Favourites

Change of medium today - I fancied showing off some of the lovely ceramics which have gathered here over the years.
I have enjoyed two different one-week pottery courses, about twenty years and several hundred miles apart, and done a little at evening class many moons ago too, but nothing more.

Instead I'm happy to appreciate the skills of others and gather examples when I can.
The delicious little vase/beaker is from David Ashby at The Courtyard Pottery in Grassington; it's full of sgraffito scribbles and the words you can just see read this way to the edge.
The candlestick I have had for many years, made by Sue and Alex at Borgh Pottery in Lewis. The jug on wee fat legs is this year's acquistion, from Spring Fling participants (ermm, I'll do my homework and come back and edit with their names)
And down here is a wonderful crackle glaze hare by Paul Jenkins which graces our hall windowsill and a fantastic bowl built by Clair Norris who lives not far from us. She has recently started making framed mosaics of hand painted and fired tiles, amongst lots of other lovely work.

And the titchy little spotty mouse was a Fairtrade purchase by Hugh for me last Christmas. He's lovely and smooth (the mouse, that is) and nice to hold (I'd best stop there).

Oops, in the top pic is dinky little wooden cupboard made from driftwood. I bought it in a gallery in Pittenweem but sadly I don't know the maker's name and there no mark on it. He makes much bigger pieces too, and they are all covetable.

Ozone Rush

Hello! Been away to see the sea, these last few days, and had a grand time.
Hugh and I went off to the Kintyre peninsula in the west of Scotland, an area neither of us had visited. We stayed at Carradale in a great wee one-room cottage with a box bed in the corner but all mod cons. From there we could walk in every direction; to the woods, the seashore, the quayside and village (bakers, three hotels and a bank open for an hour on Thursdays) or to the next village. We managed to eat out in a pub, a tearoom jam-packed full of vintage kitchen and dining type stuff, a hotel conservatory, and a converted barge moored in Tarbert harbour which specialised in a curious combination of Thai, tapas and haggis.... We were out in rain and wind but mainly glorious sunshine, met lovely people, enjoyed some great scenery, encountered a few scary drivers on the single track sections of road and picked several pounds of brambles to bring home (as you do...). There were masses of waymarked trails through woods and along the shorelines and I was all excited to discover that we were staying adjacent to Carradale House which is where Naomi Mitchison lived (famous and prolific Scottish writer and feminist and a lot more besides). We didn't drive to the Mull of Kintyre but we did look at Campbeltown Loch (as in Campbeltown Loch, I wish you were whisky, I would drink you dry - good Scots song, honest!)

Been home 24 hours, collected dogs from kennels (heartless of us, wasn't it, but it made for a relaxing three days away), done a major amount of pruning in the garden and made jam tonight with the brambles and our own apples.

Woolgathering tomorrow - it will be grand to sit and knit/stitch/spin/sew and catch up with some friends for the day!

Been and Gone

How can it be 12th September already? My life is whizzing by, and it's not from lack of cramming things into it!Weather for the Art Trail was sunny and blowy, good touring weather in the Borders. We saw lots of friends and met new visitors as they explored the open studios over last weekend.
I sat in the sunny cottage porch in between times, knitting or spinning and feeling rather mellow and relaxed. All the hard work was done, the cottage living room looked extremely colourful with silk bunting and bright yarns, cushions and collages, cards and handknits, and I really enjoyed having the time to talk with people as they wandered in the door. Once they'd exhausted my little haven of colour, they headed down the road to find Hugh in his cabin, surrounded by fresh and uplifting new acrylics.

Then yesterday I spent at Abbotsford, home of Sir Walter Scott, at the first annual Longbow Archery competition. Admittedly I was participating in the craft fair rather than active with bow and arrow, but truly that's a blessing for all bystanders.... Several fellow Crossing Borders members were there so it was a good chance to catch up and compare Art Trail experiences.
As ever, if Rob and Anne were in attendance, so was Katie. This little black bundle of mischief wins everyone's heart. She's five months' of pure energy and I'd whisk her home tomorrow if I could - Midge would be delighted to have a playmate (Ash, less so...)

Art Trail Ahead!

We are ready to rock!

The signs are up, the sheep are in situ (!), the entries in the children's art exhibition are hung, the cakes are being baked for the art cafe at the Village Hall, the cottage living room is now the Tart's gallery for the weekend, and the sun is shining!

Come and see us if you possible can.
We're all open from 10 am till 5pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday