uuuuuhhhh quilts

Jeez, would you look at these quilts! I wonder wether I'll ever stop getting high on quilt pictures, it's been a good few years now so I suspect not.

I have no way of crediting these, I've just had them on my desktop for yonks, sorry about that.

People at the Museum of Archeology and Anthropology

I paid a visit to Cambridge recently - solo. I went without the child, And I don't mind telling you that it was a bit of an anti-climax. I felt quite flat, almost as if I need the constant threat of a giant, get-everywhere type turd to keep my brain all sparky-like. Anyway, after quite a lot of wandering around feeling aimless I finally set to the Museum of Archeology and Anthropology to do a little drawing and some cutting out: which is a very fiddly thing to do in mid air whilst trying not to alarm museum assistants by getting too close to anything with scissors. I found myself drawn to all the little people and things with faces, I like them all grouped together - a real motley crew. They mostly have pretty nondescript 'I'm a museum exhibit' type expressions which I also like: as if they might be just putting it on and as soon as you turn your back they'll jig around and have a laugh.

My top tips for mobile making.

The mobile making carries on at a pace . . . a pace dictated by the rearing of a child and the earning of money. Dammit. But I'm quite determined and we haven't got a telly so not doing too bad.

I thought I'd share what I've worked out so far.

First of all - materials.
I've been using these paper balls which I've found to be just about the right weight.
Most important material is SUPERGLUE - things need to be held tight together so the balance holds. Superglue everything.
Waxed cotton twine - I started off using fishing line but it's too rigid, twine is better - floppier, gives freer movement.
The wire I use is a bundle I stole from my Mum who cleared it out of an old school cupboard I'm afraid (so unhelpful) but I think it might be this stuff - that Pisces Art is a really good website too, I could easily squander all my earnings on it.

I've also been using GOLD - love a bit of GOLD, I obviously haven't been using real GOLD, just this fake gold leaf stuff. I just used pva and waited for it to be tacky before sticking the leaf to it and then I gave the balls a good coat of oil paint varnish to keep them handsome through a little wear and tear.
mmmmm, I love gold, so shiny and warm.

When it comes to constructing I always start at the lowest hanging knot - does that make sense? Start with the piece that has nothing else hanging from it, set the balance and tie it. I tie all my knots tightly to start then . . . 

I hang the mobile up and check the balance. Any bits that are a little off I just carefully weedle and adjust until they hang right then I go round and superglue up all the knots so they don't wiggle and are held with the balance right.
Ta-da!

Only problem is that damn Calder - he's done everything mobile related and everything you make just ends up looking derivative: I might have to start making some mobiles that are a little more Sarah Lucas ish. I'll keep you posted

Great Gran's pastels

I am lucky enough to have my great gran's pastel box - isn't it beautiful? Didn't they do things better back in the day? The colours are all perfect, as you would expect, but unfortunately I'm a bit scared to use them: I'm the kind of drawer who will scrub a pastel down to dust and then realise I don't really like what I did and throw it away, so I'll stick with my school quality sticks until I finally learn some finesse, until then I enjoy them with my eyes mostly.

Look at the lovely stamp . . .

And even the catches have a lovely elegance.

Thanks Great Gran.

New card designs

I've released a few new card designs - and finally got around to photographing them! You can see them on the cards page of my website and if you own a shop and you fancy stocking them, or just want to think about maybe stocking them, email me and I'll send you a super secret, high security password for the strictly hush-hush, classified, V.I.P. wholesale ordering area of that same website.

Here they are . . . 

Milton Avery

If you're ever looking for a bit of colour inspiration you should probably peruse the work of Milton Avery - isn't it so gorgeous?

Fruit wrappers

Someones collection of fruit wrappers, found in the bottom of a box at Hitchin Market. Beautiful no? I'm getting back in to the toot! I roll the boy down there in his buggy and feed him breadsticks to buy myself rummaging time.

Vintage clothes and textiles from Augusta auction

Just a little post to let you know that, if you're at a loose end have a peruse of the Augusta Auctions site: it's wonderful. And here are the outfits I'll be having thanks, and a suit for Jack.

drinks labels

I've just been asked to design another drink label so I was very happy to find these old labels whilst I was looking through my studio archive boxes. They are called studio archive boxes because Jack won't let me keep crap in the house, quite a lot of stuff ends up in my studio. Anyhow - aren't they lovely? I spent a bit of time poring over them to find the best ones for you . . . 

 I like these less colourful, more geometric ones best -

Shaker furniture

Enjoying the Shaker look a lot - I'd like this bench please/

And this rocking chair. And the background cloth too, obviously.