Tuesday 31 January 2012

Creatures

I love how the natural features of wood occasionally form to make something totally unrelated but recognisable to us.. here's a couple of my favourites found from others online...

This is a lion found hiding on a boardwalk here
A polar bear from here

Some of my own discoveries...

A hogs head..?
A couple of crocs


Obviously a pterodactyl



Sunday 29 January 2012

Beetroot Juice

It's fading fast..

Saturday 28 January 2012

Procrastination

I've been slowly learning how to do different weavings with twine but with nothing to do with them, I decided to make something. As my assessment is looming, I thought my time would be well spent on anything but uni work.
Using some willow I stole from the studio, a piece of rusty metal found in the Thames foreshore, a stone with a hole in it from Widemouth Bay and a bird decoration from a nice little shop in Exeter, I made this bird cage thing. The twine I wove using a braiding disc.


After that I hung the bottom of a wine bottle (also found in the Thames) on some twine. It doesn't look finished yet.

Thursday 12 January 2012

Irritable Bowl Syndrome

Oh my. Hilarious.

Anyway. Here is the little collection of bowls I am making. The first is from a silver birch which grew in my mum's garden.. it nearly became a bangle after this photo was taken due to an accident with the band-saw but I was lucky and it was just okay.. I really like the grain.


And up next is some Cherry hardwood which had been artificially dried. I wanted to try turning some non-green wood and I don't recommended, it was terrifying to lathe for my 2nd ever bowl (plate) as it splintered and chipped and generally didn't co-operate.

This one I haven't even finished yet but as I'm hoping to experiment with natural staining, I thought I'd better put a picture up before it changes.. it's possibly lime wood but I'm not certain. I think it's going to be very lightweight which is interesting. Not such a fan of the grain though, has that 'I'm a bit mouldy' look to it. This is possibly because it is.



Tuesday 3 January 2012

Christmas Fairs

Here are some pictures from the Arty Party which Zoe and I had a table at and most of the things are Zoe's because she organised the whole thing and is generally 180% more productive than myself.


And here's Zoe manning our stall at Handmade in Peckham which was rather entertaining if not a little chilly..


Vivi's section of yummy things and adorable necklaces which were all immaculately packaged

and of course I made some Brownies!
Thank you very much Zoe for all the lovely photos, I am eternally indebted to you

I am very glad I actually managed to make things, and sell them(!); it definitely has given me a lot more confidence in myself and what I create, and meeting the other designer-makers at these events further encourages me to continue in what I am doing. Hurrah.