Notebooks for the new year - 2

Notebooks for the new year

It's been a great Christmas and now I'm looking forward to 2010. The first two months I will be crazy busy but it should pay off and then I'm hoping to do another mailshot promotion in March. I have a lot to do before then. I am adding things to my Etsy shop that were popular at the craft shows, starting with a few notebooks. They are all designed, cut and hand bound by me. The pages are recycled paper and the books are 10 x 15cm.

The first design to be added is Madame Rose as seen in these photos. I'll post the others as I go. If you want one you can buy one here: www.ickleson.etsy.com

Happy Christmas Everyone

I am completely taken over with Christmas excitement this year. I've been baking star shaped shortbread for the neighbours and wrapping presents. I am especially excited about the Gruffulo being on TV on Christmas Day (5.30 BBC1), fantastic!

Anyway I'm off to spend Christmas in Devon, I'll miss my family and a certain little lady, but I'm really looking forward to seeing the sea and snuggling up round a fire.

Happy Christmas Everyone, have a good one x x x

Edit

I will no longer be attending the affordable art thingy, some times things just don't work out. C'est la vie. I still think it's good these things are happening in Cov thanks to my good friend Emma so if you are nearby tomorrow and looking for some thing a little different to do then pop down.

Chritmas Cards

I've sent out my Christmas cards, both real and electronic and so I thought I'd share this year's design.

I really do feel festive, it keeps snowing, all the shops are playing Cliff Richards and I've bought all my presents. So I have one last craft fair tomorrow and the affordable art evening on Sunday then that's it till the new year.

I'll be spending Christmas in Devon by the sea, so lots of long winter walks and then bundling indoors to sit round the fire drinking and talking - can't wait.

I hope you are all looking forward to a lovely Christmas too, I have a couple of friends who are having tough times at the moment but hope that it will all work out well for them too.

Affordable Art at the Lock Gallery

I took part in the Christmas Art fair at the Canal Basin in Coventry. I really enjoyed it and it was quite successful, until it rained, but for December it was a lovely day. Anyway, off the back of that there's another event, I knocked up the poster in a bit of a hurry, but I've seen the art going onto the walls so I know it'll be good.

So if you're in Coventry and looking for something a bit different to do, come and have a mince pie with us :)

The finished Fox

Foxy Man

This is the rough design for a card I made James, it's his birthday today and I always make him a card. They're usually quite silly, but as we both quite like foxes and we have a local one that trots down our street most nights, I though a fox would be fitting. I'll have to post the finished print later as we're about to head out for a birthday lunch.

Mermaid in colour

Here is a cropped version of the mermaid in her newly coloured state. I played around with the colour of her hair but Emma has chosen brown, so brown it is :I've put copyrite on the image because really it belongs to Emma, it'll be her tattoo and I probably won't post the full image untill she has had it done. I just hope she is as happy with it as I am.

Mermaid progress

I've finally had a moment to sit down and carry on with the mermaid for Emma's tattoo. We decided the nipples were a bit much so I've opted for some star fish, once the black and white version is agreed I'll add some colour. Till then, I'm very pleased with how she's turned out.

Warwick Exhibition Centre - Craft fair

This is me, on Sunday, at the Contemporary Arts Craft Fair. I got up in the wee hours of the morning to set in my little car full of all the things I've been making over the last few weeks. I then drove off into the country side and got myself lost. I spend about half an hour thinking I should give up and go home (to save petrol more than anything else), and then I found the exhibition centre, so I set up and spent the day selling and chatting to other artists and crafters.
I met some lovely people and, although I didn't make a fortune, I did feel that the whole thing was a great success.

...plus I got to wear my Cath Kidston apron as my money belt - Woo Hoo!