Wednesday 27 February 2013

Moving into March



I always assume that I will have lots of time to play and experiment with new ideas throughout January and February but things have remained really busy here for me so far this year with commissioned pictures and requests for various other items.
 I'm trying my best to make plenty of original felt landscape pictures available but so far only have one up for sale.

Aubrieta Cottage came from inspiration gathered last summer. A cottage behind a wall that I saw on Kerrera combined with cascades of aubrieta along a wall I saw in Dunkeld. 
I have always loved the sight of aubrieta tumbling down a dry stone wall so here is my first attempt to depict it in felt.


Aubrieta Cottage
£85
Measures 19 x 21 cm and comes with 32.5 x 34 cm Mount, Wrapped in Cellophane
Available here

I took a mad notion to move my whole work space to a completely different part of the cottage last week. My efforts to contain my sprawling piles of felt and boxes of fibre, fabric, wool, tweed etc etc to one corner of our open plan kitchen/sitting room were in vain so I moved the lot to another room.
This room was originally a smiddy many moons ago but had already been converted into a spacious room before we moved in. We have used it as a sitting room in the summer in the past but as we had no summer to speak of last year, we just stayed through in the warm by the fire and hardly used this area so I've taken it over for now.


 

I must say I am loving having all this space! I've been working here for a week now and have even managed to keep it tidy.

The best thing is that the area I used to work in is so tidy now and I have my favourite windowsill back.
I have since hung a beautiful trailing ivy up here and rearranged the bits and pieces. I think it will change according to the season and what happens to be my favourite object at any given time.


 Another fantastic advantage of moving room is that I can now see right out into the garden and watch the birds at the feeders.
We have a pair of woodpeckers frequenting the nuts and hope that they will produce young ones as they did last year. They give me a little 7.15 am alarm call each morning with one drumming and the other responding. It's just so great to glance up and see their black and white plumage and that flash of red among the branches.


I bought these wee heart peg clips up in Perth at Whispers of The Past, a gift shop on George Street. This card is by Carolyn Saxby and won't be alone on the string for long as the 'to do' lists will be going up beside it!


This is not where I will be doing Open Studios North Fife from. I will move everything down to Ladybank for that weekend only. The premises I use in Ladybank is owned by family and I could use it all the time if I wanted to but I much prefer working from home. There is much more light and I like being able to work in the evenings as well as do other jobs around the house throughout the day 


This week also sees a batch of Sheep Brooches and Earrings going off to a new stockist in America! Lupine Blossoms Fiber Arts in Center Sandwich, New Hampshire already use my cards as Gift Certificates and one of my little felt landscapes as the business logo. 
It's lovely to have a stockist overseas and this little flock will be available there as of next week.


A new batch of stock will also be heading off to Room 15 in Oban soon but in the meantime you can find Sheep Jewellery and other items available in mt Etsy Shop




 The Notebooks, Sketchbooks and Prints are also available in my Folksy Shop
Guest checkout is available with Folksy and remember that I am always happy to send direct to the recipient if your item is a gift and will include a little card with a note from you at no extra cost.

 Notebooks £5.95 Sketchbooks £8.95

Sets of Six Cards £12


Small Prints £12



Brooches £12


Monday 18 February 2013

Come With Me Down By The Sea


I'm really looking forward to going back to Dingle this summer. This is Fungi the Dingle Dolphin and it's 30 years since he took up residence in Dingle Bay!






I had the privilege of meeting this playful Dolphin once under water. My friend Kirsty and I were spending the summer in Dingle on the west coast of Ireland and we'd go down to the little beach each evening and go for a swim in the hope of meeting Fungi. We had no wet suits 
or snorkels or anything but we got a borrow of a face mask and one evening this German couple were out in a kayak and they kept telling me to 'look unter!! look unter!!' and so I dipped under the water and there was Fungi gliding past! It was SO exhilarating! I often dream about him. Can't wait to see him again this summer.



A collection of sea themed items available in my Etsy shop

I'm working on some new felt pictures this week and a few commission pieces. The new sketchbooks, notebooks, Giclee prints and cards are going like hot cakes out of my Etsy shop too so lots to keep me busy!


Thursday 14 February 2013

Giveaway Winners!

Thank you so much to everyone who entered my Giveaway!
The response was fantastic and after writing out ALL the names and putting them all in my hat (Handmade by Maria at Creative Bumble Bee) the winners are ..............





Michaela Carrington
Kirsty Southwell
Sue Harris
and
Michelle Rivera!



All the new prints, sketchbooks, notebooks and cards are now available in both my Etsy and Folksy shops.

I'll be back next week with some more new makes to share! Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Wednesday 13 February 2013

Big Giveaway!

To celebrate the arrival of some new work in print and the wonderful amount of people that follow my page over on Facebook, I am offering a few new things in this Giveaway.

First up is this new Notebook featuring 'Rainbow Valley' as a Printed Cover.

The Notebooks have been a big hit since I started having them made last Autumn. There are now five designs to choose from with 38 pages alternating between plain and ruled.

£5.95



New today are these larger sized Sketchbooks, again the front covers are glossy prints of my own felt pictures.


£8.95


£8.95



These measure 21 x 21 cm and feature 50 pages of sketchbook quality paper.
The coil binding makes them really sturdy.



I have been toying with the idea of having frame-able prints made so I am testing the water with these little 10 x 10 cm Giclee Prints in 15 x 15 cm mounts.


£12


£12

£12


£12

These prints look gorgeous framed and the quality is such that you can hardly tell that it's not a felt original. The first time I saw one at the printers workshop I actually had to stroke it as it looked so like felt.



I have also had some new cards made featuring Rainbow Valley and Vibrant Hills.


 Cards £2.50 each or £12 for a set of six (three of each design)



So, there are four prizes up for grabs.

A Print 
A Sketchbook
A Rainbow Notebook
and a Card



To enter just leave a comment saying which Print you would most like to win and which Sketchbook design you like best.
First name out of the hat wins the print of their choice, second wins a sketchbook, third wins a Rainbow Notebook and fourth wins a card.

Please leave your email address as well so I can contact you if you are a winner.

Giveaway closes at 9pm tomorrow night (Thursday)

If you are a Facebook user, be sure to come over and like my page as it's the best place to keep up with what's new.

All the best!



Monday 11 February 2013

February


I was hoping to have lots of new items back from the printers to share last week but they haven't arrived yet so here is an update of all my new makes this month.



Love Shack pendant £20


 I'm feeling rebellious and have decided I can have pink thatch on my cottages if I want!

Brooch £16

Pendant £20



Apple Tree and Sheep Brooch
£16




These felt landscapes are going to be printed as cards and other items and the originals will be available at Open Studios which runs from Saturday 4th to Monday 6th May.
More about Open Studios nearer the time but I will be exhibiting as usual in Ladybank.

Cottage By The Spring
£85

 

Island Cottage and Rowing Boat
£85




I have some bookmarks back in stock as well 
£10






Lots of Textile and Glass pendants are back in stock all £20

Brooches £12 available in both my Etsy and Folksy shops.







Hopefully I'll have my Printed Items available soon and I will do a big Giveaway to celebrate!
All contributed content © Aileen Clarke