Cone Planters

I thought I would introduce one of our new lines this week. Those who have visited us at one of the shows we have done already this year will have seen our new shape planters.

For the last few years we had been making the green man wall planters which were flat at the back with a curved bowl at the front and a green man face on the front.

At the end of last year we decided to have a change (You have to mix things up a little!). The design we agreed on was a cone shape.

Possibly not shown off to its best effect against a pink wall!! But a cone shape with a hole in the bottom (for drainage) and an ivy pattern. We also tried a smooth version which we glazed.

We really liked the glazed effect so in the end we went for the 2 types, the smooth glazed and the ivy patterned sandy textured planters. So far they have received a positive response, although there has been a few people missing the green man style!

Apologies for the slightly sick looking spider plant used in the following pictures! We have been using pansies in our show displays instead this year as some spider plant rescue has been necessary!

The potter has been busy making some more of these so we will be fully stocked for our next outing!

 

We will be exhibiting at the Shotley Penisular crafts event over the May bank holiday weekend (and the potter will be there Sunday and Monday demonstrating)

 





http://www.shipwreckpub.co.uk/peninsular-crafts-bank-holiday-weekend/

 



Setting up a show

This weekend (just gone) we spent at the Living Crafts Show at Hatfield House. It was a good show with lots of good quality crafts on offer, unfortunately ruined by the atrocious weather (very windy and rainy) which put people off from coming so it was quite quiet.

We set up the show on Wednesday afternoon and the show was open from Thursday to Sunday. We usually set up for these big shows the day before and I thought I would take some pictures to demonstrate why!!

This is what our space in the marquee looks like when we arrive. This show has posh marquees which have carpeting down on the floor. Some of them are directly onto the grass. The space was a bit lumpy so first job is to position the tables as we want them and put blocks of wood under the legs until they are flat and don't wobble! Next job is to set up the structure of our stand.

We have a metal framework which we hang curtains from and attach our lights to. There is 3 grid walls which are clamped to the back of the tables (and have netting draped across the front to disguise them a bit) and several wooden boards which a couple of years ago I made some matching covers for so you can hardly spot them! This all makes the back drop from which to show off the pottery.
Once we have got this far then the hard work begins. First we have to move all the boxes of pottery from the Van to the stand (and Pottery is heavy!) Then we spend ages deliberating on the best layout of the pottery that shows everything off to its best advantage. This is what we came up with this time out!



To the left of this picture we have another table where the potter spends the day demonstrating and making things.
As promised the potter made a new Green Lady Plaque as discussed in the previous post Green Men and now we are home and all dried out I thought I would show you. It is not fired or glazed yet but you can get the idea!

With slightly longer hair as promised!

Bird Baths

Every now and then, the potter has a flight of fancy and makes a series of unique pieces. Although we never make 2 things that are exactly the same and all our standard lines are made freehand, these pieces are designed to be stand alone and not repeated.

The most recent flight of fancy took the potter to make bird baths. She has made 3, and they are all a but different. Today I have taken advantage of the lovely weather to take some photos of them in their natural habitat! (the garden)

This has got round holes punched in the base and a lovely streaky blue glaze with a glassy effect finish to the inside.

This has a wintery theme to it, with fir tree cut outs from around the base and robins around the rim of the bath and a blue green colouring.

And last but not least is the clam shell shaped bird bath that has been dividing opinion! (a bit like marmite you either like it or hate it!) There is Ivy running up the back with a sneaky gecko making an appearance if you look hard for it.

These we will be taking to some of our more garden orientated shows such as the Abbots Ripton Hall garden show at the end of June.