these days . . .

these days
studio life has been busy and beautiful,

quiet yet sometimes overwhelming,

inspiring and routine all in the same breath . . .

i just wanted to stop by and share a few corners
of this place :
my office
my home

time to share . . .

so, it's early i know . . .
but we've been working so hard to get these images
out to all our stockists so there's enough time to make them,
and get stock to them . . .
as well as stock up our own online store

so, we are finally ready to share some of this years
christmas ornament designs . . .

above is this years bird . . .
the little message of all is calm, all is bright
has been ringing in our ears in the studio,
reminding us to stay calm amongst the crazy . . .

below is the re-release of the big stars !
and new star of wonder . . .
(wonder being one of my favourite words . . .
so this has special significance for me)

and then a delicate little window star of david . . .
(with the vintage button patterns)
many of these get broken
in the making, and cleaning, and 'getting to the kiln' process
as they are so precious green, but once they are fired
they are strong and beautiful

life can be a little like that can't it . . . ?
some parts are hard and tricky and you have to take it gently

things break . . .

i've been saying this a lot in the studio to the girls,
while limping around with my slowly-but-surely-healing fractured ankle,
and while the swear jar gets fuller with ornaments breaking when
colouring or sponging is taking place

bones break . . . clay breaks . . . hearts break . . .

but in the end something beautiful can be found . . .
even if it is in the pieces . . . the spaces . . .

photo shoots . . .

the past week has been a little bit of a blur
for many a reason

there's been cake in the studio for my birthday,
a day or two break from working
(oh, that's what the outside world looks like?) . . .
but then working like sleep isn't part of what we need to do !

there's also been a spot of baking . . .

my fabulous web-shop gal teresa
who just happens to make the best rum balls
(they taste just like my grandmother used to make)
was a trouper this week and made some for my photo-shoot
of christmas 2011 products ( thanks T )

and i made the apricot balls ( with slightly less flair )
. . . but they did the job . . .

it is a little odd making christmas goodies in july
but today we had a mighty nice morning tea
thanks to the need for such things . . .

there's lots to share including the new ornaments for the year
but for now, i thought i would share a quote
that kept ringing in my ears
as christmas baking was made
so far out from the season

from one of my favourite storytellers around, brian andreas:

" She asked me when the season of joy
was supposed to end & I said I didn't really think
there was an exact date, so we left the tree up till
June that year "

pencil case . . .

this little thing has been my constant companion
for the past few weeks
as i finalise work on my 2012 calendar !!!

i didn't get a chance last year to complete one,
after having them made for many years previous to that
i disappointed so many of my dear customers

so this year, i got in early
with the help of my darling sister
and graphic-designer-gal megan

i am printing on the most lovely weighted
FSC card . . . and
they will be available in september
through many of my stockists,
online through my store and biome

as well as at any markets i do
including my annual christmas show . . .

i'll keep you posted when they are available
and share how it looks too

. . . back to the subject of pencil cases . . .
the trusty pencil case has featured in
one of my favourite 80's songs ( i have it on 7" )
it opens with

" i love you from the bottom of my pencil case "

how could you not love a song that says that !!!
the lyrics do ramble into a tale of many women
the songwriter has thanked for inspiration . . . but it is charming,
very UK pop, and dare i say it, a bit retro . . .
and as a girl who loves words, i do quite love the song's title

song for whoever
by
the beautiful south

i hope you enjoy . . .

sneak peek

we've been working pretty hard in the studio
these past few months
and thought i'd share a little sneak peek
at this years christmas bird design
we have finished prototypes out of the kiln
and are mighty happy with how they look

so soon when they are photographed well
and my stockists get first look
i'll share them here !

in the mean time
i hope you like this little tease of how they look
rough and just made
clay wet
finger prints still marking them
raw, earthy, and in, i have to say, one of my favourite phases . . .

i know i haven't been here
as much as i sometimes have been . . .

it has been a strange
up and down
few weeks
few months

i keep working hard
keep trying to keep my chin up
trying to find beauty in what is around me
trying to make beautiful things in my working life

but some-days it is harder than others

i have been writing again
( not that i ever stopped )
just writing a few more bits and pieces
passages that seem to be forming
new things,
poems maybe

but writing isn't always easy

for it talks and sings to me of things i sometimes
want to hide from

the truth, as is its way,
pushes through (as it should)
and this is where the words meet

last weekend i lent this beautiful letter box to my friends
lou and kristina for their market stall

it is a treasured thing
an object of love

objects are funny things
sometimes the most banal and battered,
purposed and domestic items,
hold secrets and stories

i loved sharing this letterbox for
lou and kristina's beautiful new project
as both the project and this letterbox
is full of such meaning

it is a token
a relic
a love letter in itself

it is home with me again now
this little box

this little house
that had the most treasured
of love letters delivered to me in it over the years

i continue to write letters of such kind in response
and always will

( and these letters will one day be read i hope,
as they are the in-between ones, the ones without end )

finders keepers THIS WEEKEND . . .

it's on again . . . .
the fabulous finders keepers market
in brisbane !

this weekend
saturday and sunday
july 2nd and 3rd
old museum

the collaboration i share with my dear friend sarah.b.
WAIT
will have its brisbane launch at finders

we are having such fun
putting this work together . . . together . . .
and look forward to sharing it with you all . . .
we are already working on new designs to release
later in the year
but for now pop by and see how this little
collaboration that we started a few years ago
has grown and evolved . . .

i've got a stall full of lots of new surprises,
my continuing collections,
and some super special market only prices
on my journals and jewellery . . .

hope to see you there !

full details HERE

i carry your heart with me
(i carry it in my heart)

- e e cummings

i've been away . . . flown the coop for 10 days . . .

i've had a little holiday in japan with my sister . . .

we had bought our tickets long before the devastation
and we decided to go and support their economy
( i always stock up on bits and pieces
for my studio and books and papers for my work )
as tourism numbers have been down nearly 50%,

that and we so love the country and its people . . .

and we are so glad we visited,
we felt safe and welcomed . . .

we met so many special people,
had such lovely little adventures
and supported their economy yes . . .
my pottery collection has
swelled somewhat . . . research i say !!!

and although i fractured my ankle 3 hours before
i got on the bus to the airport to come home a few days ago . . .
(x-rays confirmed today after i realised the pain was not easing)
it's been a swell past two weeks . . .

i don't know what the next two weeks will be like limping around
in pain as i prepare for brisbane finders keepers
and catch up with orders and all the rest . . .

but the glow from such inspiring travels has given me
the strength to keep my chin up . . .

so now, please excuse my
rambling instagram favourite holiday snaps . . .
it was a lovely to carry just my phone
and share with friends back here, and all over the place ,
the days and the moments . . .

overlooking rainy kyoto

tea with lovely hana from
kashogama
one of the most special times . . .

decorative gutters at
nijo castle

one of the most inspiring stops at

mina perhonen
seriously beautiful . . . (images above and below)

cafe's with pottery for sale . . .
this one in arimatsu on one of our day trips
to the home of traditional shibori in nagoya

and finally some pictures of the chion-ji temple handicraft market
on the 15th of every month . . . as luck would have it we were
there on the 15th . . . it was amazing to see a packed
craft market and on a wednesday no less !!!
and yes . . . localy made ceramic stalls aplenty . . .

i promise i won't leave it long again before i write again here
still so much to share of other happenings . . .
in the mean time
i'm going to put my foot up !

sydney . . . a few weeks back now . . .

this little post (as have others of late) has been a long time coming
i don't know where the days go at the moment
it is all a bit of a blur for many a reason . . .

a few weeks back i packed up my goods and headed to sydney
i had a couple of days visiting friends
and then a couple of big and wonderful days at sydney finders keepers

the response to sarah and my colaboration wait
was just overwhelming . . .
those who really 'got it' loved it
and those who didn't, loved them anyway . .

we had been working on our little traveling stand
for the past couple of months
it all compacts . . . and were very pleased in the end
of this little stall inside a stall . . .

it was so great to meet so many new people and catch up with
old friends too . .
thanks to everyone that popped by and said hello . . .
we will be gearing up again soon for brisbane finders keepers
and are working on some new waits
so those of you from our home city
who have inquired don't miss out . .

and . . .

although i spent the day and evening with pia on thursday
of that week ( such precious time )
i couldn't resist popping by and showing support
to her beautiful window and book event
at newspaper taxi in newtown
on late saturday afternoon . . .

newspaper taxi is also a paper boat stockist at christmas
so it was lovely to meet steph in person
and see her fabulous one of a kind shop . . .

( pia's beautiful window )

thanks so much to sarah and my sydney pal hayley
who helped all weekend at the market . . .

the busy and sometimes overwhelming parts of
doing a market stall are made all the more easier
by having you by my side . . .
x x

p.s. in my email mailout
i said the sale closes monday june 9 . . .
the 9th was in my head as i am going on holidays that day !
so i am extending the sale until the 9th (at midnight-ish)
details below in the previous post . . .