Craft fair

Posted on September 29, 2019September 29, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged #market_@_48, Art, Craft fair, Eleanora street, Fun, Potbank Hotel, Spode, Staffordshire, Violin, Weather2 Comments

Well, it rained. As you can see from the photos. Even so it was good to do the craft fair at spode today. I met some lovely people who were very helpful despite the fact I was having a bad morning. I’d arrived after very little sleep and getting up later than I intended.

It was lovely to hear classical music being played by a violinist, he was really good. Sadly I didn’t get his name.

I didn’t do that well. I don’t know if I was too close to the door, or if my art was not trendy enough. I sold a few things and some people took cards with my details on. I am shattered but happy. I may not have made a fortune, but made some good friends.

Pear tree collapse

Posted on September 29, 2019September 29, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Crop, Environment, Fallen tree, Food, Fruit, Garden, Gardening, Life, Pear, Pear tree, Pears, Plants3 Comments

A shout from outside. My hubby had gone outside to feed the stray cat….

There’s a problem, a catastrophe.. The pear tree had blown over in the heavy rain and wind we have been having…

The tree has been gradually leaning more over the last couple of years, and each crop of pears has grown. Till this year we counted over fifty pears. But that of course pulls on the top of the tree.

We had propped it up with some wood, but that had snapped in half. What to do? We tried using an old exercise bike near the roots…

We also tried to pull as many pears off the tree as possible as they were now in reach. My hubby normally shakes the pears down which may be why it’s leaning!

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Finally we used the step ladder to prop it up a bit more. I don’t know if it’s salvageable, the trunk is split. It’s a shame if it has to go as the pears are very tasty. They were just starting to ripen, but the weather has been mad. We weighed the good pears (disposed of the split one’s). 11.7 kilos. Not sure what that is in pounds but I think it’s around 24 pounds.

I’m going to share some of the crop with friends….

Owlet

Posted on September 28, 2019September 28, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Acrylic on canvas, Bird, Craft fair, Life, Market@48, Owl, Owlet, Painting, Potbank cafe, Spode, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent3 Comments

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I think this is my last painting for the craft fair, I’m getting too tired. This owlet was on a calendar and I couldn’t resist painting it. I think it is so cute. X

I find painting feathers and fur difficult. You can’t paint every strand of hair, tuft of fur, or every feather but if I can get a good impression of the details, that will have to do.

Lots of pictures

Posted on September 28, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Acrylic on canvas, Art, Craft, Painting, Spode, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trentLeave a comment

Yes, these are all paintings I did over the last few days. Some are tiny, some are small and some medium sized. These are for my craft stall for tomorrow at the Hotel on Spode Site. I hope people come in and enjoy what will be on display and for sale. There are a lot of quality crafts and art which will be there.

I guess I had better get back to work and finish off what I’m doing.

Ill still…

Posted on September 28, 2019September 28, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Achy, Fed up, Ill, Sick, Tired6 Comments

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I’m sick of feeling ill! I’ve been like this for a week. Aching, tired. I feel like I’m going to come down with shingles or something.. I had it a few years ago and it was vile. Oh well… If it goes quiet you will know why.

Cat and Cucumber

Posted on September 28, 2019September 28, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Cat, Cat doorstop, Courgette, Cucumber, Fun, Kitchen, Life, Microwave, PlantsLeave a comment

My cat on top of the microwave, despite putting stuff on it to try and keep him off, and a cucumber it courgette growing in the kitchen window ledge. It’s like a greenhouse in there. Grown from a random seed planted a couple of months ago. I saw the flower yesterday and it was open this morning! The cat behind it is a metal doorstop, I put it there agas ago and liked it so left it there.

I think I must be content with chaos.

Boris the 🕸 Spider

Posted on September 28, 2019September 28, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Arachnid, Cats, Funny, House spider, Humour, Life, Scuttle, Spider11 Comments

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For as long as I can remember, if we see a big, hairy, spider in the house, we call it Boris. Nothing to do with politics, its kind of a tradition. I don’t see him very often, but as the nights cool down he tends to scurry across the floor (might be a she?). I think there is a mating season for spiders. The only problem is the cats, they are quite expert at catching spiders (mainly in the bathroom) if Boris was to be spied by one of the cats, we’ll I wouldn’t give him much of a chance of escape. There is something about the look on the cats face, concentration, anticipation, that does not bode well for any spiders in the vicinity.

Brown Betty

Posted on September 27, 2019September 27, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Bread in common, British ceramic biennial, Cherished Chimneys, Coffee morning, Longport, Macmillan, Spode, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, Waiting room gallery2 Comments

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I got this Brown Betty teapot from Cherished Chimneys in Longport in Stoke-on-Trent. Its a traditional shape and colour. Apparently they keep tea warm for longer.

Cherished Chimneys have a teapot exhibition in their building (they actually mainly sell reclaimed chimneys) we had fun choosing the teapot from them.

We had been in the Waiting room gallery across the road at a Macmillan coffee morning to raise funds for their cancer care support work. A very good cause. Then we went to Bread in common, an artistic cafe that bakes bread and also cooks vegetarian food on a Fridays. Then to the British Ceramic Biennial in the afternoon. All in all a very busy day.

Then when we got home I did a few more tiny paintings, but that’s another story….

Flat back pottery

Posted on September 27, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, British ceramic biennial, China Halls, Clay, Design, Fun, Life, Pottery, Spode site, Staffordshire, Stoke, Stoke-on trentLeave a comment

The British Ceramic Biennial has some hands on workshops that are free and open to the public. Last week I made a flat back pot using a mold of a boat with Donald Trumps head in profile and a pair of boots walking in the other direction. There is also a lion with a union jack, a monkey, and other figures and plants. There are other pots shown above. Each of them has been designed by an artist, so they are possibly controversial, maybe a bit tongue in cheek.

Today I painted glaze on my pot that had been fired. I didn’t remember to take a photo of it, but I have taken photos of some of the larger pieces now they have finally been fired.

I’m glad I had a go, it’s definitely worth a visit.

Wet

Posted on September 27, 2019September 27, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged BCB, British ceramic biennial, Design, Photos, Rain, Water, WeatherLeave a comment

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We went to the British Ceramic Biennial today, at the Spode Site in Stoke, to glaze a piece of pottery I made last week. The weather was very bad and we got soaked on the way into the exhibition. When we came out the rain had cleared up and the sun was out. I took some photos of the wet surfaces. It’s always good to notice changes caused by weather conditions and variations in lighting.

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