Sick kitty

Not much creating out of me lately,  just stress and more stress. Little Fenn kitty got sick :( he's doing better and home now but it's trown me for a complete loop.

Slow Clay Pottery Centre

I've been taking pottery lessons since the start of the year of which I have completely failed to post any updates or finished products here. I'll do a post a full pottery update at the conclusion of this semester.  

On the Saturday 15/8/2015 and Sunday 16/8/2015 the studio where I have my classes had an open day. Since my Saturday was free I volunteered to help out. So many children...

But it was busy and fun :)

Here's a handful of photos I took at the beginning of the day before it was too busy;

Some little pottery bits and bobs that could be taken home for a donation to the rebuilding of the Nepalese pottery industry;

 

Some visitors to the open day having a go on the wheel under directions of the resident experts (it got a lot more hectic from this point onwards);

And the details of the studio:
Slow Clay Centre
13 Keele st, Collingswood 3066

It's really a nice place and I'm enjoying making a clay-y mess every week and the occasional success.

Rest in Pieces Taxidermy Workshop

I enrolled to attend a day class in taxidermy. Read no further if you are particularly squeamish or are sensitive to the subject...!

I wasn't as focused as I would have like, my cat Fenn was on his 4th day at the vets and getting picked up (fingers crossed) by my brother while I was in the class. My brother had also torn his Achilles tendon that week. So I was stressed and pretty broke but I really wanted to do the class, I challenge you to find any other taxidermy classes in Australia. It's a pretty unique experience.

The company "Rest in Pieces" is fairly new, only founded a year or so ago and has been running full day courses/workshops to taxidermy mice (the only thing you can really do with a bunch of beginners in a day) throughout the year. 

The workshop had a maximum of 9 students, though we lost one who slept in and didn't make it in time. You really can't come in late. The group included a professional taxidermist wanting to practise something small as she usually worked on birds and restorations, one single guy (he was a giant!), some serious committed amateurs and a couple of beginner-beginners. 

The course took from 9am to 5.30ish for our group but if someone needed more time then it would have been given. No one goes home without a mouse! We learnt the basic processes involved in creating taxidermy. Learning how to skin and preserve a little mouse, as well as how to mount him into a standing pose with optional cheese. I was going to make some little props for him but the class was moved forward a month for me and I didn't have time. Someone did bring a little tutu (her mouse was tiny but the tutu was smaller so it ended up as a neck ruff - probably cuter that way regardless)

Everything was supplied on the day including the mice, tools, aprons, lunch and some (optional) wine. The mice were python feeder mice pre-frozen at the pet shop. The host named mine Chester. 

You can find more form this workshop and others @ instagram
#restinpiecestaxidermy @restinpiecestaxidermy
I don't bother with instagram so no pickies from me.

We were also advised to bring a strong tummy, I was pretty good with that until we got to the bit where we used a cotton bud to get his brain out...gross. But I got past that brief squeamishness.

After his hide was treated and we had lunch we came to the part of rebuilding our mice back into mouse shapes and not tiny little mouse skin rugs. Around then there is a point were you wire him up like a deranged marionette. There was wire sticking out everywhere. 

I hate hand stitching and at the end  we had to sew up his back. My sewing was pretty rough, and near the top I tore the skin a few times so he has a bit of a ruff where I put in multiple stitches to hold him all together. I was pretty tired by the end of the day.

I'll save you from the more gruesome pictures - well his insides no long inside anyway - the body including the tail comes out as one piece it's weird yet fascinating.  But here's the finished product and a work in progress shot (skin only)

Behold, Chester the mouse;

 

And some of the ambiance in the workshop; 

 

And a work in progress shot, the skin after removing it;