What a Swell Party it Was...

There was cake...

Lots of cake!

We brought out our best china...

And we put on our best frocks!

Some of us looked extra specially glamourous.

(Vintage Rock Chick in case you hadn't noticed!)

All afternoon, people came, drank tea, ate cake, looked at the work...

...they chatted and lingered and even bought some work.

Our private view was a resounding success! So... to all the ladies of Spectrum... well done! You've put on a fabulous exhibition (which is still open until 3rd March) at Art Van Go and you should be proud.

I will be back soon with more little books... but today I've been immersed in Pantomime costumes. More about that later this week!

Baking and Books

I've been busy baking...

When I saw these heart shaped custard creams on Thimbleanna's Blog I just knew I had to make them... but it will probably be the only time I make them! They look good and taste damn fine but boy what a palava. For every one that I managed to sandwich together I must have broken at least two. You can find the recipe on "The Boy who Bakes" should you want to spend an hour or two fiddling about (and occasionally swearing) in the kitchen.

The blueberry and lime cupcakes were much simpler!

And all this baking is because tomorrow we have the private view of our Spectrum exhibition. Afternoon tea from noon until 4pm at Art Van Go... drop in anytime to see the exhibition and have free tea and cake!

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I've also been busy making another matchbox book.

I was overwhelmed by the fabulous response I had to my post yesterday. I've had so many emails and pre-orders that I'm almost half way to my target. Thank you so much... you are wonderful blogging friends.

Book number two is an Alice in Wonderland themed book.

The matchbox is covered and lined with Tenniel's illustrations and has a little bottle attached that says "Drink Me"

The book is an origami folded flutter book and has a blue cover with a tiny "Alice " doll

It is held together with machine wrapped cords.

It's in my Etsy shop now!

A Cunning Plan...

Remember this?

I have been fortunate enough to have the work selected for a major exhibition in the summer but there is a catch. I have to hire a telephone kiosk in which to display the work. I have done some extensive research over the past couple of weeks and despite some early promising figures it would seem that to hire a reproduction K6 telephone kiosk (the originals are far too heavy) and to have it installed in the gallery will cost me in excess of £500 for the week. And that's before I factor in hanging fees and at least two trips into London. But it is too good an opportunity to miss and so I have to come up with a plan to raise the cash.

At 2 am this morning I was wide awake and my mind was whirring as I hatched a plan. This month Jeska of Lobster and Swan has been creating original artwork from altered matchboxes - one for each day of February - and the proceeds are going towards her husbands fund raising efforts for the London Marathon.

They are really beautiful and I urge you to take a look... and buy one to support this good cause! But this also got me thinking about a similar plan.

I have decided that I am going to make an edition of 50 miniature books, each one different, inside an altered matchbox. They will be tiny little works of art and no matter how fiddly or complex they might be I will offer each one for sale for just £10 (plus etsy fees and postage). If I manage to sell them all that will enable me to put my work in the exhibition. It's a tall order but I'm certainly going to give it a go... not every day but possibly 3 or 4 a week.

The first one is a little Valentine book slightly less than 3cm x 5 cm, hand stitched with a beaded spine and a machine embroidered cover.

Inside on the back page there is a tiny secret fold out section that reveals the words "I Love You"

If you are in the UK this could be with you in time for Valentine's Day... although it would make a special gift for the one you love at any time of the year.

The matchbox is covered with decorative paper and tissue, silk ribbon, a mother of pearl button and a machine embroidered tassel... all hand made by me. Each book will come with a small certificate with the number of the book and the date it was made.

I hope you will be able to support me and buy an original and unique piece of art for yourself whilst also helping fund a major project. The book is in my Etsy shop now. And if you have any ideas for a book you would like made especially for you... drop me an email. Thank you!

Update: The first book has now sold (Thank you!) but the next one will be in the shop very soon. Watch this space

We Have Lift Off...

Fortunately the roads were clear of snow this morning and despite a bit of shovelling required in the Art Van Go car park we managed to get our SPECTRUM exhibition hung ready for the opening tomorrow.

There is an eclectic collection of work - something for all tastes with plenty of smaller items for sale too.

There are pictures and hangings ranging from Gill's beautiful graphic designs...

to Jenny's fossil inspired pieces...

Angela's wonky log cabin... and much much more.

I even managed to get my daisies framed in time.

I think it all looks excellent which is quite an achievement for a first exhibition. Well done girls!

SPECTRUM

"Close to Home"

Art Van Go

7th February - 3rd March 2012

Please come and visit if you live nearby... and if you are free we're having a tea party in the gallery on Saturday afternoon... would love to see you.

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On a completely different subject... I almost forgot the winner of my Abel and Cole book giveaway was Jane.

I have to tell you that as I took this photograph my dear son almost choked himself with hysterical laughter... "as if people won't think you fixed it because you took a photo"... well, I didn't fix it and Jane was the first and only name out of the bowl.... and it's the last time I build a snowman with him!!! If you are not familiar with Jane's blog do go and take a look. She is a talented painter, writer and now it would seem, film maker too.

Two Rules for Happiness

1. Embrace your inner child

Snowman built by Sam (age 26) and me (quite a bit older)

2. An apple and cinnamon muffin for afternoon tea

This counts as a "little bit of what I fancy"

Comfort Zone

I'm not a very good example to my students. SPECTRUM, the group that I mentor have their first exhibition together, opening next week at Art Van Go.

I have been nagging them for weeks that their work has to be finished and ready for hanging. |There was no way that I would accept work finished at the last minute... and yet this was mine just a week ago... and we hang the show on Monday.

I did finally finish it last night, although it still needs to be mounted and framed.... but I've got tomorrow!

I always do work better under pressure and when I've got a deadline but even for me this is cutting it a bit fine.

But I know this is because I'm not really pushing myself. I'm fairly pleased with the finished result and feel I've done a good job but I knew once I had worked the sample a couple of months ago that it was not much of a challenge. I'm working well within my comfort zone.

My real challenge now is to push myself outside of that zone and to take my work further... but meanwhile ladies of SPECTRUM... it's a case of do as I say not as I do because I'm a very bad example!

Simple Pleasures

After my last post I got to thinking about diets. I suppose I'm lucky enough not to be seriously overweight but I can gain extra pounds as easily as the next person and I've done my fair share of diets in the past... the F-Plan... anyone else remember how disgusting that was with shredded cardboard for breakfast and all those prunes... but on the whole I don't think diets really work. All that denial of tasty stuff, will power and constantly feeling hungry cannot be good for you.

I'd much rather have a little of what I fancy (i.e. chocolate, cheese, cake and wine) occasionally and for the rest of the time try to eat healthily and get as much exercise as possible. But of course, at some times of the year that seems to get reversed and  the healthy stuff seems to be occasional and there's rather too much of what I fancy... which is where I'm at now! So this week I've ignored the left over cookies and cake and I'm trying to stick to a healthy eating regime (NOT a diet!)

But I still need a treat now and then to keep me motivated... and preferably not an edible treat. So on my way home from the swimming pool on Tuesday (Thirty laps...I'm all or nothing me), I stopped at the supermarket and found these pretty little bowls on sale. So I treated myself to a couple and they have made me rather ridiculously happy! Perfect for my healthy breakfast of porridge and fruit...

or for my lunch of homemade parsnip and apple soup.

Which is good news because I got my first ever Abel and Cole organic veg box today (they've only just started to deliver in our area), full of stuff to make lots of lovely homemade soup. And that made me happy too!

I also received a free copy of their cookbook but it is one I already have (and use a lot) so I thought this could be a good chance for me to share my happiness... and I could give it away.

If you would like to win this copy of the Abel and Cole cookbook just leave me a comment and sometime over the weekend I'll pick a winner from one of my new bowls! It's full of tasty, healthy and seasonal recipes!