December Has Descended

December has descended with wintry showers and freezing temperatures.



These photos are a mix from winters past as the weather has been really poor for taking photos the last few days.

The wee derelict hoose lives in the field just down the road. Sadly half it's roof has fallen in but it was too misty to take a nice snowy photo of it today.

This is the robin photo in full.

Look closely at the bottom left hand corner.

Do you see the we female Chaffinch trying to get in on the act! I didn't notice until after I'd uploaded it. Made me laugh.

I was actually trying to get a photo of our resident woodpecker but my stealth moves up to the window weren't good enough and it flew away.

New makes this week include these Harris Tweed and Felt Bird Brooches and Sheep Pendants

Also some new oval brooches.

  The brooches above had sold already but I will be making more on a daily basis and listing them on Etsy

Below are all available on Folksy

Delighted to say that my 2013 Calendar and range of Notebooks are back in stock! Yay!

2013 Wall Calendar featuring 12 prints from some of my most popular felt picture designs.
£9.95

Notebooks £5.95 each

I have been using my own one, a Seascape, for writing orders in. I like the alternating plain and ruled pages. Great for sketching as well as keeping notes.



For daily updates and news of what's hot off the work table you can find me on Facebook here

Highland Cow Prints

 

Harvey the Highland Cow is now available as a print!

 

 

£15

Available Here

Harvey was originally made using wet felting and needle felting techniques. Over the past year I have had many of my felt pictures printed as cards, notebooks and a 2013 calendar and I have now branched out into having some single images made available as prints.

The quality of the print shows the fibres and stitch in great detail so that it is hard to tell if it's a print or an actual original felt picture.

Image measures 19x21cm and comes with a quality mount measuring 31x33cm. The mount colour is 'Hayseed' and has an attractive little border scored around the aperture. Print is initialled and dated.

Your print will come wrapped in cellophane for protection and well wrapped in bubble wrap and extra cardboard for a safe delivery.

All my art is handmade in Scotland and I use a professional Scottish print company to do my printing for me.

© Aileen Clarke 2012

November Update

 

With November days dawning dull and damp, I sometimes feel like keeping the curtains closed and pretending that November looks like it does on my 2013 Calendar!

 

 

The Calendar is currently sold out! I can hardly believe it! But worry not, more are on order and I have begged the print company to get them to me next week.

 

 

 

 Three of the notebook designs have also sold out with only the Seascape left at the moment.

More coming next week as well!

 

 

I have decided to have Harvey made available as a print. I'll be getting mounts tomorrow and will get him into my Etsy and Folksy shops as soon as possible.

A mounted print will cost £15

 

 

 This little felt landscape below is available now here

 

 

New this week are these stylish slim oval pendants.

 



They come with either a silver plated snake chain or a black rubber cord and sit really nicely at the neck.

 

 



 

Also available in felt.

 

 

I also have these new earrings in stock featuring locally hand made solid silver ear wires.

 

 

These are in my Etsy shop here

 

 

 

 

My brooch trays have at last arrived! Trying my best to get them made and listed but they are selling fast!

 

Available as ovals or rounds in various designs. I'll update again when there are more in stock.

 

I'm happy to gift wrap purchases and send them directly to the recipients if they are for gifts. I'll add a message at no extra cost.

 

If you are overseas and want to send to a UK address you can do that too!

 



 

 

 Last up for this update is this Seascape Card which is now back in stock.

 

I'll be working away like a wee busy bee but always on hand to answer emails.

I also do daily updates on Facebook if you would like to join me there.

Calendar Update and Sheep Brooches

Here we are more than half way through November and there are only 15 of my 2013 Calendars left!

I'm not planning on ordering any more so I thought I'd better let you all know in case you had wanted one.

The notebooks are flying out the door too with one design sold out already. There are less than 10 Highland Cow ones in stock but plenty Seascape and Cottage (I ordered more of them to start with, should have got more coo's!)

Calendars are £9.95

Notebooks £5.95

and can be found here

 I have spent the last week catching up on a few things and photographing as much as possible to list online.

All these and more are available on Etsy now.

I have been asked a lot over the past few weeks if I will be making any more sheep brooches and the good news is that yes I will!
The brooch trays have arrived and there are now a few available in my Etsy shop.

If you would like to order one just email me at aileenclarkecrafts@yahoo.com

UPDATE! Due to demand, more Calendars and Notebooks have been ordered!



Tales from The Fairs

 

 It has been an incredibly busy four weeks for me with five craft shows over four weekends but lots of fun taking my work out around Perthshire and Fife.

 

Last weekend found me at my second Exclusively Highlands event held at Blair Castle in beautiful highland Perthshire.

I was invited to write about the event for Folksy.com's online magazine which you can read here

In the meantime here are some photos from this most stunning of locations.

 

 

You can just see the castle turrets above the treetops here. I took this photo from our accommodation at Tom of Lude Steading Cottages. I've never exhibited at a fair where I had to stay over before but my friend and I had a great time and made a weekend of it by staying for two nights. It was nice getting a chance to get to know some of the other stall holders a little better and much hilarity was had over a few bottles of wine.

 

 

Neighbouring sheep.

 

 

Blair Castle is a beautiful building and made a great venue for this event.

 

The Hall was resplendent with over 30 stalls featuring a great variety of art, craft, jewellery, photography, ceramics, soap, textiles, food, wood and more.

 

 

 

I couldn't believe it when a man came in and lit the fire opposite my stall! How fab is that! It added such a cheerfulness to the event and kept us all nice and warm.

 

 

Whisky Barrel Furniture and Gifts by Darach

 

My own stall below.

 

 

We were totally spoilt as we had the Leachkin Bakery to the left of us as well!

I've never eaten so much cake in my life!

 

Another new exhibitor at Exclusively Highlands was Morag McGee Ceramics from Aberdeenshire. It was great to get a chat with Morag as she is involved with NEOS (North East Open Studios) so we were comparing notes a bit about Open Studio events.



 

 

Next to Morag was another North Easter from Aberdeen, Aubin Stewart with her Aubeebop Jewellery collection. Aubin likes to make her jewellery pieces from re-fashioned collectible materials, acrylics, metals, precious pearls and gemstones.  She loves giving a preciousness to ordinary or discarded materials.

 

 



 

If you enjoyed BBC's Autumn Watch this year, you will love Eoghain McLean's wildlife photography. We particularly liked a canvas of an otter popping up out of seaweed with such a fantastic expression on it's face.

 

 





 

 Love these wee cupboards made from reclaimed wood by Rustic Simplicity

 

 

 The craziest weekend was the week before when I had a stall at The Steeple in Newburgh on the Saturday and The Handmade Show at Perth Concert Hall on the Sunday. I had to go home on the Saturday night and make more sheep jewellery!

Both were great events too and it was lovely to meet up with other makers I met last year and have kept in touch with online

 

 

Left to right, Sally Sutherland of Soul Silver Lampwork Beads and Jewellery, Rebecca Anderson of Songbeads, Alison Moore Designs and me.

 



 

This week has been all about making as much as possible available online.

All these pieces are available in my Etsy shop.

 

 

 

 

There are still a few Calendars left but not many! Available on both Etsy and Folksy

And all these are new listed on Folksy.

 

 



 



Meet the Makers at Blair Castle This Weekend!

 

The last of my five events in a row is this weekend at Blair Castle, Blair Atholl in Highland Perthshire.

 

Another chance to meet the makers of fine art, craft and food from around the highlands of Scotland and beyond.

10-5pm

£3 entry or free with a castle ticket.

 

 

I will be writing a guest post about the event for the Folksy blog and giving out these samplers of what the site has to offer.

 

 

 

My own shop on Folksy is being stocked up this week with brooches, sheep pendants, heart pendants and more so keep an eye out for new makes there.

 

Aileen Clarke Crafts at Folksy.com

 

 

 Tweed and Felt Brooches £12 each

 

 

Pendants £20

 



 

 

 This little trinket box will be coming with me to the fair then if it's still with me, I'll list it online next week.

 

Handmade Box £35

All these new pendants are now available in my Etsy shop (except the middle one as it sold already).

 

 



 

I only have 30 Calendars left and I'm not planning on ordering any more. They have been so popular and well admired. I'm so delighted with the response to them. that I think I'll start work on the 2014 one in the new year!

 

Calendars available in both my Etsy and Folksy shops or from me at the weekend. If you'd prefer to order privately just email me at aileenclarkecrafts@yahoo.com

 

The Makers Market at The Steeple in Newburgh and The Handmade Show in Perth last weekend were both great! Fantastic to meet up with other artists and makers from all over.

 

 

 

 

My stall at The Handmade Show

 

Thank you to everyone who stopped by my stall.

Remember, if you have any questions about anything you have seen at these shows or here on my site, don't hesitate to ask by just dropping me an email.