Friday

Good morning, everyone.  We're in the second half of November now with weather to match.  It's gloomy, breezy, damp and cold out there but at least we haven't had snow around here, thankfully.  A bit early for all that!

I've got round to uploading a couple of photos I took at Stratford on Tuesday.  I didn't take many, it wasn't that sort of a trip, but there was this absolutely massive Christmas tree just outside along The Street and strolling back I spotted something appropriate, especially with the shop name in the background.  Everyone seemed to be rushing . . .

The light wasn't great and actually it's a lot bigger than it looks in the photo.

I spent a lot of yesterday dithering about whether to cancel tuition and pottery but in the end I didn't and it was OK.  I'm still feeling around 90% and, as my friend and her husband who was going to drive us are also not very well, we've postponed our jolly until things are better.  A shame but I am relieved that common sense has been applied.

At pottery, I spent the whole time painting glaze on my Christmas candle holder.  I used 'underglaze' which I haven't used before.  It goes on just like paint really so it was all a bit daunting and, not being steady handed in that way, I don't think the results will be great, but, hey, who's going to notice when there's a lovely big candle burning.
This is glaze you can colour mix.  That was nice and I enjoyed getting three different shades of green - one for the background, a yellowy one for the ivy and a deeper one for the holly before adding little touches of red for the holly berries.  I forgot to take a photo until the end, rushed into the kiln room with my phone and found that it was already in the kiln so sorry.  It has to be glazed and then, next week, I will add a transparent glaze to make it shiny.

I did take a photo of Beth's work.  She was taught how to make a coil pot and ended up with this.  Very cute.

Today, thanks to the jolly not going ahead, I have a totally free day and I need it, I think.  I'm feeling very 'bleary' and tired.  The cleaners come at some point (thank goodness) and Beth will be over, but apart from that, nothing and I intend to enjoy it.  The teeth remain pain free (lucky me) and, at the moment, next Thursday is just a tight little knot somewhere inside me that I am managing to keep fenced around and out of the way.  Beth, bless her, said she will come with me.  What a star!

Have a great day and stay warm and dry, whatever weather you are having.  xx