Hello! :) This is a Molligram.
And what is a Molligram? Well, basically a silly idea I came up with. One of those things that might not interest anyone… but here it is 😅.
Imagine Instagram shuts down one day: everything I’ve ever posted would disappear. And even if my posts may look very homemade, there’s a lot of time and effort behind them: recording everything “just in case”, thinking about what to share, writing captions, translating them, replying to messages (which I love, by the way), editing, choosing music (oh, that endless music search… why does it take so long to find one we like?), planning the posting calendar, checking analytics…
This is not me complaining, I honestly enjoy sharing. But it is a big effort that could vanish overnight. That’s why I created this space on my blog: a monthly recap where I can keep my posts safe, and sometimes expand a bit more on what I’ve already shared. A kind of “dear diary” for my creative journey.
Ceramic Painting Workshop – Coimbra Hype Market
On 10 September, I (very last minute 🙈) posted the poster for my ceramic painting workshop at the Coimbra Hype Market, which took place on the 20th at Parque Verde do Mondego. With only ten days left, I decided to boost the post through Meta ads to make sure more people would see it. It worked: the post reached a wide audience and the workshop filled up.
We were 8 participants (out of a maximum of 10), which I find to be the perfect number: enough to create a nice atmosphere, but still small enough for me to give attention to everyone. It was such a pleasant and fun experience and, as always, beautiful pieces came out of it.
And of course, the work doesn’t end there: I take all the pieces home, dry them, glaze them, fire them in the kiln, and finally ship them via CTT. It’s a long process that I’d love to show more of in a future post 🙂.
The Friendly Wolf
Next, I shared a reel of one of my favourite dolls: the Friendly Wolf.
I’m completely in love with this piece: it’s simple, but full of little details that make me smile. It reminds me of the wolves in fairy tales: big teeth, big eyes… but with a very sweet look.
The T-shirt, printed with children playing, is adorable. The trousers are covered in a pattern full of emotions: angry stars, happy suns, a sad moon… such a fun mix.
What I love the most is the game it creates: he can be a friendly wolf, a bad wolf, one who eats children or one who simply wants to be their friend. It all depends on imagination.
This doll is very dear to me, and the fact that it’s also a best-seller makes me extra happy. There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing something I love so much also connect with others 💛.
CAIU, ACONTECE – Things Break
In September, I also shared a blooper — because, truth be told, I break things quite often 😐. I’m in the middle of transitioning from my old studio in São Romão to the new one I’m building at home, and right now I work in a very small space. And even though I’m quite organised, once I start working chaos takes over: tools and materials everywhere, I can’t find a thing. The result: pieces fall, break, experiments fail… I could probably run a whole Instagram account just called “things I break”.
Sometimes it’s just small pieces, other times it’s finished products ready to be sold… and right before packing them, boom, on the floor. At first, it frustrated me a lot, but not anymore: I’ve accepted it as part of the process. It happens.
I paired the video with a funny Argentinian audio I found on Instagram, full of swear words. In Portugal, people don’t really swear much, but in Spain it’s very common (and honestly, I still struggle to stop myself 😅). That’s why I thought it was fun to use this audio to show —with humour— that sometimes things go wrong. And that’s okay: you just start again. At the end of the day, time is just time.
A childhood anecdote: when I was in kindergarten, if someone said a bad word, teachers made us wash our tongue with soap. I think my class was one of the last to experience that (thankfully it’s now unthinkable). But sometimes I still catch myself thinking: “Susana, watch out, they’ll wash your tongue with soap…”
A Paw Print in Clay
On 19 September, I announced a special experience I wanted to try at the Coimbra Hype Market the following day: “A sua patinha no barro” (a paw print in clay). The idea was simple and fun: bring fresh clay to the market so that when someone passed by with their dog, we could press its paw into a clay slab.
I had tested it before with my own dogs (shown in the reel), and it was amazing. I discovered that although dogs don’t have fingerprints like humans, each paw print is unique. For example, my first dog, who has thinner, drier pads, left a huge and very detailed impression.
The result is a beautiful and unique piece of ceramic, a lasting memory. For me, it was such a fun experiment — and I think both the dogs and their owners enjoyed it too.
We Can’t Stay Apart
20 September was market day again at Coimbra Hype Market, in Parque Verde do Mondego. And apart from selling and running the workshop, I received a very special visit: Ana, from Flores do Torrão.
Ana and I met a couple of times at markets in 2024 and, that Christmas, a bit spontaneously —since we barely knew each other— we decided to collaborate and attend the Feira dos Sabores de Chaves together. What started as a spontaneous, slightly crazy idea turned into the best market I’ve ever done so far: record sales, intense, fun, with exclusive pieces made just for that fair. That’s also when the Alheiritas were born. And from that moment on, a beautiful friendship grew: Ana and her husband welcomed me into their home as if I were family.
Since then, we’ve collaborated on a few markets and, even though our products are very different —she makes pressed flower art and beeswax candles—, they work so well together. She has an incredible eye for decoration, and whenever I see her work I feel such peace.
That day, while I was at the workshop, Ana kindly watched over my stand. When I came back, I found this picture she had posted on my Instagram. It made me so happy, because you can clearly see how well our products match 💛.
First Experiments with AI
In September I tried something new: generating images with artificial intelligence. I don’t take photos of children, but I liked the idea of showing my dolls in context, so I experimented. I was surprised by the result of just one simple test and decided to share it.
I mainly use AI to organize workflows, analyse results (Meta/Analytics) and translate. Oh, blessed translations… I’m Spanish and have lived in Portugal since 2018. I speak Portuguese fairly well (if we ignore the accent 🤭), but writing is another story. And there’s nothing worse than spelling mistakes (and we all know Google Translate can be dangerous...).
I know AI is a delicate subject in the world of arts and crafts. For me, it’s simply a management tool, one that helps me save time and focus on what matters most: creating.
And yes, I admit this may sound like a justification (especially since someone commented I lacked integrity 🥹). But this is my blog and I’ll write what I want 🙃.
Let’s be honest: have you seen my characters? They’re basically anything with a smiley face. Do you really think I need AI for that? No, just a slightly silly, childish mind. Try it yourself: take a photo of anything, draw a smiley face on it and voilà - you’ve got a cute Molli & Moai character💃.
Tomàquets de penjar
With the arrival of autumn (or the end of summer, depending how you see it), we’ve been harvesting and preserving things from our garden: jams, freezing, drying…
Having a vegetable garden is therapeutic, yes, but don’t be fooled: it’s also frustrating and a lot of work. And it needs watering. I hate watering. But it’s worth it: things taste as they should, we know they’re chemical-free, and the cost is unbeatable.
These days, with rain on the way, I picked the tomàquets de penjar to start stringing them together. They’re a special tomato variety from my homeland (these are from Torroella), used to make the traditional pà amb tomàquet (bread with tomato).
If you’ve ever been on holiday in Spain, you’ve probably been served bread with grated tomato, olive oil and salt. But don’t be fooled (and yes, this may be more controversial than AI 🤠): the original version is this → cut the tomato in half, rub it directly on toasted bread, then add oil and a little salt. And if you are brave and don’t mind the smell, rub a bit of garlic before the tomato. That’s the real thing 🤤.
For me, this identifies my homeland far more than sardanas, the Caganer, the “si fa no fa”, the Sagrada Família or even Barça. What really brings me home is a tomàquet de penjar.
Here at our "quinta" they grow beautifully, and preserving them means sewing and hanging them, something I only learned recently because I used to buy them ready-made. Now I know how, and they not only help me kill my "saudades", but also make for the most special gifts. People love receiving them. And yes, a tomato that keeps for months is rare, but it’s also gorgeous. When they’re hanging in the kitchen, I love looking at them: they’re just beautiful.
Last Post of the Month
To close September, I shared a reel with a song I’ve heard many times on Instagram and which I strongly relate to: “I know I should sleep, but the voices in my head go…”. Then the techno beat kicks in. Many times, that’s exactly how I feel.
It’s not easy to balance everything, but I love what I do and wouldn’t change it. Finding balance between work and personal life when you run a handmade business isn’t simple, because the work never ends: there are always texts to tweak, results to check, photos to take, pieces to finish, things to reorganise… and in between we’re rebuilding the stone ruin upstairs. The garden keeps growing and needs attention. I have family, responsibilities… all those adult things🫠.
Sometimes I realise I’ve worked every day for two or three weeks, or that I’ve done 16-hour days without noticing. Then I remind myself: I need to stop. Resting is necessary and healthy. I adore what I do, but it’s still work, and sometimes I don’t know when to switch off because I enjoy it so much.
Working for someone else is often easier: you know you’ll get your salary at the end of the month, and you have fixed days off. Of course, in some jobs you might have to do overtime or work weekends, but in theory those are exceptions.
This post was, in the end, a reminder to myself: I need to rest to keep creating consciously and to make sure things turn out well. And let’s be honest… I also wanted to use that audio, because who can resist a good trending sound? 😉
September Events (and What’s Coming Next)
On 20 September I returned to the Coimbra Hype Market, a very special market for me because it was the first I ever attended when I started this adventure. Since then, I’ve taken part in almost every edition: they work so well, I’ve met loyal customers and amazing friends, and they’re always held in beautiful venues. On top of that, the organiser does an incredible job, taking care of every detail.
In September, the Hype once again prepared one of their lovely promotional posts for the artisans. I love how they showcase each brand with so much care and style.
And by the way, the next edition was on Saturday, 4 October, at Casa das Artes Bissaya Barreto, celebrating their anniversary.
I was also supposed to take part in the Mercadito de Palmo e Meio in Leiria, on 28 September. I was really looking forward to it, since it meant going further south beyond Coimbra. New places make me anxious in a good way: Will people like my work? Will I arrive safely? Where will I park? Oddly enough, I can drive 1,300 km to Spain without a problem, but going to a new city makes me so nervous. Sadly, I had to cancel 😢. It was the first time I ever missed a market, and it made me feel awful. But I hope to go in the future, because the venue —Mercado de Sant’Ana— looks absolutely lovely.
To close the month, I also shared the workshop poster, since the next edition included a new hands-on session:
As for October, it’s mostly a studio month for me: after the 4 October market and workshop, I’ll be focusing on production — creating new dolls, glazing ceramics, and firing fresh pieces for the season ahead. ✨
And just like that, this Molligram comes to an end — see you next month!