Saturday 21 November 2009

Open House Over



Last week end I had a lovely time showing my work at Jo Sweeting's open house ( her beautiful carved work below.) Always a good opportunity to mix with friends and meet the nice people who buy your work.  I probably expressed those sentiments on my last post - if I did I'm sorry, I'm feeling a bit punch drunk with  working towards the next one , trying to fit in some Christmas shopping and true to form I have received  a large illustration commission to do for an angel magazine in New York ... a lovely job which I will put up on the blog when it's been published - not until spring next year I'm afraid ... mind you, the way time hurtles on that won't be long !




Next up is Joy Fox's colourful button jewellery - one can never have too many of her creations ...




Victor Stuart Graham's driftwood boat and seascapes ...





Carol Butler's delicate hand embroidered shawls and scarves ...



Just sticking on the end a few more of my open boxes  for sale and just to let everybody know that I shall be away from the 7th December for two weeks so I'll only be able to send off 
orders up until that time - so no last minute shopping I'm afraid ! 
Many thanks to all who have e mailed with orders and for your heart warming comments
 ... they are always really appreciated , working as one does in isolation for weeks on end ( a cosy one with the radio for company maybe,  but so good to hear that the magic I try to conjour up is recognised ! )


Pink gem oxo fairy £15


Pink bow oxo fairy £15

Silver thimble oxo fairy £15

China rose thimble fairy £15

Sunday 8 November 2009

Fairies For Sale

I now have some fairies for sale in the run up to Christmas ... I am also selling them at two Open Houses in Brighton; at Jo Sweeting's lovely House at 72, Ashford Road on the 14th and 15th of November and at the very popular Dragonfly House , 48, Ditchling Rise on the week ends of the 28th of November and the 5th of December. For everyone who lives further away here is a bit of a sneak preview and the chance to buy by post ( lets hope this postal  strike doesn't go on too long ! )
The fairy below measures 7x5cms ( the box ) and has a brass ring on the back so it can be hung straight on to the wall. These open boxed tableaux are a brand new range which I have developed as an answer to how to display my little oxo box and thimble fairies.


Gingham oxo fairy £15.


Sitting Flower Fairy £15   



Pink Butterfly Fairy £15


Green Butterfly Fairy @15


Silver Shoe Fairy £15.

Will put some Thimble fairies up on the next post !

Next up is another of the tree top fairies but this time with her wand ( all the ones I posted up before are still for sale , all with wands , except the pink feather fairy. ) 



Gold Tree Top £48

Below is a single hanging fairy, approximately 8cms high , excluding her hanger. I make lots of these and further down are some of the colourways. they are £4 each and I'm afraid I have to ask for a minimum order of £12 as I think I  would go completely mad packing off individual fairies ! They are made of metallic and silk organzas and embellished with sequins, stars and fairy dust! Perfect for the tree but I know a lot of people who keep them up all year.


Red bow fairies.


Purple fairies.
Shocking pink fairies.
White on white fairies.
Silver fairies. These have got some special pink frosted feet !
Gold fairies.
Hope all your Christmas preparations are going to plan ... if you have started that is !!

Wednesday 14 October 2009

Whoooops !

What I mean't to say back there was I am selling these fairies from this site for £48 each ! Not much of a saving at £58 ... more pictures WITH wands to come ...


Tuesday 13 October 2009

Christmas Is Coming !

I have been developing some new and special fairies to go on top of the tree and based on the memory of the fairy that was dusted down every year at home as a child. She had a gauzy
skirt, a netted petticoat and some stiff silvery lace . The idea is that they become treasured keepsakes, so they come in a nice box with a bow on top, some shredded tissue to lie on and I have a printed label to finish the whole thing off. Oh yes and every one has her name on a scroll in the lid.




I am working on some wands for them to hold and then they should be ready for the shops.
They will be retailing at £60 but I am selling them for £58 from this site, plus postage.

Friday 18 September 2009

Marrakesh



Oh dear , it has been a while since I posted, partly because I have been to wonderfully stimulating Marrakesh. All of life is there - including snake charmers, acrobats, storytellers and medicine men ... it is also a place of great contrasts with the hustle and bustle of the Medina and its myriad shopkeepers and  their wares and  quiet and peaceful courtyards and fountains just set back behind a wall or glimpsed through an Arabian Nights style door.


 Rose petals floating in tiled troughs ...

An assortment of shiny sinks ...

More floating roses ...


A saffron dyed carpet ...

Salmon pink painted walls are the corporate look of old and new Marrakesh and they look stunning as the sun sets against them as they change from all shades of rose to purple.



Another thing that predisposes me to the place is their tradition of afternoon tea - the tea being the sweet mint variety ...


... and the cakes and biscuits nice and almondy with a hint of orange flower.


The tinkling of a fountain shaded by orange trees...



... and everywhere you look there are splendid Islamic patterns.





Another good thing about it is that if you live in England it is only a 3 hour flight away and so you are not too pooped when you get back ( which is just as well as I've now got to knuckle down to serious fairy making for Christmas ! )

Tuesday 4 August 2009

Jolly July


Well I've had a very jolly July - it being my birthday month ... my friend Joy served up this lovely
tomato tart on her retro china for a birthday lunch and all the way from Brazil I received this pretty piece of hand crafted embroidery from a fairy fan called Silvia.


She tells me it is called file ( with an accent over the e ) work - it looks rather like our drawn thread work. Isn't the internet a wonderful thing when it brings people from all over the world closer ! Thank you Silvia.


Another delight at this time of year has to be visiting wonderful gardens and I am glad to report that I have finally managed to go to Great Dixter. For all non gardeners it was the home and garden of the great plants man Christopher Lloyd , who like myself had a penchant for dacshunds and there is a great pebble mosaic on that subject in the garden.
The amazing thing about the place I think is the profusion of flowers crammed together in the most unexpected combinations ... exubrient planting wrapped around a Lutyens restored house where he grew up and if you go earlier in the summer the wild flower meadows are really beautiful. ( I confess that I have been twice but that was only because Sissinghurst was closed because I hadn't checked and it's near enough to make a detour to to save the day from being a wash out .) It was still exciting to see it the second time a month later with all the subtle changes.
Anyway it got me into a frenzy of colour and texture and below are some pictures of his garden and some details of some new fairy garden embroideries.

I have been mixing in more of my crochet in with the stitching for a greater depth of texture ( on the lower portion. )











I will leave you with a picture of this wonderful dangly tree - anyone know it's name ?!