Decorating figures, Rugy matches, and Mimi's agony

Hello everyone! Have you had a good day? I had a cheerful one again! I started decorating one of my two figures late morning, In the meantime, Mike was baking a cake for our parrots and walnut cookies for us. He then carried on preparing a lunch. Yes, he is wonderful. He is such a good husband. He even went to a super before that, I should add. I am not particularly passionate about any of these things. I only do when they have to be done.

Art Deco lady

Over Hawaiian Pizza lunch, we watched a rugby match, Scotland against Italy, but it wasn't very good. I stayed until we had desert and coffee, but went back to decorating until the next match which should be the best of today. 

I was using underglaze and oxide to decorate her. I need a good day light. I was wondering if I would have enough time to decorate her after the rugby. I pressed on for a while, and realised my eyes need a rest, so I went down to watch TV with Mike. It was a decider, Wales against France. Very physical match. I am usually very animated during rugby matches, although I am quiet and still for tennis or other sports. I constantly mimic BBC person, and crticise the strategy even though I don't grasp all rules! and sing songs at the end. If there is haka at the beggning I may even join! I like battles, and rugby is as close as modern sport can get. Mike seems to be able to block me out completely. He watches it very quietly. 

I was watching a stadium full of fans, and felt how powerful sports really are. People love sports so much. Then I remember Japanese old artist said on twitter that arts are stronger than money. I wondered if sports are stronger than arts? I am art person, so I tend to think arts are more powerful, but when I saw these fans, I felt sports are more powerful in general. What do you think?

After the match (Wales won Six Nations. Congratulations!), I returned to my 'studio' where Mochachino, my last finch, lives. I did as much as this ( see photo below). I also waxed hair and a part of face. The brown patch is wax. the colour of the lips and cloth look pink, but it should become red (I hope it won't be burnt out in the kiln!). I will finish details tomorrow in daylight Thankfully, Six Nations is over, so I can concentrate on ceramics tomorrow.

  
I wrote about Mimi, my old friend in Japan, at the caption of the photo of almond croissant, yesterday. She kept sending me messages on twitter. She said 'The almond croissant looks yummy!, I want one!','I saw the caption of the photo! I want one!!!' Hahaha. Mimi, I assure you that it is worth coming over from Japan to taste this organic Almond Croissant! I don't like sweets much, and I usually feel sick after eating a small portion. But I have eaten three, yes three almond croissants within 24 hours. Mike said, that's unheard of. Wanna try?

Throwing, carrot cake, rugby, new rabbit mug, throwing again and ebay in this order!

Plinths

Hello everyone! How are you? This morning, soon after breakfast, I threw a couple of pots. They might look like cat bowls, but they aren't. They are plinths for my figure that I made two weeks ago. I want to enter the work in a competition, and thought it would look nice on a plinth. Since the figure was sent to be bisque fired, I threw two pieces, just in case.


In the meantime, Mike was baking a carrot cake. This time with carrots in it. Haha-ha

He put some cooking oil

A bag of carrots

let's go, whisker!

I usually pinch walnuts while he bakes. So he prepared more than necessary.

Ready to go into the oven

Last night four items were sold on ebay. One of them was my little rabbit mug. So, I made a new one. Well, Mike had already made a mug with stoneware grey clay. So I carved a small rabbit and attached her onto the handle. Cute! Isn't she? This one is an ordinary size mug cup. We will glaze with our new white glaze.  I will update when it is finished.

Adult size! mug

New rabbit mug

Oh, yes! Yummy!

Disappearing fast !

We had the lovely carrot cake and tea after that. Then rugby time! We both are avid rugger fans! Our ebay this evenig went well, and we sold two more. We will sleep in happiness. Night night,

Lovely ladies' lunch

I had a great ladies' lunch with my friend at Michael Caines at Abode, my favourite place in Canterbury. We had a grazing menu with recommended wine for starter and main, which is perfect for ladies. Food is lovely, Jane had a chicken liver for starter, and grey mullet for main. She had some chocolate desert. I had salmon for a starter, Kentish beef for main, and raspberry cheesecake for desert. Their bread is the best in Canterbury. Service is also very good, as usual. If you come to Canterbury, do check it out.

We laughed a lot (we both are bubbly), and enjoyed chats. Once a while, I love to have a really good chat with really good female friends. We, women have a different vibe when we are alone! So relaxing!   

The face I started making last week 

Mike gave me a lift to the door to the hotel, and also picked me up. It was sooo cold. Maximum was 1c. When I got in the car, the first thing he said was 'You smell very strong booze!' ??? I only had a small amount of wine though.

After that, Mike and I enjoyed a Six Nations match, Italy vs England (we won again, but Italians was plucky and attacking well). The stadium at Rome had snow, and it looked cold. After a light supper, we went back to TV to watch another match at Paris, but it was called off due to ground condition. La Seine was frozen, and temperature drops to -10C. I am sorry for Irish fans who flew from mild Ireland to literally icy Paris to watch this match. So here I am, updating my blog.

Mike's quick pasta dish - garlic, bacon, Tomato passata and broccoli and Parmigiano Reggiano on top. This Wakefield Shiraz 2009 is delicious wine. It has distinctive plumy taste with lovely spice on the tongue. I loved it.

We still have got snow here; it is too cold to melt.

My old friend in Japan and I have been plotting to set up a date for a mutual friend. So far, it is not going well. We communicate via twitter and emails. Our dear friend is becoming an old maiden, and we want her to blossom. I will tell you how it goes.