a sulky return

mmmmh I have to give the wheel back.
Its all tidy and ready to go (sans the 2 sponges next doors cat abducted), but I don't wanna! I harrumphed quite a lot today using the last of the clay and the last of my available 'wheel time'. (I was forced to take a curious visit to my old friend ebay.. its been a while, but I cant afford to fall in love with bidding again, so just took a very calm, tentative peek... the $80 bargain? beauty nearly had me, but I was strong - and for goodness sake, class starts on tuesday and it seriously is terribly impractical trying to make pottery outside in the sun under a very dropsy tree with 2 thieving cats waiting for me to abandon my post).
all of that aside, heres the last of the things made at home...









It was down to the wire, but quite satisfying to use the last of the clay and the porcelain slip on the last day. I plan on making up some shellac tomorrow if I get a chance before work, it should be ready for resisting next week - I want those cups and small cylinder (vase?) things to be etched with ridges, very simple ridges, and then glazed very simply for an all over simpleness (and ahem, ribbed for pleasure. both visual and tactile)
the results in just a few weeks!

the colour ban in action

a new batch of bowls and cups have made it to the bisque firing stage. hoorah! hopefully they make it into the kiln in one piece and don't show cracks from dodgy clay preparation and thin bases (aggressive trimming)...
here they are, most have a layer of porcelain slip on the inside - the grey paint is black underglaze which at this stage I would like to leave unglazed/rough/natural with nice clean/white/shiny insides.

nervous laughter

you know all those bright new challenges for the bright new year? well, some are just a bit silly really. For example, deciding to sew a dress to wear to Aaron and Vanja's wedding. A 1930s themed event that i have the impression is to be perfect. So in an attempt to please, I thought authentic would be good, and so a pattern was purchased...












pretty isn't it? whats even prettier is the nana floral silk i have fallen in love with at artextil













luckily, I managed to save face by just taking these swatches - it was only after I left the shop that I had a melt down over the $75 per meter price tag. Later that day, Auntie Tracey deciphered the measurements on the back of the pattern to announce the damn thing is going to need 5 meters! This is very bad, I'm not even sure I can actually sew this thing.
At this stage I am plotting an alternative route (a cheap option)...












I have so much poplin lying around its not funny, but it is very very cheap. I'm thinking some gypsy gold printing of the undecipherable Vogue measurement charts. I like the large scale - looks like city lights, good for the art deco theme, but much more difficult to print, will have to do some tests? not sure this is the best of ideas, but I do have a backup dress I wore as Amber's bridesmaid.
hmmmm

back

Manuka, or Kanuka? pretty sure this is Manuka, from the walkway to Pupu springs in Golden Bay. Nice to capture an image of it for real (not sourced from someone else's lens) after obsessively trying to get this flower to be a symbol of new New Zealand nostalgia. The concept got a bit incoherent, and didn't really work out, but I still feel something when I see these flowers...
Am looking forward to a new year of creative challenges! fingers crossed a few get finished and I remember to post on this blog and explore others with relative regularity...
LTP

pause button

...want the year to end but not quite ready....
I went with a non-Christmas theme for my Christmas cards this year ( probably a throwback against all the stenciled and collaged beauties I slaved over as a youngster...)
and yes these are collaged cards, but cut from magazines and not in the shape of a tree or a candy-cane!

from scratch

thats it. no more colour, its had its chance, simple black and white is the way for all pottery until I get bored...
these 'bendigo' outcomes are what pushed me over the edge to the extreme colour ban.









naaaasty! I cant even justify applying these colours or patterns. All that glaze is doing is making good shapes ugly. Maybe form now on I will only use clear glaze, under glaze, slip and different types of clay. I dont know, I just want to make pretty things !!!!!

on to other peoples work... a few finds at make

Lisa Boyter The calligraphic markings on Lisa's vessels and large vases are hand-painted to the inside of mold before being filled with porcelain slip. The result is a unique and permanent record of individual expressive action. The surface is then polished with paper to enhance the translucent glass-like appearance. These vessels are beautiful as well as strong and resilient. Prices start at $250AUD.

porcelain vessel

Love the organic lines- great technique. The pattern is lumpy on the inside of the vessel which a nice handmade touch, showing the process.

mud
great use of coloured clay, something I could look into to ease my no coloured glaze policy... very pretty shapes, all unique hand made and so simple.

caffinated again

It would be too much to ask for... one stand alone project with an outcome of unlimited prospects instead of this Christmas tree of small idea lights all flicking at once!!
Often when you are all over the place with no one to reel you in, wandering occurs. In my case, internet wandering, where items are transferred from the not even knowing about them category to the I MUST HAVE THIS category before your mind catches up to moderate the wildest desires.












Annette Bugansky pots I discovered on flickr in a ceramics photo pool. I Love them, so simple, such a clever integration of textile and clay.









And I cant stop thinking about Gwyn Hanssen Pigott. Who could? Not only are the shapes and surfaces stunning, I have a real admiration for all 'elevated' domestic objects. Gwyn's arrangements have such a quiet rhythm, each group is perfect.
I went to the wheel yesterday in the heat and threw these...












The oval shape is experimental (a cup gone wrong) but I like it, its been very shadily repaired with some slip, so is likely to crack but its a shape I will try again.












Another idea thats been on the shelf... I have this beautiful little book called speak Italian full of images of old Neapolitan hand gestures. I love them and am itching to reproduce them on card or cloth.
I have nearly finished a pot of coffee that I am positive will push me through a few more tricks for the day, first of all putting those animal shaped cookie cutters into action!
LTP

postal

It actually happened, I have posted a Christmas gift. It wont get there on time at all, but I have actually posted a Christmas gift.
A sneak peek perhaps?














I felt like the little splityarn purse wasn't enough. I still hadn't put any of those leather scraps to any use, so set about making a little leather covered note book (from the inspiration that hit when I purchased the wrapping paper). It turned out very very badly. So, I had an original pattern design - the glasses - and wanted to make a complementing item to the purse...










Using some black leather from the stockpile,a bit of poplin sprayed with gold fabric paint through the glasses stencil and a strap from an unused camisole (too lazy to get to the fabric shop and too impatient to wait until I acquired the right materials, ie a bit of elastic)









I glued and stitched, un-picked and re-stitched a diary jacket that snuggly fits my moleskine.









I loooove my moleskine diary, but it is about to lose it down the spine from a year of activity. Maybe the diary jacket idea is commercially viable? I was too cheap and too impatient to purchase said diary for part of this gift, so glued and stitched a blank note book of the same dimensions to fit inside the jacket. Once again using materials at hand (thanks Sam for appropriating reams of photo-copy paper from the office) I used a branded ribbon from the packaging of some beautiful jewelery Logan gave me last year, to secure the spine and bookmark pages.









And voila! complete and posted!

shoppin'

As indicated b the baking of THE cake, the Christmas season is upon us... making lists, conjuring perfect gifts that involve skills and materials beyond my meagre means, working more shifts, hitting the streets, buying things for myself. dammit. I wasn't supposed to buy that cute top! but, constructive (to be constructed) items were purchased also...

Found a new fabric stash on Brunswick Street, Alanah Hill by the metre, which is very girly.... so just got these zips, tre cheap!
















Another Brunswick Street fix I cant miss is Zetta Florence where I couldn't resist this wrapping paper. I cant wait to cut it up and make cards and note books....

lacking in patience

THE Christmas cake was a success, luckily it turned into two cakes because one disappeared. Who can wait?
















Surprisingly on topic for a late night entry, I couldn't wait for the daylight to snap some picks of this purse, hot off the press... I tried to be good and follow the instructions! gratefully sourced from splityarn.com.