Tag: new work

Autumn Arrives

Hooperhart

Well, the temperature has dipped somewhat and the nights are drawing in, which means only one thing – autumn has definitely arrived! Which normally I would not complain about, but…this year is, of course, different. On the upside we’ve had some incredible sunny days with visits to idyllic islands, days which remind you it’s good to be alive and living in a beautiful country.

There’s also been a few fun commissions to work on and some new Rudy and the Rowan Tree items I’ve been enjoying making, all of which has kept me occupied and out of trouble. This has gone some way to distract from the fact that all but one of this year’s festive events I had in my calendar have been cancelled. Some have been replaced by virtual versions on social media but there’s honestly no substitute for meeting customers and connecting with fellow makers in the flesh. However, such is the world we find ourselves in and there’s no choice but to get on with it…it won’t be as much fun but it’s better than nothing, and as I keep reminding myself, things could be worse! So let’s concentrate on the fun stuff…

Rudy and the Rowan Tree screenprints on wood – available from Folksy

I’ve been revisiting my roots and screenprinting on plywood tablets (which I found a wee stash of when I was clearing out my workroom), keeping things simple with paper cut-outs of simple shapes and seeing where it takes me…

Screenprints on wood available from Folksy

…and it’s been a lot of fun (nice to mix things up a bit – sometimes it’s the only way to motivate yourself). It’s also helping to keep the Folksy shop stocked up and ready for the Folksy Online Festive Market on December 5th & 6th (watch my ‘Shop’ page for details). I’ve also been making lots of little affordable brooches for stocking fillers as I know not everyone can spend money on larger pieces at the moment…

I’ll be posting updates on online fairs and events as they are confirmed so watch this space! In the meantime, thanks for reading x

My favourite month

Hooperhart

Well, I think we can safely say that autumn has definitely arrived in central Scotland: the temperature has dropped, the leaves are turning, and darkness descends at a frighteningly early hour. The end of summer seemed to happen strangely quickly this year, and an Indian Summer looks like it’s off the cards. Despite all that, there’s something about September that I really love, even though it signifies the end of summer and the beginning of the long dark winter to come.

It’s a month for wrapping yourself in cosy knitwear, going for long walks amidst a kaleidoscope of colour, and coming home to a glass of sherry in front of a crackling fire…or in my reality it means donning waterproof trousers, traipsing along muddy pathways with the dog and coming home to spend half an hour cleaning said dog and draping dirty towels over the radiators! Either way, there is a certain atmosphere about the autumn which has long been a source of inspiration for creative types, and as a result I’ve been making a few items in warm, autumnal colours to mark the change in the seasons.

To see all my work currently available, click on the link in the top right hand corner or go to my ‘Shop’ page.

So here’s to a happy, cosy few months ahead, and I’ll leave you with one of my favourite photographs of the afore-mentioned dog, Rudy (aka Mr Biscuits), looking all autumnal…

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Long Hot Summer

Hooperhart

Apparently here in the British Isles we’re experiencing the hottest summer on record since 1976. The day they announced this on the radio I started reading a new book (randomly purchased in a library sale) with the opening sentence: “It was 1976, and the hottest summer in living memory.” Weird, right? The book is ‘The Year of the Ladybird: A Ghost Story’ by Graham Joyce, and it features a two day plague of ladybirds (usually a symbol of good luck?). Reading it I realised that I haven’t seen a single ladybird in the garden this year, which is cause for concern. And I have been spending A LOT of time in the garden, mostly trying to keep the plants from dying of thirst…

On the days it’s been too hot to go outside ( how often do we get to say that in Scotland?) I’ve been getting on with making a couple of new things in time for my first craft market of 2018 (quite late on in the year I know, I’m such a slacker) which is next month in the lovely seaside village of St Monans in the East Neuk of Fife.

These wee wooden house brooches were actually inspired by all the pretty fishing villages of the East Neuk with their coloured 18th century cottages and harbour buildings. It’s an area of the country I love so I’m really looking forward to being up there for the weekend.

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I’ll also be taking these new wooden flower stems with me – inspired of course by all the lovely colours we have in the garden at the moment. The flowers in the garden won’t last long though, so these are some you can enjoy all year round!

You can find a link to details of next month’s fair on my ‘Shop’ page, along with links to my Etsy shops where you can browse all my available work.

Here’s hoping the good weather continues (ok, maybe with the odd day of rain so I don’t have to keep getting the garden hose out) – I’m just enjoying the fact that I haven’t worn socks for 2 months.