Etsy connections...

You've got to love Etsy. Really. And I'm not just talking about for the way it satifies my earring and ceramic habits.  Every so often it lets you make a great connection or forge an unexpected link with someone on the other side of the world - case in point:

This is a brooch called 'Bosket'.  I made her in October, and she ended up all the way over the Atlantic in Georgia, USA - which  is pretty amazing to begin with - and then I found out it had been bought to go with a fabulous handknitted bag that the buyer had made - check it out here. I never could have hoped or imagined that's how and where Bosket would end up - but I love it :D  

Season's greetings...

I would like to wish everyone who reads this blog a happy and relaxing festive period, and a healthy and fulfilling 2011.

Thank you all for your visits and comments in 2010!

Bellevue Christmas Fair...

This Saturday I will be selling at the Bellevue Christmas Fair, in the Bellevue Chapel, Rodney Street, Edinburgh from 10am - 12pm.  

If you're in the Edinburgh area and can make it through the snow and cold, it would be lovely to see you there!

~*~

Unexpected...

I tend to work in a rather intuitive way (maybe that's just a nice way of saying completely unplanned and disorganised!) - I felt first with my embellisher in a sort of spontaneous mess, and then I bead and embroider along contours whispered to me by the felt.  I rarely, if ever, plan layout in advance, and although I usually have a rough idea of the finished overall shape even that sometimes takes me by surprise...

Two cases in point, finished today:

'Cephalopod' - somehow became reminiscent of an octopus!

'Meteor' - some sort of pomegranate asteroid fallen to earth?

More brooches...

Today I finished three new brooches:

Rudbeckia, Radicchio and Geode.

These have been in progress for a wee while - I purposefully was trying to stretch my 'colour comfort zone' and try colour combinations that I wouldn't normally use, and as a result I found the process more difficult than usual.  The result feels like a bit of a wander through a vegetable patch or geology lesson!

Leaves...

It definitely feels like winter is well on her way here - so I've been trying to eke out the last drop of autumn inspiration before all the leaves are gone... .

An autumnal gust of wind must have swept through my flat to leave these on my desk!

New brooches - Ginkgo, Maple and Holly:

Sketching trip #1...

Ever since the creative desert that was art class at my secondary school, where I was told age 11 that I couldn't draw and shouldn't try, I have avoided drawing and sketching like the plague.  I'm in awe of those who can make beautiful images with the sparsity of line.  


Recently though I've been wondering about the possibility of facing my fears and exploring drawing (perhaps more as a means to help with other crafting and making endeavours), so yesterday in that spirit I went on my first ever sketching trip - and was extremely grateful to have gentle and patient guidance from a very kind friend :)


Having the beautiful sketchbook and cover certainly made me feel more at home, and we had a lovely time -  warm and dry in a nice cafe as the November rain poured outside... .


We tried a few different drawing exercises to help me feel less scared (!) - here's my favourite result - drawn holding the very end of the pen only!

It's meant to be the Scott monument and George Hotel behind trees - but to be honest I'm just pleased I dared to try!