Animals taking form

My ceramic critters have just been released from their Bisq. Firing and the slip has worked quite well... Time to glaze these puppies!

Pop up Christmas Craft Shop

Me and the girls at uni have all come together to produce a contemporary craft shop that we popped up in the foyet at Staffordshire university.. we even had some lovely christmas music playing (who dosent like Micheal Buble at this time of year). Christmas is a perfect time to show off the products we have made to sell, there will be some lovely handmade gifts being given on christmas day!
we will be opening again on the 18th of December and hopefully many more times after the festive period.

Look familiar?.. Muddy bear Designs

 My owl money boxes, christmas decorations and brooches...

 Daisys cermic plaques and pots...

 Libbys Jewellry...

 Gemma's crochet brooches..

 Katy's little trinkets...

 Ashleighs jewellry...

Bentely christmas craft workshop

Feeling the festive spirit at Bentely's christmas light turn on, doing crafty christmas themed workshops with the local children. Can safely say they loved it, attracted the attention of practically every child there and even a few mums!
We are now overloaded with pom poms, they proved extremely popular...

 Getting all of the arty stuff together....

Casting....

I am in the process of now slip casting my animals... Both plaster moulds took three days to dry.

 I left the slip in for 40 mins....

 First owl out!... (unfortunately he did not survive, later that day he decided to droop and took a tumble of my studio desk, I definitely need to leave the slip in the mould for an hour next time.)

I left the slip in the fox mould for longer and he is much stronger...

 Time to decorate with coloured slip.
                                        

mould making

Time to cast my clay creatures out of plaster.... I have found the symmetry line on both my models and luckily I will be able to manage with making them both out of a three part mould...

 Making sure Mr.Fox is level...

 All together I have used around 120 pints of plaster!

Just working on my larger scale sculptures... Im currently making a fox and an owl, two very british animals to coincide with an english country theme I have noticed is trending recently...  

I have used potters modelling clay for the master models, I have burnished the surface for a smooth outcome with the plaster moulds....