Whether you’re a lover or Christmas like me, or not, there is no denying it is creeping up with 23 weeks exactly to go. The nature of ceramics means that Christmas planning starts about 12 to 15 months beforehand, and making starts in January. It’s a long process of testing and getting the feel of the collection right, then there is the building of stock to make sure we are on top of it all when it really hits…..and I love the whole process!
This years Christmas 2022 mugs have been released last week that you can see above. There is the Jingle mug, which I’ve made this year in our new mug design, and the Tree Farm mug. I love that they have a different feel to each other this year. I wanted a more fun calligraphy style for one (jingle), and a chalkboard sign style (tree farm) for the other. I’d love to hear what you think. They’ve been going like hotcakes so far, which is lovely to see.
I’ve also just started to release some new pieces for the coming season, including the new Santa Keys, and the Alba Star. Each of the Santa keys vary, just like each door. These are great if you don’t have a chimney, and you can leave them out on the door mat so Santa can get in to deliver his presents. The Alba star is made from my own thistle design that I emboss onto the stoneware. It’s name comes from the Scottish-Gaelic word for Scotland = Alba, and seeing the National flower of Scotland is a thistle, it just seemed fitting. I’ve made a whole set of these for our own tree this year!
I’ve also been getting into the routine of adding a new tutorial/episode to my YouTube channel each Tuesday. The most recent one is all about making this chalkboard recipe. It’s a great recipe too! You can watch the episode HERE
At the moment I’ve been building on the calligraphy and chalkboard tutorials, but I will be starting to add some ceramic Hand building, styling, diy and more to it over time. If you do head over, please like and subscribe. If there is anything you’d like to see there, please let me know.
With the cold of winter set in here in Tasmania, I’ve been thinking more about making our home more cozy, baking, and lots of coffee, hot chocolate, and soup. I like having soup from a mug, especially if I’m answering emails or doing something while I’m eating. That way if I get sidetracked, my soup doesn’t go cold. These new Highlander Garland mugs hold around 600mls, which is perfect for soup…or as some customers tell me, a beer 😂
The new Highlander Utensil Pots sold out straight away, and I do have more drying as we speak. I’m loving these to fill with knives and forks if we are having a buffet style gathering, or to hold my pastry brushes and the like next to the oven. I’ve been using the Callander Pitcher as my wooden spoon holder lately too. I’m loving the two pieces together.
It’s been lovely lately to dive into creating with all the uncertainty in the world. It’s a little session of calm, and I’m so glad you love what comes out of the studio!
Talk soon – Ness x
