Creating Resin Necklaces

After thinking about it for quite a long time, FINALLY I am making some new resin necklaces to add to the existing Shark Alley collection.

It's quite a time-consuming process even before the pieces are actually cast and finished.

Here's how it starts.

1. The images that I'm going to use for inspiration are collected together and I have them in front of me while I draw.

2.  The designs are sketched out and then refined until they're simple and graphic.

3. I cut the shapes out of cardboard and practice putting them together to make sure they will hang together properly and work as necklaces.  This is also the time to work out where the holes will need to be drilled in the finished resin pieces.

4.  Each design is then placed over rolled-out modelling clay and tiny pin pricks are used to transfer the design onto the clay's surface.

 

5. Then the shapes are carefully cut out using a scalpel.

 

6.  When the clay has hardened, the shapes are smoothed and refined using sandpaper and sanding and buffing tools.

 

7.  Each finished piece is laid into a mould made from acetate, then silicon is poured in.

8.  After 24 hours, the moulds are turned out.  Unfortunately the silicon has oozed underneath the shapes, so I'll have to trim it away with scissors.

9. Ta-dah!  Three moulds all ready to be filled with resin.

Stay tuned for the finished articles!  Hopefully not too long to wait.

Work In Progress

When I still had the time to design textiles, I produced this elaborate fox design.  It duly got sent off to my agent, but never sold.

This turned out to be a GOOD THING.

Whilst being interviewed for my job at U-Handbag, one of the girls went crazy for the design and suggested I do something with it myself, as she was sure it would be really popular.  As it clearly wasn't doing anyone any good tucked away in a portfolio in London, I duly got it back and turned it into cards, prints and purses.

That girl was right.

Now I want to design more animals in the same style, but finding the time has been a problem.  At last I've finally made a (slow) start on another British animal - a lovely hare - and have taken to putting screen shots of it in progress on my Facebook page.  I've never recorded work in progress in this way before, but it's interesting to see how the design changes and evolves on its way to completion.

Here's the story so far.

1. The hare shape is drawn freehand, scanned in, and then redrawn and refined as a flat, graphic shape in Illustrator.  Floral pattern details are drawn separately and then added to the hare's body.

2. The colours are decided upon.  I aim to make them representative of the hare's natural colouring and markings, but with some license!  Areas of pattern are starting to take shape.

3. This is the hare after a decent amount of time spent on it one evening.  At this stage, I really want to feel that the design is working, and that has required some changes in patterns and layout.  Having a background colour helps (with some alternative choices on the left!), though this may change when the hare is completely finished. This happened with the fox, which originally had a dark olive background.

UPDATE: 3rd August

4. Still fiddling with colours and patterns and having trouble balancing the blacks.

5. The hare is finished, printed out and ironed onto fabric.  However, I think the darks look too dark and the hare's hindquarters are too big and rounded.  Some more tweaking is required.

6.  The hare's bottom has been re-drawn and made less rounded and the dark colours have been made lighter, with the black being taken out all together as it's too contrasty.

7.  The hare is finished!

8.  Printed out, cut out and ironed on - now for the big reveal!

9.  The hare is applied to lots of different fabrics to make into purses.

Private View - 202 Ditchling Road

Sadly I could only make it to one of the Open House private views last night - they do all tend to be on the same night, which is tricky!  One year I managed to fit in three, but logistically that wasn't going to happen this time.

The sun was out, so the beautiful garden was put to full use, showing off glass by Annie McMullan and sculptures by Chris Brooks amongst others.

LOADS of people turned up, which was lovely, and house-owner Polly Raynes provided some seriously tasty canapés to soak up the wine.  My Cheese Oxo Biscuits lasted about five minutes - I knew I should have made double.

To be honest, I'm usually pretty hopeless at private views.  Rather than work the room or even stand helpfully next to my display, I tend to chat to friends and guzzle way too much wine. It was great to see everyone though.


The house is now open for four weekends throughout May from 11am to 5pm.  For more info, click here.  I'm also showing at 56 Tivoli Crescent.

Private View Nibbles - Mum's Cheese Oxo Biscuits

I've been meaning to pop a recipe up on here since Christmas, when I wanted to treat you to my take on the sumptuous Italian gorgeousness that is Chocolate Salami.

Sadly, I was far too busy (maybe this year) so please forgive me and accept this humble offering instead.

I remember loving these biscuits as a kid and I've been nagging Mum to dig out this recipe for ages, but she couldn't find it.  Finally it turned up, so I'm baking a batch for the Ditchling Road Open House private view tomorrow evening.  Why not knock up a batch of your own and recreate the full PV experience by looking through an art book or something while you scoff them with a glass of wine.

CHEESE OXO BISCUITS

INGREDIENTS
4oz plain flour
4oz margarine
3oz Cheddar cheese
1 Oxo cube (I used the vegetable one, but the original recipe calls for the red one)

METHOD

1. Rub the margarine into the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

2.  Grate in the cheese.

3. Crumble in the stock cube, knead the mixture together to form a dough, then cover and put in the fridge to rest for half an hour.

4. Roll out the dough thinly onto a well-floured surface.

5.  Cut out shapes with a cutter (or small glass) and lay on a well-greased baking sheet.

6.  Bake in a pre-heated oven (170º fan/190ºC/350ºF) for 15 minutes.

7. Remove from oven and leave to cool.

8.  Leave washing-up in the hope that boyfriend will do it.

Setting Up

Every May as part of the Brighton Festival, many artists turn their homes into art galleries and open them to the public for four weekends.

This year I'm exhibiting in two houses and today I set up in one - 56 Tivoli Crescent. This house must surely have the best view of all the Open Houses - down the hill, over the train tracks and across to Preston Park and Preston Manor.

The house is owned by my lovely friend Moira Wills, whom I met through being an illustrator and teaching art at the old Eastbourne College Of Arts And Technology.  Moira produces vibrant and cheeky screenprints. I have two, but would love to own more if I had the wall space!

An unexpected bonus was Moira's gorgeous home-made soups for lunch (the leek & potato was my favourite) and she'd even baked her own bread to go with it!

Afterwards, as it was such a sunny day, Paul dragged me away from my many self-imposed work schedules and we caught the 77 bus to Devils Dyke.  It's amazing how one minute you can be in Brighton, with all its houses and traffic, and then suddenly be in the most gorgeous rolling hills with sheep, skylarks and steep woodland paths.

The Garden Show At Firle - Part Two

It feels weird not to be at Firle today after four days of being there - one for the set-up and three for the show itself.   I'm tired and having a much needed day off.

Firle was lovely - I so wish I'd had more time to really get out and enjoy the experience, especially on Saturday when the weather was gorgeous.  Unfortunately the Old Riding School - where the crafters were housed - was freezing!  I did get a chance to see a bit of the birds of prey display by the Huxley Bird of Prey Centre and snap up a bit of bread and cheese as well as some gorgeous Indian pickles from Manjira.  Their Garlic Pachadi is most tasty (and VERY garlicky).

The show was well attended, but it felt like hard work to make sales - almost as if people had come to have a look rather than make a purchase.  This always feels difficult, but you have to keep positive, not take it personally and try and think of it as advertising for the future as well.  However, I did do OK in the end.  I met some nice people and had a real giggle with Kate Lulham, who kindly drove me there and back every day.  We were particularly pleased that we managed to put up our gazebos together without man help.

The Garden Show at Firle - Part One

Whoah!  Just back from Firle, where I've been setting up for the Garden Show this weekend.

Firle is a beautiful Sussex village nestled in the South Downs and is as picturesque as you like.  It boasts a lovely pub, The Ram (I can recommend), pretty houses, and it sits at the bottom of Firle Beacon.  I think this part of the South Downs between Lewes and Polegate is just stunning.  I used to commute this way by train every week when I was teaching in Eastbourne and was constantly bewitched by the lovely soft undulations of the Downs and the way they change in different lights and seasons.

Today is sunny (though there is still a chilly wind) and Firle looked beautiful.  I hope it stays this way for the next three days!

This is my first time at the Garden Show and I have no idea what to expect.  After setting up in the Old Riding School I took a wander round the grounds - the event looks MASSIVE!

Such a shame that I will be behind my stall the whole time and won't get a chance to see everything.  I'm particularly intrigued by the fact that there will be birds of prey there, not to mention all the other stalls - of which there are masses.
 

The Garden Show at Firle
Friday 19th - Sunday 21st April
10am-5pm
More details here