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



Friday 4 May 2012

When Things get Personal


When I start feeling a bit like a one-woman factory making these above, (that Block is 'Dove at the Window'), then I'm grateful for an opportunity to mix it up a bit by doing special commissions for people.
Recently I was asked to make a 40th Birthday wall-piece for someone's hubby, and could I please incorporate ....  a Chicken, a Tortoise, a Heart, a Boat, and something in green and yellow denoting Norwich City Football Club.



No sooner said than done (well, ok, three weeks later!) and this is what it turned out like.  They were rather pleased with my efforts, and a few weeks later, when it was 40th Birthday Boy's Granny's 100th Birthday (!!), they asked if I would make something for Gran, incorporating a few of her favourite things ..... A Racehorse and Jockey, Playing Cards, an Apple Pie, Hearts, a Church and a Golden Retriever!

Er ...  OK then.




I don't often talk about the cost of my work in this blog, but I don't mind telling you that I charged £45.00 for each of these, which I think is quite reasonable.  I have looked around at commemorative plates being sold by other potters, and they are way more expensive ...  we're talking over £100 easily!




If I were to make one of these for myself, (which would be rather silly and, let's face it, not much of a surprise!), I suppose my favourite things to be included would be ....  Pottery, Ballroom Dancing (I'm learning!), Hills and Dales, Hearts and Flowers, and a panel depicting a Mummy, Daddy, Girl and two Boys.



What five or six things would be on your commemorative wall plaque?  What are a few of your favourite things ....  Raindrops on Roses, Whiskers on Kittens, Bright Copper Kettles?



Golden Retrievers?

Have a great gloriously sunny long weekend!  I know, I know ...

Cathy

(p.s.   Giveaway coming next week).

16 comments:

  1. those are lovely, my plate would have roses, and daisies, snowflakes and teacups, and on Friday night perhaps a glass of wine. xx

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  2. I can only imagine the amount of work that must have gone into those special birthday plaques! The detail and designs are brilliant, what a lovely gift, and I think you were quite modest with your charges considering!
    My plaque would have to include a family of 3, a little golden poodle, a ginger and white cat, a patchwork quilt, flowers in a garden and a beach/sea/blue sky pic!
    Have a happy long weekend Cathy whatever the weather may bring (no guesses!)
    Gill xx

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  3. Really lovely gifts. Mine would be a family of four (my girl and boy), heart, beach, flower and a little thatched cottage

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  4. Oh wow Cathy these are really beautiful heirlooms!
    Hmm Obviously some patchwork, something floral, a needle and thread, a gingerbreadman and woman, and lots of hearts!!

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  5. Love them- and they were very inexpensive!
    I am sure they will be loved for many years.

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  6. Ballroom dancing (both of us), needle and thread (me), paintbrush (me), a mathematical equation (him) and a sailing dinghy (both of us). I think the only slight struggle you might have would be the equation!

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  7. Ah, lovely, Cathy! Ballroom dancing, eh? I suppose I'd have to have ....erm...... a fiddle, a melodeon, ...perhaps NOT a Morris dancer......erm.....oh! a book, a quilt, some tulips....and perhaps....a CAKE!!!! I think that gets it all covered!

    I think you're spot on with pricing; it depends where you are based, who your market is.. I know I am having awful pangs pricing up for the craft fair on Monday. If I was in Selvedge magazine I could charge umpty-tumpty for my pin-cushions but as I'm not, well they'll be much more modestly pitched.

    Lovely, lovely plaques I bet they are well appreciated.

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  8. Cathy- they are stunning! My plaque would include- a beach hut( I have one) , a fiddle( for the bluegrass music I love) , a patchwork quilt ( for all the sewing I do) , a piece of luggage (for all the travelling I love to do) , a book (for the reading that I cannot live without) , an apple mac icon (for the technology that rules my life) and a heart ( for my family and the love of life) -cheesy I know but true! I hink I may commision this for my 60th next year!!
    Hxx

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  9. Amazing price for such wonderful detailed work!

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  10. £45 is a snip! They are fab. 6 things, I need more time to decide...

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  11. Hugely impressed at your ability to pull all those visually unpromising things together and make them work...£45...BARGAIN!
    6 things- flowers ( probably tulips as that would cover two things in one),my cats,I'm going for a heart as well, leaves, something to do with knitting and sewing...I suppose Star Trek would need to be in there somewhere...can you do a Borg?

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  12. Those are 2 really beautiful commissions and the recipients are really lucky people. I will be keeping a look out for more of your work when we are back in Norfolk for the summer. I have no idea which 6 things I would put on my plaque but will be thinking about it for a while yet.

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  13. Your work is WONDERFUL and WELL worth what you charge...You won my Giveaway- so pop over and leave me your contact details...
    Warm Wishes,
    Callie x

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  14. They are gorgeous and what wonderful present ideas! I would choose the sea, springer spaniels, a bottle of red wine, sunshine, some wool and of course a camper van!

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  15. What a lovey gift. The neat thing about receiving one of these plaques would be seeing what your family selected as your favorite things. Mine would have to have Hawaii, coffee, pottery, flowers, sign language and family. Your work is fantastic.

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  16. Cathy they are really fantastic and such a unique and personal gift. Your work is progressing and looking amazing both in style and uniqueness. Definitely great value. It is always so difficult pricing pottery as it is very costly when you consider buying the raw materials, the bisque firing, glazing and re-firing, the electricity used for the kilns, and then your time and artistic talent, and then the shops are filled with mass produced pieces, covered in transfers and imported from countries far away.
    Fantastic gifts to treasue....

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