Friday

Good morning.

Pottery was lovely.  It was so nice to be back there and brilliant to be sitting and working next to Beth.
The two pots I was working on at the end of last term were still there and I got them both glazed.  They don't look much yet but I hope they will.  I've decided that the square one is going to be a candle holder so I need to hunt for a square candle to go in it.  The other is a sort of tapas/pasta bowl - the inside should be sort of oatmealy and the outside a dark brown.  Fingers crossed.

 The photo hasn't come out all that well - the outside has been scored to look like bark so it's got a real texture.

This wasn't quite how I left it, shored up with balls of newspaper to create four wavy sides.  Two balls must have been moved as there are now two wavy sides and two much straighter sides.  Never mind.
The rough edges are all deliberate, not just bad work!!!

I have to decide what to make next now.
On the candle theme, I am tending towards some candle holders with star cut outs.



Beth, of course, took to it like a duck to water.
Remember my first effort that ended up as the mousehog?  Well, here's Beth's, from the same starting point.

There's no comparison, is there?




















On Sunday, Lindsey (personal trainer) is having a Christmas shopping day at her home in aid of Kids Inspire, a local charity that does some fantastic work across Essex.
Beth has a stall and I will be there both to help and to spend.
Unfortunately, the catering arrangements had fallen a bit flat as someone can't do their bit so some of us are baking and making.  It's really nice to have an excuse for that kind of cooking - I haven't really done much since the gallbladder problem.
Yesterday I just had a try out, using a couple of patterned rolling pins to fancy up some shortbread and it looked so nice I went online and got a Christmas themed one for the Sunday biscuits (and for other occasions too).  It should come today and my fingers are crossed that it's OK and suitable.

I'm also making a couple of cakes - probably coffee and walnut and cinnamon apple cake.  Fingers crossed people buy a portion to go with their coffee.

Today I need to write my list of things I need to get for the cakes and then go a-shopping.  In the afternoon, I have the personal training, cancelled on Wednesday.  In the evening, I am baking.  Great fun all round and not a lot of pressure - apart from a tidy up for the cleaners and, amazingly, there's not much to do there.

Have a great day.  xx