C-urchin ceramic jewellery and sculpture

The UK Etsy Challenge

2010-04-03T12:06:00.000-07:00

The UK Etsy Challenge was started a few years back....we all had a challenge to make some pants (for Comic Relief) and we enjoyed it so much we decided to make it a permanent thing!

Have you felt my pants? by Memake

As happens with many groups, the enthusiasm has fizzled out over time with people leaving the group....and Etsy, other priorities taking over, etc, etc. There were no entries for the last couple of challenges, so it looked like the group may die out. But I for one, and from messages on the thread, new people who have just discovered the group, it would be a shame. So....I have taken it apon myself to try to get it going again! A little revamp, the premis is the same...a theme, anyone in the UK with an Etsy shop can enter and upload their finished piece (jewellery, textiles, art, sculpture, clothing, your own prefered medium) to the Flickr group When the deadline is reached, a voting thread is opened on Etsy with links to photos and everyone (not limited to the UK, or sellers, anyone is welcome to vote) and a winner is found!

Monkey (uk etsy august challenge - clouds) by Siansburys

As time is short for most people, we're going to try for quarterly, every three months and get everyone, entering a piece or not, to blog, twitter, facebook, and promote the challenge in any way they can.
So what is the group hoping to achieve? Mainly it is for fun....personally I love thinking about a theme, breaking it down to it's componants and finding a small aspect that I can bend my work towards. It's great mental exercise :) Also it is to promote and expose our work and Etsy shops, now who wouldn't want that? The more people who are willing to get involved, even in the smallest possible way, not necessarily uploading a piece for the challenge, to spread the word gains better promotion for everyone.
The winner of course, has a great sense of acheivement...and I for one will blog about it...the more people who announce the winner in their own way and the better the 'prize' becomes.

Red and Turquoise Hair Clip by Snapdragon Beads

So...This summer's challenge theme is 'Fairground' and the deadline is Sunday 4th July 12pm GMT

Take any part of fairground you like....as literal as two dodgems crashing on a necklace, or a pink candy floss knitted scarf. Or something more obtuse...and abstract painting depicting vertigo maybe, or a beaded bracelet in a riot of colours.

So how do you join in? The challenge is open to anyone in the UK with an Etsy shop. Join the UKEC Group and when you have your challenge entry, upload it to flickr and to the group pool. Make sure you state your Etsy shop name (subtly though....Hi I'm seaurchin....don't actually link to your shop as you risk your photo stream being deleted by Flickr) Let us know which challenge the piece is for and your inspiration....then promote the group and the voting thread when it's up :)

We'd love to see you over in the group! :)

Challenge for September by myaphrodite/poorrobin

Holiday

2010-03-28T12:06:00.000-07:00

Last week we were on holiday. Only to Centre Parcs, nothing wildly exciting, but great when you have small children! The holiday did make me realise that although my work is all about the ocean, my natural habitat, where I am most comfortable....is woodland!

So more lichen....

And while I was away, this piece was published that I was interviewed for a while ago on the somethingwelike blog :)

I have been toying with the idea of creating sculls in porcelain - such a wonderful bone-like material. I am fascinated by the structure of sculls. It would definately be a challenge! The first scull is from a roe dear and the second from a squirrel. My apologies for the poor photos, they were under glass.

Some more woodland images...Mushroom Folk by Champignons I have one of these beautiful prints myself :)

And Rabbit Foot Fern by unitedthread

moss

2010-03-14T14:45:00.000-07:00

Mossy green gold is one of my favourite colours and I love actual moss too. Another texture I've been meaning to replicate in ceramics. (I really do need an eight day week!)

This is a photo of my Parents-in-Law's garden path. They have a beautiful old house with old barns, outhouses and pig holes. Delia is a watercolour artist and is hoping to have a studio built in the grounds this year. Shame they live so far away!

I did a swap a couple of weeks ago with Liz of Made in Lowell. This wonderful needle felted brooch, not only has wonderful textures, but also mossy green and rich rust colours....what a fantastic combination!

Another great artist with mossy pieces....ottoman

ArtisanClay has this vivid green piece amongst many other glorious colours!

Gardens

2010-03-13T08:22:00.000-08:00

This week, my garden has been transformed. Once full of overgrown archetectural plants and cold grey gravel.....now there is a lawn and a vegetable patch! Yay!

Talking of gardens....my Neice, Eden is one today...Happy Birthday Eden!

Plant tags by GlazedOver

Last week I finished glazing quite a large kiln load. Quite a lot of white pieces, and beads too this time, so here's a little taster of the finished pieces. More photos on flickr

Bowl by Louchlab

Sunshine

2010-03-01T05:53:00.000-08:00

Ah...feeling happy in the sunshine! A robin was singing a lovely song as I hung the washing on the line.

I'm hoping to make some more beads tonight, then earthenware glazing tomorrow and get the kiln on (bisque and earthenware in the same kiln load). In the meantime, here are some links to some beautiful robins. Robin felt brooch by Lupin and "I" said the sparrow by nonsuch.

Lichen

2010-02-22T13:24:00.000-08:00

I found this tiny ball of lichen walking home from a friend's place....inspiration for a ceramic sculpture perhaps?
In the meantime, here is a great artist already taking her inspiration from lichen! Elin Thomas

coral evolution

2010-02-17T07:32:00.000-08:00

Over the past few years my work has evolved, and although I love the pieces I make now, I do feel that I have lost some of the original alchemy that was present in my work when I first started working with clay.

Part of this feeling comes from the fact that I have recently had a bit of work from Aardman, which is so tight and precise. When I first started ceramics it was a release from the detailed, symmetrical puppets I was creating at work and it was a chance to loosen up. As the years with children and making my own pieces have gone by, my style has tightened up somewhat. Not a bad thing, but now I'm itching to experiment again!

It has also come from reading tinctory's blog. She has been experimenting with slow dying fabrics with natural materials....I used to put any old thing in the kiln to see what happened and I must try this again! Her Etsy shop is worth a look too...she's closing down, which is a shame...but there are some bargains left!

In the meantime...here is a piece of coral I have been working on for my Mum's fishtank, not finished yet...a few more pieces to make before I can fire the kiln again!

It's been a long time...

2010-02-10T03:34:00.000-08:00

Well a lot has happened since I last blogged....part of the reason why I've let this blog lapse!

We moved....from Bristol, to a village on the outskirts. The Boy is now five and has started school and he now has a little sister! She is now seven months old and she's a very happy baby :)

Work wise, I have a small amount of work from Aardman (Wallace and Gromit, etc) where I used to work before having children. Nothing exciting, just cleaning up the seam lines on foam puppets, but it's good to get my hand in again...also there are no minimum hours, so I can just do as much as I have time for. I'm afraid I can't tell you what I'm working on....or I'd have to kill you! ;)

I guess my ceramics have probably moved on a bit too. I am no longer at college in the evening, so all pieces are made at home. This is a bit limiting, so there are less sculptures and a lot of pieces are unglazed porcelain. This is not necessarily a bad thing.

I can hear some grumblings from upstairs, so I shall quickly add a link and a photo!

I have some coral beads in this auction to raise money for the relief effort in Haiti...please take a look http://kookiedesigns.web.officelive.com/collectivecharity.aspx

Resurrection

2010-02-09T07:08:00.000-08:00

I may....possibly....resurrect this blog! It has been a long while, and a lot has happened (new house, and new baby to name two very important episodes in my recent life)

A little taster of some recent work....I'm working a lot with unglazed porcelain at the moment.

Lampwork beads made by http://pinocean.etsy.com

Time flies!

2008-02-20T12:26:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm still busy! :)

I have a few custom orders on at the moment, and another craft fair on the 1st March, so I'm frantically making again! Dennis is off from nursery, so that cuts down my hours slightly during the week, but never mind, it's nice to have a chance to meet up with other people who usually can't due to school and their nursery classes, which all seem to clash.

I had a lovely surprise through the post the other day....I haven't had much time to spend on Deviant Art of late, but last year the Royal Mail issued two sets of Harry Potter themed stamps to coincide with the release of the final book in the series. I knew there were a couple of people on DA, not in the UK, who would love the stamps, so I sent them off.... I had a lovely New Year's card from the girl in Turkey, Noases, and then last week I received a beautiful pendant with a handmade PMC seaurchin bead from Ellygator, along with a notecard with a print of one of her Harry Potter themed drawings :D

Such lovely surprises! You should check them both out on DeviantArt....Noases is another ceramic artist, and Elly is a fantastic illustrator and jewellery designer/maker.

Making the best of a bad situation

2008-01-24T12:10:00.000-08:00

The police rang today to say that someone had broken into my car....it was sat outside the garage and the police saw a young lad in there rifling around, although didn't see him smash the window, so had nothing on him unfortunately! :P

Nothing was stolen though....it was a hassle getting the window sorted out, but I do have a lovely pile of auto glass to use in my ceramics now, and the car was vacuumed for the first time in three years, so it isn't all bad! lol

I'm buy at the moment making custom orders and supplies for my new shop...I also have a craft fair on the second of February....so a few heart shaped pendants! ;)

I have been organised this year and bought Adam's Valentine's card already from zozocards on Etsy. It's really cute!

New Year, New Shop!

2008-01-13T11:43:00.000-08:00

Well, it has been a little while since I updated this blog! :P

I guess maybe a brief synopsis is in order :)

Swaps! I took part in two ceramic swaps at the end of last year....one was a mug swap (yes, I made a mug! Of sorts!) I received a fantastic mug from Montezuma Mudd, mostly it's used for tea, but it really should be used for thick homemade soup as it's a lovely chunky cozy mug :)

Also I took part in the BOC Black and White Bead Swap and I received the most fantastic box of treasure in the post! I used some of the beads to make necklaces for friends and family for Christmas :)

Christmas sales :) I was overwhelmed by my Christmas sales on Etsy....I was really chuffed with the amount of pieces I sold and was really feeling pretty pleased with myself :D

Interview. I was interviewed for Pepperina Press' blog, Indie/Pretty/Perfect which was a real honour!

Moo Blog. I was also featured on the Moo Blog with pictures of my Moo cards :)

Electricity monsters. Ok, so they're actually monitors, but I think my mis-hearing is more fun! Adam, my husband is monitoring our electricity usage to see where we can save both money and general wastage.....the first day he started this I had a kiln disaster! :P

Kiln Disaster! Eep! A kiln as full as it gets, with custom orders and everything! It never reached it's final temperature, so held it at just under top temperature for about eight hours or so! I was expecting a kiln full of black bubbled pieces, or at the very least, them all to be fused to the kiln shelves, but actually I got away with it very lightly! The colours of the glass were a bit washed out, and the glazes were shiny and dark, but the main thing was the bead rack, which warped and all of the beads fused together....all except one, which had a crucifix on it! Spooky eh? :)

Finally....I have a new supplies shop on Etsy, seaurchinSupplies. There isn't much in there yet, but eventually I am hoping to supply handmade ceramic beads, pendants, cabochons, mosaic tiles and doll/puppet components, all made by myself....guess I'd better go and do some work!

Christmas!

2007-12-03T14:42:00.000-08:00

I haven't added a new post for ages...it's been a bit of a whirlwind, what with decorating, Etsy...a Craft Fair (yes, I finally got round to doing one!) and Christmas!

So just a quick entry today....

Look out for some new stuff in my Etsy shop over the next few days as I did a Craft Fair on Saturday and have quite a few pieces made especially for that that I now need to photograph and list. I have a lot of wallpaper pendants, made using the Anaglypta wallpaper that I stripped from the office. I've also been making simple pendants and brooches.

Another thing that has been taking a bit of my time are the UK Etsy Sellers Christmas Gift Bags....UK sellers donated gifts, cards and decorations that they made and Nicola (Pouch) and I split them into sets that are now on sale in the UKStreetTeam. All profits from the bags will go to promoting the UK Team and it's members. Check them out.....there are some fantastic pieces in them....and you could solve a few Christmas Gifts in one fell swoop! :)

Anyway, off to pack my orders!

Anticipation

2007-11-09T11:57:00.000-08:00

Well...I got onto Trunkt :D They didn't want my jewellery, but I got in with my sculptures! Yay!

Obviously I have yet to find out if it will make any difference to my sales! In some ways I'm really glad that my sculptures have more exposure. I do want to concentrate more on the sculptures, obviously jewellery is easier to sell, and hence I've been making more of that. I really must make the effort to use the information I've gathered during my jewellery experiments in my sculptures :)

Talking of which...It's nearly time to open the kiln :D It's my biggest glaze load yet...I would even go so far as to say that my kiln was full!

I usually load the kiln at night, after I've been working for the evening. My kiln is in the garage, and it does feel a little funny going out onto the road late at night with no one around. Last night as I got to the kiln a drunk man stumbled over and lent against the wall....he was ignoring me, but I was still looking round the garage for things to use in self defense if necessary! After about five minutes of fumbling around with his phone and muttering to himself...with a brief burst of "Jingle Bells", he exclaimed "Fuck! You early gave me a heart attack!" I didn't comment that I was feeling a little nervous myself, but anyway... He did apologise for swearing...he must have been pretty drunk to have not noticed that he was next to an open garage with the light on :P

About half an hour now 'til I open the kiln ! :D

Nope...

2007-11-04T12:29:00.000-08:00

No...didn't get in :( Buggers!

I have a new application with my ceramic sculpture in at the moment...I'll see what happens when they come back to me with that one....

On a more positive note, I'm loading the kiln tonight. Just bisque ware, but at least that means I'm on my way to glazing! :D

Trunkt

2007-11-03T13:34:00.000-07:00

Hummm....so I've just applied to trunkt.....

Trunkt is a showcase for art and crafts and is linked to your items for sale, in my case on Etsy. I have heard it is difficult to be accepted onto, especially in the jewellery section, so I won't be (too) disappointed if I don't get in....first time anyway! lol

I will try again with the ceramic sculptures if I don't succeed with the jewellery section as I think it could be good exposure for my shop:)

Meeting up :)

2007-10-29T13:06:00.000-07:00

Well...I'm still going with the decorating, so I still don't have time to do much making :P

I am however meeting up with another Etsyan tomorrow. Nicola, Pouch on Etsy, and I are collecting items together to make Christmas Gift bags for the UK Etsy Shop. I find it quite mad that I can actually meet up quite easily with someone else who sells on Etsy :)

I have a few new pendants that I'm listing on Etsy at the moment, but most of my new ones are still at the greenware stage. It's taking me so long to make a kiln load...I've also got a few custom orders I need to get on with!

Finding the time

2007-10-19T12:08:00.000-07:00

Ceramics time has been cut quite significantly recently :( We're trying to get the house decorated, which it is sorely in need of :P

I have finally managed the second batch of black and white beads for the BOC bead swap, so I'll get them photoed and bagged up and sent off on Monday...if they don't get caught up in the backlog of the postal strike I may even get them in on time! :D

I have also just completed a porcelain coral crater bowl that I will be offering as a prize in the Deviant Art Artisan Crafts Competition....this one is on the theme of Greek and Roman. I have an idea about what I would like to make for this....I'd like to make something based on the King Midas Myth.

I've also entered the Etsy Halloween costume contest (the renegade one, as I am not in the US it is against the law for me to win any prizes! lol) Oh well...the fangs were fun to make! :D

Hallow'een

2007-10-08T12:40:00.000-07:00

I have an idea for the Etsy Hallow'een costume contest....I won't be able to sell any though as it will be too late with these blooming postal strikes to send them off anywhere....maybe someone might like them for Christmas fancy dress parties or something?

I'll post a photo when I've finished....I reckon if they work, they'll be really fun :D

I have also entered my spider pendant for the Etsy UK Hallow'een challenge :)

Decorators :P

2007-10-03T15:23:00.000-07:00

I'm not getting much done craft wise at the moment as we have a decorator in at the moment....obviously decorating itself is not that disruptive, but we have so much junk it's hard to move it all round...and of course we are trying to throw stuff away or put it aside for charity shops.

I did however open the kiln today with my lustre firing :D

I fired at a slightly lower temperature this time, as last time I left the bung in from the start (I always fire at night and just leave the kiln to get on with it) and the glass beads melted into the pools of glass underneath....it made little bulls eye's in the glass, pretty, but not what I wanted.
This time it was too low a temperature as some of the beads hardly melted at all and were easy to pick off....I'll fire them again later.

Even with a few that need firing again, it was a pretty good haul :) There were a few pendants in there from other UK Etsysellers that were created on the retreat in August. Still more to finish though !

Also out were half of the beads that I need for the BOC bead swap on the theme of black and white. I've made little pendants/charms in porcelain with craters filled with clear glass , silver lustre and black glass pearls in the centres :) Hopefully I will get on and make the rest soon...time is running out! Damn decorators!

Tagged!

2007-10-01T12:12:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Kelly at The Domino Effect I have to tell all ten of you, or however many are reading this blog, seven facts about me :)

1. I have been with my husband since I was 17, and he was 23...we got married three years ago with three weeks notice when I was seven months pregnant.

2. I've always loved nature...on holiday when I was 14 in Corfu my parents nick named me Gerry (Gerald Durrell) as I was always out looking for mantids and tree frogs.

3. I am a Lost addict!

4. I am vegetarian, but I do wear leather and cook meat for my son and husband.

5. I wear contact lenses...without them I can't see the eye chart at the optitions at all!

6. If I'm reincarnated I want to come back as a cat!

7. I am a Jedi....it's official ;)

I'm not going to link to anyone else, as I've just started and I'm assuming that everyone else I know that's currently blogging has been tagged already!

Now back to business....

The EtsyMud Team just hosted a Teapot Challenge....I didn't really have much time, so I entered a teapot pendant and not an actual teapot. One day I do hope to rise to the challenge of building a teapot...when I have some time lol!

Obviously I did not win....the winner was in fact Ginny, Ginpins with an absolutely fantastic tromp l'oil (no idea how to spell that!) mug of cocoa with a spoon spout and marshmallow lid! Sheer genius!

The Craft Fair Debate

2007-09-30T12:26:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure whether to sign myself up for any of the posh craft fairs....I went to the British Crafts Fair today at the Paintworks in Bristol, mainly just to check it out. There certainly was some beautiful work and everyone's stalls looked so professional. I wanted to ask how it was going, but I thought it might be a bit rude!

Stalls are £220 for the smallest (to be honest I wouldn't need anything larger!) There was certainly a good stream of people walking through....I also noticed plenty of people walking out with their shopping bags full! I guess it's one of those don't know 'til you try it type things. The next one in Bristol by the same organisation is same time next year...I guess that gives me plenty of time to think about it :D

I would definately need to buy some professional looking display boards and maybe some small stands too. Of course there was a lot of jewellery there, but also a lot of ceramics...someone even making ceramic seaurchins! Well, there's no such thing as an original idea!

Right! My goal is to reach 100 items for sale on Etsy, and then try to keep around that number in my shop....then any surplus items I make will be set aside for those times that I am unable to keep up the pace.....*or* dah dah dah! Set aside as stock for craft fairs. I also want to make some more sculptures, using the information from my pendant experiments over the summer and incorperating the melted and fused glass, and also the lustres into the vessels.....

Hummm...watch this space! ;)

Just starting :)

2007-09-29T12:53:00.000-07:00

Hello there,

Here is my first blog post ever, please bear with me as I'm a bit of a technophobe (who is married to a technophile!)

I am a ceramic artist, making experimental small pieces, currently a lot of jewellery...I'll get some photos up, it's easier than explaining!

I have a three year old son and I am currently working from home with a shop on Etsy seaurchin.etsy.com Before that I was one of the senior sculptors at Aardman Animations working on "Chicken Run", "Wallace and Gromit-The Curse of the Wererabbit" ,"Creature Comforts-USA", "Angry Kid" and plenty of others.

I took the opportunity to learn ceramics while I was still working and have been hooked since. It took me a while to find my own style, but I feel I have reached it now and I will continue to experiment and develop further. I am currently learning to throw...so we'll see how it pans out and whether I can work with the thrown pots to make them my own ;)

You can also find me on Deviant Art http://c-urchin.deviantart.com/ and also flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/7255679@N04/