32. THE OPEN STUDIO EXHIBITION.

Hello Potters and Friends,

Participating in an Open Studio must qualify as one of the most enjoyable exhibitions of the year. There's no packing up and travelling. Everything is to hand and you can (if you so desire) spend weeks setting it up.

One of my displays with paintings by Kathy Webster.

Yes, I know it looks a bit thrown together this year, but that was my cunning plan. 

I recently visited an antique/junk shop near Birmingham and it was one of those wonderful emporia that was so crammed full of bits and pieces that you had to really rummage through. And how pleasing it was to find a little gem that must have been overlooked by everyone else.

And that was the effect I was after for my display, and I spent a lot of hours creating this haphazard chaos. 

I filled a table with lots of kitchen ware then scattered amongst it porcelain buttons, gift tags, pot plants and some CV's and business cards. 

And I made good use of my French milking stool.

 So now's the time I like to make a note of what was popular and what was surprisingly not!

Top of the popular list were my porcelain cups.

People particularly liked the simple cylinder shape as well as the painted dandelion design.

 I called  them 'Fine and Dandy Cups' which I think also helped to make them attractive.

The buttons were those surprising little objects that, once discovered, had to be bought.

All of the painted designs caught the eye and were the first of the purchases.

And the bolder and simpler the better.

But when this little chap put in an appearance, he was definitely the most ooo'd and ah'd over!

 My 3 week old grandson, Hector.

And while waiting for Hector to arrive, Rosie knitted me some warmers for our

 'Cosy Cups'. 

I made the cups with an indent round their middle, and I left the indent unglazed so that the wool wouldn't slip when the cups were picked up. 

But to my great surprise the bottle pots I made (in varying sizes) were completely ignored. 

So I've given them a make-over and they now have pride of place on my mantlepiece.

And finally.......yes, another photo of Hector with his mum Rosie.

HAPPY TIMES

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

AND

HAPPY POTTING FOLKS