I’m not really into the normal tea and cake parties unless it’s coffee and homemade Baked Guava Cheese Cake and a bunch of ladies painting on ceramics!
This year I have challenged myself to be creative every single day by blogging and in order to blog I am intentional about having new experiences, seeing new places, doing new hikes, baking new cakes and for my birthday we painted bowls at the Clay Cafe.
Image source Claycafe.co.za
Image source Claycafe.co.za
The Clay Cafe has been around for years and years, but in the last couple years they moved into new premises that gave their business a boost that I think has blown their minds. Their new premises were the old premises of Earthworx which is a garden Center and on that I used to take my kids to when they were toddlers and needed space to run. They had a sweet cafe and play park.
Image source claycafe.co.za
The Clay Cafe has taken the entire space to a whole ‘nother level though. The building has been extended, a new kiln barn built and the play area is seriously next level with trampolines, stony running rivers, jumping castles and climbing frames in a grassy field of goodness.
Image source claycafe.co.za
Why have a little old tea party when you can be creative and actually paint your own piece of ceramic? The idea is that you choose a piece from the many shelves of plain unglazed items.
Then you have a quick tutorial from the trained staff who show you the various techniques. Choose your 3 colours (or share with your mates at your table) and then paint away.
I miss all my girl friends from our old hood (and Clay Cafe is in my old hood of Hout Bay) so I rounded up the ladies and we all gathered for a little celebrating with Coffee, Cake and Clay. These girls have been a lifeline, a support, my guides and mentors through all our various phases old life over the last 13 years, so I can’t imagine them not being a part of my life.
First coffee and the aforementioned Guava Baked Cheese cake that I made and brought from home. Not fancy but super tasty and made with love!
Next choose your paint colours. My daughter and I decided to both choose the same shaped bowls and the same colours, but to paint them in different patterns so that our bowls could work together as a set although different. That’s kind of like family isn’t it? We’re all places in a set, but we are each unique and bring to different qualities to the family unit.
Next get your tools and start painting. The ladies painted all sorts of things from a dinner plate and a large mug to a ceramic dog bowl! It’s always a little nerve wracking because you’re not 100% sure what colour your final product is going to be!
Grace using a bubble technique to paint her plate
You can have an idea from the glazed bowls with the paint names, but when you’re doing your painting you don’t see the final colour. It all looks so dull and uninteresting. Then you place all your tables goods on a shelf and leave it behind to be baked in the kiln and the beautiful colours revealed.
Source tripadvisor.com for Clay Cafe
I can’t wait to see all the final ceramics when I go and collect them in a couple weeks and make a few door to door deliveries to my friends.
The idea of an interactive gathering is so attractive. It’s amazing how people either completely zone out and get stuck into their art OR they kinda just make their way through the project and spend all their time chatting. The different outcomes tend to be the evidence of which art belonged to which creator.
The suspense is driving me crazy and very soon our bowls will be revealed. But in the meantime take a moment to gather with those dearest to you and do something fun and creative!
Your world will only be better for it.
Thanks to the Clay Cafe for hosting us and for the brilliant coffee. Add this to your list of things to do in Cape Town if you get to visit.
