Bottoms up!

Apologies for the scary picture. What you are witnessing is my time honoured tradition of getting down on my knees to sniff the first primroses of spring. For it is spring, at last; even more welcome after such a long old winter.





There is a faint green fuzz covering the Cotswolds, as dead-looking wood tentatively sends out the first shoots.




Lambs are gambolling as only lambs do - some of them so new, so fragile, that they get a bit wobbly and have to lie down for a little power nap. Or stop for a snack.




So far the woods are promising many things: fat bluebell spears thrusting through the old autumn leaves, like a thousand tiny armies and honeysuckle gauzily draped round the silver birches. But only the primroses have emerged to smile at us. At times, the air is almost, dare I say it, warm. Now there's something to stick your bottom in the air about!

Yawning

Waving to everyone around the world, from the confines my little room, from where I have barely stirred since our Sunday jaunt, two weeks ago. So much lovely work, so welcome, so necessary, and yet, I am so very, very tired. I'd like to be doing of this...


A whole day in bed with a book is something I haven't done for years.



But then, it is spring -



- and there is gardening to be done. Somehow.





And every day brings the inevitable housework...




...of one kind or another. So I plod on, and try to forget that I've only had two very small holidays in the last ten years. Or else I will be the littlest violin, playing a mournful tune at my own, solitary pity-party...






If only I could drive...vroom vroom! Out of here!






Cats, of course, have the right idea.

A weekend off

This one's for me

I seem to have suddenly acquired a quantity of work, through private commissions and a rather large trade order. All of these have 'CONFIDENTIAL' stamped across them, in big red letters, but suffice to say that I have been stabbing away with my hot little felting needle every day for about 8 hours in the studio and then some more in front of the evening television (else Andy wouldn't see me at all...) In fact, I have been in danger of overdoing it, as Friday night found my wrist quite strained and painful, so I had a weekend of enforced rest. Which gave me a chance to make a list of things I haven't had time to do and must do before the world falls apart.

Updating accounts
E-mailing neglected friends and contacts
Tidying studio
Making marmalade
Putting together trade card order
Order more glass eyes
Ditto logo ribbons
Make lemon drizzzle cake for cake starved partner

I got some of these done. Studio is now tidy-ish, accounts and emails dealt with, big, buttery, lemony cake baked and nearly vanished. But by Sunday I needed to get out, so we took the bike across to our favourite part of round-here and I cobbled together a little film of it.

In anticipation;

1) This contains some footage shot from a moving bike, so if you get motion sickness or suchlike, best avoided.
2) I was very careful about taking the films, the motorbike (a Honda Varadero) is built like a tractor, we were going slowly, Andy is a brilliant and safe driver, the lane was deserted, and I've been riding pillion in all conditions for a decade.
3) There is some music with it.
4) If you can watch it in full screen at high quality, the landscape shots are rather pretty. You can't do this with the blogger film here, but you can with the Youtube version.

OTHER NEWS

I have a few animals for sale, ranging from 45 - 60 UK pounds (65 - 88 US dollars) and a little shipping. If you'd like advance details of these before I post them up here on the blog, let me know and I'll e-mail the info - I'm not putting them on Etsy to start with, as I've had so many enquiries from UK people who aren't comfortable with Etsy or its dollar system. This is the last batch I will have to offer for a while as I have so many orders to fulfill.


So here we are again at Monday, and another 6 days of wooliness. I'm not complaining at all, just thanking my little bunch of angels who work overtime for me. (There are seven of them and yes, I really do believe they are there).

Going Polar

Have an inevitable snow picture.




Have another one. After Andy's nine day 'at home' holiday, we were cut off by snow. Joy. The gritters didn't come down our winding country lanes, leaving them iced over. So we were cut off, and with a 45 mile commute to work on a motorbike, he was 'at home' again, for most of the week. I'd rather he was safely at home climbing the walls then in a cold ditch with a broken neck, in spite of the general trend to tut-tut at people who didn't or couldn't get to work. Bikes and snow don't go. With the whole village confined, and delivery lorry unable to get through, our one little Co-op soon ran out of supplies. It was stripped. We managed to get one little loaf (loaves being rationed to one per customer) - the last one in the shop. And a carton of goat's milk Longlife milk. Thankfully we already had some normal UHT and the dreaded stuff remains in its box, now we are getting back to normal and have fresh. Lines must be drawn, and Longlife goat's milk is where I draw mine.




Thankfully we had plenty of wood and more than enough food. We and the cats hunkered down to sit it out. Naturally, the cats hogged the sofa. Before he went completely loopy with cabin fever, he did struggle in for the weekend rota, although because of the treacherous ice, his late Saturday night shift and early Sunday start, he had to stay overnight at the nearby, ghastly (and this one is ghastly) Travel Lodge. So I was home alone with the cats. As usual, I had plenty of things to do, not least of which was designing a prototype polar bear. A great excuse to watch my Arctic DVD and try to grasp the essentials of polar-bearness.




I was also dying to use one of the little glass bear noses I bought last year - only 8mm across at the widest point - it's the tiny black thing I've got pinned to my felting sponge up there, with my two lead bears saying hello to the white woolly blob that was the start of Petra. I wanted a really simply shape, and looked at lots of Inuit carvings - I figured they were probably the experts, and most toy bears I found were really just white teddy bears. Every bear type has distinguishing characteristics, and the challenge of the Polar is that it is deceptively easy looking. As it was, there was much adding and chopping before I finally got what I was looking for.




With a thaw setting in, at last we were able to get over to the woods, where we found evidence of Badger tramping solidly along a path. Badgers have five 'fingers' in a straight-ish row, as opposed to a dog's four pads. They walk along putting their back foot as near as possible to their front foot, so old Brock's trail looked like a two legged race.




Driven by hunger, the little Muntjac deer were down in the bluebell woods, the most walked in part of the reserve. They almost didn't care how near we were, but eventually they sloped off into the beech grove ahead.




To my unkind amusement, Andy had a slapstick moment, when he leaned on a rotten gate post which promptly collapsed under him. Unfortunately there was a large, slushy, muddy puddle just where he landed and I would be derelict in my duty if I did not share this moment with the world.




Now conditions are somewhat better and routines are almost restored; though our roads are still like ice rinks and I count the hours until Andy is safely home. Roll on Spring.

Loose threads

A pony without a mane is not really a pony.
One thing I learned last month, was that horsey-things are hard. My multi-talented blog friend Meliors, of Bibliophilia asked me, very nicely, to recreate a little pony she had dancing about in her dreams. I thought it would be a challenge, but I had no idea...in the end, this poor little chap had more surgery than an aging Hollywood actress - bits sliced off, and added and removed and so on and so forth, until I finally got the proportions right. But the mane was to be my Nemesis. I looked at as many methods online and in books as possible, but they all involved sewing. I knew there had to be another way.






So I started off with an extravaganza of pins and needles...






Finding my latest tool, a wooden hand gripper very useful.






It started to get complicated...






...and developed a distinctly tribal feel. Kind of Zulu princess.






I decided that weaving was the answer and after about 6 hours of fiddling about, unfiddling, and fiddling some more, I had woven a little rug down the nape of his neck. I forgot to photo the finished result - suffice to say that I wasn't sure about it, and even less sure when Andy looked askance at my efforts. I went to bed on it.





I woke the next morning knowing that I had gone about it in completely the wrong way and a clear idea of how it should have been done. I dismantled the previous day's muddlings and cut an ugly, but useful gash into the little fellow.




I did try looping the cords round a piece of card, just to keep them regular, but that didn't work, so I returned to my method of pinning and hooking. This time I poked the threads down into the neck and laid big stitching over to hold them down firmly. It worked - to my relief. Bald horses look bizarre. After that it was just a matter of felting it all back together and giving 'Winnie' a good tidy up. Meliors was pleased with the results and he is now on his way to sunnier climes.





January - a month I normally love - was really odd and not very settling, clearing out deadwood and old ghosts, getting on with things which needed doing and generally decluttering my head.

A couple of irons I placed in the fire last year are looking very promising. My little animals are taking off in a way I always dreamed my illustration would, when I graduated in 1993, naively thinking that having put in six years of art and design study, I would miraculously start getting work. It happens for some people, but not for me. It has taken fifteen years of tilting at the Children's Publishing windmill to realise that, for whatever reason, it isn't for me. Or rather, I am not for it; I am tired of being told my work is too 'melancholy', too 'sad', 'not right' - or even worse - 'it's beautiful, but not suitable for children...'

The unexpected miracle of seeing my creations enchant people worldwide has encouraged me to show them to people who can take them even further, with exciting results - and all this, in less than a year since I picked up a felting needle. When fate pushes you so strongly, it's best to go with it. And I'm having more pleasure making little things than painting ever gave me. I'm not giving up illustrating - I've just given up breaking my heart over it.



Looking forward to an approaching time when all the loose threads will be swept away.

'No more twist'

Gordon Roque - Sea Horses

It seems an unlikely alliance - a young Filipino born American singer-songwriter from Nashville and a British forty- something, reclusive, sometime-illustrator. And yet when Gordon Roque contacted me out of the blue last year, having read my blog and connected with my artwork, we instantly hit it off. The race which knows Joseph. So, knowing that he instinctively understood the darker side to my toy paintings, (which many people miss) I was more than pleased when he asked me to review his debut CD, 'Sea Horses'.

I was worried I wouldn't like it. But I needn't have; I was in safe hands. As the first song 'the Boy in the Room' trickled from my CD player, I found myself quite overcome. It crept under my defences and wound its way into the tender corners of my soul which I normally keep close and safe. And I had some insight into why Gordon found a connection with my work. Some things transcend age, background and nationality.

'Sea Horses ' is a lovely, lyrical and deeply poignant album, a peephole into a wounded, but joyful heart. Deeply moving and at times, wrenching, the songs have quietly stitched themselves to me, as I have played them again and again. They dip into mellow soulfulness, then soar up rippling and tumbling like a woodland stream, before gently growling into melancholic, bluesy shadows. 'The Devil Prayed' is a particular favourite of mine. with a rousing chorus, which showcases his versatile, elastic voice and I loved the dark, disconcerting, broken music box feel to 'Mr Stranger'. Each song has been carefully crafted by an accomplished musician, combining gorgeous keyboard playing with a sublime voice.

By the time I reached the end of the album, I would have bet my last fiver that Gordon had generously slipped in a little something , and so I let the CD play beyond the listed tracks. I was not disappointed. And that's all I'm going to say - it is a delicious little secret which you have to discover for yourself.

Gordon has self produced this professionally finished album. Like me, he is dedicating his life to his chosen path, no matter how difficult or discouraging things get. That is just another reason I respect him and his music so very much. Doing things the hard way, with complete commitment and one hundred per cent immersion into one's craft seems to be a bit of a rarity nowadays. It offers no instant reward, is often lonely and, as the saying goes, 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. It's tough and there is no guarantee that there will be any payback for your efforts, though I have a gut feeling that in this case, the world will be hearing more from this multi-talented artist. Gordon often plays live, and an up-to-date list of dates can be found here. His blog can be found here - Where Pianos Roam, with it's sister blog, The Oreo Gallery, following the sweetly funny adventures of the miniature piano Oreo and her little friend buttercup on their travels.


If you want a flavour of this extraordinary debut album, then do watch this sampler video, or just listen to selected songs here. And if you are persuaded, then the CD is for sale from his website - it would be $13 well spent.

I wonder what he plays when he is alone in his room, if this is what he gives to the world. I think you would have to be a very quiet cat in the corner to know.

CPSIA Blog in day

I thought European safety laws were a bit loopy sometimes, but the new US legislation is a whole new level of bonkers. It threatens not only tiny one-person craft workers, without whom Etsy and the like would not exist, but a gamut of other nuts which are being smashed by this legal sledge hammer. And it won't just effect US citizens, but anyone who sells to the American market. Including me. So I raise my head from my work desk to join in today's mass blog, having swiped (with permission) the following text from Kitschy Coo's blog, along with a few hundred other bloggers - do join in with today's mass blog if this concerns you, as a buyer or a seller.

"As parents and concerned citizens I’m sure most of us at one time or another have been confronted with the question of lead poisoning. But have you asked yourself what your government is doing to protect your children from lead contained in toys? The answer? They're banning toys, taking books from schools and libraries, hurting low income families, killing entrepreneurial spirit and risking putting the economy in an even greater depression than we've seen in decades. I'd like to introduce you to their solution: the CPSIA.


Do you know about the CPSIA? No? Then I ask you to take a few minutes to find out about it.The CPSIA stands for Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, a new set of laws that will come into effect on 10 February, 2009 and will impact many, many people in a negative way. Make no mistake, this is very real. View it for yourself. If Forbes, the American Library Association and numerous other media are paying attention, perhaps you should too.

How will these new laws affect you? Well, here are a few examples:

To the Parents of Young Students:

Due to the new law, expect to see the cost of school supplies sky rocket. While those paper clips weren't originally intended for your student to use, they will need to be tested now that your 11-year-old needs them for his school project. This law applies to any and all school supplies (textbooks, pencils, crayons, paper, etc.) being used by children under 12.

To the Avid Reader:

Due to the new law, all children's books will be pulled from library and school shelves, as there is no exemption for them. That’s okay though, there's always television. Our children don’t need to learn the love of reading after all.Article from the American Library Association http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=1322

To the Lover of All Things Handmade:

Due to the new law, you will now be given a cotton ball and an instruction manual so you can make it yourself since that blanket you originally had your eye on for $50 will now cost you around $1,000 after it's passed testing. It won't even be the one-of-a-kind blanket you were hoping for. Items are destroyed in the testing process making one-of-a-kind items virtually impossible. So that gorgeous hand-knit hat you bought your child this past winter won’t be available next winter.

To the Environmentalist:

Due to the new law, all items in non-compliance will now be dumped into our already overflowing landfills. Imagine not just products from the small business owners, but the Big Box Stores as well. You can't sell it so you must toss it. Or be potentially sued for selling it. You can't even give them away. If you are caught, it is still a violation.

To the Second-Hand Shopper:

Due to the new law, you will now need to spend $20 for that brand new pair of jeans for your 2-year old, rather than shop at the Goodwill for second hand. Many resale shops are eliminating children's items all together to avoid future lawsuits.

To the Entrepreneur:

Due to this new law, you will be forced to adhere to strict testing of your unique products or discontinue to make and/or sell them. Small businesses will be likely to be unable to afford the cost of testing and be forced to close up shop. Due to the current economic state, you'll have to hope for the best when it comes to finding a new job in Corporate America.

To the Antique Toy Collector:

Due to the new law, you'd better start buying now because it's all going to private collection and will no longer be available to purchase. “Because the new rules apply retroactively, toys and clothes already on the shelf will have to be thrown out if they aren't certified as safe.” http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123189645948879745.html

To the American Economy:

Already struggling under an economy that hasn’t been this weak in decades, the American economy will be hit harder with the inevitable loss of jobs and revenues from suppliers, small businesses and consumers. The required testing is far too costly and restrictive for small businesses or individuals to undertake.

To the Worldwide Economy:

Due to this new law, many foreign manufacturers have already pulled out of the US market. You can imagine the impact of this on their businesses.

If you think this is exaggerating, here is a recent article from Forbes: http://www.forbes.com/2009/01/16/cpsia-safety-toys-oped-cx_wo_0116olson.html

And for those of you prepared to be stupefied and boggled, The New Law: http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/cpsia.html

Did you know? If this upsets or alarms you, please react.

One would have thought that with economies going down the pan left right and centre, the US government would be more accommodating towards anyone trying to scrape a living with the sweat of their own hands. Apparently not.

UPDATE

Just spotted on Cara's blog - there has been a re-think on this, and not only have the rules been granted a one year stay, but the regulations for small/sole traders look less draconian and should mean that half of Etsy won't be forced to shut up shop. I would love to know precisely how much backlash the US legislators got over this, but I would like to think that a part of it might have been due to crafters and artisans standing together and saying 'show a little common sense!'

A solitary nature

'It's all right,' the Rat would say. 'Badger'll turn up some day or other - he's always turning up - and then I'll introduce you...but you must not only take him AS you find him, but WHEN you find him.'

'Couldn't you ask him here - dinner or something?' said the Mole.

'He wouldn't come,' replied the Rat simply. 'Badger hates Society, and invitations, and dinner, and all that sort of thing.'

'Well, then, supposing we go and call on HIM?' suggested the Mole.

'O, I'm sure he wouldn't like that at ALL,' said the Rat, quite alarmed. 'He's so very shy, he'd be sure to be offended. I've never even ventured to call on him at his own home myself, though I know him so well.

('The Wind in the Willows' by Kenneth Graham)

A tale of two Monkeys

"I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert.
Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read,
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed,
And on the pedestal these words appear:
"My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:
Look upon my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
Nothing beside remains.
Round the decay Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away."

Percy Bysshe Shelley

Last April I was asked by Stephanie to make her a needle felt creature, and out of all the sketches I produced, she picked the monkey on the right, a kind of Steiff style model. So far so good. I had all kinds of wild plans for this chap - he would have a music box inside him, a ruff, a waistcoat, a fez...he would be the most elaborate toy monkey in the history of toy monkey-dom.

Little did I know what folly I was about to commit. I made the head - which was almost as large as one of my normal toys. Then I lost interest. That was a bit of a shock, as I tend to get obsessed with everything I make and work all hours until it is finished. Months later I made the effort and got the body together. It was about the size of a large aubergine. By now it was beginning to dawn on me that this was really not right. I was beginning to hate it. I stuffed it deep inside my big sack of wool supplies where its grinning face would cease to reproach me. The knife twisted when Andy remarked that it was 'the most unloved toy ever'. At last, just before Christmas, I had a stroke of common sense and realised that I was never going to finish that particular monkey, or if I did, I would take no pleasure in it. The darned thing was simply too big and I loathed the colour scheme. So I started again, the day after Boxing Day. (I was bored witless anyway, as I am not very good at doing nothing). Almost at once, it felt 'right'. The magic was there; it was coming alive under my fingers.

Compare and contrast...

It was a hard lesson learned, for I have been having huge guilt pangs at dragging this project out, even though my lovely client has been terribly sweet about it. But in the end I finished ''Jocko' in a mere five days. He is thread jointed, and his limbs and head swivel pleasingly.

Unwittingly, I formed his tail into an 'S', for Stephanie. Nowadays I make my tails without central support (eg, wire or pipe cleaners) which takes a lot of patient and careful stabbing. This one took roughly 4 hours working time. I did make him a little fez, but Andy suggested he didn't need one...and nor he did. Or a music box, or a ruff, or a waistcoat. He just seems right au naturel.

I can start the New Year with a sense of relief, and Jocko is off to warmer climes. He's going to miss British TV though.