Posts by Clare Gage

This is an image of one of the lace sample cards which I love so much. I found these when I visited the Lace Archive at Nottingham Trent University a few years back. These were sent out with the salesman to show buyers what the lace they ordered would look like. A piece of lace this size would have been extremely expensive as so much time was spent creating it. A light sensitive paper was used to capture the pattern (this is the blue paper we see) and a small sample was attached. I love the blue and white combination-
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I’ve been to visit the Lace Unarchived exhibition in Nottingham. So inspiring! I thought I’d share some of what I saw and let you know my thoughts. (definitely one for those lace lovers out there!) Lace panel by Sophie Hallette, Caudry, France. This black lace was lit brightly from the front and the shadows that it cast on the wall were stunning. It’s really made me think of the way that lace plays with light and shadow. hmmm something to think about there!       This was a lace pattern design shown alongside an image of the finished lace.
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              I’ve taken a step in a new direction with my #designthroughmaking project. I’ve moved from the black slip to some lovely vibrant blue slip. I wanted to look back at some inspiration that I’ve worked with before, lace sample cards. A few years back I was lucky enough to visit the lace archive kept at Nottingham Trent University. I think I’ll wait to tell you more about why I love these cards to much but just wanted to mention that they are the reason I am drawn to working with blue. So here
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Well I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep away from my needle and thread for long! I always find myself thinking of new ways to add a feeling of fabric to my ceramics. I’ve been inspired by the henna designs that I’ve been looking at while developing my sgraffito designs and I thought I’d have a go at recreating them with needle and thread. Using hand embroidery techniques I created these patterns with the idea of turning them into stamps to impress in the clay.           The stamps need to be pressed firmly into the
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My design ideas are making their way through the kiln. These pieces have been glazed now so I can see the final results of my decorating techniques. I’ve used a black slip which needs to be applied in lots of thin layers to get a good clear black. I’ve started to enjoy the brushstrokes and more faded effect of my first attempts when the slip was applied with less layers. It’s surprising how something unintended can spark your ideas. It’s something that often happens in pottery as so many of the techniques are unpredictable. My time at the potters wheel has
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If you follow Clare on Facebook you will find out all about her special Christmas gifts which she will be running in the weeks leading up to Christmas this year. Here are all the details of the previous offers. They are still available to order until the last order date which is Thursday 18th December for standard delivery and Sunday 21st December for express delivery. Personalised Heart Decorations Choose any short message for the front. The beautiful woven textile texture will be on the back of the heart and all come with ribbon to hang. Why not choose some festive
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