Flying Bears

I just had to show you these flying bears! They’re made by Etsy seller Ememem and the special thing about the little needle felted bears she makes is the story that introduces each one. Go on have a look!

So you can see my obsession with bears has not yet subsided.In fact I’m going to do some more drawings this afternoon…the morning ( ok, early afternoon ) was wasted because my car had (and failed) its MOT.

Anyway, just a quick one today. Hopefully tomorrow I will be able to show you the finished baby jacket…

Books

Today I went looking for that Moomin book I said I was saving for a special occasion ; needing to escape a little from the here and now. So I went into town and bought books and Vogue Bambini ( for research) and embroidery thread. As I left the bookshop I heard this …a man, with a small boy of about 2 or 3 who wanted to go in to the bookshop, said ” you don’t want to go in there, it’s only full of books” ….my heart sank even further than it was already. Sometimes a good book is the only thing that saves me. I can’t imagine a childhood without books or stories…poor kid.

Well I posted some designs today so that means I can spend tonight doing something to put on Etsy, before starting another group of six. Today’s picture is a sketchbook page, I really must start using it more.

Time to light the fire now and snuggle down with my reading.

(Oh, don’t forget, if you’re in Newcastle this Saturday, Designers Marketplace is holding it’s latest event at the university there; actually, I might get the train up since the weekend is looking pretty empty so far!)

Sap Rising…

It’s been a lovely day; I ventured outside and got my hands in the soil for the first time this year. The Curlews came back on the first of March and yesterday I saw my first lamb, so although it’s not warm it does feel like spring. The toads in the pond ( old butler’s sink) were certainly feeling full of the joys,so I expect there’ll be spawn next time I look.

I’m busy doing more designs for New Leaf; happy that I sold another piece in L.A. and finally got paid for the others that sold in November. When I sold a design through college (to “Calao”at Indigo ) it took over 6 months to get the cheque, so it seems important not to rely on a fast cash flow ( well it always flows fast in the wrong direction doesn’t it!).

Today I’ve also put a few more things in my Etsy shop. The cover of this book includes part of a drawing I did ages ago and some “Illustrator” butterflies that I made using Tom’s instructions! It also features buttons from the charity shop…who rang me and said I could have the whole tin after all.

The moon is big and I have lots to do so I’ll say goodbye for now.

“Who Knows Where The Time Goes?”

Ahhhh! Look at this picture my brother sent me last week.It must have been taken in about 1972, judging by the collar on my dad’s shirt, his hair and me being about 4 or 5! How time flies, and I’m not sure my painting skills have improved all that much!

I’ve been adding a few more things to my Etsy shop and have entered some of them in tomorrows “Childrens” showcase; just to see if it makes any difference. The detail above is from a T-shirt with printed silk appliqué and embroidery.I had to test that it was washable because one of my fears is that everything I make may fall to bits as soon as I’ve sold it! ( It didn’t and they won’t so don’t worry)

Highlights of the weekend included the play “Busybody” which was very funny and starred the multi-talented Angela James. I also had a lovely afternoon of tea and Twix’s with Tom Hutchinson who showed me some Illustrator tricks and talked about life after graduation.He’s just set up a new website so take a look.

I still love this heat transfer on wool technique , I’m definately going to have to make some more of those little baby shoes using this fabric.

Now I must set my mind to doing a few more designs for New Leaf as I seem to have gone off on a tangent the last week or so.

Country Living

I’ve just been down to the village to post my first Etsy order. It’s a temporary Post Office in the Village Hall, only open a few hours a week, which is really annoying.There was a queue though ,so we all had to chat about the weather and the loss of village amenities and I was mistaken for the mother of my 23 year old neighbour which really made my day!

I’ve wasted so much time this morning that I’m determined to get loads of work done this afternoon. I just thought I’d mention a few events coming up in Osmotherley, in case anyone’s passing this way.

February 26-28 Osmotherley Village Theatre presents “Busybody” .Tickets available from The Top Shop. ( Jane Thorniley-Walker has been painting the scenery and several of my favorite people have leading roles, so it should be  fun, I’m not even packing the rotten tomatoes… )

March 10th An Apple Event presented by famous local cider maker Giles Pinkney. I’m not sure but I think this is all about encouraging people to make more cider and includes visiting monks from Ampleforth who make a good brew apparently!

Now, enough “Country Living”, time to brew up some strong coffee and get designing.( The image above is a close up of a design on fine wool, using various print methods and padded embroidery)

The Bees Are Suspicious

I have finally put some things in my little virtual shop. You can have a look by going to KimTillyer.Etsy.com. The photos aren’t fantastic unfortunately; it really is getting desperate this lack of broadband situation. I just had to get my brother in Wiltshire to upload the images in to this post for me, which is crazy but also nice because he made up the title which made me smile… thanks little brother!( they must be the wrong bees…)

More family stuff… I made this flower necklace for my daughter’s birthday on Thursday. I really like it ( and luckily so did she) so I’ll be making a few more for the Etsy shop.

Now I must make some coffee. I had a good afternoon in the garden, discovering snowdrops and new shoots, under the rotting leaves that I’d forgotten to cut back in the autumn.The moles have ravaged the lawn but its so exciting to venture out and hope that soon all will be spring green.

Anyway, its worn me out so I’m off to put the kettle on.

Oh, here is a link to the blog of my friend Suzanne Auty who is another 3rd year student from CCAD’s Textiles and Surface Design degree. I love looking at these blogs and seeing how everyone is getting on.

“Just ‘Coz You Feel It, Doesn’t Mean It’s There”

I know I said I’d be drawing and showing you my sketch book; well I got sidetracked and ended up trying to make some things to sell in an Etsy shop. So far I have set up my shop but have nothing in it; so its just me sitting behind an empty stall , looking a bit lost!

Obviously I have the added problem of the rubbish internet connection up here which makes uploading pictures a bit of a chore. Still, I have been busy making some of these little books (4″x4″) which are covered in printed and embroidered fabric…

…and some of these heart brooches which contain a sprig of lavender and are made from hand printed and embroidered re-cycled wool.

Those, along with some screen-printed t-shirts will form the main stock in my fabulous emporium. It can’t be worse than doing nothing, can it? Can it? Is it so very different from what I was doing 20 years ago, messing about on the “Enterprise Allowance Scheme”? Is this what my degree prepared me for?…

I’ve been doing some research and costing some garment blanks to use in my designs but it just doesn’t seem to work out. It seems mass production on the scale of Tesco or hugely expensive,exclusive one offs, are the only options. More research needed I think.

Now I must go and bake cakes for my lovely daughter’s birthday. x

Reading: Still reading the Moomins! Listening to: Radiohead

Saint George’s Day

 

Hello, today is St.Georges Day and also my birthday which I am about to celebrate with a pink moon biscuit from Botham’s in Whitby, sent to me by my good friend Helen whose lovely Etsy shop you can visit by going to www.Etsy.com/HelenHats .She uses sea glass to make beautiful jewellery as well as recycling wool to make hats and hooded jumpers.( see pictures above)

I still can’t upload images from my home on the hill so here is another link to look at until i can get back to modern technology.
Hugh Dunford-Wood www.Handmadewallpaper.com is an artist and designer now making hand printed wallpapers and running courses down on the south coast. I used to do freelance work for him, painting silk, way back in the colourful 90’s.
Now its time to get on with a bit of work of my own…