Club project - shop box

Club project - shop box

Thursday 7 March 2013

More tiles and my 'work space'

Is the blue better than in the previous post?
The tiles for the kitchen are all fired now and I really like them!  I've made another 10 or so of the corner tiles, just to have the choice of the best ones, as some of these are slightly too big. How much of a perfectionist will I allow myself to be?
Just to give an idea of the size 












I've also put some around the 2 flower baskets. Not quite sure what to do with these...

On several other blogs I've seen some fabulous work spaces. Mine is in the dining room and most of my supplies are in my grandmother's cupboard.  I like to work from a board that was originally meant to hold the wood lathe. It nice and heavy and doesn't move around with a cloth or place mat under it.  It could still be used for that, if only I could bring myself to tidy it all up.:))  The entire board fits under the cupboard and there is a small cupboard in the corner for the box shop.  I don't want to use power tools here so they have to stay in the kitchen, which isn't ideal as it's quite a task getting them out of their boxes and set up properly.
Although the dining room isn't a bad work space, I would love a room where I can have everything set up ready to use, including the table saw, scroll saw and lathe, space for glueing, drying, houses, roomboxes and anything else I could possibly think of!
Lola likes to sit in the middle of the table watching me just like this!
She's a seal point with blue eyes and has a very definite opinion on everything
Happy mini-time!



22 comments:

  1. Your tiles are so nice! What a gorgeous cat you have. It must be nice to have such good company when you're working! What you want is a workroom which is everybody's dream. I'm just like you. I have to set everything up and then put it away when I'm finished.

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  2. Lola is a beauty! :D Your work space is very much like mine - in the dining room, with a cabinet for supplies and spillover into the kitchen. Haaa!

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  3. I love your tiles, Idske, I know what I want to make with blue and white tiles one day, look at these gorgeous tables.

    http://tinyurl.com/ch9sam5
    http://tinyurl.com/dxrrrtc
    http://tinyurl.com/ax5wwf9

    Ha, I got a workroom now, but for the last few months I am still working in the dining room too, I needed a saw dust free place to work on the caskets.

    I really hope you have a place soon for all your power tools, it makes such a difference when you can just walk in and use the tool you need.

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  4. The tiles are fantastic Idske, I love them! The glazing is perfect, they have kept that angular look to them which is so typical for these tiles. I could imagine getting quite addicted to making these!

    What kind of clay did you use to make them? I have never done anything like this, but I am guessing it is difficult to make them as thin as they are, in addition to being square and flat?

    It is a shame porcelain ovens are so very expensive, as this would be such a fun medium to play with. Oh well, I'll just enjoy looking at what you make!

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  5. PS: Lovely work space! And a lovely companion too! It is a shame you have to keep putting away things, but it does prevent your work space from becoming the huge mess mine always is. (unless you are a tidy person by nature of course!). How do you keep your carpet clean? My floor is always covered with paint splashes etc.

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  6. Je tegeltjes zijn echt prachtig geworden, Idske, zo mooi en klein! Misschien zou je er een paar kunnen verwerken in een dienblad?
    Nou, jouw werkruimte ziet er erg netjes uit, hoor, met de mijne vergeleken ;)!
    Lola is een prachtig dier, erg mooie vachtkleur en ze is op haar hoede zo te zien, weet ze wel dat we haar nu allemaal kunnen zien :D?
    Ben jij inmiddels weer helemaal hersteld van je griep?
    Groetjes, Ilona

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  7. Beautiful tiles Idske, still don't know how you manage to paint such tiny decorations.

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  8. Com'è splendida Lola!!! Bello il tuo spazio. Ha atmosfera. Ci credo che il gatto vuole stare qui! Sei fortunata a poter fare un corso di ceramica mini.

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    Replies
    1. Google translate is working again!

      Thank you Blanche! Yes I'm very lucky to have found a teacher like Yolande. All you can do is find a local potter and ask if they will let you do miniature pottery!

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  9. Dear Idske,
    Your tiles are amazing. Which clay you used for these tiles? Did you follow a workshop ?
    Your working space in the dining room is well organized!
    Hugs Dorien

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  10. Nice .... and so detailed


    love the kitty



    Mario

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  11. Your tiles are fantastic and Lola is adorable.
    Bye Faby

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  12. Thank you all, I always look forward to your comments!

    Lola is quite suspicious of the camera. She normally looks much friendlier!

    The clay for these tiles was a liquid clay, which is normally used for pots from moulds. We were surprised how well it worked. On a piece of an old plaster mould, I made a frame to contain the clay of about 20x15cm with 2x8mm stripwood, poured some clay in (a few spoonfuls) and smoothed it out. The plaster takes out the water and you can cut it within 15mins or so. Onced fired the thickness is about 1.6mm. The tiles are entirely made like they were in the 17th century. Well, except for the clay used, I don't think they had clay like that as it has chemicals added to keep the clay particles suspended in the water.

    I should have put that in the post, of course!

    Dorien, I go to a weekly pottery class, except it isn't really a 'class' as everyone does their own projects from lamp bases, bowls and vases to my tiny pots and tiles. The teacher Yolande is really helping me to get it just right. Even when I'm not expecting it she has done some research and has new ideas of how to overcome a problem. For me it is the best sort of way of learning pottery! Of course, there are some mishaps along the way and I'm rarely happy with the first try, but by constantly experimenting we get there eventually! Using the liquid clay was really a spur of the moment thing, we had all of the right things at hand and it worked!

    Annie, I use brushed with only a few hairs and being near-sighted does help, otherwise I would need a magnifying glass!

    Josje, I agree it is very addictive and I wish I'd found this part of mini making years ago. Yolande bought a small electric kiln from a doll maker a few years ago for under £100. I've never had anything to do with firing the kiln and realise that that is a whole new thing to get to grips with. She is keeping her eye on adverts of similar kilns for me, but it might be a very long wait...

    Elga, those tables are lovely, particularly the last one I like best. That one seems to have the real Dutch tiles on it, the others I'm not so sure. They must be rare as the prices are staggering!

    You have a point keeping the sawdust away from the very small things and I suppose paint as well. Perhaps all I need is a space to set up the power tools...

    Blanche, sorry I can't get blogger to translate at the moment, I'll try again later.

    Thank you all again, your comments always make me look at things from another perspective!

    Idske

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  13. Your tiles are Gorgeous! I have never worked in ceramics, but maybe someday I will find someone who knows where to start with mini projects! Your workspace looks much neater than mine....! And your kitty is Beautiful!

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  14. Thanks Betsy, finding a pottery teacher who will just let you get on with it and doesn't decide for you what you will make is the difficult bit to get started!

    My work space looks tidy only because I had just swapped the sitting and dining rooms and everything had been unpacked and packed again! It won't stay like that I'm afraid...

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  15. I think yours is a very nice space :). I have a room that I converted to a workroom but I hardly worked there. Realise that I still like working on the floor with my bench as a table :)

    Your tiles rae truly quite perfect already! :)

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  16. I can't tell you how much I love your tiles - they are perfect! Are you thinking of making a fire surround? They would look fantastic.

    And I adore your cupboard - we see a lot of them here in France, but unfortunately, my workroom is at the top of very narrow and twisting stairs, so I could never fit them in (I am sadly consigned to a lot of Ikea stuff... *sigh*!)

    And isn't Lola a beautiful cat! I'd better not type that too loudly, or my marmalade tabby Edgar will get jealous, but she really is one of the prettiest cats I've seen in a long time!

    Oh, yes, and another reason I was commenting...there is a surprise for you on my blog ;D

    Jonquil

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  17. Hi Jonquil,

    Although a 19th century cupboard, it is a bit like IKEA furniture, it all comes apart and the biggest piece is the bottom part with the drawer (you can't see that very well on the photo). It must be where IKEA got the idea from :)).

    And thank you very much for your pretty cushion giveaway!

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  18. Hi! I'm so jealous of your tiles, they're beautiful!!! How can do the same thing for my Georgian dollhouse?
    Thank you! Check out my blog: www.littlegeorgianera.blogspot.it

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  19. Very beautiful tiles! Your work space looks good. I have a small room, but I use it mostly for storage and work on my kitchen table. I don't like to be isolated. The kitchen is the center of our apartment where I can keep an I on what's going on. I love your beautiful cat.
    Hugs, Drora

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  20. The tiles are fantastic. I'm creating a blue and white theme for my Victorian kitchen and your tiles would fit in perfectly. I had thought about approaching my local potter to create some miniatures. You have inspired me to give them a call. IndyPoppy

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  21. WOW!!
    What a wonderful gift!
    Please count me in for the give-away competition.

    Have a wonderful Spring & Summer

    Greetings from Denmark

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