Friday Folksy Finds - Pumpkin

Whether its simply autumn bounty, a Samhain Festival or just a Halloween Party pumpkins are everywhere at the moment.  They're good in pies, soups and chutney and they do make a better lantern than the Jack O'Lantern turnips we carved when I was little.  Our turnip up in the North are the big yellow ones, the ones the Scots call neeps.  I have to say I love the colour and I think a pile of pumpkins carved into magical lanterns and lit on Halloween look great.  Had a look for both Halloween pumpkins and autumn pumpkin and found a plethora of seasonal treats.

Goozeberry Hill

Mrs Goozeberry is right on track with this whimsical hand stamped vintage spoon.  It would be lovely to have a set of these to bring out every autumn to enjoy the seasons riches particularly my favourite spiced pumpkin pie with a touch of cream.

Wychbury Design

This is the perfect pumpkin pin cushion from the excellent Wychbury Design.  This shop is a delight, a real treasure trove of beautiful designs and craft items.  The shop is run by Paula Perrins who works in Bingley in the rolling hills of the Aire Valley in gorgeous Yorkshire.  She makes interesting designs for your sewing box as well pretty hair clips and stylish jewellery.

Dakini

Dakini is Corrina Field from Birmingham and she is a jewellery designer and glass blower.  The Alchemy Baubles come in huge range of colours and in three designs.  These autumn baubles just glow with the colours of the season and would give a welcome touch of autumn sunshine on the darkest days.

Hare's Moon Yarns

Hare's Moon Yarns is a delightful collection of hand knits, hand spun yarn and lovely knitting patterns.  Couldn't resist this great little pumpkin beanie hat for a little one.  The hand spun yarns are in an amazing array of colours and fibres from alpaca to silk.  Have look at this shop it is a special place to look for knitting wools and gifts.

Hofficraft

Had to include at least one nod to Halloween and this little pumpkin skeleton made me smile. There is a feel of Jack Skelington to this little fellow, he is made from shrink plastic with a brooch pin to his back and he is part of a range of Halloween themed items in the shop of Amanda Hartley a Welsh lass living in Oxfordshire and running Hofficraft.  I particularly liked the fact that each brooch is hand drawn so no two are the same.  Lots of wonderful brooches, mirrors, prints and decorations all with gorgeous illustrations and with a quirky original style, pay her a visit and she will make you smile.

Have a lovely weekend, whatever you get up to and enjoy this autumn colour we've got.

Tuesday Talent - Caroline Lingwood

Every Tuesday I try to bring a new artist that I admire to my blog for sharing, this week I want to share the very talented painter and mixed media artist Caroline Lingwood.  She is a British artist working in Surrey and you can find more of her work at her gallery shop, www.lingwoodsamuelart.com.  This is a studio gallery that she shares with the equally talented Margaret Samuel, a painter and sculptor.

Love is not Love

If you take a peep at the website you will find her atmospheric paintings of skies and still life but it is her mixed media work that has really grabbed my attention.  Reminiscent of the work of mixed media artist Jennifer Collier this collection of objects is a delight.

Her pieces are a combination of subtle colour and rich textures.  It was her little birds that first caught my eye, I love the combination of fabric, buttons and lace making for a charmingly different piece.  However searching further you find the main body of her mixed media work which is simply beautiful. Have a look at the gallery, I think this lady is a real find and I am going to enjoy following her work.

Friday Folksy Find - Upcycled

This seems to be a word I am hearing a lot and having just received a wonderful bag made from old tweed suits as a gift I thought I would see what Folksy had to offer.  I use a mixture of new and old fabrics in my dolls, mostly David's stripped shirts making great stripy legs but some of these finds have truly made something new and desirable out of the old and unwanted.  So here goes.

FabFunky

FabFunky is Kelly McLaughlan from Sussex on the south coast and her shop is a treasure of book prints.  Creative images printed onto old pages from books.  There really is something for everyone at FabFunky, the colours are gemstone bright and the animals, some dressed and others like Mr Puffin in the raw, are witty and full of character.  There are so many to choose you won't know where to start.

RooRaw

RooRaw is Hatty Leith and she makes bottle cap jewellery.  Collections of notions and findings together with an upcycled bottle top, all finished to make an attractive and unusual necklace.  Very young and fresh.

wyatt&jack

wyatt&jack state boldly they are made by the sea and the work involves upcycling the most amazing array of sourced vinyl you can imagine.  They state 'WYATT AND JACK CREATES SUSTAINABLE BAGS AND ACCESSORIES FROM UPCYCLED BEACH DECKCHAIR CANVAS AND RETIRED BOUNCY CASTLE VINYL PVC'.  This bright and cheerful tote is made from a bouncy castle, what a wonderful way to reuse what would otherwise by landfill.  Great idea.  Have a peep at their shop because you wouldn't believe the range of colours and patterns they have used.

Goozberry Hill

Mrs Goozeberry has a passion of Georgian and Victorian cutlery and why not.  She states in her bio that her most prized possession is a pair of nineteenth century silver plated sandwich scissors, which sound fantastic.  Goozeberry Hill take old unwanted cutlery and hand stamp witty and original statements and thoughts onto it, I particularly like the sentiment above.  They will work to order and the pieces come in interesting gift bags.  This lady is lovely to buy from and the pieces are well finished, have a visit to the shop.

Witty Dawn

This lady is a perennial favourite, her collections of vintage fabrics are amazing, as are the little gifts she makes from remnants and off cuts.  Witty Dawn is Dawn Witts from the Cotswolds, her previous incarnation was Audrey's Cat but a re branding exercise has brought her to this new shop.  Check out the owls and the mice as well as home furnishing all recylcing the past.

There are so many inventive upcycled ideas on Folksy that five just isn't enough, have a peep at the Quilting Demon and OliBee as well as Cissyface and ElizabethanRuby.  Just a few of the many to check out.  Searching for gifts is always a pleasure but finding well designed good quality pieces made from old or unwanted items is very satisfying.

Mabel Blue Tit

Head Detail

This is the second bird doll I have designed and made, her name is Mabel Blue Tit. I have altered the pattern to give her a larger more defined head and a slimmer profile, adjusting the dress pattern to show more of the detailed head embroidery. I have kept her quite small and dainty, she stands just under ten inches tall in her little leather shoes.

I am going to have to work on my photos, they never seem to do justice to the subject  but that being said I am very happy with this doll and have had lots of positive encouragement to continue exploring this avian subject.

I love birds, they are one of my favourite things and recently with our garden cat PussPuss being nearly ten years old (he cannot catch birds anymore - too slow now) I  have started feeding in the garden again.  Very satisfying. He sits and watches from the cabin roof but the birds seem to realise he is no threat and don't mind him.  Besides I am using a bird pole to feed from and it is over six feet tall, well out of the way of teeth and claws.

Really happy making these little girls, I have tried to make bird dolls before but always as straight birds.  So many people do this so very well that I decided to make something a little different, a hybrid - a little bird in a dress.  I have a whole nestful planned in between orders so watch this space as they say.

I hope you like them and would appreciate any of your comments or observations.  Pease enjoy her with my warmest wishes to you all.

Wing Detail

A little bird on her dress

Back Detail 

Tuesday Talent - Louise Saxton

Louise Saxton is a major talent working in textiles today and I find myself drawn to the wonderful detail of her wall pieces.  She is an Australian artist from Melbourne and for the last fifteen years has been making art from the detritus of the home.  These materials have included the re-use of her own paintings; collections of everyday business envelopes and vintage wallpapers; discarded needlework; book illustrations and domestic porcelain,

I was first introduced to her work through the Embroiderer's Guild magazine Embroidery and have followed her keenly.  The pieces are pictures of perfect placement, when you look at one of her works closely the texture is just stunning. Her subjects include birds, insects and flowers, as well as more unusual inspiration like her pieces Vanitas from the Wild collection.  I particularly like Vanitas 2, the Twitcher.

Have a look at her website, which is a fairly complete record of her work at www.louisesaxton.com, I really enjoy the exotic nature of her subjects, the insects are bigger and the birds more flamboyant and I am intrigued by these captivating Australian beauties.  There is some pretty amazing stuff coming out of Australia and New Zealand check out Annemieke Mein, a dutch born Australian artist and Claire Prebble a Kiwi who works with silver wire, precious stones and silk.

Friday Folksy Finds - Prim

Had a great long weekend in Devon, Becca got to meet the gallery curator and collected her unsold work.  Lovely part of the world but what a long drive, we clocked up a 595 mile round trip in three days, phew!

Thank you for your generous comments on Tabitha the titmouse, I am working on a blue tit and am happy so far with the result.  I have adapted the pattern, so now she has a slimmer body and a larger head, I am just at the stage of embroidering her.  This week, with my birds in mind, I decided to look for all things Prim.  This style originated in the US and harks back to simpler times when things were made from what was to hand not from shop bought fabrics and trims.  A lot of work goes into achieving this style and done well the piece is simple and seems almost rough but that belies the effort gone in to creating it.  So here are my favourite five.

Lainey Whitworth Mixed Media and Textile Artist

I think this lady's shop is the home of all things primitive on Folksy, I am a regular visitor and have purchased several pieces from her including a brooch and one of her wonderful bees.  There is real artistry here and her pieces are original and unique.  She hails from Somerset although she studied fine art in Brussels and that artistic training show in all her pieces.  Lots to choose from on her shop but I just love this languid hare in the moon.

Astrid Weigel

Astrid is a Scottish lass who works mostly on hand printed textiles for the home.  Her shop is a treasure trove of colourful printed cushions and wall hangings.  However I particularly liked this little wooden and fabric piece.  The pattern is hand printed onto black canvas and then mounted on a piece of whitewashed wood, which I think is very effective and eye catching.  Check out her shop for lots of lovely colourful pieces.

Loopy la-la

Tara Heath is Loopy la-la and she hails from Worcestershire where she works on her small folk art pieces.  I think these rabbits are to die for, beyond cute.  I have seen them in a variety of colours but this lady never has much for sale and her work seems to be snapped up.  Check out her shop though for new pieces, it will be worth it.

Cush-n-Craft

This shop is totally new to me but I think it is quite a find.  Cush-n-Craft is run by Julie Petty and that is all I know.  Her shop is an eclectic collection of hand crafted gifts and home wear.  This collection of tags and toppers just caught my eye, I think drawn by the autumn yellows and mustard but this is just one of a series of collections ideal for scrap booking or card making.  There are all sorts in this shop and well worth a look.

Northfield Primitives

Sarah Pinney runs Northfield Primitives and I have enjoyed her work for some time.  The lady comes from West Yorkshire where she lives with Mabel the dog.  She tells us she has been sewing since she was seven and her skill is obvious when you see her pieces.  There is too much to choose from in this shop and I settled for this wonderful fox terrier pull along but there is an awesome collections of elephants and even more dogs. The sculpting is so subtle you can tell that Sarah know her canine friends.

Well, I really enjoyed searching for this collection, I love anything primitive and there is some delightful work on line at the moment.  As my mind is now turned to my own Christmas orders I will be looking closely at Folksy for my presents for loved ones.  Have a wonderful weekend and wrap up its gotten cold.

Tuesday Talent - Emily Sutton

Brambling

Here is a bird artist extraordinaire, Emily Sutton is a bird sculpture, printmaker and illustrator.  Catch more of her work at www.emillustrates.com, her print and illustrative style is shown wonderfully well on these, her embroidered birds.  She captures the character of the bird she is creating, they all have little personalities.  Her line is so good and the hand painting and stitching really represents the bird in a unique and charming way.  So good are they that you can always identify the species she is portraying.

Check out her website for more stunning and original pieces and have a wander around Google because some of her best pieces are not on the website.  The brambling is my favourite and he is only to be found on pinterest.  If I see just one brambling in winter I am very satisfied but sometimes we get a collection of these delightful visitors in a mixed bag with the chaffinches on cold morning and it makes my day.

In similar vein but quite distinct are Abigail Brown's wonderful bird sculptures, check out her owls which are just too cute and so appealing and for more decorative bird sculptures have a peep at Josephine Hague, her work is just so lovely.  
 

House Sparrow

Redpoll

Friday Folksy Find - Acorns

Photo by Markles55

Our autumn colours are becoming quite striking now and we had a very pleasant walk around the woods at Rivington.  So many acorns this year and beech mast, what a bumper crop.  My Uncle Jim made me chuckle, he has pheasant and they have all wandered off into the woods because they prefer the acorns to the corn and meal they are normally fed. Not a pheasant in sight.

So with acorns in mind I have had a look at the crop on Folksy at the moment and found quite a few delightful works.  Too many to show them all but this selection were my favourites.

Hook and Loop

 Hook and Loop is Claire Woodhead from Cheshire and she makes dainty hand knitted and crocheted items that are delightfully different.  I have so many egg cosies and never use them but I am irresistibly drawn to them.  This little sweetie would be no different and I think it is just splendid, there are other acorn themed pieces to co-ordinate including an acorn mug cosy and a seasonal autumn garland,

the imagination of ladysnail

These tiny brooches are made of shrink plastic from an original drawing by Debbie Greenaway of the imagination of ladysnail.  Her shop isn't very large but is packed full of quirky original designs meant to raise a smile.  Have a peep and enjoy.

BelaFarCrafts

I just love this knitting pattern called fall acorns, it is so evocative of the autumn acorn and yet so subtle.  BelaFarCrafts is run by Minerva in Edinburgh and her shop is a warming collection of hand knits and gorgeous knitting patterns.  She even has knitted pumkins for Halloween.

Kelly Cuts Paper

Kelly Cuts Paper is Kelly Rosser whose shop is a collection of orignals, prints and templates like the one shown above.  Paper cuts have become very desirable and I think this shop has some of the best on Folksy.  I like the idea of downloading a template and having a go myself.  Lots of things to see on Kelly Cuts Papers, have a peep.

RecraftedinWales

What a gentle idea, this gorgeous oak box is for a baby and her mothet.  The box includes an acorn to plant and a space for a lock of hair and a first tooth.  RecraftedinWales is crafted by Michael Burridge and these beautiful boxes are made from reclaimed oak so each one is different.  This is a really interesting shop and well worth a visit.  Check out the reclaimed Welsh slate plant pots.

A very enjoyable collection with some very interesting and diverse pieces.  Well we are off to the Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair this afternoon and down to Devon for a long weekend. Enjoy the autumn sun and have a great weekend.

Tabitha Titmouse, a little long tailed tit

 This little bird doll is the outcome of alot of thought on my part.  I have wanted to make this little doll, a bird character in a pretty dress, for a while and I have had several failed attempts.  In the end she has been quite straightforward and has come out of my original drawings.  Sometimes the simplest answer is the one to go for.

 As you can see this doll is based around a long tailed tit, I have them visiting the garden most days and I look forward to their visits.  They chatter and squabble and move through the garden like a noisy family party.  I wanted to use more embroidery on my dolls and Tabitha has an embroidered face and heavily embroidered decorative wings.  I was seeking an anthropomorphic look and hopefully that has worked.

 She is quite tiny, around ten inches, that in itself was more difficult to work but I am very pleased with the result.  The idea is that, although very stylised, her clothing is a reflection of her plumage.  I want to make a series of these dolls and have got hung up on the idea of the male of the species being more colourful and decorative than the female and could you put that iconic male plumage in a dress?  So far I have spent quite a while listing bird species where the sexes are alike.  Taking things a little too seriously.

Not everything works, the colours are too strong and not natural enough.  I am working on a blue tit and she will hopefully have more embroidery and better colouring but I think the idea is sound and I love making them.  Any opinions would be welcome and I hope you enjoy her.  My very warmest wishes for the day and please let me know what you think.

Tuesday Talent - Tatyana Bushmanova

I have fallen in love with this lady's wonderful dolls and her delicate embroidery.  I have collected as many different images of her work as I can but she seems to only exist on Pinterest.

I believe she is Russian and has produced a number of  similar dolls as well as some quite unusual pieces. I cannot find a web address for her or any biographical detail that I can understand, as it appears to be in Russian.

I really enjoy the characterisation that she has but her ribbon work and free style embroidery are just scrumptious.  I love her organic stitches and her use of colour is a treat. Have a look out for her and if anyone can tell me more about her and her work that would be very welcome.  

 

A Grand Day Out - Ruthin Craft Centre Autumn Gallery

Susan O'Byrne

 Lovely day again at Ruthin, sun was shining on a splendid autumn afternoon.  Their autumn exhibition is in three galleries but we went to see a favourite's solo show in gallery three.

Susan O'Byrne's new show is Five Sisters and a Family Tree, in it she explores experiences of childhood with reference to her grandma's five sisters and the family tree of her immigrant German relatives to Ireland.

The Five Sisters are a collection of half size deer and sheep in porcelain with her trade mark patterning in slip.  The patterns are intricate stencils that are fractured and reapplied to give a crazed pattern placed perfectly on the sculpture.  This is a really comforting exhibition, beautiful and gentle.  There is a fairy tale quality to the work and they are very accessible.  Accompanying the Five Sisters are a collection of life size birds, from finches to majestic crows, whose patterning is subtle and delightful.

Susan O'Byrne

The Family Tree is an eclectic collection of exotic animal heads, again in patterned porcelain, each introduced with the name of one of her German relatives.  All kinds of animals are represented from a tarsir to an echidna, all in a highly realistic form but with her gentle touch very approachable.

I really enjoyed this exhibition, there is no aggression here, you are not challenged but invited into Susan's imagination.  The sculptures are beautiful and well finished and just a pleasure to engage with.

Price is not something I would mention often but if you are in the market for a lovely original I was amazed at how reasonable her work was.  There were pieces from as little as £40, even the little finches were only £95.  I would love to own one of her works but with the cats porcelain is not a good idea.  If its on the wall out of reach fine but I now only have wooden or bronze ornaments because over the last fifteen years they have broken everything else!

W for Wallpaper

The main gallery, gallery one, was showing W for Wallpaper.  A collection of craft made wall papers including pieces that where hand blocked or hand cut as well as digitally manipulated pieces.  There is even a sample made up of machined cross stitches to form a relief pattern.  Some of the hand cut blocked wallpapers where simply art in themselves, with subtle colour and stunning detail.  My favourite however was a wallpaper by the Scottish company Timorous Beasties.  The detail was fantastic and with a ten metre repeat you wouldn't get bored but maybe on just one wall.

Timorous Beasties

There was also a lovely collection of silverware in gallery two by the very talented Julie Blyfield.  Here was jewellery and vessels all very delicate and with a great finish.  A small collection but with the lighting I couldn't take any pictures but well worth a visit.

If you find yourself in the area it is all free, with talks and workshops coming up at very reasonable prices.  Becca has signed on to a workshop with Susan O'Byrne for only £60 that includes lunch would you believe, excellent value and she is very excited.  There is a collection of artisan shops and a really pleasant cafe who do a great fish platter and a good cup of tea, it makes for a very good afternoon indeed.

Friday Folksy Find - The Long Tailed Tit

Hello and welcome to this week's finds, I am sneezing my way through this post so please bear with me.  Such glorious Autumn sunshine and I have caught cold!  I am working on a new idea of a bird doll, a little girl bird with wings and in a little dress that reflects her plumage.  My choice for this doll is the long tailed tit.  These characters turn up in my garden everyday mid afternoon and raid my shrubs for spiders and daddy long legs.  They twitter and argue in a great family gathering, stay ten minutes and then move on.  I simply love them and their wonderful gregarious personalitie, so I have based my first bird doll on the long tailed tit.

This has led me to look for artists who have also been inspired by these cheery lads and lasses.  I have found some lovely and diverse work and I hope you enjoy them.

Elizabeth Murray

This lady is a North Yorkshire jeweller and designer working in silver and enamel.  I think this little bird just encapsulates the long tailed tit.  So little there but you know what is implied.  Very delicate and very lovely.  This lady works in silver and currently only features her botanical pieces but take a look, they too are very lovely,

ArtyEmily

This is a card taken from one if her wonderful embroideries.  ArtyEmily is Emily Tull from Kent and her embroidered pieces have such soul.  The shop is an eclectic mix of all kinds of designs and ideas but her embroideries shine.  They are available as art cards such as this little titmouse and as original embroideries.  Her hares are just brilliant, she captures movement, texture and spirit all at once.  Take a peak at the shop it is worth it.

The Cotton Potter

I utterly love this lady's work and have purchased pieces in the past.  The Cotton Potter is Emma Verner-Webb from Norfolk and I think she is currently one of the best artist working with bird sculpture.  She constantly changes her designs, materials and approach.  Somehow with just a little twist here and a little tuck there it is a blue tit or a robin and she just catches the spirit of the bird.  I particularly like the long tailed tit and love the floral highlights.  Check out the tweed chaps as well, really worth while.

MyBearHands

MyBearHands is Sally Haysom, an illustrator who makes delightful jewellery.  This little brooch is from her British Bird Collection.  It is taken from an original illustration by Sally that is printed onto wood and then laser cut to shape before finishing.  Really young and quirky, would look great on my daughter's denim jacket.  Have a peep at the shop, not all birds but all unusual and very different.

Sally Ayling

Love the simplicity of this design and the fact that this artist uses old tins to make her most individual jewellery.  She doesn't just use tins, but acrylic and other materials, really interesting.  It's great how she finds tins to reflect plummage and feathers. The centre of brooch is walnut to which the tin is riveted and the piece is backed by a silver pin. All kinds of birds made using such an unusual technique.

Hope you have enjoyed this selection, lots of interesting pieces with such diverse techniques to explore and such a dainty subject.  If I can make my own little bird doll work I would love to share her with you, I'm on my third attempt but it seems to be working this time so fingers crossed.  Enjoy the autumn sunshine and my warmest wishes.