It's begining to look a lot like Christmas...!

Finally, a photo of my newest studio addition as promised. This rare stationary moment was caught whilst she was asleep on the ironing board, exhausted from 're-arranging' the Christmas tree...enough said! She is so sweet and absolutely exhausting!

 

The Christmas shipping date has now been and gone and things are starting to wind down. I've been finishing up a few Christmas commissions including this one for a friend's boyfriend who adores vintage racers; this one's a little like my vintage 'lady bike' cushion, but a male model on a canvas frame. Have to say, I love this and it was pretty hard to let go of it! I may well be making some more, let me know what you think...

The polariods on the tree are old ones of my mum dressed as an angel when she was little and me with the cousins and a rather creepy looking Santa...I love having these out, they provoke a few chuckles on the way past and are a bit different to the trusty bauble!

Our festive offering this year- you can find the cushions, prints and stockings in the shop!

Those who follow these ramblings may recall the evening ceramics course I said I was doing last term? Well these little houses are the (small!) fruits of my labour, along with lots of other wonky pots / useless vessels / indescribable...things! Had lots of fun doing the course, and looking forward to whatever 2012 brings! 

Heartfelt thank you to everyone who has supported me in my first year of trading, it is evident (as I sit down to sort out my tangle of accounts over Christmas!) that 2011 has been such an adventure, so much fun and just brilliant- I'm so grateful that after graduating only last year, I have been able to make a go of this creative malarkey! Couldn't do it without you- have a fabulous Christmas and all the best for 2012! X

Give away!

Get a FREE pack of my illustrated Christmas cards when you spend £25 or more in the shop!

Think Guinea Fowl Aprons for the foodie in your life and smart tweed pocket warmers for hosts, dog walkers and boyfriends; pocket mirrors and tote bags for stocking fillers- Give handmade this Christmas for something truly unique and memorable...

Offer lasts until 17th December! X

Distractions & more Christmas shopping opportunities...

Phew, what a week! This will be my very first Christmas selling, as last Christmas was the very start of my creative endeavor... so far, so good- my favourite part being all of the lovely events and people I get to meet at the Christmas markets I've been doing, the mulled wine and awesome food which make the stressful panic-making part more bearable! Luckily my work with Rapture & Wright eases off at this time of year as normal people take a break so I can plough through dozens of hand warmers, tote bags and aprons! (see what I'm talking about here)

It may have been the worst timing to even consider introducing another member of the family to the mix, but I'm being very distracted indeed by the lovliest blonde kitten who came courtesy of The Cats Protection League...she's utterly gorgeous and is into everything. Will have to post a picture once she stays still for 5 minutes!

Thought I'd let you know about another stall i'm holding at Prema Art Centre, Uley near Stroud 11th Dec, 2-6pm. Super excited about this one, there looks to be some amazing bits so I'm sure i'll be able to get the majority of my Christmas shopping done here too! See you there! X

Just a quicky!

Support your local makers this Christmas (and beyond!) Some of my pieces will be at these events in Cheltenham, 9th December at The Parabola Arts Centre & 11th December at The Gardens Gallery, not to be missed... more soon folks x

Recently...Salami, Laurence Llewleyn Bowen & Christmas

Last week was pretty exciting with the arrival of my long-awaited 'Salami tea towel' commission I've been working on. I mentioned a while back, and now I can finally show you the result of my branding commission for The Cotswold Curer, who are venturing into free-range Salami in the Cotswolds! YUM. So pleased with the results and wish Carolyn & Peter every success with their exciting new business, I will miss my weekly coffee meeting with Carolyn!

I've been putting more of my wheat hand warmers in my shop and some special limited-edition hand-printed Christmas stockings complete with fur trims- take a peek! Both have flown at the two events I did this weekend in Bingham Hall, with a guest appearance from Laurence Llewelyn Bowen and on Saturday at Hatherop Castle's 'Christmas at the Castle' event, which saw Dom Joly serving up mulled wine for charity. A big old thanks to everyone who supported me at both events and a special thanks to my glamorous helpers, we had a lovely time! Remember, you can 'follow' me on facebook to find out about new products and other events I'll be at, here.

Here's some photos from the weekend, it's fair to say I'm feeling rather Christmassy now!

My lovely mum gets her apron on to lend a hand!

Snowflake doilies...it's begining to feel a lot like Christmas!

Hatherop Castle's 'Christmas at the Castle' for Helen & Douglas House Charity

Bingham Hall, Cirencester...I'm thinking Christmas wedding!!

 

Buy handmade this Christmas for something extra special! X

24

Corr, a little shattered after such a lovely birthday weekend spent at Centre Parcs, whilst all my goodies were left in the safe hands of The Little Buckland Gallery, Broadway, who held a festive weekend sale of arts and craft bits. If only every weekend contained this much work and play! 

I'm always spoilt each year of course with fireworks, (having a birthday around bonfire night is the best- everyone wants to celebrate your birthday!) but watching them over a lake with mulled wine, chestnuts and then diving back in the swimming pool rapids is just awesome...

Autumn is so late this year...?

I got utterly spoilt and am most chuffed with my fancy electric toothbrush from little sister, who's a dental nurse, a beautiful new bike from the rents after my old faithful well and truly snuffed it (it was my nan's and my mum's before it was mine!) and lots of goodies from the fella- these are some pretty favourites...he is good!

Watch Swatch, umbrella Orla Kiely, oragami brooch hugaporcunpine, pj's La Sensa

Though the water was heavenly warm, I've landed myself with a nice cold, (swimming outside in November was asking for it really) which I've been desperately trying to shift in time for a talk I'm doing tomorrow at Swansea Met. Uni for 2nd Year Surface Patterners. Looking forward to being back, (I studied the same course here) having a catch up with the lecturers and visiting some old haunts and friends for dinner. Will try not to put them off too much!

I've also been busy making in time for fast approaching Christmas fairs, but if you can't catch me at any of these, there's always my Etsy shop here! When I'm finished buying lovely handmade bits from other artists for presents, everyone else is going to recieve chilli jam and dodgy ceramics made on the evening class I've been going to...you have been warned!

Do you think it's too much to put one of these on my wish list?? So good...

Anthropologie

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas! X

This weekend!

New bits!

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend! Mine was spent carving pumpkins, (not quite as spectacular as the ones from my last post) constructing costumes, visiting friends and finished off nicely with a mammoth roast dinner with family for pre-birthday celebrations, as I'm spending the big '24' next weekend with the fella in a weekend at Centre Parcs! Can't wait!

A couple of exciting new winter-y inspired bits added to my Etsy shop you should know about:

Illustrated Christmas Cards! In sets of five or sold singularly, these feature a hand-painted snugly knit on a quality, FSC approved 325gsm card stock with envelopes ready to pop in the post. Blank inside for your own message/ words of wisdom/ poetry and love!

Plus, these beauties are flying! Pairs of microwavable pocket warmers, made with dust-free British-grown wheat, Rosemary essential oils, British tweed and my feather screen-printed linen on the backs of each. Heat them in the microwave for 1-2 mins and pop in your pocket or on those aches and pains for instant comfort!  I've already taken mine on a  nice few walks in the cold and they've been ultra snugly- these will make great Christmas pressies...

Get them in the shop here! X

Dates for your diary and halloween inspiration...

Oh, how time flies! It's quite horrifying how the weeks are speeding by. I'm getting ready for a nice busy (whisper!) Christmas, so thought I'd share a few dates coming up where I'll be showing my wares...but before we can even start to think about Christmas properly, here's a little inspiration for Halloween! 

Autumn is my favourite few months (nothing to do with my birthday coming up!) and these are great; will definitely be trying out one or two of these beauties...

Beautifully styled at Martha Stewart living

 Dates for your diary....

Christmas at the Castle

19th November 201, 10am-4pm

Hatherop Castle School, Cirencester

 Enjoy a great day's shopping and discover inspired and original Christmas gifts with over 40 selected stall holders, mulled wine and mince pies in the festively decorated cafe. In aid of Helen & Douglas House, a local charity providing hospice & palliative care for children and young adults.

 -----------------------------

Christmas Crafts

18th November 2011, Bingham Hall, Cirencester

Christmas gifts sale in aid of Duke of Gloucester Playgroup

7.30pm

 ------------------------------

Little Buckland Gallery,

Little Buckland, Broadway, Gloucestershire

5th-6th November 2011 (running alongside the exhibition 22nd October-6th Nov)

 

I'll be showing my work including special handmade gift ideas for Christmas on the last weekend (5th-6th November 2011) which will see the exhibition transformed into a craft spectacular!

Support British crafts people this Christmas and give something totally unique to last a life time...

www.littlebucklandgallery.co.uk

 

I have an events page on my website where you can always find out where I'll be heading....x

Decorex round up

Firstly, thanks to everyone who's voted for me in the Dorset Cereals Little Blog Awards. There's still  a day or so to go if you'd like to vote, it would mean a lot to me- love a bowl of Dorset! But seriously, it's great that people are bothering to read my ramblings; I'm not sure why people blog but it somehow makes sense of everything I've been doing (and is a fantastic distraction from doing the accounts). Remember, you can also 'follow' on the left side bar to hear about new products, competitions & events I'll be showing at...

I've been doing zombie jobs today after a manic few days in London helping the company I print for, Rapture and Wright showcase their wares at Decorex, an international interior design trade show held at The Royal Hospital, Chelsea. Absolutely. shattered. There were some great ideas on show and plenty of interesting people to talk to, so I've left feeling quite inspired. Though I work mainly in textiles, inspiration for us creatives can come from each and every spectrum of design. I wizzed round and took a few snaps of my highlights for you to see:

 The wonderful, British Rapture & Wright who showcased their three new graphic prints Feathers, Zig Zag & Berry (below). We hand screen-print Peter's beautiful designs onto Scottish-woven linens in Gloucestershire, offering a bespoke service and something rather special... (biased, me?!)

Other must haves included...

Love this chair at Luke Irwin

 Amazing relief tiles from Brussels based company, Emery & Cie

 

 

These British-made cisterns by Catchpole and Rye would turn an uninspiring bathroom into the talking point of the house! Love them.

 

Golran's beautiful re-purposed and re-invented rugs

 Andrew Martin's vintage and retro inspired interiors. Need that tapestry upholstered sofa!

I'm going to take advantage of my newly inspired thoughts and hopefully make full use of them- excited to get back to my evening ceramics course and have been meaning to have a go at a friend's wedding invites for ages now! Where do the weeks go?

Have a lovely weekend and do something different- be inspired! x

Back to work!

Hope everyone's had a nice weekend? I did a show at Beyond France's Textile Tea Party and met some lovely people whilst Lavinia's Tea Party did a great job serving tea & cake in the garden for Women for Women's charity (it's dangerous when your best friend is in this line of work...too.much.cake!) 

It was a nice gentle ease back into work after a relaxing week off in rainy Cornwall (though as you'll see from my photos, we had the odd blue sky!) I'm busy in work for the next couple of weeks as Rapture & Wright get ready to exhibit at Decorex, and I'm off to London with them at the end of September. Quite exciting, I've also enrolled on an evening ceramics course so it's back to college for me! X

 

 

 

Beyond France's Textile Tea Party

 

 

Who doesn't love Cornwall?

To DIY for...!

Morning!

I'm having a nice (kind of) productive couple of weeks away from working at Rapture and Wright as they're insulating the barn we print in. With the heaters on to dry the ink and in this heat (sometimes) we all forget how cold it gets out there so hopefully it'll be lovely come the winter!

I know it's a little late now as kids will be going back to uni/ college/ actual kids go back to school but I thought I'd share with you some online DIY project gems I've been meaning to do myself. There's some incredible design blogs out there. I save all of my inspiration in a folder, which I'll get round to exploring one day...some day! Perhaps there'll be time for one this bank holiday...?

Images TOP Honestly..WTF, BOTTOM Free People
 

Design*Sponge DIY projects

Free People
Honestly...WTF

I think these are all American sites...perhaps you've got some UK home grown favourites you'd like to share!

The Painswick exhibition came down on Monday and seemed to be a roaring success, I was very pleased with my little bundle of receipts and plan to take the winnings down to Cornwall for a week of roughing it in a tent. Bliss, so looking forwards to getting away!
Also made these to take down to Wales: White choc & raspberry blondies, blooming LUSH.

For the recipe click here.

On a business note, you can catch me at Beyond France's Vintage Textile Tea Party on the 9th &10th September. There'll be an open house full of fabric for crafts, vintage linen for upholstery, cushions and housewares, vintage tea party courtesy of Lavinia's Tea Party and several other makers including me! It also supports Women for Women charity, and will be a wonderful couple of days- pop in for a chat and a cuppa! X

Polka dots & circus rings

Thought I'd update you whilst some Guinea Fowl Aprons are drying! I'm half way though the Painswick exhibition now; things are going down well over there and if you still havn't been, there's still time- it runs until 21st August 2011. There's lots of things still running around my head after the Prince's Trust Business course I went on a couple of weeks ago, and I've been allocated a mentor I can use for the next couple of years...these people must have oodles of patience! 

 

For those of you who are local, do go and see this year's Giffords Circus. We saw it on Minchinhampton Common between the cows and golfers on Saturday evening; words cannot describe how much I love their work! Pure magic... (I'm sure I'll have to see them again before their stint ends in September!) We even bumped into the fella's boss coming out of the show, Pete Lord of Aardman animation- a man of good taste!

Today I'm almost finished on my run of Hungarian linen Polka dots for Beyond France- they're looking fabulous in a spectrum of vintage-looking pinks and greens. They will be available to buy as cushions at Maud's Vintage tea party & open house textile sale 9th-10th September in Cirencester, along with plenty of other lovely bits.

 Have a great week! X