Potter Jotter

To the Drawing Board

2012-01-23T05:20:00.001-08:00

Since I am now making large bowls depicting scenes from Fables and Legends, I thought it would be time to focus a little more on my drawing skills (for want of a better word!).
Unlike many potters, I don't sketch anything before I start - although I have always planned it all in my head, often in the wee small hours!

So, it's nice to have an artist/daughter in the house who knows exactly what to give my for a birthday present (yes - I am another year older as of last week!). This book is an absolute delight for the eyes.

It will provide endless inspiration for my 'story pots', and there's something uniquely satisfying that all these wonderful illustrations were done by women.

In post-Victorian society, every well-bred girl was schooled in the arts of sketching and drawing, and those who were particularly determined and talented were able to carve out a successful career in illustration.

This book celebrates the accomplishments of twenty-two female illustrators and features 120 of their gorgeous pictures.

Obviously, you don't need me to tell you which stories these are from as they are instantly recognisable and that's what appeals to me - to make pots which speak to everyone of common childhood heritage.

This last image, you will discern, is NOT from my new book; it is a photo of the latest piece by another 'woman's hand' - my talented daughter, Rachel. The photo does not do justice to the phenomenal detail contained within the work, which itself measures something over a metre square.

These pieces have recently been in exhibitions in London and other cities up and down the country, and are now to be included in a portfolio of work to be used as part of her application to do a Masters Degree in Art in London. (Fingers crossed!)

If you have time, please do have a browse round her new website here : racheldaniel.co.uk and see her other pieces.

She also has a blog, which she has not updated for three months - what kind of blogger is that?? And I thought I was bad! Lol.

Do you sketch a design first, or do you just .... go for it and see what happens?

x Cathy

Fables and Legends

2012-01-17T06:51:00.000-08:00

I love pottery and I love poetry so it was probably inevitable that one day I would combine the two. I am so old that I come from a time where your schooldays were spent learning great chunks of verse by heart. So now, when I can no longer remember what I went into the next room for, I can still recite poems I learned as a ten year old!

'Rats!
They fought the dogs, and kill'd the cats,
And bit the babies in the cradles,'

That was my favourite line as a kid - in the tradition of the best fairy tales, the imagery in Browning's 'Pied Piper' is wonderfully graphic and gruesome.

'Split open the kegs of salted sprats,
Made nests inside men's Sunday hats,'

And of course, every good fable has to have a moral to it and this is no exception; See what can happen to people who do not keep their promises!

I may be the only potter to decorate their pots with images of rats - but what fun I had doing these.

And so I moved on to an Arthurian Legend next.

The Lady of the Lake.

It's not an accurate depiction, and I have learnt a lesson here about doing better research next time, but I'm pleased with it nonetheless.

The patchwork pieces are still on-going, but I'm hoping these new pieces will find favour somewhere, as I need to 'mix it up a bit' in order to keep things fresh and challenging.

What are your favourite childhood stories? Maybe I'll put them on a pot!

Hope you like!

x Cathy x

New Year, New Direction

2012-01-09T09:26:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone if it's not too late to say that!
It seems like you have all done half a dozen blog posts whilst I have been having a laptop-free break!

The new direction I am taking this year pottery-wise is to concentrate more on the border around the design, than the central pattern itself. In other words, the borders will be more intricate and the central design will be quite simple. This block above is called 'Windmill', but the border is all mine own.

As this series of bowls has developed, I have focussed more and more on the borders, as they play such a pivotal part in 'setting off' the piece as a whole.
The block above is called 'Nelson's Victory', which should go down well in these parts, as old Horatio was a Norfolk boy!

I made these two just before Christmas. I have just done two more with really complex patterns around the border. They're waiting to be fired at the moment, but am pleased with the way each piece moves the whole process on a bit further.

So - did anyone make any New Year's Resolutions?
I did, but it's not going too well so far!

I resolved to be MORE SELFISH! In a good way!

In other words, I plan to do more things for myself and less things for other people who, when I last looked, had not lost the use of their limbs. They know who they are!
As I say, I haven't made a good start, but am persevering and becoming a tad unpopular in certain quarters!

Now I'm off to catch up with all your news. Looking forward to sharing 2012 with you all!

Cathy x

A new Christmas Tradition

2011-12-17T14:11:00.000-08:00

I know - how cute is this little chap? Every year grey seals breed around the Norfolk coastline from late November onwards. By New Year there are large numbers of young colonies scattered about the beaches.

In recent years, each Christmas holiday, we have made it a new family tradition to go and visit the seals. It is a wonderful site to see all the new born pups with their mums. The whole beach is roped off so that they can be left in relative peace whilst being viewed by the public from high up on the sand dunes.

But some pups, like this little one, make their way up into the dunes and lie in the path of the onlookers. You have to keep your distance - I obviously didn't get this close - I used the zoom thingy!

The number of new pups are counted each day and chalked up on a blackboard in the carpark. It has been absolutely freezing each time we have been but it is always well worth it. We then go for a hot drink and a big breakfast at a local caffe to warm up.

Do you have any Christmas Traditions which are personal to your family?

As Christmas Traditions go, this one gets the
Seal of Approval in our house. (Eeek. Sorry !!!)

Well, the last of my own little pups lands back here tomorrow for the holidays, so I am signing off now until the New Year.

Have a great Christmas everyone!

Cathy x

Giveaway Winners and Christmas Angels

2011-11-30T06:32:00.000-08:00

So, it's the last day of November (can't believe it's come round so quickly!) and as promised, here are the Snowflake Giveaway winners' names drawn out of the new hat (not yet worn!).

Thankyou to all who entered and to all those who are new followers - it was a lovely way to make new friends. The winners are a nice mix of old and new bloggy friends. If you could all drop me a line with your postal address, I'll get your snowflakes and other bits and bobs sent off as soon as possible. Email: cathy.daniel@virgin.net.
Hope you like!

So, now that excitement is over, what other Christmassy things have been happening round here? Well, I've been making lots of angels and lots and lots of little angelic slippers with hearts on them, as you can see here.

These angels seem to sell well each Christmas. They are all unique, handmade and individually glazed and look great all sitting in a row on the mantlepiece.

Personally I think they are a bit, well, quirky - but maybe that's their appeal.

They each have their own, slightly odd, facial expression - a mixture of surprise and total bewilderment - which is pretty much how I look in the run up to Christmas!

Bye for Now

x Cathy x

Two go down to Devon

2011-11-17T06:09:00.000-08:00

So, whilst we are waiting to see who wins the Giveaway (see last post), I shall regale you with tales of our little stay in Devon a few weeks ago. I am well aware that half the bloggers I visit live in the West Country, so you may know these places already.

It was just Mr PotterJotter and me (off-spring left at home and didn't burn the house down!). We stayed in this itsy-bitsy little fisherman's cottage (the cottage, not the fisherman - though who knows?). Views of the sea - wonderful!

Long walks on the South West Coastal path - this one quite spectacular but not good for the vertigo!

Visited quaint little village where each house had its own little sledge at the door for pulling their groceries home along the steep cobbled hill (no cars allowed) - like something from a bygone age.

Liked the ceiling of this church - patchwork inspiration everywhere I go!

But most of all, having never been to Devon before (no, really!), we were surprised to find that it wasn't all gentle, chocolate boxy, scenery. Our bit was mean, moody and magnificent. Wild and windy, craggy and awesome. It was full of secret little coves, fearsome rocks, shipwrecks and smugglers.

Well, OK, not smugglers, then. But it reminded Mr PJ of all those Rupert Bear adventures he read as a kid.

There he is ..... don't do it, Mr PJ ..... we love you!

Some days were a bit calmer and even the seagulls were laid-back. Here they are chilling out on a boat called 'Solitude'. And we certainly had some of that, for a change.

It was a good week!

Bye for Now

Cathy

Christmas Giveaway - Come and Get It !

2011-11-10T07:04:00.000-08:00

Now,
as promised,
here is the giveaway!

THREE ceramic snowflakes to be won (one each!) by just leaving me a comment here. No hoops to jump through - just be a follower of my humble blog!

Obviously, if you want to spread the word and it fits in with a post you're doing, that'd be great, but no worries either way.

Winner will be picked out of my new winter hat in three weeks' time on last day of November, in good time for posting to you for Christmas.

For more details and pictures of these, see previous post below.

Good Luck one and all!

Bye for now

Cathy

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

2011-10-26T06:05:00.001-07:00

Well, OK, maybe not just yet! But I have been up to my elbows in Snowflakes just lately. There they are above ready to be fired and here they are below after their second firing.

As you can see, no two snowflakes are the same, just like real ones. I did wonder if that were really true though, so I did some research on your behalf (that's ok, it was no trouble) and the answer I liked the best is :

How can you ever be sure no two snowflakes are alike since you cannot possibly check them all to find out!

They've yet to get their little hanging wires attached, but above are this year's and below are last year's. This year I came over all sensible and just stuck to three colours - red, green and gold - which is more traditionally Christmassy, whereas last year I just went a bit mad with them.

The actual scientific answer is of course that some small 'snow crystals' (kind of embryos of your fully grown snowflake) can look the same, but no two 'complex snowflakes', out of all those made over the entire history of the planet have ever looked completely alike. I find that fact staggering!

Anyway, my own 'complex snowflakes' are now featured in the Christmas Catalogue for Norwich's famous independent Department Store, Jarrolds, along with my angels and other decorative bits and pieces.

They are selling at £7.00 each, which is a whole pound less than last Christmas, so they are an absolute giveaway!

And a Giveaway is precisely what they will be, here in Blogsville, in a few weeks' time, when I get back from a little jaunt I'm now off on!

p.s. Sorry for mentioning Christmas in October, let alone SNOW!
Perish the thought - literally!

Bye for now

Cathy x

Textiles and Ceramics

2011-10-16T12:27:00.000-07:00

If you're a regular viewer, you'll know that a lot of my pottery is influenced by all kinds of textiles and needlework, particularly patchwork quilting, but this particular piece is based on the gentle art of applique.

I cut out individual patches from the clay slab, applied motifs to each one and impressed some stitching around the edges. Then into the kiln they all went.

And out of the kiln they all came. Here they are put together roughly on a black background, but eventually they will be mounted properly onto white board ready to be hung on a wall.

And speaking of wall-hangings, I was absolutely thrilled last week to win this wonderful creation from Sue's blog, @Home. My second win in as many weeks! How lucky is that? What a wonderful world blogdom is!

This is one of Sue's lovely textile paintings, quilted with machine embroidery. This kind of cleverness always makes me wish I could sew! This came in the post along with the little home-made card below which (from what I can tell !) is also a textile painting, sewn onto card and highlighted with gold. It is quite exquisite. Thank you Sue!

Quite what I have done to deserve all these treasures recently, I do not know! But it does remind me that I shall have to get a Giveaway of my own sorted out fairly soon, so watch this space.

Bye for now.

Cathy x

SkyBlueSea SkyBlueSea Giveaway winner!

2011-10-11T05:25:00.000-07:00

On this dull, windy Autumn day, it was a little tonic to receive through the post my giveaway win from Suzanne at SkyBlueSea. Just look at all this gorgeous loveliness. I should have shown you how exquisitely it was wrapped and presented, but unfortunately my excitement got the better of me and I just ripped into it!

I chose this little hairslide from about half a dozen all equally sweet. I would have shown it in my long glossy locks, except that I desperately need my roots doing and you don't want a close-up of that! Not even this delightful hairslide could make that a good look!

And this unusual little personalised bookmark with my initial, a charm of my choice (I chose a wing), and a little handmade fabric tag with that very appropriate quote, which I do try to follow.

And, as if that weren't enough, this lovely framed photograph printed onto watercolour paper with this stitched quote underneath.

As you can see, Suzanne is very clever and very versatile. It's a wonderful mix of textiles, quotations, photography, drawing, and lots more. I sincerely recommend you to have a look at her blog - it's always interesting, often thought provoking and always lovely to look at.

Her own description of her work says it all ...... "unique handmade treasures".

Well, I shall certainly treasure them! Thank you Suze!

Bye for now. x Cathy.

The World's Best Designer ...

2011-10-02T10:49:00.000-07:00

in my humble opinion, is Mother Nature.

Despite me still being in denial about the onset of Autumn - and let's face it, this hot weather isn't changing my mind! - I do always marvel at this time of year at the sheer beauty of nature's designs. The inside of an acorn cup is so superior to any ceramic cup I have ever seen.

And just look at all the wonderful seeds and seed heads around at this time of year. Poppy seeds are my favourite. They're so exquisite, you just couldn't have invented anything so pretty.

Just look at the way the seed head joins the stem - it's perfection!

And the Pine-cone? What was Mother Nature on, when she dreamt that one up?

This picture below is a driftwood slice of tree trunk. I think it is striking how the sand and sea has eaten into the wood to really bring out the rings running through the centre.

I could go on for ever. Sea shells, conkers, snowflakes ..... and don't even get me started on the colours of Autumn leaves!

Do you have a favourite design by that wonderful WOMAN - Mother Nature?

Bye for Now

Cathy X

Suffering in the name of Art

2011-09-25T05:57:00.000-07:00

You need to know how I suffer for my craft! So prepare to be whinged at ...

Once these letters were out of the kiln, it was like some kind of demented scrabble game ... it took me ages to sort the jumbled up heap into the words I had intended, as I couldn't remember what I had intended when I first made them!

I got there in the end, but my brain ached.

Then I had to fit the letters to individual pieces of driftwood, which had to be cleaned up and dried thoroughly. During the drying process (on my aga) driftwood smells! And not in a good way!

Then each piece had to be sanded down to get rid of any rough bits that the sea had not already dealt with. I choked on a lot of fine sawdusty stuff, before remembering to wear one of those thingys you put over your mouth and nose!

And on top of that I ended up with several jagged fingernails, a few splinters, and several grazes on my hands.

But, in the end, I managed to make some nice sea-sidey signs like those above, and some more general ones like these two below.

And for those spending Christmas in their place by the sea

Jingle All The Way !

But, Oh How I Suffered!

Would I do it all again?
You betya!
(It was great fun, really!)

Cathy x

Sea Fever

2011-09-17T12:20:00.000-07:00

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship, and a star to steer her by;
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking.

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the seagulls crying.

I must to down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way
where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.

(John Masefield)

You can keep your Season of Mists and Mellow la-di-da ......

I'm still in sea-side mood !!

Do I have any 'laughing fellow-rovers' out there??

Don't you agree that the sea is for all seasons,
not just Summer?

Cathy x

How to make a Pinwheel

2011-09-09T07:34:00.000-07:00

Well, you CAN make a pinwheel easily from a square of paper, with a few snips and folds and a pin in the middle, voila!

Or you can do it with clay, like this. The Pinwheel pattern is my favourite Quilt Block and I make more of these than any other design. The one above is glazed and waiting to be fired.

And this is the finished product. It's such a clear, simple pattern, but effective.

I'm pleased with the red dotty border because I like the way the soft, irregularity of the outer edges ....

contrasts with the straight inner border made up of a double row of winding leaves,

and also with the rigidity of the central pattern.

Sorry - I've gone all 'arty' on you, but all in all, this one is a definite success in terms of colour, form, pattern, the lot.

I shall make more!

Bye for now

Cathy X

Beachcombing on Lindisfarne

2011-09-01T07:29:00.000-07:00

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

Having a Ball

2011-08-24T08:08:00.001-07:00

A while ago I was approached to donate a piece of art work in order to help INTO-Giving, based at the University of East Anglia, to raise funds for the building of an Orphans and Vulnerable Childrens Centre in Lusaka, Zambia.

Many artists from all over this region and beyond have agreed to donate their work as part of a grand auction to raise money. You can see more on this website: www.artballnorwich.co.uk

At a very swish Ball being held at the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts in Norwich on 9th September 200 guests will enjoy a Champagne reception, four course dinner, auction, raffle and dancing.

All the donated art can be seen now in the online catalogue on INTO-Giving's website, (above), and will also be on display at the Forum in Norwich from 1st to 3rd September. Bids can be taken at anytime before 9th September via the website.

They say that seven is a lucky number and below is a picture of Lot Number 7 in the auction - so I hope it IS lucky and that someone bids a ridiculous amount of money for it, for a good cause!

I have called it 'Patchwork and Paisley'.

Little and Large

2011-08-18T01:51:00.000-07:00

So, I'm in a desperate hurry as usual and the above picture is TERRIBLE, I know. The bunting came out beautifully, but you cannot really see it in that picture!!

These close-ups are better. Obviously I have yet to string it all together with some pretty ribbon, which I have still to get.

But it all fitted into the kiln really well around the larger pieces like this one below.

Its a Quilt Block design which I make quite a lot of, called 'Whirling Pinwheel', only this time I have tried to limit the number of colours I use - but there still seem to be a lot in there when I now look at it!

I have just taken on a new gallery in Norwich called The Grapevine - some of you may know it. They now have several of my larger pieces on display, so I expect I shall have to crack on and make a lot more of these now.

Good job I love what I do and that it all has a home to go to in the end!

Bye for now - Cathy.

Beach Huts, Bunting and Buttons

2011-08-08T08:23:00.000-07:00

Well? In the words of Rolf Harris, 'can you tell what it is yet'?

It is the first wet clay stage of my ceramic bunting which seems to be going mad this year. I dropped some off at a gallery last week and it was gone the next day.

Because I don't make large batches of anything, I tend to vary (and hopefully improve) the design each time I make something. I would find making batches of fifty or so cups/jugs, all the same, excruciatingly boring, so this way of working suits me fine.

These strings of bunting will have little hearts and flowers on the flags, as well as the usual stripes and dots. These have just been bisque fired today and are now awaiting a glorious glazing session.

Speaking of Bunting, earlier this year I made a larger one of these beach hut bowls below. In this smaller version, as usual I varied the design, and added a string of bunting connecting each hut. I created this design myself - it's not a traditional patchwork block like many others I do - so I am really pleased at the way it has turned out. This one is still warm - fresh out of the kiln today.

The colours positively sing of summer - really bright and gay (in the original sense of that word!).

And last but not least, my little flower buttons which I have to make masses of, as they are the ones I 'sew' onto my mixed media quilt bowls. The ones at the top are Christmas (there! I've said it!) buttons, which I will be taking to a few craft fairs towards the end of the year.

Now ..... I have to get back to my newly acquired garden swing seat. If I spend more than half an hour lying on it I find that when I'm in bed at night, I get the sensation that I am still swaying! Weird.

Hearts and Flowers

2011-07-29T07:46:00.000-07:00

What do you think of these little heart brooches? They are about 3cm across and I made them during my mammoth button making episode a few weeks ago.
I've never done jewellery before, but for fairly chunky things like these, I think ceramic works quite well.

And if you should spot anyone out and about wearing one of these, it is probably me. Well - they say it pays to advertise!

You might remember the large patchwork platter I was making a while ago too. This is how it came out. I'm not sure if the pale colours are really to my own personal taste, but I hope someone out there will like it as it is off to a gallery next week.

Technically, I am pleased with it and may make another in a different colour scheme.

By the way, you may like to know that last week a certain department store which stocks my work was asking about items for the up-coming Chr****** Season.
That's the first mention of the unmentionable 'C' word this year - in JULY!! Only how many Shopping Days til ...... ?

Young Talent

2011-07-24T12:15:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago we went to the 2011 Fine Art Degree Show at Lancaster University to view the work of the art students who have graduated this year. The exhibition will be moving to London later in the summer.

The standard and variety of work on show was absolutely stunning. We were particularly impressed with this body of work by a certain Rachel Daniel.

Through highly detailed graphite work, she attempts to rebuild images of the body from fragments of medical data reconstructed in an excessive and ornamented drawing style.

These images were huge - the whole height of the room. It took this student months to accomplish this amount of detail. It was truly awesome and my pathetic pictures just don't do it justice. If you really are interested in seeing better images of these, please follow this link to her artist's page:

www.britishuniversityartists.org/profile/RachelDaniel.

A few days after the show, Rachel Daniel was informed that she had gained a

FIRST CLASS Honours Degree in Fine Art

and last Thursday her proud parents attended her Degree Ceremony, wondering how that three years went by so quickly!

She is now back at home, looking for a job in the art world of East Anglia or further afield. Its a difficult time for Job-seekers at the moment, so here's hoping that she is able to find something. It would be a shame not to be able to put a talent like this to good use.

If anyone knows of any vacancies, do let us know!

Blogging - Awards and Giveaways

2011-07-14T06:08:00.000-07:00

A big thanks to Callie at MuMu and Squeak's Place for awarding me with the above. I think I now have to tell you seven things you didn't know about me, and probably didn't want to know either, but here goes:

~ I am ashamed to say I had the heating on today as I got a bit cold - IN JULY!! Shhh - don't tell anyone!

~ I still haven't really got to grips with blogging - I sometimes send comments three times thinking they've not got through, then realise they are 'awaiting approval' from the owner! They must think I am MAD!

~ Favourite film actor is James Stewart. Favourite film actress is Audrey Hepburn.

~ Weird things I can do : wiggle baby toe independently of the others. Touch nose with tongue. Wiggle ears. Raise each eyebrow individually. Have been surprised to find that not everyone is born with these gifts. (Stop it now - you look really silly!!)

~ Favourite food : anything almondy. Almonds (obviously), marzipan, any cake using ground almonds instead of flour, and of course Amaretto as a late night tipple.

~ I have been on a low carb eating regime for years and would not eat any other way. I love to eat masses of fruit and veg, rather than stodgy bread and cakes. I am not a saint though, and I do indulge once in a while, as a treat.

~ Looking forward to: going to Latitude Festival this weekend - to see Paolo Nutini !! I shall not be bopping, more like hopping (due to sprained ankle). Its gonna rain all day so looks like being a real 'wellies' festival!

Now, I think I am supposed to nominate
several of you for this same award
and then you can tell us about yourselves too!
Well, you know, you are all wonderfully versatile bloggers,
and so if you would like to do this,
please leave a comment to that effect
and consider yourself nominated!!

Above and below are two fantastic giveaways going on at the moment. Click below to investigate each.

Gillyflower at http://gillyflower5.blogspot.com

Crafts@Home at http://blog.suepops.co.uk

Catch up with you again next week. Have a fun rainy July weekend!!

All the Best

Cathy x

Enforced Relaxation

2011-07-11T05:57:00.000-07:00

Where have I been?

Well, call me weird, but a week's sunny beach holiday in Spain has never been in my top ten things to do before I die. I prefer to get out and about, do and see different things. I was never one for lazing about really.

So, I was slightly hesitant about a week in Menorca
with hubby and three 'grown-up' kids.

But, as luck would have it, a week before we were due to fly out, I fell down a flight of stairs and badly sprained my ankle, leaving me more or less immobile, hobbling around with a crutch and having to be waited on hand and foot (literally!).

(It happened in a pub, and before you ask, I had only had one orange juice - honest!!)

So you see, once we got there, the only thing I was fit to do was sit with my foot up and look at the above view from the terrace of our villa, or lie on a hot beach, or swim in a warm aqua sea, or eat lots of nice tapas in local restaurants, or float around in our pool.
It was hell, really!

And I am even more lucky that I sprained my ankle during flip-flop weather, since the foot swelled up so much that I could not get any other shoes on to it!

If it had been Winter, it would have meant a big comfy slipper and a sock - not a great outdoors look!

Gonna catch up with all your news now.

Bye for now.

Hoppalong

Buttons, buttons and more buttons

2011-06-29T11:30:00.000-07:00

So, the above shows about half of those buttons I made threaded onto kiln-proof rods which are then placed onto the 'bead tree'. I don't know why they call it a 'bead tree' as it looks more like an Abacus to me.

The whole thing then goes into the kiln. It is an incredibly fiddly job. If any of those buttons touch each other, their glazes will fuse and the buttons will stick together. As you can see, some of them ARE touching, so more fiddly fiddling was required before blast off.

But they came out really well. This is only about half of them.

I still have loads of smaller ones to glaze, but after doing all these I was risking 'button glazing blindness', so I decided enough was enough.

I particularly like these leafy ones - their pattern is striking and unusual, which appeals to me.

Not sure you'd actually use them as functional buttons, possibly more as ornamentation for a garment, or a bag, or something.

I'll show you the rest of this kiln load next time.

Cheery Bye!

Cathy

God is in the Detail ...

2011-06-17T08:35:00.001-07:00

.... or is it the Devil who's in the detail - I never know!

At last week's craft fair, along with a few larger items, I sold nearly all my tiny bits and bobs - I think its a sign of the times that most people want to buy something, but can really only afford the itty-bitty bits. So, I needed to re-stock and I've been busy making millions of little buttons and beads of all shapes and sizes and adding detail to each one. OK - well, not quite millions, but it feels that way cos they're all a bit, well, fiddly and painstaking. But worth it in the end!

I have some very exclusive tools (above) which I use for cutting out the different sizes - plastic bottle tops, an old lipstick tube and the top of a whiskey bottle - but they do the trick.

Once these are completely dry, I 'fettle' them - that's the technical name for smoothing off all the rough edges, etc. and into the old kiln they go.

All my little acorns got sold, so I've made more of those too. They always seem popular with other crafters, for adding to their own work to make it a bit different.

My textiley friend, Bev, used my acorns in her work last year and now she has asked me for some buttons and beads in blues and greens to add to her latest pieces. You can check out her blog here - she's just started it, so it would be nice to pop by and say hello if you have time.

Above is a slightly different take on a patchwork piece. Am still thinking about the glaze colours for it - not sure yet.

It came out of the first firing today, with all the above bits - so now I just have to get down to glazing them all.

Easier said than done, given that English student and Art student are both returning for the summer with all their 'stuff ' any day now! Where does the time go???

Bye for now - Cathy.

Buying and Selling

2011-06-12T07:15:00.000-07:00

So, this was my little pitch at the Pick n Mix Makers market at Holt in North Norfolk yesterday.

My assistant for the day, (Mr PotterJotter), and I left home at the ungodly hour of 8a.m. in order to get there in time to set it all up. I am not a morning person, so when he starts singing along (every single word!) to Mr Tambourine Man on the car radio, declaring 'What a great start to the day!', I do inwardly wonder 'Great for whom?'.

I was quite happy with the overall look of my bit - quite bright and fresh and cheerful. One of my first visitors was Dosie Rosie, whose blog I pop into regularly.
It was so lovely to meet and chat to her in person.

I have to say that I was amazed at the wealth of craftsmenship on exhibit in that one hall. The above is Heart of Glass - gorgeous stained glass pieces, one of which I just had to have - this little fishy below.

It was great fun chatting to all the other stall-holders, but it was thirsty work and regular cuppas were washed down with helpings of this little lot, (I didn't want to but Mr PJ made me!), courtesy of Daisy Boo's Kitchen.

I also got me this gorgeous felt brooch from Planet Penny, another fellow blogger who I had met but not in person.

And there is the lady herself behind her really pretty stall.

It was such a fun day, with so much talent on view. Here are Celia Hart's prints and illustrations.

and another pretty stall called Glory Days, who also have a shop in Norwich.

All great fun, and what's more, I did not spend all my profits buying other people's wares .... because .... we just swapped instead!

They chose something of mine they wanted, and I chose something of theirs.

So, everyone went home happy!!

Pick n Mix Makers Market - Holt - North Norfolk

2011-06-07T09:12:00.000-07:00

And I suppose Life pretty much is a Beach if you happen to live, or be on holiday, in beautiful North Norfolk. Which is where I am heading on Saturday with the above wall-piece and other bits and bobs ...

... if I ever get it all packed up so that it arrives there in one piece. If only I'd chosen a craft which was, well, a bit less fragile!

Have done lots of sea-sidey things, which I'm hoping people will want to hang in their cottages by the sea - I know I would - if I had one - which I haven't - well not yet anyway - but one day - possibly - please - you never know!

So, do pop along if you're around there, and if not you can always visit the website
~ www.picknmixmakersmarket.blogspot.com ~
and have a look at the other makers who'll be there.
They have some wonderful blogs - which I'm off to visit myself right now.

And, yes, I probably shall spend any profits I make on Saturday
buying other crafters' wares!
Oh well!

Starry Starry Starfish

2011-05-30T12:30:00.000-07:00

I found a tiny starfish
In a tide pool by the sand.
I found a tiny starfish
And put him in my hand.

An itty-bitty starfish
No bigger than my thumb,
A wet and golden starfish
Belonging to no one

I thought I would take him
From the tide pool by the sea,
And bring him home to give to you
A loving gift from me.

But as I held my starfish,
His skin began to dry.
Without his special seaside home,
My gift to you would die

I found a tiny starfish
In a tide pool by the sea.
I hope whoever finds him next
Will leave him there like me!

And the gift I've saved for you?
Is the best gift I can give:
I found a tiny starfish,
And for you, I let him live.

Dayle Ann Dodds (1952-)

Am having a bit of a Starfish moment! They'll be making their way to the Pick 'n' Mix Makers' Market at Holt in a few weeks' time. For details see sidebar top right.

Paisley and Patchwork

2011-05-24T10:39:00.001-07:00

This is the Indian woodblock which is used for printing onto textiles in India and which I use for imprinting into soft clay. I love Paisley patterns and have recently incorporated them a lot into my patchwork designs. But I didn't know why Paisley is called Paisley - so I looked it up in that wonderful internet site where we find out everything about everything these days and ....

Paisley is a droplet-shaped vegetable motif of Indian or Persian origin. The pattern is sometimes called "Persian pickles" by American traditionalists, especially quiltmakers, and "Welsh pears" in Welsh textiles as far back as 1888.

Imports from the East India Company in the first half of the 17th century made paisley and other Indian patterns popular, and the Company was unable to import enough to meet the demand.

And now for a bit of social history, which I always find interesting ....

In the 19th Century European production of paisley increased, particularly in the Scottish town from which the pattern takes its modern name. Soldiers returning from the colonies brought home cashmere wool shawls from India, and the East India Company imported more. The design was copied from the costly silk and wool Kashmir shawls and adapted for use on handlooms.

From roughly 1800 to 1850, the weavers of the town of Paisley in Renfrewshire, Scotland, became the foremost producers of these shawls, and so this pattern got called after the town they were made.

Obviously, if I'd had loads of Cashmere shawls lying around the place, I might of known all this!

Anyway, I am gonna now call it the 'Persian Pickle Pattern' as that sounds cooler than Paisley!

You learn something new ... or did you guys all know this anyway?

Happy Blogday to Me

2011-05-17T02:31:00.000-07:00

So, unbelievably, its a whole year since my first blogpost, in which I wondered aloud whether I was talking to myself (as usual). But I very soon was not, and I can honestly say its one of the best things I've ever done.

Why?

Connection, support, friendship, encouragement, inspiration, knowledge, a laugh, a cry, empathy, ideas, challenges, prizes (I've had a few wins!), generosity, warmth, and much much more.
And I really hope that some of these things are reciprocated when you visit my blog.

Of course, there are some downsides to it all - very irritating technical stuff around the actual process that does my head in!

Not for nothing does 'Blogger' sound like a swearword. I am often to be heard shouting 'Oh Blogger!!' when the photos don't upload in the right order, or at all, or just take three days to get there.

But all in all its a hoot!

I've been making these wall pieces just recently and am really enjoying the process of mounting ceramic tiles/letters/shapes onto wooden boards to be hung on a wall.

My favourite is the second one, the traditional Gaelic Blessing, and so my Blogday wish for you all is :

May the road rise up to meet you.

May the wind be always at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face;

the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,

may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Parlez Vous Franglais?

2011-05-09T07:51:00.000-07:00

I'll just finish up telling you about our short break in France by showing some of the fabulous places we stayed at. For not much more than the price of a Travelodge room in England, we had sumptuous bed and breakfast accommodation here ... in this 16th Century chateau, where the owners just couldn't do enough for us.

And later, here in this little place, where we had the whole end of the building to ourselves.

But of course when you are taking advantage of the French owners' hospitality, it is imperative that you try to speak to them in French.
I can understand quite a lot of French and speak it reasonably well. However, I do take a few moments to gather my thoughts (and vocab!) before just blurting out any old rubbish.

Not so Monsieur Potterjotter. Non! He last spoke French at school back in 1918 (or thereabouts) when he did French 'O' Level, but still insists on having a go.

So the proprietor asks if we speak French. Hubby replies within a nanosecond (in his own specially-invented-French-dialect which no-one else on the planet understands) that he studied French a long time ago at school.
So the French chap replies (in proper French that I understand): Ah, so you haven't spoken French since you were a child ('enfant').

Hubby hears the word 'enfant' and replies in his pigeon French: Yes, we have one girl and two boys.

The French chap looks bewildered and I look for a hole in the ground to open up so that I can jump in and hide!

Hubby had many such 'conversations' with them - bless 'im!

That little dog lived at the fancy mansion above. I got the impression he was deaf, dumb and blind and about 100 years old, and unfortunately he was the same colour as the gravel driveway we drove in on, so that the Hubby, (also 100 years old) did not see the 'petit chien' and nearly ran him down. Not a great start to our stay at that place!

Just love all the shutters in France - they really add something to a place.

Parlez Vous Francais?

France along the back roads

2011-05-06T06:42:00.001-07:00

So, we loaded up the fridge and freezer full to bursting, left the young people to it, and me and the hubby hopped on a ferry to Northern France for a short break just after Easter. We kept to the quiet back roads and investigated places we had never been before.

Like Amiens. Badly damaged during the war, it is now a wonderful mix of old and new. The cathedral is absolutely wonderful, with fantastic stained glass windows.

There are lovely walks along the canal-sides of the old town.

We moved on from there, pottering around other medieval towns and villages. I just love all that Gothic architecture you get in France and Germany.

I put in down to all those Fairy Tales I was read as a child. Every time I see a tower with a turret, I think of Rumplestiltskin, or Rapunzel letting down her golden hair so that the prince could climb up and rescue her... Ouch!

I never did get my castle with turrets ....

... or the beautiful long golden hair, for that matter...

But I did get my handsome prince .... kind of.

We had a great time.
Now, though, I am going to visit all of you to see what you've been up to.

Weren't some of those Fairy Tales just plain weird?
No wonder we all grew up slightly bonkers!

And the Winner is ....

2011-04-30T05:36:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

Am just back from a week in France, (of which more soon), so just a very short blog post to announce the winners of the Easter Giveaway.

My baby boy (aged 16) picked three names out of the hat and a little chick along with a pack of assorted bits and bobs will be winging its way to:

Gill at Dosie Rosie

Catherine at Kids and Capers

Winterwood (sorry I'm not sure of your actual name!)

Please could you email your details to :
cathy.daniel@virgin.net

Very many thanks to all who took part.

Bye for now - Cathy

Chicks and Eggs and other stuff

2011-04-20T05:37:00.000-07:00

I should have made more of these as they vanished as soon as they hit the shelves - please remind me of this next Easter!

They were fun to make - I love bright colours, as you may have guessed.

As hinted at in my last post, the PotterJotter nest is temporarily over-crowded with chicks who've flown back for Easter, and today we rooted out the decorative eggs they painted when they were tots.

I sincerely hope you can tell which I painted (above !! thankyou!) and which they painted (below).

I burst several blood vessels blowing the yolk out of all this lot so that they could be adorned in such an artistic way. Back in the day, one couldn't buy eggs readymade for decorating as I'm sure you can these days.

So the big chicks have been very bored and I've had them clearing stuff out. Any suggestions as to what to do with all these VHS videos? No-one wants them these days. I have a bin bag FULL in the back of my car at the moment, but where to next? The dump?
Please don't say our attic - that's Mr PotterJotter's answer to everything, and the upstairs ceilings are about to cave in under the weight of what's already there!

It makes me sad looking at them.
Its their childhood, told in videos.
Sob...

HAVE A HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!
(For Easter Giveaway, see previous post - closes 30 April)

Easter Giveaway x Three

2011-04-17T04:01:00.002-07:00

Three little chicks need a new home (and, No! I'm not talking about my own three little chicks who have all flown back to the nest for Easter, although, actually, now that I think about it ....).

No - I wouldn't do that to you. But these three are ready to fly off to whoever wants them.
Query - do chickens fly or do they just jump up and down and flap a lot - like the rest of us?

And each chick will bring with it a little bag of assorted handmade ceramic beads, buttons, tags, etc, something like this little lot in the picture above.

So if you feel you could offer a good home to a patchwork chick, just leave me a comment to let me know. Simple as that.

And the three winners will be drawn out of a hat in two weeks' time - on 30th April. Obviously, the Giveaway Gods will probably look down more kindly upon those entrants who are followers of the blog, so if you're not already, you're very welcome to join!

I'm being watched !

2011-04-11T06:51:00.001-07:00

As I sit in my garden enjoying our little bit of sunshine, I am aware that there are faces all around, watching me. These are just a few of them.

Many moons ago, when I first started out on my ceramics journey, I went through a bit of a 'Green Man' phase. They are just about the first things I made, so they've lasted well! The individual leaves are all handmade and attached one by one.

As you all probably know, the Green Man is a mythical figure, frequently found on carvings in Churches and other buildings.

The above is obviously not a Green Man - he is my first and only attempt at sculpting a head; he now sits on top of a large pot in the shade of the trees, and gets more worn and mossy with each passing year.

This one is supposed to have things growing through the holes in his chin, but as you see, nothing has yet been planted in there this year. Must alert the gardener to that little job!

The 'Green Man' is generally seen as a symbol of re-birth, representing the cycle of growth which arrives with each Spring.

Is there a re-birth going on in your garden?

How to Make a Patchwork Quilt

2011-04-06T06:51:00.000-07:00

So, no, of course I didn't actually make that one above - as if! That would have been a good one for April Fool's Day last week.
No, I make mine like this:
First I roll out the clay and imprint the design into it, putting a pretty flowery border all round the edge by pushing in a strip of lace. This particular quilt-block pattern is called 'Towers of Camelot' - can just about see why, I think!

When the whole design is complete, I think to myself: 'its gonna take a hell of a long time to paint glaze into all those flowers - why did I do that?!'

Then I carefully lift the flat piece off the cloth and push into a large round mould. I faff about with the edges a bit to make them nice and fluted and raggedy, in a smooth kind of way.

Into the kiln it goes and out of the kiln it comes. Then I glaze the whole thing, hoping the colours will work together as well in reality as they do in my head.

Into the kiln a second time and when its fired, I lift the lid whilst it is still very hot to have a cheeky peep, which I know I MUST NOT DO because one day the pieces will crack from the thermal shock of introducing cold air too soon - but I live dangerously and cannot wait.

The detail in the flower border was well worth the time and effort and, in fact, the whole thing was pretty much worth the effort. I take it out onto the sunny patio and take a terrible, hurried picture of it on a dirty grey patio slab, which does not do it justice ...

.... but, hey, I want to get this blog post done and get back out there in the sunshine. Its a pretty, Spring coloured bowl for a pretty, Spring coloured day.
Have you been out there today?

Make your own Beach Huts

2011-03-29T07:28:00.001-07:00

First, roll out your clay and cut out lots of little beach huts.
Then roll out some more clay, imprint on to it your design and press it into a large round mould.
Stick your little beach huts all round the edge.

When the bowl has dried out, pop into the kiln and fire for the first time.
Take out of kiln and apply your different coloured glazes, and pop back into kiln for second firing.

Take out of kiln when done and HeyPresto! You have your Beach Huts Bowl - all bright and summery.

Don't forget to attach your little home-made shells which you made earlier.

And if you sell enough of these you could one day own your own real life Beach Hut. What colour would yours be and .... more importantly, what would you name it?

I can't decide between this gorgeous bright yellow one with its name straight out of Shakespeare's "Shall I compare thee to a Summer's day" ...

or this wonderful aqua colour with a name that surely sums up the gentle art of sitting in the warmth, gazing out to sea with permanent access to a kettle and teabags!

Do you have one? Do you want one? What colour? What's its name?

I wish I could sew !!

2011-03-26T10:45:00.000-07:00

So, I am having a very lazy lie in this morning when Mr PotterJotter brings me the post along with my morning cuppa. And there it is - a little package from Clare at Summerfete with the contents of her recent Giveaway which I was lucky enough to win.

It was all wrapped so beautifully in tissue paper and ribbon. I was ridiculously excited. I spotted the first little sparkly sticker on the actual envelope and went "Aahhh". Then another "Aahh" when the next one appeared inside the package, so that when I came to the third one, Mr PotterJotter himself went "Aahh" .... closely followed by "Ouch!" as he received a sharp prod to the rib-cage, for being so sarky. Men just don't understand these little things!

Anyway, here are the sweetest little coasters you ever did see, looking gorgeous on my kitchen dresser. I always examine things in detail - which sounds really rude, but isn't - I am just interested to work out how things have been made. I do it with pottery all the time. Well, I can tell you without word of a lie - these are impeccable - teeny tiny stitches all in rigid straight lines - how on earth do you sewing people do it? I couldn't make one of these in a million and one years!

Which is why its only right that I won, cos you sewing people can always have a stab at making them yourself - right? Its so weird that I don't sew, when I just love fabric and my pottery is mostly textile/patchwork influenced. You see them here with cups on them, but I shall not really be allowing any drippy coffee mugs anywhere near them!

Clare also sent me what she calls a "Thingummy", which has found its rightful place hanging on the dresser door. See how well it matches the Denby crockery and the gingham trim - its like it was always meant to be its destiny!

Thank you Clare! Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

I Love Sunflowers

2011-03-20T08:14:00.001-07:00

Don't you love sunflowers? What's not to love! This is a piece I made recently for a new internet shop which launched a few weeks ago called I LOVE SUNFLOWERS.

Check it out here.

It sells allsorts of sunflower themed creations, not just pottery. They asked me to make some pieces for them, so we had a chat about what they wanted and I supply them with a small range of sunflower themed ceramics. They pride themselves on selling products which are Exclusive, High Quality and Handmade.

We all know how the sunflower turns to follow the sun throughout the day ... well, I think the following quote encapsulates what makes the sunflower so special.

But I also thought it might be speaking about the gentle art of blogging ... and making new bloggy friends and 'following' their blogs, and them following yours:

“Every friend is to the other a sun, and a sunflower also.
He attracts and follows.”

Jean Paul Richter quotes (German Novelist and humorist, 1763-1825)

OK - so they maybe didn't blog in 1825 - this bloke was obviously way ahead of his time!

Tricks of the Trade

2011-03-14T07:17:00.001-07:00

So these are some of the larger pieces I took out of the kiln last week.
Some of you may remember this post from just before Christmas when I showed you my advent calendar made by my daughter which contained various cheap or found everyday objects which I could use to make patterns in soft clay.

She did an excellent job and one of the things she included has become my all-time favourite pottery tool.
You see the funny red pattern which forms the border round these two pieces?
It reminds me of the little plastic 'people' from the game of Cluedo - are they still shaped like that? Bet they've changed ... everything does. Anyway, rows and rows of Miss Scarlets is what I think of when I see this.

And I'd like to say I carved it all out individually in a mammoth painstaking way, but actually I just pressed into the clay with the said 'tool'.
What is it? Is it some sort of salad server or something? Or a badly designed soup spoon!

Anyway, whatever it is, it does the trick.
Do you have any tricks of your trade/craft/hobby?

In Glorious Colour

2011-03-10T06:36:00.000-08:00

I took delivery of these new glaze colours a few weeks ago and just hoped to goodness that the colours turned out ok once they were fired. What qualifications do I need to get the great job of giving glaze colours their names - or paint colours for that matter? Top left then going clockwise we have : Crimson, Triton, Pacific, Poppy, Cold Star (??) and British Racing Green.

Years ago when the kids were small and insisted on going to MacDonald's, they used to get a pink gloopy milkshake that looked exactly like this Crimson glaze. They nearly burst a blood vessel trying to suck it up through the straw! (The milkshake, not the glaze).

Anyway - all is well and the colours are brilliantly bright and in-your-face, which is what I wanted. Needed a change from doing patchwork hearts, so did these flowery ones instead.

Haven't attached the wire hangers yet - just wanted to get the photos done before the light faded.

Russian folk-art seems to be all the rage at the moment, on wrapping paper, tins, greeting cards, everywhere - so thought I'd join in and make a few hanging Russian Dolls, and am really pleased with them.
I'll show you the larger (more serious) pieces which I also took out of the kiln today in my next post. Hope you like!

Bring Me Sunshine

2011-02-28T07:45:00.000-08:00

It has to be said ... the British Seaside town at the end of February can sometimes be a tad bleak and dreary, bordering on depressing and dead. Not so this place last Thursday afternoon.

That's Mr PotterJotter with eldest daughter and youngest son looking out over the sunlit sea to the horizon. It was bright, breezy and bracing.

The whole promenade was dotted with interesting little art installations - all part of the Tern Project - for more info click here.

The perfect long stroll in glorious sunshine, with lots of interesting things to look at along the way.

And to top it off, afternoon tea was taken at the wonderfully restored, art deco Midland Hotel right on the seafront at Morecambe. I forgot to take a pic of that, though you can read about its renovation if you google it.

All part of a flying visit to see student number one at her University in the North West.

Bring me Sunshine? No problem.
Is it sunny where you are today?

Yes...No...Maybe...OK then...

2011-02-22T02:07:00.000-08:00

The oldest, shortest words - 'Yes' and 'No' - are those which require the most thought. Pythagoras.

Well, old Pythagoras may have had me confused at school with his squares and hypotenuses but I am totally with him on the 'yes' and 'no' thing.

Sometime before Christmas I was asked to give a talk to a local Art group, to which I said 'Yes', as it seemed like a good idea at the time. And I am still glad I said 'Yes', even though the talk is taking place tonight and I am now beginning to wonder if I will be able to deliver what they might be expecting. I have never done this before, you see. Eeeek!

But I have learned over the years to say 'Yes' to lots of things that might make me a bit apprehensive, because, in the end, after the event, I have always been glad that I did it and it always worked out fine. Saying 'Yes' has led to new experiences, new opportunities and new people.

I have even said 'yes' to doing a demonstration in The Forum Shop in the centre of Norwich all day one Saturday in April - though am even now considering doing that one in disguise!

Wish me luck for tonight. Do you ever say yes and wish you hadn't but are then glad you did?

Or is it just me?

Read the Signs

2011-02-17T05:31:00.000-08:00

Just been tooooo busy to blog lately, sorry! I long for the times when I didn't have a 'list' on the go - I need another holiday!

Last year's holiday was partly spent on Lindisfarne where there were the most amazing expanses of beach with loads of driftwood. Honestly, we didn't have to look for it, we were tripping over it.

Its the best quality driftwood too - looks like its been honed by the sand and sea for centuries - really smooth and tactile.

I collected a few bits, thinking I might do something with them, but not knowing quite what. Now I know what, and I've run out of wood! Wish I'd filled the car boot with it now! Can't find quite the same thing on Norfolk beaches, but will continue the search cos its always good to have an excuse to go to the coast.

Which is where this lot is headed - to a little coastal gallery in North Norfolk, and of course they'll also be available off the website - in a few days' time.

Must remember to keep one back for my own little coastal hideaway - when I get one. Till then I'll just keep on dreaming!

Where's your dream cottage by the sea? And please don't tell me you are already living in it cos I'll be just too envious for words!

Starfish

2011-02-08T03:16:00.000-08:00

It happens to be Jules Verne's birthday today - he of 'Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea' fame. I never read the book but I remember watching the film as a kid and being terrified by the scenes where Captain Nemo is battling with the Giant Squid. Eeek!

I don't think Captain Nemo and his crew would have had the same problems if they had encountered one of my sea creatures. No, its not a squid! Its a stacking starfish - much friendlier.

In fact, let's face it, if the crew of the Nautilus had seen starfish like these at twenty thousand leagues under, they were probably on some kind of hallucinogenic substances!

But I am really pleased with these, which came out of the kiln last week, and the design for the starfish gets wackier each time I make a set.

And yesterday I took delivery of a whole range of new glaze colours, so things are going to get a whole lot more weird and wonderful. Now ... should I make a giant squid ... how many tentacles is that? Hmmmm.

My Blog Spot

2011-01-30T11:26:00.000-08:00

I know! I haven't been around for a while, mainly because after a slow post-Christmas start, I just got going again when 'life' got in the way of pottery and blogging, as it has a habit of doing. And then, when I did finally get back to making things, I forgot to take pics and now its all in the kiln - so I'll show you when it comes out tomorrow.

So, a pottery-related post not being possible, what to say? In Yorkshire, there's an old saying "if tha's got nowt to say, then say nowt". (Translation - if you have nothing worth saying, please shut up). That's probably not the best motto for bloggers though. So, I thought I'd show you my Blog Spot - the spot where I blog - where I am sitting right now.

So what would Sherlock Holmes deduce about me from looking at all this? Well, firstly its about as close to a radiator as you can get - which has been very useful this winter! Hanging up there is a garland from last year's Latitude Festival. There is also a calendar made by my friend Julie. The lamp stands in one of the first pots I ever made (years ago). Some of my more arty photos are on the noticeboard, along with more useful info. The desk is an old-fashioned writing bureau situated in what we laughingly refer to as our study. We inherited it from Granny, who passed away last summer, so it has quite a bit of meaning and history attached to it. I have my laptop on the desk, and all my files and ceramics admin stuff in the drawers below it.

I love all the little nooks and crannies and tiny little drawers which are home to all sorts of handy bits and pieces. And on top of the bureau I have a glass jar filled with sea-glass and four very delicate sea anemones - mementos of my favourite beaches.

The students in my family manage to write whole dissertations lying horizontally on a sofa or bed with their laptop balanced precariously on their knees. I have tried to blog like this, but somehow just can't do it. Must be an age thing - or maybe my knees are just the wrong shape!

Where do you blog? What does your Blog Spot say about you?
Post a picture of your Blog Spot - even if it is your sofa!

Digital Design Fun

2011-01-17T08:15:00.001-08:00

How garish is that top one! That was me just messing about, but I tried a bit harder with this one below and rather like the result. I'd be happy to have this one draped over my bed or sofa anyday.

But alas its not real - its a digital quilt. What fun I've been having (maybe I should get out more!) designing my own quilts digitally. Its really simple and quick (and free) and its useful for me personally in planning designs for my quilt bowls .... but I did get a bit addicted.

If you want to do your own, go here and do it. (Link doesn't work - you'll have to do it manually - sorry).
http://explorer.quiltstudy.org/quiltmaker.html
You can then add it to their gallery or email it to yourself and a friend.

I also go carried away designing my own textile fabric, but lucky for you, the image would not load onto blogger for some reason.
If you want to try that, go here and do it:

http://www.vam.ac.uk/vastatic/microsites/british_galleries/designa/textile/textile.html

Now .... I must get on and do some actual work!

What a Pitcher!

2011-01-13T02:35:00.000-08:00

I don't normally make many jugs because I find that they are not best suited to showing off a large quiltblock pattern, but just before Christmas I was commissioned to make a large jug as a 60th birthday present for someone's mother-in-law who was a quilter.

My 'instructions' were that it had to be in colours associated with Autumn, have a neutral/cream background, not be 'too busy', and have some sewing/button detail incorporated into the design.

So, a simple patchwork block was hand-painted onto each side of the jug and a run of stitches imprinted into the top and bottom rims.
Greens and Ochres were used to reflect Autumn, and a tiny ceramic button attached to each side at the top.

I rather like the finished piece and may make a few more, but with different patterns and colours. I think it would work really well in blues and yellows. But, more importantly, I received an email earlier this week to say that the 60 year old birthday girl really loved her present and was thrilled that no-one else would have one the same.

Its always great to get positive feedback like that. When work is sold from galleries, you have no idea who has bought it or where they have put it, or who it was for... only that it is out there somewhere.

That's why blogs are so useful, too. Because of the feedback.

Building Houses

2011-01-06T07:02:00.000-08:00

So, in the end, I didn't use the snowflake cutters to make Chistmas biscuits - I made this gingerbread house instead. Well, I say 'made', but I cheated really as it came from Ikea's rather interesting food department - in a flat-pack (no really!) for me to put together myself. And it was messy but fun. You just melt down some sugar to glue the walls together and decorate with icing and smarties for the roof tiles.

Smarties, I discover, now come in a hexagonal tube with a cardboard flap opening at one end. When did that happen? Last time I bought some (circa 1966) from the sweet-shop conveniently situated next to the school bus-stop, they were in a round tube with a brightly coloured plastic push-in lid with a letter of the alphabet printed on the inside.
And ... next to that sweet-shop was an actual real Cobbler's shop which was dark and dusty inside and smelled of leather. Now, both iconic Smarties tube and Cobblers' shops - vanished! Without so much as a by your leave!

I should have taken an 'after' photo of the Gingerbread house - it looked increasingly like some old ruin as the days went by and bits were broken off and eaten. Unlike these little ceramic buildings, which are made on the same prinicple - technical term for you non-potters is 'slab-building'. These were made a few years ago and look wonderful with a tea-light glowing through their windows from the inside.

And, let me tell you - both the gingerbread house and the clay houses were a LOT less hassle to build than this one which we finished 12 years ago. I am in that room at the front on the left as I type, and yes it now has a roof! Glad we did it ..... but never again!

Happy New Year everyone!

And the winner is ....

2010-12-16T07:32:00.000-08:00

So ... into youngest son's hat you all went, and the two names he pulled out were . . .

Joan Hunter Dunn, and, The Mad House. Congratulations!

Please email me at cathy.daniel@virgin.net with your address
and I'll get your snowflake off to you tomorrow.

Looking out of the window, we are now getting our second load of snow, as promised. The older two are home from University this weekend so ...

time for pottery to finish and Christmas to start (once their washing's been done!).
In case you're wondering, those little stockings in that picture are for big cheques.

And, yes, that is the weird snowflake youngest son made
- much rarer than any of mine!

So, its feet up by the blazing woodburner in the candle-lit lounge for me ....

and a very Happy Christmas and Merry New Year to all of you!
See you soon.

The Great Snowflake Giveaway

2010-12-09T08:45:00.001-08:00

My snowflakes, which started out as just a bit of fun,
have gone down a storm (so to speak!).

So, if you prefer the kind of snowflakes above, to those pictured below ....

... I have two left over from a massive batch I was asked to make, and ....

.... if you leave me a comment before next Thursday 16th December ....

.... I will get youngest son to pick a name out of a hat and send to you just in time for
CHRISTMAS.

(and I promise not to send the one youngest son made which is not only asymmetrical
but now glazed in yellow and green in support of Norwich City Football Club!)

More Christmas parcels .....

2010-12-07T08:57:00.000-08:00

This time, the lovely package I received in the post came all the way from Poland. Three exquisitely beautiful little textile hanging decorations, (my photo doesn't do them justice) which I won on Bozena's blog which you can look at here : www.textilecuisine.blogspot.com.

You may know that many of my ceramic creations are influenced by my love of textiles and I really love the textiles that she creates. Be sure to go from her blog to the pages showing her work. I especially love the Medieval pieces she has done - lovely pictures crammed with colour, texture and detail - which is exactly what I try to bring to my own work.

And I got my first Christmas card (if you don't count the one we got from our Milkman!) which wishes me a Happy Christmas in polish, and features one of her lovely designs on the front.
And it all came in this envelope with enough stamps to sink a battleship!

Thank you so much Bozena! They will have pride of place on our tree.

This is my second giveaway win in the eight months I have been blogging .... so I reckon its about time I did one of my own. Watch this space.

How to make an Impression

2010-12-01T07:18:00.001-08:00

If you've looked closely at my ceramics, you will have noticed that I make a lot of impressions into the soft clay to give it texture, interest, pattern. I make these markings using a variety of tools, most of which were not invented for use with clay. They are all just bits and pieces you might find around the house, some of which are are pictured above.

Of course, I do make my own stamps (out of clay) to press into the clay, my most used one being the little six petal flower there.

And I quite like to use stamps from India (below) which were meant for printing onto textiles (as seen last night on Kirsty's Home Made Home).

So, I was so pleased and surprised to receive last weekend this package from eldest child away at University in the frozen north, with a note to say that each little parcel on the home-made advent calendar contained something she had collected, or bought from a charity shop, or whatever, which would be useful as a tool for making indentations into my pots. She is an art student and so has a good eye for such things.

Have to confess, it brought a tear to my old eye, thinking of the thought and effort behind such a gift. And it has made the horribly busy run-up to Christmas all the more do-able now that I have a little parcel to open each day.

Speaking of pre-Christmas busy-ness, I am taking part in a Christmas Art Exhibition next week - setting it up tomorrow. Details below. If you are in the vicinity at all, do give it a look. I do hope this big freeze doesn't put too many people off!

Snowflake fun

2010-11-28T06:21:00.000-08:00

I got some snowflake cookie cutters a while ago to make Christmas biscuits, but couldn't wait to use them, so I tried them out on clay. Sometimes, its just nice to mess around a bit and leave the larger, serious pots for later (not too much later though!).

We've had a fair bit of snow here and it all looks really pretty and feels really freezing! I've gone into hibernation mode and am enjoying cosy open fires, hot tea, candlelight, and making Christmassy things like these.

They say no two snowflakes are identical - well mine sure aren't.

A certain 15 year old boy had a go at making one of these too. I said the only thing to bear in mind was that every snowflake is symmetrical - so being a teenager with a mind of his own, he deliberately made one that is anything but. That one is still to be fired and so not shown here.

These are pictured hanging outside on my Rosemary bush, which is still covered in snow today - its going nowhere, it seems.

Am pleased with the way they turned out - only hope I can get all the clay off the cutters in time to make the biscuits in a few weeks!

How to Mend a Broken Heart

2010-11-16T04:11:00.000-08:00

These are the latest versions of my hanging heart decorations. They are purposely made in two pieces and then sewn back together again with thread. I like this idea as it is in keeping with the patchwork/textile influences at the root of the work.

If only it was that easy to mend a real broken heart!

I then veered away from the patchwork idea and made a few flowery hearts, using my own handmade stamps to impress the design into the clay. These little bits sell well and are quick and easy to make and fill all those little corners of the kiln so that no space is wasted.

Packing a kiln tightly is an art in itself. Its a bit like a giant game of Jenga or Pick-up-Sticks (do they still make that game?). Anyway, sometimes accidents do happen and the large Christmas angel below suffered a bit of a blow to the head ... which basically decapitated her. So, she didn't get fired and is just sitting there with her head tucked underneath her wing!

I can mend broken hearts but this is quite simply a write-off.

Hey Ho ... some you win, some you lose.

Talking of winning and losing, check out Driftwood's Blog to win a fabulous give-away. I hope I win as I need cheering up after my angel lost her head.