New projects and makes for Valentines

Last year I was too late to submit new ideas to the Not on the high street valentines gift guides and categories, Christmas takes a lot of my time and thought and I found it a slow start for me to really get going with new ideas last year.
This year is different though, determined not to miss out on the Februarys flurry of Noths sales I have been beavering away in the evenings making a few Valentines Day related items.
I have brought some clay inside and have been working away in warmth and comfort a few evenings a week with some new ideas.

White Ceramic "You & Me.." bowls with attached ceramic buttons. I have
also attached a little matching handmade button on the box lid. These have
gone down very well so far, the red hearts have all sold so I am currently
making more.

This little porcelain ring bowl is made from porcelain clay and also comes
in a little box with a handmade button tied to the top. They have been imprinted with  lace.

A pair of little porcelain ear studs with punctuation symbols imprinted
into them.

Another little owl brooch made from porcelain, this time with a sage green glaze wash.

Winter Snow and warm Kiln Loads

This is what I woke up to on Tuesday!

View from my bedroom window.

and this is what I woke up to today!

So my week has been a series of checking for three school closures (fairly inconsistent there) so

I may have done school run to one school but not another, & the school where I work is on the coast 

so it didn't snow there until today, but we had a class trip to the National Portrait Gallery to London

which was cancelled on the day.

So, I fired my kiln and got going with some orders and a large commissioned order for a shop in Swansea. I fired the little kiln and as the temperature was -6 it cooled pretty quick so I could retrieve all the work within 24hrs, well that's never happened before! 

I have made a selection of lace embedded porcelain hearts, some 

vintage key hearts and the larger fairy hearts. 

All have been sent off to their new owner now.

Also warm from the kiln are these little porcelain disc pins, they are teeny tiny measuring just 2cm with a 15mm pin.

Time for a fresh Start and a new bench..of course

I've been putting it off! the workshop looked such a mess and wasn't going to tidy itself. 

The big pile of boxes that was kept on the corner finally reduced to a reasonable size (they are always the hardest things to store in here and encroach onto most of the floor and look such a mess, i cannot reach anything when its like that, but space is limited in here and its just something i have to live with.
So high time for a clear out. Ive got the strongest urge to just chuck loads out, including some of the ceramics that have been around a while, I just don't want to see them anymore and I want to make new things to look at.
So I've had a good clear out and tidy up plus!!! NEW BENCH, yep Ive been waiting sometime for it. I was getting back ache wedging clay on such a low table and know that working at a higher level just feels right. I prefer to work standing so I was hunching over and was ending up in pain after time.

Here it is being put together.
Ive got a shelf below where I will be able to stack all the clay, I am so needing of this and have
 been putting off buying a bulk of it as Ive had so little space to store it.

The long shelf which has all my tools and brushes on
now sits a little higher up from where it was before.

Oh I am so pleased I keep going out to look at it, thats just so sad I know,
but I have always had a thing about a good work bench!

My old table has been moved to the other side
 where I will use it for glazing and store boxes below it.
Its been a while since it has been this tidy in here and I don't suppose 
all that new wood will look that clean for long. 
Now all I need is more time.

Blessings and Happy New Year to you all

x

Here's how it used to look.