Oops !

Well at last I have managed to hobble up to my studio and make a post ... slipped own the stairs at home three weeks ago and broke a bone in my foot ! Jolly painful at the time but since then it has been mostly frustrating as first I spun around on crutches ( literally ! ) and then I mastered the art of manoeuvering  up two steps which got me into Brian's studio where I camped out for two weeks and now crutch free I can hop up the garden path back to my own patch and very nice it is to be back ! For just a very small bone I have a rather large cast which is coming off tomorrow and I can't wait ...

I must say the perks to having to slow down or even stop altogether have been to discover the delight of scoffing sweets on the sofa whilst watch Deal or No Deal - a late afternoon habit which I must be prepared to quit soon . The pretty petit fours below were given to me at Christmas by a friend who hand made them herself - I meant to put them up in the last missive and forgot. Have also caught up on some reading and have been much entertained by Mapp and Lucia by E F Benson, South Riding by Winifred Holtby ( a classic that I've long been meaning to read ) and Moby Dick by Herman Melville - another hefty read but well worth it.

Had my longest walk on the week end and bought these treasures in a junk shop. I love Honiton ware with it's lively little spots and stripes and this hand dyed ribbon poking out from it will be put to good use in making some fairy skirts.

Now I must confess life hasn't all been about languishing and snacking - once I got myself set up in my old spot in the other studio I managed to get back in to some painting and found I'd loosened up a little in the time in between. There is a fine line between lively painting and it just looking a mess and then I always have to stop myself from bering too literal and yet I want to be true to what is in front of me - all very absorbing and frequently frustrating stuff. I'm painting in oils by the way and rather like the time you have to allow for layers to dry a little before applying the next layer - it curbs my tendency to keep on going when I should step back from it and take stock. 

This painting of gerberas is 8 inches square - I'm working my way up to bigger pieces as there are even more problems to juggle with as you go up in scale - composition being one of the biggest for me ... I'm enjoying the jewel like quality you get with this size - it's scary to start something bigger !

The winter jasmine in a slip cup is 9x7 inches.

  The anemone in a Honiton vase is 7.5 inches square and I felt a had a bit of a breakthrough with the surface of the canvas in this one - I fell the the paint has got a more brilliant quality.

This the one I'm working on now and will post it up when it's finished.

I rather like the very simple sketchy beginning but am not brave enough to leave it there and call it naive !

This last one is one of the series that I did early last year and having had the space to look at it again I have continued to work on it with a little more confidence ... how strange that you can think a piece is finished and then see it as flat and lifeless after an interval and fresh eye. I think Bonnard was known for never feeling a piece was finished and touching it up even when it was hung on somebody's wall !

Lacecap in glass 7x5 inches.

One last thing before I go is that I have recently joined a gift website called cherrypicked for you  it's got lots of lovely work on it and it will be building up it's numbers of  artists this year as it is relatively new, so do check it out.

Time out of the studio

And here are those fairy pies - well rather gnome pies ... ( he's there just to show the scale and his olde worlde charm. ) These little mini pies actually looked like mushrooms with their round toppings. They are yummily made with a shortbread pastry which I recommend you try as everyone wants to know the recipe when they've eaten one. 

You mix 4 oz caster sugar into 12 oz plain flour then rub in 8 oz butter and keep on going until the mixture comes together ... then just roll out - I tend not to put a whole lid on the pie

as it is rich and I think just a cut out shape keeps it all a bit lighter and less calorific too !

Moving on to a couple of wintery scenes taken over the Downs during the last batch of snow - it had just started to melt but the remnants of this heavy frost was quite magical. Just waiting with bated breath  for this next forecasted snowfall ... at least we have pies in the larder

should we get snowed in.

And so I wish everyone a very happy Christmas and thank you for all your support and lovely e mails since I've got back to my blogging. My  New Years Resolution is to keep up the blog and make lots of nice work to post up on it !

Fairy tree and well dressed cats

It's time to hang fairies on twigs and let them float , twinkle and do their fairy thing !

These ones are hanging around in the studio waiting for homes to go to. 

I did promise cats in dresses and here they are ... 3 inches tall , they come in a box and are 

£16 including postage.

This last feline fairy is a commission from a lady who wants to give it to her daughter for her tree and measures 5 inches high. Am planning to re-open my Etsy shop in the next few days and will have some felt mice on there - packed with English lavender and  stocking fillers at £6.

Hope all your Christmas preparations are in full swing ... I'm personally looking forward to de camping from the studio to the kitchen and making fairy sized mince pies ... 

Open House

Jo's Open House was looking as beautiful as ever this year - all twinkly and filled with sumptuous art works.  Let me take you on a tour ... below are her carved letter pebbles. 

Next is a sarah Young print , do look out her new Greek Myths book , just out and published by Walker Books , it's full of wonderful illustrations.

 Carrying on downward we have Joy Fox's new wreath made from stitched and felted wool and 

hanging beneath that a wall piece in the same materials. 

Here are also some of her new scarves with felted flowers attached.

Another of Jo's carved pieces.

Sharon Scofield jewellery.

Now we are moving out to Jo's lovely studio at the bottom of her garden and where she holds carving courses. 

This the view back to the house ...

And here are the tools neatly laid out ...

Lastly here is my latest doll , Evie ... will be showing cats in dresses next post !

The Open House Season

Well here we are again - it's time set up shop once more, drink mulled wine and meet fellow artists and customers. I took time out of the May Festival this year so I'm feeling fresh

as we approach the Christmas Open Houses. I will also be showing as usual at the Dragonfly House , 48 , Ditchling Rise Brighton on 27th and 28th November and 4th and 5th December,

11am - 6pm. I will be taking my girls to both venues but I will be sad if I sell any as I'm feeling particularly fond of them ( that won't pay the bills I know, but always a good sign that the work is good I suppose. Sometimes I will make something and have to talk myself into it's quality but that piece will eventually get cut up  to be used in the future or if it's REALLY bad then chucked - even if long hours have been spent on it. )

Anyway having assured myself that all is well with the dolls I have been sewing their labels into their outfits, ' A Betty Bib Dolly' with the number penned with indelible ink after it.

From the front view you can see I have named them ( great fun ! ) and tied a tag round the wrist with information on the inside about the materials used and the fact that they are collector's dolls and not suitable for young children.

Rosebud £30 6 inches 

Betsy 8 inches £120 

Gwendoline  8 inches   £ 140

Violet  Angel Beatrice  7 inches 

I'm particularly pleased with these three ; I've dressed them for the party  season in silk organza and calico dresses, diamante buckles and cashmere cardigans and they are all £ 95.

I wouldn't like to totally ignore the fairies on this post - here are a batch of the tiny boxed ones who have their secret name on a scroll in the lid - they have diddly little fairy names like Dimity, Pippin, Twinkle etc though sometimes one comes along that needs a much more substantial name like 'Esmerelda'. These are £8.

Last but not least the mermaids and their names are suitably salty like  Sandy , Pebbles,

Marina and Shingle. Also £8.

Back to my Blog !

Well long time no see ! I've taken most of the year off from writing this blog and have taken the time to play and just see what turns up. I have been painting in oils - illustrating some new ideas for a children's book , embroidering and just lately making dollies !

I will be showing some of the above over the next few weeks but at the moment am enjoying making the dolls so much I've just got to talk about them.

 Below is the first one I attempted and like anything else it takes a while to to get to grips with new materials - in this case it was polymer clay ( fimo and sculpey ) and this was after trying my hardest to get my hands on the Paper Clay they sell in the U.S but not it seems over here - well not in the pre made up form that you can see Martha Stewart use. You can get a crude form of the paper mix which air dries but then needs lots of sanding  afterwards - great for larger projects but not for dainty dolls.

So I'm hoping that one day we will be able to get the super smooth mix available over the pond but in the meantime the stuff you have to bake will have to do. The flower head doll below was my second attempt and as you can see I'm experimenting with the style of face to paint on. All these figures are button jointed which means getting the holes in the bodies and joints in the correct place and big enough to thread the elastic through. All extremely fiddly but then I never seem to pick the quick and easy option ! 

What I particularly enjoy is the use of all my long collected fabrics , trimmings and buttons. The cameo brooch on the red doll  at the top of the page was from a tiny pair of earrings found in an old button tin and proved perfect for this job. So glad I'm a hoarder. 

We are now onto the next batch of girlies who by the way measure about 6 inches in height.

The paint is more translucent on their faces but nice and opaque on their tights. By this stage I am feeling more confident in selling them !

Millie 6 inches  £30

My third batch had a more wintry theme and here I've used some lovely fine woolen printed fabric that a friend must have given me over twenty years ago for the skirt - the jacket is felt and the jumper and tights are old socks !  Boots are velvet and she has a diamante buckle.

Poppet 8 inches NFS

Another piece of the woolen print , painted legs and a velvet bow.

Audrey 7 inches £50

I will be posting more up soon and opening up my etsy shop again - well Christmas is coming and it's good to be back on the blog - do hope someone is listening !