Karin's Style Blog

Now they’re not only in the shop, but also in the shop window and here on the blog!
“Container Stories” is a project that Camilla and I’ve been working on and off with for several years. And as it often is with ideas that you mull over in your head and in conversations and drawings for a long time at some point they just come together so naturally – as if with no effort at all! I make the containers and Camilla tell the stories. I try to tell the stories too with Camillas characters, but it is difficult for me. I’m used to working with pattern and make it harmonise with the shape, but it is a whole different thing when it comes to telling stories and using someone elses creations… We’re however very happy with the result and hope you like it too!

I’ve started pinning!

One of my customers stopped by with three pots of corn that she had planted for me! All I need to do now is to nurture and nourish them and I’ll have my very own corn to put on the barbecue come summer.

Now I’m going back to what I’ve been spending the morning with - preparing for the launch of Camilla and Karin’s “Container Stories” AND a small clearout of things we’ve kept to ourselves… They will all be online next week, we will post all about the dates later this week. If you’d like to receive an email about it just let me know.

Make your own little paper plant pots with the wooden pot maker!

I love finding something that makes my heart race just a little faster. Lately I’ve been browsing and reading a wonderful blog called Green Kitchen Stories. It’s taken me a good long while to find it and now I’ve got so many delicious recepies to try out! Tonight we’re cooking two of their recepies: the pink frozen cheescake for dessert and as main I think it’ll have to be a soup - I need something warming after the april-weather-days we’ve been having this week.

Hoping you will all have a good weekend!

Waiting for a kaffe latte in a café.

I took the train to Gothenburg on Friday and spent the weekend with Camilla. What a nourishing and fun way to spend a weekend! We went to a couple of galleries, walked, ate Camilla’s lovely vegetarian food, did some window shopping… We worked too, you can see some of the results on Camilla’s blog. I returned inspired and happy and very much longing to give Leonard a long long hug.

Bigger tools.

I’m looking for a workshop assistant! Someone who wants to learn how to run a succesfull ceramics business - from designing and making to pricing, selling and marketing. You must be able to stay for at least three-four months. The position is non-paid, but I will teach you everything I know and I’ll make you a healthy lunch every day. Send me an email if you would like to know a little bit more: karin@karineriksson.se

Bigger drying.

This spring I’m holding a series of weekend ceramic workshops here at manos. It’ll be creative and inspiring days where we’ll go through the basic ceramic techniques - coiling, slabbuilding, pinching and throwing. Since the groups are small (five people at the most, to fit around my workshop table), you will work on your individual level and get the help and challenge you want. More information is available here (if you like to receive this information in english, please just drop me an email!)

Christine Brandt’s jewellery, I love that she uses natural materials.

Bigger detail.

Creative chaos is ruling my workshop at the moment, you can’t really tell from the above but perhaps a little more in this picture. I’m in a very productive phase right now - making all the pieces for my 2012 collection, making pieces for Camilla and my collaboration (I think it’s finally coming together and I love the pieces!) and making for orders. In combination with planning manos’ display windows that I’m redecorating on Monday there is not much free space left here!

I usually re-decorate the windows every three weeks. It’s the amount of time it takes my fingers to start itching to do something new in them. I’ve got three big beautiful windows and they are so important - they work 24/7 for manos The light is out in one of them so I’ll better get that changed before I close up shop for the day.

I’m hoping to soon receive my 3191 issue!

Ciao.

This week it’s Stockholm furniture fair and I notice that it’s a more cosmopolitan croud than usual visiting the shop. I haven’t been in every day as Leonard is starting kindergarten this week. We’re slowly getting him adjusted to his new friends and surroundings and I stay close by the kindergarten in case he doesn’t feel it’s ok to be left alone with people he doesn’t really know. Up until now we’ve been together every weekday until noon when his dad or his grandmother has picked him up from manos. Now he’ll be spending his time with someone else and it takes a little getting used to for me too… He seems happy though and I’m sure it’ll stimulate him to spend more time with people his own age…

I got a lovely big bunch of tulips from my mum today. I’ve arranged them in various vases all over the shop. Above they’re in the vase I’ve made in collaboration with architect duo Form for you. It’s three different sized hand thrown porcelain vases connected, fired and glazed. For very inspiring flower arrangements take a look at the Ikebana arrangements by Boel Lindbergh.

I’ll leave you with more tulips and some good music. Have a nice Friday evening!

Bigger.

Larger tulips.

Erika came by and chatted the afternoon away, while flipping through magazines at my workshop table. I’m at the moment not only flipping, but actually reading Kinfolk magazine. I like this appreciation of the everyday, focus on smaller or larger gatherings where we take time to talk and listen and enjoy each others company.

The year’s first semla, small and just what I needed from Bagargänget at Folkkungagatan.

Finally winter has arrived, it’s really cold and the ground is covered with snow that has been falling generously all afternoon. Leonard loves it, he stretches out on his tummy and puts his face into the snow licking it up. All I can do is to prepare for this by rubbing his little cheeks and nose with a covering ointment.

Now, I’ll better get back to the throwing wheel. I’m making all the things that will be included in my ceramics collection this year. Today’s assignment is vases. Have a really nice weekend!

I went around Formex yesterday evening, it’s the largest fair for nordic design. I wanted to visit a couple of stands: Konsthantverkscentrum, Axlings and Växbo Lin (whose products I sell at manos). But most of all I went to see Stylistgruppen in whose stand my work was represented with lots of pieces - tealight holders, flower pots and little soap dishes alongside wallpaper by Marianne Pettersson-Soold and wooden paper pot makers that I sell at manos.

Photo by Anette Åberg.

It’s pretty exhausting to visit a fair like Formex - walking up and down the aisles on hard floors, hundreds of people and millions of products flickering by. I’m very selective in what I choose to look at but somehow everything registers in the brain… It was like a breath of fresh air to find Anna Agger from Örnahusens snickeri, showing simple, well thought through and beutifully produced wooden interior and exterior pieces. For instance a clothes dryer (above) and a planting table. Ithink I’m buying them for manos. I also liked the beautiful boxes by Rie Elise Larsen.

It’s really slow in the shop this week and a perfect time for mending tools and kiln shelves in the workshop.
Last year was a bit rough on my kiln shelves with trying out new glazes and having a ceramic course in the summer with thickly glazed pieces that stuck on the shelves when the glaze ran too much…
I like taking time to mend things - it slows me down plus it’s a financial gain and not least an environmental one (rather than keep buying new all the time). While on the subject of slow - I couldn’t agree more with Kathreen, let 2012 be slow!

I’ve got my collection for Restaurang Jonas in the window at manos now, to my mother’s delight (she thinks that I neglect presenting my own work in favour of all the other beautiful things I’ve got in the shop…) Here’s how the pastry chef at Jonas have used my plates.

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