Crafty Exploits: New Work 4

The last few new pieces of jewellery i've been working on...

All available in my Etsy shop now

Monday Musings: Jan Kath

Todays quick post is a piece of work by artist, Jan Kath. Initially when I saw this piece I thought it was a rug that had been painted. When I read a little more detail about the piece I found it was made of wool and silk (no paint involved!). I think its a beautiful example of fusing traditional and modern. If you would like to see more work by this amazing artist please check out the website- http://www.ja-kath.de

Enjoy!

Crafty Exploits: Louise' Birthday Invites

One of my best friends, Louise, is having a 30th birthday party in March and she asked me if I could mock up some invites for her- pressure!

I've been floored with illness all week so the sketches ended up being a last minute job last night after my little girl's first birthday party so they're maybe not as good as I would have liked but i'll be able to brush them up over the next week or so.

Crafty Exploits: New Work 2

Following on from my last new work post I have a few more pieces that I've been working on for my Etsy shop...

Paperfolk Loves... Clarks & Orla Kiely

Okay so I may be the last person online to know anything about this but I recently found out that Clarks are collaborating with Orla Kiely for a spring 2014 shoe collection- woohoo! I love it when Clarks collaborate because it means that designers I love become a little bit more affordable. Eley Kishimoto was my last design crush to collaborate with Clarks so I've got high hopes for this one as well.

Here are a few of my faves...

Check out the rest of the collection at www.clarks.co.uk Try not to spend too much!

Crafty Exploits: Illustrations

I've decided to start selling my illustrations in my shop. I was going to go down the print route but for the time being i'm set on selling original works. Selling my illustrations is a big thing for me because I usually only do illustrations as a way of working out composition and colouring for large scale embroidery works so I never really viewed them as a finished work on their own.

Wish me luck!

Crafty Exploits: New Work 1

After a lot of procrastinating I have finally produced some new pieces of jewellery for my Etsy shop! This time around I have produced a lot more work in colour which is a big thing for me since my go to method is usually black ink and lots of texture.

Here are some of my efforts...

All of the above are available to purchase in my Etsy shop now.

Embroiderer's Delight... Craft Bags





I've had a few craft projects on the go for a while now so my living-room and studio space looks as though a haberdashery has exploded. I thought a nice craft bag (or two) would make it a little easier to manage my projects and keep them within easy reach around the house. I came across these little gems online.

 

Enjoy!

Buy me here



Buy me here



Buy me here

Buy me here

Buy me here



Buy me here

Monday Musings: Karen Barbe

I am super impressed with this apron and pot holder from Karen Barbe. I don't know if I could deal with trying to wash the apron but the pot holders would look great as decorations in the kitchen. I absolutely love embroidered domestic objects so this was right up my street. You can check out her website here.

Have a great Monday!

Paperfolk Loves... Ghada Amer

I have long admired the wok of artist, Ghada Amer. I was first attracted to her work when I was in artschool and loved her use of embroidery to challenge the role of the female. During the nineties she embroidered text from fashion magazines onto hankerchiefs. The text was related to the womens magazines constant articles that encourage women to make changes to their bodies. Amer has used varying imagery in her work from Cinderella to highly sexual female figures and despite using a lot of embroidery, she manages to adapt her technique to always challenge the viewer.

If you like the images below please check out her website where there are lots more amazing pieces of work.

Enjoy!...

(All images via www.ghadaamer.com)

Inspiring Reads: The Dot and The Line

This isn't strictly an art book but I find it inspiring anyway! The short read was written by acclaimed mathematician, Norton Juster, and follows the story of a straight line who's in love with a dot. It was originally published in 1968 and does have a lovely retro feel in the style and colours palette. I am completely rubbish at maths but I can draw you a mean labour intensive pattern made of various geometric shapes! The graphics in this little book appealed to me greatly. Here are some examples...

(All images via fulltable.com)

If you fancy giving it a try you can purchase it here

Monday Musings: Botanical Wallpaper

(via Pinterest)

I adore eclectic homes and although my home has a touch of this style it's not as much as I would hope. My husband and I share a lot of things in common but my penchant for bold colours/patterns isn't one of them! When I see images like the one above where people have gone all out for a bold style I absolutely love it and also have a wee touch of jealousy.

Enjoy...

Paperfolk Loves... Temari Balls

Okay when I say I love Temari Balls what I mean is I love these Temari Balls...

Nana Akua decided to photograph her 88 year old grandmother's hard work and lucky for us she did! Temari Balls are a traditional Japanese craft which were originally made to be given as a gift. Repeat, geometric patterns can be layered and taken in any direction which is an exciting process for the maker. I fell in love with these because 1. I enjoy repeat patterns and 2. I love the idea of creating small things that could be given as gifts for the tree at Christmas. I actually found these on flickr while searching for good Christmas decorations.
I am currently awaiting delivery of a Temari Balls book so watch this space (don't get too excited though, my efforts are no where near a match for these!).

If you would like to see the rest of the collection please check it out here