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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

Like manos at facebook!

Caroline and Bruno came by with fudge from newly opened Pärlans Konfektyr on a neighbouring street. Delicious in every way AND the wrapping looks wonderful AND they come delivered in handprinted paper bags…

Madame bigger.

Hello everybody!
Long time no see, but here I am again hopefully on a little more regular basis. It seems to me this autumn has been filled to the brim and has gone by so quickly, I hope next year moves at a little slower pace. I have so much to tell you, but all in due time.

Here’s a recipie-film for hot blood orange toddy with spices and rum that my new-found friend Sanna makes. I find her films and images very inspiring, I hope you do too!

I wish you all a joyful and relaxing Christmas time.

Summer ceramics courses at manos - so much creativity! It’s been a varied bunch of participants which is a challenge and really fun for me. I want everyone to feel they’ve gotten the most out of the course - be it that they’ve been inspired, that they’ve come further in their ceramics knowledge or that they’ve made a cup they’re really pleased with. Hopefully all three…

A couple of bowls, two boats and a plate.

More images from the course and other events at manos here.

Iacoli & McAllister.

It’s been aerily quiet in the shop today, it’s a hot day and I hope people are sitting in the breeze on a boat or in the shade of an old beautiful oak tree… Like I did yesterday, in Hagaparken. It’s such a splendid place, best lawn for a picknick.

Luckily, the shop doesn’t actually get too hot and neither does the workshop so I’ve been spending the afternoon by the throwing wheel. I’m working on a a vase/sculpture prototype for a restaurant opening here in Stockholm in the autumn. It’s all about dimensions - thickness, height, diameter and the interplay between various parts of the piece. Difficult, and very enjoyable!

Leonard listening to jazz at Slussen last week.
It was really good and he knows how to clap his hands now.

I love the blue of cornflowers - and the green of them too. So summery. Here’s another image that feels like summer.

Nature photography by Carl Fredrik Ekström. More nature by Tend Collective, via 3191.

whip up’s guide to e-mags

Happy midsummer!

Once in a while I get a newsletter from KIKI, the must-visit Japanese design store here on Renstiernas gata, and they always make me happy. The newsletter contain information about what’s going on at KIKI - workshops and exhibitions and such - and thoughts on Japan related things that happen here in Sweden and always a “word of the week". I’m getting quite a Japanese dictionary of interesting words.

Yesterday I was in Hässleholm to give a talk at Konsthantverkscentrums day on marketing and selling your work online. It’s the first time I’ve done something like that and I really enjoyed it - I talked about something I’m passionate about and the audience was active and asked lots of questions. Fun!

‘Vive La Tapisserie’, an exhibition of small format tapestries by Scottish Tapestry Artists Regrouped at Galerie la Tour, Montsalès, France

The magnolia in manos back yard is in full bloom and the hackberry next to it smells wonderful. I finally got my tax return sent in after which I’ve been spending my days catching up on emails and admin work. I’ve also updated manos webshop with Lisa Vilhelmsons gorgeous hand- and bath towels.

The 3191 quarterly arrived yesterday and made me so happy, I really really like what mav and Stephanie are creating here!

Also love the new video from Ayumi Horie.

Still sunny and warm - even the wind is warm. Today I walked all along the waterfront in Hammarby Sjöstad and while Leonard was sleeping I read my book and dipped my toes in the water. Bliss.

Filip has got some really good stuff in his webshop.

Leva Kungslador looks like a lovely place to visit.

After a couple of cold cloudy days the sun has been shining in through the workshop windows this afternoon in erratic spurts. While I took care of yesterdays throwing it was shining right in my eyes.

I was packing a box of ceramics to send to Pomme gallery in Mornington, Australia and just then - within half an hour of each other - two Australian tourists came into the shop.

Soap dishes for Pomme.

I usually have a proper lunchs but today it was muesli and yoghurt. A very nice muesli mind you, from Persgården.

Heidi and Eva writes the lovely blog ceramics with a twist.