When Pottery meets Clarity

When Pottery meets Clarity

Hi there,

Thanks for popping in. Marvellous day today. Such a good morning with my art department. You know how it is when like-minded people get together and start bouncing off each other. Well, we’re in perfect synch at the moment, and so much good stuff is coming out, it is all very exciting.

December is the little window of time we designers and product engineers have in which to forge a plan for 2020, give ourselves a new direction. And we are all buzzing with what’s in the pipeline. From new Fresh Cut Die ideas to beautiful stamps and Groovi illustrations. 2020 is certainly set to be a year of Clarity beauty and creativity.

Then it was last day of pottery for the year, so I trundled off to pick up a few finished pots (which I’m very happy with, although my goal next term is to get larger. Let me rephrase that! Throw larger pots!) You think you’ve thrown a salad bowl – but by the time it’s fired, it’s still just a peanut bowl. Never mind. progress, not perfection. Never perfection.

I got to work on my wall hanging today…

This was where I left off last time. Recognise the Claritystamps?

So this afternoon, I spent 3 hours carrying this wall art forward…

My pottery friends were certainly intrigued. Wondered what I was up to. To be honest, I wasn’t entirely sure where I was headed myself! Rather enjoyed just letting the piece evolve. There’s something very liberating about not having a prescribed path. Perhaps we ought to introduce an element of that into our summer retreats…which reminds me! I must get the dates finalised and broadcast! Watch this space.

Anyway, back to the wall hanging. I want to find some copper to wire all the elements together. And I also want to build copper grommets to insert in the holes I have made.

I stamped out the single funky flower 3 times. You can really see how our Claritystamps are ideal for pottery – because they are so deep!

Coming together nicely. I have had to bring it home with me to finish though! So this evening I shall work out a plan for the last 3 areas at the bottom. Don’t want to overcook it…

I LOVE being able to go into the back of my head, away from the bright lights at the front, and just consider my options. The whole design idea here is that it is to be a little rough round the edges – literally! A little not smooth, a little not perfect, a little grungy. I may add a couple of little holes, so that I can either insert or add elements. The back plate is pretty hard now, because it’s been hanging around for weeks waiting for me to get to it. So engraving is out of the question now. I may put a damp towel over it and see if that helps. Anyway. It will be unique, one of a kind – that’s for sure!

Colour is the next thing. Haven’t thought about it too much. Perhaps I should consider WHERE it is going to hang, and then work out a colour map! Whilst matching curtains with art is not something I pursue, there may be some sense in tying it to with its surroundings! Another good reason to retreat to the back cave and ponder!

Time for tea. Homemade Potato soup. Bang went the carb-free diet…Potato soup without the potatoes is never gonna work, is it.

Love and Hugs,

Barb xxx

This one’s easy. Especially when you wrote the clue!

22 thoughts on “When Pottery meets Clarity

  1. I can’t wait to see where your creativity will take you with this piece of art. It’s beautiful already and very unique! Enjoy the potato soup x

  2. Well done with the pottery. I am sure you will come up with something unique and interesting.
    I wish the clue was easy, I have spent a couple of hours following leads without success . Must keep trying. I am still stuck on day 2.

    1. Hi Lynda, for clue two, google “El Dorado”, and for today’s clue try focussing on the last line. Hope that helps xx

  3. Hi Barb,
    Pleased to hear you’ve had a good day. Your wall hanging is coming along nicely and the Clarity stamps have certainly made a good impression. Looking forward to seeing it when it’s completely finished. Are you going to have a Northern Retreat? Enjoy your potato soup. Love and hugs,Alison xxx

  4. That looks so neat and tidy – I’m trying to work out how you did it on the clay ….. Good, easy clue today, thank you. Groovi Class with Ronk tomorrow, can’t wait ! There’s something else happening tomorrow but can’t think what it is ! Have a good evening and enjoy the potato soup. X

  5. I can’t wait to see how the finished piece looks Barbara because it is beautiful already! Homemade potato soup sounds divine too – I do love a good homemade soup – it tastes better than anything out of a can! Have a lovely night and thanks for the Lidl tip too x

  6. Your wall hanging looks brilliant especially the poppy seed design, look forward to seeing it when its finished. Bet the soup was lovely too.

  7. Success, I have found the answer to today’s clue and day 2. All is easy when you find the answer.
    I hope you enjoyed the soup Barbara. Just right for today.

  8. Your pottery looks fab even in its unfinished state, look forward to seeing it finished.
    It is a long time since I made home made soup, there is nothing better on a cold winters day. Unfortunately hubby will only have tinned tomato soup with half a loaf of bread so not worth making soup just for me.
    The elf hunt is easier if I try to think out of the box. Went straight to the answer today. Yippee!!!
    Recording didn’t work today so will have to view catch up on Hochanda between shows tomorrow.
    Have a good evening 🍒🍒🍒

      1. Thanks Brenda,
        My brain needs to catch up with reality. So much going on it’s making me dizzy. Wrote up the show times on the wrong day on the reminder board. All sorted now.
        🍒

  9. What an intriguing piece of pottery Barbara and I look forward to seeing it when put together and coloured. I hope you enjoyed your potato soup too. x

  10. The soup sounds wonderful. How about adding some beads as grommets rather than metal? The Brighton Beads shop has gone but they still have beadsunlimited.co.uk and a warehouse near Henfield. I love glass or semi-precious stones with clay but many beads are metallic. You don’t have to glaze the whole thing. Matt areas really highlight any glazed parts.

  11. Hi Barb, glad you are able to go freestyle now, and it takes you into your own wee safe world. I look forward to seeing this arty piece finished, it looks good already. Hope you enjoyed your soup. I don’t like tatties, I eat sweet potatoes instead. You could swap your tatties for sweet potatoes, they count as a veg rather than a starch, they are good for you. Don’t confuse them with yams though, yams are a starch like tatties. I used to make sweet potato mash and neeps for having with my Macsweens vegetarian haggis, when I was still able to eat things like that. One of my fav meals, homemade mac cheese being the other, can’t have that either now 🙁. Hope you have a good day tomorrow. I’ll be watching Paul. Love you xxx

  12. Loving the wall hanging and will look forward to seeing the finished piece in full technicolour so to speak. Asked my hubbie this morning if he fancied homemade soup for tea…nope, but did he settle on bangers and mash so still warming comfort food to ward off the cold weather.
    Hope you had some lovely crusty bread to go with your soup!

  13. That art work is wow beautiful Barbara. Cannot wait to see it finished some were special I think. Today’s was nice and easy finally got day 6 yesterday that was so well blended in took quiet a few look to see it even on a bigger screen love the way bidding a lot more this year xx

  14. Hello Barb, ooh love potato soup, and once in a while never hurts and is good for the soul. The wall hanging is going to be incredible, that is very apparent even at this stage uncoloured. Your artistic flair is certainly showing through here, cant wait to see the finished article. Take care all. Bx

  15. Your pottery piece is looking amazing, love those stamps too, going to try using them for a pyrography project I have in my head, just need time to action it.

    Found Misself 🙂
    Looking forward to seeing what you bring for the New Year. Had enough of this year to be frank, lost my dear Dad in March and a dear work friend in August, it’s taking time to bounce back but my crafty sessions definitely help. Made a Groovi Christmas tree for a competition at work, fingers crossed.

    Lisaxx

  16. Just doing catch up. Blimey this piece is going to be good. When I saw that hole i thought Acrylic disc, but probably wouldn’t show against a back wall. I am afraid I DO place my ornaments with colours in the room in mind. Even if its just a hint of a match. I if its not the right colour it has to be the right Shape/Style. But with a piece like this, it would be the main feature. I can’t wait to see it finished. Wouldn’t that outdoor cooking process have been good on this? RAKU?? In another life, if you weren’t heading up Claritystamp I think you could have made it in Pottery. Xxxx

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