Sweet Honey and Primroses

I’m drinking extremely strong coffee and eating a square of bitter chocolate with chilli as an antidote to the super sweet baking disaster that’s sitting on the work surface looking at me reproachfully. Honey and Rose cakes seemed like a good idea this afternoon but I was really only imagining what they would look like and forgetting that I do not have a sweet tooth; give me Marmite and salty butter any day! I imagined drippy white icing and crystallized rose petals,Jasmine Tea in the pink enamel pot, chipped vintage china and a jug of Primroses. Oh well, I got the Primroses.

It was a foggy day on the moors today and cold enough to justify lighting the kitchen stove and getting down to some serious Etsy listing, e-mail writing and  “fantasy business proposal” planning. Yesterday’s meeting with Vicky Trainor was a real pleasure and I’m going to take some of her advice about re-packaging things to unify the “brand”, emphasizing the “treasured” aspect and making the most of my extreme good fortune to be living in this very special place. I fully intended to sit with paper and pencils and draw today but you know how it is; I traveled from place to place on a virtual sightseeing tour, calling in on old friends and getting so full of ideas I could pop. A new discovery was the lovely Moon to Moon where I loitered on an imaginary beanbag, gathering inspiration for that fantasy business plan…

Anyway, you’ll be the first to know if it becomes reality. Now that double dose of caffeine and the re-discovered Joseph Arthur album I’m listening to has given me a bit of energy to tackle the drifts of icing sugar I managed to get all over the kitchen and goodness I may even do that drawing after all.Thank you so much for reading . x

Listening To : Joseph Arthur “Termite Song”

 

Whatever Happened To The Masterplan?

Hard to believe that last Sunday it was snowing. Today I have been looking at the little signs of spring in the garden, planting some shallots and spinach and my gift to myself , three white Dicentra spectabilis plants …the Bleeding Heart plant.I do love this time of year; the first signs of old favorite perennials emerging through the soil, the hamster soft catkins on the willows, the sweet musky scent of the balsams which I breath in from their sticky buds so that the smells stays on my nose. I do not like the fact that there was a wasp in my room this morning, filling me with an irrational fear that goes beyond being stung.

Today I also went to an interview for a waitressing job…..this wasn’t part of the masterplan.

I pondered the protocol; do I write about this at the risk of sounding like a bleeding heart, or do I maintain the myth in order to remain “professional”? Well, I started this blog at college and it while it has evolved over the years I do feel the need to record my experiences honestly, just in case anyone else on a similar path might find it useful. One thing I realised ,just now in fact (!), was that in reality I had no plan post graduation. I’d written essays about becoming a designer/maker or working freelance but never really considered what I would make,how I would sell it and how much of it I’d have to sell to avoid getting the electric cut off and living on lentils. In fact, I think , in hindsight, the weakest part of the whole college experience was the professional practice side which should perhaps have forced us to be a bit harder on ourselves and more realistic.If there are any students still reading this…make a plan, and then a back-up plan!

Hey, its not all doom and gloom. I had a wonderfully enjoyable day at Baron Bizarre’s Vintage Fair where the sun shone and the beautiful people ( quite literally; I don’t think I’ve ever been at an event with quite so many pretty boys and leggy girls!) all came out to marvel at the burlesque dancers while a peacock strutted about on the lawns and I caught up with some old friends ( and hopefully made some new ones). It was especially lovely to have a table next to my very special friend Susie of Drawn by Badgers who had made all the bunting for the event and creates the most gorgeous needle felted animals and precious framed works of art. Susie is an amazing person and I think you should all go and say hello …

So, today I listed a lot of things in my Etsy shop and dashed to the post office with orders to post. These new brooches made with my bird design printed on to cotton have made me keen to do some more digital printing and definitely some new drawing.Tomorrow I have my mentoring meeting with Vicky which I’m really looking forward to and as usual I’m bursting with ideas and dreams…its just figuring out a way to make them real.

Listening to:- Boy & Bear “Lordy May” ( because the battery went on the radio last night at just the wrong moment ) Reading :- The new issue of Selvedge and What Katy Did Next who kindly included my lavender heart in her latest mood board. Thanks Katy x

“Flashes from the Archives of Oblivion”

Wow, three days of sunshine,washing on the line and Lapwings getting territorial in the field. I’m waiting for the Curlews return as the year creaks slowly back into life.

I dug out a very old sketch book, looking for things to photograph, and found these drawings from 2005.Snowdrops and lost love, first signs of Spring.It feels as thought the sun hasn’t shone for a year but maybe, just maybe there’ll be a break in the clouds soon.

Anyway, the point of today’s post is to let you know about an exhibition of William Tillyer’s prints/reproductions of watercolours, which is opening tomorrow in Harrogate at the Godfrey&Watt Gallery .A rare event in the North…

23/10/05

“What Surrounds Me”

Thank you to everyone who’s been leaving comments…there’s still a bit of time left if you’ve been too shy! The days have been flying by and everything went green before I’d noticed that winter was over , as a famous man once said ” Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans” .

Today was the last day of the Easter holiday and we had to dash about taking pictures for Sara’s exam. This pink key is part of her project on colour ( my phone photo not her fabulous Nikon one).I love old keys and wish I’d remembered about these when I was doing my Lonely Hearts project a few years back.

The Balsam Poplar avenue at Westwood Studio was looking(and smelling)particularly lovely today, like a cathedral full of green stained glass.Back in my kitchen it really is time I started to work again so tonight I’ll be planning some designs and tomorrow will make a heroic effort to stay awake after the schoolbus comes at half 7….

Goodness, what a terrible photo…part of an embroidered print sample, but green ,so it fits in with my spring theme. Only remains for me to say, Happy Birthday for tomorrow to Witchmountain and also to my good friend Becca and travelling man Ralph.

Many happy returns.x

(Reading : “God’s Own Country” Ross Raisin ,Listening to: “Is The Actor Happy” Vic Chestnutt )

Horses

Annoyingly these horses looked much more lively and interesting from the wrong side of the embroidery. I like the way they look like quick sketches rather than the very neat finished design ( which I can’t show you for copyright reasons). I’ve just come in from the garden and my hands are stinging with cuts and scrapes and splinters, after getting carried away weeding the rhubarb patch and wrestling with the willow house.Its been such a beautiful day and the toads were back, making a lot of noise, as were the lapwings, wheeling about above the ploughed field behind the house. Who said the countryside was peaceful! It seems a shame to come indoors but I need to get some more work done because apparently it’s being sent to Japan in early April. Meanwhile a mysterious cable has been spotted on the moor…could this be the long awaited broadband slowly heading towards Witchmountain?!

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.

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.

“Don’t Go Chasing Polar Bears”

Some more old work from my portfolio today; because as usual my camera has run out of batteries, I really must get a set of re-chargeable ones…

This cat is an experimental sample on an old woolen blanket which came from a charity shop and is really lovely to work with, I’d love a big winter coat made from one. I think I dyed this piece using heather or elderberries, while the leaves and cat are digital prints from original watercolour sketches.

I had the words from Paul McCartney’s “Waterfalls” stuck in my head all day, for some reason it reminds me of watching TV at my Grandma’s house in Nunthorpe in about 1970-something!

Here in the present day I hear the Designer’s Market went well and there’ll be another in December. I missed this one so I’m going to make sure I get to the next. I’m trying to live up to the Buy Handmade pledge this Christmas so a trip to the Knitting and Stitching Show in Harrogate is also on my list later in the week.Talking of Christmas, the news today confirmed Trevor Swales predictions, earlier in this blog, that there will be a honey shortage this year. I’m going to have to seek out some of Trevor’s heather honey tomorrow before it all disappears.

Well, it’s not quite igloo weather here but there is a bit of winter forecast for later in the week- meanwhile it’s time to move the seasons on in the design world.My last twelve Fall/Winter designs got sent to the U.S. last week so now I have to start some for Spring which should brighten up some dull winter days.

My friend Jane has fineally got her website up and running thanks to Lynne at Bamboo Webdesign. Jane has just finished a commission for client in Westerdale who wanted two large canvasses depicting the gorgeous views from his house overlooking the moor.