I'm excited to tell you about another artistic friend of mine, this time someone who creates beautiful pieces of pottery! Kate Smith is the talented owner and artist of Owl's Nest Pottery and I recently visited her and her home studio in the Cape Cod area of Massachusetts. Creating both decorative and functional pieces of stoneware, Kate lovingly designs and handcrafts each one with utmost care and fine detail...and a touch of whimsy.

This is where it all happens -- her basement studio, aka her "woman cave." And it mostly happens after her family has all gone to bed, into the wee hours of the night. Maybe that's why her motto is, "Helplessly addicted to dreaming up unique pottery for your home and life." She dreams them up day and night.

Here, she shows us the process of starting any new piece -- with a slab of wet clay which she'll dry and knead until all the air bubbles are gone and she's left with a workable lump of clay.

While some of her pieces are hand-built, most of her pieces are hand-thrown on the potter's wheel.

It takes an incredible amount of skill and precision to mold and shape the clay mass on the wheel. She has to be careful as to not create it too thin nor too thick in some areas, or else it might not fire correctly or be impractical to the end user.  She works in front of a mirror to make sure the piece is even on all sides.   Applying water with a soaked sponge helps to smooth out the edges.

And voilà, a new cereal bowl for me! I know it's mine because she wrote my name next to it. Now I just need some milk and my Cap'n Crunch.

Tools of the trade.

Kate makes her own stamps to create intricate patterns and details on the surface of some pieces.

All the pieces in her studio are in various stages of the process -- she goes back to each one for further work.

Carving texture and interest to one of her mugs -- soon to hold a nice cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate.

And soon-to-be magnets and Christmas ornaments.

Now I just wanted to share with you the fuzzy slippers we were both wearing during this chilly New England April evening down in her basement (I'm the pink Paul Frank monkey pair). Sometimes working behind the camera and creating beautiful pottery are not glamorous jobs, but it sure beats wearing uncomfortable high heels!

Maybe her kiln would have kept us warm and toasty, but she wasn't in the "firing" stage on this night. So through the magic of television...err, photography, we'll just have to show you some of her finished pieces after they have been bisqued (fired once), glazed, and fired (the final time).

To see MORE of Kate's beautiful work, visit and "like" her Owl's Nest Pottery page on Facebook!

And if you live in or are near the Cape Cod area, you can personally visit with her at the upcoming 2014 Fine Arts and Crafts show in Sandwich, Massachusetts on the below dates! Meet Kate and take home a piece of Owl's Nest Pottery!

Sandwich Artisans Show

142 Main Street

Sandwich, MA 02563

Saturdays: May 24th & June 7th

10:00am - 4:00pm