Precious Little Birdy

Birdy Rubber Stamps

2012-01-22T11:06:00.000-08:00

I have started printing these on to Somerset Satin paper (300gsm) and am going to print a small edition.

I made a stamp with the "hope is the thing with feathers..." text. This was done as for my book Nestbuilding Perils & Pleasures by typing the text on a typewriter, scanning it, enlarging it, printing the enlarged text, going over it with pencil and transferring this text on to the rubber by going over the back of the paper with pencil.

Book Art Object - My Experience

2011-12-18T08:11:00.000-08:00

Book Art Object - Project I

Now that the call out for the 3rd Project of Book Art Object has gone out and we are getting started I just wanted to write a little bit about my experience.

I can't remember how I found Sara Bowen's post on Here. I think I got lost on the internet one day and found it :-) I felt cautious about committing myself. I work full-time and barely had time to do my own work let alone commit to something like this. I think I was also a little bit scared and intimidated. I had done quite a few bookbinding courses at UWE, Bristol and made a lot of books, but had never made an edition. I suppose in my mind I was 'dabbling' and didn't really have the courage to call myself a Book Artist.

Well to anyone who is teetering on the brink and has similar concerns I say jump in! If you have never made a full edition of books and are scared like I was it is a great experience for many reasons. Making a one off book can be difficult enough and the thought of making 9 or 14 more of the same is very daunting, but it really improves your skills and for me this was a great way of putting into practice what I had learned. It does become less scary as you go along and by book 9 of the edition the fear is nearly gone ;-)

The best part for me (apart from getting an edition of the most beautiful books through the post!) is connecting with other like minded people. I love to see the work in progress posts on the blog and hear about the processes people go through, failed experiments, rejected ideas, sometimes despair (!) and then the final elation when the book is complete. The most fascinating part is when we are all working from the same piece of text and the responses and approaches we come up with are so different. I really love this bit, I don't know why but it still amazes me the way someone will come up with something which wouldn't have occurred to me in a million years.

I am really glad we have chosen Sarah Bodman's great book to work from. The possibilities are so endless, the minute Sara posted it on the blog I was excited! If you are worrying about deadlines I believe that we are aiming to submit for the Libris Awards in Australia. You would need to have at least one book of the edition completed ready to post to Sara Bowen by June 2012 so there is no big pressure to have the full edition completed by a certain date. You can double check with Sara on these timings if you are interested in joining up. Last and by no means least (its hard to say this without sounding like a creep!) its a lovely, friendly, relaxed, and talented bunch of people and I have really enjoyed getting to know everyone. So as I said if you are wavering or teetering, give it a go :-)

Book Art Object - Project II

Moleskine Notebooks

2011-11-19T10:13:00.001-08:00

I stamped one of these with my birdy stamps from Nest Building Perils & Pleasures and was so pleased with it decided to do some more. I've also made a new stamp with the "Hope is the thing with feathers" text on it. I am quite pleased with the results. My favourite is the Blue Tit and the Long-Tailed Tit. More pictures here.

Dancing Gull

2011-11-07T14:10:00.000-08:00

Just a little Monday silliness :-) This gull didn't have much luck trying to fool the worms - well not while I sat there eating my lunch anyway. He did however entertain a lot of passers by in the park :-)

Frozen Stars, Final Image

2011-11-06T03:57:00.000-08:00

Ever since I heard the term frozen star (the original name for black holes) in a book called the Physics of Start Trek I have been fascinated by it. I have been working on some frozen star images and this is the final print. I really liked the other 2 images I made but I was not happy with the way they were printing. They look good on screen but don't print so well. Maybe I shouldn't be such a perfectionist fusspot, but I just didn't think they were good enough.

This is going to be a Limited Edition of 100 and I have chosen 4 different print sizes. They print beautifully on Somerset Enhanced Velvet. Somerset is my favourite paper at the moment. It really suits the images I am working with now and gives great colour representation and lovely texture too. It is a Giclee print using pigment inks. My HP B9180 despite some hiccups and shrieky moments (bits falling out!) always prints beautifully. I just love the results I get from it - otherwise it would have gone out the window a long time ago for all the stress it has caused me :-)

When I was making this I bought some silver stars. I started freezing them it looked good, but there was something missing. I was racking my brain trying to think of ideas - what could I use? I was walking up the stairs in work one day and I saw something shiny on the step. I picked it up and it was a little blue star - just the right size - no idea where it came from. I added it to the ice that was freezing and it looked right, just what the piece needed.

Starling Roost, Penzance, Cornwall

2011-10-22T05:36:00.000-07:00

Just returned from a short break in Cornwall. Stayed in this gorgeous old townhouse with great views over the harbour. The best view of all was the starling roost and display that happened every evening around 6 o'clock. I couldn't believe it the first evening I saw it.

It made me laugh a bit too. We have traveled twice to see starling roosts only to be disappointed when they didn't show up at all and once they roosted but didn't display. I remember sitting in the freezing cold and rain on Aberystwyth Pier (they didn't show up at all) and also last winter in that freezing weather we had waiting at RSPB Conwy (they didn't display just flew straight into the reed beds).

It is very difficult to film and I'm not very good at video at the best of times but I hope this gives an idea of how fabulous it was. The video is about 5 minutes long, its funny at the end they flew under the back of The Buccaneer souvenir shop (to roost for the night), then a some of them changed their minds and had a few last flurries.

Below is a picture of some starlings in Lands End, Cornwall in a litter bin :-)

Nest Building Perils & Pleasures - Making Process

2011-10-04T13:27:00.000-07:00

The first cut is the deepest...

This post is long overdue. Just some photos of the making of the rubber stamps for my book - Nest Building Perils & Pleasures. This book was made as part of Book Art Object and is the second project for this group. In case you don't know Book Art Object was founded by Sara Bowen and is collaboration between 14 book artists. 9 in Australia, 1 in the US, 1 in Canada and 3 in the UK. This project was divided into 2 Groups this time - each working on a piece of text as inspiration. I chose to be part of the Art & Lies Group and we used an extract from Jeanette Winterson's book. The paragraph below was the bit that grabbed me.

“300BC. The Ptolemies founded the great library at Alexandria. 400,000 volumes in vertiginous glory. The Alexandrians employed climbing boys much in the same way as the Victorians employed sweeps. Unnamed bipeds, light as dust, gripping with swollen fingers and toes, the nooks and juts of sheer-faced walls………Accordingly, the boys built themselves eyries in among the books, and were to be seen squatting and scowling at greater and greater heights around the library.”

Extract from - Jeanette Winterson, Art & Lies (London: Jonathon Cape, 1994), pp. 4-6.

The part of extract that inspired me was the boys building themselves nests among the books. It made me think about nest building, and making yourself safe. The first line that came into my head was - Where do you build your nest? How do you keep it safe from life's crows and magpies? This came to me in bed one night and I scribbled it down on the little notebook I have. Sometimes when I check this in the morning what I've written is partially illegible because I don't bother to switch the light on.

I think I decided to use rubber stamps straight off and got going on this. It took me a while to come up with the title which I originally planned to stamp on the cover - but I wasn't sure how I would do this. In the end I ended up doing something totally different.

All the text was typed on a my lovely Silver-Reed Silverette - scanned and then enlarged to twice it size. Which made the text about 5mm high. This text was then drawn over with a pencil and transferred to the rubber by just going over the back of the paper with a pencil [top picture and picture below]. Apart from the fact that I love typewriters I think one of the reasons that I use typewriter text so much in my artwork is that I have gradually become a bit of a font snob! When I use text in my work I just hated so many fonts that I ended up using typewriter text by default.

I don't what it is about this book but I am really emotionally attached to it. Maybe it's because I spent so much time hand cutting all the stamps and printing it all by hand...the fact that I absolutely love all the bird stamps and that I really love birds because they make me happy every day. They sing lovely songs when I walk through the park, magpies and naughty gulls amuse me with their antics, crows look so beautiful with their blue black feathers - and they all fly! Something I only do in my dreams.

More photos here

Etsy Treasury

2011-09-20T10:57:00.001-07:00

'Memories' by Grazim

No cars go 30x20 alessandromito... $30.00	SALE vintage light ... theauroravinta... $20.00	Full Moon Clock CyberMoon $17.00	grey mousseline oka... okapiknits $150.00
Black and white pho... NicholasBellPh... $40.00	Gray Earrings kapelusznik $22.50	Soft as the fog - o... PassionateKits... $7.50	Halloween Art Photo... Maddenphotogra... $55.00
Silvery Gray Bracel... Perriello5 $42.00	Textural White Plan... PineandMain $18.00	Button Earrings / C... heydayhandmade $10.00	White Throw Pillow ... LetsCoverIt $25.00
Peacock Note Card S... sweetharvey $18.00	A Container for One... amyperch $26.00	The Honeymoon Memor... Vin29 $34.00	Hope Is Thing With ... angelacallanan $22.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I don't often post treasuries on my blog but his one was just so beautiful.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bumble Bee

2011-08-17T15:40:00.001-07:00

I love bumble bees. Saw this lovely one this evening just buzzing around the flowers, going about his business. I got very close to him with the camera and he wasn't in the least bothered. One childhood memory that really sticks out was when I rescued a bumble bee once. He had run out of energy and was very dazed and stumbling around. I put some sugar and water mixture in a jam jar lid and fed him. I could see his little proboscis drinking it up - it revived him and off he flew. I was so proud.

Bits Falling out of My HP B9180 Should I be Worried?

2011-07-19T10:37:00.000-07:00

Scenario

First of all I should say I am currently making an edition of 15 books and need to print endpapers and book cloth. I am using some lovely cloth from Falkiners which you can print on. I have tried a few test prints and the results are great. The main problem is that because the cloth has been on a roll the book cloth is curly and even 2 nights in a book press couldn't flatten it! I am printing both sides of the cloth. The book cloth has a paper backing and to save time I am printing the book board layout on the back. The printer is having problems feeding through the curly paper, but that is not a fault of the printer.

The Build Up
Last night I was printing some book cloth. The printer decided to have a hissy fit and although it had printed one side perfectly when I turned it over to the print the other side it said that the "paper size was too small". A common error message when there is a mis-feed with custom paper sizes. Tried the usual switch it of and again but then it started doing ludicrously long cleaning cycles and print head servicing. Normally I would persist determined to print but would most likely end up having a hissy fit myself. I am not sure if its my age but I decided I would walk away. So I switched the printer off for the night and decided to cut some book board instead. Later in the evening I heard a little noise come from the printer like something very small dropping down inside but thought it was my imagination.

The Event
Today I decided to clean the NEDD (New Electrostatic Drop Detector!) as is recommended when you have excessive cleaning cycles. It was indeed filthy and looked like there was a small hair stuck in it. After I had cleaned it I decided to be safe and print my endpapers using the main tray (I didn't want to stress myself out printing curly book cloth). I put the paper in the main tray and found a teeny little spring - the noise I had heard last night. That's odd I thought, I was a little worried but decided to continue on. I printed the first page and along with the page out came the first tiny little cog wheel. Oh dear. I opened up the top of the printer to look inside and saw another little cog wheel just sitting on top of where the paper feeds through. I removed it.

Diagnosis
I found out where these bits came from. The little cog wheels are what is commonly referred to as the pizza wheels and these help feed the paper through. If you do a Google search on 'pizza wheel marks B9180' you will find that these are the bane of many a photographer for marking their prints. However, I have never had any problem with this. Basically the 2 little pizza wheels sit either side of the spring and form part of the rollers that feeds the paper through. I now have one of these missing. I dread to think what would have happened if I had not opened the lid and removed the second cog wheel - if this had fallen into the printer's workings anywhere I am sure it would be end of it .

Conclusion (sort of)
Should I be worried that my printer is falling apart? I managed to print 15 pieces of book cloth using the speciality media tray after this. The wheel that is missing is close to the edge where the paper feeds through and it was occasionally making unpleasant clicky and grindy noises! At them moment I have printed what I need for my current edition of 15 books so that's all I care about for now, but long term I don't know. HP discontinued this printer at the end of 2010. That's the end of support and any new drivers.

When will this post end?
I have a love hate relationship with this printer. When it works well I get the most beautiful prints, not only are they exactly as they are on the monitor (with a colour calibrated set up) but they look as I want them to look. I have tried on a few occasions to take my work to have it printed elsewhere but the prints were awful.

Is she still talking?
I should be looking at a replacement but the main option would be an Epson (I haven't read any good reviews for Canon). I have been 'scarred' by a previous experience with an Epson which was a complete ink guzzler and they were very lax about providing good Mac drivers. So the answer is - I don't know :-) I use a very good printer forum and website and have always good advice on help from here - but if anyone has any recommendations for a good A3 Pigment Ink printer let me know :-)

I See The Moon

2011-06-19T05:33:00.000-07:00

I saw the film Evening last night and this was my favourite bit, I just love it. Its obvious the kids are probably driving her nuts and she is totally stressed out. Instead of shrieking at that children and loosing it, she just sings to them and lets the dinner burn. I don't have children, but there are lots of situations that I would love to react in this way (easier said then done I'm sure!) - maybe I'll try something like this next time ;-)

Glass Tile Pendants

2011-05-22T02:48:00.000-07:00

Since I first opened my shop on Etsy I have been thinking about making some glass tile pendant with my prints. I thought my prints would look nice as a pendant. So I finally got round to doing it and I am happy with the results. To test the water I bought a pendant kit from Annie Howes on Etsy. Annie was very helpful and sent me a tutorial and quickly answered any other questions I had. I wasn't sure what kind of boxes to use so I first made one of my own which you can see here. This was made from the box my bicycle light came in (!) and I stamped it with my little blackbird stamp. I liked the size and colour so I bought some similar ready made ones and stamped them too. I also made 2 of my favourites to keep for myself. They are the Pink Dolly Dress and the little Blackbird which is a rubber stamp image.

Frozen Stars - Work In Progress

2011-04-05T10:53:00.000-07:00

I first heard the words 'frozen star' when I read a book called The Physics of Star Trek a few years ago. It was the term first used to describe black holes. I just loved the words and have been trying to find 'stars' to freeze since then. I first started freezing things in ice for my Snow Queen work. For some reason I thought it would be just for that project and that would be end of it, and that I should stop working with ice, but I keep seeing things and thinking - I wonder what that would look like frozen? - or hearing words like frozen stars and getting inspired. I suppose its a lesson that should never say never and just go with it :-)

My Favourite Waistcoat

2011-03-12T03:26:00.000-08:00

I was talking about clothes the other day to a friend in work, and about how much I loved my clothes as a child. It reminded me of my favourite waistcoat and how I wanted to wear it all the time. So I decided to try to find a photo of it - and here it is. Me, delighted with myself wearing my favourite waistcoat. The buttons were silver and they had a little anchor on them. It was grey check and there was a fine red stripe in the check - which obviously doesn't show here :-)

Stylish Blogger Award

2011-03-07T13:29:00.000-08:00

First of all apologies to Wendy who gave me this award on the 19th of February - it has taken me this long to reply. Its not much of an excuse, but I had a week of the flu somewhere in this time. Thank you Wendy for nominating me and I shall follow this on with the rules of acceptance of this award ;-)

Step 1 - Make a post linking back to the person who gave you the award!

Wendy's lovely blog - http://www.1stuniquegifts.co.uk/blog/

Step 2 - Share 7 random things about yourself

1. When I was a student nurse I had a severed hand flung at me by a surgeon who had just amputated it. Instead of waiting for me to walk over to the other side of theatre to allow him to put the hand in a plastic bag, he thought it would be much funnier to throw across the room and watch as I tried to catch it in the bag (I did).

2. I love spiders and bats.

3. I was once told I looked like the Corrs mad cousin that they lock in the attic. My sister was horrified when I told her - but the Corrs a good looking I replied ;-)

4. I used to love Percy Pigs until I found out there was real pigs in them.

5. I love pigs.

6. I fell of my bicycle once when drunk.

7. I am learning to speak Welsh.

Step 3 - Award 15 recently discovered bloggers with this award.
I am not exactly sure what 'recently discovered' means, but here are 15 lovely blogs.

http://beruffledbylirola.blogspot.com
http://paperchipmunk.blogspot.com
http://myjustsostory.blogspot.com/
http://booklike.blogspot.com/
http://abithomas.blogspot.com/
http://amandawatson-will.blogspot.com/
http://blog.buechertiger.de
http://littlepaperbird.blogspot.com/
http://labokoff.blogspot.com/
http://tecelinha.blogspot.com/
http://www.mujoyas.blogspot.com/
http://yumiyumistudio.blogspot.com/
http://dandeliondaydreamer.blogspot.com/
http://crazybearstudio.blogspot.com/
http://yacspocket.blogspot.com/

Step 4 – Contact these bloggers and tell them they’ve won the award. Off I go then to tell the lucky recipients :-)

Fairtrade Bunting - Fairtrade Fortnight

2011-03-06T15:02:00.000-08:00

At work we were asked to participate in the Fairtrade Bunting promotion for Fairtrade Fortnight. This is my effort above (I just went berserk with the sewing machine!) and below are all the flags displayed on work. You were provided with a piece of fairtrade cotton and were asked to decorate it. Then this is what they are going to do with all the pieces of bunting:

"When Fairtrade Fortnight's over, we're going to stitch all the bunting together in an attempt to break the world record for the longest continual piece of bunting to help tell more people about how Fairtrade cotton protects the livelihoods of cotton farmers and to pressure decision-makers to make trade fairer for cotton farmers in West Africa."

All the bunting on display in Work

Some of my favourite bunting above and below.

Cosmeston Lakes, Cardiff - Lovely Little Birds

2011-01-30T10:47:00.001-08:00

Saw these lovely little Long Tailed Tits at Cosmeston Lakes today. I feel like I am 'glued' to the computer these days - especially after my Hotmail account was hacked on Tuesday - I've had a bit of a stressful week; so a nice walk in Cosmeston was lovely. I think after Blue Tits, Long Tailed Tits are my second favourite little bird. They hang around in little gangs and because they are so small when the roost at night they always huddle in little groups to keep warm. They are very lively so it was difficult to get one sitting still. Of course I also saw my favourite little bird there too - the Blue Tit. Today was also the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch so I sat for an hour and counted the birds in my own garden after I came back from Cosmeston Lakes. A lovely antidote to computers, nasty hackers, and trying to convince MSN to give me my account back (its still frozen and I am trying to prove to them I am me!)

Incunabula, Cardiff University Library - Special Collections

2011-01-24T15:32:00.000-08:00

Through my job I was lucky enough to visit the Cardiff University Library, Special Collections this week. The Library acquired a collection of 14,000 rare and antiquarian books (including incunabula) in May of last year. I first heard of incunabula when I started studying bookbinding. I was doing a search for ways to do a coptic binding when I found a link to on the website of the National Diet Library of Japan there are some beautiful pictures on there. I have been fascinated by them every since, but never dreamed I would actually see one in 'real life'. It is very hard to describe what it meant to me to see these books without sounding totally over the top or a complete geek (!) so I won't even try. The tour was given by Peter Keelan, Head of Special Collections and Archives at Cardiff University. I get the impression what he doesn't know about the subject is not worth knowing. Suffice it to say that those 2 hours were among the most enjoyable and fascinating of my life, and I still can't believe I have seen a book from 1478!

The top book in the above photo is from 1478,
below is a picture of the book open.

The book above and below is from 1606 and is Abraham Ortelius' World Atlas. It was absolutely stunning and the pictures here do not do it any justice.

Above - Map of Wales

Map of England

This beautiful book was of special interest to me and is John Gould's - The Birds of Great Britain circa 1870. This is stunning picture of a sea eagle.

The above needs no explanation and was beautifully hand embroidered.

These pictures obviously only represent a very small part of the collection. There are also archives of letters, maps, diaries etc. There is also one of the most comprehensive collections of Restoration Dramas and it is a small mystery why such a collection would be in Wales.

Winter Wonderland, Cardiff

2010-12-31T02:48:00.001-08:00

As the year draws to a close I thought I better take a picture of the lights in Cardiff before they are taken down, and also share some pictures of the snow which is now nearly all gone now. The snow was lovely at the beginning, but the novelty soon wore off. This may sound a little bit silly but I couldn't really enjoy it as much as should have because I was constantly worried about the small birds and hoping they could find enough food. I did my best to put out plenty of extra food but I am sure some little birds didn't make it. On a positive note, a lot of the shops were sold out of wild bird food so it looks like people didn't forget them in the cold weather. The garden is full of birds today and the Woodpecker is back, this time he's feasting on my Homemade Bird Seed Cake. It does my heart good to see him and makes me happy for the rest of the day.

Happy New Year to all my followers and all the best for the New Year!

Christmas Eve in Cardiff

Paper Clay Book

2010-12-19T11:09:00.000-08:00

Paper Clay Book - Coptic Stitch

Paper Clay Book Pages

This book was about 4 years in the making, not because it was hard work but because I made the pages in paper clay first and had no idea how to bind them. The pages were made on a paper clay workshop during my MA at UWE, Bristol in 2002. I wasn't what sure to do on the workshop so I decided to make pages for a book. There was a punch there so I made the holes ready for binding. I added the text using some lettering that was there. The text takes words from a line from a Chinese film - In The Mood For Love - "you can see the past but you can't touch it".

I have no idea why I chose the book format for paper clay and initially thought this is going to be one of those things that never gets finished. The pages lay tucked away in bubble wrap for about 4 years. I did my first Bookbinding workshop in 2006 and some time after this I got the brainwave to try a coptic binding for my paper clay pages. It wasn't easy to do but it worked. I used a strong linen thread which went really nicely with the paper clay (top picture).

All the discussions on Book Art Object and especially this one by Abigail Thomas reminded me of the book again and also Gortys in Crete where I saw the Law Code inscribed on the wall. Which is a coincidence because Anna Mavromatis' work for the Book Art Object Project II is influenced by the Gortyn Code.

Section of Wall Gortys, Crete

Complete Wall, Gortys Crete

Nestbuilding...

2010-11-20T12:27:00.000-08:00

Tools

Just some pictures of my work in progress for Book Art Object II using the Janet Winterson text. as inspiration. The Eyries of Books Extract started me thinking about building nests/safe havens, because the boys had burrowed into the books to make a safe place for themselves. Somehow this seemed like nest building to me.

I've started off doing some experiments with rubber stamps. I meant to do a tutorial because Jane asked about this when I did a post on my blog about the Homemade Rubber Stamp Workshop. I only realised half way through that I should have photographed the whole process. Text is quite fiddly to do with rubber stamps so I am not sure if its the best example for a tutorial.

I used the 'Big Mistakes' rubber which was actually very nice to carve, but not sure how durable it will be after its been used a lot. You basically get your image - in this case text - and go over it with pencil, put this on to the eraser and go over the back of it with the pencil so the image transfers to the rubber - it will transfer over mirror image because you start off with the image the right way round. Cut round the edge of the image with a scalpel as if you were using it as pen, cut at an angle away from the image so you don't undercut it. Once you've done all the image you can stamp it to see what else needs to be cut away. I use a lino cut tool for the large bits. Keep stamping until you get it as you want. This is only 'edtited highlights' of the process, I will do a proper tutorial soon.

The text here was typewriter text with a picture of the original below. I doubled the size to make it easier to carve - original size would have been impossible. I like the way the text has turned out. I think this was another one of those experiments which I thought wouldn't work - and also was almost hoping wouldn't - because I know its going to be difficult to do if I decide to use it :-)

Woodpecker On Bird Feeder

2010-11-20T10:21:00.000-08:00

I was so excited when I saw this woodpecker on my bird feeder today. In 6 years of hanging my bird feeders this is the first time I've seen one in my garden. Just sorry I didn't get a better picture. He had a little feed and then flew off.

Weapons of Hurt & Healing

2010-11-13T14:43:00.000-08:00

Hope is the thing with feathers...

Heavenly hurt it gives us, we can find no scar...

Narcotics cannot still the tooth that nibbles at the soul...

She dealt her pretty words like blades...

My life had stood a loaded gun...

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Finally finished this series of prints. All the lines are from Emily Dickinson poems. I think the reason it took me so long to finish was I thought there should be more 'healing' images, but then I realised the feather was enough to heal all.

Hope is the thing with feathers....

2010-10-11T13:17:00.000-07:00

Finally I did it! This image has been in my head for a long time. I did several photos but could never get it right. I had given up, then on Sunday I thought I'd have one more go and it worked. This is very rare for me, to have and idea in my head and the for it to come out exactly as I want it. When I re-designed my webiste a few months ago this is the image I wanted for the home page but couldn't manage to do it, now finally its there. Hoorah!!

http://www.angelacallanan.com/

Full Moon

2010-10-08T13:05:00.000-07:00

Well almost full, but I still love it. This is my first proper attempt at taking a picture of the full moon using a tripod. I have to give full credit to my boyfriend Wayne who acted as "Technical Consultant". I got a bit confused (it doesn't take much!) and he guided me in the right direction. "Why don't you use the zoom function on live view to see if it looks OK?" Oh yeah, obvious really.....

A photo of the Moon in the Daytime for Carol's Grand Daughter

Eperiments With Ice

2010-10-03T06:08:00.000-07:00

Just doing some more experiments with freezing stuff in ice. I've started off freezing a feather and thought it looked so nice at this stage I would do a few test photos. I will gradually add more water to completely freeze it, but may end up going back to this image. This is for a series I've been doing called Weapons of Hurt & Healing. I've had the ideas in my head for some time and done must of the 'hurt' images. As I came to do the 'healing' I could really only think of one image which was the feather, which represents, birds, nature and wildlife. Now I am a bit unsure about the title for the series, especially after my boyfriend asked "how can you have a weapon of healing?". In some ways I quite like the idea because the concept of a 'weapon' of healing sounds good. What do others think?

Initially I was thinking I needed more 'healing' images for the series, but then I realised that you don't need several weapons of healing. Sometimes all it takes is one thing to heal you.

Imperial 'Good Companion' Model T Portable Typewriter Manual

2010-09-17T08:16:00.001-07:00

ImperialGoodCompanion_InstructionBook

I've scanned the Manual for the Imperial 'Good Companion' Model T Portable Typewriter Manual and uploaded it here. Any problems with it let me know and I will email you a copy. I particularly like the list of Overseas Agents at the end, with lots of places that don't exist anymore.

Empty Nest Syndrome

2010-08-23T11:52:00.000-07:00

This year's gull chicks have now gone - they started flying a few weeks ago. They landed in the garden once or twice after this, but that's it for this year - they're gone. This might sound stupid but I miss them. This was the first year we had 2 chicks in the back garden. One fell from the roof first and the parents continued to look after both of them, one on the roof and one in the garden. I thought this was unusual because the last time this happened (5 years ago) they abandoned the one that fell in the garden and I ended up looking after it - we called him Jasper.

This year a few weeks after the first one fell down from the roof into the garden, the second one fell outside at the front of the house near the road. I was afraid it would be run over by a car and also the parents would probably cause havoc swooping on people in the street. So I rescued it by throwing a towel over it and putting it in a cardboard box. I then reunited the little bird with its sibling in the back garden. They didn't seem too impressed with each other at first, but soon they were having great fun practicing their flying and pecking at toads!

I looked out the window one day and saw one of them pecking at something, it looked like a frog shape but it was covered in dirt and I thought it was a toy frog belonging to the kids next door (their toys sometimes end up in our garden), but then it moved. I had to try and rescue it, which meant getting near the gull chick without frightening it too much - while at the same time trying to avoid being seen by the parents on the roof - which would most likely involve them going berserk and swooping on me. I managed to do it and I put it in the water bowl I had for the chicks. It swam around a bit and and when all the dirt washed off I could see it was a lovely toad. It eventually hopped off somewhere and I hope its OK.

My favorite memory of the gull chicks is this video of them in the rain. I love the sound of the rain and it was absolutely hammering down. They were just standing there lapping it up.

This also reminded me of Jasper and how little I knew about gulls 5 years ago. One evening when it was raining really heavily we felt sorry for Jasper and thought he should have a little cardboard box for shelter. In this photo his look seems to be saying "you cannot be serious?". Little did I realise that gulls (even chicks a few weeks old) are hard as nails and love water - any kind of water. This year's chicks were called Dukat and Damar, if you're a Star Trek geek you'll get it ;-)

Jasper and his little 'house'

Imperial 'Good Companion' Model T Portable Typewriter

2010-07-19T13:20:00.000-07:00

This is my latest typewriter, bought at the British Heart Foundation Furniture and Electrical Store (!) Yes its a bit of an odd place to find a typewriter, and it wasn't even me that spotted it. Wayne saw it in a display cabinet which was also for sale. I wasn't so sure about it first but then I started to think about it and went back to the shop later that day to buy it. It was £50 which is about the going rate for one (according to e-bay). The Good Companion was made from 1932 to 1961. I have no idea how old this one is but I believe typewriters with circular keys are older.

When I went back to the shop to buy it the lady there said she would be really sad to see it go, she really liked it and thought it was very cute. She also told me that it had been there a few weeks and this man came in a few times and tested it, he really wanted to buy it but his wife wouldn't let him. I told her if the man came in again to tell him it had gone to a good home, where it would be used and loved. It would not be an ornament on a shelf. I felt a bit sorry for the man, apparently his wife had said there wasn't enough room - she should see our flat! I am also surprised at Wayne, he always says how much he hates the "tapetty, tap, tap tap" and I already have 3 typewriters, but I think he secretly fell for it too, and wouldn't admit it.

The instruction book is really lovely and there are very detailed instructions on how to change the ribbon and maintain your typewriter. It does work, like the Underwood I just need to get a ribbon for it and maybe give it some oil - I'm sure the instruction manual will have all the details.

Close up of the crest on the typewriter it says "to the late King George" The style of the telephone above in the manual may also help date the typewriter.

Home Made Rubber Stamp Workshop, UWE, Bristol

2010-07-11T05:22:00.000-07:00

Just attended a Home Made Rubber Stamp Workshop at UWE in Bristol. I really enjoyed it and think it will be really complimentary to making artists books. Stephen Fowler was a great tutor and has been making rubber stamps since 1991. I had a very small drawing of a little bird on a branch (taken from my blogger banner, which is taken from a photo). I asked if such a small image was too ambitious for my first attempt and he just said "go for it" and I'm glad I did. It came out way better than I thought.

I wanted to try some text so I just did the word 'Birdy' which was from printed text. The poem (Hope is the thing with feathers) was done with a little rubber stamp print kit so I've ordered one to have a play.

The workshop was also very much about collaborative work and we each received a little pamphlet stitch bound book of all the work to take with us. One of the ladies Rupinder Dulay asked if I would put my bird in her house stamp and it looks really nice (image 2nd from bottom). She has also started up this lovely gallery in Scotland. Another thing that always amazes me about those courses, the distances people travel to attend. I am very lucky to just have an hour train journey.

Sheet of paper with all participants stamps

My stamps

My bird in Rupinder's house
(reminds me of "keep a little bird house in your soul")

Sleeping Piglet, Museum of Welsh Life

2010-07-05T09:32:00.000-07:00

If you haven't realised by now by reading other blog posts, I love pigs. I think it all started about 8 years ago. I worked in a very stressful and busy job and if I was having a really bad day at work my boyfriend (Wayne) would send me a picture of a pig to cheer me up. The pictures always made me smile and somehow things didn't seem so bad. That was the start of all things pig related. Luckily The Museum of Welsh Life have pigs and every now and then we go to visit them (and the museum of course). Occasionally there will be piglets but yesterday was a triple whammy. Not only were there 2 litters of gorgeous piglets, but there were 3 adorable porkers (I think that's the correct term) running around in a field. This little sleeping piglet was my favourite, lying right next to his mother's trotter. Below is a video of the 3 little porkers.

Goldfinches Bring Chick to Bird Feeder

2010-07-01T13:19:00.000-07:00

The Goldfinches that come to my bird feeders are bringing their chicks with them again this year. These photos are from a few years ago when I just managed to capture the whole story. You can see in the photo above that the little chick is perching precariously and trying to get its balance, with the parents on the perches below. The one just below shows a parent feeding the chick with some sunflower hearts, and the bottom photo shows the little chick curiously checking things out.

I just think its so sweet and lovely that they introduce their chicks to my feeder every year, which means my customer base is growing all the time! They love sunflower hearts and its only since I started using these seeds that the goldfinches started coming in significant numbers. Sometimes I have seen up to 8 goldfinches on the feeder at one time. They have their petty little squabbles over their perches, but I think they all manage to get on and have a feed. It really does my heart good to see them bringing their chicks, it just makes me feel so happy.

Swans & Signets

2010-05-27T13:39:00.000-07:00

Saw these gorgeous swans & signets at Cosmeston Lakes at the weekend.

Save The Badgers

2010-04-23T13:07:00.001-07:00

Please sign this petition
Review the badger cull pilot scheme in North Pembrokeshire
You don't need to live in Wales to Sign it. You will need to register but it will take seconds. Please Tweet this as well if you get the chance. I have linked to a video on You Tube just to show you how lovely these creatures are.

Deadline is the 26th of April. Thanks.

Farah & Her Fabulous Artwork

2010-03-30T13:02:00.000-07:00

I went to this exhibition a few weeks ago. My fried Farah Allibhai was exhibiting. People asked her to describe the work and what it was about, she went into a long explanation about the symbolism of life and death etc. but then also added "or you could say its pieces of green plastic with fairy lights!" Some people looked quite horrified with this, they were really getting into the life and death stuff, but I thought it was great. I just loved the total lack of pretension and honesty. I suppose its pretty obvious from my previous post about The Artists Statement that I am not very tolerant of any kind of pretentiousness. The exhibition was in this lovely new Gallery which opened in February. Farah hates having her photo taken but I forced her into submission.

A Little Bit of Fun

2010-03-23T12:08:00.000-07:00

Angela's Artist Statement

Through my work I attempt to examine the phenomenon of Porky Pig as a methaphorical interpretation of both Kandinsky and whelk fishing.

What began as a personal journey of feckism has translated into images of spaghetti and hands that resonate with Irish people to question their own blueness.

My mixed media whelks embody an idiosyncratic view of Krishnamurthy, yet the familiar imagery allows for a connection between Elvis, whelks and fish & chips.

My work is in the private collection of Linda Gray who said 'fecking eejits!, that's some real transmogrify Art.'

I am a recipient of a grant from Folsom Prison where I served time for stealing mugs and tie clips from the gift shop of The National Museum of Wales. I have exhibited in group shows at Nandos and The National Portrait Gallery, though not at the same time. I currently spend my time between my kitchen and Berlin.

ARTIST STATEMENT GENERATOR 2000
Found this on this great blog belonging to Emily Eakes I think the reason I like it so much is that sometimes no matter how hard you try, an artist's statement just sounds so pretentious. Have a go, I'd love to see what other people come up with! Also, while your at it check out Emily's blog and Etsy Shop Great work.

HP B9180 - Printer Fun & Games

2010-03-21T04:42:00.000-07:00

This is just an update on the progress (or not) of the book I am making for Book Art Object. I've finished all the content and its already for printing. I've managed to print it off (below) on Somerset Book paper which is really gorgeous. However, I am printing double sided and have had a few problems with alignment. It was while I was carrying out some experiments on cheaper paper to get the alignment right, that I had the result above. I can't totally blame the printer for this, it was pretty rubbish paper and I was printing through the speciality media tray so it didn't like it too much.

I've also recently upgraded to Mac OS 10.6 and no longer have the full features in my print drivers (and every time it prints it tells me all the print heads are missing!). I've posted on the HP forums about this, but although they are really trying to help none of the suggested fixes are working. I am still getting great prints and wonderful colours but I just don't have all the bells & whistles I had in 10.5.

Work In Progress

2010-03-05T13:17:00.000-08:00

I have already posted this on Book Art Object which is the Book Arts Blog I have joined, but thought I'd like it on my own blog as well, so people know what I've been up too! We have been set a project by Sara to make an edition of books based on this poem:

Learning Absences (1986)

Being alone is also to be learnt
Long time or short time.

Walking the length of the house, shutting
The doors and the windows

No longer calling casually over one's shoulder.
Returning to find no trace

Of the other, companionable living -
Bread smell, the stove still warm,

Clothes on the line like messages,
Or messages written and left on the kitchen table:

"We need to keep watering the cumquat."
Or, "I have paid the milkman."

At night, at this season, lingering at the window
Not being certain where to find Halley's Comet,

And looking a long time at the darkening sky.

Text taken from "Rosemary Dobson, Collected Poems", part of the Angus & Robertson series 'Modern Poets'. Published 1991, ISBN 0 207 16864 4. Text copyright © Rosemary Dobson 1991.

The first thing that inspired me from the poem was the subtle traces left behind by the person who had left. Then I started to think about the body as an abandoned building and what would happen to it if it was left untouched. Mould, rust, dust, cobwebs etc. If your body was like an abandoned building and you were left alone, would you rust up, become covered in cobwebs and go mouldy?

The book which I think I will call - 7 Signs of Absence - (I think the Olay advert - the 7 signs of ageing - somehow got stuck in my head!) also connects up with other work I have been doing about 'Traces Left Behind' which explores ideas about emotional/mental wounds being shown as physical manifestations.

When I first signed up for the book club I was thinking do I really have time for this? I have so much stuff I need to do and I work full-time, but it has worked out that ideas that have been rattling round my head have now become consolidated into this book and become a cohesive piece of work rather than random thoughts. Its given me a much needed kick up the ass to do stuff.

I am currently working on Rust and hope it progresses quicker than the mould did! I also want to do blind embossed text on the cover, so far my experiments aren't looking half as good as Sara's boxes.

I am also trying a new binding that I haven't done before which is Pamphlet stitch with a hardcover. I've made a practice one using notes from 2 books [Creative Bookbinding by Pauline Johnson and Hand Bookbinding: A Manual of Instruction by Aldren A. Watson]. I was pretty happy with the result, but I tipped in the endpaper and it didn't work out to well. I think I will sew in the endpaper and it will be neater.

However! Lying in bed last night I started to think about a concertina binding. How sad am I? My boyfriend said "what are you thinking about?" and I sheepishly replied - bookbinding.....

NorthernLodge, a Little Etsy Cabin In The Woods

2010-03-01T12:19:00.000-08:00

This gorgeous shop is run by Patti. She now livies in colorado but was raised in NW Ontario on an island in middle of Rainy Lake. Patti's Mother is an artist and champion figure skater, and her Dad became a teacher after his career as Pro Hockey player. Patti says "Dad taught us to read, swim, track animals. Mom taught us to sew, draw, and knit".

Patti is currently a Biologist and loves doing a job where she gets paid to walk around in the woods. She has been doing crafts all her life and has been selling them for last 25 years. Patti loves making things that have a spiritual, earth friendly, cultural significance, but which are also creative. Mom of 4 kids, 3 boys and 1 girl who is 17 and has her own Etsy shop TheOlivePit which sells vintage clothing/hats.

There is a great diversity of work in the shop, from beadwork, cowls, afghans, and wool patchwork quilts. My own personal favorites and are the Afghans and the Cowls (worn by Patti's lovely daughter) they look so soft and cosy, and it is obvious that Patti has a great way with colour - it is well worth a visit to see the wide variety of things there.

Patti is like me, she hates having her photo taken

but agreed to share a picture.

Patti's Daughter wearing a beautiful cowl

See more here:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Northernlodge

Gorgeous Blue Tit

2010-02-20T09:01:00.000-08:00

The Blue Tit is my favorite Garden Bird. I especially love their sweet song. For some reason it makes me laugh. I suppose I shouldn't really laugh at it singing, but it makes me feel happy. This one looks like its only got one leg. I'm sure its got another one tucked away, I hope so anyways. This is another picture taken in Ireland near my parents bird feeders.

Smith Corona XL Typewriter

2010-02-12T13:59:00.000-08:00

I was walking by a charity shop one day and saw this, it was flung outside in the street along with a lot of other stuff. People were just grabbing stuff and I had a look at it and was actually walking off with it when I thought, this isn't right - so went back to the shop and asked them how much they wanted for it - it was £5. I took it home and tested it but I am afraid it was not too my liking. The font is not very nice, and its not easy to type with, it feels really plasticky. I can touch type so am very fussy with my keys! The Silver-Reed Silverette is still my favorite (I haven't got round to getting ribbons for the Underwood yet to give that a proper test drive).

So I am afraid this one was taken back to another charity shop, the PDSA I try to make most of donations there. Hopefully, someone else will like it and take it home and get some use out of it. I hope they can get ribbons for it. I thought it would use the same ones as the Silver-Reed but it didn't, another reason to give it back to a charity shop.

Update - Male Blackbird Attacks and Kills Female Blackbird?

2010-02-04T14:28:00.000-08:00

I think I may have found the answer to the Puzzle. I Tweeted (how appropriate!) about this and had a reply from @MarkAvery Director of Conservation at the RSPB who also has a blog Here Mark very kindly took the time to reply to me personally by email, which is very much appreciated and it here it is:

This is a strange story. But birds are aggressive creatures at times. They do have fights between members of the same species. And they do occasionally kill each other. Usually fights end up with one bird giving in and fleeing. Usually fights are in spring and summer when males of many species (including blackbirds) are defending territories.

December is rather early for blackbirds to be defending territories for nesting but nesting seasons are getting earlier and earlier so it is possible that it is to do with that. The male blackbird may have been defending a particularly good spot for feeding though.

I wonder whether the female was injured, perhaps by the cat or perhaps more unusually by the scuffle with the male blackbird, and because she couldn't escape she seemed, to the male, to be persisting in threatening his food supplies or territory. By not fleeing, the female was inadvertently sending the signal that she was continuing to threaten the male. So he kept on attacking. That's the best I can do! Not sure if that fits the facts well or not.

Well the only aspect that I find unusual is that a male would do this to a female - I would expect this kind of behaviour between 2 males. However, this happened during that extremely cold weather we had (in the UK) and if food was in short supply maybe the male was prepared to fight to the death.

So trying to fit in what Mark said with what I saw, the most likely explanation is that the cat injured the Female Blackbird. Because she was injured she couldn't fly off - the male took this as territorial behaviour, and a threat to his food supply, he probably tried to chase her off and it appeared she was refusing to leave and perhaps was challenging him. I am sure if she could have flown off she would have. [This would explain the first bit I saw where they were flying around each other.] So when she wouldn't leave he decided to attack her, and in her weakened state it didn't take much to kill her. Thanks again to Mark Avery for taking the time to explain this and solve the puzzle.

So to finish, a picture of a Male Blackbird - not the protagonist in the above story! But a picture taken in Ireland at my parents house.

Male Blackbird Attacks and Kills Female Blackbird?

2010-01-22T14:04:00.001-08:00

This is such a strange and upsetting story that it has taken me a long time to be able to write about it. It happened on the 10th December 2009 on my way to work.

When I get off the train I walk along a path and there are some trees at the side. I saw 2 blackbirds and it appeared they were fighting. I presumed it was 2 males because they are very territorial. They were flying around each other and one was chasing they other. (A black cat ran across the path – not sure if this is relevant). When I got closer I realised it was a male and female, at this stage the 2 of them were on the ground and the male was attacking the female. He was pecking really hard and viciously right in the centre of her chest. I am not sure if I did the right thing, but I wanted him to stop attacking her so I chased him off. Normally when you approach birds they fly off straight away, but he did not want to go. I eventually chased him off and she was just lying on the ground in a bad way. She was still breathing, but then her eyes began to close. I picked her up and stroked her chest wondering if I could revive her.

Then she went all floppy stopped breathing and it seemed she was dead. She didn’t seem to have any damage. I didn’t want to leave her on the cold ground so I put her in the hollow of one of the trees. She could have been just unconscious or faking death so I would leave her alone. I was a bit upset and wondering what was going on.

Then afterwards I thought I shouldn’t have interfered, perhaps the black cat had attacked her and the male blackbird was just putting her out of her misery? Perhaps he was trying to revive her by pecking her chest? Its strange because it happened so quickly, one minute they were both flying around the next thing they were on the ground, and she was dead about a minute later.

Initially when I put her in the tree I wasn't sure if she was dead or unconscious , but when I checked a few days later she was still there and had slipped out of the tree a little bit. I have searched on the internet and can't find anything out about this anywhere, but it was all rather puzzling and upsetting - she was so beautiful and she died in my hands.

Gorgeous Robin

2010-01-16T14:45:00.000-08:00

This gorgeous little robin was very cheeky and perching on a ladder at my parents house. He kept looking at me, but didn't seem to mind me taking photos

Better than a photo?

2009-12-23T11:46:00.000-08:00

Just found this on my computer. It was drawn by Wayne's nephew and I love it. I think he's got us just right (see photo below). Not sure why he thought I should have a midriff top though! I have this framed and used to have it on my desk at work in my last job. Now I 'hotdesk' so there's not much point in having anything personal (except for my 3 little pigs which I found lying around the office). The picture was part of a Calendar which had drawings of all the family.

Season Greetings!

2009-12-21T11:19:00.001-08:00

This is our very little tree. It has a pig on top instead of a fairy!

Seasons greetings to all my followers!

Two for the Price of One

2009-12-14T14:21:00.001-08:00

Two for the Price of One, originally uploaded by whelkmagic.

Towards the end of my Swine Flu or whatever it was we went to Boots (a drugstore) to get loads of vitamins or anything that would boost my immunity. Wayne (aka His Metalness) took a shine to these sunglasses. Then we saw a sign "Two for the Price of One". I wouldn't have normally picked these sunglasses but I love them! What a bargain. I am naturally quite fair skinned, but looking back on this photo I didn't realise how ill I looked, I'm almost a bluey white!

Blue Tit Song

2009-12-12T10:48:00.000-08:00

Blue Tit Singing from Whelkmagic on Vimeo.

This little bird was singing quite loudly in the garden. I tried to video it but couldn't see it anywhere. So I just videoed anyways and added the sound to some photos I took of a blue tit. I think its a lovely sweet song, and for some reason it makes laugh a little. It just makes me feel happy, I don't know why.

Original Video on Vimeo

Make Your Own Bird Seed Cake

2009-12-07T06:26:00.000-08:00

Now that we're into December its time to start thinking about giving the birds a helping hand. This may sound a little bit melodramatic, but it can be a matter of life and death for small garden birds if they don't get a feed at the right time. When they roost for the night they shiver to keep themselves warm, this uses a lot of energy. It is vital that they get a feed first thing in the morning and last thing at night. If they miss either of these feeds they could die. Its also important that you do not clean or fill your bird feeders at either of these times or they could miss this vital feed.

Myth - Birds will become dependent on you if you feed them. This is not true, birds are not stupid! They only look for secondary/supplementary food sources when they really need them. For example 2 autumns ago I noticed I wasn't getting the same amount of visitors to my feeders, and I was very puzzled. I checked with an RSPB colleague (I am a volunteer) and found out that autumn there was an abundance of naturally occurring food sources e.g. berries and fruit so they didn't need as much help from my feeders.

Having said that if you do start putting out bird feeders it is important to fill them regularly. If birds find a food source they will make a special journey there and fly all the way to your garden. If there is nothing there not only is it a wasted journey, but they have used up a lot of energy flying there. Also when it is really cold with frost and snow they cannot get, worms, insects or water so they really need a little help. Here is a way to make some Bird Seed Cake which is a high energy food.

1. Ingredients - I use Sunflower seed, sultanas (or mixed dried fruit), peanuts and Crisp & Dry which is vegetable lard. You can use animal lard (also called suet or shortening) which is probably a lot cheaper. I only use this because I am vegetarian and I don't like handling animal lard - the birds don't mind either veggie or animal lard and they have the same energy value.

2. You need to melt the lard, you can do this in a microwave or else put it into another bowl of bowling water. 500g (about 1lb) should make enough for approximately 6 squares.

3. I melt it to a thick creamy consistency a bit like custard. If you melt it until it goes clear its harder to judge if you have enough seed etc in the mix.

4. Add the dried fruit and sunflower hearts. You can use any seed mix instead of sunflower hearts, but when I've used the cheaper mixes the birds just throw loads of it on the ground especially hard pieces of maize etc. Sunflower hearts are more expensive but there is less waste and they are high energy.

5. Mix it all up.

6. Add the peanuts. I give them a whizz in a hand blender so they mix in well with the fat. You can buy peanuts already chopped in some pet shops (Pets At Home).

7. You need to smooth the mixture with the back of a large spoon or spatula to see if you have enough seeds etc. If you still see lots of white you can add some more seed.

8. Add more sunflower hearts.

9. Check again to see if there is enough seed and lard. There should be enough lard so it holds the mix together and will not fall apart.

10. Divide the mix equally into containers. I use old plastic containers from chinese takeaways. You could use a large baking tray and then divide it up in to squares later.

11. I shape it into a square because I have a square type wire cage to hold the fat blocks.

12. Seed cakes in the container. If you want to put a seed cake out straight away put it in the freezer for about 15 minutes it should go solid really quickly, alternatively you can just put it in the fridge.

All done and ready to be stored in the fridge.

Seed cake hanging in the tree and ready to eat!

This is my neighbours apple tree it overhangs my garden, he very kindly allows me to hang all my feeders in his tree. I also have a little ceramic water bath. Here is some good advice on What to Feed Garden Birds from the RSPB, and also some general Hygiene Tips for bird feeders, and finally an Easy Way to Make Bird Cake for children (or adults!).

The Cycling Artist - Original paintings by Tina Mammoser

2009-12-01T12:02:00.000-08:00

The first time I heard of Tina M aka The Cycling Artist was on the Etsy Forums, this lead me to her great Blog I particularly enjoyed this post To Print or Not to Print it really got me thinking. I often think it must be difficult to be a fine artist on Etsy, I suppose everyone struggles in their own way, but for some reason I think fine artists have to shout louder to get heard on there.

Being a cyclist myself I was also intrigued by the name - The Cycling Artist - I don't own a car so my bicycle is my main means of transport. However, Tina cycles in London so she's obviously got nerves of steel and is rock hard - I am a veritable cycling wimp in comparison!

I really like this painting called The White Bridge Bridges and the colour blue seem to be two recurring themes for me at the moment, not sure why. You can see more beautiful work on here.

www.thecyclingartist.etsy.com
www.tina-m.com/
www.tina-m.blogspot.com
www.twitter.com/tina_m

Underwood Typewriter

2009-11-26T13:51:00.000-08:00

This is my latest typewriter, and I got it for free. It was advertised on my work website, I didn't see the notice but one of my work colleagues (who knew I was a typewriter nut) told me about it. The man who was giving it away very kindly gave me a lift to the train station and I brought it home on the train. I was very tempted to sit at a table take it out and pretend to do some work, but didn't. I was getting enough funny looks already! I don't know what model it is and am not sure how old it is either. My guess is 1950s at the latest and 1940s at the earliest. Any typewriter geeks out there are welcome to correct me if I'm wrong. I would love to know what model it is, I've thoroughly examined it but can't find a model number anywhere. All it says is - Underwood Made in England . The next step is to get some ribbons for it and get it working. Then I will drive my boyfriend nuts with what he calls "tappety, tap tap tap..." Anyways, I think its beautiful and am absolutely delighted with it.

Ali Bali Jewellery

2009-11-25T14:16:00.000-08:00

Sorry if I am being very predictable in my choices from these great Etsy shops but I love this little birdy. Very cute - and reassuring to know "Most items are made from eco friendly recycled silver and copper. "

You can find loads more here:

www.alibalijewellery.etsy.com
http://www.facebook.com/alibalijewellery
www.alibalijewellery.blogspot.com
www.twitter.com/alibalijeweller

Moaning Minnie and Her Wonderful Hats

2009-11-20T15:09:00.000-08:00

The first time I heard of Moaning Minnie (aka Julie) was on the Etsy Forums. Straight away I just loved her shop name, it made me laugh. I hadn't heard that expression 'moaning minnie' for years. I had to click on her avatar straight away.

The shop is lovely - beautifully made, stylish hats. I'd love to buy one, but unfortunately apart from my russian style hat and cowboy hats, most hats look ridiculous on me. I look a bit demented, and people just laugh at me. I could never do these stylish hats justice, they need to be worn with panache!

So if you think you've got what it takes to wear these great hats or you know someone who does, order soon for Christmas.

You can find more here:

www.moaningminnie.etsy.com
www.twitter.com/mymoaningminnie

Islay Bower - Vintage Crafting Supplies

2009-11-16T13:52:00.000-08:00

Islay Bower's Shop is described as "A treasure trove of vintage crafting goodies" well I have to agree. I have never seen so many unusual items, in fact a lot of stuff I didn't even know existed. Like these 1930s - 50s glass buttons, and the beautiful mother of pearl buttons below.

You can find IslayBower (aka Jo) at:
www.islaybower.etsy.com (vintage crafting supplies)
www.islaybower.blogspot.com
www.twitter.com/islaybower
www.islaymakes.etsy.com
(new upcycled store with homewares made almost entirely
from upcycled vintage and salvaged textiles, buttons, trim etc).

Also the Grand Opening of www.islaymakes.etsy.com is today.

Chameleonite - Another Lovely Etsy Shop

2009-11-14T10:49:00.000-08:00

I suppose these Red Heart earrings may be too 'obvious' a choice for me, and also a little bit biased looking at my own shop, but they are gorgeous. They're not the only gorgeous earrings in Chameleonite's lovely shop.

I also love these earrings a "trio of glossy black semi precious Obsidian cubes". So simple, but very classic. Its not all earrings in Chameleonite's - aka Mel's - Shop, there are some great necklaces and bracelets too. Some great ideas for Christmas gifts.

You can find out more here:

www.chameleonite.etsy.com
www.twitter.com/chameleonites
http://chameleonite.blogspot.com

Snowdrops And Daisies

2009-11-12T13:33:00.000-08:00

Beautiful colours and tactile objects in Snowdrops And Daisies's (aka Ann) shop on Etsy. I really like this blue bowl - gorgeous.

I particularly like this statement in Ann's Etsy Profile:

"I try to use recycled, organic and/or fair-trade materials as much as possible. But I am currently working through a large stash of reclaimed materials that I have been collecting and hoarding for the last 10 years.

I try to live as sustainably as possible while living in a modern world, which is reflected in my choice of materials and packaging."

You can see more here.

Etsy store: www.snowdropsanddaisies.etsy.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/_snowdrops_
Blog: www.snowdropsanddaisies.wordpress.com
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/snowdropsanddaisies/

AMIdesigns - Beautiful Jewellery

2009-11-06T13:06:00.000-08:00

The colours in Ami Designs (aka Alison) jewellery are stunning. I found it very difficult to pick a favorite piece, so I chose 4. The really gorgeous stuff in the shop is shown to its full potential with excellent photography and a great sense of colour.

You can find AMI designs at:

Etsy shop - http://AMIdesigns.etsy.com
Flickr - http://www.flickr.com/photos/26151743@N08/
Twitter - http://twitter.com/AMIdesigns
Blog - http://amidesignsjewellery.blogspot.com

How Alison combines all this with a part-time job in physiotherapy, and being a mother to 2 kids I don't know. I struggle to look after myself!

Check out this section at AMIdeisgns on Etsy for some lovely ideas for Christmas baubles (I love that word) and gifts.

Big Blue Bed

2009-10-29T13:43:00.000-07:00

Here is some gorgeous work by Big Blue Bed (aka Alix). I just love the colours. She also got this great book in her Etsy Supplies Shop I've never heard of Girl's Crystal (obviously something that didn't make it to Ireland) but this book looks great. There are more photos of it in the shop and the inside pages are beautiful as well. I think it would be really good for an altered book project.

You can find Bigbluebed at:
www.bigbluebed.etsy.com
www.bigbluebedsupplies.etsy.com
Facebook Fanpage
www.flickr.com/photos/bigbluebed/
http://twitter.com/bigbluebed
www.bigbluebed.blogspot.com/

Full Moon

2009-10-24T10:30:00.001-07:00

I really love the full moon, I always have, as long as I can remember. I can't helping looking at it, it makes me smile. I suppose I truly am a lunatic.

Full Moon on Flickr

Homemade Book Press

2009-10-15T13:44:00.000-07:00

In an ideal world I would have on of these beauties. Unfortunately they are frequently over priced because they are antiques/collector's items. If their only use or value was use as a nipping press, you'd probably pick them up for £50. So in keeping with my motto "stop whining and just get on with it" - I have a homemade book press of sorts.

After I did my first bookbinding course 3 years ago I knew I needed some form of book press. Our tutor suggested 2 sheets of thick MDF and some heavy weights to start with. I was idly talking to a work colleague about this one day because I was having great difficulty finding anywhere that would cut MDF to size. He said he had some left over bits from his Ikea work top which he could cut to size for me. I had also seen some home made ones which had bolts and wing-nuts on them, he said he could drill holes for this if I wanted.

You would have thought it would be easy to find the bolts I wanted, but after several visits to places like B&Q, Homebase, Travis Perkins etc. I eventually found exactly the ones I wanted on screwfix.com They still send me a catalogue every know then, the Screwfix catalogue is one of my guilty pleasures (do I sound a bit sad?)

I then had to decide on a size. I wanted it to go up to A3 if possible, but including an allowance for the bolts this would have been huge. I compromised, it will do A3 but I have to remove the bolts.

So with my all my measurements and instructions my work colleague duly made the press for me. I was delighted. The other people in work were very bemused by our conversations and when he eventually brought it in to work even more baffled, but not as baffled as the people who saw me lugging it home on the Train from Bristol to Cardiff! So big up to Kristian Benning for making the press for me, I am eternally grateful. The Blueberry Patch is the shop he runs with his wife.

French stitch ready for gluing

I also use it when marking and gluing the spine, its not perfect but its perfect for me at the moment. One day I will have an amazing studio with at least 3 cast iron nipping presses in all different sizes, and while I'm at it a lovely wooden plan chest for all my paper.

"Dreams are essential to life"
Anais Nin

Silver-Reed Silverette Typewriter

2009-09-21T14:43:00.000-07:00

I've got a bit of a Typewriter obsession. It all started years ago when I was around 10 and we had an old Underwood typewriter. I used to write all sorts of ramblings on it, including plays (usually involving a murder mystery!)

I bought this lovely little Silver-Reed Silverette 7 years ago. I searched Cardiff for a typewriter and found this in a shop in Roath (no longer there). It is in lovely condition and works perfectly, I paid £10 for it. It has its own little case as well. I was quite surprised to find how easy it was to get ribbons for it - EC Osborne's have them. I had a particular piece of work that I wanted original typewriter text for - the Twinkle Badge Story. The text was enlarged to fit almost A1 size and screen printed (click on the image below to get a better idea of what it looked like).

I love the way you can see the indentations of typewritten text. When the print was enlarged to this size you could see all the little typewriter ink marks, like a little series of dots around the letters. Some people suggested I just used an 'old typewriter' font. Yuck! There are 3 images, the typewriter text (screen printed), the Twinkle Badge picture (large format inkjet), and the photo of me (smugly wearing the Twinkle badge) and my sister. This was screen printed onto 3 separate pieces of silk organza which were layered in a deep frame. It gave a lovely depth to the image.

So here you have the Twinkle Badge Story. How I took it from my sister, but after many years she got her badge back.

Seeing this old Argos Catalogue on Retrofinds was great and has helped me date my typewriter to 1976.

Hearts Everywhere

2009-09-07T14:25:00.000-07:00

I did some posts a while ago about how I started finding heart shaped things randomly, or seeing heart shaped things in unusual places.

Hearts Everywhere
Footprints in the Snow

Well yesterday I found the ultimate heart on the street - this bracelet. I wonder if by finding this I have now reached the end of finding little hearts? The other finds were often subtle shapes and traces left behind. This bracelet is about as definite a heart shape as you can get. So it makes me wonder were the others just the build up, culminating with this final piece? Will I stop finding little hearts everyhwere?

Its only plastic and probably not worth very much so I would feel a bit foolish about trying to re-unite it with its owner, but yet I feel a bit guilty and wonder if someone is missing it? I don't think they would be very impressed at the Police Station if I handed it in! Its a shame I can't think of a practical way of returning an item of very little value to its owner. Perhaps a charity shop is the best answer?

Swine Flu?

2009-08-30T10:43:00.001-07:00

I haven't posted for a while, I've been ill for almost 6 weeks now. It started with flu symptoms and because of that I couldn't visit my Doctor because of the Swine Flue scare. When the symptoms didn't go away I eventually got to see my Doctor after 4 weeks. I tried to go back to work twice but it was just not happening. At one stage I thought I was going a bit mad, thinking surely I can't be ill for 4 weeks? It turned out I had a chest infection but because I couldn't see my Doctor I'll never know if it was this all along or whether I had Swine Flu or not. Either way, I had an untreated chest infection for at least 3 weeks, which is not good and ended up being ill for another 2 weeks after I finally saw the Doctor - the first lot of antibiotics didn't clear it up. I am now on my second lot of antibiotics (double the dose of the first one) and I really hope this is the end of it.

I ended up watching a lot of day time TV and though I never descended to the lows of Jeremy Kyle I did end up watching Psychic Detectives, which prompted me to drag myself into work the next Monday - because I thought I am really losing the plot if I am watching this stuff, but I was still unwell and didn't last the day in work.

I gained a new appreciation for Murder She Wrote - my Granny used to love that program. I used to tease her and say that she really fantasised about being Jessica Fletcher. I can't believe the amount of really famous actors that appear in cameo roles in the series. In the Paint Me a Murder episode alone, you had both Stewart Granger and Cesar Romero.

I shamefully admit I got addicted to both Project Runway (US) and Project Catwalk (UK version). I can't believe they cancelled the UK version, its such a shame - I just think it was a great opportunity for undiscovered Designers to get some exposure.

Watching Murder She Wrote again makes me think that the 80's was really the Golden Age of TV - or is it just my own perception? Anyways, as much as I enjoyed revisiting Murder She Wrote I really hope that this is the end of my little sojourn with daytime TV. A lot of people may find this hard to believe but I really do want to be better and go back to work. Fingers crossed....

[Piggy picture taken by me at Clarinbridge Fair, Galway, Ireland, 2005 - notice the little piglet sitting on its sibling - back right of the photo.]

Chasing Magpies

2009-07-14T14:09:00.001-07:00

Chasing Magpies from Whelkmagic on Vimeo.

This was very funny, it happened about 6 or 7 times - just managed to catch the last few bits. The magpie kept landing in the garden, but little gull was having none of it and kept chasing him out.

The Testament of Beauty

2009-07-07T13:57:00.000-07:00

I found this book in a lovely old book shop (no longer there unfortunately) over 7 years ago. I was intrigued by the cover, I just read the first page (below) and decided to buy it. A lot of the pages were still uncut which, according to my bookbinding tutor was not uncommon at the time. I have read a lot of the book and cut some of the pages but was afraid to to cut them all, so the rest remains unread.

It was written by Robert Bridges (Poet Laureate) after the death of his daughter.

Moonlight Photography

2009-07-06T09:44:00.000-07:00

My boyfriend took this photo of me taking a photo of the full moon. I really like it especially since I was the one with the Digital SLR and this was taken with my little Canon IXUS 950IS. Another one of my obsessions - the full moon....it always makes me happy.

Cheeky Little Bird

2009-07-02T14:18:00.000-07:00

Cheeky Little Bird from Whelkmagic on Vimeo.

Guess who decided to drop in and have a nose about? I found him pulling at the rug and having a little peck at things!

Starling

2009-06-29T11:18:00.001-07:00

In Wales I have little Gull Chicks landing on my doorstep but in Ireland it was a horse! The morning I was due to fly back the doorbell went, I answered it and there was this lady standing there with a horse!

It had been wandering on the road and she was afraid it was going to get run over, she was in a rush and bringing her children to school and asked if I would look after the horse. Someone had given her a piece of rope for a makeshift bridle. The horse belonged to the travellers and she said she would call into them and tell them where it was.

The poor creature seemed totally dazed and confused and wouldn't take any food or water from me. Eventually when I led her into the lawn she seemed much happier and started grazing.

One of the traveller's eventually came to collect her and said her name was Starling. She was beautiful and I really fell for her. I felt a bit sad because she needed a good groom and didn't seem well looked after. I don't want to go into a tirade about animal welfare here but, I believe the ISPCA has been made aware of this.

This Year's Gull Chick

2009-06-11T10:21:00.000-07:00

Well here he is. Came back from 2 weeks holiday to find we will be "under siege" for at least six weeks. Meaning because this little fella has taken up residence in our back garden and his very protective parents will not allow us to set foot in it! It always amazes me how something this small can survive the fall from the roof but they do.

Barry Island, One of My Favourite Places - in the world!

2009-05-22T14:27:00.000-07:00

I first visited Barry Island about 6 years ago on my birthday. I had taken the day off work and we were not sure what to do, so my boyfriend suggested there. I loved Barry Island straight away and can't really explain why. They have one of the best Hyper Value's in the world, and one of the few left after most of them closed down. There is also an amazing fireworks display every November. The beach is lovely and there are loads of gulls, what more could you ask for?

I love this....

2009-05-13T13:01:00.000-07:00

In the 1840s French Poet Gerard de Nerval walked a pet lobster through the park of the Palais Royal (Paris) on a pale blue ribbon. When asked why he preferred lobsters as a pet he said, "because they do not bark and they know the secrets of the deep.”

Gull On Nest

2009-05-10T03:22:00.001-07:00

Every year for the last 5 years lesser black-backed gulls nest on the chimney. Without fail one of the chicks fall down. One year they abandoned the chick and I ended up rearing him until he flew off - Jasper. Other years the chick has fallen into our back garden and they have looked after them there. We are usually held under 'siege' for at least six weeks and cannot go into the garden - unless we want to be swooped.

Here is a little gallery of all the chicks that fell down. They are so small I really don't know how they could survive the fall. Archibald's egg was near where he fell, we didn't even realise he was there but my boyfriend saw the neighbour's cat staring intently at something and then saw him.

Now that they are on the nest again, I am wondering what little adventure's we will have this year? Sometimes the chicks have fallen on the road at the front of the house and I have rescued them and put them in the back garden. One called Elvis didn't survive. I rescued him from the middle of the road and called the Bird Sanctuary, she came to collect him but told me afterwards he didn't survive the journey there. Archibald was taken to the sanctuary because he was abandoned. Of the 3 chicks from that year only one stayed with us and we called him Lucky (Lucky, Archibald & Elvis were all siblings).

Of all the chicks Jasper - the first one was the most special to me and he is the one "one in particular" mentioned in my Blog introduction. He was abandoned and I phoned the Sanctuary because my neighbour said they would take him, but the lady was inundated with gull chicks and asked if she gave me instructions would I look after him. I did, and it was one of best experiences of my life. I have to admit before Jasper I hated gulls, but I came to understand them better, he was so sweet he stole my heart.

I wanted to make a book of all the photos of Jasper and write his story in a handmade book, that's when I signed up for my first bookbinding course and got hooked on Artists' Books. All because of a little gull chick, he changed my life. I can't explain it properly without sounding really soppy and sentimental, but all I know is that Jasper had a very profound effect on me. The cutest thing he used to do was when I was sitting at the back door he would edge closer and closer to me until he got as close as he dared and just stare at me and twist his head from side to side as if he was really puzzled and trying to figure something out. Jasper would do this for at least five minutes and then nonchalantly wander off down the garden, still looking puzzled. I used to feed him Tesco Value Tuna until he learned to fly, and shrimps one day as a treat because I knew he would leave soon. He used to come back for a while after he learned to fly but then he finally left and I missed him terribly, I still do.

I know he couldn't have stayed and had to fly off with his gang of gull friends, but every now and then I just wished he would come back and perch on the roof just to say hello.

Recycle

2009-05-09T05:26:00.000-07:00

Packed Up And Ready To Go
My old Print Cartridges ready to be posted to the RSPB. Sign up for it here and they will send you Freepost envelopes to send your stuff. Help Birdys & Wildlife.

Nice Thought....

2009-05-07T10:43:00.000-07:00

"Oh the comfort, the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person, having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but pouring them all right out, just as they are - chaff and grain together - certain that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and with the breath of kindness blow the rest away."

Dinah Mulock

Perching...

2009-05-06T11:05:00.001-07:00

After much flitting and fluttering about in the garden Archie has finally settled on this spot to perch on. He looks quite pleased with himself, and happy in his new home.

Precious Little Tweet

2009-05-02T11:54:00.000-07:00

I didn't win the competition so I bought the Blue Tit Tweet because he is so lovely. Here are some pictures of him (I've called him Archie) in his new home. I really like this little Tweet, he is beautifully made in felt with gorgeous colours. Made by Mel from her lovely shop Felt Me Up Designs

I am sure my neighbours think I am completely bonkers, I was so excited when Archie arrived this morning I went out to photo him straight away. I climbed on to the garden wall to photograph him in my neighbours Apple Tree which overhangs our garden. My neighbour very kindly allows me to hang my bird feeders in his tree, but maybe seeing me up on the wall with a camera and a little Tweet might have made him think I'd finally lost the plot.

While I was up there taking the photos there was a real Blue Tit singing away at the top of the tree, maybe he was saying hello to Archie?

CSI, Llanelli

2009-04-24T15:02:00.001-07:00

The Evidence

The Suspect

We stayed with my boyfriends parents in Llanelli at few weekends ago. They were building a new patio and had poured some concrete. One evening at approximately 7pm I looked out the window and saw a flash of red tail feathers. Someone chased the hen away and we weren't sure where she'd been walking, but the evidence was visible the next day. I tried to question her , but she wouldn't admit to anything. If it was real CSI I would take a little mould of the prints and match them up to hers. I love her little hen foot prints.

Vote for the Blue Tit

2009-04-20T10:23:00.001-07:00

I am in the final 5 of this comepetition for suggesting a Blue Tit as design for these beautiful little Tweets made by Felt Me Up Designs. Vote for the Blue Tit on this gorgeous blog Felt Me Up Designs

I know I am biased (!) but the design of the Blue Tit is really excellent. It must have taken a lot of work to get the markings and colours right to make this in felt.

Open Links In A New Page or Tab

2009-04-13T10:06:00.001-07:00

When you have links on your blog, when people click on them it leads away from your blog. If you don't want this to happen all you need to do is add a small piece of the code into the link.

You need to go into "Edit HTML" wherever the link is e.g. Blog Post, or the links I have at the intro. to my blog.

You need to insert the text as shown in the examples (above & 1 below) making sure its in between the rose pink bits.
Depending on what browser settings the end user has chosen, the link will either open in a new window or a new tab (this setting is in both Firefox V3.08 and IE 7).

There are those who believe that designing links to open lots of different windows is bad practice and equivalent to those irritating Pop Ups you sometimes get. But I think this came before the advent of Tabbed Browsing. My own personal preference is I like links to open in new tabs so I can keep track of where I started browsing.

Where my books go

2009-04-04T13:39:00.000-07:00

All the words that I gather
And all the words that I write
Must spread out their wings untiring
And never rest in their flight
Till they come where your sad, sad heart is
And sing to you in the night
Beyond where the waters are moving
Storm-darken'd or starry bright.

W B Yeats

Mmmm.....Jammie Dodgers

2009-04-03T11:13:00.000-07:00

Jammie Dodgers are in my Top 10 of Favourite Biscuits - though not Number 1. That place is reserved for Mikado biscuits which are very popular in Ireland but not so easy to get in the UK. They are discussed in depth on this great website Nice Cup of Tea & A Sit Down which also does a Biscuit of The Week Feature. Any website devoted mainly to biscuits and nice treats to have with your cup of tea is cool in my book, along with providing an essential service to biscuit aficionados everywhere.

2009-03-30T13:26:00.000-07:00

The Song of Wandering Aengus

I went out to the hazel wood,
Because a fire was in my head,
And cut and peeled a hazel wand,
And hooked a berry to a thread;
And when white moths were on the wing,
And moth-like stars were flickering out,
I dropped the berry in a stream
And caught a little silver trout.

When I had laid it on the floor
I went to blow the fire aflame,
But something rustled on the floor,
And some one called me by my name:
It had become a glimmering girl
With apple blossom in her hair
Who called me by my name and ran
And faded through the brightening air.

Though I am old with wandering
Through hollow lands and hilly lands,
I will find out where she has gone,
And kiss her lips and take her hands;
And walk among long dappled grass,
And pluck till time and times are done
The silver apples of the moon,
The golden apples of the sun.

W B Yeats, 1897

Fairy Tales

2009-03-28T13:25:00.001-07:00

This is the book that give me the inspiration for my ice photos. The story of the Snow Queen totally fascinated me. It's 2 books in one - one side has Andersen's Fairy Tales and when you flip it over you have Grimms' Fairy Tales.

It was love at first sight! The book is about 20 years old and didn't originally belong to me, it was owned by a family friend called Gerald. Every time we visited his house I always made a beeline for the book and tried to quickly read stories from it. He eventually let me borrow it but I had to give it back. I coveted the book for years, and was slightly irritated because Gerald had very little interest in it and I really wanted it. Eventually after about 6 years he gave in and finally admitted he had no interest in the book and gave it to me. I was so delighted it was finally mine! I read every single fairy tale in it. I loved the Red Shoes, but the Snow Queen always stood out as the best and I read and re-read that story so many times.

I always wanted to do some artwork which was inspired by the story but was strongly discouraged on my degree when I suggested it for my final year project. Finally, when I did my MA I thought I'm not going to be talked out of this again and decided I would do it, hence all the pictures frozen in ice.

I still love this book, it has been with me everywhere since I left home at 18, Dublin, London, Scotland, Bristol, and all the other places I've lived. Its quite battered now and some pages are held together with masking tape. Its funny how you can become so attached to a book, it is one of my most treasured possessions.

"some people even got a piece of glass stuck in their heart and this was terrible, for their heart became cold like a lump of ice."

That line always blew me away.

Hearts everywhere......

2009-03-27T13:15:00.000-07:00

About 6 or 7 years ago, I started finding heart shaped things randomly, or seeing heart patterns in unusual places. I've been meaning to record it for a while. Today I found this crisp in a packet of Walkers Cheese & Onion (after Tayto cheese & onion - my favourite crisps). I found heart shaped crisps before this one was almost perfect.

This wooden heart is quite roughly cut and about 2cm (¾ inch) high. I found it right at the back of one of the huge drawers underneath our bed - about a year after we moved in to our flat. I was doing a clear out and I could hear something rattling around in the back of the drawer, it was the little wooden heart. No idea how it got there, one of the past tenants must have left it behind.

The Footprints in the Snow is another example. I have no idea what any of this means, or if it even means anything. I just find it a bit strange and nice.

Return to Your Art - inspirational words from Alyson B. Stanfield

2009-03-23T16:40:00.000-07:00

When times are good, artists make art.
When times are bad, artists make art.
When time stands still, artists will continue making art.

Artists who are true to themselves do not make art for the marketplace, but for themselves--to start a dialogue with their viewers, their fans, and the world. They make art because they have something to say that is best said not with words, but through a creative act. They make art because they have to. The marketing stuff can come later.

Through this newsletter and the Art Biz Blog, I give you ideas for promoting your art and building your business. Too many ideas. You can't possibly implement these ideas as fast as I generate them. And I'm sure I'm just one of the sources you're hearing from.

The result of all these ideas may be a feeling of overwhelm. The result of overwhelm can lead to forgetting about your art. And the result of forgetting about your art can either be no art to market or art you're not confident in.

Never neglect the studio. Always return to your art. The disciplined practice of making art is mandatory. Everything else is optional.

Know This . . .
Artists make art--regardless.

Think About This . . .
Have you been neglecting your studio time?

Do This . . .
Return to your art. Remember why you are an artist. Recall the thrill of your best work. Hold on to that sensation and revisit it when you're feeling overwhelmed or uninspired. Just get back to the studio!

Share your thoughts and listen to the podcast on the Art Biz Blog. http://www.artbizblog.com

Copyright 2009 Alyson B. Stanfield. Alyson takes the mystery out of marketing your art and making more money as an artist. Visit http://www.ArtBizCoach.com to get articles just like this one delivered to your inbox.

Chocolate and Steel: ...GIVEAWAY...

2009-03-21T04:56:00.000-07:00

Chocolate and Steel: *.*.*.*GIVEAWAY*.*.*.*

This gorgeous blog Chocolate & Steel is giving a way this beautiful ring if you link to it on your blog. I want it (so does everyone else) but you never know. I might win.

Save The Albatross

2009-03-20T15:26:00.000-07:00

No I am not a closet philatelist. I am saving my stamps for this Campaign Save stamps and save albatrosses They are such beautiful birds, but they are in trouble. Wayne (my boyfriend) calls them "posh seagulls", but as you know there is no such thing as seagulls really.....

Save The Albatross Official Website
The Wandering Albatross has a wingspan of up to 3.4 metres (11 feet)!

Pigglies

2009-03-17T15:20:00.000-07:00

Piglets from Whelkmagic on Vimeo.

Gull Feathers

2009-03-14T10:44:00.001-07:00

Found these in the back garden last year and kept them because they are so beautiful. Gull feathers were in high demand in the 19th century for the millinery trade because of their quality. Many gulls were killed for their feathers. These feathers are from a Lesser Black-backed gull. They nest on our roof every year and we usually have a little chick in the back garden because they fall off the roof.

This is Victor, he was last year's chick. I never understand how they are so small and they survive the fall.

Change Spacing - Blog Post Date & Heading

2009-03-07T11:52:00.000-08:00

To change the space between the date heading and the Post Title. You need to go to Customise - Edit HTML and Scroll down until you see:

/* Posts
-----------------------------------------------

Go to post h3
And change the margin (underlined)
.25em is narrow like I have on my blog (Eagle owl post above) 3.25em is wider as in the Pink Butterfly post above.

Gorgeous Big Pig!

2009-03-05T13:31:00.001-08:00

Gorgeous Big pig from Aldridge Prior on Vimeo.

Isn't he beautiful?!

Hog Heaven

2009-03-04T13:25:00.000-08:00

Gorgeous, gorgeous piggies from St Fagan's Museum of Welsh History. An unexpected surprise when we visited on Monday.

Eagle Owl

2009-02-28T10:39:00.000-08:00

I was doing some volunteer work today for the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds). The Eagle owl has nothing to do with my work, but Festival Park Owl Sanctuary (Ebbw Vale) had a stand in the same venue that the RSPB were at. They had some amazing birds of prey (all rescues). I got to stroke an owl! It was amazing.

Gull At Train Station

2009-02-28T10:27:00.001-08:00

My train was delayed one day so I was bored! This Herring Gull gave me a bit of entertainment playing with a paper bag and trying to get some food out of it. The lady in the grey coat walked by just after I started and ruined the artistic integrity of my movie! Just joking - I am absolutely rubbish with video. I like the way the gull nonchalantly strolls off when he gets bored with the bag.

Remove Border from Your Photos on Blogger

2009-02-23T13:20:00.000-08:00

Authoritaters asked how to do this. There are 2 ways it can be done. The easiest was is to go to - Customise - Layout - Fonts and Colours

Just highlight the Border Colour as above and change the colour to white.

The 2nd way involves editing the code.
If you go to Edit HTML and add this piece of code:
img {
border: 0 !important;
}
You can put it in anywhere as long as its after the bit that says - head - shown below.

The Head can be found near the top of the page of code. I just scrolled down until I found a blank line and pasted the code in, saved it and and it works. I have a spare practice blog where I do all my experimenting, otherwise you should save your Template before you play with the Code in case it all goes horribly wrong!

Remove Border From Blogger Banner

2009-02-14T09:14:00.000-08:00

When you create your own custom banner in Blogger, the blogger border remains and if it is the wrong size will end up around your image and it does not look so good.

Warning!
Before you start editing always back up just in case you delete something by mistake. The option below appers in the Edit HTML page.

Backup/Restore Template
Before editing your template, you may want to save a copy of it.
There is also an option on this page to - Download Full Template

1. Go to Customise - Layout - Edit HTML

2. Scroll down until you find this piece of code.

3. Then highlight the piece of code as shown below, delete and press Save.

This will remove the border around your banner.

Footprints In The Snow

2009-02-08T11:04:00.000-08:00

Footprints in the snow...
I left work early one day last week because of the snow. Standing at the train station I noticed some footprints with a lovely heart shape. I read the writing which I recognised as Babycham spelt backwards and then suddenly realised it was from my own shoes! I had left little heart tracks all the way from work.

Can You Tell What It Is Yet?

2009-02-07T08:32:00.000-08:00

Continuing with my new series - Weapons of Hurt & Healing. This is the starting point for a new image and the materials I will be using to make it. It may turn out totally different than I imagined, but I am excited to be 'making' again.

2009-01-24T10:16:00.000-08:00

Screen Printing Kit
I bought this as a Christmas Present for my niece, Faye. She is 4 and already displaying artistic talent so I want to encourage her. Maybe I have some romantic notion that when she is a famous artist she will look back with affection and nostalgia on the little screen printing kit her nutty Aunt bought for her!

2009-01-05T14:37:00.000-08:00

Lightning Stitch
Another 'sewn through the spine' binding. Very simple, the book contains 2 signatures. Making books is addictive, can't wait to do my next one day course.