Art and Craft Fair at Oxford Town Hall - 14 and 15 April 2012

Art and Craft Fair at Oxford Town Hall - 14 and 15 April 2012


An Art and Craft Fair is being held in Oxford Town Hall on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 April to help showcase the work of local craft workers and artists.
 

Lidia Pocock, Town Hall Manager, says "We want to offer a stepping stone for upcoming artists and designer-makers to get their work noticed, and provide visitors with the opportunity to enjoy a new shopping experience and own affordable originals

Craft workers and artists already signed up to the Fair include Garry Curran with his wire bicycle sculptures, Shalotte's copper wirework jewellery, knitwear, artwear, accessories, hats, aprons, gifts and work by local artist Ali Clements.
The event takes place from 11am until 4pm in the Long Room at the Town Hall. Entry is free.
To register interest for the Art & Craft Fair contact Annette Cunningham, acunningham@oxford.gov.uk or call 01865 252162.

New Photographs of Blossom Baby

I posted Blossom Baby off to to her studio yesterday but I managed, before I sent her to take some new pics of it being worn as a wrap

A slightly random post for easter

But one full of things that should make you smile

One of our new cockerals practicing his high flying act on the apple tree and on the ladder

and our Easter Tree and Decorated Eggs for rolling tomorrow

I Have Fresh Yarn!

Naughty me!

These three were purchased especially for my Goddess Wraps from Bicester Wools in Bicestor. Two chunky green and green mix yarns and a yellow silk merino baby yarn

I couldn't resist this! I have a total lust problem for sari silk, I can't resist it, it just calls to me out of somewhere inside and I have to work with it.

Yellow ochre recycled sari silk ribbon. Unique fair trade artisan yarn

Yarn: Recycled sari silk ribbon Grams 100 grams Color: Yellow Yardage Approx 45-50 yards! Wash: Handwash cold with light detergent. The yellow colors in this sari silk ribbon are endless. You have sun kissed yellow, ochre, sand, mustard, banana, lemon, just so exotic and inspirational. Silk sari ribbon is a by product from silk sari manufacturing in India. They are hand cut strips of silk sari fabric and tied together end to end and made into skeins by women's collectives in India.

These women's small businesses give women the chance to earn their own income. I buy these skeins direct from these women and they are cleaned and aired by me ready to use! This really is a fabulous unique eco-friendly and fair trade yarn for such amazing original projects. It is suitable for Knitting, crochet, rug hooking, bags, wall hangings, jewellery, weaving and all sorts of fibre art projects

I mean, seriously, how well does this go with these images

I do hereby challenge anyone to have a better view out of their kitchen window right this moment

Two New Goddess Wrap Designs - Folk Artwear Wraps - The Fern Girl - Sunflower Maid

I have enjoyed making the two large baby wraps so much I have decided to  go back to my original designs and to work on them a bit to create some new 'Goddess Wraps'. These will be the same technique as the baby wraps but this time with a female form in mind. I have made two designs to be shown at Artweeks 2012 along with 'Rabbit Queen' as part of a Folk Tales theme.

The first design is based around a folk tale called The Fern Girl about a baby found wrapped in a fern leaf
 and the second is going to be TheSunflower Maid, a tale like Rabbit Queen of my own devising.

This is my Mood Board for The Fern Girl, a woodland boho collection of greens and browns

These are the images from the book ( above and below)

My Sunflower Maid is going to be a dreamy celebration in yellow, old gold, rich brown and pale terracotta

I also receive some Stunning recycled sari silk yarn from goldenonetoo  yestersday in beautiful creams and yellows so they will be a focal part of my piece

Pre-Raphaelite Lilies - reblogged from Feral Strumpet

Feral Strumpet has kindly given me permission to reblog an article of hers on Pre Raphaelite Lilies.
Most notedly she has based her article around the painting by Dante-Gabriel-Rossetti 'Ecce-Ancilla-Domini' or The Annunciation painted between 1849 and 1850 and currently residing in the Tate collection

"The lily is a paradox– death and life. It was the harbinger in paintings of the Annunciation. The Pre-raphaelites loved this subject matter, but my favourite is Rossetti’s take on this news-flash moment. There is a reference to Fra Angelico’s beautiful treatment of the subject matter and Rossetti even seems to be riffing off the stark white cells of the Monastery of San Marco in Florence where much of Fra Angelico’s frescos can be seen.

Rosetti’s Mary is very much human, full of wonder and terror. The angel’s face is merely suggested in a haze of fleshy shadow as if to save those looking from the divine information that might just do us in.
But Mary survives this message– backed into a corner of her tiny cell, the traditional blue of her dress is only represented by a makeshift screen– something you’d see in a hospital. And the lily takes center stage with its innocence and knowing, its face of life and death."

Shown below is another Rassetti painting, this time 'The Girlhood of the St Mary Virgin' Painted around a year earlier Rosssetti has abandoned work with Madox Brown and has set up studio with Holman Hunt with with the proceeds of Holman's sale of  'St Agnes'

Medieval Lilly earrings by Feral Strumpet on Etsy

Blossom Baby - Photo Prop Blanket - Custom Order - Finished Design

I'm very happy to announce that Blossom Baby is finished.

The Pre Raphaelite Cowgirl

Yes, I agree, a totally mad combination but there you are. It is tuesday and I was feeling I should really 'make hay' whilst the sun shone. I've taken some inspiration from Sophie from onetenzeroseven as she is doing a blogging for confidence/outfit a day series on her blog

Hat: From a car boot last summer £1.00

Dress: Swapshop 0.00

Silk Jacket with tassles: I have noo idea. I found it in my wardrobe the other day

Belt: Car Boot last Sunday 0.50p

Boots: ReCycle Fashion event Oxford Town Hall 0.00

Brooch: (sherrif badge) ScarletRabbit on Etsy £6.00

Earrings: Made by me (see last blogpost 0.00

Necklace: Silver and Lapis Ring on leather thong

Bracelets: 1-Pearls and Silver Beads (gift) 2-Plymouth Stone and Seashells from last w/e on leather thong

I also go rather well with this treasury we are featured in today

More Mixed Media Jewellery Experiments

This time its pair of earrings.

 This beautiful set is made from some recycled flowers and leaves (one flower and one leaf really but you get the idea)

                                                                                               Two delicate jump rings have been arrixed to the  fabric with

some delicate glass bead charms and some golden chains to create a pair of enchanted pixie earrings in a woodland boho style with the chains adding a touch of edginess to the natural design

Two gold plated fish hooks complete the design and the earrings are complete.

                                                                                          These earrings are totally gorgeous, I wore them to a woodland funeral last friday and received many, many compliments on their design 

If you fancy a pair like this yourself why not drop me a line and I can make a similar pair to your own personal style