Hurworth Country Fair

Well a week ago today I braved the early morning to head out and set up my stall at the Hurworth Country Fair, and what a miserable day it started out as. After pounding rain all Friday, the ground was rather sodden, but at least the rain held off on the day until I had finished setting up. Complete with my brand new banner. below.

Shame about the Bright Orange on the tent but love my new banner

We were blessed with sunshine after dinner and more people started to turn up, braving the rather muddy field to come and check out the stalls. Due to the random layout of the fair I felt a lot of people passed us by without realizing we were there but on the whole it was a good day, we were treat to bagpipes, fire engine displays and a dog show. Then the real challenge came after taking down the stall - trying to get of the field without the car getting stuck!!!!!



Preping for the Fair

Apologies for not posting this week but been very busy replenishing stock ready for Hurworth Country Fair this Saturday, for anyone in the area its open 10.30am till 4pm at the Grange Hurworth. visit HERE for more info. It looks like the weather is going to hold out so fingers crossed!

I've also been trying out some new ideas including these Glass Star's ready for dare I say it Christmas. Let me know what you think of them!

 Pieces cut and ready for copperfoiling

Finished Star

I'm also working on creating affordable broaches similar to the new range of insect

 necklesses, just waiting on the broach backs to come in the post, hope they get here before the weekend! Very exciting I ordered a new banner last week which arrived yesterday can't wait to use it on saturday, will post a pic after the fair!

Darlington Arts Fair

Darlington Arts Centre

Yesterday I was part of the Darlington Art Fair held at our local Arts Centre, there was a fantastic array of local talent, fine art, glass, ceramics, textiles, design, live performance, dance, music. It was truly a fantastic day with a great turn out from the public coming to support local artists and the Arts Centre. The event was organized to draw attention to this important community building who's future, due to budget cuts,  looks bleak! Hope is not lost as people of Darlington have united to save the Arts Centre, forming Darlington For Culture (for more info CLICK HERE)

On arrival yesterday I was directed into the theatre, much to my horror it was rather dark, but after a quick word with the organizers they were able to redirect a spotlight onto my stall so I was well illuminated, and got much praise for the overall appearance of my stall. I was also very pleased to see a wonderfully talented friend Liz Shaw (CLICK HERE to see her work) had a stall too. As i mentioned it was a brilliant day with lots of happy customers, my new range of buglife neckless' (below) went down very well. Now I have to go and replenish my stock ready for the Hurworth Country Fair.

Available to purchase HERE

A new love for an Obsolete World

Today I'd like to share one of my favourite sellers on etsy, obsoleteworld 

by Jeannie Lynn Paske

Future Golden Remains

(Just recieved this as a birthday gift)

I absolutly love Jeannie's illustrations, set in a world of her own creation, populated by strange and interesting creatures. Each painting offers a glimps of something magical, a real sence of foreboading  shines through from this obsolete world, desolate and despair yet beautiful and magnificent at the same time. Her colour palette is restrained yet inviting. Warming and increadible atmospheric, a true testiment to her skill.

I just wana buy them all as they are so brilliant!

To check out more visit http://obsolete-world.blogspot.com/

http://www.etsy.com/listing/72720736/a-mindful-installation

http://www.etsy.com/listing/80368859/the-fate-of-a-nation?ref=v1_other_2

In other news I will now be at Darlington Arts Centre for The Arts Fair on Saturday 3rd September.

and look out for Simon Alderson Glass on stall number 7 at Hurworth Counrty Fair on 17th September.

Well worth a visit.

Managed to get through to Durham Cathedral at the weekend, it's one of my favourite places, I could just spend hours staring at some of the amazing stained glass works. From 15th century roundels to the latest addition, (my fav) The Transfiguration Window, by Thomas Denny

I just had to share this wonderful place and urge anyone who hasn't been or is visiting the north east to go to the cathedral.

 

The window shows the Transfiguration, with Christ as a white-clad Everyman bathed in his father’s glory. Moses and Elijah flank him on either side; below, his disciples watch. “A shaft of transforming light”, as Denny calls it, floods down through the centre of the window, transforming the side panels to pink-orange flame and mingling in the lower sections with bruised blue-purples. There, in the violent world of everyday transgressions, the light makes small miracles occur: a boy cured of epilepsy, or victims saved from carnage. We, the onlookers, are caught up in all this change so swiftly and completely that we, like the disciples, must have feather-flickerings of gold and purple burning in our clothes. To read more click here . 

I always feel so inspired after being here and it's given me the jolt I need to push forward in my own creations. Something i've been mulling over for a while might finally get realized in the coming month. In the meantime i've just bought some mica powders and am currently testing these out so i'll share the results in the next post.

Work Work Work

I just ordered a new book, How To Make Money using Etsy, by Timothy Adam. So far it has great insights into how to make the most of your online shop and making use of such tools as google analitics and google trends and making use of keywords. alot to take in but should hopefully go along way in improving shop stats and sales. All this online jargon is rather annoying, and i feel like i'm spending all my time in front of a computer at the moment, but i have managed to spare a few hrs to start playing with some new mica powder i just bought. Test pieces are in the kiln so i will post later with results.

In the meantime why not check out my latest treasury based on my favourite colour Green. All the items are from the UK. Let me know what you think, click on the link below

Etsy Treasury

ETSY SALE

That's right folks till the end of August there's 10% of everything in my Etsy store,

just add coupon code AUGUST10 to your shopping basket.

ETSY SALE