Happy Festive Time

I thought I'd post a quick blog to wish everyone a fabulous festive time.  I'm so excited, I can't wait to see all my family and relax.  I've just wrapped my last few pieces, I feel quite organised!  It's normally the night before and I'm still adding the finishing touches.

From home to home and heart to heart,
From one place to another,
The warmth and joy of Christmas,
Brings us closer to each other.

*NEW* Set of 3 Lavendar Bags - Available on my Etsy Shop

Set of 3 Lavendar Bags

Now available on my Etsy shop are my hand made Lavendar Bags, sold in a set of three these would make an ideal gift for relaxing after the rush of Christmas.

Lavendar bags provide a lovely yet eco-friendly way to perfume your linens or lingerie drawer. A perfect gift for an earth conscious friend. You could also hang them on a door handle so that the aroma will waft with you when you walk past! ... Lavendar has been used as a remedy for a range of ailments from insomnia and anxiety to depression and fatigue for centuries. Research has confirmed that lavender produces slight calming, soothing, and sedative effects when its scent is inhaled.

These generously filled lavender triangles are made of a mixture of cotton poplin and satin. The set will contain a mixture of designs. They will be nicely packaged in brown paper to keep the scent nice and fresh.

My next event - MADE IN BRISTOL at the Colston Hall

Made In Bristol Christmas Gift Fair
I'm quite excited about my next event!  I'm sharing a stall with one of my friends on Saturday the 10th of December at the lovely Colston Hall in Bristol.  We're going to be showcasing a combination of home products, Tea Towels, Cushions, Pictures, and other pretty items, all ideal as Christmas gifts.  I'll post pictures soon of all the exciting items we will be selling. 

Venue: Foyer performance space @ The Colston Hall
Time: 10:00
Date: Sat 10th Dec 2011

**NEW** Hand Screen Printed Royal Jubilee Tea Towel

My new Tea Towel design inspired by the Sex Pistols and the Royal family is now availble to buy through my Etsy shop.  It's Hand Printed onto 100% Cotton.

St Werburghs Arts Trail 2011

Well, a week after the trail and I think I've recovered.  It was awesome.  The weather wasn't that great and 'Brisfest' was on over the same weekend but we still had over 80 people visit us.  It was so good to talk to everyone and hear feedback.  I also find it really interersting hearing peoples own stories they have to tell, about arty things that they like doing or used to do. 

I think the trail is inspiring for both artists and also the visitors, I know that it helped me to plan the direction of my work more.  There was such a varied mixture of artists and performers taking part that there really was something for everyone.

A sale getting packaged up

My new 'Jubilee' Tea Towel design

The drawings hanging on the wall are some of my development of the Royal theme

After the weekend the shelves look a bit bare with missing sold items

My new bag designs

Thank you to everyone that came and supported me over the weekend.

St Werburghs Arts Trail 2011

I'm going to be opening our home again this year for the St Werburghs Arts Trail.  It will be on the Saturday the 24th and Sunday the 25th of September.  I'll be showcasing my new Tea Towel designs along with some new product ideas which I'm rather excited about!

We'll also be selling cakes and drinks, hopefully the weather will be nice and we can enjoy them in our new garden!  Check out the Arts Trail website for the full line up - St Werburghs Arts Trail 2011.

See you there.

Design Work

 I've been tucked away in my studio for the past couple of months working on my designs.  Here are a few to look over.  I'm working on a collection along the lines of 'Royal Oak' or something royalesque, I'm not quite sure of the exact name but I really like the theme.  I've been working with water colour and pen & ink, I recently got Photo Shop for my laptop so will soon be transferring my designs into screen images and repeat designs ready to be transferred into textile images.  I'm so excited!

      

     

We're going to be rather busy over the coming week as we have a plan of action to try to get the house completed by the beginning of July, my sister is coming to stay and we want to impress!  I don't know what to do next with my design work though, I've got so many ideas for my textile products I just don't have enough time to do everything!  

I'll post some more images of the house soon as it's starting to come together now.

Wallpaper printing services

I've been spending some time recently contacting wall paper printing company's.  There seem to be quite a few well established company's within the UK that still offer screen printing services rather than digitally printing paper which I'm really pleased about.  I still want my work to be unique and have that hand finished touch.  Here are a few of the companys I've found so far that offer wallpaper / mural printing services:

The Surface Print Company

The Surface Print Company was founded by John Watson in 1989 to supply the growing number of fabric companies who required coordinated wallpapers and borders to compliment their fabric ranges.  Very few companies were able to provide the vital service requirements for short production runs (minimum order of 150 rolls per colourway of a design), short lead times and rapid delivery schedules.  Read more at the website . .

Edmonds

Digitally Printed Bespoke Wallpaper - As easy to install as conventional wallpaper, Digimura™ Digital Wallcovering is the new media phenomena to satisfy unique wallcovering requirements in both offices and homes.  Modern technology, digitally printed wallpaper.

Printed Space

Printed Space offer clients a more environmentally friendly print option when it comes to photo murals and printed wallpapers. Printed Space have invested in HP's new water based Latex ink technology so now the majority of our wall coverings, photo roller blinds and large canvas art prints have stopped being manufactured with solvent based inks. Latex inks produce prints with the quality and durability of eco-solvent and low-solvent ink technologies but they're water based inks, so you get the application versatility, without the hassle associated with the environmental, health, and safety considerations of solvent-based inks.

read more

Anstey Wall Paper Company

Based in Loughborough, England and with a proud history stretching back almost 100 years Anstey Wallpaper Company has achieved an enviable reputation as one of the most versatile, professional and capable wallcovering printers in the world.  This company seem to be the most suitable for the finish I want to achieve, using traditional methods, including flocking.

Print 2 Wallpaper - Print using the best printers and software on the market. Using a 9 colour ultrachrome ink printer and printing at a true 2880 dpi ensures your new mural will be to the finest quality available.  They also offer the facility to be able to upload your own image, please click here for more details

Wallpaper Direct

I'm still doing more research as I want to compare a few more traditional screen printing company's.  I'm going to request a few samples to compare the quality of the prints on different surfaces.  I can't wait!! 

My designs on Vinyl Flooring!!

I am researching methods how I can get my textiles produced and found this awesome website.  Printed Space offer a service to print any image on to padded vinyl.  Imagine walking on my designs!

This example is very fishy inspired.  Printed Space offer a 10 year guarantee with any design/image of your choice.

I think I may keep this company in mind for future aims.  You could also use the vinyl as wallpaper, easy clean and hard wearing!

Alternative hanging 'Nestrest' garden chair

NESTREST an oversized bird’s nest designed by Fred Frety and Daniel Pouzet for Dedon is perfect for meditation, relaxation, and open-air conversations in your backyard.

We cleared out garden of all out building rubble last weekend so I'm now planning our summer project.  Our garden isn't nearly as big as this space but I do like the idea of having a little hide away space to go and read my book.   Perhaps I can use my weaving skills but on a larger scale!  

Inspirational recycled pouffes

I'm doing some market research at the moment to try and identify where I want to sit in the market.  I stumbled across these lovely colourfull pouffes that have such a childlike fun aspect.  I really appreciate that they are made from recycled fabric.

Dusk consists of two pouffes made of recycled textiles from the furniture industry. Around the middle of the pouffes is a belt made of material. The height of the pouffe can be adjusted by the width of the belt. Pictured is one pouffe at a seating height suitable for children and another at a height for adults. The pouffes are inspired by childish memories of making tassels – to a different scale, but just as colurful. They have their own personality and brighten up the greyness of everyday life. via  

Visit the interiorzine website for more info on these inventive stools.

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New Studio Space

I moved into my new studio space today. It's at Hamilton House on Stokes Croft in Bristol. It's ran by an organisation called Coexist who re-invent unused spaces.  It makes the most out of the spaces for the local community.  Taken from 'Bristol Listings' . . Coexist Spaces and History Hamilton House is made up of three blocks.

The block facing Stokes Croft is the creative hands of the Coexist project. This block has a range of spaces available to the community – info/expo space providing various advisories, exhibitions and retail space for workshop and tenant creations, movement and dance studios, community meeting spaces, music recording facilities, cinema room, audiovisual conferencing, holistic healing area and of course Stokes Croft’s newest music and arts venue.

In the middle block at the top of the building is the Coexist hot-desking space. This is a hive of enterprise, education, art and social change initiatives. The remaining floors of the middle block are home to studios and workshops.

On the upper floors of the block at the back of the building you will find desk-based organisations including Bristol Wireless and Bristol Foundation Housing, 2QAB and The Adventurists. On the ground floor of this block opening onto City Road is the home of Jakes Bikes and The Bristol Bike Project. 

This is a message on the exterior of the building . . .

From the owner -

Promoting coexistence between each other, ourselves and our environments. Living locally and thinking globally. Lets create the changes we wish to see in the world

I can't wait to have my own space set up where I can leave out all my creative materials and just concentrate on designing and doing.  I think being surrounded my such people will also be a big motivational drive for me.  I'm in space 3C which is a corner space with lots of windows and very good light.  I'm sharing with two other textile people, a costume designer and a knitter.  

One end of my space

I think it may help having the canteen downstairs for that needed drink after a hard days designing!