Tag: british craft house

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The Journey Continues!

Hello again! I have been meaning to do my third blog for a while, but it never seemed like the right time but now, it does.

If you have been following my little business, you may have noticed some changes to the kind of gifts I have been making? My gifts have changed as I feel like I have been on a bit of a journey with both my skills and my creativity. When I first started LouLou & Reg, I knew that I wanted to be able to create and sell gifts that I would buy, that had sentiment and that would bring a smile when gifted. I have always been an admirer of East of India and Sass & Belle and their products; I think it is both the simplicity of their beautiful items and the sentiments that were included with each one that I love. I am and always have been a big fan of dioramas and initially wanted to make these but had no idea where to start as I had no idea how to saw a piece of wood!

At the beginning, I decided I wanted to learn how to make wooden signs which I did after trying lots of techniques, I really do enjoy making them. Then as I started to size, shape, sand and paint the wood myself, my hunger for a little more knowledge and skill grew, so we bought a pillar drill – which I really need to use more; then came the belt sander and finally my husband bought me a scroll saw, that I love!  

Since I have started to use my scroll saw my creativity has grown and I am being taken down a different path now, one that I think I have always wanted to get to but didn’t quite know how to get to. I have started to use wire to make shapes and I also use balsa wood shapes to create different elements for each of my items.  I am hoping to start experimenting with other elements and using other techniques so that I can create and continue to make the kind of product that I would enjoy seeing in my kind of shop and a product that I would want to buy. 

I am so excited to see where this journey takes me, and I really hope that you can continue this journey with me, on a rather exciting path that I seem to be travelling.

(The picture is the first item I created using my scroll saw and I’m rather proud of it as it was a freehand sketch (and I can’t draw) and my first cut……..the product that made me find a different path)

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2 year old smile ….

Today, Easter Monday I received a message via the other side beginning with E and ending in Y … from a lovely customer who, 2 years ago ordered some bespoke planters, they took some time to make, I never heard back so wasn’t sure she was happy or not, however I wasn’t fazed as in my experience most people forget to leave good feedback, rarely do they forget to leave feedback for a negative experience, many tell the world so I assumed all was good. 

Fast forward 2 years, to a chilled Easter Monday, and this lovely lady, Sarah, messaged me simply to say, she tried to leave feedback but couldn’t see how to do it, the remainder of her message is below (I did ask permission to post) 

“They look really fantastic, we look like we have a wildly expensive landscaped garden at a fraction of the cost!” “2 years in and these still look new. Thank you so much we are really pleased” 

So there you have it, Sarah G 2 years on and still her planters look like new. 

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This here is a Daffodil….

Inspired by my Welsh heritage and the national flower emblem I have
wanted to create a daffodil in metal for a while, but never found the
time. Taking advantage of the lockdown and a few days off from my busy
day job in the NHS I found myself drawn to creating a daffodil so I
rolled up my sleeves, put on my apron, got my sharpie, some metal and tools out and got to
work.

When I started out on this project I had a picture in my head of what I wanted my daffodil to look like, this included working out how to turn a flat piece of metal into a 3D flower.  I began with some 0.5mm brass sheet and drew the outline of the flower using a felt pen, (well I drew several actually just in case I melted the first one or three!).

I cut these shapes out and gave them some texture with a hammer and then shaped the petals.  For the flower trumpet I cut simple circles from the brass sheet then used my doming block and tools to shape the disc into a small cup and then ruffled the edges.  The flower centre was created from tiny sterling silver balls formed from molten silver (this is my favorite pass time when I’m not making, melting tiny bits of silver into balls, it’s very therapeutic!), which I soldered in place to create the stamen.  The final piece for the flower was the stem and a leaf.  I formed these by hand from sterling silver, hammering, filing and shaping, then soldered all of the brass and silver pieces together, adding a silver pin to the back.

The last bit is the most time consuming of all, requiring a lot of elbow grease and polish to make the brass and silver gleam.

I loved making this and have plans now to make more flowers, I definitely want to make a bluebell and a freesia my favourite flowers of all time, then maybe a snowdrop, a crocus oh and a pansy, I could go on and on as there are so many beautiful flowers lol! I hope you enjoyed my little blog about making a daffodil and I would love to hear what your favourite flower is.

Best wishes and thanks for stopping by to read

Max

ps you can find the daffodil pin in my shop, link is below.

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Featured Artist!

It is well known that many artists and crafts people often struggle with self- esteem and find it difficult to acknowledge their own talent. It can be daunting to put your work out in the public domain. When there is so much time and passion invested in carefully crafted pieces, it can feel as if you are baring your soul for scrutiny.

 

If, like me, you have no formal artistic training and are completely self taught, feeling your way, experimenting and exploring techniques as you go, it is easy to feel a bit like a fraud amongst other talented makers and artists.  

 

It takes time to build confidence and just one positive comment can make you feel ten feet tall.  

 

So it was in a bit of a mad moment that I applied to be a featured artist with World of Wool. I didn’t really give myself time to talk myself out of it, I just filled out my details and sent off the form!

 

The site regularly features a variety of makers and their gallery is full of seriously talented textile artists, including the fabulous Moy Mackay.

 

Imagine my surprise when I received an email two days later telling me they would like to feature me in their latest monthly blog and newsletter! 

 

I was beyond excited and thrilled to think that an organization was interested in my work and prepared to feature it and share it with thousands of their subscribers.

 

This morning when I opened my email, there it was!  A copy of the article and my  face staring back at me from the World of Wool newsletter.  It feels amazing to have my work acknowledged and it has given me such a confidence boost, just when I needed it.

 

I started to get feedback on my social media pages almost instantly, lots of congratulations and support from followers and fellow artisans.  There was one comment, however, that really made my day, from a lady I hadn’t heard from before and this is what she wrote:

 

‘And that’s how I came across you. You’re work is beautiful and inspiring. I had lost my mojo a bit with felting even though had just recieved a big order from world of wool. You’ve made me want to get felting again ❤️’

 

 

What a wonderful, uplifting comment, how fantastic that someone would take time out of their day to say that in response to my post.  She had read the article from her inbox first thing and by the time I had shared the article on social media, she had already looked me up and was engaging with my thread. It was incredible to think that my work had helped to reignite another artist’s passion. 

 

So thank you World of Wool for accepting my application, thank you Andrew Novotny for such a great write up and thank you to each and every one of you who read the article and left some feedback on my social media pages, it really means a great deal.  

 

Please continue to support small business where you can, it’s hard work to find recognition but I am delighted to tell you that I did a little happy dance all the way to my studio this morning! 

 

If you woud like to read the article , please visit: 

https://www.worldofwool.co.uk/apps/base/blog/featured-artist-louise-hancox

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Winter is slowing creeping away as Spring gathers pace

I have to confess the weather of  late has been confusing, from a cloud burst of snow one afternoon, clear blue skies followed less than 24 hours later, chasing its tail the howling gales and flash floods across the country, it’s cold enough to be winter, but the bright blue skies suggest a different story. 
So what plants, bulbs, or seedlings can you realistically look at panting whilst the weather is so up and down? 

To answer this question it does also depend on a many other factors, including but not limited too the PH levels of your soil, whether you live in a sheltered area or are fully exposed on a cliff top , availability of a greenhouse or somewhere light warm and airy, essentially draught free to give a few answers. 
February gardening is all about getting the seeds planted, so get out your old planters and scrape off the top layer of compost and replace with fresh. Seed wise you can sow lettuces in readiness for fresh leaves in May June time, but do ensure they are protected, varieties such as Winter Gem, and Valdor are good winter hardy types but do make sure you plant under cloches

As a general rule, bulbs can be planted out as well, but do remember they tend to prefer light well draining soil, if they are left in wet, heavy soil they are unlikely to thrive. So you can consider broad beans, carrots, parsnips, beetroot, cabbages. 
If you are lucky enough to have a greenhouse herb seeds, tomatoes, cucumber can get a good start. 

I have started to list a few deeper, larger metal garden planters, these were specifically designed to enable the rooftop or patio gardener to have access to deeper soil thus enabling root vegetables to be sown. grown and eaten from the single metal garden planter. So if you fancy one do let me know! 
Fi

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Traditional V Digital Sculpture techniques?

I’ve been a traditional sculptor for more than 30 years. I enjoy the relationship I have with the medium I use, and also the close interaction with the reference materials I choose, both of which combine to help me create the sculptures I produce.

Close up of a Hare sculpture created using traditional sculpting techniques
Close up of my Harriet Hare sculpture created using traditional sculpting techniques

I am rather resistant to change, and have tended to view ‘digital’ sculpting as… cheating! Well, to some degree any way! However, a figurine designing company recently contacted me after they began following me on Instagram and they commented that they were impressed by my ‘sensational fur sculpting skills’! (?) They went on to ask me to sculpt a type of Tiger for them, even though they employ several digital sculptors. It seems that perhaps fur can’t easily be replicated using a computer and that the hand and eye of a traditional sculptor might still be useful in this digital age! 

I was thinking about how I was going to approach this project and I had an idea about how to incorporate working ‘with’ digital sculptors which would save the company time and money and still produce the finish on the sculpture which they came to me for.

I admit to feeling slightly apprehensive when I emailed them my idea… I know nothing about digital sculpting or 3D printing and was expecting my idea to be shot down in flames, but… the reply came back almost immediately hailing me as ‘innovative’ and a ‘genius’! (?) They also believe that they might have quite a bit of ‘traditional’ sculpting work for me in the future! 

So, traditional V Digital Sculpture techniques? You’ll have noticed that I haven’t spilled the beans on exactly ‘what’ my brilliant idea is (it isn’t always a good idea to give your best ideas away!), but I’m so pleased that after my resistance to digital sculpting I have found a way to combine it with the way I work to the mutual benefit of both me and the customer in a faster and ultimately a more satisfactory way. 

Hare sculpture created using traditional sculpting techniques
My Harriet Hare sculpture created in wax using traditional sculpting techniques
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Metal Window Box …..what will you grow in yours?

Metal Garden Planters Handmade Metal Window Boxes
Metal Garden Planters Handmade Metal Window Boxes

In many towns and villages around the UK you will often see this beautiful ironwork frames sitting underneath a stunning set off windows, usually the sash wooden framed ones, not your modern uPVC triple glazed designed to lock the world out. This image was taken last year, on a damp grey drizzling kind of day, the triple story house in question is undergoing a mammoth refurbishment, formerly a butchers with the thick wooden floor and huge shop windows on one side of the property, and the other corner the image you see attached, the “private” entrance to the living quarters, notice the railings at street level to the cellar, or coal store as it may well of been.  Anyway the reason for my picture…..  whilst this one was made from wood, I can very easily make one out of metal, to sit inside these ironwork frames? I can also make the metal boxes to sit either sit of the entrance door, to plant a clematis or ivy from. 

Of course you don’t need a fancy pants iron frame to hold a window box in order to breathe some life and colour into your windows, you just need a cill – here is an image from a very happy customer who loves gazing out of her kitchen window and seeing some flowers, some colour and not just her neighbours wall 

So, I do take commissions, I always try to manufacture out of the “scrap” pile to reduce our carbon footprint, so if you would like to inject some colour in your window cill, maybe grow some lettuce leaves or have some herbs on your window ledge, do drop me a line and let me help you get growing! 

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Meet a Good Right Hooker

I’m a 50 something mother of 4 and granny to 6. I have been surrounded by craft of some sort or another all my life, my grandmother was a prolific knitter, my mother is a wonderful embroiderer and seamstress and my father was always fashioning something out of wood.

I was taught to knit and sew at a young age and have always had a project on the go, sometimes useful  ( I made all my children’s clothes when they were small) and sometimes purely decorative. 

 After trying to teach myself to crochet for more years than I’m going to admit here, a very good and patient friend eventually managed to teach me to make the humble granny square and I haven’t looked back since! 

As well as my little crochet business, I have a day job where I’m a housekeeper in a large busy house. No two days are ever the same and I love it. 

When I’m not at work or crocheting you’ll often find me out on my bike in the beautiful Norfolk countryside, last year Mr Good Right Hook bought me a proper road bike so I’m fairly nipping along those lanes now. 

I’m so excited to be a part of The British Craft House and I cant wait to see where it will take me in the coming months and years. 

Jo x

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Hares, Boxes…and a Big Cat sculpture commission!

I often find that January is almost as busy as December and I certainly have quite a few orders to keep me busy; Harriet Hares to polish, as well as a handful of my lichen keepsake boxes to make! I also have a large Sculpture commission to start of an extinct big cat which will be quite nerve-racking to start with…but I do like a challenge!

Just Kirsty Sculpture & Gifts
Just Kirsty Sculpture & Gifts
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“Tis the season to be jolly ….

‘Tis the Season to be Jolly, I have always loved Carols around a tree, the pretty lights, the anticipation of piles of gifts on Christmas morning,  the buzz of excitement in the air but I will confess as I have got older the magic is fading for me. I see adverts on the television of happy families sat playing games and enjoying themselves but in reality as I read the papers I see a different world one where many families are separated and the older generations are possibly spending the day alone as they don’t want to be burden on relatives, or those families who don’t have money to put food on a table let alone buy gifts, who then have to deal with the question why Santa leaves lots of gifts for some Children but not them.

I read a lovely article in the Telegraph yesterday, saddened slightly by its content, but felt it was also full of Christmas Spirit as it made reference to a school in Blackpool where the Head is opening the school up on Monday to have a Christmas Eve eve party for the children, with Santa and hot food, to ensure that all children had that magical experience and a hot meal over the holidays. I am sure this isn’t first school to do this, and I doubt will be the last. 

For many of the gifts I will be giving this year they are sourced from small businesses not large corporations, I will try and avoid the pressure of the sales post Christmas, and only purchase something if I really need it.  

It is a most wonderful time of the year, but we do shop all year round, not just a Christmas so if you could continue to buy from the small business owner I can hand on heart tell you that really does help put food on the table, and keep a roof over someone’s head. Perhaps you can spare the odd gift for a child who is without, or pop an extra roll of toilet paper, or can of soup in the trolley for the food bank at your local supermarket – you never know the joy that small act of kindness could bring someone. Don’t get me wrong I have nothing against the corporates (I am an Amazon Prime Customer ?) , but I am hugely aware that by using them we are feeding anonymous shareholders but by buying from an independent you are helping keep that small business afloat, and that alone does deserve a happy dance ? Merry Christmas and wishing you a Happy New Year