Doodlebugs Pottery

My first entry for the Sketchbook Challenge

2012-02-23T07:16:00.004-08:00

This has been great fun to do. The Sketchbook Challenge was a site I found whilst on the internet looking for something else and I thought I would give it a go as I had bought a sketchbook about a year ago and never used it! See Sketchbook Phobia post dated 2nd Feb.

The Sketchbook Challenge is a way to encourage you to open up your sketchbook and discover what you can do and that the sketchbook can be one of the most valued tools in your artistic tool box. At this point I wasn't sure if the Challenge was for me but then I read 'Wherever you are on your artistic journey, whatever medium or style you work in The Sketchbook Challenge is for you!'

The theme for February was 'Close Up' so I decided to use some photos of marine fish that I took last Easter and do close up observational drawings of the Blue Saltwater Neon fish

and the Longnose Hawfish.

Using a viewfinder (I just cut a rectangle out of a piece of paper and laid it over the image to visually crop the picture of the fish) then everything I saw within the frame is what I drew. This method really helps you to zoom in on what you want to see rather than seeing the whole image.

The first picture I did was of the Blue Saltwater Neon fish and I used a normal pencil to draw with and then added blue stripes with a coloured pencil.

For the second picture I used Letraset Pro markers to draw the pattern around the fin area of the fish.

For the Longnose Hawkfish I used a bright orange coloured pencil for the repetitive pattern.

As I enjoyed doing these I then went on and found a picture of a Lionfish

and painted a close up of this with vibrant watercolours and felt pen.

So hey presto! The first page of my sketchbook is done!

When you are done you are invited to upload your photos onto the Flickr Sketchbook Challenge group and you can not only view your photos but everyone else who has entered too. If you tag the photo with the monthly code you stand a chance of winning a prize.

Look out for the new theme which will be out on the first of March!

Easter Pottery Ideas

2012-02-21T02:42:00.002-08:00

We have just been very kindly invited to attend a local Easter Fair in Oprington, Kent on Monday 9th April from 11am -12.30pm. It is so lovely to know that google works and people can find you on the internet! So, we are really looking forward to being there (fingers crossed for the weather) and as it is only about 6 weeks away it started me thinking about some Easter pottery ideas.

I love this bunny bowl (£12) he is just so cute

and this is Henrietta (£8) she is available with or without wrought iron legs to stand on.

We have a number of other items available such as these pre designed 4inch Spring tiles at £4. The picture has been fired on already so all you need to think about is colour

and of course egg shapes and egg cups, bowls plates etc.

Valentines Day - don't forget your pottery gift!

2012-02-07T13:11:00.000-08:00

Valentines Day is not that far away - don't forget to say how much you love someone with a piece of hand painted pottery..........

Let it snow!

2012-02-06T23:10:00.000-08:00

Well we woke up on Sunday morning to this ........

and this

We managed to get out to take the dogs for a walk and they loved it. It is the first time Daisy has ever experienced snow! It is her first birthday on 14th February, that year has gone quickly!

Creative Stitches - Bluewater - So much inspiration!

2012-02-06T14:09:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, (before the snow!) we headed off to Bluewater for the Creative Stitches and Hobbycraft show in the new exhibition hall at Bluewater. With 5,200m² of space it promised to be an exciting and dynamic show with no reason not be feel creative.

We started off in the lower hall which was full of stands selling everything you could possibly think of for stamping, card making and paper crafting in general and we managed to spend a good few hours browsing at some fantastic products and ideas.

We were particularly inspired by two different stamping companies, the first was Lavinia's Stamps - a collection of magical, woodland themed products by Tracey Dutton. Tracey thanks the environment in which she lives for much of the inspiration for her scenic stamps and says 'we live in a beautiful part of the world; the Vale of Clwyd which is abundant with exquisite landscapes, scenery, flora and fauna”. Her stamps really reflect a wonderful mythical twist on nature producing some stunning artwork.

We also really like the cards and stamps by Cardio. Such simple but beautiful designs.

After a coffee and a croissant we then headed up to the upper floor to the textile part of the exhibition. Again there were plenty of stalls but also a small fashion show and a lecture theatre. We sat in on two lectures, one by Helen Deighan called 'Dyeing needn't be complicated or messy' which caused some hilarity and another by Isobel Hall, a mixed media textile artist, on making vessels and other textile items from gauze/scrimmy paper and bubble wrap. These were both great lectures, extremely informative and enjoyable.

As well as lots of stands selling tempting fabrics, buttons, beads, ribbons etc there were a number of displays which gave plenty of inspiration for forthcoming projects.

We also saw the costumes from Downton Abbey which were on display

and the best part is the show is back in September (5th-8th)

Sketchbook Phobia

2012-02-02T13:53:00.000-08:00

I have owned a sketchbook and a pack of drawing pencils for the last year and neither have seen the light of day since I brought them home.

I am always thinking about things I might draw/paint in the sketchbook but never seem able to actually do it. So the pages have remained blank.

It just looks so daunting but tonight I have been inspired by a website called The Sketchbook Challenge. Every month there is a new challenge set to encourage you to open your sketchbook and draw/paint/explore in whatever medium you choose. The website is very encouraging and reminds you that your sketch book is an expression of you and no one has to see it if you don't want them to however, if you upload pictures to the sketchbook challenge group Flickr account you stand a chance of winning a prize. The challenge this month is Up Close - first take a photo or find an image, now focus on one small area of the image and sketch that. It is incredible how much perspectives change when you go from landscape to closeup. See here for a full explanation of the challenge.

I am very tempted to have a go at this and if I feel brave enough I may post what I create but no promises! If you are brave enough to have a go let me know.

Creative Stitches and Hobbycraft Show - Glow, Bluewater, Kent

2012-02-02T12:53:00.000-08:00

I am off to the Creative Stitches show at the new events hall, Glow at Bluewater on Saturday and I can't wait. The rest of my family think I am somewhat unhinged but at least I have my Mum for support!

This promises to be the show for inspiration and education for anyone with an interest in handmade craft. There are free make and take workshops, demonstrators, mini workshops, artists in action and a programme of talks as well as a lot more.

The programme of talks is as follows:

with Kim Thittichai
Kim will be talking about her new book. Come and hear about how to
layer for strength, how to recycle layers and discover layers of texture
and colour.

12.00 CREATIVE STITCHED TEXTILES
with Wendy Dolan
Exploring the exciting world of stitched textiles, combining hand and
machine embroidery with layered and painted fabrics, ranging from
small pictures and wedding embellishments, to large commissioned
stage curtains.

13.00 DYEING NEED NOT BE COMPLICATED OR MESSY!
with Helen Deighan
Find out the easy way to create your own colours and patterns through
dyeing. Cotton and wool use different techniques, but both are simple
to do.

14.00 WORKING WITH UNCONVENTIONAL MATERIALS
with Isobel Hall
In this presentation on experimental mixed media techniques, Isobel
takes a look at working in new ways with bubble wrap, garden weed
suppressant and baby wipes. She will also explore different ways for
working with scrim and making paste fabric from light molding paste.

15.00 WHAT IS LACE?
with Sue Dane, Chairman of the Lace Guild
A short introduction to hand made lace in Britain, discussing the
evolution of lace from a cottage industry to a modern textile art.

With all these talks and more I just know there won't be enough time - I should have bought a 2 day ticket!

LAYERED TEXTILES

Hometown Quilting and Fabric Shop - Rochester, Kent

2012-01-27T14:39:00.000-08:00

I really spoiled myself on Wednesday evening and went down to my favourite shop, Hometown, for their January Sale.

Hometown is much more than a fabric and haberdashery store. It’s a paradise for fabric lovers, quilters and patchworkers or anyone who shares a passion for making things. The shop not only stocks an eclectic selection of books and hands-on creative kits; but also a range of contemporary home accessories, including Pantone colour mugs, and stylish British handmade textile gifts and accessories.

The owner, Marion Haslam, has been a keen quilt maker and quilt teacher for more than 20 years and has published four books.

Hometown has now been open since 2008 and is a wonderful little shop. I think the sale is on until Saturday 28th January so I may be able to squeeze in another visit between now and then!

Belated Happy New Year!

2012-01-24T13:54:00.000-08:00

We are still here, we haven't disappeared but we have been taking a bit of a break after a very busy Christmas season. October, November, and December were extremely busy with paint your own pottery events and it has taken a little while to recover.

Anyway we wish you a belated Happy New Year for 2012 and look forward to sharing many more pottery and craft ideas with you in future.

I am very excited to share my most recent news which is a new addition to my family - yes! that's right - a brand new sewing machine - a Janome CXL301. It is computerised and so simple and easy to use. It has 30 built in stitches and one step button holes. It is truly amazing.

I am so excited. I have never owned one before and I am really looking forward to trying out lots of different projects, especially machine embroidery which looks quite tricky. However, I am armed with a darning foot and I know how to drop the feed dog now so I have no excuse but to get going.

My first two projects were fixing my son's school trousers and mending my cushions in the living room so let's hope it gets better than that!

So many things left to do......

2011-12-22T14:45:00.000-08:00

Doodlebugs Pottery has been really busy for the last 6 weeks or so with Christmas markets and lights festivals which have been great fun but all of a sudden there are only 2 days left and still so many projects I want to do.....

I love these button Christmas cards, so simple but so effective ....

I am also making a little scottie dog which I first saw here. This is him so far...

Mine is a teal colour with red blanket stitch so a slight variation but would look great as part of a rag wreath or hanging garland or like this one from Elizabeth at Creative Breathing. So cute.

and this is my Scottie dog finished (apologies for the poor lighting!)

Crochet Update

2011-11-28T04:55:00.000-08:00

There are so many great projects I want to do and so little time to do them all! Every time I go onto the computer I find another pattern I love and want to try and now I have got the basics of crochet that's another craft I can add to my long list.

After my lesson in half term I have got the crochet bug, I love it. So relaxing and more satisfying than knitting, with just the one stitch to worry about!

I have started to crochet this in a lovely chunky yarn (Sirdar Connemara 359) which is a pretty brown, yellow, orange and pink mix.

The pattern is American so watch out for the differences between double crochet and treble. I also added a few stitches to the foundation chain to start with so instead of 37 stitches I did 57 but apart from that it is a great pattern for a beginner. I will post a photo of the finished cowl as soon as I finish it which at the moment won't be any time soon. I do hope to finish it by Christmas though!

Here are some pictures of other things I want to try...... I particulary like this floral baby blanket but it looks like an awful lot of work! I don't know if the original pattern is available for there is a free download for something similar here

This looks more achievable (pattern here) and if you don't fancy crochet there is also a tutorial for a knitted star.

These would look so pretty hanging on a garland or on your Christmas tree

I also love these snowmen from mochimochiland (they are knitted rather than crocheted), you have to buy the pattern but it is only $2.00, how could you resist?

Crochet Lesson

2011-11-02T12:46:00.000-07:00

I am so proud! Today I created this........

I know you are thinking 'What on earth is that?' but this is my first attempt at crochet. I had a lesson with a lovely lady at Sew a Good Yarn in Maidstone (very reasonable at £11 for an hour's tuition) and within the hour I had learnt how to do a chain, double crochet and treble crochet. I have even bought the wool to attempt this. If I get into trouble I can always go back for help (which I am sure I will need to do)! I will let you into a secret - my teacher started me off with the chain so I know that bit is right! Watch this space........
(If you want to attempt making this cowl and you are a beginner like me just bear in mind that this is an American pattern and single/double/treble have different meanings to the English. English double crochet is the same as American single crochet and English treble crochet is the same as American double crochet) Hope that makes sense!

It's nearly Halloween!

2011-10-30T17:41:00.000-07:00

As it is nearly Halloween I just wanted to tell you about this great site that I found called http://www.pumpkinmasters.com/. It is full of tips, ideas on how to carve pumpkins, recipes, fun stuff, halloween facts and history etc.

This is a great tip to preserve your pumpkin if you carve it 2-3 days before Halloween:

Prevent your pumpkin from drying out by placing petroleum jelly on the cut edges of your carving.
Spray your pumpkin with water, cover it with plastic wrap then store it in the refrigerator when it's not on display. This helps prevent premature decomposition.
Soak or spray the pumpkin with water mixed with a little bit of bleach. This will help ward off mold and kill insects for a longer preservation.

If your pumpkin is showing signs of shriveling, soak it in water for several hours. The more shriveled the pumpkin, the longer it needs to soak. When the pumpkin is removed from the water, dry the inside with a towel as much as possible to impede mold growth. Dried-out pumpkins and melons can be revived almost completely with this technique.

I really love this tip:-

Create the smell of Halloween spice. Just sprinkle a little cinnamon, nutmeg, and pumpkin spice on the bottom of the pumpkin lid. Once the pumpkin is lit, it will create a wonderful seasonal scent.

I was also searching the web and found some great vintage halloween pictures at www.graphicshunt.com/:

So whatever you are doing for Halloween have a great time and don't forget to use the pumpkin flesh that you scrape out for a delicious recipe such as pumpkin soup or these delicious pumpkin cupcakes. Absolutely delicious with the cinnamon cream cheese topping. The only mistake I made was halving the recipe and only baking 12 instead of 24. They really are soooo good!

Next Pumpkin Project & GIVEAWAY!

2011-10-17T13:00:00.000-07:00

I have just knitted this fabulous little pumpkin (it should take about 10 minutes but it took me over a week what with other stuff getting in the way!) I am going to try knitting a bigger one by doubling the number of cast on stitches but this size is very cute.

It is knitted using the magic loop technique which is basically knitting on circular needles (there is a great tutorial here). This site also shows you the long tail cast on method which is useful as your tail and yarn are in the same place and makes for a neater finish. You can also find tutorials for this technique on youtube.

So, here is the pattern (which I found here)

You will need:
Orange yarn for your pumpkin and green for your stem.
Circular needles
Fleece for stuffing
Wool needle for sewing up
double pointed needles (for the i-cord stem)

Pattern:
With circular needles cast on 9 stitches.
Round 1: Knit the first round.
Round 2: Increase into every stitch in the second round, you will now have 18 stitches.
Round 3: Knit 1 round.
Round 4: Increase into each stitch in the 4th round, you will now have 36 stitches.
Round 5 to 9: Knit
Round 10: Knit 2 together all across the round.(18 stitches)
Round 11: Knit.
Round 12: Knit 2 together all across the round. (9 stitches)
Round 13: Knit.

Leaving a long thread, break yarn and thread onto a wool needle, thread your wool needle back through your stitches, stuff and pull tight. Do not overstuff as this may make your pumpkin look too round. The convolutions of the pumpkin's skin show up quite nicely if you understuffed your pumpkin

Once you have closed the top opening of your pumpkin, take your needle, push down through your pumpkin, pull out on the other side and pull tight. This makes a depression on the top of your pumpkin. Sew tightly underneath.

Pick up 2 stitches in the middle of the top of your pumpkin, attach your green thread and knit an i-cord for a stalk.

The i-cord technique tutorial is available here. However, I only cast on 3 stitches rather than 5. This gave me a thinner stem which was more in-keeping with the size and shape of the pumpkin.

If you try this pattern send me some pics.

PUMPKIN GIVEAWAY:

If you don't fancy knitting your own I am going to give away the pumpkin that I knitted

What to do...

Please leave a comment at the end of this post by 8pm on Sunday 23rd October 2011 and I will randomly pick a winner from your entries. The winner will receive my cute knitted pumpkin in time for Halloween!

Fabric Pumpkins

2011-10-16T07:04:00.000-07:00

I have been getting excited about Halloween ever since I saw this tutorial on how to make fabric pumpkins. I couldn't wait until the end of October to give making them a go so I decided to do them as a project for the school textiles club I run. I started off with the medium size so cut a rectangle of a burnt orange velvet fabric measuring about 8 inches by 16 inches.

Fold the rectangle of fabric in half with the right side facing inwards and stitch down the open short ends to secure in place leaving about a 1/4 inch seam allowance (you can just about see the stitches on the right hand side of the fabric).

Secondly, with strong doubled thread sew around one of the open ends with running stitch and rouche/cinch fabric closed as you sew along. When you get to the end stitch to secure and close any gap. I had quite a large gap as the fabric I chose was a thick velvet and didn't rouche that well but a few stitches across the bottom held the gap closed.

Now turn the fabric pouch inside out so the right side of your fabric is now showing

Stuff this with some wadding. I found it was best not to overfill and then you get a good pumpkin shape.

When stuffed do the same running stitch around the top and rouche/cinch fabric again to close, stitch across to close fully if necessary.

Then thread a long knitter's needle with embroidery thread or wool. Push the needle through the bottom of the pumpkin and out through the top wrapping the embroidery thread around pumpkin at quarter intervals, keep pulling through the core several times, to add ridges around your pumpkin.

I used embroidery thread for this but later changed it to a thicker wool which you can see much better, it is also stronger. Finally for the stalk, cut out 2 stalk shaped piece of felt or fabric. Sew the two pieces together with the right sides facing. Turn inside out so right side is facing and stuff with wadding. Stitch to the top of the pumpkin to secure.

When I was threading the wool through the core I left some longer tail pieces to look like tendrils.

Have fun making these pumpkins and mix them in with real ones to make a really effective halloween display. Send me photos of how yours come out!

Hen Party Pottery

2011-10-05T08:20:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I posted any information on the blog about the recent pottery events we have been to. Well, at the weekend we were asked to host a hen night gathering for about 19 ladies. It was a wonderful afternoon and there was a variety of pottery painted. It is great to see everyone's different ideas develop as they paint and I have taken pictures of some of the items so you can see. I apologise for the quality of the photos as it was dark when I took them but I think the pieces still look lovely.

cup cake money box and two cup cake trinket boxes

two Brown Betty teapots

two short am mugs decorated in a nursery theme

a selection of flowerpots and vases

a deep star bowl

a small gravy or sauce boat

small milk jugs for one

My mum and I have also been busy painting things for our up and coming Christmas Markets, we will put them on the blog for you to see asap

National Knitting Week

2011-10-03T02:53:00.000-07:00

Running from 3-9 October 2011, National Knitting Week aims to inspire the next generation of knitters and get your community crazy for knitting!

This special week of crafty events was first celebrated in 2005 after it was created by Knitting Magazine.
There's lots of ways to get involved. You can organise free 'knit and crochet' classes, fashion shows to show off your newly spun clothes and much more!

At the official National Knitting Week website, you can see full lists of all events in your area.

There is also a serious side to National Knitting Week - money raised will go to Bliss the special care baby charity. Last year almost £10 000 was raised to help support the Bliss Family Support Helpline. And this year the money raised will by used to help with the costs of 40,000 Going Home Pack. So with your help lets hope they can raise much more than previous years!

Knit 1 - Pass it On is National Knitting Week's latest campaign, launched by the Crafts Council and the UK Handknitting Association . The aim is to support one other person and teach them how to knit or crochet. You could even get sponsored for your efforts and raise donations for Bliss!

So go on, pick up your pins, get started on that woolly jumper and help a good cause!

A Weekend of Unseasonal Weather

2011-10-03T02:22:00.000-07:00

What fantastic weather we are having. We have had a very sunny hot weekend here with temperatures reaching 29.9C in Gravesend, breaking the maximum daily temperature record for the UK in October. Incredible for this time of year. I have been making the most of it by walking my dogs, Daisy and Jess, over the field early in the morning and early evening and it has been beautiful.

This is the view from the top of the field

Here are Daisy and Jess enjoying the weather

and waiting for their treat before heading home.

Even though the leaves are turning and the evenings are drawing in it has felt more like mid summer. This is a picture of the creeper that grows rapidly over the front of my house. It is a wonderful light green in spring, dark green in summer and then a vibrant mix of autumn colours at this time of year. I am not sure what it is but I think it is a Boston Ivy.

Hope the weather has been lovely where you are too and you have enjoyed the weekend!

Bonne Maman jam jars

2011-09-21T14:39:00.000-07:00

It was my birthday recently and my daughter bought me this wonderful book

Not only does it have wonderful recipes such as chicken, prawn and sweet potato curry, sizzling chilli and peach chicken, lemon and wild blueberry swirl cake, strawberry souffle, apricot mince pies etc but also great ideas on how to recycle the Bonne Maman jars. These are the most beautiful jars; a classic glass jar topped with a striking red gingham lid and just ideal for storing craft bits and cookery bits. There are some beautiful photos in the book showing you lots of ideas.

I think this is my favourite - just some sticky pads on the lids and stick the jars under your cupboards or shelves for some really handy extra storage space that you didn't even know was there!

I found this picture at iheartlinen along with some more great ideas

Autumn is on its way

2011-09-08T01:36:00.000-07:00

Summer feels like it is definitely over as the weather takes on a distinctly autumnal feel. I won't get much use out of these little ice cream bowls that I found in my local hardware shop, only a £1 each. Sadly, I will have to put them away for next year.

Saying that, I do love Autumn; the way the light changes and the trees seem to burn with glorious colour as nature prepares itself for winter. It is a real joy to walk the dogs and come home to a warming hot drink and a slice of homemade cake. I am going to give this pumpkin bread recipe a go. I have no idea where I can get a can of pumpkin puree from (any ideas?) but if I can't get it I can always cut a pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds etc and bake if face down on a foil-lined baking sheet at 350deg for about 45 mins to an hour and when cool scoop out the flesh. Alternatively roast or boil cut pieces of pumpkin flesh, discarding the skin afterwards. A tin would be so much easier!

Pumpkins are my favourite vegetables for a number of reasons; their colour, their shape, carving them for Halloween and they are very versatile for cooking with. Earlier in the year we cleared a patch in the garden to grow some vegetables (for the first time).

I planted carrots, beetroots, lettuces, spring onions tomatoes and a pumpkin plant which grew extremely large but I have only had one pumpkin from it so far, of which I am very proud.

I know it looks more like a marrow but I promise you it is a pumpkin! I have put it in the lean-to to ripen off so I am hoping it will turn orange at some point. Better luck next year!! I think I may be better at making the clay variety.......

Last of the Summer Sun - Chipstead Fete

2011-09-06T01:33:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful day it was on Saturday - we did our last outdoor pottery painting summer event at Chipstead Fete and the weather was glorious.

It is always a family affair.........

and this time we even took the dogs along. Jess is the Jack Russell and Daisy (the black one) is a Jack Russell crossed with a toy poodle.She is now 7 months old and still very much a puppy but so adorable.

We had a large selection of bisque available to paint

including our new cup cake dinner plate which can be painted for any occasion

Thank you to all our customers who have painted with us this summer and we hope to see you all again soon. Please check our events page for a schedule of forthcoming events.

French Pottery - plenty of inspiration!

2011-09-05T08:11:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a lovely summer break, we went to Biscarosse in France and had a very relaxing time. We had trips to the beach, the lake etc but I did manage to squeeze in a pottery visit or two much to my partner's annoyance! I took a lot of pictures to share with you as the colours are so vibrant and beautiful.

I loved these chickens and nearly bought one but didn't as sadly I have nowhere to keep it.

This is an apple shaped planter for the garden

and a pear-shaped one, really unusual for the garden.

I also really liked these butterflies, made to hang on a wall in the garden. There were three diffent sizes and beautifully painted.

Knit & Stitch

2011-08-07T02:23:00.000-07:00

Along with pottery painting my other main hobby is knitting when I get the time. I would also really like to learn how to crochet so I can make beautiful things like this blanket as shown in a new craft magazine called Mollie Makes. It ia a brand new lifestyle and craft magazine so go and take a look at http://www.molliemakes.com/.

I have tried to learn new hobbies from books and DVDs but there is nothing like someone actually showing you how to do it in the flesh and thanks to Sue Pritchard this will be possible. She is running a Knit and Stitch Club. in Maidstone. They meet every second Saturday of the month for lunch, chat and knitting on the top floor of Café Nero (opposite the entrance to the Chequers Mall in Maidstone town centre) between 1pm and 3pm so come along for 2 hours or pop in for ½ an hour. Bring along knitting, crochet, sewing or any textile based craft that you enjoy and share with and be inspired by other passionate crafters.

Knit n Stitch will be meeting next on Saturday, 13th August, an informal, relaxed occasion for textile crafters of all ages and abilities. The following meeting will be Saturday 10th September.

I think this is a wonderful idea so please come along if you can.

I might be able to learn to crochet after all! I will keep you updated on progress!

Summer holidays

2011-08-06T12:40:00.000-07:00

Finally the summer holidays are here and some lovely weather. Sorry not to post for a while but I have been catching up with all the things I put off until the end of term and that was quite a bit I can tell you! Our last pottery painting event until September was at The Plantation Pub in Bearsted and we had a lovely day, the weather was great and our customers had a very relaxing afternoon painting pottery in the pub garden. The Plantation are also running a kids club on Wednesday afternoons throughout the summer holidays where the kids can play board games and have fun for free. There is also a book sale this Wednesday 10th August and a Beach Party on Bank Holiday Monday 29th August.

When we came back after the event at the Plantation I took our puppy Daisy out for a walk. It was quite late and as I was walking along I noticed quite a large hedgehog in the grass. It was a fascinating creature and the first time I have ever seen one in the wild. They are so beautiful and we managed to get quite close (I didn't have my camera so this is a picture taken from the internet!)

This inspired my daughter and her friend to have a go at making some clay hedgehogs and here is my favourite one.

So cute! This will need to dry for a week and then be bisque fired in the kiln. After that we can paint it and glaze it and refire again to have the finished piece.

Carrying on with the hedgehog theme I noticed that Shorne Woods Country Park are holding a Prickles in the Park day where you can meet some real life hedgehogs, learn about what they eat and where they live, and make your own hedgehog to take home. Details are as follows:

Prickles in the Park

Shorne Woods Country Park, Brewers Rd, Shorne, Gravesend, Kent, DA12 3HX
Date: Tue 16th Aug 11
Website: www.kent.gov.uk/kentcountryparks

This event is suitable for children under 12 years old.
Children must be accompanied by an adult (one adult per child)
Bring along suitable outdoor clothing and footwear.
Booking required on 08458 247 600.

Time Two sessions: 10am-12pm and 1-3pm
Price £5 per child

Sadly, we are going to miss it as we are off to France tomorrow. I would have loved to have gone and met another real life hedgehog. Maybe next year. If anyone does go please comment and let me know if you had a good time!

Happy 12th Birthday - fish, tacos & cake!

2011-07-14T04:38:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful weekend we have just had. It was my daughter's 12th birthday celebration and it seems only a moment ago I remember looking at her lying in her cot or holding her whilst she rested her tiny head on my shoulder. I wish pottery painting had been around then as I could have captured the memory of her tiny hands and feet forever. Just like this:

or this

Well, she is almost a teenager now and she chose to have a fish pedicure for her birthday followed by a sleepover. We went along to the Wonderfish Spa in the Royal Star Arcade in Maidstone (www.wonderfishspa.co.uk) where we were ably looked after by the staff there. It is a natural, organic method of looking after your feet but has the added benefits of stimulating acupuncture points, regulating the nervouse system and releasing fatigue. It also boosts your circulation and is said to be good for psoraisis and eczema.

Firstly the girls had their feet pre-washed in anti bacterial skin friendly solution and then it was time to take the plunge and put their feet into the tank with the fish!

The fish have no teeth but I think the sensation of the fish gently 'kissing' their feet was a little strange at first but once they go used to it they had a fun and relaxing treatment. There was lots of giggling and even laughing out loud initially but at the end (after 15 mins) their feet felt rejuvenated and really smooth. Thanks wonderfish!

It was then off for a quick bit of shopping and then home for beef tacos followed by birthday cake, handmade by my Mum.

It looked fantastic before it was devoured by six hungry girls! My Mum used the baker's secret of putting stock syrup over the cake which made the cake incredibly moist and really delicious. Thanks Mum x

For the stock syrup: Whilst your cake is cooking mix 100g of caster sugar and 200ml water together in a pan. Put the pan over low heat and stir gently until the sugar has dissolved. Turn up the heat and boil for 1 minute then take pan off the heat. As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, brush it liberally with the syrup to make cake/cakes really moist. Leave cake/cakes to cool. This syrup can be put onto cake that has been cook a few days earlier to moisten it. Any syrup left over can be keeped in the fridge. It is possible to add a few drops of vanilla extract to the syrup or even a spirit of liqueur (rum is especially good with chocolate cake).

The girls finally all fell asleep after watching Legally Blonde 1, 2 and 3!

Happy Birthday baby girl!

Birthday Party

2011-06-14T02:16:00.001-07:00

All the children are absolutely delighted with their pottery from the party - such huge grins as never I've seen in a long time!

Mrs E - Tonbridge

Half term break in Cornwall

2011-06-09T14:59:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my wonderful friend taking my two children to Clacton for the week, my partner and I were able to spend a few days in Cornwall over the half-term. Every time I go there I am stunned by the natural beauty of the area and how relaxing it is to be away from it all. We even had some sunny weather! We stayed in a lovely B&B called Lower Tresmorn Farm in Crackington Haven near Bude. This is the main farmhouse where they have several rooms but there is also a beautiful converted barn. Rachel and Chris, the owners, were extremely friendly and hospitable.

Lower Tresmorn Farm is a working farm with sheep and cattle and being right on the coast it has beautiful views of the sea.

The nearest beach is Crackington Haven and is a lovely secluded bay with dramatic cliffs on either side. There is a pub, the Coombe Barton and two good cafes. I can recommend the local crab sandwiches!

There is quite a lot of sand on the shore line but the upper part of the beach is mostly covered by these attractive lined pebbles

We were only in Cornwall for three days but we visited lots of places such as Boscastle Harbour which flooded very badly in 2004. It is beautifully restored now and is home to Boscastle Pottery.

The pottery has been run by Roger Irving Little since 1967 and specialises in mocha ware. This is a technique where "mocha tea" is applied to wet slip. The tea runs through the slip creating a tree or fern-like pattern. The tea contains a staining agent. Traditionally tobacco was used for this but nowadays coffee or various chemical recipes are used instead.

We also visited the tiny secluded fishing village of Clovelly in North Devon (and had to pay £5.95 each to get in!) The village is traffic free and the main street, known very simply as 'up-a-long' and 'down-a-long' tumbles its cobbled way down 400ft of solid rock to the tiny harbour and lifeboat station.

It is a steep descent down to the sea but you walk past pretty cottages, tempting passageways and tiny winding lanes that lead off to either side and offer the prospect of discovering even more peaceful, picturesque treasures of Clovelly.

In Elizabethan times herring fishing was the main activity supporting the village until the shoals began to move away in the 1830's. In the middle of the 19th Century Charles Kingsley, author of 'The Water Babies', returned to live in the village where he had been brought up when his father was rector there. His presence coupled with a Victorian love of the sea produced a tourism boom and by the end of the century ships were arriving from around the Bristol Channel to land tourists by small boat onto the pebbled shore.
Donkeys are used to deliver provisions to the houses and cafes there.

It is a truly unspoilt and unique place where time has stood still.

There is of course a pottery there established in 1992 and the resident potter Caroline Curtis produces hand thrown slip decorated earthenware pots in beautiful designs and colours.

I love these vegetable markers and fancy having a go at making some myself.

The workshop is open to visitors and for a small fee you can make your own pot.

The next day we drove from Bude to the small harbour town of Fowey and drove past some unbelievable foxgloves growing wild in the hedgerow. I just had to take a picture (much to my partner's annoyance!) Aren't they wonderful?

Anyway back to Fowey, (pronounced Foy not Fowee). It is a pretty natural harbour (my photo does not do it justice!) which has been used as a port for hundreds of years. Previously the centre of the Cornish China Clay industry but is now more famous as a yachting destination.

Fowey's most famous resident is the well known authoress Daphne du Maurier. She spent many years holidaying and living in and around the harbour town until her death in 1989. Cornwall was a strong influence in many of her books.

There is also a great choice of tea rooms,a delightful fudge shop, gift shops and art galleries displaying local art and craft and I fell in love with these pottery boats.

and raku fired fish by Tony Worthington

The cloud started to clear and the sun came out in the afternoon so I was able to get some good photos of the Bude coastline on our way back. It really is breathtaking.

We had a lovely few days, thanks to my friend now back to reality!

New Puppy

2011-05-09T07:26:00.000-07:00

Apologies for not posting for a while but I have been a little busy with our new addition to our household. We have a gorgeous new jack russell x toy poodle puppy named Daisy.

She is so black it is hard to get a clear picture of her face but she is adorable.

We got her when she was 8 weeks old and now she is 13 weeks old. She has grown a lot and is very lively. She loves playing with her toys and chasing the mop! We couldn't resist putting her paw print on to a pottery heart as a keepsake.

Moroccan Plate Design

2011-04-24T02:51:00.000-07:00

We have just been on a fantastic Morrocan ceramic painting course at Country Love Ceramics (http://www.countrylovecrafts.com/) in conjuntion with Andy Skinner (http://www.andyskinner.org/) where we produced a wonderful 35cm platter with a beautiful Moorish design. We took photos throughout the day so that we could show you what we did and the stunning final result. Can't wait to use it.

We set out on a bright sunny Saturday morning at about 7.30am as Country Love Ceramics is about 2 hours drive away. Even though we had to travel on the M25 we arrived in Abingdon Oxfordshire in good time. We met Andy who would be taking the course for the day and spent a good hour talking to him about different techniques and ideas. He was really helpful and inspirational.

After a welcome cup of coffee we sat down to our task for the day -to produce a 35cm platter with a complex Moorish pattern. The blank bisque surface looked quite daunting!

Step 1: We turned the platter upside down and centred it on a banding wheel (to centre it we placed a paint bottle at the side of the platter and spun the wheel. If the platter was very close to or touched the bottle we moved the platter away slightly until there was an even gap all the way around between the platter and the bottle). Centering was a bit tricky at first but we got the hang of it, it will never be absolutely perfect as the platters are not perfectly round.

Step 2: Once centred we diluted some Duncan Concept Chutney spice with water (about a 50/50 mix) and brushed the first coat on all over the base until completely covered. We used a large mop brush for this and worked from the outside edge to the centre. We then applied 7 more coats by using the banding wheel. We made sure our mop brush was completely filled with paint and then we spun the wheel and applied the brush to the platter. This technique (banding) gave us a lovely smooth, circular finish with no brush strokes.

Step 3: Having done the back it was now time to turn the platter over and follow the same process for the front of the platter. We centred the platter again on the banding wheel and then brushed on a diluted (50/50 mix) of our new shade. I chose a Duncan Concepts mid blue called Bright Delft and my Mum chose a lovely sea green called Bright Blue Spruce.

Step 4: Having brushed on the first coat of colour we then banded another 7 coats of the top colour to give a smooth, circular finish with no brush strokes. Our plates then looked like this:

That was the easy bit! Now for the moroccan design........

Step 5: Andy gave us a photocopy template of a hand drawn design which we placed onto the centre of our platter. We then gently drew over the design with a red pen, enough to indent the pattern on the paint underneath but not so hard as to score the paint through to the bisque surface.

Step 6: Having gone over the whole design in red biro we removed the template and began to paint over the scored design on the platter with black Duncan EZ Stroke. This is a great product for lots of different uses especially kids handprints (gives fantastic definition). It has very little glaze in it so it very easy to apply to the bisque surface giving the feel and look of watercolour.

Step 7: When the middle part of our total design was completed, we painted a EZ stroke black banded line, approximately 3cm from the edge. Andy did this for us because if it went wrong we'd have to start all over again! He used quite a large flat brush full of paint (slightly diluted) so as not to run out half way round.

If you are nervous about doing this, like us, you can practise on plain bisque with just water.

Step 8: With the black circular line in place we went on to decorate the rim. We used a segment divider (one can be found on Andy Skinner's website) to mark equal sections around the rim and then hand drew triangles around the rim of the platter. We then added the detail of a small circle and like inverted brackets. This was all done with the EZ Stroke black paint again. Always best used with a little water as it dries out quite quickly.

Step 9: Next, working from the middle out so as not to smudge your work as you go, use Hobby Colorobbia HC0440 Copper Green to do very small dots around the bud and small circle shapes of your design and in the 'wing' type shapes. Just use the wooden end of your brush to place small dots of this metallic paint (will fire to a silver finish). Then, this bit is easy, use black EZ Stroke and the wooden end of a larger brush to paint large black dots randomly all over the centre area between your main design and the banded circular line (for both paints dip the end of your brush into the paint every time you do a dot to ensure the same size.) You can put your dots where you like, you do not have to follow this design.

Step 10: Sorry I forgot to take a picture of the next bit (I think I was seeing dots by now!) but it is simple.All you do is paint alternate black and metallic dots in each empty triangle around the rim in exactly the same way as above. We found it easier to put a felt pen mark in the triangle you are going to paint with black dots and paint them first otherwise it is really easy to get carried away and mess it up (as I did!)

And here is the painted platter before it goes to the kiln to be fired.

Step 11: After the platter had dried out thoroughly we fired it to Cone 06 and the beauty of it was that Duncan Concepts underglaze paints give such good coverage we didn't even need to glaze it!

The finished piece - Ta Da.......

We had a fantastic day doing these and thanks to Country Love and Andy Skinner. Let me know what you think by posting a comment below. Thanks for reading.

Painting for Fathers Day

2011-04-18T01:59:00.003-07:00

Just to say a big Thank You for yesterday. Everybody had lots of fun.
Mrs T - Sevenoaks

Andy Skinner

2011-04-13T04:55:00.000-07:00

I love Andy Skinner's free designs, mixed media and stamping ideas. Take a look for lots of ideas and inspiration and whilst you are there enter his competition by guessing how many brushes in the jar. If you win there are £200 worth of prizes up for grabs. So, go on over to andyskinnerorg.blogspot.com. The competition is open for the whole of April.

Some Royal Wedding and Easter Pottery Ideas

2011-03-31T02:00:00.000-07:00

Have a look at the pictures below for some gorgeous pottery designs and inspirational ideas for the Royal Wedding and Easter holidays. Please give us a call to book your event or view our Events page to find out where we will be this Spring and Summer.

Birthday Party

2011-03-25T14:56:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to drop you a line to say thank you very much for the party on Sunday, Zoe really enjoyed it.

I am very pleased with the way you both organised the whole thing and will definitely recommend you. Great value for money, a lovely party idea, and both lovely ladies too!!

We all look forward to seeing the finished pieces, and hope to use you again in the future

Mrs D. Meopham

Wrotham Village in Spring

2011-03-24T15:04:00.000-07:00

Well, Spring is definitely springing in Wrotham, the village in Kent where I live I got home from work early enough today to take my dog Jess for a walk in the late afternoon Spring sunshine. It was just beautiful and still warm. This is a picture of the village where I live and where we will be running a Doodlebugs Paint Your Own Pottery stall for the Royal Wedding Street party at 1.30pm til 5pm on 29th April 2011.We will be painting Royal Wedding and Union Jack themed mugs, plates, coasters etc come and join us!

The High Street

The Church and my dog Jess

Beautiful daffodils

Hadlow Lambing Weekend

2011-03-14T07:14:00.000-07:00

We had a lovely time visiting Hadlow College yesterday for their annual lambing weekend. Plenty of new- born lambs to be seen, some only a few hours old. It really felt like spring however the weather could have been warmer!

We also met the lady that runs the pottery at Hadlow. This is a working pottery run for adults with learning difficulties which helps them gain confidence and work experience. They make all the pottery, paint it and then sell it. They have some lovely designs well worth a look at their website.

We are starting to schedule our Spring and Summer Events and have the following fairs in the diary:-

29th April Wrotham Royal Wedding Street Party 1.30pm -5pm

7th & 8th May Wrotham Arts Festival, Wrotham Village (10am -4pm)

21st May Borough Green School Fete, Borough Green School (12pm-4pm)

11th June Chevening School Fair, Chevening (12pm-2.30pm)

18th June Ightham Mote Fair, Ightham Mote (10.30am - 5pm)

17th July Ellenor Lions Charity Fair, Chevening House, Chevening Village (time to be confirmed)

3rd September Chipstead Fair, Chipstead Village (time to be confirmed)

Please check our website for updated information on our Spring and Summer events

2011-02-08T07:47:00.001-08:00

Please post here if you wish to give feedback on any Doodlebugs events