Stand By Me......

This clip sends a tingle up your spine and tears to your eyes,amazing how music can bring about such  spirit...see how it makes you feel! click on the following   http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2539741
    
   

Snow,Snow Ice and more Snow..

I love the snow but getting really fed up now. My car won't start and I'm walking miles on compact ice, in those conditions the 2 mile walk to the studio is a real slog. Please melt now.!
   Went in 2 days ago and the studio windows were thick with ice and it felt like a box with no light,very clostraphobic. Anyway I set the kiln so all that ice will have melted and pooled on the floor today, Great!
    Did a bit of making at home but now I have to transport some very fragile dry work into studio at some point....also made quite a few bits of jewellery so now have to find a few outlets for the new year...

Thick ice on studio windows

   

     The countryside is so so beautiful in the sun, all so sparkley and bright, it was -7 yesterday and even colder the day before, some parts of Nottinghamshire reached -14 which was much colder than Moscow apparently. There are going to be plenty of burst pipes soon.....



Hoarfrost.

              Applied to sell through" madebyhandonline.com" hope they like my stuff,...fingers crossed.!

 

   

Snowed in.

These are certainly not going anywhere .

SWAN TRACK

KIRKLINGTON

Holly out playing in the snow!

   What a beautiful day!  one to remember for sure, could'nt get out of the village by car so took myself and my camera for a lovely trudge through the deep and crisp and even, tho it was'nt so even after my big wellies had ruined it's pristine surface. Followed  foxy footprints along the river and then came across a strange track in the snow that looked like a tractor tyre,   it turned out to be the track of a swan. (tried to take a photo of it but its not very clear). A lovely Buzzard flew over bringing up a huge flock of birds  and then I spooked 2  enormous Heron which took off from a ditch beside  me- amazing birds in flight , my heart missed a few beats until I realised what they were. Wish I had a better camera to capture things like that .......  One day Viv ! ...... Will have to get over to the workshop tomorrow pay my rent and check to make sure it's not  freezing, a long walk but hopefully the sun will shine,I'll bring a lump of clay home to play with....and hopefully a few more photos for my next posting.

NORFOLK WEEKEND

Had a great weekend away in Norfolk with our friends David and Wendy and their retired racing Greyhound Jenna. Walked along from Wells to Holkham through the pine woods and back along the beach...So lovely!

Wells-next-the-sea

Steve and David went off to Snettisham very early on Sunday morning to see the waves of knot take off at dawn with the tide an amazing sight apparently but far too early for us girlies...felt a bit jealous though when they showed us this clip....

The Clip!!!

Bet you wondered what clip I was talking about, could'nt manage to download or upload or offload or whatever it's called so am trying again.

SHOW OF HANDS

Lovely atmospheric lighting.

Jackie Oats.

AMAZING!!!!!! Such an enjoyable evening, the band were wonderful as  usual and their special guest Jackie Oats was brilliant!  What a venue thought the sound would suffer in such a large void like the Minster but it was spot on the accoustics were amazing. Loved it when they wandered through and around the audience singing, their unaccompanied voices were magical...... Could have sat and listened to it all over again.

Workshop session.

   Alice and Sarah finishing off a couple of pots, and a few of their finished pieces .... 

Sorry girls just had to include this cheesy pic!

November already.

So it's November again and everyone is beginning to talk about and plan Christmas!!!  Why so soon everyone?
Have been busy potting and doing the odd workshop this month both of which are going really well at the moment. The studio seems to be forever changing and evolving and although it may look rather cluttered to you all it is actually very organised at long last and it really feels very comfortable. Took a few photos yesterday into the 4 corners of my studio , my own little cluttered world!!!!

Red The Cat

Plucked up courage yesterday to take some of my smoked raku jewellery bits to Red The Cat a lovely gallery/shop in a converted stable next to Belton House garden centre. She seemed to quite like them and took them on sale or return so am keeping my fingers crossed   www.redthecat.co.uk  Alison Couten the propriortor is an excellent figurative sculptural ceramicist herself and has some great pieces in the gallery along with her husband Stephen Faulkner's automata .....and lots of lovely contemporary crafts...  well worth a look on the way down the A.1.( there is also a lovely coffee/cake/lunch  shop next door to the gallery ) Turn off at Downtown and head for Great Gonnerby then there are signposts for Belton House,i think the garden centre and Red The Cat is on the other side of the main road to Belton House.

Pot smoking !

pierced/ burnished/ smoked.

Raku day again..

Slipped  and glazed a few pots in the studio on Friday ready for a session whenever the weather allowed. Today was so beautiful the sun was shining not alot of wind and  by the afternoon the neighbours had taken their washing in so it was Go Go Go.....Get the burner alight and my act together...The Naked Raku was ok as it did'nt need as high a temperature as pots with just glaze, the kiln obviously was'nt reaching 900 centigrade as glaze was'nt maturing I think the kiln had been rained on and was holding water in the ceramic fibre so maybe if I fire again this week i'll put those pots through again and hope for the best......

Holidays over...

Gareth enjoying the ride.

 

Me and my boys in Croyde.

Had a great week in Croyde, north Devon with the family.

Studio.

Straight back to studio to get my head around what I should now be doing, did some sketches made some notes and assembled some earrings from beads I made before going away.

Some silly toastracks to brighten up the window.

Ullswater sailing week.

Yet another fantastic week of sun, sailing, swimming and song, 25 Wayfarers arrived at the yacht club set up their tents cracked open their wine boxes and had a fantastic week.

Beer O'clock at 6 pm most days>

Had some great picnics.

Yes tis I at the helm......sailing by jib alone.

Cowes Week....

Boats everywhere!Stevie looking very cool sporting his new  beard!

Finish of day 7.....Phew!

Yet another week away supporting Steve at Cowes week, all had a fantastic week lots of sun and lots of wind thankfully. The 8 man British police team raced a  J 190 over 7 days and and came 10th overall in their class, a great result boys.
  
      Roll on next year ......

Raku Day at last..

Had a great afternoon messing about with my Raku kiln and tried a few different things until it started raining quite heavily so had to stop...shame!

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Naked Raku 

Horse hair Ruku

Crayfish for lunch...

Beautiful sunny day with friends staying over and decided on crayfish for lunch,  so off to the river for a spot of fishing.  Caught 25 in all but only 11 worth eating so sent the rest on their way.

  Sue caught this whopper and ate it dipped in garlic butter !

What better way to spend a sunny saturday morning.
     Filled a huge bag with warm ripe cherries on the way home though I think we ate more than we brought back.

Enthusiasm at work!

Gwen and Amber beavering away, their enthusiasm  in turn rubs off on me, I just love our sessions and they are producing some lovely things.