A mention

It was lovely to find out that I have had a mention on Print & Pattern blog.  My summer tiles and cards are available on line when you click here!

Sunny Days

Sat in the studio in my sun warmed studio life listening to Johnny Flynn, life couldn't feel much better.  This week has been sun drenched and energy drenched as the Solstice has worked its magic.  I really feel a part of nature, fuelled by the heat and light and elated with it; a complete contrast to how I feel in winter.  I've used that energy in the worst way possible!  I have completed all my accounting!  Two studio moves last year had left my finances in complete disarray but now I am back on top and very ready for some creative time.

When not at the kitchen table doing paper work, it has been a week very much about gardens as everything around me makes the most of life.  The allotment is exploding, the polytunnel astounds me with its fervour, producing radishes, yellow beetroot and purple basil. My plot outside the studio is giving us lettuce and cabbage, purple podded peas and rich-red chard.  Eating has become a pleasurable concoction of fresh tastes and colours.  At the weekend we were invited to the Weleda gardens and took great pleasure from their healing, peaceful powers. I want to bottle these days!

Tucked amongst the plants

Definitely a Secret Craft Fair....

So, it was fitting to have exhibited my work at The Secret Craft Fair as part of the NGS Open Gardens Festival weekend. My hosts, Janet Currie and Pete Mosley, organised an extravaganza in their garden.  The garden looked beautiful and was enhanced by art placed through it (Helen Rhodes, Barry Bulsara, Jennie Mc Call, Craig Fellows, The Apothecary Room). The shed was an unexpected delight featuring the entertainment of Martin Currie, ray gun specialist on the Saturday and Maxine Greer's synchronised swimming pegs on the Sunday.

Janet and Pete's garden

The artists

The entrance

Helen Rhodes 

The weekend ebbed and flowed between sunshine and showers, tea and cake, delightful, heart warming conversations with artists, friends and visitors. Oh, I wish there were more days like these!

Maxine Greer's synchronised pegs

Maxine Greer - Peg Tango

And I can't leave out a link to the most beautiful cake......Cherry and Cardamom, made by Anne.

They are back!

Decorative tiles - click image to shop

My decorative tiles are finally back in stock! The tiles feature a digital transfer print taken from my original artwork and fired on to a ceramic tile. I had great fun in the studio yesterday having a photo shoot. I now feel completely justified in my wombling around flea markets and junk shops acquiring bits and pieces of studio clutter - they all came in very handy for my vintage themed shoot. My favourite places for a rummage are Melton Mowbray flea market held every Tuesday in the cattle market and a recent discovery, London House in Shipston-on-Stour in the Cotswolds. I don't like my junk too neatly displayed, the thrill is in the hunt! And of course we are now in to car boot sale season which is where you can find me on a Sunday. In the photos you can see a vintage staple box from my Dad's office, part of an old camera found in the garden shed of my London flat, and a book called 'Nelly's Work' given to me by my Nana which gave its name to my first business, selling handmade greetings cards. Some of my most treasured items are in my studio and this ephemera keeps me connected to people and places that are no longer with me.

I'm having a tile giveaway on facebook and you can also buy them online and at The Secret Craft Fair on June 15th/16th.

click image to reach facebook giveaway

Me!

A wonderful picture of me on my tablet by my very talented eight year old son. x

Creative collage workshops

Usually when I run a workshop I take everything and the kitchen sink! But I have decided to take control of myself and I've been reorganising my paper stash and art materials. I've ordered some new lightweight boards to work on and given all my boxes a Spring clean ready for a new run of workshops. There are still some places available on my July 6/7 weekend workshop and my 13 July one day workshop.....come along and ruffle my papers!

There is still the offer of set of my landscape art cards when you book two places together.