ceramic birds and wind chimes

Last month I told you about  a workshop we did at Katherine Fortnum Ceramics.  We went to another workshop a few weeks ago and so were able to collect the birds we'd made.

He is intact, if not quite as attractive as he could have been.  I only put one layer of underglaze on him so he's a slightly pinkish/brownish off-white!

Katherine did say that the inside would need a light sand as it was so hard to get it smooth during the making process, I was surprised how bumpy and knobbly it turned out.

He's on the kitchen window sill (indoors) at the moment until I decide where he can live and what he can hold.

At the last workshop we were making windchimes, or a hanging mobile of some sort.  I don't have many photos but I have a few.

I cut out a series of hearts getting progressively smaller.  I then textured some of them in different ways.

I used one of these fancy rulers to imprint some of the hearts.  The small round thing is a stamp, I used that on other hearts.

Next it was glazed, three coats, and I scratched some designs into the glaze to reveal the clay underneath.

They're going to be fired, then we'll collect them.  I think we've got another workshop later this month, I'm taking the Mother-in-law as well as mum so that should be good fun.

Ceramic bird feeder

A few weeks ago, wonderful mum and I went to a ceramic workshop at Katherine Fortnum Ceramics in Market Harborough, Leicestershire.  Her workspace was lovely, the other 3 participants were lovely, Katherine is lovely and a very good teacher, but I was ill.  I was having a really bad time of it and perhaps I shouldn't have gone, but I thought it might cheer me up.  Hmm.  When will I ever learn than depression can't be cheered up.

We were making a ceramic bird feeder in the shape of a bird.  Now, I only get pigeons in my garden and I don't want to feed them, so I thought I'd just use it as somewhere to put pretty things on display.  We were using earthenwear clay and started with a big ball, flattened on the bottom.  We added a tail.

And a head.  At this point, things started to go wrong as my tail kept sinking, I held it up with a plastic bag, but I should have made it smaller and thinner.

Next we started to carve out the wing shape using the tool you see in the photo above.  We had to go in from both sides and carve very carefully.

After this I have no more photos as at this point both my head and tail started to fall off and I got frustrated and upset with it.  I went outside to have a ciggie and Katherine fixed it the best she could.  When they were finished, we glazed them, but again, I have no photos.  

I think we collect them in a week or two so I'll show you the results then - I'm expecting my head and tail to have fallen off and possibly for the body to have collapsed...

Something a little different...

Morning ladies, I hope you are all doing well.  I'm taking my dad to the hospital today so no work for me.  He's fine, it's just a test to confirm that there is nothing wrong with his digestive system and they really don't think there is.  I'm hoping to get some sewing done this afternoon as the weekend wasn't quite as productive as I'd like.  I did have a lovely day out with friends and all the kids and I did spend some quality bunny time, but not much in the way of sewing got done.

I've been wanting to show you these bird feeders for a while, but wanted to get them packaged up first.  These are presents for my dad and my father-in-law (both of whom love birds in their gardens) and I'll be doing more for Christmas for them, some friends and my brother.

These are very easy to make and only take about 15 minutes, plus drying time.  I think it takes longer to clean the pan out afterwards!

I used this tutorial and all it takes is some gelatine, bird seed and cookies cutters, and a bit of string.  I've made two batches so far.  By the way, readers from Britain - what do we call cookie cutters??  I've become Americanised in my baking vocabulary!

I bought some freezer bags to package them in, but they had writing printed over the front so I added a large label and a piece of patterned paper in the back.  A piece of folded patterned paper stuck over the seal neatens the whole thing up.

I will be making more, I have a big bag of bird feed to use up!

Oh, by the way, I got an email telling me there'd been a new submission to my Learn a New Technique Linky and when I went to check it out, I found there had been 6 new submissions!  Sorry for ignoring you ladies that linked, I just didn't realise.  I'll be doing a feature post very soon.  I WILL encourage the world to spread their crafting horizons!!