to Ole & Lena's.

For those of you not familiar with our shop it is a sight to see. There is something for everyone and many unique, one of a kind items for both gift giving or decorating. We hope you will check our blog from time to time as it is our way of keeping you informed as to new items in the shop, sales specials, and also some "how to" instructions for making your own gift items.

Our gift shop contains items from over 30 local crafters, each with their own speciality. Items range from candles to planters, solar lights to painted furniture, and quilts to Amish rockers. Many of our crafters will do special orders so if you see something but it is not the right color or size they will make it to your specifications.

Every Wednesday is senior day and senior citizens receive a 10% discount on their purchases. We also have in-store, non-advertised sales specials every saturday. We are in the process of setting up an ebay store for our customers who live too far to visit the shop and customers who stopped by when passing through the area so they can continue to find the perfect gift or decorative item they are looking for. At Ole & Lena's we cater to our customers to make their experience with us a memorable one.

For those of you who feel crafty we are also a full service ceramic shop. Whether you are looking for greenware, bisque, paints or accessories, you can find it at Ole & Lena's. We also have three kilns on property for all your firing needs and our staff is always available and happy to help with decorating ideas.

A "paint n' take" section with a wide choice of bisque (ready to paint) items is available for people who are looking for something to paint right away. Cost of the bisque includes the use of our paints, brushes and supplies.

Having a birthday to plan for? Why not have a painting party. We will bring all needed supplies to your home and help the children paint a piece to take home with them as a party favor. (for more information contact Sharon at 608-489-2242).

Check back later when Lena' spotlights our top crafter!

CREATING GIFTS FROM SIMPLE THINGS

2008-09-12T09:09:00.001-05:00

Today we would like to introduce you to one of our crafters and show you how you too can make beautiful gift items from things you have around the house that you might just think is trash.

Margie is our top crafter here at Ole & Lena's and is the type of crafty person everyone wishes they could be like......she can take anything and make it into a beautiful gift or decorative item with ease.

Her decorated mirrors are awesome, her wine bottle jug lights fly out the door, and her decorative plates can be styled for any decor. Many of our customers that come in looking for something in particular end up talking to Margie and having her make their item to order, which she happily does.

One of the main items Margie uses in her hand crafted items is wallpaper border. Since the designs, colors, and themes are endless there is no room that she can not make something for that won't fit in with the rest of the decor.

If you are currently using wallpaper border in your room, bring your room together by sprucing up an old mirror using a peice of your border and accent pieces colored in your current color scheme using the following steps.

Tape off the mirror section and spray paint the frame in a coordinating color to match or contrast the colors in your border.
Cut a piece of border to fit along the top or bottom of the mirror. Lay the border top side down on some newspaper and using spray adhesive apply glue to the back side of the border.
Carefully place the border on the mirror making sure you have it snug agains the side and bottom edge. Gently run your hand over the border to make sure all areas are touching the mirror and there are no wrinkles.
Add your accent pieces with hot glue and you are done.

Be creative with your border, you don't have to cut it straight across. Your accents can be almost anything from artificial flowers, ribbon, pine cones, small birds, or what ever you think will go with your design. These make great gift ideas too.

As you can see from this picture, we took a mirror off a small vanity table and turned it into something that could be used in a boys room or a study. The mirror frame was painted black, duck wallpaper border was used and as accents we used some small cat tails, pinecones and a few bright orange bittersweet flowers to give it color.

There are many other decorative items that you can make using wallpaper border and if you put your thinking cap on I am sure you could come up with a few of your own. You can also get wallpaper border and samples by asking your local stores that carry wallpaper if you can have their old sample books when they are no longer needed. We find lots of single rolls at the thrift shops and yard sales for pennies.

We would love to hear from you on your projects. You can send us an email, and even a picture or two if you would like to, at info@oleandlenas.us

Happy crafting till next time.

Red Hat Society: crazy ladies or smart cookies?

2008-07-02T07:57:00.002-05:00

I am sure at some point you have seen a large group of women who call themselves "Red Hatters" strolling down the street making a fashion statement with their purple clothes and stylish red hats. I am also sure you’re first thought was how crazy these women were and why would they behave that way. Well, the truth is that these ladies are mothers, grandmothers, and daughters from all walks of life who belong to The Red Hat Society and are living life to the fullest and they don’t care what anyone thinks.
The group was started quite by accident when a woman named Sue Ellen Cooper bought a bright red fedora at a thrift shop and sometime time later read a poem called "Warning" by Jenny Joseph. Sue Ellen fell in love with the antics of the woman in the poem and decided to make a gift of the poem (along with a nice red hat) to her best friend, then another friend, and still another friend. Before long these few friends came to realize that they had become a group of "Red Hat Ladies" and decided to bring the poem to life. Their first outing was such a success that more ladies were invited to join them and before long there were purple dresses and red hats everywhere.
While many may think these women are crazy and outrageous, I for one think they are smart cookies. Their "dis-organization" has almost no rules, and their main responsibility is to have fun, enjoy life, and say good-by to responsibilities and obligations for just a little while. Going to lunch, shopping, and spending a lovely day with friends: isn’t that what we all would love to do?
As this organization grows so does the search for Red Hat gift items that are unique and original, and if you are looking for those unique items be sure to check out Ole & Lena’s Red Hat section in their shop. From pillows, vests, and vases to mirrors, trinket boxes and wine glasses, you are sure to find that something special to strike your fancy. There is even a Red Hat solar light for the garden. Crazy ladies, I think not! After all, isn’t life all about having fun?

Why Is The Ugliest Candle Ever Made So Popular?

2008-07-01T05:32:00.003-05:00

Mushrooms have been consumed around the world for centuries and when their popularity is combined with the abundant demand for unusual candles and a non-toxic, renewable, natural resource as the medium, the result is an equation for success.

Morchella esculenta, more commonly known as the morel mushroom, has it's place in traditional Chinese medicine and is still in such demand that people will even grow them indoors when their outdoor environments are not suitable. Being a treasured ingredient in gourmet recipes around the world, it should be no surprise that the morel has it's own devoted hunting club and has even been considered worthy of mention by the National Public Radio.

Beeswax candles burn at least 2 times longer than paraffin, an alkane which produces greenhouse gasses, with little or no dripping and can be burned without causing breathing problems for children, people with allergies, or those with respiratory illnesses. Beeswax is also a renewable resource, as opposed to petroleum.

Ask anyone from around here, and they will tell you morels are the best tasting mushrooms ever. That may be why the realistic looking beeswax candle is one of Ole & Lena's best sellers, but don't try to eat one.