The Lovely Linda Miller
29 November 2015
I was having a little peruse - and I found this.
Would be churlish of me not to share it with you lovely people out there in Blogland.
I am, of course, a fan!
And a lucky one too. I have a lovely Linda Miller picture all of my own. A commissioned piece - me and three of the dogs in my life on a beach!
Linda will also be at the next outing of The Workshop Sale - the 5th December in Dulwich SE22 0JT which is only a week away now.
If you are anywhere in the East Dulwich area I do recommend you pop along. She always has a few bargains. And I will be there too - come and say hello!
Would be churlish of me not to share it with you lovely people out there in Blogland.
I am, of course, a fan!
And a lucky one too. I have a lovely Linda Miller picture all of my own. A commissioned piece - me and three of the dogs in my life on a beach!
Linda will also be at the next outing of The Workshop Sale - the 5th December in Dulwich SE22 0JT which is only a week away now.
If you are anywhere in the East Dulwich area I do recommend you pop along. She always has a few bargains. And I will be there too - come and say hello!
More from The Workshop Sale, Portsmouth
27 November 2015
My big fat bottom taking centre stage in that top photo here.
But do pop over to Rob's blog for another review of the Workshop Sale - Portsmouth. His photos were a tad better than mine.
And while you are there, have a look at their house renovations. Scroll down to investigate the building work. All very stressful but it will look wonderful when it is done!
But do pop over to Rob's blog for another review of the Workshop Sale - Portsmouth. His photos were a tad better than mine.
And while you are there, have a look at their house renovations. Scroll down to investigate the building work. All very stressful but it will look wonderful when it is done!
Workshop Sale at Aspex Gallery
25 November 2015
In the last post I said it was all about the presentation.
I was very pleased with the presentation.
What do you think? (By the way, the photos were taken on mobile devices so not the crispest, but you get the drift).
The earring display worked a treat.
The toast racks came into their own.
The shoe stand worked a treat.
I was very pleased with the presentation.
Aspex Gallery in Portsmouth is a hidden gem. It's tucked behind the Loch Fynne restaurant at Gunwharf Quays. No one really knows it's there. We did generate a fabulous footfall, what with my Facebook page and the other marketing. So many people said they had never been into the gallery before, which is such a shame. The building alone, which is a listed building from the old Navy Dockyard days, is just lovely and I've been a couple of times and seen some lovely work.
But what is it about these arts venues? I cannot work out if they're smug ( they've got their Arts Council funding), ignorant or just a bit, well, 'lally'. No one from the gallery came to see the work over the entire weekend. Personally I find that pretty shocking. They have a shop at the gallery but there was no local makers work for sale there. Private galleries work their socks off to get our work 'out there' - but not, it seems, funded ones.
I was pretty incensed by the end of the weekend - having a Tory hissy fit. (Shhhh - don't tell anyone) But really, imagine what the lovely people who run Obsidian Art, Vitreous Art and all those other 'private' galleries would make with the space.
It's all about the presentation!
17 November 2015
Which is a ridiculous title for a blog post when you consider the quality of the photos below - but bear with, dear Reader, bear with!
The stakes are being well and truly upped when it comes to the Workshop Sale.
A quick glance at the website shows that some serious makers are going to be there this year - both at Portsmouth and the traditional site of East Dulwich, London.
So - no pressure then!
I'm done with the stock for now.
I stitched the necklaces and wrestled with some clasps!
I made the earrings! (that is one little pair lurking on the badly photographed earring stand)
By the way that stand is a defunct frame - I broke the glass by accident a while ago- with the board painted black and three leather 'strings' stretched across.
Now I just have to present a professional image - this first event is going to be in a professional gallery for goodness sake!
So, I found this gem in a junk shop! A quick sand down and a coat of varnish and lo - a little shelf for the table.
And I found this! Bargain!!!
I think it is a shoe stand, but I have a vision of it providing a stand for some of my prints.
And I also found some Ikea brackets in the same junk shop. I am hoping that this slightly 'heath robinson' affair will suffice to support a couple of the mounted pictures. I got drummed out of wood work at school, in case you are wondering!
Meantime, I had a wrestling match with Facebook! I did not set out to do this, but I have created a 'Page'. If you are on Facebook, do please like us, then at least my 2 1/2 hours won't have been completely wasted!
The stakes are being well and truly upped when it comes to the Workshop Sale.
A quick glance at the website shows that some serious makers are going to be there this year - both at Portsmouth and the traditional site of East Dulwich, London.
So - no pressure then!
I'm done with the stock for now.
I stitched the necklaces and wrestled with some clasps!
I made the earrings! (that is one little pair lurking on the badly photographed earring stand)
By the way that stand is a defunct frame - I broke the glass by accident a while ago- with the board painted black and three leather 'strings' stretched across.
Now I just have to present a professional image - this first event is going to be in a professional gallery for goodness sake!
So, I found this gem in a junk shop! A quick sand down and a coat of varnish and lo - a little shelf for the table.
And I found this! Bargain!!!
I think it is a shoe stand, but I have a vision of it providing a stand for some of my prints.
And I also found some Ikea brackets in the same junk shop. I am hoping that this slightly 'heath robinson' affair will suffice to support a couple of the mounted pictures. I got drummed out of wood work at school, in case you are wondering!
But look - it worked! At least it does on the lounge carpet!
Meantime, I had a wrestling match with Facebook! I did not set out to do this, but I have created a 'Page'. If you are on Facebook, do please like us, then at least my 2 1/2 hours won't have been completely wasted!
More from the jewellery bench
12 November 2015
More from the Jewellery Bench.
Handmade paper beads with silver plate beads on coloured choker wires.
Mounted onto leather cord and awaiting machining.
Earrings are still on the work bench.
These little pendants are leather and paper (yes - really but varnished rag paper so it doesn't feel or look like paper) on silver chains.
Handmade paper beads with silver plate beads on coloured choker wires.
Mounted onto leather cord and awaiting machining.
Earrings are still on the work bench.
The gentle world of beading
10 November 2015
I have got just slightly obsessed with beading techniques and videos.
This is all because I have committed to two sales - one at the end of November and one in early December - and I know from the sales where I have helped Rob and Andy that you need variety of stock.
So, I had acquired some very soft patent leather. It has no 'structure' and runs easily through my sewing machine. Ah ha, I thought, leather beads and jewelry. So off I went to research and a whole new world of beading opened up before my eyes.
Now, I'm not sure why I am surprised really, since there is a bead shop at the Wakefield Estate next to the gallery which is stocking some of my work.
This bead shop runs frequent workshops and there is always a table of ladies sitting beading.
And Stephanie who owns it is a lovely helpful lady and I should confess that I pop in there quite a bit to get beading supplies that I use in my work.
My initial intention was to simply use leather cord to make simple leather necklaces. And I have made a few which I really like.
But then I started looking a bit closer at the whole beading world and a whole arena of possibilities opened up before me.
So I found a supplier of memory choker necklaces and sliver chain ( listed on eBay but based in Doncaster if anyone is interested) this company based in Loughborough which has amazing online service and these videos which are great for techniques as well as Stephanie at The Bead Scene at Wakefield Estate.
If anyone is tempted, then Stephanie does wonderful kits using a kind of braiding called Soutache to make lovely Art Deco style pendants and bracelets. Anyone interested in needle work could get so sidetracked into beading.
But enough! Two weeks to my first sale and I still have so much to do!
The Workshop Sale - Portsmouth
3 November 2015
21st November 10 - 4pm
22nd November 11 - 4pm
I will be at Aspex Gallery, Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth.
This is the first outing of the Workshop Sale this year. In early December we will also be in London.
Now I know some of my friends here on blogland will struggle to get to Pompey, but do tell all your friends just in case someone is passing! After all, there will be some fantastic work and what a great opportunity to bag an unusual bargain.
Forget the tat this Christmas. Buy your friends and loved ones a truly one off gift.
See you there!
Laura Kemshall: A teaser for you
1 November 2015
Recently, on her blog, Laura Kemshall posed a little teaser.
Pop over and have a look.
If you haven't done so already, pop over and read the post and the debate underneath. Sheila from across the pond and I both waded in.
A great debate!
And if you want to know what all the fuss was about, then have a look at Laura's earlier post here .
Right, now where's my Christmas wish list ............
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