Brace yourselves!

Hello everyone. It looks like I've been a little neglectful again I am sorry I feel like I've had an entirely mad week! It's not been that bad but it sure feels that way.

I've been hanging my show, baking for a birthday outing, locating and collecting a kitten, having the show private view and doing Art on the Prom in Felixstowe. Oh and visiting the kitten lots!

So hanging the show was surprisingly pain free. Baking went well. We went to Dunwich for fish and chips and then took afternoon tea together which was lovely. Private view was well attended and Art on the Prom was great fun. But lets cut to the chase, the most important event of the week. The kitten!



Here she is. Her name is Izzy. We chose her name because she looks exactly like one of our previous cats, a boy called Tizz. They have the same few hairs of white under the chin! And she is lovely. As kittens and cats are. She's got braver, bolder and faster as she zooms round the house! She likes to be where we are so when I was sorting some stuff earlier there she was chasing the elastic I was using. She makes cute little chirps and meows and purrs loud and without much encouragement and darts around from room to room.

Thank goodness for small things that can make you so happy everything else is rosy with it. I'm so glad that happens both ways, when we lost Poppy a lot of other things felt lost too. Now things are coming right again.




-- Post From My iPhone

Domestic Landscape Exhibition

Here is the advertising info for the exhibition I am included in beginning next weekend.

I have neglected to put on the flyer there that it is arranged by the Key Arts organisation based here in Ipswich, it is they who run the St Mary at the Quay exhibition space.

As I said in my last post, I was feeling rather anxious about the whole thing having not had a show since my degree show but I have cropped everything this morning and I've changed my mind thank goodness!!

Hopefully the exhibition will be a success, I am rather looking forward to it now.

I just hope the image on the left was a bit clearer, sorry everyone! It makes my eyes feel a bit funny but I can't seem to make it better, i'm not sure why it's doing that!

Please come to the show, pop in, if you happen to be in Ipswich.

Sometimes being busy can come as a blessing

Firstly thank you to everyone who sent me messages of sympathy about Poppy. I really appreciate them and it helps to know there are people out there thinking of you.

It has turned out to be a rather busy week which as I said in the subject of this post, can be a blessing. It has kept my mind distracted from missing Poppy and made sure I focus on other things.

So this picture shows my floor yesterday. I have been trying to pull some things together and sort some work out for a exhibition i'm included in that starts next Friday. I will post the flyer for the event in a seperate post. It's called Domestic Landscape.

I do find it jolly hard to produce work I am happy with. I think I always believe there should be some weighty concept behind it all. An idea that was drummed into me during my highly conceptual fine art degree. And something I resent greatly. I must relax and remember to love what I do.

I have also been making products for the Art on the Prom event in Felixstowe next Sunday. I do hope the weather holds as it should be a really good day at the seaside if its sunny and lovely for us all. And I would be very excited if I sold lots of lovely things to lots of lovely people!

A bad week

This is Poppy. She needed an operation a few weeks ago to remove some teeth that were bothering her and I was worried she wouldn't survive the op. Well luckily she was fine.

But sadly, very very sadly after being on tablets for a few weeks for an overactive thyroid she was poorly on Sunday and on Monday evening I had to say goodbye.

I have had many cats throughout my 26 years, we've always had them since I was born. Poppy was 19 and a wonderful cat with funny habits and characteristics. She loved any food and would try to steal anything from you given half a chance. Even a chocolate brownie!

I can't tell you how upset I am to lose her. Those with pets will understand you love them like you love a person. The house feels empty without her. And she always came to see what was wrong when I was upset.

I'm sowing Poppy seeds in the garden for her. I wish these gestures really could bring her back.

-- Post From My iPhone

A Splendid Day Out!

Yesterday I travelled down to Maidstone in Kent to visit Flo of Thoughts of The Common Reader for her birthday treat. A visit to Headcorn Aerodrome for a Vintage Aircraft Fly In and Military Day. There was stalls with vintage uniforms, military vehicle parts and even one that would do your hair WWII style! How tempting that was....

There were jeeps, tanks, ambulances, little tank things called Ferrets (Flo's partner Jip wants one of these!) wartime cars, tents, planes and allsorts of other things! There was an excellent RAF Ops exhibition. Everyone in uniform in a tent with one of those map boards, as we were watching there was an officer on the telephone and then he stuck his head out of the tent shouted "SCRAMBLE!" and rang a bell and the airmen dashed off in scorching heat in huge boots and flying jackets! PHEW it was 25 degrees yesterday!

My favourite bit was the Ministry of Food tent. Look at that! Chequered tablecloth, enamel bread bin, information posters and fresh veg! There was a lady all dressed up and ready to tell us how to be healthy and do what best we could with our rations!

We all had a wonderful time walking around and spotting all the people dressed up. Every one of them looked amazing and just like they'd dropped out the 40s. The vehicles were excellent and there was even a re-enactment which was rather loud and full of explosions!



After too much sun we met up by the car where some of us had been relaxing in the shade with two tired dogs in need of a snooze.

Pens Pens Pens

Hello dear readers, I must apologise for such a long absence. And I didn't warn you either! For the last two weeks I have spent very little time at home due to circumstances I won't discuss in such a public place but now I am back and can focus on updating you all on what I have been doing.

Look!! The drawing on the left just happened on Saturday afternoon while I was working at LoveOne. I had been thinking of doing a design featuring pens for a new run of mini bags for Art on The Prom in Felixstowe on 30th August.

The drawing itself may also be included in the exhibition I am a part of at St Mary At The Quay in Ipswich 28th August til 6th September.

So the end of this month is going to be rather busy! I also start back at work on 1st September in the NEW college building!!

So here is the new mini bag design. A bit more refined than the original drawing because the more pens, the smaller the stencils and the harder it is to cut! I am rather pleased with it though. This was a very small run but I am already considering doing more in different colours.

I do hope you are all well. I am sorry again for being a way so long!!

All is not lost!

I have managed to do a few things whilst trapped in a mental block! I wouldnt like to say anything about coming out the other side or anything, don't want to jinx anything.

I printed the shapes this morning. I thought of it last night, i'm not sure about what is going to happen to it next but i was very pleased it was successful and came out how I imagined.

There has also been more tea cups. Some patterns and some fondant fancies produced. I've also had lots of ideas and had lots of inspiration so lets hope things are on the up.





I have also been looking after LoveOne while the owner is on holiday which is so much fun and also gives me time to read and draw between lovely customers. The shop is wonderful and makes me want one of my own! Not really an option but its fun playing shop keeper for a while. I'm there this Thursday and Saturday too so if any of you happen to be in Ipswich and fancy exploring St Nicholas Street and St Peters Street (I recommend you do!) pop down and say hello!

Its fun for me to see how well my products sell and the kind of people who take an interest in them. Its all rather fun and exciting I must say.

The Fondant Fancy is going to be used in some kind of stationery way, mini notecards, invitations, notelets. Maybe all three!

Sorry the picture is a bit dark, the weather is so odd here, can't seem to make it's mind up!