Having survived another festive season with only a bit of chocolate on the cat, a singed tail on another cat and a washing machine having to be replaced between Christmas and New Year we are grateful ....
I am busy getting ready for Scotland's Trade Fair at the SECC in Glasgow and will be travelling up with my most useful assistant opening for trade on Sunday 18th.
Once more I have about 50% new pieces with the rest being best sellers and favourites from the year before.
Here is a little taster:

Here is a photo of our new gallery assistant Joe Mason.  He is also developing a fantastic range of new products for the gallery using his illustration skills.  These will be launched soon....

He says he looks like an RAF officer because it's Movember and is modelling one of the lovely new scarves that have arrived in the gallery - they suit men AND women!  He also likes cats - which is a good job really.

Margaret has asked me to point out that she is still the manage LOL and so I shall be going on holiday soon because these two can cope really well without me....

It was completely amazing to see how many visitors came to St Just over October half term.  We had a fantastic ten days, with queues at the till and a wonderful boost for the turnover.  Thank you everyone!
However it's another story now so time to concentrate on my own work and making new pieces for the Trade Shows next year and to think about new ways of working and possible a new range using found objects....some great ideas coming already.

Cat Dish

Dog Spoon with hanger

English Bull Terrier Dish

 Hare by the Well











Sheep Dish

So it's October tomorrow, and we have been so busy coping with all the visitors I have hardly had time to turn around.   Great weather - great sales for the gallery and for my work - what more can anyone ask?
Had a great staff outing to the Scillies - walked for miles however....
Got some lovely new stock coming in for Autumn - not talking about Christmas yet.
Come and have a look!
Our jewellery is selling well....
Lovely new cards with cats on here now....
Kara gone to Falmouth to do Theatre - house clean and tidy and food still in the fridge....
Off to Crete tomorrow - Susie is in charge of the gallery and of behind the scenes,,,,see you dreckly xx

I don't know why I haven't posted since April....except to say I have been doing orders in the pottery and so on....and Kara has now done her A Levels....results day soon.

I have survived Open Studios with large numbers of lovely visitors resulting in the pottery shelves being emptied of all but 4 pieces!  We did have a good 10 days....

Margaret and I had a super annual staff outing up to Bovey Tracey but I didn't buy too much this year...it was a little bit samey....how do the same makers get in year after year and why would you have the two top animal makers and the two top slipware makers a few stalls away from each other in the same tent...bonkers eh?  I think the show has lost its way a bit and a fresh eye is needed...but what do I know?

However we got some lovely felted birds from Benton's Menagerie - so sweet and beautifully made....

Anyone who know me knows I can't resist work like this!










I have mainly been working on completely new work for our Joint Summer Exhibition at Morvah Schoolhouse which is starting on Sunday July 20th with a PV to which everyone is invited.

Do bring anyone along you like - Justus Hattam and Richard Guy are exhibiting their new work protraying this unique stretch of road in their individual styles and I have taken the creatures and inhabitants as my starting point.  This work is much more colourful than my usual pieces - I have used engobes and slips and driftwood bases to display the pieces.  Sometimes the amazing pieces of driftwood found after the storms this year have dictated the pieces - telling me what to make even.

Some more pics here:

I seem to be doing a lot of travelling recently - up to London for a funeral of one of my old mates from teenage years...and then to Derby for the funeral of one of my oldest friend's son....hmmm...

But Kara and I are off to Brighton for our almost annual inspirational trip - SHOPS!!  and RESTAURANTS!! and sea, sun and all manner of amazing sights....so Margaret is in charge of all the stuff here...

We are having our hallmark made this week --- M&J it will say - isn't that exciting eh?  The silver jewellery we make is selling exceptionally well - so much fun making it too....I love it!

For LAFROWDA DAY  this year there will be tea but not food....as I am doing Tarot Readings in the garden at a taster rate of ££10 for 15 mins so if you are that way inclined come and have a try?

Then off to Port Eliot Festival.....first time ever...no idea what to expect?

Had a great show at British Craft Trade Fair in Harrogate....lovely company and brilliant accommodation - we got an upgrade to a three bedroomed apartment which meant no one had to hear anyone snoring!
Van developed a fault on the way up but the rental company delivered another one just in time.

I have some good orders to work on and several new customers and just as importantly the gallery in now stocked with fabulous new stock from Guy Routledge, Derryn Relph, Beastie Assemblage, Roma Vincent,  Jane Crick, Hillyhubb, Lindsey Tyson and Karen Risby.  If it were not for room in the van there would have been a lot more work coming home with me...

Derryn Relph

Stack by Guy Routledge

Silver jewellery by Roma Vincent

Joanna Coupland's taxidermy

Karen Risby Bird Plaque

Kevin's new delivery of Orange Bird Ceramics

I have also stocked up on the wonderful 'taxidermy' pieces by Joanna Coupland and this year we have two hares, a mole, a badger and a peacock.  She was the deserved winner of the 'WOW' factor award again this year.

Lindsey Tyson felt pebbles

Nancy Pickard silk scarves

Louise Nelson Lampwork Owls

Beastie Assemblage

                                                                                

 The Gallery is getting ready for the Easter holidays and we have had a super delivery of Orange Bird ceramics from Kevin Warren and are also stocking Nancy Pickard's silk scarves plus Emma Ball's teatowels and lots of my work....never seen the gallery so well stocked...I have been busy.  
Come and see the new jewellery we have too....

Kara has started her first shift of the holidays this morning at the Minack and I can't think of a better place to be working on a day like this...

WELCOME TO CORNWALL EVERYONE...HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT EASTER!

What a week....
Got some hilarious news that made my friends and I chuckle greatly.....but that's as much as I can tell you....

Weather has improved beyond measure...and on Saturday I met up with Carole Cooper who is the best psychic ever ...and she knew the best week of the year to have her holiday in Cornwall of course!  She told me some interesting stuff about the business and me...spot on accurate as usual...have a reading yourselves at www.psychiccarole.com...you'll see what I mean!

I also went on a course that was supposed to be about writing narratives about your work organised by Creative Skills ... in the fabulous AIR building at Falmouth University...but it was not about that at all....it was more of a sales pitch for the Crafts Council which in my opinion is largely irrelevant for hands on makers in Cornwall, and for the University's facilities which they want to rent out to makers. I actually already knew about this so by the time we got to 4.00 and the man talking about how to write copy came on he had to rush his bit...leaving me very frustrated! I should have know to be honest....

Still lots of work coming through the studio....several parcels to pack next week for Scotland and the Lake District.  I am working on samples for BCTF Harrogate at the beginning of April too....very exciting.

I have been invited by Mr Monty of Mr Monty's Fuss and Feed (via his people who were visiting Cornwall) www.mrmontysfussandfeed.co.uk to be part of the Art pages on his website selling cat paintings and ceramics.  This is a great honour and I am delighted to have been asked!

Margaret and I are enjoying our jewellery making classes with Ed Williams and have learned a lot!  We are having a day out at Mid Cornwall School of Jewellery on Monday to learn about PMC....what a treat!

Mist is swirling sideways up Fore Street...this is a sign the the sun will be out dreckly.....