The making of... naughty

Naughty is a fiddly feeling to make. The tiny pigtails are very vulnerable and they break quite easily while applying 'em to the feeling. So I always make a few before I start applying 'em to the bottom of the feeling. I mark the spot where it's supposed to go and then apply some clay slib and stick the tiny tail onto it. I press lightly with a clay tool to make it stay and finish it off with a wet paintbrush. It usually takes me about 4 or 5 tries before the tail is stuck on it's bottom. So naughty is also a bit stubborn...

Feeling wise

A while ago, Anca from Happyhangaround asked me to create a custom feeling. She has a thing for owls & loved to have one of my creations among her collection of owls. So I got to work and came up with the above. So glad she loved it. I think it turned out cute.

The making of... creative

When I first started doing ceramics, one of the first things I did was raiding my dad's tool cabinet. There are such interesting tools you can use to apply texture to pieces and this hole maker has given me much pleasure so far. I use it to make holes into ornaments but also to apply to the feeling creative. When I make 'creative', I usually make a few as it's easier to work in batches. I always start with the biggest circles and last I make the smallest ones.
I always apply my logo and a number on the bottom. Creative is a popular feeling, it's together with curious one of the most bought ones.
The images are a bit off color but that's to blame on the lousy weather...

My favorites

You are all my favorites... Happy Valentine's day! :)

Custom mouse feeling

A while back I made a OOAK series of deer and rabbits for my shop. They are much loved and only a few remain. Apparently it gives people ideas for other animals so I was asked to make a custom mouse. How fun and especially if the customer says 'that's exactly how I had pictured it in my mind' :)

Fired stress/balanced

Here is the fired stress/balanced feeling. It came out of the kiln today and is looking lovely.
So happy that it worked & I hope that the recipient of this feeling will be able to balance his/her stress too!

Missed connections

Handmade Portraits: Sophie Blackall from Etsy on Vimeo.

I found this video today on Etsy's blog and I just love the story behind it. Such detailed drawings make the characters come to live and tell their own story. Would love to see some art like this in the city I live in.

Feeling miserable

A whole (read: WHOLE) trash bin full of snotty tissues. Perhaps too much information for you? Well, I've been snotting and sneezing for the past 4 days and I'm feeling awfully miserable! I've even tried sticking some tissues up my nose and looked ridiculous, horrible and according to my partner quite funny too. They were wet instantly. I really don't know where the snot keeps coming from...
Why is it that with the first snow those miserable colds arrive too?
Please spring, enter my life like right now perhaps?!

Stress in balance

Remember the feeling stress? The other day I got a request if I could combine 2 feelings into one. It's not the first time that I've been asked that but the feelings the person chose were kind of challenging: stress & balance. Balance is normally quite difficult to balance let alone if it's stressed. So I set to work and tried it. I added some extra support on the bottom so that the feeling wouldn't trip over because of the weight of stress.
When you look at it like this, balancing your stress is not easy and with some support from loved ones, it keeps you up your feet. I think it's a beautiful reminder that keeping things in balance may perhaps keep the stress levels normal. Are your stress levels in balance?

PS: on the last picture I couldn't 'balance' the stress anymore because the clay is too soft to touch when I finish up the work. So fingers crossed that it works when it comes out of the kiln.