Not waving but drowning

It suddenly became May and my birthday in the Lakes seems so long ago. May has been all about the important men in my life; with birthdays for my son, brother and lover all within a few days of each other, while my famous artist daddy had a new exhibition opening this last weekend (more on this later). Its  been a tough month so far, apart from these celebrations. The harsh reality of  a precarious financial situation has really started to hit home,along with a blanket of grim weather smothering most of England and a nasty attack by the “Black Dog” who refuses to become a nicely trained ,cute, curly puppy and will insist on whispering in my ear ( in a nasty dog-breathy kind of way) ” stop it, nobody wants your stuff, why bother, why not give up..”. Naughty dog!

It all came to a head when I discovered that the beautiful nest of tiny blue eggs I’d seen in the old clematis had been abandoned, probably before I’d even found it. And still it rained.And there seemed to be no break in the clouds.

But, I’m quite stubborn once roused and I decided to make the best of things,like Pollyanna. I  wrote to Mr Flint ,who runs HSBC bank, and sent him a little print along with a suggestion that he may like to buy one of my fabulous, unique cushions if he couldn’t give me an overdraft. He hasn’t replied yet but it made me feel better. Then I went to work one day and was shown a huge portfolio of these beautiful Japanese “Katagami” which reminded me how much I love textiles, design and amazing craftsmanship.

Each paper stencil is hand cut and these were collected in the late 1800s so there were no lasers or computers to make the job easy. The designs are all done in repeat, with pin hole registration marks so that long lengths can be printed to make kimonos. the detail is incredible and I was lucky enough to be loaned two katagami sheets to experiment with. The results on cyanotype fabric were wonderful but I was nervous of damaging them with any wet media ,or heat during heat transfer.

Since I last wrote I have also been to the “Print Club” at CCAD where I made silk screens and once again wished I had the luxury of another three years to re-do my degree with all that I now know! It would be wonderful to really experiment with print, colour and technique without the restrictions of time, money and the need to sell, sell, sell.

So, yes, I have been lying low and maybe you wondered where I’d gone…or maybe not, its a big world. I just thought I’d write and let you know that I’m still quietly “making stuff” and enjoying the process while trying to remove it from the need to make a living;in fact, I accidentally got a part time job as a pony treking leader last week which is hilarious (only don’t make me laugh because I’m still aching all over and in unmentionable places!).However, I’m working on this orange and dusty green cushion square tonight while eating violet cremes and watching the swallows against the egg blue sky.

Just a little final bit about the Inspired Landscape exhibition to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of the North York Moors National Park which opened on Friday. My dad had chosen to show a set of photographs from “The Furnished Landscape” which I can remember him taking in the 1970s, not knowing at the time that these would document a lost way of life … who can remember the days when milk came in churns not tankers? There were also screen prints and etchings from that time inspired ,variously,by my grandparent’s garden, the big skies of the moors and the miscellaneous structures that have become part of the landscape such as stiles, gates and garden trellises. The exhibition runs until July so if you’re in the North it really is not to be missed; the work, by the 6 artists involved is all so different and yet so evocative of this wonderful place. Oh, and if you would like a signed copy of the re-published book “The Furnished Landscape” I think they are about £13.50 + postage so let me know and I’ll see if I can get you one.

I hope May is full of sunshine and the scent of bluebells wherever you are. Here is a blog I’m really enjoying at the moment…a little sunshine from the rainy city!

 

Gardening at Night

Today it thundered like mad and sent hailstones the size of marbles ping-ing off the metal garden table.Its been a weird day because I woke up at about 5.30 am which is very out of character. I spent a pleasant hour or two sitting in bed with tea, toast, a review of Mervyn Peake’s “Gormenghast” and Farming Today on Radio 4 ,before falling asleep until lunchtime! Nevermind, I made up for it with a mad flurry of activity, baking, cleaning and sorting out a huge pile of old portfolios that used to live under the bed.

It was nice to find some forgotten pieces of work including this tiny print sample on jersey fabric and this drawing of feathers.A bonus was discovering a huge stash of paper, including thick watercolour paper, card and handmade khadi papers which should keep Sara stocked up when she starts her new course at DMU in August.There is something mentally cleansing about clearing out the rubbish from under the bed! I feel a little less chaotic and a bit more positive.

The garden is happy with the crazy soakings its been getting lately and it’s lovely to wander about picking sugar snap peas , raspberries and wild strawberries ; particularly in the evening when the nightscented stocks, honeysuckle and jasmin are almost overpowering. A baby hedgehog has been snuffling about noisily as well so the poor old chickens are on edge ( did you know that hedgehogs chase chickens?!)

Tonight I’ve listed some new things on Etsy  and have been wracking my brains for ways to promote the gallery at Golden Brown Coffee as well as raising some money for Shelterbox ( particularly in light of the crisis in East Africa) .I really want to support this charity as it seems like such a positive and practical way to help; so I’ve been sending out e-mails to local businesses asking for prize donations…fingers crossed some of them reply and then more fingers crossed that some people turn up to this event on the 23rd….

Right, I’m off to breathe in that heady scent and have a chat with that little hedge pig. x

 

Looking Back,Moving Forward

Goodbye crispy autumn leaves,Hello winter! Tonight I was meant to be going out on a hot date but plans were foiled by the snow which is still falling quite heavily as I write. It always seems too early but really it pretty much always snows this week or the first week in December ( I just looked at posts from the past two Novembers and have lost my train of thought in remembering and comparing)

One similarity with last year is that I am busy trying to make as much stuff as possible  for a market on Sunday. The event in the village last Friday was so successful that I have almost no kids t-shirts left and not enough time to re-stock. Instead I’ve been making more purses and brooches as well as some metal collage badges with some hand stitching which I’ve really enjoyed making; I’ve even bought another adapter for my badge press so I can make different sizes.

So, perhaps its a good thing that I am trapped in my kitchen with only the radio and the stove for company; I need to sew all night in the hope of making my fortune on Sunday at the Designer’s Market! Slight panic though… my hot date was also meant  to be bringing the shopping ,so coffee is on short rations just in case I can’t get any tomorrow!!

Lindsey Murray will be sharing a table with me and I must say I’m getting really excited about it; even if I don’t make a million I can’t wait to see everyone. I bet I spend more than I make!! I only hope the weather doesn’t cause problems .

Right, I really must get on with something.Oh, but before I go, here is a link to a website I read about in the Guardian at the weekend. YouThoughtWeWouldntNotice is a site dedicated to naming and shaming companies and individuals that have stolen others’ design and artwork.Its really very worrying to read some of the stories (designs stolen from Etsy shops and then mass produced on the cheap), especially after the Claire’s Accessories story I told you about, and almost puts me off publishing any images of my work on the net.

Goodbye for now. x

A Clean Sweep?

So I’m learning a lesson today about the futility of housework;tidying up one area of chaos has just meant that everywhere else is now knee deep in junk , including some dead mice I found in the cupboard under the stairs. Nice.

Now, don’t worry, all this cleaning isn’t just a distraction.The cupboard under the stairs is where all the bags of fabric live, waiting to “come in handy one day”. I’ve found a big stack of blank T-shirts and set myself the task of getting them all listed on Etsy before the summer’s out, instead of drifting from one half finished project to another.

Yesterday I finished two abandoned projects…a lavender bear brooch and the little T-shirt below, which is printed with heat transfer paint and hand embroidered.

Now I must return to my chores and the chaos in the cupboard.

Don’t forget that Designer’s Marketplace is holding one of its wonderful events in Middlesbrough this weekend, it sounds like its going to be a good one and yet again I’m regreating not taking a stall.Next time…

“England has more shades of green..”

I’m loving the woods at Blow Gil at the moment, despite the ants! Everything is so fresh and green,scented with sticky pine sap, bluebells and warm earth. Tiny details like the seed heads of the mosses,spirally ferns and velvet new beech leaves make me want to draw and walk “bear”foot and soak up the sun.

Still the only “work” images I have to share are these details from freelance design for childrens wear.The one above shows hand embroidery and digital print from a  drawing you may recognise as my avatar for this blog…

I must get my printer sorted out so I have no excuse not to start working again.

This design was a simple repeat done using Illustrator and printed on to cotton using the inkjet printer.( Hey if you happen to be from Oilily or somewhere its copyright but give me a call!!)

Anyway, last night we all went down to CCAD in Middlesbrough to see some of the summer shows, including Foundation where Sara starts in September. Tonight is the opening of the BA Textiles and Surface Design degree show in Hartlepool; I can’t go because I’m at work but hope to get there later in the week to see all the fantastic work. Good luck everyone!!

Listening to: “The Seldom Seen Kid” Elbow

“Paint it Black”

Yesterday I made this top for my friend Sarah’s 30th birthday. I’m madly proud of the fact that in a crazy burst of energy, fueled I think by listening to 6Music ( Faithless remix)instead of Radio4, I managed to paint several walls (white not black…), design and cut the stencil, print, embellish,wash and wrap this gift! The main picture is a bit odd because I was messing about with the contrast settings on my phone last night after the pub…you know how it is, I don’t think I was a very good judge of image quality at the time!

I think I like the fact that it was done so quickly but was so effective. I used some “Jaquard” discharge paste with a cardboard stencil and a blank screen. Steaming in an ordinary kitchen steamer ( or steam iron it says on the jar) bleaches out the colour. It’s one of the most exciting printing processes because you can’t tell what the result will be until you lift the lid.

Now, tomorrow is Mother’s Day and, I have to say I’m not looking forward to work as its going to be horribly busy and I’m a bear with a sore head at the moment. I’m wishing I was being brought breakfast in bed on this gorgeous vintage bed tray from Solstice Home instead of working as a waitress, but there you go, you can’t have everything and life is not a bowl of cherries.Anyway, Happy Mothers Day to my lovely mother who obviously is the best in the world.

Just to say also, my month at Poppytalk Handmade ended today…no sales but lots of new links to Witchmountain and visitors to my Etsy shop, so thank you to everyone who looked. x

“Wild is the Wind”

Wild and windy up on Witchmountain today… I just looked out and saw some kind of hawk ( Sparrow Hawk?) balancing in the air outside my window…so beautiful and amazing to see it holding itself so steady when even the big Oak is struggling against the wind .

I’m still slowly gathering a few things together to try and make some pennies. This purse is another early “zip  experiment” involving a vintage tablecloth, some print and stitch.Its a bit wonky but of course this is part of the CHARM of “handmade stuff”…thats what I’m saying anyway!

My lovely stickers came from Moo. We are all raving about this company with its friendly and quirky style; everything from the packaging to the e-mail confirming your order just makes you smile. I have no plans for my stickers yet , I’m just a sucker for stationary !

So, upcoming events…Lindsey is at Worsall Village Hall on Friday night with her stall and on December 6th we are at Osmotherley “Christmas Extravaganza” along with Jane Thorniley-Walker and Heidi Turner. Don’t forget the Designers Marketplace in Middlesbrough Town Hall on The 29th. I’ve done NOTHING about Christmas yet which is terrible ,so hopefully I’ll be able to get lots of lovely things from there.

Time to get the stove going now… x

 

“One For Sorrow” ?

A little bit of good news today as I got a call to say I’ve sold a piece of work at the Saltbox gallery!

The Magpie was a print and embroidery sample for Minor Project during my degree at CCAD and its sale has given me hope that my new policy of NOT saluting Mr Magpie every time I see a solitary one, is actually bringing me luck. On this basis I think I will turn all superstitions on their heads and make a point of walking under ladders, putting new shoes on the table eating late blackberries!

I’ve been messing about with my bear drawing, creating brushes and simple repeats. Now I need to test my printer to see if the nice man in Ink to Print has managed to unblock the magenta print head.

Tomorrow I will be in York, helping Lindsey Murray with her stand at the Guild Hall…an early start so wish me luck, I’m not so great at mornings!

Have a good weekend.Enjoy Halloween x

Hibernation

Semi- hibernation here on the mountain as I have a cold which is making me feel very sorry for myself. So, “what’s new?!” I hear you say…Ok, I know, but this week all my new toys have arrived ,so soon I will be busy and inspired for sure.

I hung this piece of dyed and screen printed fabric on the line earlier and loved the way the sun seemed to make it glow. Its going to be a little skirt shape once I do a bit more to it.Yesterday I was supposed to take my work over to Les Prince’s to get framed but I just had to have a day with “Norwegian Wood”, hot lemon drinks and  a soft green blanket. I’m loving that book even more second time around,and with it all things Japanese , so it was lovely to get these beautiful stamps this morning when my Gocco machine arrived!! Now I just have to figure out the instructions ( not in English so hmmm…) and think of something to draw to make a print ( I’m guessing bears but …watch this space).

Its a shame some of the stamps and cancellations were ruined by the nasty sticker slapped on by Royal Mail. I think I’m belatedly turning in to a stamp collector, oh no,what next, train spotting?!

Wish List : A plane ticket to Canada so I can go to Nick Bantock’s studio/gallery in November.Or Spain in May?….

A space to work in that isn’t the kitchen!

A clear head.

Love, peace and inspiration.

x

“October, And The Trees Are Stripped Bare…”

Today a tree branch fell down and blocked the road, it rained and rained and almost overnight the berries have fallen from the Rowan trees,staining the road red.Although its not cold I’m enjoying the excuse to light the wood stove in the kitchen.

I’ve been making some simple stencils and screen printing with discharge paste on to some dip dyed wool. Later, when the heat transfer paint arrives I can use the stencils for that too;  I can’t wait.

This month my parents have taken a trip to Cape Cod to make some water colours.My brother just sent me this reminder of our childhood trips there in this MASSIVE  Buick, I thought I’d share it with you for a bit of retro stylee! ( 1975/6 !!)

Back on the home front I’ve been counteracting the smell of discharge paste and boiled wool(!) with yummy home made bread. The recipe, thank you little brother, is so easy it means you can have fresh bread every day for no effort at all…

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Put 3 cups flour, about a teaspoon of quick yeast, some sunflower seeds etc., salt and about  2 cups of water in a bowl and mix roughly until all combined. Cover and leave overnight.

Next day turn on the oven ( about 250) and put an ovenproof,lidded,casserole dish ( like a Le Creuset pan) in to heat. Turn out the dough on to a floured surface and fold over to make a round loaf shape (might need to add a bit more flour), no need to kneed (!) after about half an hour when its risen a bit, plop it in the hot dish, put the lid on and cook (take lid of for last few minutes to crisp up the crust).

x