All the fun of the fair!

The Contemporary Craft Fair, that is!

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!

Butterflies.....

I shall be packing up the van tomorrow and heading off for the event of the year, The Contemporary Craft Festival! This year should be extra special as they are celebrating their 10 year anniversary. Hope some of you can make it - if so, come and say hello! (I'm very friendly!) 

Hope some of you can make it - if so, come and say hello! (I'm very friendly!) 

A big round-up!

 Gah, I had such good intentions of keeping this blog up to date, but I have failed miserably!!

This post will mainly be lots of images with brief descriptions, so congratulations to anyone who makes it all the way to the end!!

Firstly I need to say a MASSIVE Thank You to all of you who donated to my Comic Relief raffle (see last post). 

This was the total on Red Nose Day - and there are still donations trickling in. A fab result - thank you, and congratulations to Annette Knight who won the driftwood cottages.

A couple of commissions from recent months: the one above was a dream come true for me as the customer wanted a large piece (this one was approx 80cm wide) but incorporating all the items I love to make: cottages, a caravan, bike, lamp posts and bunting! I have had several requests for similar since - it’s fun to work on a larger scale!

This customer wanted a pub and washing line!

And this one an old-fashioned telephone box.

This one was for a florist who wanted something springlike for her wall! Click on the picture for a better look...

Another commission: Gone Fishing.

I have 2 exhibitions on the horizon (my excuse for neglecting my blog!)

The first is at Baxters Gallery in Dartmouth, which runs for 3 weeeks, starting on May 24th. The exhibition is called "Smile", so hopefully it will make you do exactly what it says on the tin!

This piece is based on the iconic "Boatfloat" in the town.

 This jolly sailing boat on the waves will be heading there too.

 I will also have a few pieces at the "Worn Away" exhibition at Unit Twelve (May 30 - Aug 31st), including this one, entitled "Pier At Night".

I love the barnacles on this piece!

I am also frantically making for the event of the year, The Contemporary Craft Fair, which celebrates its 10 year anniversary this year!

This piece, called "Esplanade" is probably the longest one yet - and was tricky to photograph, so click on the photo for a better view!

This one I made recently, using this gorgeous piece of oak, which must have been part of a boat. The original copper nails go all the way through to the base, and I had no chance of getting them out, so I decided to incorporate them into the design and create some trees!

Another peaceful fishing scene...

A lighthouse made from an old armchair leg and metal drawer handle for the roof...

 ..and this pretty little number - more akin to the Scottish Highlands than native Cornwall -  was inspired by the bottom piece of driftwood, complete with gorgeous heather coloured paint.

I have also made a few smaller, quirky one-offs...

This whale....

   

....tractor

...and plane made from an old fishing float and metal strips.

Nearly finished!!

I just have to tell you about an amazing workshop I took part in at Cowslip Workshops last weekend! It was run by Edwina Bridgeman who is one of my most favourite artists. She creates amazing art from found objects and junk, and I found her to be really inspirational. You can see her website here, but I recommend you look her up in Google images as there is a whole range of her fantastic work there.

This was my attempt - I was pretty pleased with the way it turned out!

Add caption

Well done! You made it to the end of my epic post!! 

I thought I would leave you with this sweet picture of my partner and youngest son, who are collecting plastic from our local beach. There is something very exciting in the pipeline re this, but that is another story!

Thanks for taking the time to read my ramblings, hopefully I will be back again before too long! xxx

Giveaway/Fundraiser!!

Actually, strictly speaking it’s not a giveaway, but there’s nothing like that word to get people’s attention!!

Those of you who have been reading my blog for some time may remember Red Nose Day two years ago. Well, this time I don’t have a whole lot of stock to sell, so I have had to come up with another idea. I thought about some kind of auction, but to make it fairer and give everyone a chance I am holding a virtual raffle!

So for  as little as £2 you could win this driftwood terrace, worth £100!!

All you have to do is go to my Just Giving page here and follow the instructions. You can buy as few or as many tickets as you like (eg £10 will get you 5 tickets) and on the evening of Red Nose Day (Friday 15th March) I will put all the names in a hat and pick a winner!
NB Unfortunately gift aid cannot be claimed as there is a prize, so please do not tick that box!

In 2011 we raised £348 - I would dearly love to beat that this time! Please spread the word!!

The first signs of spring

 My latest piece wasn’t planned from the outset: it kind of developed from the lovely bit of wood which I used for the shed (above). Then, rummaging around in my fabric scrap drawer, I had the idea of making a simple deckchair!

 Nothing says Spring better than daffodils: these are made from tiny nails, bent at the tip with the ends painted yellow. The outer petals are little scraps of dried acrylic paint, threaded on to the nail. 

A washing line adds a bit of colour, and I made this very simple lawnmower to balance out the composition!

"First sign of spring" is available for sale in my Madebyhandonline shop here.

Have a good week folks!

If you see a crocodile....

 ....don't forget to scream!!!

 Ha ha! I found this great piece of wood a while back and though it was perfect for a croc's nose - the nostril and eye are in just the right place! I found a rusty old saw blade in the shed and used them for the bottom teeth, and added a few nails for the top ones. Say cheese!

Ye Olde Water Mill

I was given a couple of old model railway wheels, so I thought I would make a water wheel. The base part has some lovely touches of turquoise paint suggesting water.

 Safe Passage

The piece of wood above was a bit special. I knew I wanted to use it as a wave, but as it dried out, it separated to form fingers and a thumb! A helping hand!

Reflections

This is only a small piece, but the driftwood I have used as the water was too beautiful not to utilise! I made a few houses to match the reflections and also added a street light.

In all my days "wrecking" on our beaches, I have normally turned my nose up at plywood! But no more!

I have started painting it to add as a backdrop to some pieces - and I am liking the extra colour!

Believe it or not, I am still getting orders for snowy, Christmassy scenes!

Brrrrrrr! I hope you are keeping warm. Stay safe! xxx

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