UKClayUsers Blog

Ray Finch, potter.

Just that potter.

One of the last of the great potters who have helped to make the British pottery what it is today.

Ray died today peacefully at the age of 97.

I met him briefly at Winchcombe Pottery a few years ago and once met, how ever briefly, never forgotten.

He and his work will be so missed.

I’ve not been around much, I seem to have had a whole week of migraines or headaches.

And as I’ve been in bed much of the time, often sleeping at weird hours it’s going to take a while to get my body clock back to where it should be.

So what has been happening?

Corey had his birthday as you saw from the last post, he’s now 4 and looks so grown up, I think he’s growing taller every time I see him.

Lynny, our daughter has just applied for university, and is quite apprehensive about what that will mean as she will be moving from home.  Getting to even the local universities is a nightmare and she said that she could not do what I did which was spend 4 hours a day on a bus.

I’ve put some work on the shops, both the Etsy and the Storebeez shops, so have a look see.

I’ve been knitting and have most of a cardigan to show for it.  Most of it has been just one row of plain stitch after the other so it’s been a bit mindless for part of the time, but it looks like it should be a lovely cardigan when it’s done.

Charlie #notmycat has been in quite a bit, especially now it’s turned cold he comes in for a feed and a warm.  Honestly he has a home, but loves visiting.

And photographs to show what I’ve been doing these past 10 or so days.

Second to last photograph Charlie and Asher having a game of cat chess in the living room, and Asher does not have laser eyes, it just looks like it .

And the recent listings in Etsy, both brooches.

Isn’t it magic?  I get this clay stuff, roll it out, do the bits and bobs on it, fire it, glaze it, fire it and the total magic happens and it comes out looking amazing.

Did I say I love my job?

I also love this little boy, when he first came to us he was 20 months old and a toddler, but toddler no more, he was 4 yesterday.

My darling Grandson, Corey.

Etsy

Storebeez

Some will be on the Storebeez shop and a different lot of stock on the Etsy shop so do come and look at both.

There are links to both shops in the side bar.

Off to upload lots of lovely photographs.

There were socks in January

Andrews finished Gansey

Ceramic exhibitions

More knitting

My own ceramic work beginning

Time spent with Isabel

and the other cats whilst recovering from my operation

Get well flowers

Visits from little people

More ceramic fairs

More stuff with yarn

And my ceramics finished this time

Deeply shocked by the killing of MSF staff members, Kace & Philippe, in Somalia yesterday.
www.msf.org.uk/somalia_incident_301211_20111230.news

This is the charity that I design knitting items for them to raise money. This is the Uk branch.
www.p-hop.co.uk/

Kiln pictures.

What kiln I hear you ask?

The top photograph is of the kiln chimney and the cowling and flue that takes all the gasses outside.  When the kiln gets really hot over 900°C in this case, the flames leap out of the top and into the cowling.  They are most impressive in the dark when you turn the lights off in the garage.

The other photograph is of one of the burners underneath the kiln, it’s a gas kiln run on propane gas, and the two burners breathe fire right into the kiln.  Again wonderful when it has gone dark outside and you turn the garage lights out.

For safety reasons we keep the garage door open to vent any stray fumes and gasses, it makes it a bit cold, but safer.

PS hubby just had to try out his new camera lens he got for Christmas and it’s not been the weather for walks and photographs.

(This also means that there has been a kiln firing and a glaze one too, so there should be new pieces in the Etsy shop before too long.)

Sometimes it’s just nice being in the house when it’s late and quiet.

Edmund is curled up on one sofa, and Asher is on the sofa with me, and until a little while ago Peter was on my sofa leaning his head on my lap.

I like the stillness and the sound of sleeping cats, the occasional grunt from Asher, Peter snores, and the odd squeak from Edmund.

It’s time to stop and catch your breath when you’ve had a busy day, and today was quite busy.

We braved the supermarket this morning, fortunately it was not too busy but was getting so when we left.

Cleaned carpets this afternoon, and most of the house looks tidy and bright, but the dinning room needs to be de cluttered from computer bits, and that’s sons job tomorrow.

Presents have been wrapped, apart from the last one or two, and are under the tree.  We’ve put them in wooden slatted boxes this year as the cats usually skate on them and scatter them everywhere.

So I’m glazing tomorrow, and leave the men to tidy the computer bits.

Then the whole weekend off, and settle down for the big weekend.

I might not get a bit of peace for a few days.

Have a lovely and peaceful Christmas.  God Bless.