Woven Ceramics by Pat Hammond.

Woven bowls and platters, which allow air to circulate, make excellent containers for fruit and vegetables.
However, they can also be purely decorative, with the added advantage that interesting shadows are cast when there is light shiing on them. Varying in size from 5 inches to 17 inches across and a choice of decoration, these pots fit in traditional or modern interiors from kitchen to lounge.
Prices are from £9 to £60 plus postage and packing.

Finishes include:
1. Bronze and Ivory.
2. Ivory with crackle rim.
3. "Three-colour" weaves.
a. Bright Yellow, Blue and Lime Green.
b. Pink, Green with Bronze Rim.
4. Bronze rims can have a message embossed. e.g. Happy Birthday ----- Comfort me with apples.

email: pat@cazclay.demon.co.uk

Julie Reid • Beeswax Pictures

Encaustic or hot wax painting comes down from Ancient Greece where it was a major creative art process which is over 2,000 years old.
Encaustic means "to burn in" and is the use of heat as a solvent. The Ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans used this beeswax medium by melting waxes over charcoal fires and then applying liquid colour to wooden backgrounds with heated tools from the fire. (See Room 64 at The British Museum.)
Today electricity enables simple control of heated tools to create interesting effects. A small travel iron has 4 uses :-
1) The base to spread wax over the card to form landscapes and sky effects.
2) Dabbing of the iron gives foliage and grass effects.
3) The edge of the iron is used for fine lines such as long grass and flower stalks.
4) Fine detail such as birds and flowers are done with the tip of the iron.
I first started Encaustic War Painting in 1988 and am self-taught. It is a fascinating hobby and every card and picture is individually painted and unique.

Busy Bee • (01874) 711796