Polperro Collage

I vowed this year that I would get my own website up and running: I think it will look more professional when giving out details, rather than the address for my shop on Folksy or NotOnTheHighStreet.
One thing I envisage having on my site is a gallery, in the hope that I might gain some commission work. I have done this latest piece for that purpose: so that I can put it in the gallery section along with others such as these here and here.

You may recognise the place - it's Polperro harbour. Very popular with tourists and not far from where we live!

I love doing these every now and then...quite therapeutic actually!

Plus it's a good way of getting rid of at least some of my magazines!

There is a degree of artistic license involved - I don't want to get caught up in fussy, complicated parts!
I'm going to get it mounted and framed (and will show another photo then) and I expect it will find it's way into my Folksy shop or do the rounds with me at various shows until someone wants it!
Have a good week folks!

Rusty nail chimney pots and a red boat

Hello everybody, I thought I'd keep you updated on my new makes from the last couple of days!

First off, these cottages I painted on a nice piece of Cornish driftwood. I thought I'd insert some old nails for chimneys too!

And then I got to thinking that it might look quite nice with a bit of bunting hanging above it!

I stamped the letters with blue ink onto grey card - then stitched the lot together on the machine - simple as you like!

Whaddya reckon? Someone must have liked it as it sold on Folksy within a few hours!
I made a driftwood boat this morning - the first in a while - using a great piece of ply with brilliant red paint on it. I love how the paint flakes in certain areas and the holes along the bottom - probably wouldn't float very well this one!

For a change I didn't use any washers on this one: the 'wheelhouse' already had a hole in it, and I wanted to make use of a fishing rod float that I'd found on the beach - at least that's what I think it is - the pink buoy above! Then I made a few more buoys from polystyrene balls. The rings are
further beach finds - I am getting over my plastic phobia!!

Available in my shop now
Finally, I thought I'd share this with you....

Steve decided to get the boys' old cot down from the loft: we've converted it into a little daybed and put it in our bedroom - sweet, huh? The gorgoeous crochet garland is by Emma Lamb....

...and this lovely romantic cushion cover is by Betsy Jarvis. I bought it for Steve for Christmas, but bottled out of giving it to him in front of everyone as I thought it a bit slushy - and that's not me at all!

Valentine Birds

Hey guys, well would you believe it's Friday again?! I've had a lovely week again, there are a few orders trickling through, but I've had plenty of time to work on new ideas (the best thing about January I reckon!) I suppose I should have been thinking about Valentines Day about 6 months ago, but, true to form, I've left it almost to the last minute before listing anything!
This is what I've come up with....

Valentine love-birds made from bright felt and gorgeous vivid fabric from Seamstar.

The stitched envelope is draped around the birds neck so it can be removed - and the recipient can get to enjoy it all year round!

It's been a while since I did freestyle stitching like this!

In a choice of 2 colours - can you see that the wings are heart-shaped?

These two are hanging over my bed at the moment - I think a flock in lots of different colours would look nice! Available from Folksy now!

Happy Weekend Folks!

Cottages, Polperro

Good morning, folks - and what a beautiful morning it is! Makes me feel like spring is on the way!
Thank you for all your lovely comments recently, they mean alot to me you know!
The picture here had such a positive response that, thanks to some prodding from my Facebook buddies, I have decided to do some smaller framed stitched pieces: and this is the first of them!

It's based on some cottages in the Cornish fishing village, Polperro. Perhaps you know it?

A little detail...

Available in my Folksy shop now!
Enjoy the sunshine!

Jellyfish

Just before Christmas a colleague of mine gave birth to a baby boy, and I made her a brightly coloured hanging jellyfish. I didn't manage to get a decent photo of it, but it was similar to the one I designed for the sealife mobile below...

I suppose really a jellyfish is rather an odd baby gift, but I thought he might like to watch the ribbons floating above him! Herbie was most taken with it anyway, so I agreed to make another just for him, and with his help too - and then I thought I could do a little tutorial on here.

Difficulty rating is 1 - is really is easy peasy lemon squeezy!

First, choose 2 contrasting/matching fabrics. Ours HAD to be orange!

Next draw round a small bowl and with right sides of the fabric facing each other, machine or handstitch on the pencil line, leaving a few centimetres at the end. (Ours measured approx 15cm diameter.)

Turn inside out and press.

Fill with polyester stuffing and stitch up the gap.

Next, take a mixture of ribbons, measuring approx 60cm-70cm in length and criss-cross at the half-way point (see above)

Stitch to the underside of your jellyfish. Then stitch a further piece of ribbon to the middle of the top-side and hey presto!!
Your jellyfish is complete! It looks great hanging above a bed or in the window!

And here's a glimpse of my little assistant (he operated the foot-pedal!)

More cottages

I am having an absolute ball this week! Feeling very motivated and enjoying developing new ideas around the cottage theme. I have put my sewing machine to one side and dusted off my paint brushes instead!

Last week I came across this small piece of driftwood which I painted and scratched to create a sweet little cottage. Originally I had intended it for a simple card, but found it was too bulky and heavy. So then I had the idea of doing a whole row of them and framing them, rather like my driftwood beach huts.

Here's the result...

I rubbed some yellow ochre on the roofs, to give it a bit of a St Ives feel!

Then, whilst rooting around in the shed this morning, I found a couple of offcuts from other projects - and it seems they were made for each other! The blue piece here is exactly the right size for the roof - with a little bit of overhang!

Very Cornish, wouldn't you say?!

I also found this lovely long rounded piece of wood, so I thought I'd do a terrace!


The lines are created by putting a layer of oil pastel under the coloured paint - then when you scratch it, the pastel colour (in this case white) shows through.

It's ready to hang on the wall, and will go in my Folksy shop tomorrow, the light's just terrible again today!
BTW, the stitched piece in my last post is sold! Yippee!

Something new...

Hi guys, thought I'd share some photos of a new project I've been working on. So good to be designing again after making so many owls and robins in the lead up to Christmas!

It started off with me having a little play on my sewing machine...

I thought these Cornish cottages were quite cute, so decided to create a complete harbour scene, complete with some driftwood boats...


I think this house is my favourite!

I kind of like the way the front boat sits on the mount itself - it's different! (The 'buoys' are drawing pin heads)

Another detail...

And, for anyone who can't decide what county we're in, check out the name on this little boat! (I don't like to take myself too seriously!

I enjoyed myself immensely making this piece - and have gone full circle as it were: these new cards are in my Folksy shop.


The framed piece will go on sale soon - just need to work out a price, which is always the tricky part!

Thanks for looking! Hope you're having a good week xx

Lucky me!

I just thought I would share some images of presents I was thrilled to receive for Christmas! Many available through Folksy and Etsy!

First off this gorgeous print by Inaluxe, now framed and hanging in my studio! I adore it!

Next, a fab calendar by Cornish photographer Jo Bradford of Green Island Art Studios. Here's one of my favourite pictures, though I love them all!

This gorgeous necklace by Yume Martin.

This dear little fellow sits on my windowsill. By Northfield Primitives.

Surprisingly, my father-in-law came up trumps with this rusty old tin...

...which is filled with rusty washers, nails etc! He'd collected them from his late father's workshop, and they'll be perfect for decorating my driftwood boats!

And finally, a little bit of publicity! New magazine Oh Comely ran a competition for Folksy sellers several months ago - and I was one of the winners! Oh Comely is only available in selected stockists, but if you get a chance to read it, you really should - it's a brilliant, original magazine!
Well, that's all for now folks, hope you're all settling back into the old routine!