Aardvarks to Zebras!

Recently my lovely friend welcomed a new baby girl into the world! They named her Ziva and I wanted to make something fun for them and her. So, I took her name and illustrated Aardvark fabric, Vole Fabric, Iguana fabric and Zebra fabric, which I then made into these fun cubes that could be displayed on a shelf in the nursery. They also have little bells stuffed inside so they jingle when they shake, so can be played with too! 

I have to say that my favourites are the Aardvark and the Zebra! I printed a bit extra of the Zebra print and made some items that are in my shop right now and pictured below, pouches and little bags! 

The Chicken Collection

Around Easter time last year, I created a limited edition chicken screen-print which was sold at the Hepworth Gallery's Print Fair - the money raised from the prints went towards supporting The Art House print studios, which is where I print a lot of my work. I handed over the prints to them not to be reproduced until after November last year. The response I got from the chicken was amazing when I posted them up on instagram. Lots of you from all over the place wanted to own one, but lived far away to take advantage of getting one through The Art House. There are still some for sale in The Art House shop, where the money will go towards supporting the print studios, but I have extended the range so that more people can enjoy my chicken print! I made cushions, oven mitts, hand-cut and handprinted wall hangings/plaques and a range of prints. These are available through my online shop and from The Art House Shop! All of the original screen-prints have sold out now, but I have included some really affordable reproductions of the screen prints. 

2020 vision

(image from a screen print workshop I taught at Nottingham Trent University in 2019. Make, Create & GO FOR IT!)

Hello! Happy New Year. I have recently had an influx of followers on here so: hello! Which is obviously lovely, but also I felt a bit 'errk' as I haven't posted since March 2019 ! That's last decade!! But it's not because I haven't been making and creating, I have been using my instagram really to document and share new makes and creations, but I do feel bad I have neglected this space... so in a New Year/New Start vibe I'm back on it and I am going to spend the next few days updating what I've been up to. I think the best thing to do maybe is a little wrap up of last year... 

2019 was a good one, I made work for some really great people - indie makers and businesses and also bigger companies. I was approached by Ikea to create some posters for a new range. These were pitched worldwide, but unfortunately didn't make the cut but it was a fabulous experience and I've made some great contacts through it. I also produced illustrations for the NHS and a BBC pitch (more posts on these later as well as the indie work I've been doing). 

(imagse from the Hwpworth Gallery's Christmas and Summer Fairs 2019)

I was lucky enough to secure more stockists and sell my work at the truly amazing Hepworth Gallery summer and winter fairs. I didn't do many fairs this year, I returned to the Hull Print Fair on Humber Street which is always a fabulous event, super fun and hosted in awesome spaces as well as the Hepworth, which I truly think is one of the best markets in the North of England. I would love to do more this coming year, I just need to get more organised with when to apply for them, as demand can be so high and the call out is very early I sometimes miss when the application date is ... but I'm going to keep my ear to the ground more, I'd love to do some fairs in Manchester and Liverpool this year. 

(imagse from the Art House Shop at the Art House, Drury Lane, Wakefield)

One of my amazing new stockists this year was at the Art House Shop - which is a brand new enterprise this year! I have been a print studio member at the Art House studio for a year now and have even taught a few workshops there. It's an ace space, fully equipped for all kinds of printmaking. When they opened their shop in 2019 I was thrilled to be asked to stock my work in there and it has been really successful. I sell a range of prints, textiles - plushes, pillows, cushions, pouches, cat balls, tiger balls, bags and oven mitts! I'm in good company with local makers and designers who also print and create work at The Art House, including and pictured above are Ellie Way and Kirstie Williams. 

Talking of cat balls and tiger balls....

Wow they have been popular this year! This week I will be stocking them, alongside some other feline goodies at a brand new stockist in the centre of Leeds - The Handmade Collective in the Grand Arcade in Leeds. I'll write a new post when I've dropped off my stock there!