A whale in your tea, anyone?

I just finished a design job for a very talented ceramic artist who is currently a resident at the Harbourfront Centre. Lana Filippone creates really beautiful ceramic pieces that are functional yet quirky and so much fun. She is currently being exhibited in a show at the Harbourfront Centre so check out her amazing work (including a teapot suspended in a cloud!). I don't have to convince you that it was great fun working on these cards for her, and the website is on its way, keep an eye out for  www.lanafilippone.com .

Black and Gold Shades

I have always loved lights. So naturally I wanted to make some light shades with ceramics :)
Creating the sections separately and then joining them to form the shape I wanted, I made two shades that are to hang from the ceiling. I wasn't happy with the look of the black glaze on the outside and I had tried a bronze glaze for the inside but there was no lustre. So I bought spray paint in black and gold and this was the final result.

Ceramic Installation

One of many things I have hanging on the walls in our condo is a framed mini installation of tiny ceramic vessels (about 1"w x 1/2" h) which I made by 'throwing off the hump', glazing and then filling some with bits of broken green and blue glass (thanks SarahA!). The glass melts in the kiln and creates a really interesting look where it's cracked underneath but smooth and perfect on top. So easy to make but has a really nice visual appeal. I want to make another one!

Working with porcelain

Porcelain is beautiful. It is so lovely to work with and so smooth. In my last ceramic class I bought some porcelain clay instead of using the stoneware that is typically supplied for the students. Having attended the classes for over a year I needed a new challenge. I made a series of bowls and deep dish plates (which I ate my eggplant and sweet potato green curry out of tonight. Yummo!).

I glazed the pieces with a matte white glaze on the inside and used a few different colours to decorate them with three simple dots. Kilns are quite temperamental so my work came out a light greyish tone instead of the white, white I was expecting. I have another slab of porcelain waiting for me to use so hopefully next time will be perfect... ish. BTW these muffins were AMAZING! Kiwi fruit and banana muffins. You can find the recipe  here .

Glass Course: failures, triumphs and burns

For a couple of years now I have wanted to take the Glass Course at the Harbourfront Centre (it's practically my second home in Toronto) and I finally got my wish December last year (thanks Tim xo). It was tough and physically challenging but worth the burns and blisters. Pictured above are the first two items I made. The obligatory paper weight and a bud vase. I learnt how to create bubbles in pieces and then we got into glass blowing.

The above picture is of two Christmas ball decorations I made in class using the glass blowing techniques and colour application. The picture of me is evidence of a beautiful bell jar I wanted to make instead a bowl that everyone else in class was making. Unfortunately close to the end of finishing my piece, it fell off in the glory hole... I was so upset and frustrated, but I got to have another go at the end of the day.

The second time I had a lot more help from our teacher (thanks Clayton!), but alas the same thing happened. On the left is the bloody hot glory hole and on the right is my mashed up bell jar. The black ball was attached to the round end of the jar. Oh well, it was still fun and I would do it all over again.

Newfoundland for Christmas

For Christmas our family does a Kris Kringle. Last year I was to buy a gift for my dad. When I asked him if there was anything in particular he wanted, he said that he wanted me to draw a picture of our trip to Newfoundland. Challenge accepted. Rather than a picture of one memory, I wanted to combine a whole lot of memories, places, animals and experiences. I originally wanted to have the illustration letter-pressed but after speaking to the lovely lady who owns/runs Bookhou in Toronto, where I really wanted to get my work printed, I couldn't get the size I wanted. She suggested that I screen-print it instead and here are the gorgeous results. She also recommended that I get some tea towels printed and they are so cute. Dad, it's in the mail. Merry (belated) Christmas!

(Arounna from Bookhou posted some pics of the tea towels on her blog, check it out: www.bookhouathome.blogspot.com)

Quilting, this is getting serious!

My first quilt was inspired by a great fabric discovery, Alexander Henry's Frida Khalo themed fabric. I love Frida and I bought the fabric and some 'day of the dead' skeleton fabric too. Why not! The result: a huge, busy, colourful and slightly crazy quilt. When my mum and dad came to visit me for my birthday in August (2010) mum lovingly hand sewed the binding on for me. I love you mum! xo (BTW if you want a laugh, you can see how I have decapitated poor Frida in some of the panels. This is before I discovered fussy cutting...)

My third quilt (my second was a cute baby quilt for a friends baby) was a major undertaking for a semi-beginner sewer and quilter. I saw this quilt in a shop I found in Chicago. It is by far the most beautiful quilting shop I have ever been to. Modern and colourful prints and you can visit their website here www.shopquiltology.com. This diamond Kaffet Fassett quilt was hanging on the wall and I fell in love with it. Little did I know or understand about cutting fabric on a bias but I wanted it and that was that. After much delay and fear of ruining half my fabric I eventually made it and it turned out to be easier to work on than all of the other quilts I had already made! Now for the binding... mum are you coming back any time soon? ;)

Beautiful fabrics + sewing + patience = Quilting

I got the quilting bug from my mum. She is an amazing modern day quilter and talented sewer. The top quilt in this photo was a gift to me from her. It's beautiful and retro and is the perfect cuddle-up on the couch size, and, when I'm feeling homesick, that's exactly what I do. The other two quilts were my very first attempts. More pictures of them to come.

Wood & Clay

Drawing on wood panels and taking ceramic classes at the Harbourfront Centre. Just a tiny insight into my world of craft from 2008-2010! Once I post stories from the past couple of years of my craft adventures I can start posting my new 2011 ones. Sewing classes here we come!

I'm all about the perfect gift

When my niece was going to turn one I wanted to do something extra special. I am the mysterious "Aunty Chels" who lives overseas and shows up once a year just to be extra confusing. The picture I illustrated includes the birth flowers and gems of my niece. Personal and cute and most importantly, it uses pink. :) My sister did a lovely framing job and it's hanging just out of sticky finger reach!

From Melbourne to Toronto

Moving overseas to Toronto, having never visited before, was fun but not exactly easy. The moment I immersed myself into the creative arts scene I found my new family and Toronto became my second home. This blog is about my life here and my creative adventures                   (with a few inspirational pieces from my family too!).