The Personal Touch

Yes, I know ..... you're thinking ' They're not very colourful, not her usual style'. That's because they are only at the first stage of making - the wet clay is dried hard and now ready to go into the kiln for the first firing. Then I shall glaze them in wonderful colours and fire them again.

These two are recent commissions and I so love to do commissions, because they are so special and its so much more gratifying to make things for people who have particularly asked for them, and if you actually know the individuals personally, so much the better.

The one above is for a friend who is Irish. She asked me to make something for her, but was happy for me to choose the design. So I was able to choose something specific to her and the quilt-block pattern marked out on her bowl is called 'Dublin Steps'.


This one is for Michael and Alison, who have a very busy life with twin five year olds. They were specific in their colour choice - this has to be eventually glazed in blues and greens. The design is for me to choose, and so I went for a quilt-block pattern called 'Crazy House'. I know them well and they will appreciate the gentle humour in that choice.


This, of course, is not a bowl and was not a commission, as such. It was for the Hubby for a Big Birthday. He dreams of owning his own bookshop, and now he does, thanks to me. It was great fun to make and he loved that so much time, effort and creativity had been put into his present - something you just don't get with a shop-bought product.

We are off to Bruges this weekend to celebrate our Silver Wedding Anniversary, but being so busy with orders for other people, the only thing I have made for him this time is his card! But it is good one, if I say so myself.

Am looking forward to getting back next week though, just in time to see an article I wrote for the autumn issue of UK Handmade published, I think, on Wednesday 1st September. Crikey ... can you believe its September already? Have a look at it next week and let me know what you think.

The Wild North Country

Well, as you can see, it wasn't really that wild, but we do seem to like unspoiled, quiet, sometimes even somewhat bleak places for our chillin' out weeks.


The sun did shine occasionally and lit up the sea beautifully.


Just love the delicate colours of the sky in these. It was a real away from it all break.


And the beaches were fabulous and had no-one on them except us.


Certain people are just mesmerised by the sea, aren't they. This is himself doing what has become known as 'his gazing out to sea thing'. Goes on for quite a while sometimes!


I have no workshop or even a shed, but I could always find a boat and turn it upside down, I suppose?


Holiday over though. Spent 6pm til midnight working on pots yesterday - all commissions which have come in over last few weeks. Terrific backache today as my reward. Hey Ho.

Feeling Groovy - almost!

Eeek! These blog titles get worse ... but that one follows on so seemlessly from the previous one, so am sure you'll forgive me.

So - we went on holiday - me, the hub and three teenagers. Kids had all been on holiday with their mates, but a second freebie with the oldies was just about bearable for them.

We went 'Up North' as usual. Firstly to my home county, where the cottage was sweet and the kitchen window sill (above) even sweeter - dunno where that all came from!

And there were lots of these ...

and these. So I was happy for that week.

We then went even further up into the wilds of Northumberland. Stopped off at our favourite second-hand bookshop of all time, Barter Books in Alnwick. Its an absolute must, even if you're not a great book lover, cos it's housed in the old railway station, it's massive, it's got a great atmosphere, a lovely little eatery called the 'station buffet' and its all magical.


It has huge murals on the walls of famous writers, etc and beautiful quotations all around the top of the shelves. Plus a little electric toy train that runs round a track up above your head all the time.


So we all stocked up on books for the second week of the trip which we spent even further North. Will tell all in my next post but for now I just want to catch up with all you lot and what you've been up to on your blogs. We had no internet access whilst we were away!

Last but not least though - a big thanks to Fat Quarterly blog for posting that interview with me. Click this link if you want to get straight to it. And thanks to all those new people who saw it and left such sweet comments about my work, and especially to those who have placed orders!

Nice to be back!