Slight bit of trumpet blowing

I posted some months ago about my first run of litho printed cards which were ordered by Paperchase for their Christmas card range. It seems a long time ago since the order enquiry nearly bowled me over in Feb/March (my immediate thought was - 31,500 cards - how on earth am I going to print and pack all of those!........Obviously I quickly came to my senses and realised that this would not only be stupid but impossible so I found a printer).

And here they are in York Paperchase today. I've learnt a lot about dealing with quantities through having to do this order. It doesn't make the small orders from all my lovely independent stockists any less important as they are very important to me - I just wanted to share the journey with you.

Oh and I had a lovely day with my husband and daughter. Lunch out and a wander around York with a tired toddler - stressful but very happy to spend some time together.

Orange

I happened to be re-printing some book covers today which coincidentally perfectly matched the time of year and the weather - a lovely autumnal shade of orange. The sun even obliged giving a fantastic glow to the orange I was printing with. I love all the burnt reds and vivid oranges right now. If I ever find the time to photograph it the tree outside our house is a lovely shade of orange/red at the moment. It makes me want to print everything in these colours.

Hooray for Hello Polly!

The Hello Polly online shop has opened it's virtual doors and is packed full of fantastic art, design, gifts and accessories all of which have been carefully picked by Sarah. She's worked very hard sourcing lots of lovely things for the shop and the site is looking brilliant - well done! Pop along to the shop and see for yourself. There's also a few of my prints and cards in there too.

I've picked some of my favourites from the shop -

Top Left: Triangle box bag - Kate Sheridan, Top right: My Favourite Place Pillow -

Lucky Boy Sunday, Bottom left: Congeries print - Verity Keniger, Bottom right: Swan cushion - Mengsel.

Bicycle Pendant - The Yellow Owl Workshop

Hello World baby birth certificate - The Small Object

'A' print - Elsie Dodds

Muddy puddles & fresh air

I've been feeling a little dreary all week. What with the gloomy turn in the weather and a general lethargy and lack of enthusiasm on my part it's been a dull week.

So it was nice to end the week on a good note. A walk in the woods with my daughter, my sister and her twin boys. Lots of splashing in muddy puddles, collecting of leaves and running after small children. We were tired but a big slice of cake each (and a big coffee for my sister and me) perked us up a little! It was lovely to have some sunshine and to get outside and spend some time together. I need to get out more often and blow away the cobwebs once in a while. (Note the spotting of a little bit of type on a tree - the bird/owl boxes are all numbered and I quite like the bits of random codes/type popping up on the trees!)

Blog posts have been few and far between again. I've had a distinct lack of time and news again I'm afraid. As always I hope to change all that.

In amongst the usual card printing, folding, cutting, packaging and sending orders that makes up my week I made a small start on my new collaboration with Snowhome. When its progressed a little more I'll give more away...... but in the meantime all I'll say is the ink brush and pot are coming back out again!

The Power of Making exhibition at the V&A

The Power of Making exhibition is a collaborative exhibition by The Crafts Council and the V&A opening today. Featuring over 100 eclectic crafted objects from around the world the exhibition explores the importance of being skilled and the potential that these skills offer the arts and creative industries.

"For many people, making is critical for survival. For other it is a chosen vocation: a way of thinking, inventing and innovating. And for some it is simply a delight to be able to shape a material and say 'I made that'. The power of making is that it fulfills each of these human needs and desires."

-I couldn't have put it any better myself.

This looks like a fascinating exhibition and I'm glad to see that it runs until January so there's plenty of time to try and squeeze in a visit to London to see it.

For those who don't make it there's an accompanying book to the exhibition.

The Power of Making

6th September 2011 - 2nd January 2012

Porter Gallery, V&A London

Hello to Hello Polly

A daily blog read for me at the moment is the recently launched Hello Polly. Hello Polly is the brand new venture by Sarah Kelk who was at the helm of the fantastic Red Door Gallery in Edinburgh for 7 years and who supported me and my work from the very beginning. We became friends over the years and I'm extremely happy to see her lovely new website (and extremely well-designed it is too - loving the geometric patterns and the colour palette). Sarah left the Red Door and the UK in January to return closer to her home of New Zealand. She's settled in Melbourne with her husband and son and wasted no time in getting the creative juices flowing and channeling her passion into a new creative business. As well as a great blog Sarah is about to launch the Hello Polly online shop selling unique inspirational artwork and design from independent artists. She's been busying away sourcing lovely new things and contacting some of her Red Door suppliers and she's soon going to be opening shop. I'm very pleased to announce that a selection of my cards and prints will very soon be winging their way to Melbourne and available to buy in the online shop. I'm very excited to be working with Sarah again and also to have an Australian supplier - something I don't currently have. I'll keep you posted about the shop launch but in the meantime head over to the blog and get a daily slice of inspiration.

I'm very jealous of Sarah living in Melbourne. It seems there's so much exciting work going on there right now. For many years I've followed the blog Kirin Notebook and the associated

Ink & Spindle blog by Lara Cameron. I've recently also come across Emily Green and seriously love the use colours of her necklaces and brooches. A lot of blog posts have covered the Design.Made.Trade trade fair held in Melbourne recently and there looks to be some very talented people there.

On another quick(ish) note - and going off on a slight tangent - Hello Polly and Sarah's brilliant ability to combine being a mum and setting up a brand new business got me thinking about women in design and creative businesses and how many women I stumble across (be it writing blogs, running or setting up shops..) who juggle motherhood and running a creative business. Speaking from experience it's not easy and results in some very unsociable hours and serious dedication - and a lot of juggling of childcare etc.. We do it because we love it and I personally couldn't imagine not doing what I do so there was never a choice of whether to go back to work or not - I just can't put it down. I am tired and I should try to work less but that's the nature of what I do and I wouldn't change it.

Reading blogs such as Hello Polly, The Seventy Tree and Mrs Eliot Books inspire me and reassure me that I'm not the only one dashing to the Post Office with a 2 year old in tow and that the juggling is entirely worth it.

Nostalgic music

I've had a lovely morning in my studio doing a bit of designing and then card folding. I found the rain strangely comforting and enjoyed a coffee and listening to some old music while I worked. I watched two thirds of Good Will Hunting the other night (missed the first bit) and it reminded me how much I liked Elliot Smith on the soundtrack. I dug out 'From Basement On The Hill' and put it on my computer. It reminds me of a certain time in my life when I was went on exchange from Edinburgh College of Art to Strasbourg L'Ecole Des Arts Decoratif. Listening to it this morning brought back memories of icy cold Strasbourg that winter, cycling around the city with my good friend Siri and many many hot chocolates and far too many freshly baked pastries!! While I was feeling nostalgic I also popped Broadcast's Work and No Work on - listened to a lot while at Art College after being introduced to it by my Norwegian friends (Siri and Mildrid). Music can evoke so many memories and really change my mood. This morning, despite the sombreness of the music it's lifted my spirits past the gloominess of the bad weather!