pottering at home....

  I consider myself to be very lucky to work from home, this also means that I spend many long hours in my making room.  Venturing into the house to attentively nurture family life but never really relaxing and enjoying these walls as my home to relax in.  I am taking the next 4 weeks away from work to do just that.  So I will be pottering around my little garden, reading lots of books in my favourite varied chairs, strolling the beaches and the dales and the wolds of north yorkshire, playing lots of board games, drinking lots of lovely red wine and generally catching up with life.

Lots of changes here in September.  This journal of mine has been neglected slightly due to the studio being at full steam ahead of late, I am looking forward already to all the little treasures, journeys and meanderings I'd like to lead you to. 

...so this is just a little note to say that my two stores The Linen Garden and The Vintage Drawer will be closed, shelves need dusting and stock takes need to be done....enjoy the sunshine....and let me know what you are up to this Summer...hope you get some time to relax too.......xxxxxxxxx

hand paint it black

 ...sometimes I look around the studio and find so many hidden new gems....I am now inspired to dye lots of lovely linens black, charcoal, grape and navy blue to mix with the eclectic palette of The Linen Garden....

patchwork in blue

 I own a particular painting. It has been adopted as The Linen Garden painting. It is here just tucked away behind the garden roses.  It contains a blue that is the most seductive blue I have ever laid eyes on.  It has captivated me so much that I have dedicated a wall in the sitting room to said 'blue'.  So I have collected sample pots of paint for many a month and narrowed my choice down to two.  Liberty blue to your left and Velvet blue to your right.  This hasn't been any easy choice.  I have had to study this battle of hues by monitoring its appearance by day and by night....popping in at all times to check if it is maintaining the 'happiness' glow.  Ridiculous I know! Or am I not alone in the calculated choices made when decorating ones abode??

here comes summer...

Adolphe Valette Femme et Fleurs, Blacée Rhône 1937

Selina Lake's Handmade & Vintage Fair - June 29th

 "Didn't we have a lov-er-ley time the day we went to Selina's"

...my approach to exhibiting at fairs has changed since the beginning of my making journey (which started many moons ago - 17 to be precise).  I used to gauge their success based on the takings at the end of the day alongside visitor numbers.  If a fair had a high footfall and I had covered way beyond costs it was noted and I would then probably re-attend that fair, ...how naive was I, oh how my approach has changed.

I now mainly sell online, this method of sales has developed from having young children for the last 9 years and weekends have been far too precious to spend each one away from my family.  This suits my 'lifestyle' and I now continue to use my web site and etsy as my main selling forum.  When I do attend fairs they are chosen with great consideration.  The experience of exhibiting is far richer in rewards than you can ever imagine. Such a wonderful and exciting experience due to the people you meet. Most importantly it is time spent with friends.  It is time out from the working diary to meet customers who you feel you know so well but have yet to meet in person, the same goes for people from this lovely industry, you get to finally see twitter and facebook profile tiles come to life!!!This in itself is so much fun!

I felt so wonderfully giddy to be exhibiting amongst such a wonderful gathering of folk.  A very long drive down from Teesside but one that was rewarded by a day that was filled with warmth, friendship, creativity, generosity, inspiration in reams and a feeling of being part of something rather pretty special.  A wonderful reminder of why it is so important to break away from the studio and attend such events.  I would be interested to know if your experience of fairs is the same.

So here is a little record of the day - I didn't manage to photograph everyone - but here is a little snippet for you to meander through at your leisure....

 

details of my stand - a mixture of The Vintage Drawer and The Linen Garden

 Cheryl-ann Taylor Made's floral makes-love.love.love.love this lady!

 ...felt a tad giddy meeting the wonderful Leah Halliday

 'lace love' with printed jewellery from Ally Monroe

 my lovely friend Holly from Nicholas & Steele whom I wish lived just around the corner

so I could nip into her wonderful shop and rummage!

 Wild Willow - just beautiful - Laura is always so inspiring with her styling

  layerings of gorgeousness from 'marvellous Marna' from Little A Designs

  ..pretty floral styling from Fiona Humberstone...

 ..the occasional peony or two...

  I am so regretting not buying a lampshade from Folly & Glee - but that will be on my list for July!

 a colourful layering of fabulousness from Winter's Moon

 I have been a fan of Hen's Teeth for such a long time.  Her artworks are aesthetically addictive, every time you look at the same piece whether a brooch or wall piece you see more and more detailing with each glance.  I am waiting for her etsy shop to be re-filled and will be making a purchase - I so regretted not having the time to purchase a piece on the day.

A little mention to Kate Fletcher from Vintage Style Hire - I have known Kate for what seems like 'ages' but we had only met for an approximate time of 3 minutes earlier this year - so how fabulous it was to exhibit next door to such a lovely lady - she was also very sly in having a lovely painting for sale which within 5 minutes of my arrival I had bought and was displayed on my table in minutes!! It is now hanging decoratively in my hall.  You can see Kate's report of the show here.

Flowerona and Sally Crane both have lovely snippets from the fair too......

A big thank you to Selina Lake for inviting me to her Handmade & Vintage Fair - can't wait for the next!

tis the season of PINK

 

I have a wall in my studio that I freely paint, in any texture, any colour, whenever it suits.  I use this for backdrops to photograph my work and I love how changing a small part of the wall can have such a dramatic effect on how the studio feels.  So this season we are going for PINK - a warm pink, with a nod to french provence, a squeeze of pomegranate and a hint of salmon.....  and not being a particularly fond admirer of pink in the past - I really do love it!!! It changes depth and tone of colour through the day and I think it may stick around for a while.....

studio snippets

...preparations for The Linen Garden shelves...