Old Year New Year….

Been messing with picture apps. 

Love Lomogram, time to clear head and clear up though.

Happy New Year all!!!

The Dala Horse

The Dala horse has long been a symbolic gesture of frugality and simple gift giving for the people of Scandinavia, in particular Sweden. The horses were carved from blocks of wood and given as gifts to the young and were used as toys.

There popularity has grown and the horses are collected and treasured by many.

The art of carving and painting the small horses quickly flourished in the 19th century, as economic hardship in the region inspired greater production of the small horses, and they became an important item of barter. Horse-making may have started as something to do during the long dark winter months, but soon the Dala horses were traded in exchange for household goods and their carving and painting blossomed into a full-fledged cottage industry. The rural families depended on horse production to help keep food on the table, as the skills of horse carving and painting were passed on from generation to generation.

The stout shaped horses are the more common shapes, but there are other
types of shapes, some with slender necks and longer legs.

The most popular painted designs are these folk style patterns with bright reds,
blues and yellow being popular colours featured on them.
Other Dala horse colours are softer and simply painted with an overall base colour.

Inspired by their endearing colours and designs, I decided to make some ceramic ones a few years ago
to hang on Christmas trees as part of my Scandinavian styled decorations.
Each year they have been well received by my customers so I increased and changed my range this year (due to seeing a few of my designs copied by other ceramicists!).
Next year I won't make the above style design as these are the ones that have been copied, I will be changing the design in the hope that they stay individual and personal to me and my way of working.
You can pick up the last few colours here and here.http://folksy.com/items/4872022-Scandinavian-Christmas-Ceramic-Dala-Horses

These designs are currently available (in short supply) from my
 Not on the High Street Shop.

This is how they arrive, I charge no extra for gift wrapped packaging.

Street Market with my potter "Pots"

I am doing my first street market on the 1st December in Bungay, Chaucer Street, Suffolk. Ive always wanted to do an outside stall and show my ceramics outside in the open, so this year I have opted to do one. Cold as it may be Im going to brave it.
Here are some of the new things I will be taking.

My little bird stamps being put to good use. I have stamped them into porcelain clay and glazed these bowls with iron oxide and a clear glaze wash.

My love of fusing glaze and glass continues.
Our finished vino bottles getting put to good use. Smashed up and melted in my pots and bowls.
Im not a "potter Potter" if that makes sense but my pots do seem to be getting larger and, indeed I am making, well, Pots!!
This one is fruit bowl sized.

I love this verdigris glaze, its so rich, this pot is also fruit bowl sized.
Getting Bigger!!

This is a teeny tiny ring bowl made from porcelain with turquoise glaze and a little melted glass.
It measures just 5cm.

I made this bowl with thin strips of stoneware clay wrapped around itself, printed with textile blocks, its wonky but its my favourite one so Im going to keep it.
Also fruit bowl sized with a little shot of cobalt and turquoise glaze and a few glass beads melted into the centre.

See how wonky it is!!
It looks like a child made it.

Lastly, this one sold before it went to market but I will talk about it anyhow.
 I used the verdigris glaze again but this time on different clay body, another little hanging pot.  Threaded with red leather strap which I think goes quite well with the green and brown tones. This one was chunky, the sides were about 1cm thick.

I hope you liked looking at my potter pots!

Chaos, mud, and my church

I am working more now and trying to juggle the school position with working from home, with the added pressure of work being done to my home. (I am currently sharing my workspace with the builders, its full of packaging and builders tools.

My kiln has become a shelf for drills, spanners, hammers you name it and its not really working out, well as far as working in my workshop, so Im back in my "nook" that I made last winter to escape the cold and still get my hands in clay. (see here for that post)

On the upside our lives are changing, our living space will finally be large enough to accommodate our growing family. Currently surrounded by mud, but here is our new space. Im calling it "my Church"

I wish I could say that this will be my new workshop, but sadly no,
 it will be the main living area of my home though. 

Yuk!, this is really a horrible space now, it has become overrun with boxes and bubble wrap, which Im wading through day by day.
Hopefully I will sell loads and it will all be gone by Christmas.

Small areas of my workbench I have some soap stands drying.
I kind of have to see whether these will last with all the foot traffic through here!

Make shift shelves in the corner.
My main shelves are full of tools and other things so Ive had to dry my work out everywhere and anywhere.
Roll on spring!!

Salt and Pepper pots in the making.

I start out like this.
Its black clay and it is messy.

Lined up and drying out.

Lids and lettering

From Hands

to tables....



Taking orders for these via
Not on the High Street