Earth and Fire Ceramics Fair

I had an incredible weekend visiting the Earth and Fire International Ceramics Fair at Rufford!  I have been once before and loved it and I would encourage anyone who is interested in pottery or ceramic sculpture... or any form of art... or just fancies looking... to go!  It is a wonderful exhibition of international potters and sculptures in the beautiful surroundings at Rufford.  There are demonstrations pretty much all day from various potters and it is great to get to know them a little, because that is when their work starts to mean a bit more to you.  It is also fabulous to learn about different techniques.  There are also a few stalls there selling materials and tools, so it is a great way to buy things without having to pay for expensive postage (me and my mum picked up about 5 bags of clay last time we went there and saved me loads on postage!).  You can phone th companies in advance to make an order then they bring it to the show for you... or you can just have a look at the wide range of tools, materials and equipment that they have there already.

Below is a photo of me assisting Stefan Bang in the handle-pulling competition!  This happens daily and different potters take part.  They have 10 minutes and all get the same amount of clay to pull the longest handle that they can!  The one I assisted Stefan to make was just over 3 metres long and he won because his was the only one that hadn't broken... the others made ones that were 6 feet or so but they had broken along the way :)  The next day when I saw the competition again there was one that was about 17 metres long!  I felt very proud to be assisting Stefan, even if it was in a silly competition.  He is a very talented and successful potter and I have some admiration for him...  wouldn't it be awesome if one day Stefan would say

" that amazing and talented Carrie-Anne assisted me during the handle-pulling competition in 2012 "!!!  haha! 

One day...In my dreams  :)

it was great fun... but a little messy!

After the handle-pulling me and Bobby looked round that last of the exhibitors' stalls and that is when we came cross the sculptural work of Ostinelli & Priest... WOW!  I was hooked instantly and we were both stood in amazement at the beautiful sculptures!  Have a look at their website on the link.  And if you know my work at all then you must watch out for their warthog!  :)

We listened to the explaination of how these fantastic pieces were created and got very excited when we heard that there would be a demonstration of how to do it the following day!  So... the net day we came back to Rufford and got there early to ensure front row seats!  haha!  This photo below is a picture of the bull 'Winston' who we were being shown how to build.

'Mooooooo!'

Me and Winston



I'm not going to go into massive etails about the technique, but
basically he first made a template and attached it securely to a stick...



... and after wrapping it and shaping it with bubble wrap and used wooden dowel for the legs... he starting covering it with thin layers of clay...

... making creases and textures as he went along ...

... the horns were fired seperately...

... the eyes were detailed with a bendy straw!  ...

... the almost finished bull!

Once the bull is finished he leaves it to dry thoroughly and then takes it off the wodden base and puts the whole thing in the kiln.  The plastic and wood will burn away and leave behind the ceramics!  whoop whoop!  ...AMAZING! 

The Big Session Festival!

When I was invited to be part of the Sculpture Park at the Big Session Festival I jumped at the chance!  Free music festival, meeting new people and other artists, experiencing new live music, an opportunity to exhibit my sculptures... and just lots of fun!

www.bigsessionfestival.com

 Me and Bobby had a great time listening to the music and we discovered some new great bands.  We also made some new friends.  The weather was not good to us tho.  Let's just say that I am glad I work in a material that is water-proof!  ... it rained for the whole weekend and at times the wind was so strong I was worried for the safety of my sculptures!

 

Wilbert seemed very at-home in the outdoors!

Here are some photos taken of people out and about in the sculpture park...

The alligator with the little boy on it was made by Donna Bramall.

Favourite food of the weekend...  Bobby had 4 lots of the Mexican Special!!!

Uttingly Scrumptious was even commissioned to create a festival cake for the final day!  

I did it in a victoria sponge with vanilla buttercream and raspberry jam filling... YUM!  

I was trying to create a 'British summer time' feel with the traditional victoria sponge and in true British style the heavens opened just as we were about to cut into the cake!  haha!  

The cake still went down well tho with lots of "wow's" and "mmm's" all round!  :)

Overall a great weekend!  Wet,windy and wild!  

An exciting weekend for both Uttingly Scrumptious and for my ceramics. 

I also found it very inspiring and my head is buzzing with new ideas... bigger ideas!  

Watch this space  :)

When things go horribly wrong!!!

 This is a continuation of 'Adventures of the non-edible kind'!  I really apologise to those of you reading this hoping to read about cake-related adventures, but recently there have been more ceramic-related stories to be told!  :)
This one was very traumatic for everyone involved!  haha!  As you know, from one of my previous blogs, I have recently created some crazy-looking birds and an elephant.  I really enjoyed making this during the Art on the Map Open Studios event and grew very attached to them instantly due to the hard work and thought that I put into them!  I had carefully sculpted these creations, working on their individual personalities... then carefully bisque-fired them, after-which I put some different coloured oxides on them and fired them again.  I am always nervous when it is time for glazing because glazes are so permanent and if they go wrong it is often heart breaking for me!  haha!  I put these in for their glaze firing and a few days later I slowly opened the kiln, with that excitied, anxious, nervous feeling!!...  to find that I was incredibly happy with the end result and the glazes had worked perfectly!  Yey!!

HOWEVER....

...during the firing process one of the crazy looking birds had fallen (I can only imagine it had happened in the heat, because it was very secure when I closed that kiln lid!) onto the elephants head!  eeeeeek!  Like I said before, glazes are PERMANENT and this meant that the elephant and the bird were fused together!  Argh!

A hammer and chisel were the only answer!!!  It was so scary to be chiseling away at their heads while me sister held onto them and tried to help pull them apart.  At first nothing was happening and I realised I would have to hit them harder...  eeek!  ... and with one strong, steady wack...  they were seperated! 

whoop whoop!  

 And... dah daaaah!!!  :)  With only two little marks where they were attached, the elephant and the bird are now two seperate objects... phew!  I re-glaxed/oxide-ed them and put them back in the kiln (with extra care to keep them apart!) ... and who would know this had ever happened if I didn't share this adventure in my blog!?

And here, the finished birds!  Named by my big brother as Edgar,Otis and Rafiel!

And below...  the finished elephant.  Who is yet to find a name!

Special thanks to my sister, Joanna,for her bravery while I was hammering that chisel into my precious sculptures! :)

Client testimonials!

Some of you know that I have been working on my website for the past few months.  It is taking me so long because I am literally only managing to find a few minutes here and there to get it done.  One thing I have been inviting clients to do is to add a testimonial on there.  I am so proud of the things that people have said and wanted to share them on here!  :)
It is really great when you get such good feedback from people.  I know it is cheesy, but not only do I enjoy designing and making cakes, but when someone asks me to do it for such as special occasion in their life (like a wedding, christening etc.) it is such a privilege!  Knowing that it enhanced their special day is extremely important to me.
Thank you to those of you who took the time to write these amazing testimonials!




Seonaid Watson 2012.6.10 19:46
Carrie-Anne made our beautiful wedding cupcakes and we couldn't have been happier with the service provided! She worked tirelessly right from the very start to make sure we had exactly what we wanted for our big day. She listened patiently and with enthusiasm to our many ideas and transformed what had been a vague image in our minds into a beautiful reality. Looking back I don't think anyone else would have been able to interpret our ideas so perfectly! We had several enjoyable tastings and she made sure that everything was perfect.She also made us delicious cake pops and what I can only describe as AMAZING cake push-pops which were such a hit with our guests that we only just managed to get some for ourselves! She arranged our cupcakes on the stand along with her handmade sugar paste flowers and we could rest assured on the day that everything was sorted. Out of all the things we could stress about before (and on!) the big day the cake certainly wasn't one of them. I would not hestiate to recommend Carrie-Anne to any other brides out there especially if you are looking for something unique, personal and beautiful! Oh and the cakes were DELICIOUS!! My favourite was the chocolate orange cupcakes! 
Thank you Carrie-Anne!
Mr & Mrs Watson 



Moira Tocock 2012.6.8 17:27
Carrie Anne made the cupcakes for my daughter and son in law's wedding.  The thought and care and attention to detail that went into these cakes was second to none.  The cakes were delicious of course, but the overall look of the seven tier cake stand was stunning.  We left it in Carrie Anne's hands, knowing what a perfectionist she is, and our expectations were exceeded by miles. Every bride wants something that reflects their personality and taste, and Carrie Anne also did the sweet table including cake pops and push pops, which we felt greatly contributed to the wow factor of the day.  Thank you seems pretty inadequate for the amount of planning and work that went into everything, as we feel that few people would have got what we were aiming for and produced it so well.  I have no hesitation in recommending Carrie Anne, I know how stressful organising a wedding can be, so for us we gave ourselves one less thing to worry about by turning it over to her, and we were delighted with the end result.



Jacob T 2012.6.6 10:03
The service provided by Carrie-Anne is exceptional, and don't get me started on the cakes themselves! I purchased a themed chocolate genache cake in the shape of the 'Timmy Time' nursery. The detail on the cake was intricate and really impressive, right down to the little edible ham sandwhiches, the characters looked so alike those on the show and it was clear how much time and effort had been put into it. Carrie-Anne took the time to researh the show in order to get the detail just right and it shows, each one of her cakes has such a character... you will never be getting a 'generic' cake with Uttingly Scrumptious. If that wasn't enough, the cake itself was delicious, extremely rich, moist and chocolately and lasted for ages! (or as long as a cake would usually last when left in a flat of 5 hungry students). 
Carrie-Anne also delivered the cake to my door on the day of my choice at a time that best suited me. I can promise anybody considering to buy a cake from Uttingly Scrumptious that they won't be dissapointed.



Mark Clarke 2012.6.19 11:47
Thank you so much for taking the time and trouble to be part of the inaugural Sculpture Village at Big Session 2012. Particularly I would like to thank you for making such a wonderful cake for the event. I will be recommending you to all my contacts. Everyone who has tasted it has been so complementary. A fantastic job really well done and a great finale to our weekend. 

wooden vs. plastic vs. straws vs. dowels...argh!!

I did my first 3 tier cake last week and this week I am doing my first 3 tiered wedding cake.  The 3 tier last week was for my sisters birthday, so although I wanted it to be perfect for her...there was also less pressure!  This wedding cake however = PRESSURE!


Now the question is... do I use straws of dowels?  


I hate the idea of dowels!  They are more expensive and a pain to cut!  And surely when you cut them they will splinter and make a mess?  And that can't be massively hygienic? And how do you ensure that you get a straight top?
I LOVE the idea of straws!  I used straws for my sisters cake and they were fine!  They cost me 18p from Asda and were easy to cut and hygienic!  They are also so quick, cheap and easy to cut that if you mess up then you can easily cut a new one!


I wont be using cheapo Asda ones for the wedding cake, but I am tempted to use thicker and nicer looking straws for it.  I have done a lot of research online to see what other people use and some bakers swear by straws and some admit they are too chicken to try and stick to dowels, even tho they are a pain to cut.  Some dowel-users have discovered great tools to cut the dowels that saves time and energy!  Is there such a thing as a dowel-cutter?  I can't seem to find anything like that in B&Q!  I also found some talk about a PVC Cutter, but these look quite expensive.
I believe that precisely from an engineering standpoint the straws are quite reliable. Many columns are hollow and hold up the weight, because of their shape - same principle as the I-beam.  The support doesn't have to be thick to be strong - that's why corrugated cardboard holds up.  If the straws are put straight in they should hold even a heavy weight cake.  From my understanding of engineering, the straws should certainly hold. (Remember that they are hollow until they enter the cake, and then they fill with cake ,which stabilizes them as well.  
I want to find a place where I can buy those bubble tea straws, you know the really thick ones?  I found some on Ebay and Amazon but by the time they add postage they become really expensive!  They will, however, look more professional than the stripey coloured ones form Asda and they will be stronger too.  I was thinking that I should buy iced moches from Starbucks and save the straws but by the time I have spent all that money on Mochas I may as well have payed for the packaging!... although I do like Frappaccinos!  :)


The only way to find out which works best is to see if the cake collapses or not...and that is a big risk to take!
So my conclusion at the moment is...  that cutting a straw is a whole lot easier than cutting a dowel!  As long as you make sure that they are straight in the cake then I can't see the problem...  but is it worth the risk when it is someones wedding cake?  And should you just be putting that little bit more effort in to ensure that the wedding cake does not collapse!  I have witnessed a wedding cake collapsing, during the speeches... and it was not a pretty site!  (Just for the record this was not one of my cakes!) 


Argh... I don't have a conclusion!  To be continued...