My Finished Umbrella Prints Entry

This bank holiday weekend was the perfect opportunity for me to finish off my entry for the Umbrella Prints 2016 Trimmings Challenge.  I still had to add my hand stitch detail, which for me is totally like adding the sprinkles to cake you have baked.

My "Little Helper" insisted on sitting on my knee while I worked!

Once I was happy with my piece it was time to fame it and photograph.  I think the Mountain Girl fabrics look fab against the green walls in my house; I'm obviously drawn to those colours.  Here is my finish entry, I'm pretty pleased with the results but am more happy that this challenge has inspired me to start creating again.  I feel like I am motivated to put myself out there and make new work and just enjoy the process of creating without worrying about who or what I'm making for.

  

My Finished Entry #umbrellaprintstrimmingschallenge  

All that's left to do now is to email my entry and keep my fingers and toes crossed!

Framed design in my dining room

Close up detail - Poodle

Close up detail - Pug

Close up detail showing hand stitch 

Close up detail showing hand stitch 

Umbrella Prints Trimmings Challenge 2016..

Trimmings Challenge 2016 from Umbrella Prints - Picture from www.umbrellaprints.com.au

I thought I would let you all know what I am currently working on.  We decided at work to run the Umbrella Prints Trimmings Challenge 2016 as a live project with our level 3 year 1 students.  As staff we have followed previous years competitions and admired the creative responses to the challenge of creating something from a pack of trimmings. Of course not wanting to miss out on the fun the staff decided to join in too.  The trimmings packs are available in 6 different colour ways.  I chose the Mountain Girl Pack.

6 Different Trimmings Packs to Choose From - Pictures from www.umbrellaprints.com.au

I Chose The Mountain Girl Trimmings Pack - Picture from www.umbrellaprints.com.au

I decided to create a piece based on some dog illustrations I had done some work on a few years back.  I decided to combine appliqué with screen printing.  Here are some images of my work in progress just after I had screen printed the line on top of the appliquéd fabrics.  I still need to add some hand stitch and work out how to mount it and then photograph my entry.  Watch this space for updates and my final challenge entry.

Appliquéd Dogs with a Screen Printed Line

Close Up Detail

Drawing on Ceramics...

Marabu Porcelain Painter Pens & Plain White Ceramics

My First Creation 

One of the things I had a little go of a while back was drawing onto ceramics using.  I was inspired by a trip to Homesense where I discovered these beautiful Sagaform Carafes which were crying out to be turned into people!  I bought the ceramics first and then went to Hobbycraft in search of ceramic markers.  I bought a selection of Marabu Porcelain Painter Pens and these are some of the results.  The pens are brilliant you can doodle away on the item of your choice and then simply cure the design in your oven.

A Circus Inspired Plate

Feed Me I'm Hungry

After posting my samples online I was lucky enough to be contacted to create some commissioned pieces.  I created an RAF inspired carafe and illustrated a plate for a fireman retiring from the fire service (not pictured).  I definitely want to explore using these pens to doodle on things in the future.

An RAF Inspired Commissioned Carafe 

An RAF Inspired Commissioned Carafe 

Teacup 

Playing Around With Hand Lettering & Quotes

Starting Again...

So I accidentally took a just over 3 years break from this space!  I feel like I'm finally ready to try and give this little space on the internet the focus it deserves.  I am going to try my best to not put too much pressure on myself for this to be anything other than a happy place for me to document what I'm up to creatively.

How I've been spending my free time!

One of the things that kept me busy whilst I've been away was my PGCE!  It was something I had been avoiding meaning to do for a long time.  It took up a lot of my time I would have usually spent getting creative over the past 2 years.  As of last week I am officially all done and submitted;  I can start to focus on making work and fun creative pastimes.

My Happy Place has looked very different these past 2 years!

I'm back!!!!!!

So I kinda took an unexpected 18month break from my blog...  I have thought about starting blogging again lots this past year, in fact it was one of my new years resolutions to start again!

I figured it was now or never so I'm back and have lots to blog about.  Cant wait to share the creative things I've been up to recently.

fancy a cake pop?

Did you know I love to bake?  I got this beauty below the Christmas before last and I don't think there has been a week that has gone by where I've not used it.  Invite me to your house and I wont be bringing flowers I prefer to say it with baked goods.

This week I was tasked with making 80 cake pops for a birthday celebration.  I made chocolate cake with vanilla frosting covered in white chocolate and decorated with black and orange edible pearls.

If you've ever wondered what 80 cake pops look like then this is it!  I hope they go down a treat I was very tempted to eat one but didn't make any extras.

a sneaky peak...

I've got lots of top secret projects on the go at the moment which proves a little tricky when it comes to the world of blogging. 

Tonight I have been whipping up custom travel journal for a birthday gift for a friend of mine who is going on a lovely little trip with her hubby for her 50th birthday this weekend.  I also made a never been seen before 50 things to do before 60. 

As for the rest of what I'm up to well that's just too top secret to share at the moment.  Watch this space as I will be taking lots of bad photographs photographs to share here once it's safe.