fish out of water

That's how I've been feeling trying to get to grips with my new camera. My old compact digital had been driving me to despair because it went through batteries like there's no tomorrow. With my new model I will - fingers crossed - soon be taking rather better pictures of my stuff.

Right now though I am being driven up the wall by the operating manual. If only it was written more for morons like myself ..... I take that last comment back, of course ;)

Luckily it gave me an excuse for some nice Bank Holiday excursions here in Kent including to Dungeness which ... if you like pebbles and blot out the 2 nuclear power-stations ... is actually a great place to be.

And of course there's always someone with a bigger and better camera than yours :) 

naming baby

Some very nice friends have been celebrating the arrival of their first baby. Reason enough for me to experiment with some ceramics with baby's name as the theme. Decorations for the nursery, a little name-plate to put on the door ... that sort of thing.

I wished I could make up my mind which one I like best. I will probably give all three in the hope that I will get some candid feedback because I'm thinking of adding them to my online shop.

Oh no! No more bunting!

Well I really can't face making any more bunting ... at least not right now! 

But I still want to make something a bit like bunting which can be hung up in a baby's room. So I scratched my head .... repeatedly .... until I was thinking boats. And here's where that's got me so far .... clay shaped into little trial sailing boats ... well also a few little hearts and a pram for good measure ... with the letters of the new baby's name stamped into the surface. 

Clay needs to dry out thoroughly so it doesn't do nasty things in the kiln ... like explode. So it will be a little while before I can bisque fire the pieces and then glaze and fire them again. 

I'll be showing you the results ... as long as they're presentable  ;-)

140+ m of bunting

140 metres of cloth bunting I made last year. Wasn't that enough?? 

Oh no, I've been asked to make ceramic bunting now ... 

as presents for friends with new babies. So I made my first 2 sets 

for 3 year old Eva and her baby brother Joseph. 

2 little parcels are on their way to France right now. 

Fingers crossed that their mum and dad will like them.

phew !

I just looked at http://www.creatingtrouble.co.uk/ and what did I find?? A collection of lovely crafty pieces to mark the Queen's anniversary.

Did I think of making anything ?? Nooooooo. A quick scratch of the head and search for a solution and I've come up with an idea to save the day ;). Select a couple of items previously made which thanks to my good fortune are exactly what the colour scheme requires .... So here's my salute to Her Majesty's 60 years on the throne ....

a vessel to serve up a royal cuppa

and some decs to add cheer to a somber palace