Category Archives: handmade ceramic vase
a peek into this week at CHC
It’s been a great week at CHC headquarters! I’ve been busy planning and organising for some exciting new things ahead. The weather has been up and down but we have still had our fair share of sunshine peering through the clouds. I’m on a mission to make 3 vases a day at the moment… so far so good!
I paid a visit to one of my local stockists yesterday at The Hayrack Gallery in Upper Stowe, such a charming little shopping village with a barn restaurant and farm animals. The gallery is looking lovely inside, it had been about a year since my last visit, so it was nice to see fresh work from new artists. It was time I replenished my stock for the gallery, so I took along lots of new pieces and even helped set up a new display of my work. It was great fun!
We used one of the window sills just as you enter the gallery, so at the moment you will be greeted by my work as soon as you enter. I think the rustic brick window sill really complimented my work with the natural tones.
Various bowls of all different shapes and sizes are on display, along with a couple of clocks, framed pieces and some ceramic planters.
There is also a second display of my work inside the main room of the gallery, where you will find a selection of vases, more bowls, plant markers, and mini art on easels (see below).
Just outside the gallery there is a beautiful display of turquoise planters that look really stunning. I would quite like one of the hanging cones myself!
New Natural Vases
Introducing a collection of new vases… I love how they all fit together as a family with their rustic and natural style. This is my favourite surface decoration and colour selection for the vases I make, I think they would fit in with almost any decor.
I added a decorative ‘cut out lip’ to a couple of the vases, just to be different 
The textured surface decoration is applied with some chunky slip and then a combination of oxides are applied when dry, to build up the organic colour.
I also paint areas by hand with a paintbrush, which is how the ‘wild dandelion meadow’ effect was achieved above.
These new vases will be available on my website shop very soon, but in the meantime feel free to browse a selection of my other current vase designs. Each one is handmade and unique and suitable for holding water and real flowers… a perfect gift for Mother’s Day!
New for 2013…
It’s been a busy few weeks for the start of the new year. I’ve been busy making gifts for Valentines & Mothers Day, as well as a few custom orders – I’ll show you what I’ve been working on in my next post soon. My personalised heart plaques have been popular so I have lots of these drying out at the moment, ready to fire at the end of the month and send out in time for Valentines Day.
Valentines Day must have come early for me this week as I received these beautiful rainbow tulips that look stunning in one of my organic vessels on the kitchen windowsill, and also in one of my elegant dandelion vases. I wonder if I’ll still get flowers on Valentines Day too?
The workshop has been pretty cold to say the least, with clay freezing and pieces not drying out it has been a bit of a nightmare. But it soon gets nice and toasty with the heater on, and I’ve brought some bits inside to dry and defrost!
It has been snowing all morning here today, and we are expecting 5 – 10 inches by this afternoon so I doubt I’ll be doing much in the workshop this weekend – I think sledging is on the agenda!
Although it’s still winter and there’s lots of talk of snow, here’s something completely contrasting… I’ve been making some new beach huts and seaside inspired pieces. Can’t wait for the sun to shine again.
From 2nd March – 14th April 2013, twelve of my mini ceramic landscapes on easels will be featured in an exhibition at The Beetroot Tree Gallery in Derbyshire, called ‘Miniature Magnified‘. Here are three of the twelve below. They all have individual names and will be for sale during the exhibition. I have more available on my website here.
Below: ‘Blue Skies’, ‘Frosty Puddle’ & ‘In The Countryside’.
NEW to my website this month are a variety of new bowls. They are all similar in shape and form but each one was made slightly differently, making them unique with their own little quirky features. Each bowl is also decorated with different textures and colours. They have a few different names including mushroom bowls and flower pod bowls. Feel free to browse my website to have a look at the new bowl range. Which is your favourite and what would you use it for?
I have one of these bowls at home that I like to put small pieces of jewellery in, but I also like to display them on their own to admire the colour in the bases. They also make great tea light holders.
Lastly, thought I would share this lovely photo from a customer of one of my vases settled in its new home.
Think thats all for now, I’m off to the post office to post this weeks orders before the snow gets worse. Have a great snowy weekend!
Fresh from the Kiln
It was an exciting day opening the kiln last week, I couldn’t wait to see how my new glazes had turned out. As well as some new coloured glazes I also now have a new transparent top coat glaze which gives a lovely shiny look and feel.
I like playing around with contrasting surfaces – Such as the textured & matt leaves against the smooth & shiny body of this new Tall Glimmer Vase with Raised Leaves.
I am completely in love with this new dandelion vase… So much so that I haven’t brought myself to sell it as yet. I think I’ll keep this one for myself and try out some others soon. Just need someone to buy me some flowers to put in it though!
There have been lots of new additions to the bowls section on my website. Feel free to have a browse and see if there’s anything you like. As well as making fresh new additions to the home, all of my ceramic pieces make ideal gifts for birthdays, weddings and house warming presents.
With the dedicated garden section on my website, your garden won’t feel left out this summer. From plant markers, wall planters, ornamental pots and hanging decorations, you are sure to find something to add a bit of character to your garden. These two wind chimes above are new to my website this week.
You will find lots of new vase designs added to my range too, including the popular Sea Line and Sky Line designs above.
My favourite of the new bowls is the Seaside Bowl above, with impressed shell designs and a striking pool of melted blue glass in the base it makes a very attractive piece.
Which is your favourite?
So pretty!
Fresh from the Kiln in December
