Catherine Daniel Ceramics

Hello and welcome to my blog where I share some of the thought processes and textile/quilting inspirations behind my ceramic art, and occasionally other random topics!
For more details and pictures of my ceramic creations, please see my website -

catherinedanielceramics.com



Thursday 1 September 2011

Beachcombing on Lindisfarne


We escaped for a long weekend in Northumberland, just Mr Potterjotter and me, and whilst we were there we did a bit of beachcombing. But this wasn't what we were looking for!

Nor this! I've already got several spare tyres!


Anyone need a beaten up old traffic cone?
You never know when that might come in handy!


Did anyone lose a baseball cap? No?
Maybe a washing-up glove then?

Am sure by now you're getting my drift (sorry, couldn't resist!)

Searching along the tide-line was a real wake-up call! What is all this stuff doing in the sea?? And this seems to be typical of so many of our beaches these days. I don't remember it being this bad when I was a kid, but maybe I just didn't notice it then.



Anyway, sorry if I've depressed you, but on a brighter note ..... we did find what we were looking for and this is how I got my treasure off the beach and into the car-boot.



No, that's not Father Christmas come early, nor is it the Lindisfarne Dustbin Man.
It's Mr PJ carrying a sack full of wonderful DRIFTWOOD. And here is just some of it drying out on our patio before it gets a final drying on the Aga.




This one below is my favourite piece cos it's all curlywurly!


And this is what I've done so far with two of the pieces I brought back.


They will be going to my galleries on the coast soon, where similar ones have sold out over this summer.


and obviously, they're available from me via my website too.

I just wish I could say 'made from Norfolk driftwood' on them, but for some reason there just isn't much driftwood on the beaches
round here.
Nevermind - just have to keep having long weekends away to collect more!


Bye for now,

Cathy x

17 comments:

  1. What a wonderful excuse for a weekend away!

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  2. Brilliant use od driftwood and colourful too!

    Sandie xx

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  3. The trip across to Lindisfarne is wonderful.
    I always end up with a bag of stuff when I go to the beach- bits of seaglass,twiggy bits,dry seaweed...it all gets used eventually!That curly-wurly bit is ace.

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  4. This makes it a reason to go, not an excuse!!

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  5. They are wonderful, I'm not surprised they sold out this summer.... and a perfect excuse to go to the beaches to find more :)
    Sue Xxx

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  6. my children tease me terribly about collecting driftwood, it could be because I always want the Hugest pieces that we can't even lift let alone fit in the car...... x your bits are lovely and much more practical.

    maybe all the beach rubbish comes from the tourists that get washed away each month trying to cross the causeway at high tide...

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  7. what a great idea!

    (I love beach combing...)

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  8. So glad I found your lovely blog, what fabulous creations! I'm planning to make a huge mug of tea and catch up on your past posts.
    Thanks for stopping by my blog too.
    Kandi xx

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  9. Great idea with those driftwoods.

    As for the other finds on the beach (same problem here, in Poland) I think it's the matter of quantity - there's much more cars and bottles now so it is more visible. Probably the bad behaviours were here even before us.
    But you are right, it's hard to live with this.

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  10. Thanks for visitng me and your comment. I just LOVE what you've done with that gorgeous driftwood!

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  11. Love having stumbled onto this post. My wife and I visited Lindisfarne back in '03, were mesmerized. These days I pick up debris & plastics on my own shore in Maine, USA. (http://www.theflotsamdiaries.org) It's definitely more now than it ever was when I was growing up, and getting worse. Sad to see that it's even invaded Holy Island! That said, it seems that you were still able to find flotsam of the natural kind too, and a nice haul of it.

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  12. I LOVE driftwood and rarely find any these days - I can see I'll have to take myself off to Lindisfarne! (any excuse!), I love what you made. xxx

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  13. Hi Catherine LOve your work !! i have made a driftwood Christmas tree am waiting for some good old storms to go driftwooding on the beaches here in North Cornwall in Cornwall.....KIeren

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  14. Oh i do love a good beachcomb, and what a perfect reason for you to go away again! Lindisfarne is a place i long to visit. Love the things you made. My lass and I have been collecting driftwood this past week to, and am now planning things to make.

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