Hello September!

We are enjoying some gloriously warm days here as the season starts to turn. Long shadows and a golden glow from the harvested fields along with berries bursting from the trees and bushes makes everything feel distinctly Autumnal.

Some snapshots from around the cottage.

New makes this week include this felt landscape picture made using vibrant hand dyed fibres from Orkney.

'Late Summer Cottage'

£125

Framed

Available Here

The frame is professionally made using hand finished, lime washed beech. A hanging string is attached to the back.

The leaves are staring to show Autumnal twinges around the edges here as well. I love Autumn and all the warm colours it brings but I don't often use these hues in my work. During my felt making marathon last week though, I dug out some hand dyed merino and silk fibres and made some leaf brooches in vivid rusts and reds.

This Sheep Pendant boasts a vibrant Autumn tree as well using hand dyed fibre from Orkney.

Back into my comfort zone with these vibrant pinks, purples and turquoises.

For these brooches I have combined my handmade felt with sumptuous pink Harris Tweed. There are so many colours within this one plaid that combining the background with different colours of small leaves brings out different shades in the weave.

Also this week I am working on new pendant and earring sets. I'm delighted to have finally sourced some beautiful square earring bases.

The squares measure 1/2 an inch and the textile pieces are set behind glass. I'll be making square pendants to match over the next few days.

Earrings £15

Here is a deep blue set. It's difficult to convey the true nature of these pieces in a photograph. They really catch the light making them change constantly. 

Here are a couple of testimonials left on my Facebook page from happy customers:

The quality on Aileen's pieces of art jewelry is second to none. The colors show very true to what I have received. I think her pricing is very reasonable & posting to the US is generally very quick. 

I have a pair of  Aileen's earrings which I bought at Birnam Craft Fair last year and I'm forever getting compliments on them. The colours are beautiful and look a bit different depending on the light and what I'm wearing. I love them!

Thank you very much to Karilee and Suzanne for their lovely comments.

So I still have lots to make before my next fair at Birnam Hotel on Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th September. 

Remember you can see what I have available in my Etsy shop here. If you are new to my blog, feel free to get in touch with any enquiries at aileenclarkecrafts@yahoo.com

New Cards In Stock

Today I have had a delivery of a whole batch of new printed cards. All my creative plans for the day went out the window as I have spent hours faffing about taking photos and listing them all in both my Etsy and Folksy shops.

I have a variety of new designs and some old favourites available.

Shepherd's Bothy is new.

£2.50

Lavender Bothy is also new. The original picture is still available here.

Red Roofed Cottage was a big favourite of many over on Facebook when I shared the picture  of the original. The original is sold but the cards is available here .

Set of Six Including the three new designs and the ever popular 'Distant Glens', 'Over The Brig', 'Fir Tree Cottage' and 'Red Poppies'

£12

I also have this new Set of Four available.

'Cottage By The Stream', 'Purple Hills', 'Red Roofed Cottage' and 'Island Cottage and Boat'

£8

Harvey and Alistair are also back in stock.

Available individually or as a pair.

£2.50 each or £4.95 the pair.

 I've been outside photographing my prints today as well. 

I have 'Vibrant Hills' available in two different sizes.

15 x 15 cm in a 25 x 25 cm Mount at £30

and 

25 x 25 cm in a 36 x 36 cm Mount at a special price of £35

'Island Cottage and Boat' is also available in the same dimensions.

 

Here are another two Giclee Prints that I have available. Only one of each left after Open Studios last month.

'Rainbow Valley'

£30

'Island and Gulls'

£30

 So apart from taking dozens of photos of cards and prints today, this week I have been busy making felt backgrounds for a series of pictures I plan to use for my 2014 Calendar.

It feels a bit mad making a winter picture in June but I have to start somewhere so I have started with January.

These are the loose fibres all laid out ready for felting.

Here they are after they have been made wet and lightly rolled.

Here we are a few stages on with the cottage added and some detail introduced into the river.

 And here we have a few sheep grazing and some more detail in the river.

The scene is loosely based on Glencoe but I have given my wee hoose a red roof and there were no sheep grazing when we passed through the glen last week. Although it's meant to be January I didn't want to make it too snowy and wintry either as it can make the result quite colourless.

So a few wee bits to finish then I'll make a start on February. I'm hoping to have the Calendar ready by September and all the original pictures will up for sale by then as well.

Makers Market at The Steeple, Newburgh

I had a lovely day on Saturday at The Makers Market in Newburgh. It was gloriously sunny and warm so I felt really privileged to have a stall outside for a change, especially one as fab as this! 

The stall was hand built by local artist/blacksmith and fellow Open Studios participant, Jim Shears. He plans to make another and they will be available to hire from Twist Fibre Crafts Studio.

It was fabulous to have so much space on the stand and plenty of room behind my shelf unit for packing sold items.

Here is Jim at his portable forge during the market.

My Mum popped along to see me and bought us coffee's and delicious lemon meringue Tiffin from Hatter's and Co's pop up cafe in the courtyard. 

Next to me on the other side were Rustic Simplicity with their gorgeous oak barrel furniture and cupboards.

Below is Newburgh based Jason Shearer playing his Tank Drum or Yantra as he calls it. I loved the sounds this instrument makes and asked Jason about it. Turns out he makes them from old gas bottles! If you fancy one, Jason will make you one for £150.

Contact jason.shearer@rocketmail.com

There was a great atmosphere at the Market with local session musicians playing tunes throughout the afternoon. These guys can be found regularly at The Stag Inn in Falkland every Wednesday evening from 8pm.

Today has been spent tidying up the work space and organising my stock. Lots of new pieces have been listed on Etsy.

Pendants £22

Bothan Ruadh

£35

Candlewick Cottage

£65

Now it's back to the felt making to build up a stock of new Trinket Boxes and start on my pictures for next year's calendar. 

Hope everyone is having a productive month. June can be such a lovely time of year with everything being so lush and a bit warmer at last! Hoping to do plenty of sewing outside soon.

A Wintry Week

 Brrrrr...it's been a chilly time here in Fife over the last week or so. We love a bit of snow up here as it's so pretty but it came in as sleet on a fierce east wind to start with and we didn't get any of those glorious blue sky days when all is bright and beautiful. 

We were lost in the mist last Wednesday.

We've had a wonderful variety of birds pecking around the garden including this wee fat partridge.

 Unfortunately my husband and two children have all been unwell with a flu type thing so it's just been a case of keeping everyone warm and looked after which hasn't left much time for making anything.

Some folk say they can smell snow in the air and I think that's true. I also believe my Granny's old way of telling if it's on it's way. She always said blue flames in the fire meant snow was imminent and we have had plenty of  those. When I rake the hot coals there's a pink glow and flashes of purple too! I've never seen that before.

This wee cottage is slowly but surely loosing it's roof tile by tile. I still day dream of renovating it into a Craft Bothy but it's just a dream.

Snow is possibly the only thing that can make trampoline netting look vaguely interesting too!

The only new thing I have managed to make this week is this oval Sheep Pendant.

It has sold already but there will be plenty more in stock in various colours soon.

 This brooch is still available though

Brooch £15

Available Here 

I do have plenty of cards in stock including this set of six for £12

Set of Six Cards £12 here

I have also been playing around a bit on Pinterest recently and found this idea for a Cable Cuff. I happened to have this wrist cuff bracelet made from a batch I made from old denim jeans last year. It wraps around the cable and the handle of the iron, keeping it nice and tidy when it's stored in the cupboard! Genius! Very easy to make with a bit of fabric and button or a bit of crochet or knitting. Mine just happens to match the iron and ironing board.

 So a very slow start to the year here creatively speaking.

Our brochure for Open Studios North Fife should be ready soon. You can keep up to date with Open Studios news on our Facebook page here