2011 January | Charlotte Hupfield Ceramics

January Blues are almost over…

January is a strange time of year. Christmas seems like such a long time ago, while summer feels like such a long time away. With the ‘January Blues’ almost over, I’m hoping things will seem to brighten up a little, including the weather. I can’t wait to feel the warmth of some sunshine. It has been very cold in the workshop, especially my clay! I had to bring some clay into the house the other day to finish making some new work as my fingers were getting too cold, but I had better not start getting into that habit!

I chose this photo to post on my blog today because its colourful and cheery, and puts a smile on my face. I bought the flowers for my mum a couple of weeks ago and she put them in one of my vessels that she has. Couldn’t resist taking a photo of that gorgeous gerbera! Hope it cheers you up too

Meet Jenson & Lewis!

The two newest members in our home! Jenson and Lewis are our new goldfish, Dave wanted to name them after his favourite Formula1 racing drivers and I liked the names, so they’ve stuck! I’ve kept tropical fish before, so wanted to try something different.

Jenson is an Oranda goldfish, he’s white with a bright orange brain. He loves swimming in the bubbles, and enjoys parading his beautiful colours up and down the tank.

Lewis on the other hand is quite shy. He is a Black Moor goldfish, and I don’t think he is as photogenic as Jenson!

(I didn’t use a flash when taking these photos.)

The whole aquarium is quite large so they both look a bit lost in there at the moment but I only wanted to get 2 fish for now, so that they can adapt to their environment and hopefully grow really big!

Just need to get a few more plants to go at the back. Molly hasn’t even spotted them yet… but I suppose that’s a good thing! I keep expecting to come home and find everywhere flooded. Lets hope not!

Featured Interview: Zygotegifts

Meet: BB –

Zygotegifts

How long have you been making your work and how did it all begin?

I have always enjoyed making things but have only started selling my work since late September 2010. Amazingly I have 300 followers on twitter, over 200 on facebook, have sold 15 items on folksy, more at markets and have started being stocked by airyfairycupcakes (who deliver my gifts and cards with their delicious cupcakes) in this time. I am continually amazed by the fact that this has all taken off so quickly. I always liked to make special gifts for friends and family, but I recently graduated and have been looking for work. This spare time, meant that I could teach myself to knit a blanket for my friend’s baby and let myself be as creative as I wanted. I soon started having new ideas and creating new things and thought maybe I should try selling it all.

What processes & techniques do you use in your work?

I make brooches from recycled wool – so knitting, crochet and sewing on embellishments, I handsew my upcycled fabric brooches and I make my newspaper yarn art by handspinning newspaper into yarn!

What are you inspired by?

I am inspired by such a variety of things – random thoughts that materialize as if from thin air, my little sister, Sumiart’s illustrations, but also things people say in conversation, news stories, science, nature and my customer’s stories inspire my bespoke items and will feed through into other items too. I’m inspired most by the way people take the bad news they have in their lives and turn it into hope.

Do you have a work space or studio? What is it like?

Ah. My secret is out! My “studio” is a sofa at the moment. It might seem strange but it’s comfy and you can put music or the tv on while you work and it’s in the warmest room in the house!

Where can people buy your work?

They can find me on Folksy, Etsy and MISI as well as the fairs I attend in the North West and Greater Manchester area. If they live in Manchester they can buy some of my items to be delivered with really delicious cupcakes by airyfairycupcakes or stop into Silver Apples in West Didsbury for tea, ale and cake where some of my handmade recycled cards are currently being sold.

How do you promote your work?

Facebook, I have a blog, leaving my business cards almost everywhere I go, taking part in business card swaps, fairs, and I love to tweet! I like connecting with people, and if I really like someone’s product I make sure I tell them. I think my love of cake has served me well so far! I also donate items to my local Oxfam shop where I was already volunteering, whilst my main motivation was to donate something to a good cause, this is obviously a good thing to do promotion-wise too – I can’t deny that. It’s a mutually beneficial situation anyway.

What goals do you have for the future?

I would like to be able to use more recycled supplies and for my pieces to be enjoyed and appreciated for what they are. No plans to take over the world. I hope to have a sustainable business that can generate a decent amount of income for me whilst allowing me to still enjoy crafting.

What advice would you offer to someone thinking about turning their craft/art into a business?

Well, I am not in the best position to be offering advice specifically about this as I am still pretty new to it all. The advice I have found useful would be to keep a close eye on your spending, but also the time you are spending on things – do the maths to make sure it’s worth doing, enjoy what you do, make sure your friends and family are wearing your crafts and talking about your work and to get yourself out there!

A few of your favourites (just for fun)….

Colour: blue

Animal: pygmy goat

Season: winter – it’s magical when it snows and I have a ridiculous collection of hats that need wearing

Person: Florence Nightingale – amazing

Food: cupcakes

Website: http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/ and mine of course http://www.zygotegifts.co.uk/!

Thank you for sharing your work with us today Biruntha, those gift tags are simply gorgeous!

Share some Love!

Why wait until Valentine’s day to show someone you love them? You can show your loved one how much you care at any time of the year, and a personalised plaque could help you do just that.

Love Hearts Plaque –>

Adding a custom message or name(s) to a plaque makes a lovely sentimental gift, and is sure to put a smile on the receivers face. My handmade ceramic plaques also make great gifts for weddings, anniversary’s, birthdays, Mother’s day, Christenings… they are versatile for any occasion!

I recently made the plaque below for a 21st birthday.

Each plaque is individually handmade to order in my workshop with lots of love! To order your very own custom heart plaque please visit my website.

To browse more of my heart related items please visit the Valentines Gifts section of my website.

Plant Markers in progress

Plant markers are recently taking over my workshop! Because they need to stay flat, they need to be left to dry out on a flat surface. This means most of the surfaces in my workshop are currently covered in them, but I don’t mind, it gives me an excuse to take a break for a little while!

I really enjoy making plant markers and once I start, I can’t seem to stop. That’s probably a good thing though, considering I will be supplying a local flower shop with some plant marker sets soon.

My flower design plant markers are now back in stock, and I also have the pine tree, icicles and squares designs available. They make perfect little gifts and would also be a great addition to a gardening hamper. With spring coming up, it would be a good idea to label any plants you have planted. My plant markers can be written on in pencil, which can be rubbed off to change the wording if required. They are also frost proof!

It was my Nan’s birthday a couple of days ago, I gave her some of my plant markers and a bowl that I had made. I think she was pleased with them.

Baked Vegetables

I wanted to share this quick and simple vegetable dish with you, it is so tasty! Last weekend I wanted to use up the rest of my vegetables and came up with this…

A bed of sliced red onions covering the base of an oven dish, topped with layered sliced potato and tomato.

Then add mushrooms, or anything else you can find! Season with salt & pepper.

Top with grated cheese, mozzarella would be nice. Add a touch of water to the base of the vegetables so that they don’t dry out too much in the oven. You could also add any spices or herbs to the top layer.

Bake in the oven for about 45 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. If the vegetables cook too quickly or start to burn, place a sheet of foil or a baking tray on top of the dish.

And voila! It doesn’t look much because it is so simple but it tastes really good. Perfect for vegetarians. We had it with chicken and broccoli. Give it a go!

Featured Interview – Lazy Daisy Glass

Meet: Kathryn – Lazy Daisy Glass

How long have you been making your work and how did it all begin?

I have been working with glass since 2003. When I first moved to Scotland, I came across a stained glass workshop who were running classes, so decided to join. I had always wanted to work with glass and this was an ideal opportunity. I continued my weekly classes and, one year later, decided to buy my own equipment and set up my own mini studio at home. I thoroughly enjoyed working with glass and attended local craft events. I even had some commissioned windows to make and instal from people who had seen my work at the craft fairs. Unfortunately, less and less people were buying stained glass and decided to hang up my solder iron. My true passion was fused glass, but could never afford the equipment! When I fell pregnant with my daughter, I decided to give up the ‘office job’ and become a full time mother, but also had to do something for both our sakes! Having attended a short glass fusing course in Aberdeenshire in 2006, I caught the glass fusing bug. With my maternity money, I invested in my first kiln in 2007. I bought some books and started experimenting.

What processes & techniques do you use in your work?

My glass work is made in my kiln. I invested in a large flat bed kiln last year and it’s a great piece of equipment. The firing process takes at least 26 hours; glass is slowly heated to about 800 degrees, held for 10 minutes, then the glass is cooled very slowly (called the annealing stage). It is very important to heat and cool glass slowly, otherwise you can be left with some disappointing results; fractures, or it can even shatter. The most important part, is the annealing – cooling slowly to relieve the internal stresses. Annealing also adds to the glass durability, making it stronger. There are many techniques in glass fusion – slumping, draping, casting, kilncarving. One of the most common is slumping, a technique of shaping glass either into or over a mould. Another technique I use is kilncarving, a simple way of creating patterns in glass. The patterns are created by cutting shapes out of ceramic fiber paper, placed under the glass, then firing. Once cooled, the paper is thrown away and the glass has the indentation of the paper, but the surface remains smooth and flat. Tac fusing is also another technique to use if you want to create dimension to your work. By setting the kiln to a lower temperature, you can literally ‘tac’ the pieces of glass together, keeping its dimension, but the surface of the glass obtains a nice smooth shine. This is also called ‘fire-polishing’.

What are you inspired by?

I create a lot of waves and items connected with the sea (I was a water baby, maybe that’s why!!). I love curved forms and creating them. Ideas just pop into my head and I have the urge to make them there and then. Most of the time they get to go into my design book, but sometimes I create items, they sell and I don’t get a chance to photograph or log them. Luckily, glass comes in many beautiful colours, so creating vibrant pieces is not hard. I love creating colourful and funky pieces. I often have so many ideas in my head, but it’s just having the chance to experiment.

Do you have a work space or studio? What is it like?

When I first started, I was like most other people, working from a spare room in the house, which then leads to another room, then another!! But you soon find, that your ‘stuff’ takes over, and having a child around, is not a good combination. My hubby built a studio two years ago and I just love my space. I can now close the door and switch off. And it doesn’t matter what mess I have left as it doesn’t interfere with our living. It is a large working area, with two long work benches on either side, my kiln sits in an alcove and the toilet is yet to be installed. I have plenty of cupboard space and some wall shelves (but could do with some more). I also have two windows, which lets in a good amount of natural light too.

Where can people buy your work?

I sell from my website (www.lazydaisyglass.co.uk), Swanky Maison, and a list of stockists are available to view on my website.

How do you promote your work?

I attend a lot of local and outdoor events all over Scotland, as well as trade shows; selling direct to retailers. I use social media sites too, promoting my work and what I am doing on the likes of Facebook (www.facebook.com/lazydaisyglass), Twitter and my blog (www.lazydaisyglass.blogspot.com) – however, it does take many hours of internet marketing, but I also enjoy it. I have also joined 4Networking, Elgin branch and this has lead to commission work (as well as a social side), and recently joined the Highland Business Womens Club, again a mix of business and social. By joining these networking groups, my business name is getting out there and I am also supplying two more shops (so far).

What goals do you have for the future?

My daughter is now 3 years old and is becoming more independent. This allows me greater time for the business. I would like to get to a stage when I don’t have to work so many hours (which are always weekends and evenings). Once my daughter is at school, I will of course be able to dedicate my day time hours to my business (not that I’m wishing time away with my daughter – I love being a mum!!), but at the moment I’m having to juggle the two. I would like to gain more stockists, increasing my presence in England (not just supplying in Scotland). Perhaps the additional hours could also be spent on creating one-off gallery pieces. Being known in galleries would be great.

What advice would you offer to someone thinking about turning their craft/art into a business?

It’s hard work and you have to be very dedicated. Money will not come to you easily, so you have to be prepared to spend hours marketing and getting your brand/product out there. You also have to love what you do, because it will not make money instantly! It’s taken me three years of hard work (and still not in profit), but I have also invested in a lot of equipment (kiln, ringsaw, grinder etc).

A few of your favourites (just for fun)….

Colour: lilac

Animal: cat

Season: spring

Person: Daughter, followed closely by my fantastic hubby (love them both to bits)

Food: Everything, but especially cornish pasties, indian, mexican, chocolate

Website: I do not have one particular site, there are so many great blogs that I read and wouldn’t want to offend anyone!

Thanks for sharing your work and a bit about your life with us Kathryn, it has been great getting to know more about you!

I LOVE Kathryn’s curved slumped red/orange piece at the top of this interview – Can you believe it took 50 hours of kiln firing!!

Kathryn is currently hosting a giveaway on her blog, hop over there now for your chance to win a special Valentines gift for your loved one!

Ceramic ACEOs

If you read my post about ACEO’s yesterday, you’ll know that I’ve been impatiently waiting for these little goodies to come out of the kiln. When I checked the temperature of the kiln this morning, I had to wait for it to cool down another 200 degrees before I could open it, and it seemed like days!

But it was well worth the wait.

I had lots of fun making these little ceramic works of art, and it was enjoyable trying something completely new.

ACEO stands for Art Cards Editions and Originals. They are collectable little pieces of art, and always measure 2.5 x 3.5 inches. ACEOs can be made in any medium – I hope you enjoy my new ceramic landscapes collection!

ACEOs can be framed to hang on the wall, displayed on tiny little easels, or grouped together as a collage on a wall to form a large piece of mixed artists work. Many people also display their ACEO collections in an album. I think it would be a nice idea to include an ACEO inside a greetings card as a small gift.

I have listed a couple of these ACEO’s in my folksy shop, and will list more throughout the coming week. I have 12 altogether, and can’t wait to make more.

I would love to hear what you think?

ACEO’s

ACEO stands for Art Cards Editions and Originals.

‘Primrose’ by Orange Blosson Felt

‘Large Wrecked Boat’ by Hannelore’s Atelier

‘Cove’ by Gelert Design

‘Desert Sunrise’ by Maxine Veronica

ACEOs are collectible little pieces of art. An ACEO is always 2 and a half by 3 and a half inches. The rule about size is the ONLY rule in the ACEO world. An ACEO can be created in any medium the artist desires: paint, coloured pencils, ink, etc. There are even ACEOs made from wood, clay, fabric, and metal.

‘Allium’ by It’s All About the Prints

‘Birch’ by Audrey’s Art

ACEO by Pants and Paper

‘Grey Kitten’ by Pamela West

ACEOs are tiny art works that can be matted and framed to hang on the wall. Many people display their ACEO collections in the same kind of plastic sheets and albums that sports card collectors use, to create a mini gallery in a book. Some people also create collages of ACEOs and display them altogether as a mixed work of art on the wall. You might slip an ACEO into a greeting card as an extra surprise for a birthday, anniversary, or Christmas. ACEOs sell on Ebay for anywhere from 99p to over £100 or more!

‘Hope Zentangle’ by Top Floor Treasures

‘Seaside Cottages’ by B Wilkinson

‘Needle Felted Swirls’ by That Fuzzy Feeling

‘Tropical Sunset’ by Wellydog

The Folksy community of sellers have recently been extremely enthusiastic in creating their own ACEOs. So much so, that there are daily threads on the folksy forums about new ACEO works of art that sellers have listed in their online shops. I have become inspired by everyone’s efforts and enjoy browsing new ACEOs listed every day on folksy. Above are some of my favourites for sale on folksy. There are so many more but I couldn’t show them all! If you are interested in browsing more ACEOs I would definitely recommend checking out those available on folksy by the many talented artists/designers/crafters.

I was keen to be involved in this new ‘craze’, and have been making my own ACEOs in clay. I really enjoyed making them I’m so excited to share them with you but they are still in the kiln at the moment, I’ll be taking them out tomorrow. I would love you to come back tomorrow and let me know what you think of my new creations – watch this space!

Looking closer

I often enjoy cropping my photos or taking close ups of the surfaces of my work, it’s surprising what can be seen when you look closer – sometimes a whole new image appears.

For me, it’s always landscapes and organic scenery that pop into my head when I look closer. The photo above makes a lovely image, taken from my Pine Tree Coasters.

The close up textured surface detail below is from one of my vases, it reminds me of a dried grass meadow and a tree overlooking the scene on a windy day, with a hazy sky above.