Monthly Archives: February 2012
a few of my favourite things…
Browsing images on Pinterest is becoming slightly addictive! I decided to share a selection of some of my latest favourite images…
Spring has almost sprung! Bulbs are already starting to sprout from the ground, and soon the blossom trees will be full of gorgeous colour. Blossom is my favourite tree, I’ve always wanted one!
I will do this one day! ♥
Yum ~ homemade sweet potato fries with a chilli mayo dip.
I’ll always go by this inspiring quote 
Creative wall art made from rolled up magazine strips ~ I want to try this!
Marshmallow sandwiched between digestive biscuits ~ heaven!
Colourful DIY suspended flower pots, pretty and eye catching for the garden.
This made me smile! I want one of these cats, soooo cute!
I could live here
Rustic recycled crates used for display ~ I’m going to use some of these for my stand at craft fairs and events.
Couldn’t resist throwing in something to do with dandelions… This is a gorgeous simple & elegant print and I love the distressed green dresser too!
Fresh From the Kiln
I had another pleasant surprise opening the kiln this week, with no ‘happy accidents!’ It has felt good finishing off custom orders and getting lots of pieces fired over the last few weeks, but there is still a mountain of work piling up ready to be fired in the new kiln. The new kiln is being delivered in just over a week now, I am sooo excited to finally see it installed!
Fresh from the kiln this week is this pair of Landscape Stacking Bowls with matching surface design, colour and areas of melted glass. They could be displayed ‘stacked’, or separately as shown above. I like the effect of the dark colours, making these bowls appear as statement pieces.
It’s someone’s birthday coming up! One of my latest custom orders was for three of my ceramic gift tags, each with ‘happy birthday’ engraved. I wonder what gifts they will be used to decorate?
This popular Set of four green leaf ceramic coasters is now back in stock, along with a range of other coaster sets including some new designs such as this Set of four dandelion heart coasters below.
One of my latest orders for a personalised heart plaque included a date at the bottom. This is the first plaque I’ve made with a date on it – I think it is the date that the couple were married, isn’t it lovely?
Set of four square textured coasters
And last but not least… I couldn’t share a post without dandelions
Blow Away Dandelion Heart Dish ~ Blue Dandelion Seed Head Heart Dish
Which is your favourite?
I love dandelions!
If you know me, you’ll know that I LOVE dandelions! So much so that I love collecting things with them on. I’ve got some gorgeous framed dandelion prints and decorations, and I even have a tattoo of a dandelion! Last year the dandelion theme started to evoke through pieces of my work and it has since developed into further designs.
This panelled ceramic dandelion wall hanging below is one of my favourite new pieces. I almost kept it for myself! Measuring approx 100cm long, this decorative piece would make a stunning eye catcher in any room.
Melted glass on the surface design has created a slightly raised effect.
If you’re not on Pinterest, it’s a great place to store inspiring images of interest that you come across while browsing the internet. I love my dandelion board, take a peek for more images! I’ve selected a few of my favourites below…
Aren’t they beautiful?
New Stockist ~ Ashdown Gallery
Introducing my new stockist… Ashdown Gallery based in the Ashdown Forest in East Sussex. Ashdown Gallery is a smart, versatile venue with an exciting collection of art – the only contemporary art venue in and around the Ashdown Forest.
As well as exhibiting the work of many talented designer makers, the gallery also holds regular workshops and has a gift area. The top image shows some of my pieces you will find throughout the gallery.
Some of my work was sold immediately after the gallery had put it out on display! Here are some more mini ceramic art on easels that are on their way down to Ashdown Gallery today. If you are in the area pop in and have a look!
Bowls Fresh from the Kiln
Not long to go until the arrival of my new kiln, I’m so excited! In the meantime I’ve been busy using my old kiln to fire orders and other bits and pieces. I’ll still use the old kiln for smaller items but it will be great to be able to fire some more large sculptural pieces and larger batches of work again in a bigger kiln.
Here are some new leaf bowls ~ available in the shop on my website as Rustic Maple Leaf Bowl and Rustic Botanical Leaf Dish. I love the combination of deep colours and the shiny pools of melted glass.
If you haven’t got your Mothers Day gift sorted yet, take your pick from a selection of new love heart bowls, they make perfect soap dishes and are also ideal for holding jewellery, other trinkets or tea light candles.
I hadn’t made any of my usual wavy edged bowls for a while and they all seem to be selling out, so I’ve got plenty more lined up to be fired in the new kiln. Here are a couple of new ones below. I think the close up detail would make a nice framed print!
Hope you’ve enjoyed some of my new bowls, check back this week for some new sets of coasters and hanging decorations!
Ceramic Love Hearts
Valentines and Mothers Day are fast approaching… grab a unique heartfelt gift for your loved one from my website shop! Each item is an individual one-off, and it makes a gift even more special knowing it is the only one of it’s kind!
News Update
Oops my blog has been neglected lately, I’ve been so busy and lots of exciting things are happening at the moment…
I was away last week staying in a log cabin with some friends, we didn’t get any snow but we had a great time!
Valentines Day is fast approaching so I’ve been busy making personalised engraved love heart plaques and sending stock to new galleries (more details to be announced soon!)
A couple of days ago I was contacted by someone on behalf of Richard Curtis, the writer/director of Notting Hill, Love Actually etc. Unfortunately his mother recently passed away and for her funeral next week he was interested in purchasing 200 of my ceramic plant markers with his mothers name engraved! Sadly it was far too short notice for me to get a batch of 200 plant markers made in time by myself, especially for each one to be individually engraved, but it still feels so exciting being approached by someone so famous!! Luckily a company was found who could mass produce the markers in enough time. I wonder how they came across my plant markers… perhaps in one of the magazines they have been featured in such as House Beautiful!?
If you are a regular reader of my facebook page, you might remember me mentioning an exciting opportunity last year where my website was going to appear in a book. I am now pleased to announce that imagery from my website is going to be printed in a new book – ‘The Workshop Guide to Ceramics‘ by Quarto Publishing, which is out in March! Can’t wait to receive my complimentary copy
While on the subject of exciting news… my new kiln is going to be delivered in March! It will be fantastic to finally have a more reliable and much bigger kiln. New work is already in progress in the workshop ready to fill it up!
