New finished pieces, finally!

Hand painted vase

I have been very poor at keeping this blog up to date but it doesn’t help that this is the first time since last summer that I have had new finished pieces to show off! Making plaster moulds and then casting from them is a slow process with things needing to dry in between, so I don’t have those finished yet but I do finally have 2 pieces to show you:

This slip-cast vase (an undecorated one from my evening classes last year) is painted using velvet underglazes and then clear glazed over the top to give a smooth, glossy finish. The design is inspired by the celtic cross I saw in Ireland and you’ll be seeing a lot more of it when my press moulded plaques are finally finished, because I’ve also made a version of it as a plaster press mould.

Hand built friendship bowl

This is a hand-built bowl, thus the ‘rustic’ feel, which I’ve glazed in two different colours; I used Blues and Greens first and then dipped the rim in Norwegian Blue. I’m really pleased at how the glazes ran together and gave such a lovely colour variation and almost metallic, high shine finish.

Next week, I’ll be glazing the first of my wall plaques and casting a bowl from my new drape mould. I’ve also been learning new decorating techniques using slip and glazes. Maybe I’ll remember to take my camera to class with me next week and then I can show you works in progress; I might actually update every week that way!

Apologies, progress and festive wishes

Sorry for being such a useless blogger for the past 3 months. I finally made it back to pottery classes at the beginning of December by signing up for a daytime class, which turns out to be an assessed module with set tasks and a written exam(!), because the evening leisure classes don’t look like they’ll be resurrected any time soon. While it is good to be back, I’ve had to totally rethink my plans as I’m not allowed to do slip-casting so no tankards or goblets, and no earthenware firings either at present so no crystal glazed beads. Instead, I’ve been making a press mould based on the design from the cross in my last entry, with the aim of making wall plaques and maybe even slab vases with the resulting panels. Plans are also in the works for some historically-inspired pots for a new LARP starting up next summer, but more about that later.

In other news, I’ve been meaning to redo this site by updating my galleries and stock page but the lack of light up here at this time of year hasn’t assisted me in taking new photos, and I’m a tad busy over the festive season, so you’ll have to wait ’til the New Year now.

Have a happy and peaceful time over the festive season – I hope you spend it surrounded by loved ones and feeling blessed, regardless of what you are celebrating or not.

Sources of inspiration

Not having a class at the moment doesn’t stop me being inspired by things I see out and about. I was in Ireland last week and visited the Neolithic burial mounds of Newgrange and Knowth, which have some really impressive stone carvings. It’s amazing to think how old they are!

Neolithic stone carving at Newgrange

I also saw this lovely art noveau style cross in a graveyard local to where I was staying – definitely a design I’d like to recreate, maybe on a vase.

Hiatus

Unfortunately, my pottery evening classes have fallen victim to the recession so I’m in limbo at the moment, waiting for news of my former tutor starting up her own classes outside the college. In the meantime, I’m still updating the stock page with jewellery and hopefully there will be better news soon. This is the problem with having a hobby you can’t practice at home…

Quick heads up

Stock catalogue page is updated with necklaces and prices. If you are interested but want measurements or other details, drop me an email as always.

Sneaky peek at new photos

I’m a tad busy with flat improvements and work, and am heading off for a weekend away tomorrow, but my very talented friend Birdwoman came over earlier in the week and took some photos of completed necklaces for me. For those of you who can’t wait for me to upload them here, you can view them on Flickr. Enjoy!

Heart of the Galaxy necklace

Crystal glazed heart pendant and bead necklace

This is the best picture I’ve been able to get of my latest creation (I need to invest in a better camera for close-up work or bribe a friendly photographer to assist me!).  The title just seemed obvious, particularly as the space connection is two-fold; the crystal glaze I used is called ‘Milky Way’, and I was watching old episodes of Babylon 5 as I was doing the wire-work to put it all together. I’m really pleased with this, the glaze is beautiful (unfortunately, the photo really doesn’t capture the depth of colour) and my wire-work has really improved with practice!

I’m not dead

Nope, I haven’t caught swine flu, I’m just snowed under with the work I do to finance my pottery habit – such are the joys of life as a semi-freelance researcher! Anyway, just thought I’d let everyone know that I’ll be back next week with more photos, updates to my stock catalogue and hopefully the launch of an online shop. In the meantime, I’m still taking orders via email so if you have had your eye on something, you might want to grab it before it reaches a wider audience. It looks like one of my pendants is going to be winging its way all the way to Australia.

Long-awaited stoneware pendants

Handpainted stoneware pendants

These are the long-waited pendants that I painted and glazed months ago and then couldn’t get fired because the kiln broke. As you can see, I’ve made some up with matching earthenware beads, and left others with just a jump ring bail to attach them to a cord or chain.

Stoneware pendants with beads

Also coming, when I can get a craftgawker-worthy photo of it, is my new masterpiece – The Heart of the Galaxy necklace – and my pendants and necklaces should also start appearing on my stock catalogue page soon. So you might just find that perfect piece of unique jewellery to accessorize a summer wedding outfit right here.

New and shiny

I’ve been busy making some wire-work and bead jewellery recently; shown here are the green & sliver bead set (necklace and bracelet) I’ve made for my Mum, a little heart and bead pendant, and a collar inspired by Native American jewellery which I made by pairing some wood-effect beads someone from my pottery class donated as she had no use for them, and some of my ‘harvest time’ crystal glazed beads. As promised, I’ve also got around to photographing my new smaller goblet design. This first one is glazed in transparent and albany stoneware. I love the albany glaze; it comes out almost irridescent, dark, dark shiny brown on its own, or a rich toffee colour over transparent, and I made use of both effects here.

Also new around here is a self-portrait of yours truly on the ‘About’ page, sporting my lovely ‘Emerald Clouds’ bead choker, which is probably my favorite of the jewellery pieces I’ve made so far.