Tentacles / Spectacles

I love the alien, tentacular look of this little fern

that grows on the walls around here.

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Inspired by this and this, we've had much fun with

martha and the mini-moopettes today.

Victorian Birds x 2

I recently finished painting these two birds to post off to Crewe, to be leaded into a pair of stained glass panels being made by a leaded-light maker up there. They are copies from an original set of domestic Victorian stained glass door panels, with the addition of the graduated yellow silver stain background, which I think works really well, giving an almost 3-dimensional quality to them. It did mean an extra firing in the kiln though, which brought the total number of firings up to 5. Always nerve-wracking doing that final and sometimes unpredictable silver stain firing.

Retro Roost

I've just started selling my work on the very new and shiny Retro Roost. Their aim is to showcase a maximum of 99 British designers on their online design fair. I think they have a few more slots available, if anyone is interested. They offer a very reasonable deal to sellers and I think the site looks really clean and user-friendly. I like the way that they have organised the categories too - sometimes I go on to Etsy or Folksy to find something specific and it can be like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

Here are some items from other sellers on there that have caught my eye....

Lucy Gilchrist

Maxemilia

Sarah Ray

Ursula Hitz

Julia Davey

Sketchbooks

I got a couple of great books out of my local library recently, which really surprised me, because most of the volumes in the Art and Design section are normally rather ancient and uninspiring.

The first book was Play Pen, a really enjoyable book which we've all had a good thumb through, and found some new books to add on to our children's picture book wishlist.

Then I also found this one, which is a telephone-directory sized tome, jam-packed with images from graphic designers' sketchbooks. A thoroughly inspiring read - it's really interesting to see how different artists record their creative processes.

So I thought I'd open up a couple of pages from my sketch/note books. Sometimes I'm scribbling down an idea for a new design, or reworking an existing one, or taking notes, or just doodling.

My favourite place to sketch ideas is on train journeys. I often look forward to the journey more than the destination. I like small sketchbooks the best, A6 size with either plain or lined paper, I'm not fussy. I've really enjoyed these ones which I got for Christmas. I've filled up 2 of them already, just got the octopus one to go...

Sometimes the kids get hold of them and put their sketches in too.

Treasury Time

I was reminded by this post from Mrs Eliot Books to blog up

a few lovely Etsy Treasuries I've been featured in recently.

Took me a while to "get" treasuries

(a way of Etsy buyers and sellers showcasing their favourite things),

but I always find it massively flattering to have my work included in them.

This one, by Amanda from Mangle Prints includes loads of my all-time Etsy heroes:

And this one by the fantastic Fric de Mentol is just pure joy:

And this one, by pencil jewellery supremo HuiYi Tan is very slick and stylish:

There we go. Trumpet-blowing done. Parpitty-parp.

Peg Dolls / Winners

I'm recovering from 4th Birthday Party mayhem, although we did have a great day, the weather behaved itself and the bunting fluttered to order, so all good.

I decided that I'd had enough buying plastic crap to put in the party bags, and I'd seen a couple of things on Pinterest that gave me the idea to make some peg dolls to put in the bags (along with the usual sweeties and obligatory balloon). No time for complicated stitchery though. But then I remembered this book that I'd been given by my sister for Christmas. Aha, I thought... paper skirts! I love folded paper!

Not only that, after a recent shopping spree (read: revoltingly over-the-top splurge at a certain fashion establishment *coughwhitestuffsalecough*) I had a good stash of little bits of haberdashery that I saved from the swing tags: lace, twine, velvet ribbon etc.

I used pvc electrical tape to make their bodices. It is possibly my new favourite material. Stretchy. Sticky. Lots of colours. Available from just about anywhere.

I was even organised enough to take a few in-progress shots like a real proper blogger.

The girls spent a long time trying to decide which one they wanted in their party bag. Yes, even the host kids get a party bag round here.... and why not, it does take the sting out of everyone going home a bit.

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Thanks to everyone who commented on the giveaway. The lucky winners are....

No. 23, which is Maddie and No. 38 which is Rike. Congratulations - I shall start on your leaves tomorrow! Sorry, I would love to be able to furnish you all with a little something. Maybe I'll have to start doing giveaway party bags, so that no-one has to go home empty handed...

Little Things

Little things have been making me happy lately.

Mostly purchases.

New oilcloth for the kitchen table from Viva La Frida

Bumper pack of original Topsy and Tims from Ebay.

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Still plenty of time to enter my GIVEAWAY, if you haven't already.

Come here and have a look.

Chevron Leaf Giveaway

Woop! High time I had one of these.

Partly to say THANKS you lovely people

for stopping by and reading my ramblings

And partly to celebrate finishing a mountain of work

And partly to celebrate these (if I do say so myself)

FLIPPING GORGEOUS NEW COLOURS

on my Chevron Leaves.

So I'm giving 2 people the chance

to win a Chevron Leaf

in the colours of their choice*

Just leave a comment saying which 3 colours you'd like

(and make sure you leave a name so I can contact you)

Choose from: Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, grey, mustard, plum, turquoise

Feel free to blog/tweet this, the giveaway is open to anyone.

I'll pick the winners next Friday on Monday 11th July

(Jeez what was I thinking - I have a kids party to organise!).

Hooray!

*As I will make these to order,

please allow 7-10 days for your leaf to arrive,

should you be lucky!