REVIEWING THE PIE

Hello everyone

I get the feeling autumn has arrived a little earlier than expected.  Chilly, sunny, but very windy here today.   Such a shame as we have a family get-together next weekend and really need to be able to be able to spill out into the garden.  Never mind, it might have a to be a cosy get-together inside.

A busy week that ended in the really good news for me that I have found a refreshments provider for my Godalming Bazaar events for the rest of this year: The Pantry Tea Room.  I was beginning panic, but had a recommendation from a Streetlife member, contacted Julia and success, we have lift-off.  If you are not familiar with Streetlife, I really recommend you check it out.  I have been able to find lots of information and businesses on there that I was totally unaware of: I have had stallholders contact me via Streetlife, I have found a gardener, lots of information about things happening in my area and the surrounding areas.  Brilliant!

On Thursday of this week I took part in a pottery workshop my pottery tutor, Jean Tolkovsky, organised.  I and 7 of my fellow pottery students had a great day and our project was to make a figure similar to one
of Jean's models - as you can guess 'similar' had lots of different interpretations and here is mine:

The wire sticking out of his shoulders will be trimmed once the final firing has taken place.  I had a bit of an accident as I was tyring to remove the cocktail stick which had been placed through the body and upper arms prior to putting the wire through, his head fell off!!!  More disaster, his hat fell onto the floor and part of the brim fell off!  I managed to weld his head back on, but didn't have time to tweak the top of his hat, so it's not as smooth as I had planned.  Good fun really, and something I have never done before and I think I will have a go at making another one when our course begins in September.  I still cannot make decent lips and noses.nose -

If you would like to see what my model could have been (I wish) please check out my Friday Review - it is about my pottery tutor, Jean Tolkovsky.  I am sure you will agree her work is amazing.

About two months ago I applied to take part in a Craft Fair fairly local to me and was disappointed that four weeks after I applied they let me know it was full!!!  I had emailed them to find out the current situation because I was interested in another event that took place around the same time and I think that is the only reason they replied responded - I am not sure how much longer it would have taken them to reply.  They apologised for the delay, said it's summer and sorry, we are full.  I find the lack of professionalism in some businesses very disappointing.  Summer it may be, but surely that is no excuse for poor communication in a business?  Will they also blame winter?  Spring?  Autumn?

Another busy week looms: tomorrow I am lurking in a garden centre car park (as you do) to hand out flyers to my stallholders, then I am having lunch with a couple of friends (Lesley and Dawn - looking forward to seeing you both).  Every day this week has a meeting of one sort or another - Friday is a free day, although sadly that will be housework day to get everything ready for my family bash!  Housework is not the way to end a week.

Have a great week everyone - hard to believe next weekend is our last Bank Holiday until Christmas!  Mind you at the moment time seems to be whizzing by and I am not always too sure which week (or month) it is.  Don't forget to drop in on my fellow Handmade Monday bloggers, and I will 'see' you next week.

Jill

THE FRIDAY REVIEW: JEAN TOLKOVSKY, CERAMICIST

Hello everyone

My Friday Review this week is about my pottery tutor: Jean Tolkovsky.  I and 7 of my fellow keen pottery group members spent a day with Jean in her studio yesterday making models similar to those Jean creates.  I use the term 'similar' very loosely as we produced some very interesting pieces.  Several of my fellow pottery students have been with Jean for many years and some of the work I have seen them create over the 3 years I have been on the course is amazing and worthy of any good art gallery.

However, fabulous though their work is my review is of Jean's work and to demonstrate the range of her skills, this photograph is of the outside ornamental pot I bought from Jean last year (I couldn't resist it and already have my eye on another large outside pot she has made):

Isn't he amazing?  A very handsome fellow who has a gorgeous head of hair (not that you can see much of it in this picture) and he will soon have a pair of dangly pair of earrings.

This is another remarkable piece; fabulous rabbit-style ears - the colour of them is a salmon-pink shade and the finish is beautiful.  This is a piece you need to see in the 'flesh' to fully appreciate.

As you can see from the above photograph and the following ones, some of Jean's pieces are really quirky and as she says:

'I produce one-off figurative pieces including punks, jesters and other quirky characters...........  I aim to produce work which carries a narrative but is also open to interpretation.'

Still with the quirky, for me the next photograph is great.  I can't decide if my interpretation is people sitting in a doctor's waiting room or school boys sitting waiting outside of the head master's study, waiting to be reprimanded for something they have done (and been found out for):

Jean's recent work is very different to these previous pieces:

Aren't they beautiful?  They look so delicate and elegant - really stunning pieces.

If you would like to know more about Jean's work, where she exhibits and the events she is taking part in this year, please visit her page on the Surrey Artists' Open Studios website.  I am sure you will agree her work is amazing and as it's always changing, so you never know what she will create next.

Jill

TO BLOG OR NOT TO BLOG?

Hi everyone

I intended to blog today, but Blogger didn't intend me too!  I had problems accessing the 'new post' section

of my blog and several re-boots later, it appears to be back on my side.  Thank goodness - I hate to miss out on my main post of the week.

I took a few days out last week, following my back problems it was very welcome.  I spent some time with my sister and we did some shopping, relaxing, walking, chatting and eating out - all very nice and the weather was very kind to us.  

I bought some lovely crafty things including some more embossing folders.  I can't show them to you this week as they are part of my workshop demonstrations, so don't want to give the game away for my crafters.  We still have spaces available on our card-making workshop, so if you would like to join us please get in touch on thecraftycats@outlook.com.

I made two items in pottery this week: a shallow dish which will be burnished, biscuit-fired and then fired in saw dust - a new experiment for me.  My second piece was a large candle-holder made up of individually decorated sections.  No pics yet, but next week.  Due to no power at the centre during half-term, we have a rather large back-log of work waiting for various temperature firings to take place.  Now I know why I got started early on those Christmas pieces!

My fellow workshop crafter, Lauren, is running a great give-away on her blog - lots of great Stampin' Up goodies.  Nip over, follow the instructions in her post and you will be in with a chance to win.

The Surrey Artists Open Studios event opened this week and my pottery tutor, Jean Tolkovsky, held a special viewing today to which she invited her pottery group.  It was great fun, lovely nibbles, Pimms and of course really great pottery.  You must have a look at her work - such a diverse range of creations.  Last year at Jean's studio I bought a mum guinea fowl and two chicks.  I saw some lovely pieces today - one big head-shaped pot caught my eye - sadly not my bank balance though.  However, there were other pieces that come within my price range, so I will be going back.

Off now to make more cards for the workshop.  A crafter's work is never done.  Don't forget to visit Handmade Monday - it's number 120!  Where does the time go?  If you would like to be a guest blogger here, please contact me on christmaspiecrafts@virginmedia.com.  

Hope you have a good week - I will be back next Sunday and Milly (who missed last week - just can't get the staff) will be back 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