Orange is perky!

Hello! I have made a good progress on glazing today. I must do, as deadlines are coming. The first one is 8-9th November at Windsor Contemporary Art Fair. Bisque firing went well, and that was relief! I don't want any nasty surprise at this stage.

Tuesday, after I came back from London, I made several hounds in various poses.

I had to wake up at dawn to load the kiln yesterday morning! Beautiful! 

Lower shelf

Top shelf

I have posted a beautiful crackle glazed whippet to a lovely lady yesterday, but then, I felt so tired that I was not able to concentrate on glazing. Going to London four times in a week was a bit too much! Lots of coffee and the best quality truffles were required! 

I treated myself with Godiva truffles.

Then, look! I received a beautiful thank you card from Rebecca at Etsy! How nice! 

Being perked up, I made an anteater! Two hounds are fresh from the kiln!

 Tomorrow will be another glazing day! More coffee! :D

Photos from the studio and cakes!

Hectic! I'm making, glazing, firing, packing and posting without much rest recently!

Here are some photos from the studio to share with you!

Bisque-firing went well!

All critters are fired to bisque

Ready for glaze firing!

  A pair of owls with pink cheeks! : )

They are in my shop!

Before glazing, I wax the bottoms, so that the glaze won't get on them.

Whippets

Mike brought the delicious cakes from Julien Plumart, our favourite cake shop, from Brighton! 

3 for me, and 2 for him. ; )

Now the kiln is ready for another glaze-firing! It will start tomorrow morning.

I had a good productive week.

This month so far I have made lots of things. When I say lots, I mean it. I have loaded the kiln for bisque firing.

Lower shelf

Top shelf

It was a busy but good week for me. Shy and quiet Forest boy I sent to LA on the Friday before, arrived there on Wednesday! That was quick! He went to the loving home of an artist.

Forest Boy - Sold

Emily is also in her loving home now.

Emily  - sold

Thursday evening we went to  PV at the Sidney Cooper gallery, to see the exhibition of old South east seaside photos. We had a good chat with Marianne and Chris who had visited Japan a few month ago.

Having tired from the night before, we went out for dinner on Friday. I had once a month steak-moment. We both got cheerful. :D

Yesterday morning, Mike finally made scones for us, using a recipe by Mary Berry. If you remember, I bought this special jam to try with scones. Even though I asked Mike to get a small tub of double cream, he bought the large one because he said they didn't sell small ones. So we had cream tea for lunch. Ow, it was delicious. Jam was lovely, but I must say I couldn't taste any champagne. And I have just noticed the label saying aristocratic fruit!I Is it from aristocratic soil?

   

Our dogs had a good walk yesterday. We went to see flowers on the meadow patches on campus.

Pearl found something, and she was very keen.

What's that? 

Topaz found something, too. And she rolled on that! 

Oh, something smells good!

As soon as we came home, we shampooed Topaz in the garden, and Pearl in the shower. Now both smell cheap chemical! :D

As Pumpkin the chicken looked at them whilst dust bathing herself, she thought dogs deserve shampoo and cheap chemical smell!   

Pumpkin the great chicken

   I hope you had a good weekend!

Little birds and bisque firing

Hello everyone. The bisque firing went well. Phew! As there was still space on shelves, I quickly made some chubby rabbits, and fired them very slowly because they were not bone dry. I usually make rabbits on full moon nights. But that night, last Saturday, was not. In fact, it was a new moon night. Because of the lack of lunar power or what, one of the rabbits became an otter! Never mind.

Lower shelf - spot the goat! 

And this is top shelf. One baby otter is hiding.

Top shelf

Today I had a friend come to deliver boxes. My stock of boxes is low, and I had asked her to save some for me. As my studio space is a former dinning area adjacent to the kitchen, I did a major floor cleaning with a steam cleaner. During cleaning I injured my fingers twice! I had kept my fingers intact for a longer than one year; you see, clay is not good for cuts, and glazes are even worse for any injuries. So if you do ceramics, and especially throwing, it is important to keep fingers uninjured. Today I learned major cleaning is a hazardous activity!

Do you remember I made tiny chickens about a month ago? One of them was glazed. She is so small that I could carry her around in my coin purse. That's what I might do. So when I get bored in a train or bus, I can peek her inside my purse, and smile at her although people might think I am a bit strange!

A tiny chicken

And here is the little Mochaccino, my late owl finch. He is on the cabinet at my eye level. He will stay with us for good.