Several weeks ago one of my collectors asked if I would consider a hare commision. Oh dear. I have been trying to design a hare ever since I took up needle felting over three years ago and have failed. As shy and hard to catch as the real creature itself, I have been unable to visualise a satisfactory toy version, despite it being one of my favourite animals.
But I've broken the hare curse at last! Maybe it was because someone actually requested one, but I finally saw how it would be done. He has glass eyes, a waxed cotton nose and thread jointed arms -
Even underneath, where it won't be seen, attention to detail is paramount.
At my client's request, he was named Harris. Of course, now I've cracked the hare code, I have all manner of similar characters in mind, but they will have to wait until my present orders are fulfilled.
I get many enquiries about when I am going to update my Etsy shop with more needle felt things; I seem to work mostly to order now, but I have two little toadstools looking for homes and who knows when I'll have time to make more...
I am having another 'Puddletown Tales' book signing, this time in central Oxford, at Waterstones bookstore on the corner of Broad Street - very soon! In fact, this Saturday the 27th of August, 1.30 - 4.30. If it's possible for you to make it (and help me break the last record of one book sale) I'd love to see you there and put names to faces.
One of those little chores which gets side-lined for months - washing the stiffness out of new fabrics. I am not one for bright, busy, decorative patterns; exquisitely simple prints are joyful to me.
This one is my very favourite - I bought a whole metre of it and almost bankrupted myself, just in case I never found it again. It's style number 31944-4 in the 'Cat in the Manor' range from Windham Fabrics. But they all looked lovely once they were hung out to dry.
Raggy rainbows.
While I was playing Mrs Tiggywinkle, I tea stained a length of poplin too.
Spot the cat - not in the manor, but in the strawberry patch.
This blogger has an awesome amount of gorgeous fabrics - makes my stash look like a drop in a puddle.
A few years ago I was able to rescue a small letterpress studio - which caused a little bit of a problem with where to put it in our tiny cottage. The type cases ended up stacked up various walls and the printers are safely wrapped and stashed in my kind neighbour's stone shed, all waiting for the day when we move somewhere bigger and I have more space. Anyhow, I was cleaning the spider webs from our front bay window and was idly looking through some type chests when I found an undiscovered stash of decorative flourishes. Aren't they lovely? And I didn't even know I had them!
Returned from a break over the border in North Wales. Against the odds it barely rained (for Wales, at least). While Andy went off yomping and scrambling over mountain-y things, I amused myself. This day I was dropped off at the pretty seaside town of Llandudno, where I had a very passable time pottering about and taking photos. Firstly I quickly sketched the beach from the pier, as I had a new Moleskine sketchbook to break in.
I am very much at home in old-fashioned seaside resorts, having spent much of my childhood living by them or day-tripping at them in Devon and Somerset. And I like what other people sometimes regard as 'tacky'.
And I do love a nice pier, even on a damp, grey Welsh morning.
It did rain a little. I retreated to the town and found the charity shops. When it stopped raining, I was just in time to catch the end of this traditional Punch and Judy show, run by the Codman family, which has been performing here since 1860. The original Codman, a circus traveller called Richard, carved the first set of figures from driftwood gathered on Llanduno beach. It was extremely funny and stuck to the proper story (no PC nonsense here). Punch outwitted the hangman and did his best to outwit the Devil himself. Hurrah!
Smiling broadly as I popped my coins into the collecting cup, I realised I was now very hungry and headed back to the pier for fish and chips.
I took my feast over to the beautiful wide promenade where people were strolling and sitting, a happy atmosphere of people on holiday, the elderly enjoying the sea air and invalids being wheeled about - very gentle and relaxing. I even heard a local group of lads decide not to play football on the beach as there were too many people around. How refreshingly considerate.
I had to eat swiftly and economically as the seagulls are always on the prowl for food and are quite fearless, striding up and squawking in a bullying tone, demanding titbits with menace. They got nothing from me - fish and chips is a rare treat and one of my favourite meals. Afterwards, I spent a couple of hours drawing thumbnails - not 'pretty' sketches to be ooo'd and aah'd over, but little observational exercises to keep me amused and to register details in my mind.
Llandudno pier looked magnificent in the distance - actually, much of the Llandudno sea front houses are quite lovely, beautifully maintained hotels and bed and breakfasts, painted in ice cream colours and with their names painted above the entrance in Welsh and English.
I think perhaps the happiest people that day, apart from the children, were this elderly couple who had their chairs right at the sea's edge; I am sure their feet were in the waves.
This is a much loved character, Mr Lavender, as he was back in 2008. He travelled a long way to a gallery for an exhibition and failed to sell for the princely sum of £65. (He has since doubled in price). He later became a part-time actor in the second 'Puddletown Tales' book, 'Peggy's Lost Pennies' as a toyshop owner. By then he had aquired a smart new waistcoat. I was asked by one of my regular customers if the original was for sale. As none of my Puddletown people are going to be sold - unless things get really bad - I offered to make a copy. So, Mr Lavender the First - - and Mr Lavender the Second.
He is a little smaller, but has the same kindly, humorous look. Now he's about to bring pleasure to his new owner, who is delighted with him - which is always nice.
"We're a couple of swells
We stop at the best hotelsBut we prefer the country far away from the city smellsWe're a couple of sportsThe pride of the tennis courtsIn June, July and August we look cute when we're dressed in shortsThe Vanderbilts have asked us up for teaWe don't know how to get there, no sireeNo, siree.
We would swim up the Avenue but we haven't any lakeSo we'll walk up the AvenueYes, we'll walk up the Avenue
Yes, a walk up the Avenue's what we'll take." (From 'Easter Parade' by Irving Berlin)
Bric-a-brac stall
Comfortable
Who are you?
The book stall
English Setters and fan club
Noble nose
Weimaraner
Three generations
A fine moustache
Old boys
Vintage car
Gentle giant
The car of my dreams!
