Gee How Quaint

Shop window in central Edinburgh

Okay. For those of you following me on Twitter, I really do apologize for the over tweeting on this theme.  It's just that, well, I am obviously quite excited.  It was such a lucky thing, this.  And this is how it happened.

I like Twitter.  Dig it, really.  I like showing people what I'm up to, works in progress, endless photos of my dog.  She is totally cute.  Sometimes the cuteness that is in the room when Josey is here is so intense that I swear it is going to explode.  I also like to use a bit of tweet action to, dare I say it, market myself.  Oh no!  How dare I.  What an awful person.  Well, we live in a world and a time where that thing is just kinda necessary, espc when you are working for yourself.  (Do you see what I did there?) So what happened is, I was promoting my 'I'll make a tenement for you for only £35 woot woot' offer, trying to think of interesting ways to put forward the idea, when I received a bit of a hand slap about a certain comment I made.  Perhaps I had gone too far.  Perhaps I had misjudged my audience.  Whatever the case, that was followed up by a really great offer.

So.  I have been busy.  We had a little meeting.  My brain started whirring, clanking along in this cold weather.  And by jove, I think I've got something clever up my sleeves.  I'm not going to spell it out for you just yet who this is for as it's still needing a final approval.  But yet.  Come back and visit this space in a few days when I will have the window display ready for all the world to see.

Now where did I put my soldering iron?

Preparing for my role as performing monkey. Tomorrow. At Hannah Zakari.

Today I am a-flutter (yes, I do really feel like that is the best word to describe it.  I wouldn' say a-buzz because that seems more like one that is staying in one place, but busy as they sit there.  I, on the other hand, will be flitting in and out of my studio, my house, fabric shops, etc so really, it doesn't do you any good to question my 'a-flutter' because I do know what I am talking about).

Tomorrow I am creating artworks at that swanky Hannah Zakari shoppe.  Oh yes, how I do rave about it.  Today I need to print my mid-terrace and corner tenements.  My gocco screens are thawing in the kitchen as we speak.  The artworks that I will be creating for people will be either like the one on the right or the one in the middle, as seen in the photo above.  The images are 5" x 7".  And the very groovy thing is, people will be able to select their own colours to be incorporated into the work.  This reminds me...must make order forms.  So anyway, yes.  Very busy preparing today.

Should you wish to hop on down to the Hannah Zakari shoppe tomorrow, I will be performing my making act from 11am to 5pm.  Made to order artworks will be £35.  I will require a £10 deposit, and the rest you can pay when the work is completed.  I shall have all work finished by mid-September, before I go on my holidays to some place hot and sunny.  Although Edinburgh is lovely in so many fantastic ways, it does not tick the 'Hot and Sunny' box. 

May I also suggest that after visiting the Hannah Zakari Shop that is on 43 Candlemaker Road, you take yourself on a quick little trip to visit The Spider and The Fly shop on Bread Street?  Have a shop-tastic day, supporting your crafting community.

Cheers!

Edinburgh skyline

Today was surprisingly a very productive day.  All things considered.

I have been convinced that in the last 32 hours, my dog has been in death's wicked grip.  She has been very low, not her usual energetic self.  She can barely muster enough strength to get down off the sofa.  I had taken her to the vet yesterday.  She very kindly demonstrated to all those in the waiting room just how ill she really felt.  As soon as the bill was settled, we darted out of there, muttering about a hundred apologies as we went.

This morning I called the vet again as another small problem has developed.  I was told to hang tight for awhile, see if she would take some food and water and see if she improves.  I am happy to report that within the last few hours, she does seem to have regained a small spark of her usual happy, energetic light.

So, while I have been cooking her a meal of pasta and fish (she eats better than I do!), scooping water into her mouth and giving her lots of attention and cuddles, I somehow managed to get a lot of print making completed.  This week has not been brilliant for artwork output due to said sick dog and other small catastrophies.  But today...has turned out much better than how it began.  Tomorrow I hope to start adding the details and see what I can make happen.

Finished work using new fabrics

As promised, the finished piece using my recently acquired fabrics.  Honestly.  Really honestly.  I think I should stray outside my usual colour palette more often.  This work is certainly more laid back, more of something you might find on Not On The High Street, or possibly in a nice interiors store.  It isn't loud or pink or hooked up with LEDs.  For what it is, nice and quiet and pretty, I do like it.

Now this is the work of orange and other baking, hot colours.  Although I do not love orange, I think this works.  I will try to be a bit more inventive with my use of orange next time.  Perhaps I won't go so obviously towards yellow and red.

And finally.....

...the latest LED work.  With the switch on display.  And 'you turn me on' stitched next to it.

Vote for your favourite! 

20 for £20 and the perils or 'working for yourself'

The Edinburgh Festival is soon to arrive and oh my, the work that I must do to prepare for this incredible event.  I have secured myself a little stall at the West End Fair and now it is time to produce the work for that space.  As I sit here, hour after hour, hunched over my fabric scraps and sewing machine, in my heart I am hoping that all of this is not in vain.  So much of my time is spent hoping that someone will like it as much as I do.  Because the fact is, this is how I make my living.  I do miss the days when working 8 hours translates to receiving payment for working 8 hours.  Now, oh now, it is such a gamble.  This is possibly not a perk of working for yourself.  Even that phrase 'I work for myself' is misleading as you are still working for others.  In the context of my work, I am creating work that I hope others will find pleasing.  So, it's creativity, with a bit of problem solving, with a bit of market research whilst still trying to be 'true to myself' or authentic or well, not being a sell-out.  But hoping you sell out.  You see what I mean?

A note on markets and art fairs:

Spare a thought for the artist sitting at the table.  She isn't trying to con you out of money.  It doesn't help to say within earshot 'I could make this myself' or 'tsk tsk so expensive!' Consider the time to create the work, the planning, the £130 spent on renting the stand for those few days, the years or training and refining, the materials (artist's materials and printed information), the money spent on extra shelving and display for the stand to fit the work's requirements, the hours of online facetime to promote her work.  She is trying to earn her living, just like you are trying to earn yours.

I am not wanting people to feel like they cannot afford to buy an original artwork, so have been devising a plan to create 20 artworks that can be purchased for £20 each.  I think that's fair.  See. I am doing my bit to meet you half way.  Please feel free to take the rest of the steps to meet me somewhere in the middle.

The awesomeness that is a Print Gocco demonstration.

Excuse me for a moment while I pry my eyelids apart so that I can see the world from these tired eyes.  My dog found it necessary to start her mewlings at 5am and I just have not been able to move through my day with the usual excitement and vigour. 

This evening I am giving a Gocco demo at Newcastle's Dorkbot meeting.  The write up about this event is ever so kind and can be found here along with tonight's meeting details at the Centre for Life. I will first demonstrate the usual use of the kit, with it's proper bulbs, screens, images.  I may then do a part photographic, part linear image demo.  And then to be really outrageous and cool, I will create another screen but this time, oh read on dear readers, this time...I may use...wait for it.....waaaaaaaaaaaaaaait for it....Versatex ink and NOT the standard Riso ink.  OMG!  I know.  I know.  I like to live on the edge and if this isn't the edge where sanity meets insanity, then I just do not know what is.

Hold on your to glasses, kids.  You won't know what hit you after you behold the awesomeness that is a Print Gocco demonstration.