Happy ever after!

Several pieces from the last firing have gone to new loving homes.

This girl went to a lovely couple in north. The gentleman reserved her secretly and gave her to his partner. How lovely! He said she looks like his partner!  Ed Chadwick, the owner of Snug Gallery sent me wonderful photos.

Little Jill. Photo courtesy of Ed Chadwick

Then Pocha was snapped up and joined Little Jill. Now she is gallery staff at Snug Gallery, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire.

Photo courtesy of  Ed Chadwick

Stella is now travelling to a lovely lady's home in the US.

Stella

Blackbirds are back. Right and left were reserved for a lovely lady. The middle is in my shop now!

Blackbirds

The robins in bronze glaze. The left one joined a bronze glazed wren at a lovely lady's home in Scotland! 

Photo courtesy of Helena J@helenajbee

Strawberry went to a lovely ceramic artist, Jane Booth. Her website is here.

Photo courtesy of Jane Booth

I was so happy to post them to a lady with amazing patience. She commissioned me in January! The porcelain clay didn't like the sitting posing. It had caused me a few problems. Each time I have made improvement. When I finally thought I mustered how to make it, it showed slight marbling marks. It must have been in clay. The lady said she would take that one because she volunteers in a dog rescue charity. So she got one perfect and one rescue. Just to prove that I would be able to make another perfect one, I'm making another one, the sixth! It is bisque-fired now. One day it will be in my Etsy shop. If you fancy this posture with this beautiful crackle clear glaze, watch the space. That would be the last of this kind!

Photo courtesy of Jules, @madamdaphne 

The lady, Jules is a film producer. Now her TV program, My Mad Fat Diary is on E4, started on 22 June!

two hounds in clear crackled glaze.

Thank you so much!

There is Pinterest board about my work in their new homes. Check them out!

One swallow does not make a summer

Thankfully the firing went very well. Two pieces from the firing went to Artichoke Gallery, Ticehurst, East Sussex. The exhibition, Beetles, Bugs and Birds will start on the 1st July.

Today I share One swallow does not make a summer.

One swallow does not make a summer

details

  Artichoke Gallery

Resting day!

It's unusual! I'm taking rest today. After three days of glazing and early starts, I was exhausted. I loaded the kiln about five yesterday. After dinner, I watched The Hobbit on TV. That's the first film or drama I have watched since the 3rd episode of Wolf Hall, in January!

I have also slept 11 hours. I have baked madeleines as our pastry chef was busy on the roof. Mike was fixing wire to prevent town pigeons nesting under the solar panels. That was my first baking in 15 years, I think! :D

Glaze-firing is done. Shelfie for you!

Glaze-firing - Lower shelf

Top shelf

Our family is sleepy as usual! Pumpkin is 11 year-old now, and she is happy resting and bathing. I feel privileged to be able to join her today!

Mike's courgettes have got lots of flowers this week. We will soon have lots of courgettes! 

Topaz is usual studio dog, but once a while Pearl the whippet, takes the role! 

Imagine how tiring to sleep for 20 hours a day! 

If you wonder what Mike looks like on the roof. Here is a photo.  

I was holding the ladder and waving to people passing below! :D

Have a great week, everyone!

Tapirs and anteaters in their new loving homes!

Lately a few customers have posted their photos of my tapirs and anteaters on Twitter. I would love to share them here!

Gavin feeds vegetarian ants to Anton! :D
Gavin Berriman: http://twitter.com/gavinberriman
http://www.gavinberriman.com/

Look who's arrived from @MidoriTakaki ...it's only Anton the Anteater! Thanks Midori...he's a handsome little chap.

Helen has both aneater and Small tapir baby now! 

Hele Savage:  http://twitter.com/belle_savage

'And... how gorgeous are my @MidoriTakaki baby tapir and anteater? :-) :-) :-)' 

Lydia has large mum and tiny baby! 

http://twitter.com/blackdoglydia

blackdogandgingercat.co.uk

Hehehehehe! Excited giggles - I've got one too, and a mummy #tapirlove 

Jean also has Large mum and a tiny baby! 

Jean Edwards: http://twitter.com/JeanEd70

http://jeandrawingaday.wordpress.com/ 

A tapir and her baby have arrived, thanks to Midori Takaki!

Karin's panda stroking small baby tapir!
Karin: https://twitter.com/andtheHare
http://www.celestineandthehare.com 

We love our new baby #tapir @MidoriTakaki thank you!! Film to follow

And here is her sweet film! Enjoy! 

Bisque-firing

Yesterday I did bisque-firing. It went well thankfully!

Lower shelf

Top shelf

There are lots in the kiln. This one had a sweet girl's face,

Before

After

 A bit older girl

Shield bug on her hair

 

We saw three swifts from the window of the hotel in Lyon. I thought swifts and winds are almost one. 

One swallow does not make a summer

One of my favourites is this monkey! So sweet! Don't you think?

Packing is intense!

Since the last Friday, Mike and I have been busy making a box and packing. Packing ceramic sculptures is challenging, but making a box for them to post is intense! So intense that we could only carry on about 2 hours at a time. It's two people's job. It is more like sculpting! Mike does all shaving and cutting materials. We discuss a lot as we continue, and alter a lot. It is a bit like an operation! Even after we planned beforehand, unless we start, we don't know how things go!

Here is one example. He flew to a lovely lady in the US.

This time we have to ship two figures. Both with sticking arms and travertime mount! This box was started several weeks ago. We added a divider inside. Then we find polystyrene pieces to fit in the spaces.

Mike scrapes the bits. Then we do fitting. 

Fine tuning and fitting about 30 times! Yes, 30 times. 

I use Mike's tiny grooming scissors to clip tiny bits, so that no part gets stress. By then we look two crazy people!

Then the second one goes through same process. After about 4 hours clipping and scraping. Finally they look ok.  

Then bracing to be made. Again after much discussion and several fittings, they finally fit into places.

After shaking the box upside down and on sides, if they don't move at all, it's done. 

Now I make little parcels for little accessories and secure them (the black part) 

Then double box it. Again I shake it to see if anything moves. If not, weigh it, and get a price for shipping! This takes about 7 hours over several days. Thankfully Mike helps me. It requires an engineering mind and 3D planning! I'm hoping that one day 3D printing will make special boxes for me. Until then we carry on!