Website Up And Running
Well, at last the ceramic website is up and running and tho I have loads more to do on it, including listing a lot more pieces, I think it looks ok. There will be lots more pages and a ceramic bead shop added in the coming week plus a lot of pieces that I'm waiting to fire this coming weekend, I just hope some of you enjoy taking a look and watching my travels into the world of the potter.
I must say it's turning into a good day here at the barn, the website is running, the car passed it's M.O.T and the temperature here in the fens is a touch higher than that of last week, so fingers crossed the day will end ok.
After filling the bird feeding stations and the finch feeders it's nice to see so many birds using them, I really hate it when we can't feed them and tho this time it was just for a few days I feel so much better seeing these little guys enjoying the seeds once more.
Every berry in every hedgerow seems to be painting their faces with rouge ready for winter, those sloes hang waiting for the first frosts and the soul remaining blackberries hang like condemned little bodies hanging onto that tight rope before the fatal fall, god I love this time of year, if only everyone took the time to jump off this mad busy world for just an hour and take a good look at the things going on in nature, maybe I'm just mad and we are meant to ignore these tiny theatres of the wild, maybe life expects us to wonder through the years not bothering to learn the magical tricks that only nature can show us, I'm not sure, but one thing I know is I don't want to miss a single thing while I'm here and if that means cold walks on late autumn days then I'll be there !
Well, here is the website address and I hope you get time to take a look, tho as I said, I still have a lot to do with it.
www.fenlandceramics.com
Monday, 29 October 2012
Sunday, 28 October 2012
An Extra Hour In Bed, Who You Kidding !!
Still Up Before Light
I did think I'd get some extra sleep last night but who was I kidding, yet again I woke to the sound of rain and a very dark Sunday morning so up I got and sat with my early morning cuppa, the barn was then unlocked and the normal early morning jobs were completed, all in the freezing cold and darkness. I guess after waking to a layer of snow here yesterday we should think ourselves lucky it's only rain this morning, the temperature really did drop a today it doesn't seem as long so fingers crossed we will be a little warmer in the barn today.
Yesterday was a clay day for me with pots to trim, bowls and coffee mugs to produce and glazing to be done, at the end of the afternoon I had a full kiln ready to fire and rows of new items sitting on batts with a few days of drying facing them. I'm playing around with mug shapes at the moment and I must say it's giving me a lot of enjoyment, some a complete failure and others working out really well, amazing really how much thought goes into the correct and most comfortable shape of a drinking vessel.
Today while the rain falls over the fens I have a long list of jobs including a good few hours painting the walls in the barn, clearing out all the old boxes and tins that home long lost beads and not to mention the opening of the ceramic kiln to see what results yesterdays firing has produced.
This is all to be followed by a evening photographing ceramics and placing them onto the new website ready I hope to publish later in the evening, there will still be parts of the site I wish to improve and shops for ceramic beads etc that need to be added next weekend, but all in all it will show the kind of thing I hope to sell on there and it will explain my aims. I'm not expecting any sales for a few weeks until I get more of a range of pieces listed and find a way of spreading the word.
Next it will be the new bead site, which I'm hoping I can start building by the back end of November which reminds me, this year will be the first year for a while that I won't be holding a bead sale on ebay. To be honest with you the prices that I used to charge for sale beads are more than the average prices my bead sets fetch on a normal every day auction, so there is no way I'm giving beads away for next to nothing, I've been doing that for the last year or so and to be honest with you I'd rather they now sit and gather dust, if people don't think my beads are worth anything more than a few pounds then they won't be sold.
To the many customers who have stuck by me through the years, even though my beads are now out of fashion to some, I thank you all and as soon as the barn is finished and ready for visitors you are all very very welcome and to you there will be of course lots of bargains and lots of "Rob Prices" to be had.
Now to those who believe my beads are only worth a few quid, well, your invites I'm sure will be lost in the post !
Right, now I better get back to the barn, things to move, dust sheets to lay and paint to stir, I hope you all have a great relaxing Sunday and whatever the weather in your part of the world just think, only another 7 months and it will be summer yipeeeeeeee !
I did think I'd get some extra sleep last night but who was I kidding, yet again I woke to the sound of rain and a very dark Sunday morning so up I got and sat with my early morning cuppa, the barn was then unlocked and the normal early morning jobs were completed, all in the freezing cold and darkness. I guess after waking to a layer of snow here yesterday we should think ourselves lucky it's only rain this morning, the temperature really did drop a today it doesn't seem as long so fingers crossed we will be a little warmer in the barn today.
Yesterday was a clay day for me with pots to trim, bowls and coffee mugs to produce and glazing to be done, at the end of the afternoon I had a full kiln ready to fire and rows of new items sitting on batts with a few days of drying facing them. I'm playing around with mug shapes at the moment and I must say it's giving me a lot of enjoyment, some a complete failure and others working out really well, amazing really how much thought goes into the correct and most comfortable shape of a drinking vessel.
Today while the rain falls over the fens I have a long list of jobs including a good few hours painting the walls in the barn, clearing out all the old boxes and tins that home long lost beads and not to mention the opening of the ceramic kiln to see what results yesterdays firing has produced.
This is all to be followed by a evening photographing ceramics and placing them onto the new website ready I hope to publish later in the evening, there will still be parts of the site I wish to improve and shops for ceramic beads etc that need to be added next weekend, but all in all it will show the kind of thing I hope to sell on there and it will explain my aims. I'm not expecting any sales for a few weeks until I get more of a range of pieces listed and find a way of spreading the word.
Next it will be the new bead site, which I'm hoping I can start building by the back end of November which reminds me, this year will be the first year for a while that I won't be holding a bead sale on ebay. To be honest with you the prices that I used to charge for sale beads are more than the average prices my bead sets fetch on a normal every day auction, so there is no way I'm giving beads away for next to nothing, I've been doing that for the last year or so and to be honest with you I'd rather they now sit and gather dust, if people don't think my beads are worth anything more than a few pounds then they won't be sold.
To the many customers who have stuck by me through the years, even though my beads are now out of fashion to some, I thank you all and as soon as the barn is finished and ready for visitors you are all very very welcome and to you there will be of course lots of bargains and lots of "Rob Prices" to be had.
Now to those who believe my beads are only worth a few quid, well, your invites I'm sure will be lost in the post !
Right, now I better get back to the barn, things to move, dust sheets to lay and paint to stir, I hope you all have a great relaxing Sunday and whatever the weather in your part of the world just think, only another 7 months and it will be summer yipeeeeeeee !
Monday, 22 October 2012
Fire Pit Fun
Bronze Age Beakers
Yesterday I decided to try a few beakers in the fire pit, these were pieces that had been glazes with the exterior left unglazed, so with the idea being to get some smoke effect designs on the outside I lit the fire pit, I knew it would be fun but had no idea what the finished results would be, maybe I would get a couple of pieces to list on the new site or maybe I would find them all in pieces in the ashes at the end, I had no idea which it would be.
Well after half an hour in the pit and few minutes sorting through the ashes I found four of the five pieces were still intact and covered in smoke shades, out they came and after a while cooling down they were washed and polished. The designs were to say the least unique and I'm really not sure what to make of them, are they good enough to list on the website, well I really don't know, I'll let them sit around for a while while I get used to them.
The results may have been mixed but boy was it fun trying it out and I can see more pieces going in the pit in the future, I guess it's good to try out these things now and then and if nothing else it makes for an interesting hour away from the wheel.
It was another early start here, I was up and about at 5 and now I sit writing this blog with yet again the sound of rain falling in the darkness of this Tuesday morning, it seems no time since I was waking to the early sunshine pouring in through the bedroom window, now it's darkness that greets me in the early hours.
Now it's back to the barn for me with beads to clean and photograph, enjoy your day.
Yesterday I decided to try a few beakers in the fire pit, these were pieces that had been glazes with the exterior left unglazed, so with the idea being to get some smoke effect designs on the outside I lit the fire pit, I knew it would be fun but had no idea what the finished results would be, maybe I would get a couple of pieces to list on the new site or maybe I would find them all in pieces in the ashes at the end, I had no idea which it would be.
Well after half an hour in the pit and few minutes sorting through the ashes I found four of the five pieces were still intact and covered in smoke shades, out they came and after a while cooling down they were washed and polished. The designs were to say the least unique and I'm really not sure what to make of them, are they good enough to list on the website, well I really don't know, I'll let them sit around for a while while I get used to them.
The results may have been mixed but boy was it fun trying it out and I can see more pieces going in the pit in the future, I guess it's good to try out these things now and then and if nothing else it makes for an interesting hour away from the wheel.
It was another early start here, I was up and about at 5 and now I sit writing this blog with yet again the sound of rain falling in the darkness of this Tuesday morning, it seems no time since I was waking to the early sunshine pouring in through the bedroom window, now it's darkness that greets me in the early hours.
Now it's back to the barn for me with beads to clean and photograph, enjoy your day.
New Week
Wet Start
Another wet start for the new week ahead, the mornings here in the fens seem to be getting grey and damp now with any last signs of summer slowly disappearing and that early winter feel already here to bully autumn into submission.
Already the warnings of a cold winter are being banded around and talk of snow and ice taking over weeks of the coming months keeps sending the thoughts of a cold few months in the barn to my mind. All summer I hoped we could make enough money to obtain a small wood burner stove to keep us warm this winter but with sales being so slow we just can't do it, in fact we yet again face another year working with hot water bottles tucked in our seats, I look on it as one of the smaller problems in life and to be honest with you it's a bit of a challenge, it got me thinking about the days before electric and how people kept warm, yes the open fire I guess kept the house warmer and stone hot water bottles along with bed warming pans made going to bed a warmer experience but as for working all day in a cold barn, well what would they have done.
As we chatted about it this past few days I mentioned how lucky I was to have lost weight as now I have so many larger sized clothes to ware which will come in handy as I can wear more layers in an effort to stay warm and by lunch time we find the barn as warmed a lot, it's just those early morning hours that bite, those hours when we sit holding our cuppa to warm our hands up, oh for that wonderful life of a bead maker !
I sit here with a late morning cuppa watching more rain fall over the fens, those sodden fields of dark rich soil rolling out for miles, the gulls have found another working plough to follow and wood pigeons glen the torn soil, a very different time of year now, one where nature grabs what it can to prepare for the winter months, no shelter for them, no hot water bottles or warm bed, just harsh winter weather lays ahead, I wonder what crosses their minds this time of year, it certainly makes this bead maker feel humble when all I fear is the coming cold mornings.
Well the plans for a fresh looking barn I hope will come true next week as we plan to get the painting all done and the carpet changed, that should just leave the glass displays to clean and a good all round tidy up, then it's just a matter of making new stock to place in the displays, I think we are looking at around the back end of November before it's ready for visitors but at least we will feel better working in a more cleaner looking space.
Last night I did a glaze firing in the ceramic kiln so later today I'll be like a big kid opening up the kiln lid to see what greets me, fingers crossed a few nice pieces will be waiting there. This coming week will be the time to fire a lot of the new pieces which I hope will be good enough to go on the website, I have listed the first item and hope to have a few more on there by next weekend when I'll place the website link here on the blog.
Right, I'm off to my flame and I hope you enjoy your day even if you too are getting the rains.
Another wet start for the new week ahead, the mornings here in the fens seem to be getting grey and damp now with any last signs of summer slowly disappearing and that early winter feel already here to bully autumn into submission.
Already the warnings of a cold winter are being banded around and talk of snow and ice taking over weeks of the coming months keeps sending the thoughts of a cold few months in the barn to my mind. All summer I hoped we could make enough money to obtain a small wood burner stove to keep us warm this winter but with sales being so slow we just can't do it, in fact we yet again face another year working with hot water bottles tucked in our seats, I look on it as one of the smaller problems in life and to be honest with you it's a bit of a challenge, it got me thinking about the days before electric and how people kept warm, yes the open fire I guess kept the house warmer and stone hot water bottles along with bed warming pans made going to bed a warmer experience but as for working all day in a cold barn, well what would they have done.
As we chatted about it this past few days I mentioned how lucky I was to have lost weight as now I have so many larger sized clothes to ware which will come in handy as I can wear more layers in an effort to stay warm and by lunch time we find the barn as warmed a lot, it's just those early morning hours that bite, those hours when we sit holding our cuppa to warm our hands up, oh for that wonderful life of a bead maker !
I sit here with a late morning cuppa watching more rain fall over the fens, those sodden fields of dark rich soil rolling out for miles, the gulls have found another working plough to follow and wood pigeons glen the torn soil, a very different time of year now, one where nature grabs what it can to prepare for the winter months, no shelter for them, no hot water bottles or warm bed, just harsh winter weather lays ahead, I wonder what crosses their minds this time of year, it certainly makes this bead maker feel humble when all I fear is the coming cold mornings.
Well the plans for a fresh looking barn I hope will come true next week as we plan to get the painting all done and the carpet changed, that should just leave the glass displays to clean and a good all round tidy up, then it's just a matter of making new stock to place in the displays, I think we are looking at around the back end of November before it's ready for visitors but at least we will feel better working in a more cleaner looking space.
Last night I did a glaze firing in the ceramic kiln so later today I'll be like a big kid opening up the kiln lid to see what greets me, fingers crossed a few nice pieces will be waiting there. This coming week will be the time to fire a lot of the new pieces which I hope will be good enough to go on the website, I have listed the first item and hope to have a few more on there by next weekend when I'll place the website link here on the blog.
Right, I'm off to my flame and I hope you enjoy your day even if you too are getting the rains.
Wednesday, 17 October 2012
A Late Night Building
First Evening Building The New Site
It's a later start for me this morning after spending what seemed like half the night starting to put together the new ceramic site, I'm hoping by Christmas I'll have both a new bead and pottery site up and running. After being asked by more customers why I haven't still got my websites and explaining about the problems I had, I thought it was time I sorted it all out, the idea is two brand new sites, both with shops to sell beads and ceramics, it will take a week or two to get them built and sorted ready for sales but at least I'll once again have somewhere to sell items without having to pay all those sellers fees.
I will still be selling from both my etsy and ebay shops but in the website shops I can just list my favourite sets and ceramic pieces, I guess these sites will be more for me to show off the items I enjoy making rather than making lots of money, but we''ll see how it goes.
Another really wet morning here in the fens with blustery winds playing with hedgerows and reed beds alike, the last autumn blooms dancing in the garden, hanging on until their winter fall while a pair of gold finches hang on to their feeder for dear life like north sea fishermen riding a storm, god I love mornings like these, sitting here in the warm with my cuppa while watching those wild skies.
This morning I'm at my torch as normal with spacers and focals to make for ebay, I have a commission order for ruffled discs to complete and I have beads to clean and photograph ready to list this evening. The afternoon will be spent in the clay room trimming salt bottles, salt shakers and some tall slim neck bottle vases followed by throwing pieces on my wheel, maybe today I'll produce the first special piece that I can save for the new site, fingers crossed.
Ok, back to it for me, I have wild weather to watch while I work away in the warm next to my kiln and whatever your plans for the day I hope the weather isn't too bad where you are.
It's a later start for me this morning after spending what seemed like half the night starting to put together the new ceramic site, I'm hoping by Christmas I'll have both a new bead and pottery site up and running. After being asked by more customers why I haven't still got my websites and explaining about the problems I had, I thought it was time I sorted it all out, the idea is two brand new sites, both with shops to sell beads and ceramics, it will take a week or two to get them built and sorted ready for sales but at least I'll once again have somewhere to sell items without having to pay all those sellers fees.
I will still be selling from both my etsy and ebay shops but in the website shops I can just list my favourite sets and ceramic pieces, I guess these sites will be more for me to show off the items I enjoy making rather than making lots of money, but we''ll see how it goes.
Another really wet morning here in the fens with blustery winds playing with hedgerows and reed beds alike, the last autumn blooms dancing in the garden, hanging on until their winter fall while a pair of gold finches hang on to their feeder for dear life like north sea fishermen riding a storm, god I love mornings like these, sitting here in the warm with my cuppa while watching those wild skies.
This morning I'm at my torch as normal with spacers and focals to make for ebay, I have a commission order for ruffled discs to complete and I have beads to clean and photograph ready to list this evening. The afternoon will be spent in the clay room trimming salt bottles, salt shakers and some tall slim neck bottle vases followed by throwing pieces on my wheel, maybe today I'll produce the first special piece that I can save for the new site, fingers crossed.
Ok, back to it for me, I have wild weather to watch while I work away in the warm next to my kiln and whatever your plans for the day I hope the weather isn't too bad where you are.
Friday, 12 October 2012
Wet Autumn Morning
Dark, Wet And A Touch Cold
Winter is really on it's way here in the flat lands, I sit with my cuppa writing this update while huge black clouds carry rain off towards the coast and fine drizzle falls upon the dark soils so rich here in the fens The conifer trees that edge the rear garden dance that strange dance that only the winds of East Anglia can produce and gone now are any chances of a warmer morning with signs of winter's arrival all around us.
The golden tree jewellery starts to lay as a autumn carpet that children love to walk in and kick just as I did all those years ago, rusty leaves fall from pear, apple and plum, while coal smoke fills the morning air and street light shimmers in puddles, everything I love about autumn is there outside for me to watch like some massive stage production of which I have a front seat.
It was another early start for me this morning, another walk across a dark garden to open up the barn, that quiet hour before those early workers start to pass, those first birds singing waiting for dawn as I empty the bead kiln with excitement.
Today will be another busy one for me, there are beads to make, clean and photograph, there are bowls and pots to trim and I hope this will be followed by more pieces being thrown on my wheel, who on earth ever said the life of a bead maker was a nice easy one !!
These are the days when I miss my Marley and still I find myself looking down at his favourite space next to my bench expecting him to be laying there sleeping in the warmth of my kiln, a winter without him really isn't a nice thought but I'm sure Sam will be there getting in trouble as normal and I guess it's just life passing by even if it is far too fast at times.
Ok I'm heading back to my torch and a rainbow of glass rods waiting in turn to help me in my work, the barn is warming and the rain still falling so this bead maker is a happy one.
Winter is really on it's way here in the flat lands, I sit with my cuppa writing this update while huge black clouds carry rain off towards the coast and fine drizzle falls upon the dark soils so rich here in the fens The conifer trees that edge the rear garden dance that strange dance that only the winds of East Anglia can produce and gone now are any chances of a warmer morning with signs of winter's arrival all around us.
The golden tree jewellery starts to lay as a autumn carpet that children love to walk in and kick just as I did all those years ago, rusty leaves fall from pear, apple and plum, while coal smoke fills the morning air and street light shimmers in puddles, everything I love about autumn is there outside for me to watch like some massive stage production of which I have a front seat.
It was another early start for me this morning, another walk across a dark garden to open up the barn, that quiet hour before those early workers start to pass, those first birds singing waiting for dawn as I empty the bead kiln with excitement.
Today will be another busy one for me, there are beads to make, clean and photograph, there are bowls and pots to trim and I hope this will be followed by more pieces being thrown on my wheel, who on earth ever said the life of a bead maker was a nice easy one !!
These are the days when I miss my Marley and still I find myself looking down at his favourite space next to my bench expecting him to be laying there sleeping in the warmth of my kiln, a winter without him really isn't a nice thought but I'm sure Sam will be there getting in trouble as normal and I guess it's just life passing by even if it is far too fast at times.
Ok I'm heading back to my torch and a rainbow of glass rods waiting in turn to help me in my work, the barn is warming and the rain still falling so this bead maker is a happy one.
Sunday, 7 October 2012
Goblets In The Kiln
First Goblets Are Firing Tonight
Well, I guess I'll be like that big kid waiting for Christmas this evening, the first goblets are in the kiln and I will just have to wait until tomorrow lunch time at the earliest to see what I've done to them by adding the glaze. It could be a real disaster and all hopes of ever making those tall goblets again may well be lost forever, or, it may be that I'll be over the moon with them and by tomorrow evening I'll be sitting at my wheel making more, we'll just have to wait and see.
It's funny really, I know they most probably won't be liked by buyers but to be totally honest with you i really don't care, over the last year or two when I've tried everything to keep customers including making lots of beads that I really don't enjoy producing, I've realised how much I long to enjoy the items I make, yes with the beads I know I will need to continue making beads that customers like even if I don't, but with my ceramics, well I'm not going to suffer that fate, I said from the very first time I came up with the idea that I would only make things I enjoyed making and boy am I going to stick to it.
These goblets are my kind of item, they have that medieval look, they have that sense of grandeur about them, I see them being used on special occasions of indeed by the odd person who enjoys a relaxing glass of wine in the evening, I think of those who drank from them in centuries past when a glass or silver goblet was out of the reach of even the middle classes and for the life of me I can't think of any good reason why we shouldn't still use them now, after all many of us still use stoneware kitchen ware every day of our lives so why not stoneware goblets.
Ok, I better get that cuppa I promised Yvonne an hour ago plus there is one huge scruffy dog called Sam sitting here waiting for an hair cut, so that should be fun !!
Well, I guess I'll be like that big kid waiting for Christmas this evening, the first goblets are in the kiln and I will just have to wait until tomorrow lunch time at the earliest to see what I've done to them by adding the glaze. It could be a real disaster and all hopes of ever making those tall goblets again may well be lost forever, or, it may be that I'll be over the moon with them and by tomorrow evening I'll be sitting at my wheel making more, we'll just have to wait and see.
It's funny really, I know they most probably won't be liked by buyers but to be totally honest with you i really don't care, over the last year or two when I've tried everything to keep customers including making lots of beads that I really don't enjoy producing, I've realised how much I long to enjoy the items I make, yes with the beads I know I will need to continue making beads that customers like even if I don't, but with my ceramics, well I'm not going to suffer that fate, I said from the very first time I came up with the idea that I would only make things I enjoyed making and boy am I going to stick to it.
These goblets are my kind of item, they have that medieval look, they have that sense of grandeur about them, I see them being used on special occasions of indeed by the odd person who enjoys a relaxing glass of wine in the evening, I think of those who drank from them in centuries past when a glass or silver goblet was out of the reach of even the middle classes and for the life of me I can't think of any good reason why we shouldn't still use them now, after all many of us still use stoneware kitchen ware every day of our lives so why not stoneware goblets.
Ok, I better get that cuppa I promised Yvonne an hour ago plus there is one huge scruffy dog called Sam sitting here waiting for an hair cut, so that should be fun !!
Saturday, 6 October 2012
Weekend Sunshine
We Wake To A Sunny Dawn
What a wonderful feeling waking to find some early morning sunshine pouring into our bedroom, after that dark wet morning of yesterday it makes a great change and I hope it points to a dry day and one full of production work wise.
Last night I decided to glaze and fire a few bowl sets and a few other pieces to give me a head start on the weekend, this gives me a chance to list the first pieces this evening with more coming over the nest two or three days. I will be loading the kiln again late this afternoon with more items to bisque fire including the first few tall goblets, I'm rather excited about them and I have my fingers crossed that they will turn out ok. I'm hoping they may be seen as celebration goblets or toasting vessels, used at weddings or other special events, I have made shorter examples which I'll be listing but these taller goblets really do have that look of splendour about them, that medieval look where kings and queens would drink wine from them while feasting in some huge feasting hall.
I have more bead sets to list on ebay and etsy this afternoon, the first auction sets sold last night in my ebay shop so I need to get a few more listed, I'm beginning to think it really was a good idea to start listing these sets on auction again and fingers crossed they will become popular with buyers.
Ok, cuppa time over and my torch is calling, at least it won't be as cold this morning which always seems to make a huge different on the amount of beads I produce, I hope you all enjoy your weekend and I'd just like to say one thing before I sod off, I take my hat off to the brave family of that little angel April in Wales and I like everyone else wish and hope they are soon reunited with her. The job that is being done by those searching is such a hard one and to those in the search teams I like most bow to your commitment and energy.
What a wonderful feeling waking to find some early morning sunshine pouring into our bedroom, after that dark wet morning of yesterday it makes a great change and I hope it points to a dry day and one full of production work wise.
Last night I decided to glaze and fire a few bowl sets and a few other pieces to give me a head start on the weekend, this gives me a chance to list the first pieces this evening with more coming over the nest two or three days. I will be loading the kiln again late this afternoon with more items to bisque fire including the first few tall goblets, I'm rather excited about them and I have my fingers crossed that they will turn out ok. I'm hoping they may be seen as celebration goblets or toasting vessels, used at weddings or other special events, I have made shorter examples which I'll be listing but these taller goblets really do have that look of splendour about them, that medieval look where kings and queens would drink wine from them while feasting in some huge feasting hall.
I have more bead sets to list on ebay and etsy this afternoon, the first auction sets sold last night in my ebay shop so I need to get a few more listed, I'm beginning to think it really was a good idea to start listing these sets on auction again and fingers crossed they will become popular with buyers.
Ok, cuppa time over and my torch is calling, at least it won't be as cold this morning which always seems to make a huge different on the amount of beads I produce, I hope you all enjoy your weekend and I'd just like to say one thing before I sod off, I take my hat off to the brave family of that little angel April in Wales and I like everyone else wish and hope they are soon reunited with her. The job that is being done by those searching is such a hard one and to those in the search teams I like most bow to your commitment and energy.
Friday, 5 October 2012
Dark Morning
First Winter Morning
I was up early this morning watching those dark heavy rain clouds rushing over the fens heading towards the East Anglia coast, the first of those winter mornings when I love to sit in the warm and watch the dawn, slowly the darkness makes way leaving those dark skies above.
Those quiet wet mornings when the odd car passes taking those who have to start early to work, those mornings when I'm happy to be sitting in the warm writing this blog with a hot cuppa while looking out upon the wet fens where the raw winds cause those leaving home to wrap up warm, it's that late autumn season when those golden paths of leaf carpet country lanes all over Britain and that smell of late afternoon bonfires fill the air.
Today I will empty the bisque firing from last night only to replace those pieces with more this evening or tomorrow evening, this I hope means a busy weekend glazing items ready to list, bowl sets, goblets and I hope the first few egg cups will be among them.
The fact that weekends such as the this one come along where I get to enjoy myself finishing off new pieces helps me cope with the every day struggles that just seem to be here every week now, the excitement of opening the kiln to find out how glazes or designs look is a great feeling and one that I hope to experience for a long while yet.
Back to work for me now, I'm on my torch making more sets and a few focal beads today, later this afternoon I'll be on my wheel throwing a few more smaller pieces, I'm now on my last bag of clay so I'm guessing next week will be a wheel free one, maybe I'll spend some time on beads and pendants.
I was up early this morning watching those dark heavy rain clouds rushing over the fens heading towards the East Anglia coast, the first of those winter mornings when I love to sit in the warm and watch the dawn, slowly the darkness makes way leaving those dark skies above.
Those quiet wet mornings when the odd car passes taking those who have to start early to work, those mornings when I'm happy to be sitting in the warm writing this blog with a hot cuppa while looking out upon the wet fens where the raw winds cause those leaving home to wrap up warm, it's that late autumn season when those golden paths of leaf carpet country lanes all over Britain and that smell of late afternoon bonfires fill the air.
Today I will empty the bisque firing from last night only to replace those pieces with more this evening or tomorrow evening, this I hope means a busy weekend glazing items ready to list, bowl sets, goblets and I hope the first few egg cups will be among them.
The fact that weekends such as the this one come along where I get to enjoy myself finishing off new pieces helps me cope with the every day struggles that just seem to be here every week now, the excitement of opening the kiln to find out how glazes or designs look is a great feeling and one that I hope to experience for a long while yet.
Back to work for me now, I'm on my torch making more sets and a few focal beads today, later this afternoon I'll be on my wheel throwing a few more smaller pieces, I'm now on my last bag of clay so I'm guessing next week will be a wheel free one, maybe I'll spend some time on beads and pendants.
Thursday, 4 October 2012
Egg Cups
First Egg Cups Made.
How the hell does making egg cups give me as much pleasure as it did yesterday, who would have dreamt I would enjoy spending an hour making those little breakfast items but I did and I have a funny feeling I'll be making more this afternoon.
After a suggestion from a friend yesterday in which she mentioned giving egg cups a try, I thought why not, they are small and something that most households need and you know me, I was sure I could make them a little different in shape and design from those we all own. If all goes well and the egg cups I've made dry quick enough I may get to show the odd one or two off this coming weekend along with some of the bowl sets and goblets, it's very much looking like the coming week will see a lot of new ceramics being listed in my etsy shop starting from this weekend.
This evening there are a few pieces I want to list and more lampwork bead sets on ebay and etsy, the sets I listed this past week have found a good bit of interest and it's with fingers crossed that I'll be adding more most evenings over the next week or two. I got into the habit of listing only focals for auction in the past year or two with most sets always being a "Buy It Now" option, but I think it's now time people had chance to bid on sets also and maybe get a good bargain, it's funny how long it takes buyers to find your new items but since I listed the first sets a week ago I can see a great improvement in the number of page views etc, so touch wood this may help with sales.
Today again I'm on my torch this morning and I'll once again be working in the clay room this afternoon, I can't stress enough how much more confident I am working on my wheel now and it can only be down to the amount of time I'm spending throwing pieces, also buy spending shorter days on my torch I have that hunger back every morning to get back with my flame, that can fade when you spend so many long days making beads, I don't care who you are and how much you love working with glass, you do get those periods when this happens and you get that lack of luster, so it is often good to spend shorter days on the torch which will help you regain that positive feeling again, believe me, if it can work for me it will work for anyone, I don't think there are many people who spend more hours than I do on their torch each week in fact to say I'm addicted would be an understatement.
Ok, back to my flame for me and lets see if we can get that bead kiln full again today, each day I'm making the odd extra set to put away ready to fill the displays here in the barn, the last thing we need is to invite customers to visit and the selection of beads here is under par.
How the hell does making egg cups give me as much pleasure as it did yesterday, who would have dreamt I would enjoy spending an hour making those little breakfast items but I did and I have a funny feeling I'll be making more this afternoon.
After a suggestion from a friend yesterday in which she mentioned giving egg cups a try, I thought why not, they are small and something that most households need and you know me, I was sure I could make them a little different in shape and design from those we all own. If all goes well and the egg cups I've made dry quick enough I may get to show the odd one or two off this coming weekend along with some of the bowl sets and goblets, it's very much looking like the coming week will see a lot of new ceramics being listed in my etsy shop starting from this weekend.
This evening there are a few pieces I want to list and more lampwork bead sets on ebay and etsy, the sets I listed this past week have found a good bit of interest and it's with fingers crossed that I'll be adding more most evenings over the next week or two. I got into the habit of listing only focals for auction in the past year or two with most sets always being a "Buy It Now" option, but I think it's now time people had chance to bid on sets also and maybe get a good bargain, it's funny how long it takes buyers to find your new items but since I listed the first sets a week ago I can see a great improvement in the number of page views etc, so touch wood this may help with sales.
Today again I'm on my torch this morning and I'll once again be working in the clay room this afternoon, I can't stress enough how much more confident I am working on my wheel now and it can only be down to the amount of time I'm spending throwing pieces, also buy spending shorter days on my torch I have that hunger back every morning to get back with my flame, that can fade when you spend so many long days making beads, I don't care who you are and how much you love working with glass, you do get those periods when this happens and you get that lack of luster, so it is often good to spend shorter days on the torch which will help you regain that positive feeling again, believe me, if it can work for me it will work for anyone, I don't think there are many people who spend more hours than I do on their torch each week in fact to say I'm addicted would be an understatement.
Ok, back to my flame for me and lets see if we can get that bead kiln full again today, each day I'm making the odd extra set to put away ready to fill the displays here in the barn, the last thing we need is to invite customers to visit and the selection of beads here is under par.
Tuesday, 2 October 2012
Bubbles And More Bubbles
Bubble Bead Fever
Well yesterday was the first day of this new week and a great productive day it was here at the barn. I had what can only be called a bubble bead morning with some really nice sets of my owl eye bubble beads being made ready to list on etsy this evening. I'm hoping to produce a few more this morning with an hour or two being spent playing with different colours.
I must say yesterday was the first day I was glad to be next to my kiln with the cold fen winds returning for the first time this autumn, I'm sure it won't be long before these blog updates will written while I sit waiting for dawn on those cold winter mornings and to be honest, watching those wild dark skies is one part of winter I enjoy.
On the ceramic side of things, yesterday was also a good day, more tall goblets were made and the first few drinking mugs were produced, later today I'll be putting a few more handles on mugs as with most things, practise makes perfect and boy do I need to practise !!
The aim for this week is to get a full kiln Friday or sat to bisque fire leaving the rest of the weekend to get those pieces glazed. The first goblets will I hope be listed next Monday, fingers crossed some will like them but as long as I'm happy with them I don't mind how many months they sit on the shelf, I'm beginning to believe it's now becoming time for me to once again start making more of what I like and not just what I think customers would buy. Over the last two years I've watched sales drop to less than half and I guess in my mind I'm thinking, sod it, if I'm going down then I'm going down making things that I enjoy making, some will say that's a real "glass half empty" thing to say but I'm sure when things pick up I'll feel differently again, I think we can all fight but even the strongest get to a point when they wonder if it's all worth it and I guess I'm hitting that stage at the moment.
On a brighter note, the barn is looking empty but with that comes the chance to start getting that lick of paint on and the carpet changed, we were lucky to have saved some carpet from one of the spare bedrooms and it looks ideal to use in the barn. The glass display units need a good clean, old cupboards and tables are being removed and all in all we hope it will look very different and nice and clean.
We are looking to obtain some peg board on with we can hang a big selection of spacer beads for visitors to look over, we will both have a display unit each with Yvonne filling hers with her frit beads etc and I'll be using mine to display some of my better bead sets. I'm hoping to get an area arranged in which I can show off my ceramics, both beads and vessels, tho the dusting will be one job I'm not looking forward to haha!
Ok, this late cuppa time over and back to my flame for me, I hope you all enjoy your day, I have more bubbles to form.
Well yesterday was the first day of this new week and a great productive day it was here at the barn. I had what can only be called a bubble bead morning with some really nice sets of my owl eye bubble beads being made ready to list on etsy this evening. I'm hoping to produce a few more this morning with an hour or two being spent playing with different colours.
I must say yesterday was the first day I was glad to be next to my kiln with the cold fen winds returning for the first time this autumn, I'm sure it won't be long before these blog updates will written while I sit waiting for dawn on those cold winter mornings and to be honest, watching those wild dark skies is one part of winter I enjoy.
On the ceramic side of things, yesterday was also a good day, more tall goblets were made and the first few drinking mugs were produced, later today I'll be putting a few more handles on mugs as with most things, practise makes perfect and boy do I need to practise !!
The aim for this week is to get a full kiln Friday or sat to bisque fire leaving the rest of the weekend to get those pieces glazed. The first goblets will I hope be listed next Monday, fingers crossed some will like them but as long as I'm happy with them I don't mind how many months they sit on the shelf, I'm beginning to believe it's now becoming time for me to once again start making more of what I like and not just what I think customers would buy. Over the last two years I've watched sales drop to less than half and I guess in my mind I'm thinking, sod it, if I'm going down then I'm going down making things that I enjoy making, some will say that's a real "glass half empty" thing to say but I'm sure when things pick up I'll feel differently again, I think we can all fight but even the strongest get to a point when they wonder if it's all worth it and I guess I'm hitting that stage at the moment.
On a brighter note, the barn is looking empty but with that comes the chance to start getting that lick of paint on and the carpet changed, we were lucky to have saved some carpet from one of the spare bedrooms and it looks ideal to use in the barn. The glass display units need a good clean, old cupboards and tables are being removed and all in all we hope it will look very different and nice and clean.
We are looking to obtain some peg board on with we can hang a big selection of spacer beads for visitors to look over, we will both have a display unit each with Yvonne filling hers with her frit beads etc and I'll be using mine to display some of my better bead sets. I'm hoping to get an area arranged in which I can show off my ceramics, both beads and vessels, tho the dusting will be one job I'm not looking forward to haha!
Ok, this late cuppa time over and back to my flame for me, I hope you all enjoy your day, I have more bubbles to form.
Monday, 1 October 2012
A Fresh Week
Hope This Week Is A Better One
After last week, which lets say wasn't the best week we ever had, I'm hoping this week will bring a little joy and will be a very productive one. This morning I'm on my torch followed by yet another afternoon in the clay room, on the lampwork side of things it's focals and a few sets that I'm producing and with the ceramics I'm trying out more ideas for the Christmas period, over the weekend I made my first couple of ceramic tall goblets and what fun that was.
A month ago I would never have believed I would be able to make such items but as the weeks pass it all seems to be coming together, most days after working on the wheel I sit and look at the pieces I've produced and it amazes me what I'm now able to turn out. Yes there is the normal items such as kitchen ware but also now I'm starting to try the more interesting things such as the goblets and candle sticks, later this afternoon I have a few handles to fix on some coffee mugs, it's funny really as of all the items I've now worked on the plain simple drinking mug is one I've let slip by. It's not that I don't like them but just that I've been working on getting the basics such as bowls etc right, now I feel I can spend some time working on mugs, plus with resources being so limited and clay being like gold to me at the moment, it means I can practise on these smaller items without using up the little clay I have at the moment.
I'm very much hoping I can get a few sales soon so I can obtain more clay, I have started recycling my scrap clay and it is coming in really handy, it's amazing what you can learn when you really need to.
The barn makeover is coming on and tho it's looking rather empty it does show just how much room we are lucky enough to have here, I was so lucky to have been able to afford the materials all those years ago to build it as if it had been now or indeed the last four or five years we just wouldn't have been able to even think about it. Now we need to come up with a way of turning this dusty cobweb filled old barn into a nice clean place to display and sell beads from, a place where customers can once again visit and enjoy an hour or two having a coffee and looking through beads and maybe in the odd case giving bead making a try, I know it's slow going but I feel we have to get this done, it all part of my final try to get sales going again, I don't want to end yet another year with no future to look forward to.
Ok back to work for me and ceramics and beads to pack ready to post this lunch time, a very damp grey fens today but a nice warm seat next to my kiln awaits me.
After last week, which lets say wasn't the best week we ever had, I'm hoping this week will bring a little joy and will be a very productive one. This morning I'm on my torch followed by yet another afternoon in the clay room, on the lampwork side of things it's focals and a few sets that I'm producing and with the ceramics I'm trying out more ideas for the Christmas period, over the weekend I made my first couple of ceramic tall goblets and what fun that was.
A month ago I would never have believed I would be able to make such items but as the weeks pass it all seems to be coming together, most days after working on the wheel I sit and look at the pieces I've produced and it amazes me what I'm now able to turn out. Yes there is the normal items such as kitchen ware but also now I'm starting to try the more interesting things such as the goblets and candle sticks, later this afternoon I have a few handles to fix on some coffee mugs, it's funny really as of all the items I've now worked on the plain simple drinking mug is one I've let slip by. It's not that I don't like them but just that I've been working on getting the basics such as bowls etc right, now I feel I can spend some time working on mugs, plus with resources being so limited and clay being like gold to me at the moment, it means I can practise on these smaller items without using up the little clay I have at the moment.
I'm very much hoping I can get a few sales soon so I can obtain more clay, I have started recycling my scrap clay and it is coming in really handy, it's amazing what you can learn when you really need to.
The barn makeover is coming on and tho it's looking rather empty it does show just how much room we are lucky enough to have here, I was so lucky to have been able to afford the materials all those years ago to build it as if it had been now or indeed the last four or five years we just wouldn't have been able to even think about it. Now we need to come up with a way of turning this dusty cobweb filled old barn into a nice clean place to display and sell beads from, a place where customers can once again visit and enjoy an hour or two having a coffee and looking through beads and maybe in the odd case giving bead making a try, I know it's slow going but I feel we have to get this done, it all part of my final try to get sales going again, I don't want to end yet another year with no future to look forward to.
Ok back to work for me and ceramics and beads to pack ready to post this lunch time, a very damp grey fens today but a nice warm seat next to my kiln awaits me.
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