Out on a School night

Hello! Sorry for the Radio silence. Maria and I have been busy with house moves and new additions to the family. But hopefully we will be back in this space more frequently sharing with you little moments of inspiration and our continuing adventures in Dorset.

With the sun shining and longer evenings I've been more and more motivated to start focusing on more than just work. So here we are!!

Last Wednesday myself and a friend went to a gig at the Joiners to see Marika Hackman. It was a stunning evening and it was great to feel that little feeling of freedom and rebellion to be out during the week doing our own thing.

I haven't really heard much music from Marika Hackman before my friend suggested we should go, but from the first song I was sold by her effortlessly strong voice and dark folk tale lyrics.

Marika Hackman -


I love going to see live music and being introduced to new artists. Probably the most memorable part of the night was being introduced to the voice of Sophie Jamieson. Her unassuming shy stage presence did not prepare me for the strong melancholy voice that seemed to reach the saddest corners of my brain. You could have heard a pin drop the crowd were completely captured by her voice such a force from such a fragile frame. Her songs were broken by captivating guitar solos echoing the lyrics and transporting the audience to memories of their own love ones, of words unsaid, regrets and experiences too hard to revisit. I can't believe she has not released an album yet!

Sophie Jamieson - Dinah

I hope you've all had a lovely weekend!

 

Gem x

Home Thrown Studio update

It has been a very exciting year for Home Thrown Studio. After a few years of throwing pots and modelling for my own pleasure I thought it was about time to make some space on my own home surfaces and perhaps start selling these little wares to like minded nest makers.

I love coming home to an etsy order or an email about a custom order. I had always envied artists who have followed their dreams of 'doing' what they love. But now in a small way I am doing it! (Although it maybe too early just now to give up my day job) I am delighted that I am now selling my creatures and homewares at the lovely Coastal Creatives in Southbourne, Louise and Rachael are fantastic and really know how to visual merchandise their products, which are carefully selected to represent a range of local artists in and around the South West.

I am also selling my signature bashful pots in the very sweet White Doll Arts waterside gallery in Cornwall. I was over the moon when Emma Litten the owner contacted me to see if she could sell my pots in her beautifully Cornish waterside gallery. So here we are, what a difference a few months can make. At the present I am currently working towards Christmas making a range of Christmas decorations as well as my signature eyelash pots and salt pots. I am never happier than when I am behind the wheel, arms deep and aching in wet clay as old rock songs play out from the radio and the whirl of the wheel begs me to throw just one more!!

 (Coastal Creatives own image)

Coastal Creatives 103A Southbourne Grove 

(White Doll Arts - Images above and below)

White Doll Arts Waterside Gallery  Fowey Cornwall 

An Etsy order all wrapped up! 

Thank you for all the support and interest so far on this venture 

Gem x

Printmaking with Peckham Print Studios at the Good Life Experience

Whilst at "The Good Life Experience" we got to experience the fun of screen printing. The boys from Peckham print studio were really patient in showing us how the process worked, we asked a lot of questions!!  It was a lot of fun, screening the bright orange paint over the surface for it to appear like magic on the tote beneath, I think Maria and I could have been there all day if it wasn't for the long drive home. It was definitely a high light of our day,we thought our luck was running out; we waited with excitement to learn how to carve a spoon with Hatchett & Bear and then learnt that we needed to have put our names on the waiting list, we went to buy a t-shirt at Best Made and they had sold out! But making these bags and eating all the tasty food definitely put a smile back on our faces. Autumn has arrived and we are already hunting down screen print workshops at Poole Print Makers, but perhaps a weekend trip to Peckham Print Studio needs to be added to our bucket list! 

Thank you "The Good life Experience" and Peckham Print Studio

Gem & Maria 

at The Good Life Experience

It's hard to believe that it was over three weeks ago that we went to 'The Good Life Experience', a festival of the outdoors created by Cerys Matthews and Charlie and Caroline Gladstone. Gem was lucky enough to win tickets from the talented Hatchett and Bear, and asked me to go along with her. I jumped at the chance!

The festival took place in the grounds of the beautiful Hawarden Estate, and on the Saturday morning we took out road trip from Gem's folks' house in Bristol all the way to North Wales. We may have listened a little bit too much to this lady (we like to pretend we can sing like Laura Marling. We cannot. Ahem), and this song was definitely overplayed-in a good way.

Anyway, we arrived at midday, greeted by some very Wes Anderson-esque boy scouts who directed us to the car park, the backdrop of which boasted a beautiful ruined castle. To say we were excited was an understatement as we walked down a little path to the Hawarden Estate Farm Shop and its grounds. 

Firstly, we came across the lovely folk at the Pedlars tent which sold lots of goodness, including vintage camping ware and knick knacks. 

Then we made our way to the Best Made tent to have a look at their beautiful axes. Not that Gem and I are really into axes...but we did appreciate the pretty colours painted on the handles! I was gutted that I missed out on getting a T-Shirt. Maybe next year!

We carried on mooching around, taking advantage of this delightful offer...

Had a little chat with these guys (pet alpaca is now on the wishlist)

Gem did a spot of archery...

...and then we wandered through some fields of corn (or wheat?!), feeling very outdoorsy.

We stopped to have a look at what the foraging folk had gathered. What a pretty camping space!

We found the Hatchett and Bear tent, but again missed out on carving our own wooden spoon! Gutted! They looked lovely.

We stayed and listened to some of the music, but missed out on most of the evening's entertainment as we had to get back down to Dorset for work on Monday. I guess we must be getting old! Haha!

We did, however, make one last stop at the Peckham Print Studio. We may have found our new hobby! Post to follow.

Maria