New creations

It's been a little while since I last blogged as I'm been a bit blurgh, so to speak. It's not easy to write and be upbeat when feeling that you're not quite yourself so I've saved it all up for now! 

I've been busy recently with sorting out new stock and getting everything photographed. The light isn't always so good now the days are drawing in but yesterday I got out into the garden with the camera in hand. 

This isn't intended to be a hard sell, if you are interested then all my links are at the bottom of each post, but more I'd like to share my work with you because I draw so much happiness from creating them. Each piece is almost like a child to me and I often end up keeping pieces that I simply can't part with. I know that's not good business sense but hand crafted items are about so much more than simply sales. I craft because I'm passionate about what I do and I have a shop also so that I can share my passion with you. Enough said, lets upload some new photos so you can see what I've been up to lately. 

I start off with a few of my new ring dishes, or anything dishes really. I use mine to keep my rings safe when I get the clay out. I also have one in the kitchen as a spoon rest. 

Star trinket dish.

 This star ring dish is the first one I've done as a star and I think it worked really well. The points of the star curve upwards nicely. I love to paint these dishes, it makes me feel like an artist. I'd also like to point out the lovely ribbon that the gift box has, it was made for me by a friend who owns Cookie & Mo on Facebook. She was so amazingly helpful that I highly recommend her. You can find her at: www.facebook.com/cookieandmo.uk

Heart shaped ring dish with peacock blue detail.

 I had a bit of a play about with a new glaze with the dish above. The glaze is a dark green that looks like peacock blue to me. It can look either green or blue depending on the light, just like a peacock feather. I used it to bring out the embossed detailing and was thrilled with the outcome.

Monet's Garden ring dish

Now this dish features a glaze called Monet's Garden. I really wish I could capture the colours in a photo but sadly I couldn't get a good enough one. If this is held up to the sunlight it shimmers and so many colours shine through that it's breath taking. I'll definitely be using this glaze again. It reminds me of a lily pond and there was one in Monet's Garden so I guess that's where the name comes from.

Ceramic leaf bowl, Sycamore.

The technique for this bowl is really simple. I was foraging in the woods with my daughter for her school project and was looking at fresh new leaves everywhere. It reminded of being taught to craft a bowl from a cabbage leaf so I picked a few sycamore leaves to do it again. The great thing about sycamore is that the veins on the back are really deep and they leave a fantastic impression in the clay. I also prefer these leaves to cabbage leaves! So in short the leaves were pushed into clay and the shape was hand cut. The clay was then gently moulded into a bowl shape and left to dry. The glazes used were quite strong colours to bring out the veins and then I did something bold, I ran them under the tap! I'd never tried it before so I have no idea if I would ruin it in the kiln afterwards. So most the colour was washed away but it left the gorgeous veins behind. I let them dry for a couple of days before adding the clear glaze and firing them as I didn't want it to explode in the kiln. Altogether I did three of these and one was snapped up straight away. I'll have to do some more of these next spring. It would probably work quite well with salt dough as well if you fancied having a go. The recipes for salt dough are easily found on the web. A great one for the kids too.

'Time to drink Champagne and dance on the table'

Finally, I've been doing lots of plaque work and these Champagne hearts have been very popular. I'm now turning my attention to Christmas tree hangings. By the time Christmas gets here I'm usually sick of it!! However, these things can't be made over night so I have to prepared. 

So thank you for sharing with me my excitement for my work. It means a lot to me that you follow me and share in my adventure. So I'll say to you now, it's 'Time to drink Champagne and dance on the tables!' Have fun. 

Cath xx 
www.facebook.com/TySiriolCeramicsandCrafts
www.etsy.com/uk/shop/TySiriolCeramics

A little test!

I'm trying out a new feature on Facebook where you can use the 'embed' function on your business page to add a link to your blog with minimum fuss. Now I know there are the techi types out there who already know how to do this, my ex-husband for one. Hi, if you are reading this!! :-) However, the key thing here is the 'minimum fuss' for those of us who don't have a degree in software engineering and quite frankly would rather be creating our own designs than fighting with tech.

So here goes. If all works well you should see a link that goes back to my Facebook page and be able to like and comment on it. If you can see it I would really appreciate if you would like and comment saying that you have followed the link from my blog, otherwise I can't really be sure that I'd done it right and I rarely get things right on the first attempt (or the second for that matter) when it comes to tech!

I'm going to link a photo of one of my mother's paintings because it's my current favourite.

Post by Ty Siriol Ceramics & Crafts.

Somehow this doesn't look right but we'll see. If it didn't work then we'll have 'test part 2' at some point! 

Cath xx
www.facebook.com/TySiriolCeramicsandCrafts
www.etsy.com/uk/shop/TySiriolCeramics

Craft fair: sneak peeks!

I'm going to be in Abergavenny Art and Craft fair again this Thursday. I'm looking forward to this one more because I know what to expect this time. We have booked a double table as we found that we were very cramped last time. We have 3 main sections to our stall, ceramics, paintings and crocheted goods. I'm also thinking of adding a small section for Christmas themed gifts. I wonder if it's too early but then I'm surprised at how many Christmas things I've already sold online.

I thought I'd give you an idea of what we will have on our stall. So here are a few examples of the ceramics that will be there. (Unless of cause they are bought online first! Website links are at the bottom of the post.)

My signature piece, the leaf bowls. These are suitably autumn themed.

A ceramic garden plaque for the green fingered member of your family.

'Time to drink Champagne and dance on the table' 

Ty Siriol's handmade and hand painted ceramic ring dish.

My mother's work is showcased in the Art section of our stall. She's a talented lady so I urge you to check her out. I'm working on trying to convince her to make prints of some of her pieces but she's a stubborn lady! Here, check out some of her work.

Wild flowers and butterfly silhouette.

Beautiful snowscape in oils.

Love birds silhouette. My favourite of the silhouette range.

The other section of our shop is the crochet section. We are going to be focusing more on this section at the next fair as autumn is most definitely in the air now. I'll be wearing my gauntlets to keep my fingers warm enough to do some crochet if it's quiet early on.

A ripple wrap shawl in peacock colours of blues and greens.

Crocodile stitch gauntlets. I'll be wearing mine to keep warm on the stall!

Triangular shawl in grey and white sequinned yarn. Beautifully soft.

Infinity cowl. I have several different colours available. See the Etsy link below.

Ripple scarf in midnight blues.

For those of you who saw me at the last craft fair, the scarf in midnight blue (above) is the one that I was making behind the stall. :-) It would make a fab Christmas gift... if I can bare to part with it!

Talking of Christmas... yes, I know, it is early but as I said above I've been getting Christmas orders for some time now. So here are a few Christmas things that will be on the stall for the next few months.

Box set of Christmas tree hangings. 'Peace', 'Love' and 'Joy'.

Christmas stockings with hook for hanging.

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, with hook for hanging.

Santa nibbles dish.

So that was a sample of what we have to offer on our stall at the Abergavenny Art and Craft fair this Thursday (2nd Thursday of each month). If you are local and can pop by then please come and say hi. It's always lovely to meet you all in person. 

All this talk of ceramics has reminded me that I have to go and see Kenny (my kiln) and see what delights (or disasters) he holds for me today. It's like Christmas all year round with Kenny! :-) 

Thank you for reading my blog.
Cath xx

www.facebook.com/TySiriolCeramicsandCrafts
www.etsy.com/uk/shop/TySiriolCeramics 

Gluten free in Weymouth

Over the bank holiday weekend the Ty Siriol Clan went to Weymouth in a motorhome. It was the first time I've ever spent a reasonable amount of time there and I think I might have fallen in love with the place, well nearly. 

For those of you who don't know I have coeliacs disease and cannot eat gluten (wheat, barley and rye). It is always a challenge to find places out that are safe to eat. Even if the meal wouldn't normally contain gluten there are many tricks that the catering industry use that add it artificially. Did you know that pre-grated cheese bought in by caterers is dusted with flour to stop it from sticking to itself and keep it looking nice? Often the flour used is wheat so unless the cheese is freshly grated I can't even eat that! 

Anyway, back to Weymouth and what I have found out about where coeliacs can eat. 

First we stayed in a delightful campsite in Portesham, Portesham Dairy Farm Campsite where we were self-catering. It was a no frills site with a shower block and kiddies play area. There are plenty of hardstandings with hookups though for the campers out there. The place was spotless and the shower blocks were immaculate. Even though there was no bar onsite, we were only about 250yds from the nearest pub. The good thing about no bar on site is of course that it is peaceful. This site seemed to attract young families like us and L'il Miss Ty Siriol had plenty of friends to run around with. I was really impressed with this site and will definitely be going back in the future. 

Ty Siriol Clan temporary residence.

 If you would like more details about Portesham Dairy Farm Campsite then please check out their website and let them know where you found them. 
porteshamdairyfarm.co.uk/

The downside of going in a motorhome is that it is also used as our car and we have to pack up every time we go somewhere. It can also mean that narrow lanes and parking are an issue. Mr Ty Siriol did exceptionally well though. Our solution to this in Weymouth was to use the new park and ride. At only £3.50 for the day and bus returns included for up to 7 people I thought it was a bargain.

Finally I made it into Weymouth. Then my anxieties about what I could eat started to set in. 
 

Weymouth front from the Sea life tower.

The first day I took my lovely (Not!!) gluten free sandwiches with me. The bread is passable if you can warm it up, toast it or dip it in soup but none of these are really feasible when you go out. I dare not make a mistake with my diet as I get so ill and can have anaphylactic reactions so I either find/take something safe or go without. Still, at least the menus and staff all spoke English. I haven't tried gluten free overseas yet as I'm too chicken.

We did our usual thing and go online to check out the Coeliac UK website. Turns out that we now have to pay to use their site! That's new. 

We did some more searching and found a few recommendations. The first one we tried was 'The Old Harbour Fish and Chips'. I really miss fish and chips so off we went. I have to say that the food was gorgeous there but don't expect it to be cheap. Gluten free is ALWAYS a lot more expensive, but this was my treat. Surprisingly, batter is the one thing that we all agree tastes better when it's gluten free, it's a lot more crispy. This place had an area for eating in and I really can't fault the service. We were treated like royalty. I really did enjoy eating there and will go back again. So I had my first victory in Weymouth and was starting to feel better about my diet. 

The Old Habour Fish and Chip shop where coeliacs are catered for.

 Our second day of food hunting didn't work out quite so well. We found that Wetherspoons have a gluten free menu so we thought we'd check it out. We also needed to sit down after doing a lot of walking. We went into Wetherspoons and in front of everyone we were asked to leave. I didn't know what the problem was and then we were told that L'il Miss couldn't come in as she was under 18. This was lunch time at a seaside town! How bonkers! They turned away 3 meal orders and the pub was deserted apart from a few pensioners with coffees. 

This wasn't good. Where could I eat now?

Across the road was a Yates bar. I'm not a fan of these anyway as they are pretentious in my opinion. We still went in though as we needed a drink after being out in the sun. Mr Ty Siriol asked at the bar if they had a gluten free menu. The answer was no. So he asked if they could advise if there were any dishes on the menu that might be suitable. The guy behind the bar simply said no and went back to talking to his mate. Typical Yates service in my opinion. So for the coeliacs out there, Yates are not an option as they can't even be bothered to talk to you.

We were all getting grumpy and hungry by now so I suggested that they eat without me. Mr Ty Siriol, bless him, said no, we were going to find something as it was my holiday as well. 

We turned a corner and found the most amazing stall just after. They were selling cakes that were suitable for as many people as possible. There were gluten free, dairy free, sugar free, fat free and your usual cakes. I had just found heaven. Let me introduce you to Henni's Sweet Treats. 

Please note that the phone number is now 01305 319930/07731 594182.

 Their website is: www.hennissweettreats.com

The gentleman was a little shy and hid from the camera.

Any array of gluten free cakes and sandwiches (made to order).

The owner was very knowledgeable about dietary needs and very helpful. I also have other food allergies that he was able to advise about. Henni's Sweet Treats also holds a certificate for passing the strict gluten free guidelines. He was telling me how they have to send off samples to be tested in the lab in order to get this status and that by the end of the year all gluten free caterers will have to do the same. I wonder though if this means that even less places will try to cater for us?

I bought a large piece of chocolate cake and the price was really good. I would expect to have paid more for normal home cooked cake let alone gluten free. Please check out Henni's Sweet Treats if you are in Weymouth. They also have stalls in Cowbridge, nr Cardiff, and in Bridgend and Poole. 

I walked off feeling very pleased with myself and we ended up in another Wetherspoons. I checked out their pathetic menu and the only proper meal (without having things deducted from your meal but still paying full price) I could eat was a jacket potato with tuna. (Remember, cheese is a no no.) But I didn't care because after my jacket spud I tucked into my cake while still sat at the table. If they won't cater for me properly, despite putting themselves on the coeliac UK website, then I will eat outside food at their tables. I was willing to pay for their food afterall if they bothered to live up to their statement. One snack on a whole menu (that might be contaminated) does NOT mean that they are allergy friendly. 

So all in all I found Weymouth to be a mixed bag with regard to eating out. I will still go back as it's a lovely place. At least next time I know I can have fish and chips, GF sandwiches and cake without being ill. Other than that I can always fall back on a jacket potato in a cafe and a very sweet coffee for some energy. 

Not all our weekend was food hunting, in case you wondered. We also spent a day at the Sea Life Centre, which we all really enjoyed. We went up the Sea Life Tower, even though Mr Ty Siriol is afraid of heights. I loved the shops around the harbour and mooching through the Bazaar and galleries. And lets not forget the gorgeous beach with it's yellow powdery sand. L'il Miss had a wonderful time on the the bouncy castles, trampolines etc. We didn't get to see Punch and Judy this time and I spared the donkeys from having to carry me! There is so much there that I must go back to see it all. I should add as well that Weymouth is flat so it's ideal for anyone who has mobility issues or young children in pushchairs. 

I'll leave you now with some pics. 

At the beach.

The Sea Life Centre, Weymouth

Jelly fish under UV light. Why? Because it's so cool!!!

Me digging myself into yet another hole!! Oh, and my attempt at building the Sphinx!

Cath x
www.facebook.com/TySiriolCeramicsandCrafts
www.etsy.com/uk/shop/TySiriolCeramics 

The first craft fair for Ty Siriol at Abergavenny Art & Crafts Fair.

I've wanted to do a craft fair for years but have been putting it off for ages for the fear of not being able to guarantee being well for the day. Unfortunately, I'm not even able to guarantee being well on my wedding day next day and at the moment I'd say it's 50/50. However, I'm not going to get any better so I bit the bullet and went for it any way. 

I choose to start off slowly so I opted for a local craft fair in Abergavenny. It's on a Thursday once a month and has a very relaxed feel to it. I've been to a few of them as a customer and chatted to some of the stall holders who were kind enough to encourage to go for it. So with a great big push from Mr Ty Siriol I signed up.

Thankfully I was aware of how much work is involved behind the scenes after the many car boot sales I've done in the past. Of course, this is not a car boot so presentation was more important. My brother was kind enough to make some props for me to use on the stall. He made me some shelves and a pendant tree. It is useful having a carpenter in the family and all he charged was a few lagers, even better!! So look out for his handy work in the pics. 

I had a practise run in my dining room and set up my stall. I'm glad I did as well as I found a few problems with the set up that were fixed before the day. I have to say a huge thank you to everyone on facebook who gave me some great advice. In particular I have to thank a friend of mine, Cookie, from Cookie & Mo who was invaluable to me. Please help me show her my appreciation by popping by her facebook page and saying hi on her wall. Tell her that I sent you because I'm bossy! 
www.facebook.com/cookieandmo.uk

It's about time I showed you some pics. Here is my practise run. 

The pendant tree that my brother made for me. Isn't he wonderful!

My mock fair in the dining room. Practise makes perfect, or so I've been told!

Finally the day came. I had lots of help so a big thank you to everyone who helped out, whether it was lugging boxes, smiling at customers, or taking turns to keep L'il Miss Ty Siriol happy as it's school holidays and I didn't have a sitter. 

The stall looked like this. 

Me! Standing proudly behind my creations.

These are a selection on my mum's paintings.

Mr Ty Siriol having a well earned sit down. He lugged all the boxes for me.

 Lots of friends and family turned to to show support which was great. I felt really proud seeing all my work on display and being able to show friends and family what I do. L'il Miss Ty Siriol was very good and wanted to help out. She went shopping with Nanny for a bit and came back with lots of books. In the end it was all too much for her and I found her trying to sleep under the table. Take a look. 

L'il Miss Ty Siriol plum tuckered out.

All in all it was a good day. We had a few sales even though it was a slow day due to the summer holidays. I got through it physically and thankfully it finished at 3pm. In fact I have now signed up for the remaining Art & Craft fairs until the end of the year. Happy all around. 

Here's the link to the Abergavenny Craft fairs.  
http://www.abergavennymarket.co.uk/

Cath x
www.facebook.com/TySiriolCeramicsandCrafts
www.etsy.com/uk/shop/TySiriolCeramics