Feist Forest X Flora Jamieson | Contemporary Stained Glass Collaboration

Super excited to reveal some pieces I have been working on in collaboration with illustrator and designer Vicki Turner.

I've been a fan of Vicki's graphic illustrations for some years now, and have been pretty much obsessed with everything else she has done too, from her excellent but sadly now retired blog Plucky, to her massively covetable wooden work tables that she designs and creates with a team of local artisans from her renovated Tin Tabernacle in Devon, under the name Feist Forest.

When she contacted me with the idea of producing a limited edition of contemporary stained glass pieces based on her recent series of paintings, it wasn't a hard decision to make.

We worked on the designs a little to translate them from paper and paint to glass and lead, and the resulting pieces are quite something.  Vicki's colour palette of steely blue, soft peach and dusky bronze suggest those of the coastline at sunrise, while fluid curves and pleasing geometric shapes echo the rhythm of tides and waves.

Making the pieces was enjoyably challenging - to do the designs justice it was essential that my glass cutting and lead lines were meticulous. There's nothing I like more than sharpening up my leadknife and geeking out over a bit of precision leading.

The 4 designs, entitled Loop d' Loops, are available now from her online shop.

Contemporary Stained Glass Wedding Bouquet

A dream project that I finished just before Christmas; a contemporary stained glass panel depicting the bride's wedding bouquet, which was commissioned as a gift by her lovely mum.

The wedding bouquet was made by Pyrus Flowers, which is run by creative duo Natalya Ayers and Fiona Inglis, who seek out unusual, seasonal Scottish blooms, often foraged from the wild. I could while away a good few hours scrolling through their Instagram feed.

In this bouquet, tucked amongst the peachy, creamy delicate dahlias, were sprigs of wild blackberry, hawthorn, hazel and scabious, all tied together with bright, trailing ribbons in bohemian shades of ruby, turquoise, gold and plum. In order to allow the richness of the colours of the flowers and ribbons to really stand out, I used a dark inky-blue glass for the background. For the bouquet itself I included some handmade, recycled glass. The date of the wedding is painted on the central gold ribbon tied around the stems of the bouquet.

The last image is of the beautiful bride Polly, holding her bouquet, alongside her father.

Such a wonderful way to commemorate the day and preserve the bouquet forever.

(If you would be interested in commissioning something similar for yourself or as a gift, drop me a line via the contact page on my website.)

Etsy Shop Stocked For Christmas

Dear neglected bloggy.  I grammed and pinned and tweeted and chimped this, and forgot all about you, old friend.

Anyway, the point is, there are things, lots of things, in my Etsy shop.

Just in case you were wondering where the heckins you could get a stained glass gherkin for Aunty Gloria in time for Christmas, look no further.

Stained Glass Roundels with Pre-Raphaelite Lovelies

A recent commission for Berdoulat, an architectural design firm with its roots in the Arts & Crafts tradition, and an intention to create authentic products and interiors with quality craftsmanship.  Well, that's a manifesto I love to hear.

The brief was to design and paint a pair of stained glass roundels, featuring a Pre-Raphaelite beauty in each, and including the names of the clients' sons.

This was a great opportunity to revisit the work of William Morris and Edward Burne-Jones (two of my favourite stained glass designers of the era) to look for inspiration.

Christmas Card Designs For Woodmansterne Cards

I was contacted by Woodmansterne Cards a while back about licensing a couple of my designs for their Christmas card range, which was totally exciting as it's something I've often thought about looking into, but didn't know how to go about it.  I was also delighted to discover that my designs would be helping to raise money for two great charities (British Heart Foundation and Childline).

These cards have been in the pipeline for quite a long time, about 18 months or so I think, so it was pretty thrilling to receive the samples in the post a few weeks back - and it's taken me that long to find a moment to photograph them.  Luckily, Isla and I had just been to the local garden shop and had snaffled a load of helpfully tidied up their assorted crab apple windfalls, so while we were playing with them and arranging them in in size and colour order (we know how to party), I squeezed in a quick photoshoot.

Available online from here.

Golden

It's been a glorious start to the Autumn. A proper Indian Summer  - all misty mornings, hazy sunshine and glowing evenings.  We've crammed a few adventures into these golden weekends; a bit of kayaking, some swimming while the sea is still warm and calm, a little foraging, sleeping out in the camper van, exploring the coastline... I wish it would never end.

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I have just finished working on a few freelance jobs (pictured above) and am now making a start on some of my contemporary pieces for Christmas.  This year I will have some pieces available for sale at Mostyn, as well as at The Stained Glass Museum Shop.  I will also be making a large batch of singing birds for my Etsy shop. To find out when the listings are going live, sign up to my mailing list in the side bar as I will be giving advance notice to subscribers first. These usually sell out pretty quickly at this time of year, so keep an eye on your inbox.

Icon Design for TreatNOW App: Update

About 2 years ago I was approached by Sara Hill to design some icons for a new app she was launching, called TreatNOW (you can read more about it in my previous blog post here). 

She had seen my contemporary stained glass designs on Pinterest and thought the simple, graphic style translated well to the icons she needed for her app, which enables users to find and book appointments at health and beauty salons.  

Fast forward to the present day and the app is now up and running and already gaining press interest.

I'm so proud of Sara for pursuing her vision and dream, and for making it happen.  

I was also quite excited to see my little icons appear on my phone as proper, tappable buttons.  I nearly accidentally booked a full body wax, botox and a chemical peel in my enthusiasm...

If you're interested, you can get the TreatNOW app by visiting treatnow.co from your phone and using the "add to home screen" option. 

Bridport Open Studios August 2015

Hi!

A quick note to let you know that I'm taking part in this year's Bridport and West Dorset Open Studios, and I'll be throwing open the doors to my secret headquarters, hidden away in the centre of bustling Bridport.

From Friday 28th to Monday 31st August the studio will be open between 10am - 4pm. I'll be there to chat about my work and there will be some pieces available for sale, including a freshly made batch of singing birds in a dazzling array of colours. Also available will be cards of my work and a special "Bargain Corner", with slight seconds and past works for sale.

There's lots to do in lovely Bridport if you're making a special trip - fab places to eat like The Red Brick Cafe or Soulshine (both a short walk), the vibrant "Arts and Vintage Quarter" on the St. Michael's Trading Estate, two great arts venues (The Electric Palace and Bridport Arts Centre) and of course beautiful West Bay just a mile or so down the road for bracing sea air, Jurassic coast views and of course fish 'n' chips.

You can find me at:
Cross Keys Studios, 13 South Street, Bridport, DT6 3NR. The entrance is just off Buckydoo Square, between Mango Hairdressers and Double D Computers (follow the BWDOS signs).  A short walking distance from town car parks or 1 hour free parking on South Street.

Access to the studio is reasonably good, although there are three slight changes of level from the street, each with a single step.

Lately...

A few images from the past couple of weeks.  Some work, some play...