Showing posts with label Contemporary Craft Fair. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Contemporary Craft Fair. Show all posts

Sunday, 16 June 2013

All the fun of the fair!


It seems a bit of a blur now....this is my stand at the beginning of the show


and a little snap of me selling my wares (thanks Lyndsey James Photography!)

It was such a great event: the sun shone, visitors came in their droves, and there was the usual excellent array of crafts.
The highlight of my weekend though was doing a swap with the amazing Katrin Moye. She chose a few of my houses and I eventually decided on these beauties!!


I was exhausted by the end of the 3 days (thanks to all of you fellow bloggers who came and said hi, it was so wonderful meeting you!), but after a few days of taking it easy, I was back in my shed, doing what I love best!




This piece, named "Harbour Street", is my new favourite. The base is a great bit of curved hardwood - once part of a boat - with the original nails still intact....perfect for tethering a few boats to!


Finally, I just want to say thanks for such a great response to my last post! There is still time to enter the giveaway - you have until the evening of Saturday 22nd. Good luck!

Thursday, 3 January 2013

2013

Already, really? Time goes too fast!
There are exciting times on the horizon: already this year I have 2 workshops, 2 exhibitions and I am delighted to say I have been accepted to show at the Contemporary Craft Festival again this year.
 Plenty to be going on with then!

"Frosty Forest"

"Harbour Lights"

I have enjoyed a little rest over the festive period, spending time with my family, watching Christmas telly and getting into my PJs in the late afternoon. But typically of me, I get twitchy after a while, and have made the above pieces during the last couple of days. Guess I can't help myself!
I will endeavour to blog as much as I can this year: maybe I will make the posts shorter but more regular!

2012 was a fantastic year for Kirsty Elson Designs. If 2013 is anywhere near as good I will be delighted!
Happy New Year to you all. I wish you health and happiness for the coming year. xxx


Thursday, 21 June 2012

The Contemporary Craft Festival 2012

It already feels like ages ago, but this time last week I had just set up ready for the Contemporary Craft Festival in Bovey Tracey, Devon.
Steve very kindly made the dresser for me which really set the work off, though it weighed a ton and I don't fancy moving it too often!

Was all the hard work worth it? It certainly was....I had a cracking time, and lots of sales too!

What was especially nice (apart from lovely feedback and lots of customers despite wind and rain) was that it is fairly local to me, so there were lots of familiar faces....including a few from school which I hadn't seen in over 20 years!

As you can see from the website, the work was of a really high standard and was truly inspiring for exhibitors and customers alike! Hard to pick a favourite, but here are a few...

Beautiful ceramics in pretty colours by Suet Yi

Anya Keeley's stand was dream-like (couldn't resist this spoon fairy!)

Love Katrin Moye's intricate pattern and use of colour!

And Julia Jowett's wirework dolls were just exquisite.

Thanks to Sarah James and her team for organising such a fabulous event! I really hope I can take part again someday!



Tuesday, 5 June 2012

10 days to go!

Just checking in with a quick post, I am still beavering away making for the fair!

Plenty of red, white and blue....appropriately enough for this lovely long Jubilee weekend!


This jaunty lighthouse is made from driftwood and reclaimed nuts and is loosely based on the one on Plymouth Hoe...
 
More experimenting with text. The colour of the roofs above remind me of the orangey ones in St Ives, so I stamped "As I was going to St Ives" along the bottom....and given the piece some gorgeous blue "sea"


This little row is made from a leftover piece of oak beam we used above our fireplace...

...as was the one above. I have added a new detail: a little birdhouse!

...made from tiny bits of driftwood and a small rusty tack.

Lots of cottages and washing!

Another slightly bigger birdhouse with rusty metal roof.


Plus I have been pricing up stock, tying labels on bags and ordering postcards. I am delighted with these latest ones from moo.com
Well thats all for now. My next post will probably be after the fair, so I will make sure I take plenty of photos of my stand!
TTFN!


Friday, 18 May 2012

We all scream for ice cream!

I have been so busy these last couple of weeks, but it's only now as I sit down to write a blog post that I realised how much I have managed to get done (all for the Contemporary Craft Fair in 4 weeks time!)

I am starting to see cottages in my sleep!

I have my own model village in my studio!

This terrace fits nicely into a display hole in our lounge!

And an idea I had just this morning....it's a pub! Maybe called The Ship...

The sign is made from a tiny print of a painting by my favourite artist Alfred Wallis. I used sellotape over both sides to make it sturdier and to stick it onto the overhead nail.


I was lucky enough to find this perfect little bit of wood at the beach earlier in the week. It really didn't take much effort to turn it into a little boat. Less is sometimes more, don't you know?!

Do you recall the washed-up boat we discovered back here? We are still finding pieces from it on different beaches along the south coast of Cornwall. I decided to use this large piece (quite clearly part of a boat) for the basis of this large piece of work.

It has the same "slipway" as other bits I have used previously..

I love the subtle hues in the paintwork...and the crackleglaze makes it look like stonework.

I scratched a couple of ladders into the varnished section to break it up a little.

I also started experimenting with some text! I bought some metal letter stamps ages ago, but didn't really know at the time what I would use them for.

You may need to click on the above image to read the words!

"Promenade" is closely based on Preston seafront where 61A is located!

And lastly, a little driftwood terrace which takes its title from a Madness song!

Phew, I feel exhausted!! I may take the weekend off. I hope you have a great time, whatever you are doing!


Sunday, 19 February 2012

One man's trash is another man's treasure...

Hey folks, I just want to begin by saying thank you for all your supportive comments regarding the Contemporary Craft Fair! I guess we all compare ourselves to other makers and have doubt in our abilities.....but you have faith in me and that is just heartwarming!

So......the title of this post? Regular readers will probably know by now that I don't like letting things go to waste, and that, together with Steve, I am always on the lookout for old stuff which I can incorporate in my work. Well, I was browsing on ebay earlier in the week and did a little search for old nails, the kind I use for chimneys on my driftwood cottages and boats. I didn't really expect to find anything. But it must have been my lucky day, because there was one seller (only one, mind) with about 5 different lots up for grabs. And would you believe it, they were in Cornwall.... and only about 15 miles away!
So we went up to collect them today and I'm so happy! I got like a lifetime's worth for about £8!

(including some pretty heavy duty ones.)

I got to work straight away! Check out the fab colour on the roof of this one(we don't find orange coloured driftwood very often!)

And this one is like a very rustic farmhouse! The sort an estate agent would say needs 'updating'!

A long thin terrace. The wood I used for the roof is shaped almost like a toblerone (what is that shape called?) Anyway it was perfect!


And here's one I made earlier in the week. As soon as I found that white bit of driftwood, I knew what I was going to do with it! I didn't want to trim the bottom off to make it freestanding, so this one is designed to hang on the wall.
I feel better for having at least started on making some stock for June. Plus you won't find me scrabbling around on the shed floor searching for odd nails anymore! I am now spoilt for choice!

Have a great week folks!

Saturday, 11 February 2012

New collage: St Michael's Mount

I finished a second piece for the upcoming exhibition at Delamore Arts!
I fancied a change from boats and harbours, but wanted to keep it local, so chose a famous Cornish landmark: St Michaels Mount. Its the second time I have used it as subject matter, the first was several years ago when I was commissioned to do a collage for a wedding present - you can see it in the right hand sidebar!

I am really pleased with this one, and feel that I have improved with practice!

I found some really pretty patterns in catalogues which I incorporated into the sand - and even included a little bit of lace!

I am also trying to use more relevant text when I can. In the above picture are the words "air" and "white beaches"!

In other news: I am so thrilled to have been accepted to take part in the Contemporary Craft Fair in June!!
This is such a big deal for me, I never thought I would be successful in my application! Their website has been updated this week to show which other makers are participating - some fantastic artists some of whom I think you will know! It has made me more than a little bit nervous, I can tell you!! I am keen to get in the shed and start making driftwood pieces, but, Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! Too cold!

Take care peeps!