May Makes

I had a lovely time with the ladies of the AWA (American Women's Association of Aberdeen) on Monday. I might be going back later in the year so I'll keep you all informed about that.

My next event is the Makers Market at The Steeple in Newburgh on Saturday June 8th

This week sees me getting all my available work photographed and listed

 in my Etsy Shop as well as working on commission pieces and other bits and pieces.

This Textile Trinket Box with Sea Shells is now available here

£32

I made quite a few little Harris tweed and felt boxes for Open Studios and only have two left!

Thankfully I have plenty of Tweed though so more of these coming soon.

Boxes £30

My Ivy Leaf Brooch Pins are proving to be very popular with all the purple ones sold out already. These gorgeous greens are still available though at £12 each.

More brooch pins. All of these brooches have an extra long brooch pin on them to allow them to be used as shawl pins or to keep draped cardigans closed at the front. They also look lovely on a lapel or hand bag and some of my customers tell me they wear them on their hat!

Harris Tweed and Felt Bird Brooch Pin

£12

All brooches available here

I have a few new Textile Jewellery pieces available as well.

I get asked a lot what these pendant and earring pieces are made from because people sometimes think they are fused glass.

When I used to make a lot of textile art cards and pictures, I loved the effect of the layered shimmery fabrics together and set about finding a way to make them wearable but durable. I came up with this idea to set the fabrics into pendant trays behind either resin or glass.

Pendants £22

These heart shaped earrings feature solid silver handmade ear wires by local jeweller 

Anne Miller.

 Heart Shaped Earrings with Handmade Ear Wires 

£18

Circle and Square Earrings from £15

For Open Studios this year I had a lot of my original felt pictures professionally framed.

This is 'Island Cottage and Boat' in it's beautiful frame from Robertson Fine Art in Glenrothes.

Island Cottage and Boat 

£195

Available here

I'm planning to make more pictures this size over the coming months and to make them available to be shipped worldwide in their lovely frames.

I also have one unframed piece available at the moment.

Harris Beach

£85

More of these coming soon as well.

So although we have had an extended winter and are still waiting for the warmer weather to arrive, I have been finding the temperatures soaring out in my wee shed!

It got up to 24 degrees in here the other day! SUN TRAP! So that's where I have been doing all my needle felting and hand sewing.

My new business cards also arrived last week. These grape hyacinth and primula have the sweetest scent an are so cheerful in my Lochbroom Pottery jug.

I will be continuing to list new items online this week and will hopefully get some more felt pictures finished really soon.

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog.

Aileen.

Craft Show May 20th Aberdeen

After a hugely successful Open Studios 2013 and a short break up north, it's back into the work room this week to finish some commission pieces and make new stock.

I will be at a small Craft Show in Aberdeen on Monday 20th May

10-1 pm

at

11 Cairnlee Avenue East

Cults

Aberdeen

AB15 9NU 

This event is being hosted by Michelle Crawford Joseph and as well as me there with will be Hannah Scriven with her turned wood candle holders, bowls and other items.

Stamping Up Greetings Cards and

Pampered Chef

Nibbles, Tea and Coffee will be served and although this event is being held in a private house, don't be shy! You are all welcome to come along!

I will have my new mugs with me along with my full range of Textile Jewellery, 

Sheep Jewellery, Notebooks, Cards, Sketchbooks, Prints, Trinket Boxes and more!

My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our short break to Gairloch last week.

The weather was fantastic with clear views over to the Isle of Skye and beyond.

We drove out to Rue Reidh Lighthouse and enjoyed our lunch while sitting on the rocks.

I loved to see the washing flapping in the breeze with the Isle of Skye and The Old Man of Storr in the distance.

Just up the road a bit from where I took this photo, we got such a surprise when an otter ran across the road right in front of us and dived into a hidden pool under a rock! It was fabulous to see one so close up but such a shock as he or she seemed to come from nowhere.

We hiked across the heather to this beach at Camas Mor.

There was no path as such and it was a bit of s scramble to get down to the beach but it was so worth it!

I love a wild beach and this one was just that but I can't be beside water that colour and not go in so in we went! It was FREEZING! but exhilarating and so much fun.

I can't praise the hotel we stayed in enough for the lovely time we had there.

The Myrtle bank is right on the waters edge at Gairloch and we enjoyed this sunset from the conservatory while watching otters play in the water. Just perfect!

The food was amazing too!

So that's me all refreshed and full of inspiration again.

Do come along to the show on Monday morning if you are in the Aberdeen area.

I'll look forward to meeting some of you there.

A Peek Inside My Studio During Open Studios North Fife 2013

Open Studios has been busier than ever this year and it's not over yet! I'm awake ridiculously early so I thought I'd get some photos uploaded to share before the day begins.

This is my third year taking part in Open Studios. There are 86 artists and makers taking part this year and as with other years, the response has been phenomenal!

Although I do live and work in the North Fife area, I prefer to move premises for Open Studios. I use my Step Dad's old office in Ladybank for the weekend which has the potential to become my permanent studio but I still prefer working from home.

I do my best to recreate my work space here though. I even brought my curtains!  

This is our little back room Gallery where I have my larger framed pieces displayed along with some framed prints.

We have also been serving tea, coffee and cake in here and at times it has been packed with people!

We set up a little Sales Desk and I'm so grateful to my Mum and friends for helping me out. They have been serving a constant stream of customers over the weekend which has left me free to talk to people about my processes and do a bit of demonstrating.

We've been playing with Transfer Paints this weekend and letting people have a go. Children and adults have all enjoyed it and many textile enthusiasts have been in to have a closer look at the embellisher machine and what it can do. The pink coat is there to display a brooch and to show people how the embellisher machine can be used to make motifs which can then be appliqued onto garments.

I still love my little lobster creel shelf that I brought home from Elie beach last month. In the interests of safety I restricted the display to cards as I have it hanging in a place where people might brush past and knock fragile things off it. The cards are harbour and sea themed though and it has been well admired.

 

The new mugs have been a big hit with the coos going off to new homes all over the country.

These will be available online when I re open my shops next Monday. I'm taking a little break to organise my stock.

It's great having so much space to display my work compared to the average 6' table you get at craft fairs.

It's a bit like playing at shops!

 

Felt and Seashell Trinket Boxes with a few complimentary jewellery pieces.

So if you are reading this on Monday 6th May, you still have time to come in and see us.

We are open from 10 - 6pm and can be found at 64 Commercial Road, Ladybank, KY15 7JS.

Just look for the white Open Studio boards. 

There are 7 other artists exhibiting in the village of Ladybank alone plus Off The Rails Art house Collective are open for visitors as well.

I'll be back next week with lots of new listings in my shops and perhaps a few more photos from our weekend.

Thank you so much to all those who have embraced the spirit of Open Studios and come in to see us and planned a route to visit as many as possible over the weekend. We really enjoy putting this event on for you and are delighted with the reaction we get. Here's to another busy day today!