Happy New Year!  Accounts are a mystery to me - how is it possible for the turnover to drop and yet the bottom line be better than last year?  Only one conclusion - I must be selling more of my work (which is more profitable than other lines) and be a most excellent manager....LOL!
So we are looking forward to 2013 with confidence and enthusiasm....unlike some other years I could mention....
Having said that I HATE NYE and when down here everyone just gets more drunk than they usually do if that is possible, but in fancy dress.  Jools Holland and a snowball for me!
I've been given the Sennen Cove Diary for Christmas - it's really laugh out loud funny and gives a brilliant insight into life in a small community in Cornwall.....it was given with the intent of prodding me into writing this book I keep going on about.  For example - something that could go into MY book - Kara and I were sitting int he Wellie having one of their excellent cheese salads (with no salad - just how I like it) and a burger for the teenager when one of the men at the bar popped up off his stool, farted loudly and sat down again as if nothing had happened and no one could hear! Could only happen in St Just.

I am having a little tidy up since the lovely Leyla is coming for her winter visit in 8 days - it will be lovely - even if it may never stop raining.  Going to take a couple of days off too to make the most of it.

The teenager and I have bought ourselves a little present who is at the moment called Apollo Darley Winston since we can't agree...he's arriving from Redruth on 13th January...and we can't wait.  I am officially a trainee crazy cat woman (full membership of this club starts with five cats I'm told).  I've sent for extra Feliways off the internet...Percy and Baby are not going to like it at first.  The accountant said I couldn't put him through the books though - even though clearly he's going to inspire lots of new work.

I've been away to Glastonbury with some longstanding friends to celebrate the solstice and the dawning of the new age....Happy New Age was what we kept hearing!  So all this 'end of the world' nonsense has now passed and we can enjoy the holidays in peace.
We had a great time climbing the Tor and browsing in the crystal shops - one of the shops had the best day they had EVER had sales wise!
We sat and contemplated in the Abbey grounds and also in the brilliant tea shop afterwards - just what you need after all that spiritual stuff - a really good sit down , a lovely cup of tea and succulent cake to ground and revive.
I also went to a channeling of the Pleiadians - which was enlightening and convincing - their presence was palpable and I am glad to say they are pleased with how the shift went and wish us well for the completion of the changes over the next 20 years.  You didn't think the job was done did you?

So inspired have I been that I am resuming doing psychic readings for the public (I've been doing them for long standing clients since 1992) and have created a Facebook page Jane Elizabeth Psychic Readings - so if you're interested all the information is on there.
In the new year there will be a new website etc to give more information about what I do and can offer.
Please give me a call on 01736 786695 - telephone readings are a speciality - you don't need to travel all the way to Cornwall to receive the guidance!

In the meantime new work continues to be added to the What's New section of my website www.janeadamsceramics.co.uk.uk so please keep looking!
Some of the latest pieces can be seen below...

 Curious Cats Small

Crouching Cat Wall Plaque Spotty

Sheep Pot Candleholder

Cosmic Cat

Sheltering Hare Extra Large

Large White Dove on Base

New work is rolling out  now....have a look in 'What's New' on www.janeadamsceramics.co.uk....
another preview here:

Big Leggy Choughs Medium and Large

Ivory Owls Small, Medium and Large

A Cuddle of Cows

A Shelter of Sheep

Hare Pot Candle Holder

It looks as if 90% of the work I will be exhibiting at Scotland's Trade Fair will be new this year, and there's more to come!  Must be all that 2012 energy inspiring me?

It's lovely to be getting so many internet orders but since I usually say 7 days to make and dispatch it's getting a little tight to get stuff before Christmas now - but luckily I have some of the new pieces in stock ....so it's always worth asking!

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Put plenty of bubble wrap around the ears.....Baby is helping me to pack orders again...he just loves the bubble wrap.

I am happy to have sorted out the problems Cape ~Cornwall School ceramics class were having - glad to help and what lovely work.  It's important to make sure clay is fully dry before firing but not easy in this damp climate we have - and also moisture can be reabsorbed by an apparently dry pot....best to finish the drying on top of the kiln....I can't wait to see the finished fish.

Chicken and Egg Stack out of the kiln and assembled....do the eggs look egg like enough?  Dunno!

Lots more new work in the final stages of completion.

The kitchen is full of bags of clay - if I take two at a time out to the pottery every time I go it may all be in there by the time it's Christmas.

I'm planning on being in Glastonbury for the 21st.....who know what will happen!

I've decided to create a new section on my website called 'WHAT'S NEW' so that trade customers and retail ones can quickly see the latest work to be posted.....photos of a few of the pieces below.
This category can be accessed from the online shop or the side bar and means it's not necessary to scroll through the whole site to see what will be on offer in January at the Scottish International Trade Fair in Glasgow on 20th- 22nd January 2013.
I'm looking forward to meeting up with my Scottish and northern counties customers and meeting new ones I hope!

I hope you will go to www.janeadamsceramics.co.uk and have a look!

I am taking advantage of the gallery being quiet and getting on with new work on the kitchen table as usual now it's too cold to sit in the pottery.  The kiln controller was reading -1 degree the other morning although it was about 5 degrees outside!
Here are some photos of what I've been working on for the Scottish Trade Fair in January .... lot's of ideas flowing at the moment.

New Work drying on the Rayburn

A Shelter of Sheep

A Trip of Hares

I really hope these and the other new work I'm doing will tempt the buyers at the SEC in Glasgow.

AS SEEN ON TV!

Last summer Maya and Tom Conway ,as part of their massive refurbishment of the old Boscean House Hotel near Cape Cornwall in St Just, sought out local artists to place art work in the guest rooms of their Boho Cornwall retreats.  They have two beautiful holiday properties available in the grounds of this beautifully situated house, Umber and Ochre.
Ochre can be seen at www.boutique-retreats.co.uk and I am delighted to say some of my ceramic animals have been chosen to dress out the house!

Even more exciting though - one of my hares can now be seen on TV in the final episode of Lisa Faulkner's programme Holiday Home Sweet Home which features Ochre in the Cornish part of the programme.
If you are curious it can be seen (again a magnifying glass would be useful) at 3.20 minutes into the programme and again at 40.39 minutes in.
Wonderful St Just is also featured with a welly wanging session in the famous Plen an Gwarry.   Lots of local friends managed to get in on the film too!

Above is a sneaky peek at what the accommodation looks like.
Thank you Tom and Maya - your guests have already started to visit the gallery - and I wish you all the very best in the future.

I am delighted to have been asked to display 5 paintings as part of The Patchwork of Paintings on behalf of The Plen Project fundraising effort.for a new hut for the Plen an Gwary in St Just! They will be displayed in the window of the gallery and other galleries in the town...part of the fun is trying to guess who has painted which.

The idea is you buy a £30 voucher and then on the night of Sunday 18th November at St Just Town Hall you win one of the 100 paintings donated by the artists.  You could win a 10" x !0" canvas by a Cornish Artist who is already famous or a canvas by someone who is going to be famous soon- or famous in another 10 to 20 years - it's the luck of the draw.  The paintings are to be randomly numbered on the night with scrupulous fairness....just keep your fingers crossed  - I will be doing so!
I CAN'T GIVE THE GAME AWAY AS TO WHICH PAINTINGS I AM DISPLAYING BUT THERE ARE SOME BY ARTIST WHO ARE ALREADY FAMOUS....COME AND HAVE A LOOK AT THE GALLERY WINDOWS TO JUDGE FOR YOURSELVES!
See The Plen Project website for more detailed plans of The Knut and for other ways of donating.

Now that we're in the last days of the 'season' I like to give the gallery a new autumnal look and exchange the turquoise blues of the seascapes that sell so well in the summer for something a little more autumnal....
We have just received a lovely selection of paintings by Heather Howe from Porthleven and they are already attracting attention.

We have also recently become stockists of Welbeck Tiles - the small square chintz ones as well as the postcard ones - and these are being snapped up for all sorts of uses - not just to tile walls!

 

 

 

The post card tiles are fabulous for gifts having delightful old images of local scenes - here showing St Michael's Mount and Cape Cornwall.
I have discovered a new maker called Eve Lepper who is producing wooden bangles with decoupaged vintage maps of the St Just area especially for the gallery in her Field Trip range - these are really innovative and unusual and are retailing at  £11. I am looking forward to these being snapped up!

 

 

The Gallery is taking part in the "Paint St Just Pink" week in aid of Cancer Research and there is a treasure hunt to enter - looking for clues all around the town.  There is also a Ladies Pamper Evening at the Commercial Hotel featuring a range of fantastic therapy tasters - I'll be first in the queue!!

 

 





 

Hope to see you there!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now that we're in the last days of the 'season' I like to give the gallery a new autumnal look and exchange the turquoise blues of the seascapes that sell so well in the summer for something a little more autumnal....
We have just received a lovely selection of paintings by Heather Howe from Porthleven and they are already attracting attention.

We have also recently become stockists of Welbeck Tiles - the small square chintz ones as well as the postcard ones - and these are being snapped up for all sorts of uses - not just to tile walls!

 

 

 

The post card tiles are fabulous for gifts having delightful old images of local scenes - here showing St Michael's Mount and Cape Cornwall.
I have discovered a new maker called Eve Lepper who is producing wooden bangles with decoupaged vintage maps of the St Just area especially for the gallery in her Field Trip range - these are really innovative and unusual and are retailing at  £11. I am looking forward to these being snapped up!

 

 

The Gallery is taking part in the "Paint St Just Pink" week in aid of Cancer Research and there is a treasure hunt to enter - looking for clues all around the town.  There is also a Ladies Pamper Evening at the Commercial Hotel featuring a range of fantastic therapy tasters - I'll be first in the queue!!

 

 





 

Hope to see you there!

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's September 1st and now things will start to slow down a little bit after what has been a surprisingly lively two weeks.
I am delighted to say Kara managed to get 4 A's, 5 B's, 2 C's and a D in RE - so she starts her A levels at Penwith College next week.
It hardly seems a moment since she was a baby......
I have some kind of horrible flu virus which narrowly missed killing me in the night...so am not feeling 100% today - not like me at all!

It did stay fine for Lafrowda Day which was the best yet so far - AND neither Kara nor any of her friends got arrested.  There was an Ab Fab moment when she snapped a photo of me sipping from a can of lager whilst sitting on the grass watching the band in the Plen at 7pm....
Business continues to be brisk - despite there being far fewer visitors this year.  Where are they all and do they know what they're missing?  Cornwall is a fantastic place to be at the moment.
It's my favourite month and the Cape Cornwall School  Arts and Crafts Show is on until 17th where artists from all over the area - professional, amateur and in between enter work for sale at 25% commission in aid of Cancer Research.  Tens of thousands of pounds are raised and I bought some fantastic pieces - for me or for the gallery....a tough call!
Fred Poulter makes 'constructions' from driftwood of the sea cliffs, birds and boats - see below
He has promised to bring some more for me to exhibit - if he has any left after the show.













I also bought a delightful little painting of a cat by Gabrielle Hawkes who is well known in St Just having her studio just up the road at Turn of the Tide on Fore Street.
You can really tell what this cat is thinking...


 
I like to look out for up and coming people and this year spotted  Alex Titley - (more cats) who paints onto box canvases in a contemporary style - I'd like more of this work soon....
There was some brilliant jewellery and I liked this the best 'Hand Made by Choughs' with resin and a map of St Just on the back - I hope to have some of this work for sale soon.

I have been tempted by this beautiful Owl by John Maltby - a birthday present to me from me...isn't he magnificent...

New work by David and Louise Salsbury has arrived - lovely hand painted tiles framed in driftwood of puffins and chickens... very reasonably priced at £19.95!

My work has gone a bit Egyptian - back to my roots in fact - and I'm working on a new range now - the first lot are on display in the gallery ...






I hope to get chance to get in the pottery some more - but am going 'up North' to join my Aunt Vida for her 90th Birthday next weekend - what a fabulous age to be!