May 25th, 2025

Just returned from a few days away to Margate with five wonderful people - all clayers! Retiring was difficult for me, I felt I'd lost an important role, and didn't want to fill my time with just anything, or worse, nothing. I also missed the camaraderie and social contact of my work colleagues, but again, I'm rather fussy about friends, and not the most sociable person unless I have things in common with people. Having this group of friends fills my soul in the most meaningful way (clay, laughter, food!.) I also have my American clay friends who are equally important, just a bit far away!!! Claying for me provides an outlet for creativity, and friends. Just have to share one more photo of our time away, this one with Basil my dog in - he came too :)

Thank you to everyone who has so far subscribed to my mailing list, giving me permission to 'pester you' as my husband said most rudely. I decided to give away the latest frog pen tutorial to one subscriber, and the winner is Diann. Congratulations Diann, hope you enjoy it. 

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​Since my slight obsession with frog, dragon, turtle and owl pens, I've been focussing on my hare. While I was away I made lots of canes to cover the hare, and when home did another two days making canes. These are the ones I made while away.

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I've now made two hare bodies, and enough canes to cover them - that's the scary part. However, I have a nagging little grandson asking me to read the 'find the poo' book, so the hares won't be dressed until he's in bed. 
Here's the canes made into thin strips ready to put on the body. I think I'll do a tutorial of one of the canes and do another prize draw. It can be any cane apart from the Sarah Shriver ones (the green weave one and the red and green hexagon one) or the Jon Stuart Anderson one (the orange and black repeating patterned one). All the others are mine so I can share them. Just put a comment in the facebook post of which one you'd like and I'll make the most popular. Here are the rest.

Right, I'm now needed for Nanny duty, the 'find my poo' book won't read itself. I'll leave you with the hares, and the covered ears, which is as far as I've got.