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.