Wednesday 26 June 2013

Here is a picture of the monster that was adding to the stress of last week ....

 
 
Bit too big for my liking...
Unfortunately the stress continues as the courier was unable to pick the kiln up Tuesday and now it won't come until Thursday and the electrician was booked for 9 am and couldn't change this because he'd got other jobs booked..but I'm sure it'll all work out.
 
My friends from Derby days are here looking for a house to rent so they don't loose the sale on their house again....and we're taking time to have nice meals and it's lovely to chat.  Can't wait for them to be here full time.
 
In the meantime Margaret and I have been creating these two beauties...mosaic being much harder than either of us imagined...it takes ages and ages to get it right!  These lovely babies will be featuring in our window for the Lafrowda window competition..do you think we'll win??
 


 
Wish us luck...and watch out for more from M & J Mosaics.
 
 
 
 
 


Monday 24 June 2013

How much stress is too much....funny how all the little things build up into one big stress load?

Last week I was convinced there was some kind of difficult transit going on in my chart....
Fistly a person thought it would be ok to do a really cheeky and thoughtless thing involving potentially passing off as my business...guess what?  He's not going to do it now but I had to endure a very unpleasant meeting with said person.  I've never seen anyone's hands shake like that - and he paid for the coffee...result all round.

Then Kara has started to think she can drive anywhere at anytime and my nerves are in shreds...although she's actually very good and has only dented the boot lid, both front bumpers and had to have only a back light repaired in a week....all of which she paid for!

Then  my darling Percy got himself into a bit of a state and became an out of hours medical emergency with his bladder blocked by a stone.  Two unblockings, two overnight stays and a large dose of diazepam later he seems to be on the mend but was very, very poorly - and I had to cancel my much anticipated trip to Wales.  Perhaps I'll get another invite!  He's doing all his usual stuff now but was leaking badly for a while....

Then I had a creepy person contacting me when they shouldn't have - which exposed an interesting online dating internet scam that's now in the hands of Action Fraud....brilliant result.  But it was a bit scary how easy it is for this to happen - beware!

Then because of incompetence all my kilns weren't working and one of the controllers burnt out with a small fire - Jason to the rescue as usual - and he fixed the gallery lights too.  He's worth every penny.

Then I found a second hand kiln on Gumtree - which is being delivered tomorrow - so I hope it can be installed without any setbacks - but I would not have bought this if I'd known Percy was going to be ill....

There are hardly any visitors and one who did come in said my painting on driftwood of seagulls would make a good scratching post.  This is either extremely rude or an idea for a new business...haven't decided which yet!

Thank goodness I have friends like Leyla and Mo - who calm me down and tell me there was a massively full supermoon last night - which could be the only explanation...
The stress will pass as the moon wanes..back to normal in no time I expect.
I have managed to make some new work in response to the kilns not going up to stoneware - a lovely creamy glaze with a subtle crackle - pictures next time - everything happens for a reason as Carole always says....and she's right!

Thursday 13 June 2013

Forgot to mention the exciting news that Kara has passed her driving test first time...well done sweetie....just drive safely please...
and here she goes in her Ka....past the gallery and out into the wide world..it only seems five minutes since I was bringing her home from the hospital - you may have heard me mention that before...


After all that lovely weather where I managed to lobster myself on Porthcurno beach we're back to the standard issue fog...which is just blowing away now as the wind has got up nicely.

It still doesn't feel like there are THAT many visitors around but the ones that are here seem to like what I'm doing in the gallery so that's good.

Margaret and I went up to Bovey Tracey Contemporary Craft Fair for a bit of a works outing and came back with some exellent new ceramic/mixed media work from Claire Baker and some clever little upcycled tins by Louise Dawn Wilson.  With some notable exceptions the show was very much the same as last year and badly needs a fresh hand on the tiller to liven it up.  They've got the catering and outside stalls right now but are not looking to innovate the makers enough - in my opinion and you know I'm never wrong (to quote my dear father).




Here's how Claire's work looks in the china cabinet in the gallery!




Dawn's work on the old pine table at the front
 
 
Kevin Warren has dropped off a fantastic new delivery of his orange bird ceramics which are exclusive to us here in St Just, and they look brilliant on the old dresser as you can see
!
 
 
 
Margaret and I have been inspired by our visit to Bovey to make something entirely new for the gallery and we've been really busy over the last few days working to get the pieces don - but you'll just have to wait to see what it's all about....
 
 
Just a final shot of the gallery which I'm going to use in the programme for the Cancer Research exhibition at Cape Cornwall School - which needs to be thought about as it's coming up fast.
 
 




Thursday 6 June 2013

Open Studios was brilliant!  Thank you to all the lovely visitors who made a specific journey to come and see the pottery again this year - it was great to see you and I hope you enjoy your purchases very much.
The weather was brilliant -  much better than last year and we were able to serve teas in the Tea Garden all week....(except the Bank Holiday Monday when it poured and poured with rain...).
The studio is now much emptier - homes have been found for 4 entire shelves full of mishapen and wonky cats, dogs, hares, sheep and chickens etc....that makes me so happy! Also I can now reinvest in another half ton of clay to start again.  I have laughed long at the kind lady who told me 'I should make seconds because they sell really well...' long ago when I first came to Cornwall and ran St Agnes Pottery - how right she was.
I am still having problems with the kiln - wrong elements? Elements fitted wrongly? Kilns need replacing with  new ones?  Who knows - and if the engineer doesn't then I certainly don't but I have to have working kilns so will persist.

On a sour note considerable damage was done to my car and Kara's last Friday night - got a pretty good idea by whom - but I can't even get the police to call me back and tell me what they've been doing about it!  It's hopeless and very upsetting - and we were only two among about twenty cars targeted that night - wing mirrors broken, bodywork jumped on and dented and number plates torn off and thrown goodness knows where.  Despite fingerprints and CCTV images showing the youths committing the crime no arrests have been made....and the damage comes to over £600 for us.

Half term is over now and it was brilliant hin the gallery whilst it lasted but nothing really happening now!  Time to get back to orders and commissions - and to lots of admin which was ignored for 10 days at least.

I'm going up to the Bovey Tracey Contemporarty Craft fair tomorrow - what a great day that'll be - so looking forward to seeing friends and other makers and to buying a little something perhaps....
I hope it's sunny - I bought a super big pink straw hat off Ebay especially for the day....

Kiln at 920 degress - fingers crossed!