Work In Progress

Production Line…

May 15, 2012 Charlotte No comments

Not bad for a days work at the weekend, and on a Sunday too!

The rain had finally cleared up for a couple of days at the weekend here, so it was nice to have the workshop door open with honey bee’s buzzing in and out. I’m pleased with the progress of some new pieces, in particular the new shaped vases, so will look forward to firing those.

I’ve been having fun ordering some new glazes today, the names of some of the colours sound good enough to eat! Vanilla Bean Speckle, Pistachio Spice, Fudge Marble, Mocha Cream… Look out for new colours introduced to my work very soon!

Posted in: work in progress, Workshop

Preparing Work for my New Kiln

March 23, 2012 Charlotte No comments

Since the arrival of my new kiln a couple of weeks ago I have been so anxious and excited waiting to fill it up with new work. It is great to now be able to fire so many more pieces at a time, as my old kiln was so small. When loading the kiln yesterday I realised I had been a little too keen and made too much so not everything will fit, but the few left over pieces can go in the next firing.

The kiln was ‘broken in’ during it’s dry-out firing last week, and now that it is loaded with work it is ready to turn on this evening. So exciting!

The workshop is looking bare and a bit sorry for itself now that there is not a single piece of work in progress to be seen. But that will give me a chance to have a spring clean and tidy up before I start making more work and more mess!

In-between making new work while listening to music and drinking lots of tea, I managed to find some time to sit down and do a few sketches last week. I’ve wanted to make some wall planters for a while now, and these are the first few I’ve made below. I’m very happy with them so far, they will look great in the garden for summer. Can’t wait to see what they turn out like.

By popular demand, more mini ceramic landscape art coming soon. Many of these will be sent to one of my new stockists – Ashdown Gallery in Sussex, but there will also be some new ones available on my website next week too.

Sorting glass ready for melting… one of my favourite jobs!

And finally a snapshot of some pieces in progress last week… Come back soon to see what they turned out like!

Hope you all enjoy a lovely weekend full of sunshine! I’m away camping for the weekend so fingers crossed this sunny weather continues

Posted in: my creative space, work in progress, Workshop Tags: new kiln

November 29, 2011 Charlotte No comments

The workshop is full of pieces of work in progress at all different stages at the moment. I love being able to choose what to work on, and swap to something else after a while. I’ve been going mad on bowls recently as they have been flying out of my website shop. What do you think of my new leaf shaped bowls?

I can see so many different shaped leaves while looking out of the workshop window, which influenced me to make a leaf shaped bowl last week, and then they just continued from there! I’m really pleased with them. They will be glazed today, ready for firing.

Stacks of Christmas pudding decorations are under way too, as the first batch completely sold out. This is only a few of them shown below!

I’ve had many requests for custom made pieces this month, and I’m currently working on orders for a bird bath, a large numbered house plaque, a clock with a mouse on the top, and a matching soap dish and toothbrush holder. You can see the toothbrush holder below, amongst vases, an unfinished plant pot and other bits and pieces.

Although the weather has been pretty chilly lately, I’ve been nice and toasty in the workshop with the heater on and I soon get warmed up once I start working and listening to music

This Sunday I will be exhibiting at the Contemporary Craft Shopping Experience at the Warwickshire Exhibition Centre near Leamington, CV31 1XN. Now in it’s third year, this popular show is always one of my favourites and I can’t wait for all of the festive fun on the day, hopefully I’ll be able to finish my Christmas shopping too. There will be over 100 stalls jam packed full of handmade loveliness. Hope to see you there!

Don’t forget my last order date is 10th December for all custom made and personalised orders – don’t leave it too late! However if you do miss the deadline I will try my best to squeeze any extra orders in, but please contact me first.

Posted in: My Work, work in progress, Workshop Tags: leaf bowls

This week…

August 05, 2011 Charlotte No comments

Following the popularity of my mini ceramic art, I have been experimenting with some pieces on a larger scale this week. The Ceramic Landscape Art pictured above includes chunks of different coloured dried pieces of clay that were pressed into the surface of the panel when the clay was soft. This piece also features areas of my signature volcanic crater glaze, and coloured slips that have been applied to create a textural feel to the surface. The back of the ceramic panel has a similar decorative design so that it could be changed around. This panel comes complete with an acrylic display stand (pictured below) and can be displayed in a landscape or portrait position.

The panel above was fun to make and has quite an abstract look to it. I’m now working on some more ‘scenic’ panels that will be a little more simple and elegant.

Here’s some snippets of a couple of pieces in progress, yet to be glazed and fired. I’m not sure how they will be glazed as yet, but I will probably keep them looking natural and organic. I think they would make stunning features displayed in the home ~ Might keep one of these initial ones for myself!

I’ve also been working on some new pieces that I’m making for The Light Decoration as one of their official merchandise creators (read more about that here). Below are some of the brooches and magnets in progress that include a ‘Beside The Sea‘ theme. I’m also working on some beach huts, plaques, pendants and mini art for The Light Decoration novel series. I’ve been waiting to get these fired for a couple of weeks now, but waiting on a new element for my kiln to be delivered is taking longer than expected. Hopefully it should arrive on Monday!

On top of all of that (as well as trying to make the most of the sunshine), I sent a batch of items to a new shop in Derby called Pretty Things this week. The shop only opened on Monday, but they have a huge array of ‘pretty’ items on display – if you are in the area why not pay them a visit?

Pretty Things
35 Market Hall
Derby
DE1 2DB

Posted in: handmade ceramics, My Work, stockists of charlotte hupfield ceramics, surface decoration, surface design, work in progress

Work in progress

June 22, 2011 Charlotte 3 Comments

After my break away at the seaside last week, it’s time to crack on with orders and stock for exhibitions and upcoming fairs. I’ve been working on some new ideas, as well as developing others. It has been nice to be ‘locked away’ inside the workshop churning out new pieces. I have also been having a big sort out and tidy up in the workshop, ready for a few different customers that will be popping by to visit soon. Another visitor to my workshop, which I am very excited about, is a student who has just finished exams at school and will be coming to learn and make a few things in a couple of weeks. I’ll be sharing more on that soon!

In the meantime I hope you are all having a good week, and please don’t forget to join my mailing list for your very own copy of my monthly newsletter, as well as ‘liking’ my facebook page for daily updates, if you haven’t already

Posted in: beach huts, bowls, heart bowls, work in progress

Work in progress

May 27, 2011 Charlotte 1 Comment

This board is full of flat pieces ready to be glazed ~ mostly coasters, and also a few clocks and magnets. See the square coasters laid out with impressed pine leaves? This is a custom order for a set of 8. But there are only 7! The 8th coaster keeps breaking and I’ve had to keep making another one… fingers crossed for third time lucky!

Posted in: glazing, work in progress, Workshop

What I’m working on… continued

May 11, 2011 Charlotte 2 Comments

Remember the clay cylinder shapes I was working on last week? (View them here)

Here are the fired results with some colour added, and with a matt finish. I really like the mint green colour, it is very fresh and spring like. I’m not too keen on the blue – seems a bit too much but if the blue pieces were to be incorporated with some of the other colours to break it up, I think that would work better.

Those of you who guessed what they were for last week, guessed correctly! These ceramic cylinders are going to be used for some new wind chimes.

I haven’t put any together yet, as I’m still experimenting with a few things. But watch this space for some finished wind chimes soon!

Posted in: ceramic wind chimes, My Work, wind chimes, work in progress

What I’m working on

May 05, 2011 Charlotte 5 Comments

Here’s a snippet of something I’m currently working on. The clay is rolled out, decorated with textures and formed into tube-like cylinders. There are little holes at the end of each piece.

They are quite delicate once the clay has dried out. I will be colouring them using natural colours tomorrow, ready to be fired. The colours will be ‘indented’ into the surfaces to highlight the textures.

It’s not so much a secret but I’ll wait until the finished pieces are complete until I show you what they are for. After firing, these ceramic cylinders will need to be assembled in a way that involves wire.

Can you guess what they are for?

Posted in: work in progress

In the workshop…

April 13, 2011 Charlotte 2 Comments

It’s been lovely out in the workshop over the past few days, with the sun beaming in through the door and the sound of the birds singing outside, it definitely puts me in the mood to keep moving and make lots of new work!

Today I’m taking a break from making while the kiln is ‘cooking’ all of my latest pieces. The kiln has been on over night so it’s nice and toasty out there in the workshop, I can’t help popping in to tidy up or pretend I need to get something, it’s very cosy when it’s warm!

There are a few custom orders in there at the moment, with a massive new selection of plant markers that I showed you the other day, as well as some new stock items and some new bowl designs…

These are a sneak peek of my new ‘Bonzi Bowl‘ range – what do you think? I really enjoyed the loose drawing on the surface of the clay.

Above you will see the initial stage of a custom plaque. These have been quite popular lately – I can engrave any names or words onto the plaques, and they don’t necessarily have to be heart shaped. They make perfect gifts for newly wed couples! Please feel free to get in touch if I can help you with a personalised item of your choice.

Hope you are all having a great week! x

Posted in: work in progress, Workshop

Plant Markers in progress

January 21, 2011 Charlotte No comments

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.

Posted in: ceramic plant markers, my creative space, work in progress, Workshop

Production Line

October 14, 2010 Charlotte 3 Comments

It’s been another busy week in the workshop. I’ve got row upon row of work in progress at the moment – different production lines of work that either need to be smoothed, trimmed or glazed. I like having lots of different things on the go, so that I can change to a different job if I’ve had enough of another.

I’m really enjoying spending time in my new workshop, even if it is the odd ten minutes here and there to check on a few pieces drying. I’m mostly grateful for so much extra space which I wasn’t used to before, when I was using the shed in my old garden. More space means I can make more work!

My main working area is fantastic because I’ve got light coming in from the door to the right, as well as light beaming in through the window in front of me. I’m using the wall to stick design ideas, notes and orders up, but ideally I would like a pin board for this.

This is definitely my busiest year, especially over the past few months, and there’s still the Christmas rush to come!

I have sold a lot of bowls over the past few weeks, so I’m working on some more heart shaped bowls, and dishes with wavy edges.

I’ve also been experimenting with new glazes this week. I hope this batch turns out ok – half of my stock for an exhibition is glazed in it!!

The sets of coasters are almost ready for the ‘Make’ exhibition in Devon. They will look nothing like this in terms of colour when they are fired.

One of my regular customers who found me at a local craft fair earlier this year came to pick up a few pieces she had ordered last week. I enjoyed showing a customer around my workshop, it felt encouraging – much better than seeing everything cramped inside a small shed.

Although I do still have one ‘messy’ section of the garage. The shelf below the window hasn’t really got a means of use yet, it is being used for storage at the moment.

Hope you’ve enjoyed the little tour around my workshop and what I’m working on at the moment. I hope to show you some finished results next week!

Posted in: my creative space, work in progress, Workshop

What I’m working on…

September 26, 2010 Charlotte 2 Comments

Somehow (I’m not quite sure how!), I’ve managed to find some time to make some bits & pieces in my new workshop this week. I love it in there, I’ve got so much more space… although I suppose more space means more mess.

These little ceramic shapes are white because they have been glazed. The glaze is white when it is applied to the clay, and when fired it turns clear and smooth.

The shapes are going to form some new hanging decorations that I’m working on, a bit like this one, but slightly different! I’ll show you the results when they are finished.

I’ve also been working on a completely new product which I think could be popular at my craft fairs for Christmas – samples below. Can you guess what they are?