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.

Quick progress update

Things are a bit hectic around here because I have a short fulltime work contract just now but it’s the last pottery class of the term tonight so I’m off to collect the last of my crystal glazed beads and hopefully the stoneware pendants I’ve been waiting on for ages. I should also find out whether my experimental vessel, inspired by the gunpowder flasks of the musketeers at Edzel, has survived biscuit firing – *fingers crossed*

When I get chance, there will be photos of a new goblet design and some bead & wire-work jewellery for you to oogle, and my next project is catalogging all my pretties, photographing them individually, and trying out an online store or two to raise some money towards next term’s college fees. So watch this space!

Meeting the Professionals

I spend a happy few hours at Potfest Scotland on Saturday. This is the 3rd year I’ve been to the event and it was interesting to see what has changed and what hasn’t. There was a very noticeable increase in the number of people with jewellery on their stalls (I guess because of the economy), which certainly gave me some new ideas. I treated myself to a pack of modelling tools and a ‘podpot’ by John Rivers of Riddings Pottery in Derbyshire.

'Podpots' by John Rivers © 2000-2009 Riddings Pottery

This year’s purchase is similar to the design shown bottom right, but pea green in colour. I bought it to match an orange-red glazed one I bought last year, which is like the pot shown bottom left. I love how the shape of these makes you want to cup them in your hands; good pottery should always make you want to touch it in my opinion! (Click on the picture to visit his website).

Another potter whose work I have bought at Potfest in the past is Steph Jamieson. I love her smoke fired sculptural pieces; they are so tactile and have an almost bone-like quality to them.

Top of the list of things I would have bought if I’d had the funds, is a Raku pot by Pat Armstrong. She had some really fabulous ‘copper fumed’ pots which looked like they were decorated with nebulas and fiery suns, like something from Astronomy Picture of the Day.

Leaf wall plaque by Joan Hardie, image © Jack Hardie 2006–2009.

I also loved the leaf wall plaques by Joan Hardie of the Bitter Beck Pottery in Cumbria. There was a really lovely one, similar to this picture (click on the thumbnail to visit her gallery), all matt autumnal colours, that would have looked a treat in my living room if it wasn’t way out of my price range!