Carol's Carousel Creations

Sunday, April 29, 2018

New York Yankees at Anaheim Angels
Yankees won 2 to 1

This is the 4th baseball game in our western tour. Next up is the A.I.D.C.C.T. Cyberflyers Regional Conference in Fresno, then 4 more games in Oakland, San Francisco, Seattle, and Denver.

Outside the park: big hats provide shade and some seating while waiting; entrance supported by big bats; and Mickey Mouse (Disneyland is also in Anaheim).

The game: play ball; close-up; the crowd from our seats.

Today’s Special

Dona 1381 BOY & GIRL BUNNIES with baseball hat, 3 ¼”
Bisque $7.50/pair, Finished $10.00
Sale price of $5.00 until May 31st.
Cute little Knick knacks that can be painted in team colors of your choice.

To order email CarolsCarouselCreations@gmail.com or PM the Facebook page. Bisque will be poured, fired, painted, and mailed in June.

Carol’s Carousel Creations
Jim & Carol Warneke

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Saturday, April 28, 2018

Today was another day of rest after last night’s game. It does not seem like we have been traveling for two weeks already. I literally did not leave the hotel room because I was too tired. Jim ran out to the grocery store and picked up some soda and something for the microwave. We are having Marie Callender’s pot pies for dinner!

I worked on the blog for yesterday, which was published earlier this afternoon Then I checked out some emails for making silkscreens and other craft ideas we might consider doing in the studio. And also continued working on cleaning up the mold catalog. Eventually, I will update the online catalog but I want to make sure everything is correct first.

We celebrated our 50th Anniversary in February with a Renewal of Vows ceremony in the church and a reception followed in Fellowship Hall. When Jim got back from the store, we looked through the 170 “wedding” pictures that Lesa’s husband Carl took for us.  As a photographer, he took many shots of the same setting so we will go through later and pick which ones to keep. Jim can then edit, adjust, and enhance the pictures if needed (such as adjusting the brightness) and we will make an album. Here are just a few  of them:

Today’s Special

Since we are talking wedding today, our special will be in that vein.

These are the ceramic items that we made for the wedding.

Some of the vases are not available (large vases from Las Vegas & larger gold vase).
Forgot to get pictures of the finished cake server that matches the bell plate;
Forgot to get picture of the cake topper but here is one that Joanne painted;
Second bride & groom is a bell for the reception that didn’t get finished;
Last is a wedding card that had a disaster in the kiln.

This is the table centerpiece.

We set up 10 guest tables with red cloth table covers, gold ribbon runners, centerpieces, flower vases with a red & a white rose (like 50 years ago), and candy dishes. We had to use battery candles as the church did not allow open flames

And these are the party favors
Although not everyone was able to come, we made 98 of these.

To purchase:

If you see something here that you are interested in, either bisque or finished, just send a PM to our Facebook page and we can discuss mold company, size, and price. If you need it for an upcoming wedding, please remember that we cannot pour until June. Make sure to give us the wedding date so we get it to you in time.

Carol’s Carousel Creations
Jim & Carol Warneke

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Friday, April 27, 2018

New York Mets vs. San Diego Padres
Mets won 5 to 1

It was a three-hour drive into San Diego from our hotel, even though the GPS assured us it was ninety minutes (which it was coming home after the game)! We thought that leaving at 2:00 would avoid rush hour, but apparently not. Parked about two blocks away, took the elevator, walked right into section 117 and sat down. While I was out getting a drink, Jim found out we were in the wrong place — we were in row 44 and our seats were in row 1! First time he ever got to sit right on field level so that was a nice surprise. Almost forgot, the ball girl gave him a game ball as well.

Jim with the person next to him; My view for the whole game!
When the guy moved his chair I could see the pitcher between him and the ball girl.

Jim learned to take a selfie!  Me and the Padre.

Looking up and the Scoreboard.

All the concessions were either a long walk up the ramp or up the steps.  We had found a pennant and mascot on the way in, so just got our food from the food vendors — hot dogs, peanuts, and a churro. I had never had one before. It is basically fried dough, somewhat like a donut, covered with cinnamon sugar.

Today’s Special

San Diego Padres Tree

What we call our “football tree” can, obviously, also be made as a “baseball tree” with whatever team colors and logo you choose. Today the Padres wore their brown and yellow uniforms, as did the Padre (mascot), but they also have blue and white and several other colors.

Nowell 1139 Tree with flat oval 13″
bisque only $35.00
bisque + light kit $40.00
design traced onto ware + $5.00
paints and firing included if done in our studio
shown here Atlanta Braves tree painted by a student

Special price of $35.00 including light kit and logo
if ordered and paid for before May 31.
Email CarolsCarouselCreations.com or send pm to Facebook page. Bisque orders will be poured and shipped in June in the order in which they are received.

Carol’s Carousel Creations
Jim & Carol Warneke

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Thursday, April 26, 2018

Today was a day of rest between ball games. I finally did yesterday’s post this morning and then got some catalog work done on the computer. I have been trying to get the posts done each evening but sometimes the internet connection is too slow, and this time I was just too tired.

This afternoon Jim’s good friend, Joe, stopped in for a visit. You may remember him as the Best Man at our “wedding” in February. Joe lives in Indiana but does some consulting work which often takes him to California. We had a nice visit and were able to reminisce about old times and catch up on life happenings throughout the years. [That’s Joe on the right and my sister, Linda, on the left.]

We had a nice dinner tonight at a restaurant called Marie Callender’s.  When the name came up on the car GPS list of restaurants, we jumped at the chance to visit. (They have 114 locations, most in California, but all in the west.) We have been buying Marie Callender’s pies for special occasions and even tried her pot pies. All are delicious! We had a dinner special (2 for $30) with cheesy potato soup, pot roast for me and meatloaf for Jim, and her famous pie–rhubarb for me and key lime for Jim. The pie ended up being take out, along with a doggy bag. Yum, yum. If you haven’t yet tried her food, check out the pies in the frozen food section of your supermarket.

Today’s Special

Byron 1347 BASEBALL CUP,
Bisque $5.00, Finished $7.50

This cup has an embossed baseball player with a baseball background. Concepts were used here for the detail and green background to make the white baseball show up.

This cup makes a great kids gift in the colors of their little league  team or their favorite MLB team. Personalize by putting their name on the other side, or the name of their favorite player. You can even add a number on the front of the uniform. [There is also a football cup in the same style and price if your kid or grandkid isn’t into baseball!]

Carol’s Carousel Creations
Jim & Carol Warneke

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Wednesday, April 25, 2018

Baseball Game #2
Miami Marlins vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
Marlins won 8 to 6 

We considered taking the Metro train into Union Station in LA & the Dodger bus to the stadium. Sounded like something fun to do but we couldn’t quite figure out the schedule so we drove into the city instead. Not knowing the infamous LA traffic we arrived early, so just hung out in a nearby park before the game.

First stop inside the stadium was the Team Shop so we could add to our collection of pennant, coffee mug, and mascot. It seems that the Dodgers don’t actually have a mascot. However, they are famous for their Dodger Dogs so we bought a stuffed version of him.

Game time wasn’t until 4:30 but we were in the park at 2:30, long time since breakfast. So we each indulged in a super duper Dodger Dog; a huge beef sausage wrapped in Applewood bacon + peppers & onions. Yum!

Although the home team was behind for the majority of the game, they made a valiant effort to even the score. Just not quite enough. By the time we got back to the hotel it was after 10:00 and I just fell into bed. I did so much walking I was too exhausted to even post my blog. Most of the walking was me out looking for the funnel cakes; Jim didn’t eat his share and I stuffed myself a bit too much!

Today’s Special

Choose any of our small baseball figures, or even buy the whole set! They can be painted in Dodger Blue and white with a red number on the front or whatever team colors you choose. Great gifts for the kids, done in their little league team colors or in the colors of their favorite MLB team.

Alberta 0569 BASEBALL BOY BATTER 5 1/8”
Alberta 0208 GIRL BASEBALL PLAYER 5 1/2″
0636 BASEBALL BOY WITH BAT AND GLOVE, about 5”
Alberta 0090 BASEBALL BABY 3 1/4”,  on baseball base

Regular price for bisque is $6.00 each, finished is $7.50 each
ON SALE UNTIL MAY 31st
bisque $5.00 each or all 4 for $17.50, finished $6.50 each
To receive the sale price, payment must be made by May 31st.

All bisque will be poured, painted, and shipped in June.
To order, email CarolsCarouselCreations@gmail.com
OR send a pm to our Facebook page.

Carol’s Carousel Creations
Jim & Carol Warneke

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Tuesday, April 24, 2018

Another travel day, not quite as long as some but still tiring. Instead of seeing mountains off in the distance, they were on either side of us (and off in the distance, too). Rocks and sand and what looked like weeds for miles and miles along Interstate-10. It  sure was nice to see green grass again once we got to California and back to civilization!

Update: Jim did get the car repaired yesterday — it needed new brakes and rotors. We are so thankful that he was able to get into the dealer and have it done. He didn’t feel safe with the brakes the way they were, especially on steep, winding mountain roads. Then today the control arm came off his wheelchair! Thank goodness that was a repair that he could do himself.

We checked into the Holiday Inn Express in Colton, CA where we are staying for nine days. There are three stadiums in Southern California so we are using this as a home base; Los Angeles Dodgers tomorrow, San Diego Padres on Friday, and Los Angeles (Anaheim) Angels on Sunday.  We hope to do a little sightseeing on our off days and before we head to Fresno.

Today’s Special

Today we have something completely new and different to share with you. Our oldest son, Jimmy, is starting an online tee-shirt business.

Baseball Diamonds! This is one of the shirts he has to offer. I don’t think his website is up and running yet. But if you would like a tee shirt with this design on it just let me know OR contact him directly.

Carol’s Carousel Creations
Jim & Carol Warneke

You can order any of our specials by emailing
CarolsCarouselCreations@gmail.com
OR by sending a pm to our Facebook page.
If you want more information on the tee-shirts you can
contact Jimmy directly — his Facebook name is “Jim Warneke”
(My husband’s is “Jim Warneke Sr.”)

Monday, April 23, 2018

• Today is a day to relax and recuperate from all the walking I did at the baseball stadium!  Should have practiced walking more at home before leaving for vacation. LOL
• We went to a Holiday Inn Club Members presentation this morning (that’s why we got three free nights at the Scottsdale Resort) and upgraded our plan. Hope to stay at the resort in Las Vegas next February and attend the I.A.D.C.C.T. convention.
• Jim took the van to the Chrysler dealer this afternoon — it seems to be shaking at high speeds and he wants to make sure it is safe to drive.
• I went to the Activity Center and made a tote bag this afternoon. Thinking about having a kids craft class later this summer. We had a choice of tote or backpack but could probably also include an apron. More on that later after I think it through some more.

I keep admiring the different kinds of plants and trees in this area. This is the entrance to the resort we are staying at in Arizona.

More foliage as we walked about the complex

Today’s Special

This  picture of plants on the coffee table in our living room  inspired Today’s Special. We are offering any small planters ordered today for only $5.00 in bisque ($6.00 if you want the inside glazed) or $7.50 finished. Just paint & plant your own succulent (available at local stores such as Home Depot or Walmart). Here is our selection:

Planters are a nice accent on your patio table and make a great hostess gift when visiting friends and family this summer.  Order several for your friends; or paint a bunch and sell them at a local craft fair.

All bisque will be poured and shipped in June.
To order email CarolsCarouselCreations@gmail.com
OR send a PM to our Facebook page.

Carol’s Carousel Creations
Jim & Carol Warneke

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Sunday, April 22, 2018

Chase Field in Phoenix
San Diego Padres vs. Arizona Diamondbacks
The home team won 4 to 2

This is the 1st of the 8 ballgames on our vacation. As usual, we purchased a Diamondbacks pennant, mug, and mascot to add to the collection in our game room.

Outside the ballpark; the playing field.

Jim at the game; Carol at the game
the Scoreboard

Today’s Baseball Special

Gare 1349 Roly Poly Baseball Player Bank

On the left is the one painted in the studio standing with
his friends, Sports Fan, Football Player, and Lady Shopper (all banks).
Notice that the catalog picture (right) shows him as a pencil holder.
He stands 6″ tall and sells in bisque for $7.50.
Today’s Special is only $5.00 for the bisque (for him or any of his friends)
OR $10.00 painted in team colors of your choice.
There is room to add a logo on the right side of his jacket if you want one.

Remember that bisque will be poured and shipped in June.
To order email CarolsCarouselCreations@gmail.com
OR send a PM to our Facebook page

Carol’s Carousel Creations
Jim & Carol Warneke

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Saturday, April 21, 2018

Another travel day, this time from Albuquerque, NM to Scottsdale, AZ. My backside is definitely thankful to be out of the car! It took us a whole week but we finally made it to the beginning of the baseball tour. The first game is tomorrow in Phoenix.  We get to stay here in the Scottsdale Holiday Inn Club Resort until Tuesday morning when we head to California.

Traveling in Arizona brought a change of scenery from scrub pines and dirt to evergreen forests, cactus of several varieties, and even palm trees. There was an 18 mile stretch of highway with 5-6% downgrade and several S-curves. Elevation changed from 5312 feet in Albuquerque to 1257 in Scottsdale!. When we  pulled into Outback for dinner our clocks were out of sync — seems we are now on Pacific time.

Todays Special

Club David 1401 Monument of the Valley Incised Tiles

This workshop is a David Hoff Design, the scene depicting very well the landscapes we traveled through today.  We will set a day in June or July to suit your schedule, then the workshop will be announced to the public. The workshop fee is $25.00 but if you sign up before the end of The Great American Baseball Tour (6/1) you can do it for $15.00. Work is done with Concepts underglazes and then the tiles are clear glazed. These are 8″ tiles that can be framed and hung on the wall or used as a trivet.

Carol’s Carousel Creations
Jim & Carol Warneke

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April 20, 2018

Today was a short travel day, compared to the others. We slept in till noon, then left Amarillo TX for Albuquerque, NM.  There were weather advisories for high winds and we sure did experience them on the road. Not only was that car effected but you could see what looked like sandstorms on the horizon.

While we were traveling today, Laura Gilbert and Sheryl Wilder from our studio were at the Midwest Ceramic Show in Hamilton, OH. They drove down on Wednesday to enter student pieces in the ceramic competition. Today Laura posted pictures of this pieces with their ribbons. Check out the Facebook page.

Preschool from Carol’s Carousel wins the preschool show again! Brandon Wilder’s squirrel:

Today’s Special

We have lots of Native American pieces but
choose this piece to represent our stay in New Mexico.

Kimple 2359 EAGLE DANCER SHIELD
bisque $13.00 (regular $15.00)

Please remember that your bisque will be poured and shipped in June.
To order email CarolsCarouselCreation@gmail.com
OR send a PM to the Facebook page

Carol’s Carousel Creations
Jim & Carol Warneke

Thanks for following the carousel!