Accidental Vix

I had a stressful hospital appointment this morning so the afternoon is dedicated to creative things, and I think I’ll have a break from sewing today to get some screenprints done. This leads me onto today’s talent that I feel I have to share and these adorable prints by Sass and Peril:

1. Shannon’s prints are so playful and perfect as children’s illustrations but also a cute addition to any home and adults who are young at heart

2. I screenprint on my desk in our spare bedroom, also known as my studio, so it’s great to see that such great prints can emerge from Shannon printing in her garage studio

3. Any regular readers of my blog will know that I love Scandinavian design, animal illustrations and all things cute so this is a perfect combination!

Off to print some new designs now so have a good afternoon, hope it’s a sunny one.

Xx

After a lovely day at Heart and Craft in Headingley yesterday and one I consider to be a success for many reasons, not just sales, left me in a happy mood when leaving yesterday. So, I thought I’d share some happy faces on my first batch of tooth fairy pillows ready to wing their way to Just Makers at Harrogate soon. There are also a few available in my Etsy shop, with more coming soon but let me know if there is a particular one you have your eye on! I have actually grown quite attached to them all, and they each have names (maybe I should spend more time sewing and less time naming) so when I sold a few yesterday it was like letting a pet go to a new home. Do you have a fave smile?

Xx

Well the MOYO competition date has come and gone (but there’s still time to read it) and I was mad enough to enter! Above are my 3 entries for my first ever surface pattern design series. I was definitely like a fish out of water with this one, and apart from deliberating non-stop over colour, let alone the actual forms, I really struggled to bring them all together. But if there’s one thing I have plenty of it’s fabric, so surrounded by my fave colours and patterns I somehow managed to cobble together these as my entry. I know there is absolutely no chance of winning, and I must be brave to enter against what is sure to be strong competition with more experience but we have to keep pushing ourselves to learn, right?

Xx

I’ve had a busy start to the week so for a bit of downtime before bed I’ve decided to do a bit of sewing with my embroidery hoop and brightly coloured threads so when I stumbled upon Three Red Apples on Etsy I just had to share these fab and ready to hang gems of art:

1. I love the quirky subject matter from caravans to ‘the geezer’ and the somehow subtle yet striking colour combinations

2. There’s nothing I love more than ‘doodling’ with the sewing machine but I am a long way off being this accurate with my needle/pencil!

3. It’s great to see modern art which hasn’t been done on a computer and is hands on

Off to order some more hoops now, if you want something to do this eve then spend some time admiring Annabelle’s fab designs.

Xx

Following on from my last post about challenges, here is my next creative challenge already! I discovered a fab free online magazine called Moyo, thanks to Rachael Taylor and Beth Nicholls, and it’s really inspired me to start thinking about surface pattern design (even if only as a hobby) as well as being very informative about practical information for novices like me. I have never tried to design a pattern before, which is surprising given my fascination with colour, pattern and fabric, but when I saw the competition to design a series of 3 patterns based on a given theme (ikebana, stylised/arranged Japanese  flowers) I couldn’t resist and I picked up my fave sketchbook and pen and started doodling straight away. I don’t want to reveal too much as I still have 2 patterns to go before I submit my entry but above is a sneak preview into my thought process for my very first surface pattern attempt based on a zoomed in area of the berries and creating abstract shapes from the highlights and shadows on the competition page from Moyo, with guest judge from Tigerprint. Any feedback would be welcome as I’m definitely like a fish out of water for this one!!

Have a great Sunday, whether it be full of challenges or not – I suspect that the snow will add more challenges to my day.

Xx

As you may have gathered by now, my new passion is for screenprinting and aside from the gorgeous fabrics of Blueberry Park that I have become familiar with I have discovered a fab shop on Etsy called The Little House Martin, full of amazing hand printed fabrics from Leanne Fanny from right here in the UK:

1. The geometric details are mesmorising and range from the bold apple pattern to the intricate star pattern, I dare you to investigate further!

2. Although you can see Leanne’s infamous designs in her etsy shop she can print to any colour to suit your needs (I’d have every pattern in every colour if my budget allowed), and I took full advantage of that when I ordered some grey and yellow prints to compliment my studio colours and create my own lampshade, watch this space for more details…

3. Not only are her patterns beautiful but the colours bring them to life and have a retro feel about them

Oh, and if you haven’t found her blog yet then let me show you the way. I’d like to also say a big thanks to Leanne for all her help with my screen-printing questions and her encouragement for a novice like me.

I thought I would continue the screenprinting theme this week and share with you some of my finished designs. After leaving the Bluberry Park workshop I came home with the knowledge of how to use what little space I have to finish printing with an embroidery hoop and some fabric, and above are the finished results. As much as I liked the blue print of my birdhouse silhouettes it was always designed as a two colour piece and the red seems to compliment it and add another dimension. Although my first screenprint since leaving my Art Foundation many a year ago I like the result so much that I want to create a screen to continue to print it in different colours and onto different fabrics/items such as bags and teatowels so any suggestions are welcome! In the meantime I just have to decide what to make with the fabric I have already printed, apart from stretching the best one onto a frame for our bedroom wall.

I urge you all to find inspiration and try something new, doing my screenprintign workshop was exactly what I needed to keep my designs fresh and ideas evolving, not to mention that challenge that I seem to strive for.

Xx

Well as Handpicked Hall opens in Skipton today there can be no other choice for this week’s Friday Faves. I will be there tomorrow with my baby bits and illustrations, but until then if you are heading down for the opening day today then here are a few of my personal faves, who also happen to be fellow Craft Soup creators:

Rose Cottage  Crafts  - I was lucky enough to meet Christine at last night’s premier , and after spending time chatting to her via Craft Soup it was great to see her granny chic creations in person and I am envious of anyone who can crochet as it’s something I haven’t tried yet for fear of being addicted and already lacking hours in the day! So, if like me you love a bit of vintage inspired crochet that would sit perfectly in any home then check out Rose Cottage Crafts’ website or pop by and say hi as she will be at Handpicked Hall on Fridays

Little Shop of Lathers – It’s always great to catch up with Claire as she is as bubbly as her handmade bath and shower creations. Last night I even learnt about Claire’s clever idea of a bath bomb equivalent for those who prefer a shower! The only problem I have being within 100 metres of Claire’s gorgeous products is that I can’t resist buying quirky things as presents. I can’t reveal too much about my purchase last night as it is a soon to be Easter present but I can say that if you want an Easter alternative to chocolate then this is your girl. If you’re in the area tomorrow then pop by and be tempted by the chocolatey aromas as you reach the Little Shop of Lathers stall.

Ruby Spirit Designs – Tracy is actually one of the first people to introduce me to Craft Soup when I met her at an event in Haworth, and I always like the chance to catch up with her as we cross paths on the creative circuit. As with Little Shop of Lathers I find it very dangerous going near Ruby Spirit Design products as they have a quirkiness and style that I have not seen elsewhere and I know that any products (yes, none of them have made it as far as presents as I have kept them all) will stand out as being unique. I even managed to find some gorgeous earrings at Handpicked Hall last night that match my brand colours, so I think I’m justified in buying them to wear on Saturday, right??

If you are in Skipton today, tomorrow or any other day please pop by to Handpicked Hall and suport local designers, sellers and businesses and enjoy this breath of fresh talent that is a welcome change to what is becoming a standard selection of high street chains in most of our towns and cities – celebrate local, handmade and British.

Xx

Well, I had a tough start to the week and shared my to-do-list in the hope it would spur me on to finish it, and although the weekend isn’t quite over I hang my head in shame as I only achieved 2 of the 3 items. So let’s start with the things I did manage… My table cloth for Handpicked Hall is now complete, although I have realised that I still have another one to make for next Saturday (that will be on tomorrow’s list) and the item I made for my studio was a lampshade, including some gorgeous hand printed fabric from Leanne at The Little House Martin! However, I still haven’t finished my bunny hats, but to be fair I did finish my 5 half-sewn bibs so that’s only half of one of the items not finished, and I could surprise myself and get it done now so that I start next week with a completely new list. How much of your list have you finished this week?

Off to contemplate sewing some bunny ears to some hats now, enjoy what’s left of the weekend.

Xx

As it was Valentine’s Day yesterday how many of you proposed, or were proposed to?? I love to hear a good romantic story so please share. This combined with the gorgeous blue sky but cold air and the need to keep warm has prompted the first Friday Faves this year:

Jessie G Designs – Valentine’s Card (A fellow interior designer and friend, I love how Jess has used wool to get a lovely texture to this print)

Mythillogical – Felted white bunny (A fellow crafty folker on Etsy, and just too cute for words!)

Chrissie Freeth – Handwoven lavendar heart (A fellow Yorkshire craft souper, the handwoven wool fabric is gorgeous)

Off to finish my screenprint now, but enjoy the sunshine, and if you’re inside and keeping warm take some time to explore these fab shops.

Xx