Joseph William: the reason I haven't been blogging

He's here at last!  Joseph William was born just over 4 weeks ago now, so there hasn't been much time for blogging or anything else really!

He is lying on a beautiful hap (shawl) handknitted by my 90 year old Grandaunt from Shetland yarn.

I am planning to take time off from work until at least the new year, my head is brimming with new ideas so hopefully I will have some new products when I come back and reopen the online shop.

In the meantime, I am planning several projects for myself, I went a bit mad buying yarn to knit Joseph some cardigans, socks, hats....... so I will keep to posted with how that goes depending on how the time goes!

Pay it Forward with a Brooch

Earlier this year I signed up to a "game" on facebook and twitter, someone promised to send the first 5 people to comment on their post something handmade.  In turn you then had to do the same - a great way to receive some lovely handmade items!

I played the game on twitter with Anne Murray, an artist who works in ceramics.  She sent me this gorgeous brooch, which is very "me", she seems to have worked out my style well even though we have never met.

You can see more of her work on her website www.anne-murray.com , I particularly like her design journal on the "my work" page, it's a really novel and quirky way to show off her products and ideas.

In the meantime, anyone who is waiting for something handmade from me - it is coming, sometime in 2011!

My work and my Mam

You might have noticed that I haven't been online for a few weeks now.  Lately my personal life has overtaken and there has been little time for blogging, twittering and the like.
My dear Mam, Betty, passed away a few weeks ago after a long battle with cancer and I took time off work to be with her both at home and at the hospital.  She was a big inspiration in my work, and worked for me occassionally a few years ago before she became ill.  She spent many hour herself designing and making her own clothes.

Here she is a couple of years ago, standing in my stall at the Shetland Arts and Craft Christmas Fair, wearing a jacket she had designed and knitted.  Many people asked her if I had made it, much to her annoyance and my amusement!

When I made my first felt bag Mam told me what she would like, so we designed it together. 

I named the bag the "Ursula Bag" which was her middle name.  When I came up with a new design I would usually ask her what she thought and would take it from there - she would very often even "aquire" many of the pieces!

 She will be a huge miss but I have to concentrate on the good memories and there are many of them. 

On a more positive note I am expecting my first baby, due on the 6th August.  I am on maternity leave now so my website is now closed and the last couple of orders for galleries will be sent out on Monday.  I am hoping to have some time to relax, get things ready, cook meals for the freezer etc.

I also have so many projects (for myself for a change!) going round in my head that I would like to do so I will see if I can get them fitted in.....

I will be back making and selling soon, but not sure when, I will keep in touch with news of new designs, I hope to have a new range of work when I get back into making.

Busy Days and Holidays

You might have noticed I haven't been blogging for a while - time seems to just have disappeared.  I have  been busy in the workshop working on various orders as shops got ready for Mother's Day and Easter.  I also had a lovely holiday at the end of March. 

We spend a couple of days in Edinburgh:

We wandered, drank coffee, had cakes, window shopped.......  I went for a visit to Concrete Wardrobe on Broughton St, one of my stockists, but unfortunately as it was Sunday it was closed.  However, I was delighted to see that they were displaying some of my work in their window:

Then we headed down to St Ives.

I have wanted to visit there for years, and it didn't disappoint.  The town is packed with quaint little lanes stretching up from the harbour....

There were lots and lots of galleries to spend many an hour browsing:

We stayed in a cosy fisherman's cottage in one of the lanes just minutes from the harbour:

While in Cornwall we had to visit the Eden Project:

It was an amazing place and we spent much more time there than we had planned; it was very inspirational as well as being informitive.  I came back with lots of gardening ideas:

But think I might pass on the suggestion of what to do with my old shoes and handbags (not that I have ever had any like these!):

I came back feeling inspired which I think is always a sign of a good holiday, my head is packed with new ideas, I just need that time to do something with them now!

This week I will be making lots of felt covered notebooks including several of these:



Well I suppose I must go - they won't sew themselves.  Have a good week all :-)



Crofting and Crafting

These last few day has seen a variety of activities, as well as the usual felt cutting, sewing and sticking I have been chief crofter since Dad has been away.

It is only a small croft with a few hens and several sheep but they all need fed in the morning.  They wait at the house at the top of the hill and we all walk down together.  Tib, the border collie doesn't "do" sheep; they casually wander past her, and sometimes offer the odd head-butt.  She prefers rabbits (never catches them) and will spend hours with her head down the rabbit holes:

I love being out first thing in the morning, it sets me up for the day.

Is there any for me?

I have been doing a little bit of designing new products for spring.  I have used the same bird shape as the felt version of the bird notebook but have appliqued it using floral fabrics to co-ordinate with the felt.

Fabric and felt brid notebooks:

The notebooks have a removable cover and refills can be bought from artists shops, the notebook is made up of plain paper and can be used for sketches or notes.

The fabric birds on the felt close up:

These notebooks have been sent, amongst other felty things to the Newgate Gallery in Surrey for their next exhibition., the Spring Contemporary Craft Collection.  I will hopefully get them on my own website before too long!

I am working on other new notebooks and brooches using the floral fabric and applique, and I will share these with you as soon I am happy with the designs and get some pictures taken!

If it stays still I will paint it

You might recall back in October that I was painting my kitchen units, the doors were lying on the kitchen table getting their treatment. You can see a picture here.

Now it is more or less finished at last (except for the new cooker and taps).

If you look very closely in the picture below you will spot a deliberate mistake - the bottom cake tin is upside down as it still has the remains of our Christmas cake.

The cooker has a brass handle which doesn't go with my new off-white and brushed chrome look, so in the meantime before I get a new cooker, the handle will be covered by a strategically placed dish cloth.  This one was from Rachel Taylor designs, she is a designer and textile artist turning her patterns into a lovely range of of textiles, cards, paper and mugs among other things.  You can see her website by clicking here.

I have my eye on a purple Aga cooker......I'd better get saving!

I used Farrow and Ball paints, the units are Clunch, the walls are Stoney Ground and the facings and skirtings are Hardwick White.

One of my favourite things in the house is the rayburn - a steaming kettle always on top meaning copious amounts of tea!

It all started when I changed the colour of the walls last year, then it was the table and chairs, shelves and then I took on the massive job of painting all the doors, which were originally pine.

Work in progress:

I am really pleased with the results which is just as well as it would be a lot to redo!

It's Back to Work....

Belated Happy New Year!  I am a bit late but I haven't been blogging since Christmas and am trying to get back to normal.  Trying is the word to describe it, I seem to be finding it a struggle getting back to serious work.

I think it was so busy before Christmas that I tired myself out!  I was thinking it was just me, but I have been reading other creative blogs and have found many people are saying the same thing, so I don't feel so bad.

I have so many things I need to do, new designs, updating the website, accounts (arghhh!!), paperwork, invoices......and that's before I start making anything!  I also need to finish my big tidy up in the studio so I can find space to lay things down!

One of my desks in desparate need of a tidy up:

This was the state of my paperwork at the end of last week - it is all filed away now thankfully.

I sat down on Monday and wrote a list.  That always helps and puts everything in perspective, it usually doesn't look so bad when it's in writing, and it's always good to cross things off as you do them.

One of my main things to do is to upload my product photos on Not The High Street, I was accepted as a selling partner in October but because of the Christmas rush I decided to delay selling with them in case I couldn't keep up with orders.

The die-cutting machine is sitting waiting patiently to be used:

I need to be making lots of these:

and these....

and these (and thats just the beginning).....

Maybe by next week I will be in full flow again (well I can always hope!), I need to get going so I don't get behind before I have even started!