POTTERING ABOUT WITH JEWELLERY

Hi everyone

I know I begin most of my blog posts with either a weather forecast or a comment about the weather, and this one is no different!  I AM FED UP WITH THE RAIN!  Sorry for the capitals, but just wanted to make sure the Weather Gods hear my request.  Is it really just my imagination (I feel a song coming on) or were the summers of my childhood (yes, OK a long time ago) warm, full of sunshine and lasted longer than 2 or 3 days?  I am sure every day of the school holidays was wall-to-wall sunshine - or is it age playing a trick on my memory?  I know I am lucky, no floods ruining my home and treasured possessions and I cannot begin to imagine what this must feel like, but like most of us I do need some sunshine.

Did you read Badger Boo Media Hound's latest guest blog post?  If you don't shed a tear or two, you are very hard-hearted - so nip over when you have finished reading my post and see what he has to say.  I am in need of guest posters for July, so come on you Handmade Mondayers, please get in touch and join the growing group of Guest Bloggers.  It would be lovely to have you take part.  You can contact me on christmaspiecrafts@virginmedia.com and a reminder just in case: 600 - 800 words, lots of pics, and all of your links (Twitter, Facebook, etc).  Your choice of topic can be craft or non-craft related, a bit of unashamed business promotion, talking about a place you love, a hobby, at pet or something that you feel you would like to write about.

My missing piece of pottery is still missing; I was advised that at another centre, a student's work turned up after it had been missing for three months!  Perhaps the person who took it decided they didn't really like it after all.  Oh well, I have enrolled on next term's course, so perhaps sometime in October I should have my fourth serviette holder back.  The course tutor has suggested I make another one to complete the set, but as the first batch were stamped and rolled, it is slightly difficult for a very amateur potter to get everything just right the second time around.  I shall have to ponder on this a while.

I have been busy this week making stock for my wall at Bourne Mill and here are pics of a few of my makes:

Don't forget to visit the blogs taking part in Handmade Monday to see what everyone has been up to in the last week.

As part of the Open Studios Event, I attended an Introduction to Wirework course yesterday run by Julie Holt at the Surrey Jewellery School.  An intense 2.5 hours during which I learned lots of easy techniques to make jewellery findings, and also made three pairs of earrings.  The session was a fantastic bargain at £15 - a special price for the Open Studios event.  Here are photographs of 2 of my makes:

The Open Studios event finishes today, although there are a couple of dates next month to catch up on visits.  I really recommend you try to see some of the great work of the artists who are taking part and also look out next year for the short courses some of the artists run - such great value.  Julie has lots of short courses on offer and I am considering doing one or two over the next few months.  Whilst I don't necessarily think I will branch out into the world of making/selling my own jewellery (too much competition really) I would like to make things that can embellish either my cards, gift bags or wreaths with.

The sun is out, the rain has actually stopped (perhaps the weather Gods have heard my plea?) and although it is very windy, I am going to do some gardening.  At this time of year, it is a case of grabbing time in the garden whenever possible as everything grows very, very quickly.

Finally I want to share with you my good fortune.  I received an email in the week advising me that Mr A N Other had arrived in Heathrow with $4,000,000.  Unfortunately, Mr Other was unable to leave with this money unless he paid a release fee.  Sadly, he was unable to do this and the sender of the email has given me a chance in a lifetime opportunity to share the $4,000,000 with him on a 60 (in my favour) - 40 basis.  All I have to do is transfer £1,700 and $2,400,000 will be mine.  As you can imagine I have been very busy checking in handbags, behind sofa cushions, emptying jars, raiding the cats' piggy banks' in an effort to raise the £1,700!!

Have a good week everyone, don't forget to check out the Handmade Monday blogs, my guest post and do please get in touch if you would like to be a guest blogger in July.

'See' you on Wednesday

Jill

UP WITH THE BIRDS (OR RATHER THE CATS)

Hi everyone

I am an early riser.  As much as I try to turn over and grab another 40 winks, I rarely do because of two reasons: cats! Sitting on, purring loudly in my ear, walking across my pillow, sitting on my head!  Not completely their fault this morning though as just after 5.00 am the sun was shining and it was lovely to watch it move up the garden (better than watching a rain cloud move up the garden!).  In the summer (well someone told me this was summer and hard though it may be I am trying to believe them) I don't mind getting up early because it really is the best part of the day.

Did you read my guest blog post this week?  Sources of Inspiration by Linda Kirkbridge is a great post and I really recommend you read it as I am sure it will give you ideas and make you remember things you have used to inspire your work and may have forgotten.  Thank you Linda, and thank you to those who have commented - always very much appreciated.

I am always on the look out for great bloggers to join in the Friday Guest Blog spot, so if you feel a blog post coming on, do get in touch: christmaspiecrafts@virginmedia.com.  If you are wondering about starting your own blog, how about giving it a whirl as a guest blogger first of all?

In my Wednesday post I mentioned about a sneaky envelope remover striking my card wall at Bourne Mill.  Surprise, surprise could it be the same person who removed one of my pottery makes?  My second pottery makes consisted of four serviette rings and a matching small vase.  Before half-term they were ready for biscuit firing and last week I went to collect them to find one serviette ring had gone missing.  Everyone helped in the hunt-a-serviette-ring task, but we couldn't find it.  Perhaps someone has picked it up by mistake, or perhaps it was so good a famous potter has decided to clone it!  Whatever the reason, I am not happy about it - a missing envelope I can deal with, but a piece of pottery?  However, the good news from my pottery class is that I was able to bring my first piece home following is high firing activity (here is a pic) and I have enrolled for both the morning and afternoon session in September:

I know we shouldn't blow our own trumpets and I am not really going to, but I am pleased(ish) with my first effort.  It looks like a first time pot, but hey, that's what it is and it works for me.  I meant to take a photograph last night with a candle in it, but (as always) forgot and took one against a dark background this morning and it just isn't the same.  I haven't been anywhere near clay for a very, very long time, so feel that this is so far, so good.  This time next year I could be making the tea set to go with the thrones my brother-in-law made for the Queen - so watch this space.

It is Open Studios time and I visited my pottery tutor's studio.  Her name is Jean Tolkovsky and you can see some of her work here.  As it says in the Open Studios brochure: many new pieces in ceramics and mixed media.  Quirky jugs, birds, figures and outdoor objects, in a lovely garden setting.  The photographs on the link do not do Jean's work justice - they are much better in 'real life'.  The Open Studios are 'open' until 24 June and then again on 20 - 22 July and if you live in or around Surrey or are visiting this area, I do recommend you visit as many of the artists as possible.  As a bonus, if you visit more than 4 studios, you will be entered into a prize draw to win £100 to spend at one of the studios.

I am a big fan of garden decoration - some plants are very sculptural but some areas need just that little extra something.  I couldn't resist buying the mother Guinea Fowl and chick from Jean and here they are residing next to my pond:

Some of the artists are running workshops and I have enrolled on the Discover Wirework course that is running on Saturday, 23 June.  This is a 2-hour session which will cover making the 'bits' needed to join the jools and beads together!  No, it doesn't say that in the book, but it sounds good.  About 2 years ago, I decided I would make jewellery - bought loads of beads, fixings, etc, etc and made one necklace and a bracelet and then..................nothing more.  I thought it would be a nice idea to re-introduce myself to this craft and it may be that next Handmade Monday, I will have a piece of jewellery to show.

The weather has been lovely today and I have spent a lot of time in the garden.  As we all know, weeds love rain and coupled with reasonable soil temperature they have been growing at a very speedy rate.  We have a major problem with Mare's Tail and if you are familiar with them you will know that eradicating them is hard work - if you pull one up, in a few days time you will have a crop of them.   We have some growing around the pond (not by choice of course) and because of this we cannot use weed-killer on them, so it is a constant pulling and digging up battle to keep them under control.  However, the nice things that come out of rain and warmth are the gorgeous roses that are currently bursting out into flower.  We have a beautiful rambler called Seagull - masses of flowers and the perfume is absolutely gorgeous.  Like all ramblers, it is very hardy and very easy to propagate - in fact many friends and neighbours have the off-spring of this plant growing in their gardens.  Wouldn't it be lovely to click on this pick of Seagull and be able to smell the perfume?

Another pic taken today is of one of my favourites, Heucheras; this one is a deep, dark red colour.  I just nipped out to check the name and discovered that the label has disappeared - seems to be my week for losing things!  I used to pride myself on remembering the names and variety of plants I had in my garden, but these days I keep the label and place it very close to the plant.  Perhaps I need to re-think this.

I spent Friday with my sister doing one of our favourite activities: shopping.  I am a shoe and bag nutter and as we went to an outlet centre, I managed to snap up some great bargains.  I also bought some large fabric flowers which are really meant to be worn in one's hair or as a brooch.  I am going to use them in my crafting for adding to my willow wreaths - still working on the first one, so don't forget to come back next week and check.

Last but certainly not least, I want to tell you about Blogpinner.  Blogpinner is the brain-child of Mammasaurus and you may remember that earlier this year I guest-posted on her blog.  Click on the previous link to read about Blogpinner, but just to whet your appetite Annie (Mammasaurus) says: wouldn't it be cool if there was a sort of Pinterest but just for sharing and organising blog posts.   I think it is a great idea and signed up first thing this morning (you can see the button to the right of this post and it would be lovely if you followed me on there as well as here).  I am in the process of adding my blog posts to my board, and at the same time I am adding the guest posts that my lovely Friday Bloggers have produced.  so, come along and be a blogpinner - there are some great bloggers on there already, including the lovely Badger Boo.

No new makes for Handmade Monday as still have lots of 'work in progress' but I did post some pics of the mini-cards I have made on my mid-week blog.  Don't forget to whizz over and look at the other Handmade Monday bloggers work - and read their posts.  I love 'em coz it is a great way of catching up with everyone and finding out what they have been up to this week.

Enjoy the rest of the week, I will be back on Wednesday with my mid-week ramblings, and don't forget to read last week's Guest Post and make a big note in your diary to come back on Friday and read this week's one - you will love it.

Jill