wood and ceramic

 

I’ve been working away at getting my first group of standing peg dolls finished, I’m really pleased with them, and am also working on some more ceramics to add to the mugs in my shop. So lots of variety, tea pots, cups and saucers, salt and pepper shakers, serving plates, small dishes and even a smart pair of dogs! Lots of new things listed in my shop and more to come over the following weeks. I’ve had a lovely relaxed Sunday, this post being my only concession to work so I’m off to eat now and relax a little more, happy sunday evening to you all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Painted wood

 

So this week I am trying to finish all my painted wood projects, some lovely decorative wooden spoons and standing wood peg dolls, I’ve been playing around with ideas of how to display these little dolls and am developing some little flags and banners, the idea being that you get a choice of flags for different celebrations or you could make your own. The dolls would then make lovely table decorations or even cake topper’s and when not in use they can decorate a shelf or sideboard with a patterned flag. I’m still working out the little flags and I imagine it will be another week before these are available in my shop. The spoons are purely decorative, maybe with a tag attached for personal messages. The last three photos are of little kokeshi dolls with bunny ears, they are available here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Drawing

 

 

So I just had my weekend without the children, I always miss them terribly but really really enjoy the break!! I like to watch movies whilst I work. I loved watching Wes Anderson’s ‘The life Aquatic with Steve Zissou’ whilst I finished of these drawings for new small art brooches. I am insanely busy again getting ready for the Selvedge spring fair in London  on the 22 & 23 March and Paper Scissors Stone in Bristol starting mid April. Also some images of new brooches completed and available in my shop now as well as lots of new small art necklaces.

 

 

 

 

 

Happy valentine

 

I am working with clay this week as the children are at home and it’s easier to work on a smaller scale, I’ve also got pages of sketches that have waited to be transformed into little clay creatures. These are an extension of the shrink plastic and painted paper clay jewellery that I am working on as well. I have some lovely polymer clay colours that I wanted to work with, I didn’t want to use paint and am experimenting with drawn features. Above is a little valentine love bug. Below are some of the first little characters I made, love bugs, an easter bunny bunbun, a scarlet house mouse and Burgers a moose mouse.

 

 

 

I have also made some magic bean necklaces below, the last image is a close up of Burgers the moose mouse.

 

 

A Dachshund called Gus

 

Today a little Dachshund called Gus has arrived in my shop, he is made from black linen, wool felt and velveteen. Finished off with a dashing red leather collar and cool plastic bead necklace.

 

 

A Fox

This lovely fox joins the white puppy and little rainbow pony in my shop today. She is made from linen with lovely details including a wool felt collar with a bell and beautiful sea green recycled glass bead. I am loving these new animal dolls! it is a lot of fun adding all the little details. Watch this space as more animals are on their way!

 

 

My 2013 so far

I’ve ignored my blog for a while!! not intentionally, I have just been so busy through January. So here is some of what I have done, lots of new designs  and ideas on the work table with some older designs reinstated with a few little improvements. Above is a mini rainbow pony and mini molly dolly bear, below are some knitted pocket animals, I used to make these a couple of years ago and have waited for an opportunity to revise the pattern and add them to my shop.

Above is a lovely new Molly Dolly with a linen and Liberty tana lawn dress and little felt fox purse. Below are a couple of new yoyo baby dolls available here. And a lovely Molly Dolly mouse in knitted pants and vintage cotton top.

The white linen puppy and rainbow pony were just completed today and will be in my Etsy shop soon. I love adding just enough kitsch details, like flourescent bling, rainbow hair and cartoon like features to contrast nicely with the linen, hand stitching and vintage cloths. I’m also working up a lot of jewellery samples, some painted clay, some shrink plastic drawings and some leather and cloth wrist bands. The last couple of photos show me half way through sorting out my workspace, with Ikea shelves and boxes, still a lot to do but it’s looking better organised already! so I hope your new year has got off to a swinging start as well, I’ve got to get back to work now, see you soon.

Goodbye 2012, looking forward to 2013

Above and below are images of my last show before Christmas (Colston Hall Bristol), I made some super cute pom pom animals and machine embroidered standing dolls, similar dolls will be available in my shop in the new year. This is my first experience of the Christmas season, last year I was only just up and running so wasn’t involved in so many shows and pop up shops. It has been a huge learning curve, I finished work at about 6pm on Christmas eve, decorated the tree, filled stockings and crawled into bed exhausted. Christmas morning I had the first signs of impending illness, headache and sore throat, I dosed myself with vitamins and medication and made it through the next few days. The children had a lovely time and whilst they spent a couple of days at their dads I lay in bed watching back to back episodes of sons of anarchy! I’m feeling a lot better now and managed to squeeze a birthday in there as well!

Below are some images of my work table this morning because even when I’m not working I’m working!! developing some new designs for 2013. Small dolls made from lightly tea stained jersey and experimenting with hand drawn faces in the next photo (fox)

These little hanging dolls below have hand drawn pencil faces and wool hair.

The large doll below with dark velveteen hair is a new design I am developing for 2013, she is the same size as the molly Dolly with long skinny jointed limbs and a shaped body for sitting.

Some lovely little pom pom birds and bunnies looking forward to 2013 and some spring sunshine!

Below a closer look at the new large doll with embroidered features and beaded felt bear ears.

A last look at 2012, this is me working into the night preparing for Christmas. Lots of love and best wishes to you all for 2013!! less rain and more sunshine please x

Lots of new designs for Christmas

We got through half term, although the children and I were all ill and one or two children have been at home for the last week so it doesn’t really feel like term has started yet.  I have carried on working between trips to the doctors and administering medicine and today I have finally had a few hours of child free working time so I feel far less stressed and far more focused on what needs to be done pre-Christmas (too much!! so I’ll need to devise a plan whilst the children are away)

Despite the stress of the last couple of weeks I feel excited with the new designs I have completed, first a selection of Christmas wreaths or wall hangings that are subtly seasonal using wire, cloth and felt they look lovely hanging on my walls. Inspiration as always has come from childhood memories, my mum has a wonderful collection of Christmas decorations including some little felt animals she made, I always loved these magical miniature creatures and unwrapping them each year to decorate the tree is one of my favourite memories. So far bears, birds and horses, with patterns for a camel, lama, swan, elephant and donkey waiting to take shape. Above are some terrier decorations and dala horses and below are the christmas wreaths or woodland wall hangings.

I have also been working on a selection of lovely softie pillows and a new doll design!! the Sazzy doll named after my favourite childhood rag doll sewn by my mum is a long tall display doll, she will come in two sizes and can hang on the wall or sit. Her limbs are long and un-stuffed to emphasise her elegant proportions. With these dolls I wanted to concentrate on beautiful textiles, colour and texture, they have merino wool hair, chunky knit tops and skirts and dresses made from silks, linen and cotton from my huge collection of vintage fabric. The very last photo shows a fox scarf that I am also working on.

 

 

 

Teeny tiny Molly Dolly’s getting ready for Christmas stockings!

I have been working hard on lots of new ideas for Christmas, nearly completed are my first set of teeny tiny Molly Dolly’s at about 6″ tall they are perfect little stocking fillers, like the full size Molly’s they are made from linen and cotton some vintage some new, they have hand knitted skirts and silk ribbons in their hair. I am also making tiny woodland hoots, christmas trees and mushrooms. The Christmas fairies are about 6 – 7″ tall and are inspired by those wonderfully kitsch tree ornaments from the 1950s and 60s, I wanted them to be glitzy and sparkly like they are off to a Mad Men cocktail party, their dresses are vintage silk and they have fabulous apricot and peach wool hair. The last image shows a large Molly Dolly in progress, the first of a special edition of retro themed dolls, this lovely girl will be 1940s. I know I’ve been a little slow posting recently, just so much work to do but I will try to keep updated on whats new for the holiday season, birds and stockings next!