swallows.

Swallows come to nest in our yard every summer. It is such a joy to stand at the studio door to watch them swooping over the yard and into the sheds back to their babies. 

measure me.

These measuring spoons are downright fiddly to make and paint, but my goodness are they lovely to line up when they're finished!

vases!

I'm trying reeeeeeally hard to make larger pieces. These vases are 18 or 19 cm tall - big for me! 

YAY!

I like that they tell a story together - a happy accident!

strawberries.

Ooh strawberries! Inspired by the golden days at the Rushen Abbey gardens.

(Originally a home for monks of the Sauvignac Order, Rushen Abbey came under Cistercian control and was developed as the Isle of Man’s seat of religious power housing the main body of knowledge and literacy for the Island. During the mid-20th century, the gardens became popular for tea dances, with strawberries and cream!

forty five.

I've just finished an order for the Manx Food and Wine Circle - 45 ramekins and spoons for the guests of their 200th dinner! 

This is my biggest order to date and I'm so pleased with the results - thank you to the committee for approaching me to work on this project.

january / studio.

January was exciting, then grey, then slightly miserable, then wonderful. 

Thankfully the studio stays constant and lovely.

compass.

I made one odd spoon with a compass design last year which quickly sold from my Etsy store, but a good friend asked me for a full set. Christmas and her birthday passed, but last week I finally finished and delivered them - I love them (as does she), but my goodness were they a labour of love. Only for Emma!

big.

I always feel like I'm stuck making small things. I am NOT a natural thrower - it took buckets of determination to stick with the wheel for my first year, til I could finally make pots without crying!!

I ordered a half palette of clay in Autumn and thankfully it's very SOFT, which makes larger pots less scary. It's quite exciting - though I tend to pull them off the wheel and realise that *actually* they aren't that much bigger than the one before...! But it's progress at least!

[good morning!]

plate up.

Dear kiln gods,

Please take care of these dinner plates. I'm quite proud of myself for making them and I so loved painting them - there is so much SPACE for me to paint on! I feel like a child with a whole piece of paper to draw on.

Thank you muchly.

spesh.

I've only been making and selling pots for 3 years. Sales have always been nicely steady, but I've rarely been approached for custom orders. Since returning to the island however, I've lost count of how many bespoke pieces I've made - it's lovely to see people truly thinking about how to make their gifts extra special. 

This bowl and cup set were commissioned by a friend that set me on this creative path many many years ago. They were a Christmas/wedding gift to her gorgeous partner. Her request was simply: trees and flowers. It didn't take long to develop this design and as I painted I felt SO excited, I was buzzing by the time I'd finished. 

He loved them. YAY!

pour.

A clever lady called Ciara asked me if I made little jugs. I said 'I can try!' and I made these and I LOVE THEM. 

They're only little, about 7cm high. Super cute, I think.

Ciara co-owns a magic haberdashery shop on the island called Sweet Ginger Emporium, GO!

shine.

The online store is OPEN again!

Hurrah!

breakfast.

I'm so in love with my studio space. I quite happily amble there earlier than necessary to sit and contemplate and eat my muesli. Ah.

[oh hello mugs!]

mie.

Moghrey mie (pronounced 'morra my') is Manx Gaelic for good morning. I learn a little Manx in primary and secondary school, then promptly fell in love with French instead. I suspect that was mainly because I wanted to go to Paris!

There's a steady resurgence of support for this once-native language and I'm rather enjoying adding a little Manx cheer to my pots.

jug.

Tea tastes better out of handmade cups. Fact.

Another fun fact: pourers are super cute.

festive.

Christmastime never felt quite right in Australia. 30C heat with traditional carols? Weird. 

November already feels festive. The nights are cold and crisp and clear, the leaves have nearly all fallen from the trees and fairy lights are slowly beginning to appear. I'm actually looking forward to the Christmas season. I've even made a few cups and ramekins to share some seasonal cheer: Nollick Ghennal.

[merry christmas.]

sunday.

Well, 2 sundays ago. 

[a hand painted gift from a special lady]

[MUGS!]

made in man.

Painting has always been my favourite part of the making process. I've been painting pots for ten years, way before I learnt to throw. I have a penchant for ridiculously small details. (I think that comes from years of painting fairy eyelashes.) 

The first collection in the new studio; an extension of Silverdale Dreams. I designed a stoneware collection in December of last year (!) with the intention of making it from March 2013, but I had to leave Australia! I've been thinking about this new work every day since then and as much as I've been impatient to make, this waiting period has been perfect - the designs have evolved, moving much closer to what I really want them to represent.

It surprises me to say this, but I am genuinely proud to be making at home on the island. I couldn't escape this rock fast enough when I first moved to Australia as an 18 year old. Six years later, after an initial resistance to returning home, I am HAPPY to be here and especially thrilled to bring my skills and experience back with me. With this in mind, I ordered a stamp to print the shape of the island on the bottom of my pots. I rather love it.

okay.

The test pots are fired!

You may remember, on Sunday I posted an anxious post full of 'what ifs'. Thankfully these test pots have calmed my mind regarding 'What if the test glazes don't fit the clays?'.

It's okay Mitchell. The glazes fired nicely, as pre-mixed recipes should. 

(I should note here: in Australia I mixed my own glaze, but now without a local supplier and using different materials, it seems like the safest bet to use a pre-mix in the short term. I won't like it, but it's practical for the time being.)

Now I have the slightly annoying task of choosing between 2 almost identical stoneware clays! 

The porcelain mix is beautiful, but cracked easily and of course, is pricey. 

Wait here, I'll get back to you.

snug.

It is absolutely Autumn. I had hopes for an Indian Summer, but gale force winds and rain have blown in.
I'm snuggled up in a tiny cottage in the north of the island this week, cat-sitting for a friend. I might complain about the colder temps, but it sure is nice to light the wood burner!

I've been spending days messing about with my website, PayPal, Big Cartel and html in an attempt to create an online store that I'm genuinely happy with. It hasn't worked. I don't have enough coding knowledge, I don't have room in my 'start up' budget to pay a programmer and frankly I need to prioritise MAKING as soon as I get access to the new studio.

So, after running in circles I've decided to settle with Etsy for the short term. I like a lot of Etsy features, especially the ease and speed with which products can be listed. It concerns me that there is a lot of low quality products available on the platform, but I'm reassured that there are 'big' names still using Etsy; Rae Dunn, Whitney Smith and Linda Fahey to name a few.
Give me a week or so and I should have it up and running nicely. I have to say, it's great to be dealing with more affordable postage rates!! Take note Australia Post...

These earthenware spoons came out of the Craftworks kiln over the weekend - I'm rather in love with them! Especially the stumpy fat on on the left hand side. They'll go into the online store too.