the show!

today is the big day;

Artwave Open Studios

it is even partly sunny out (well, not raining at least)

so I could hang a few of the aprons outside.....

hoping to lure in a few people to look at all the lovely things me and my friends have been putting together!

teacup candles and cakestands

aprons and beautiful felted bags

view from my desk

see anything you like?

more felted bags

(the colours are a lot more beautiful in person and oh..........so..........soft)

view from the door as you walk in

and; just to make it even more special; Morris Men at the pub across the street!!

I love me some Morris Men!!

seriously......I am serious.......am also not British - my British friends heap scorn upon them -

I think they are fantastic

(for you non-British people; Morris Men are traditional folk dancers that go around......usually to pubs and dance - they have all sorts of costumes, usually with bells on their ankles - some of the dances have them hitting sticks together..there is a hanky swinging one -not sure what that is all about)

but..it is just good fun!

hope everyone else is having a fun weekend -

Monday is a holiday here too, so seems as tho everyone is out enjoying themselves

__a

goldfinch reworked

I felt something was wrong with my goldfinch picture......like; it looked horrible!

so decided to rework it a bit

am much happier with the outcome

and I finally found a way to use my fancy feathers I bought ages ago.......these are pretty subdued -

they also come in purple, bright green, red and turquoise -

not sure when I will use the others as I usually don't use bright colours like that.....we'll see!

not sure you can tell, but there is also an amber "jewel" on top of the feathers, which I have been itching to use too

tomorrow will be taken up by trying to set up my open studios - which starts Saturday til 12th September

felted bags by Get Felt were delivered today - and they look fantastic! great colour combos - will be sure to take photos and get all the different items so you can see everything

rainy day today........rainy day tomorrow

hopefully it will clear up by the weekend - I have visions of hanging my aprons on the brick wall (somehow) outside my studio door- hoping the colours will draw people in

__a

show in Brighton

I am trying to contain my excitement, but I have been asked to participate in a show at a gallery in Brighton!

I only know 3 others in the show, but one of them, Cas Holmes,

is someone who I have admired from afar for awhile now.

and now I, me........will be in a show with her!

the other artist is amazing too, Anne Kelly

(trying not to feel like an imposter...will wake from my dream any time now)

the third artist is Kate Wickham; a ceramicist

these artists are seriously GOOD!!

(ok, Anne..breathe)

so, tomorrow, I am taking my 4 pieces down to have them put up for the show.

rook

auntie jean

rose

and for the fourth one; I finished the red-winged blackbird and am having it framed as we speak;

just in time!

red-winged blackbird

however, this does leave some holes in my Artwave show

hhhmmm

so......have finished the goldfinch for Artwave

not sure what else I will finish in time for the Saturday opening

goldfinch

have been amusing myself today by listening to old radio detective stories

is it bad to say I am really looking forward to all this being over so I can spend some time (alone) with S?

we have a ferry trip to Dieppe booked later on in September

while we were in the States, we had our kitchen redone (looks good!) but haven't had time to get it back together - we still only have 3 forks in there........and don't get me started on how dirty the house is!!

but then again; being asked to be in a show by someone that just happened

to see my work and liked it has been such an amazing thing!!

that's two this year

so really, I am very, very grateful

and grateful to everyone who has come by my blog -

and especially those who have written nice comments

:>D

__a

oh! and I think it is a full moon tonight..

- would like to take a walk in the dark......

we'll see if I stay awake long enough!

makin aprons

I have been busy makin aprons.......they seem to be taking longer than they should; altho that might be due to coffee drinking.......gasman arrival-waiting.........gasman taking several hours to fix boiler.......checking emails.......chatting.......putting up flyers for the Artwave show......etc!

so, I just need to add a few more pockets to the blue ones and then maybe either add a fabric flower or some vintage buttons to the pockets - and they are finished

I also need to finish the red-winged blackbird and the goldfinch that I have started - and hopefully a few more by the time the show starts

in between all this, I have a big digital print job to do (which will pay my studio rent!) and another freelance job which I think will be easy to do while I sit in my studio waiting for people to come by

tomorrow, I have a meeting with a woman who saw my work at the Artist United show and wants to see more of my work and talk about participating in some exhibitions!

wow.........hopefully I will have some good news with that

hope you all are having some good weather and good inspiration!

thank you so much for your comments and coming by to see what is going on.......

__a

oh! I have one question; I have never seen these Nanny McPhee movies........but the little I have seen,

reminds me of my favourite books as a child; Mrs Piggle Wiggle

is there a similarity?

I actually started

well, have finally started on something in real life, not just in my head!

red-winged blackbird

so......that’s at least started and while I am not sure how to go forward with it,

I can start on the goldfinch that I mentioned days and days ago!

and also finish up the 3 aprons I have made so far and start on a couple more.......

still need to show some photos of those but will wait until I put the pocket on them -

and am thinking a few old buttons too

am also getting several design jobs coming in, which on the one hand is great because then I can pay my studio rent.....but looks like they will all come at once and are very time-consuming so my days of procrastination and dawdling might have to come to an abrupt end in order to get everything done

on a sad note; while in the States, I took some amazing photos of all these exotic looking butterflies that would come and flutter around my parent's butterfly bush (buddleia)

and now I cannot find them on my camera or on my desktop!! ooohhhhh........

I am thinking that doing some butterfly pictures would be nice and was going to use my photos for inspiration; not to mention putting them on here for you all to see!...oh well

I was wandering around various blogs this morning (see procrastination comment above) and came across this lovely video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7X7sZzSXYs&feature=player_embedded

thanks to Abigail Mooney of percy and bloom for sharing this on her blog, which is where I found it

I think it is a really beautiful piece - love the animation and the poem

I spend a lot of my time by myself........sometimes on purpose, sometimes not

well.........thanks for stopping by - I know it has been awhile since I have been blogging - but will keep it going while I get ready for Artwave, the local art trail/open studios festival

and also; thank you so much for your comments, I really, really appreciate them!

__a

home

I'm home

this is going to be a short post as I am trying to get things sorted in the studio - and start working on new projects

I have been really bad about posting while in the States - even tho I kept taking photos and composing in my head - if I ever got down what goes on in my head.......I'd be the most prolific writer and artists ever! ha

the photo above was of this amazing sky in Kansas City - I asked my friend to stop the car so I could try and capture it .......if I was really clever, I would have gone across the street to avoid all the traffic lights

another thing I am realising is that I need to stop taking all sort of projects for me to do while visiting family........it never works and I just end up stressed the whole time because I am not getting anything done

no more

I did sew a few aprons while there and if I ever get it together; will show some photos

I made them to put into the Open Studios.......which begins 28th August and goes on until 12th September

I think they will go nicely with the teacup candles I make and the cakestands my friend makes

plus whatever artwork I manage to finish!! (eek)

ok, can't sit here all day.......I've got work to do!!

hope everyone is doing well......surviving the heat if in the States (it was sssssoooooo hot and humid) and enjoying the rain if in the UK

thanks for stopping by

__a