Monday 28 November 2011

A New Week and New Supplies

I find these colours so uplifting and on rummaging through my stash I realise I have quite a lot of them! So I'm planning to make a background panel today featuring all these lovelies plus  some sari silk snippets for extra texture.



When I go shopping for supplies I am always drawn to the same colours so buying a mixed bag or a mixed skein of something helps me to move out of my comfort zone and work with colours I may not have thought of using.

I was in Perth on Saturday and took the opportunity to visit Elena Costello's most fabulous shop at Bridgend. Elena sells the most beautiful yarns and fibres in a shop/studio that makes you want to move in and never leave!


All my purchases came in this cute little newspaper bag that was handmade in India by street children.



Here's a wee shot of some threads I have at the ready. I try and keep my work table tidy by putting the threads away in a wee drawer but some colours are just permanently in use.



Last week I made up a batch of bookmarks to send over to Oban so I was getting busy with my paints and teabag tissue. Teabag tissue is great for using in mixed media projects. If you iron it onto Vilene it becomes like a paper and a fabric which can be painted and stitched. 
Above is a piece ironed onto Vilene with washes of turquoise and purple in simple sweeping strokes.

Below is the same effect but the teabag tissue has been ironed onto purple commercial felt after it has been painted. The purple felt gives more depth to the colours and shows up the texture of the paper more. 
I used the above piece for my bookmarks and still have this piece below to work into with my sewing machine.


And here is a lovely new bundle of sari silk yarn waiting to be put through the embellisher machine along with other fibres, yarns and fabrics.


So who knows what will come out of all these new supplies! Designing things on paper has it's place but you can't beat a 'play day', just going with the flow and letting the creative process take over.

Friday 25 November 2011

The Nights Have Fair Drawn In

As we move from darker day to darker day through this odd time of the year when it's too warm to be Winter but too dark and wet to be Autumn, I find keeping busy creatively a real solace.

Most of this week has been spent making stock for a wee shop in Oban called Room 15.
I did manage to make some extra sheep pendants for my Etsy shop as well though.




 Most of my framed pieces go out to stockists but I have made a few available online too.


Sunset Behind The Croft
£40


 Red Poppy Cottage
£46

My tweed supplies are dwindling so the boxes are becoming few and far between.


Harris Tweed and Felt Box
£30



Smaller Tweed and Felt Box 
£25


Moontide Pendant
£20

My Folksy Shop is also full of colourful makes, some of which you can see below. Just click the picture to go to my shop.


And when I am not busy making new things, you will find me here.


Is it a dog? Is it a bear? No it's a big fluffy beanbag! and once my children have stopped fighting over who is sitting on it and gone off to bed, it's mine!

Sunday 20 November 2011

Art Tokens and Other News

The lovely people at ArtTokens.co.uk are working very hard to promote their new site.
Art Tokens are like Book Tokens, but for art!
Go and check out the site and sign up if you are an artist or designer/maker looking for more outlets for your work. (You can also play 'spot the sheep' on the front page!)
ArtTokens.co.uk


Talking of sheep I am working as hard and as fast as I can to produce more pendants for both my online shops as well as some of my outlets here in Scotland.




One of the sites I use to sell online has undergone a massive overhaul and is looking fantastic.
You can visit my shop at Folksy.com here and see how snazzy it is looking. 
Among other new listings are a set of ten printed cards including two new designs.




The cards are selling for £2.50 each or five for £10. When you buy ten, however, you save a bit more by getting them for £19.50. I have had customers telling me they look great framed and others giving the set as a gift.


On a completely different note, I found this map of the world the other day and was showing it to my children. I found myself saying, "Oh, I've sent one of my pieces to that state and that state and that state" so I thought it would be fun to trawl through my Etsy sales and put a dot in each state that I have sent things too. Wow!




It has certainly improved our geography of America. Now we need to find a map of the world!



All contributed content © Aileen Clarke