The Vaquers call their art business Salamander Pottery. Salamanders were once the symbol for the four elements: air, water, earth, and fire - and they were believed to be able to go through fire unharmed. "A good symbol for pottery," said Vaquer.

In Donna Vaquer's art studio you'll find a menagerie of whimsical clay salamanders, hedgehogs, rabbits, and toucans, all in various stages of production. This Port Orchard artist is also a teacher. She brings clay into classrooms twice a year, showing students how they can pinch clay into mini-monsters, or fashion clay into cars. Donna and her husband, Frederico, are both Montessori-trained teachers. After teaching many years in southern California, Donna finally decided to focus on her art, with occasional forays into the classroom.

The porcelain Christmas bells, with different designs for each year, have become collectors' items all over the world. In addition to bells, Donna creates tiles, terra cotta animals, stoneware pieces, and porcelain jars. These bells sell for $14 each.

Even the Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C. has taken notice of Vaquer's art. They asked her to design a Christmas bell for their holiday catalog in 1987. She has been crafting these bells since 1980.

Weed pots and planters are just some of the useful ways that the Salamander pottery combines playful images with sensible items. The "people plant stickler" shown here sells for $27, and the "three star Santa" weed pot for $28.