Monday 31 December 2012

End of the Year

Hello All

Its been an amazing year and I hope yours has been too. Here are some of the best bits!

Wembley in the summer


From Little Seeds

Too This

Making tomato sauce from garden tomatoes

Diwali Chocolates

Children's Artwork

Fawn my night time cat.

John Sandwich

Banana and Chocolate Muffins

Winter Snow at the beginning of the year.

Kitt from Night Rider

Silly Sausages

Commissioned piece for Charity

Thames Festival

Not Forgetting Sunny Wales
I hope you had an amazing year too and an even better 2013!


Monday 19 November 2012

Staying Organised

Well it's not easy to be organised to start off with. With children you find that you have to be organised just to get out of the house on time and still have time for the unexpected happenings that occur along the way, not to mention the kid's own free will to do their own thing.

At the moment we live in a house that we have been doing up for the last 7 years. We haven't done much to the house since we have had children. John is now 4 going on 5 and a full time school, George is 2 going on 3 and spends 3 mornings at nursery. So time is short and I get little time for crafting. Should I ever quickly nip off to do a job whilst the boys are at home you are never quiet sure whether you will return to my little man doing the same thing or pulling things out of the draws and making his own creation!


  I have lists that come out of my ears,  
  

  to do books with ideas, and sketch books!
 
shopping lists, kids to do lists, a diary, house jobs list, cooking list and anything else list. 

 

This is the only way I can get on is to have lists to organise everything and everyone else my head would be too full! But I have to stick to the lists else I might as well have it all in my head!



Wednesday 14 November 2012

Markets In November

I have been busy creating displays for markets the week just gone. Especially for Old Spitalfields market which I had to get it in on the tube, so that meant I had to be able to carry everything that I took. So with a large suite case, a back pack, my chair over my shoulder and a pin board I travelled in to Liverpool street and walked to Old Spitalfield Market.
Here is my stall at Old Spitalfields Market

  

 
It was a great market to be at as the stall holders where all a very high quality and the shoppers where there to buy something special, I hope that we managed that between all of us. Thanks to Mary from We Make London for organising the stalls. I think they had a great time selling the book Inspired London too.
The next place to find me is at Breakspear School this Friday 16th November between 7 and 10pmBushey Road, Ickenham, UB10 8JA
Then:The Duck Pond Market Ruislip on Saturday 17th November 10am and 3pm

The Duck Pond Market Ruislip on Sunday 18th November 10am and 3pm 

The Duck Pond Christmas Market at Harrow Arts Centre on Saturday 8th December from 11am

The Duck Pond Market Ruislip on Saturday 15th December 10am and 3pm

The Duck Pond Market Ruislip on Sunday 16th December 10am and 3pm

 Old Spitalfields Market on Saturday 22nd December 11am-5pm

 
 
Hope to meet you at one of these markets! If you can't make it then I'm available online.

 

Monday 29 October 2012

Book Launch

On Thursday it was the Press and Designers party for the pre-launch of the Inspired London book.


We got our own copy of the book to take home and we got to meet so many great designers. I few of us knew each other virtually so it was nice to put a real face behind the product.

The book contains 162 designers from around London, oozing talent and creative skills.

This is Alex from Creating Trouble and myself.
Alex makes beautiful mosaic items, she has a shop on Etsy and is frequently selling her items at various craft markets in the London Area.

I also met up with Jaina from Polka Dot Sundays, whom is currently running more workshops to make her beautiful birds.

Helen from Frances and Francis who makes the most amazing paper flowers - they put mine to shame.

Kalema from Called Beautiful whom makes stationary, cards and organisers, she will be at Old Spitalfields Market on the 10th November and 22nd December.


I also met Valarie from Descerting Chi Chi whom makes exciting jewellery and mixed media.

Valarie is middle right and Alex far right.

With the room packed full of designers it was hard to get to meet everyone but the book shows so many talented designers. You can get your hands on a copy of the book from the 10th November at Old Spitalfields Market.

Tuesday 9 October 2012

What to do when the weather is good?

The other weekend we took the boys up to Fryent Country Park (still in London) and there are some amazing views up there, not to mention a great view across Wembley. So for those that thought London was just concrete here is a few photos to prove I'm not making it up.

The view from Fryent Country Park looking over to Wembley Stadium

My boys burning lots of Energy off!


In the woods looking for Mushrooms and Magic things - its a Tree Fu Tom thing
 
A very large pond where we sat for ages waiting for the ducks to come out of their nest.

If you walk even further into the Country Park there are also horses to be seen too! I think that might be next weekends trip with the boys if the weather is good!

Monday 1 October 2012

Something You Fancy

Today Somethingyoufancy.co.uk opened today. Some of my artwork, bags and brooches are available here.

There are some wonderful designers here are a handful of some of the fab things I would love myself.


 
 A Land Rover Bunk Bed - love this I used to drive a Land Rover when I first started to drive, so this is so cool. They also make this amazing London bus Bunk Bed too!
Presents for Dad Cut to size Artwork cuff-links

and

Everything on Something You Fancy is made by small independent British Companies. The company is set up by two sisters with a passion to bring something unique to the British Market, bringing individual designers together in one on-line market place.

Tuesday 11 September 2012

Thames Festival

Hello All

I have been meaning to blog for ages but have been so busy making stock to take to the Thames Festival and listing my products with a new site Something You Fancy that time has run away from me.

Here are some of the pictures from the Thames Festival, it was such a great day and so much fun, we were worried that being near the Rio stage that we would have a headache from 11 hours of music but far from it, I found myself dancing and clapping without even thinking about it. I must have looked a little mad!

This was the stage behind our stalls

This is my stall

The Rio stage in full force

The huge crowd in the area watching the performance

Not everyone was enjoying it!

The night time performance was magical

The sellers working at night
Many thanks to Mary from We Make London for organising the traders. Click HERE for all of the craft people that were there over the weekend.

This coming Sunday I'm back at the Duck Pond Market in Ruislip and because I have sold my original Colourful Cats I will have to find something new to display. Fear not if you liked the original I have prints available in my shop.

Tuesday 21 August 2012

Duck Pond Market August

This was my second time at the Duck Pond Market and boy was it a hot day!

I had just finished some new paintings and had to rush off to the Print Studio to get them scanned as I couldn't bare to loose some of them. I had spent all of Saturday printing and cutting them to size, a trip earlier in the week to the dreaded Ikea for some boxes to display everything.

Here is a look at my stall second time around!
A bit fuller than the first time.



This week I met a few new people I was surrounded by soap people! I am beginning to wonder whether I Caron (lady whom organises the Duck Pond Market) was trying to tell me something mmmm

Here are some lovely soaps from Bare Naturals


Their lovely soaps are 100% natural and are suitable for vegetarians and vegans (just in case you like to eat your soap! - just kidding!) Check these guys out www.barenaturals.co.uk 
They are also hoping to be back for the next Duck Pond Market on the 16th September, in Ruislip.

Here are a few photos from the rest of the market. Sorry I didn't get outside but there are some great sellers out there, along with an inflatable assault course for kids, some lovely ladies whom came and sang, and a great acoustic band whom seem to have my CD collection!





The next stall I have is a little one at the Thames Festival on Saturday the 8th September near the OXO tower, please come and find me and take a little something home to remember your trip! I am with the We Make London group, thanks to Mary for organising it.