A Japanese Season in Wales

The long awaited Japanese exhibition opened at our local craft centre this week and I managed a quick visit on my way home today.

The main exhibition gallery is looking pretty spectacular - lengths of beautiful textiles hung in human form from the ceiling surrounding a gigantic washi paper lantern.  I'm never sure whether photographs are permitted here but I managed to sneek a couple when no one was looking! 

My visit today had to be quick but I'll definitely be going again - not least because there are lots of interesting events planned and a delicious looking pop-up shop.  I couldn't resist a couple of teeny purchases today - a set of 12 beautiful postcards and a cute little washi paper bunny notepad with matching envelopes. 

If you live within striking distance of North East Wales I'd definitely recommend making the effort to take a look.  There's plenty of information on the website http://www.japanseasonwales.com/.  And its on till 24th June, so no need to rush either.

Double Dutch???

We all have our favourite crafty designers - mine are quite obvious if you are a regular reader of this blog.... and their inspirational blogs are regularly at the top of my reading list.  Of course we all have different tastes and styles - I like clean and simple but also vintage so when I came across Eline Pellinkhof she shot right into my top 10! Eline is a Dutch designer but her products are easily found in the UK (Cuddly Buddly has lots) AND she has written two beautiful books that are absolutely crammed with gorgeous projects...... there's just one problem - they are only available in Dutch! However I couldn't resist and quickly purchased Eline's Winter Huis.  Would you believe there are 86 gorgeous projects in it and I honestly haven't found the language a problem as there are clear photographs and templates.  The only real difficulty will be when I try the crochet projects - but I'm sure translation won't be that difficult with the help of google.

Anyway, enough waffle.  Here is my version of Eline's owl.  He's featured throughout the book in paper and ink, fabric, cross stitch, applique, and I've turned my owl into one of my favourite projects, a scented sachet, by adding a hanger and dried lavender to the stuffing.  I'm busy creating my own parliament of owls (did you know that's their collective name) and I also have another of Eline's projects on the go - can you guess what it is yet!

Finally, GUESS WHAT! I read in Mollie Makes  that Eline's first book, Eline's Huis, will be published in English in August!  Oooooo, can I wait till then!

Quick! card needed!

Does your heart sink when an unexpected need for a quick card arises? Or, like me, do you enjoy the challenge of getting something in the post before the end of the day.  Its happened twice here in the last week.  On Sunday the sudden hospital admission of my Mum's 87 year old cousin, and last Tuesday my lovely niece Faye had surgery on her foot. A cutesy or flowery get well card would not have been suitable in either case so I put my inspiration cap on and came up with these two quickies.

Although I've had the typewriter stamp for some time (I just had to have it!) its the first time I've used it on a project and the vintage paper fasteners I found at a car boot sale some time ago were a perfect office-type addition to the design.  And look, they were made in the USA and could well have come from one of the American war time bases in the UK.

Faye's card was even simpler - just a pretty die cut and a bit of hairy garden twine.  Faye has her own fabulous blog The Fashion Harvest, and loves fashion (of course!) thrifting and sewing.  I'd found these two cards of ribbons and trimmings for her at All Things Ottoline on Folksy some time ago and as she's not as mobile as usual at the moment, it was the perfect time to send them. 

Right! I'm off to the post office...

Supplies: Stamps: Hero Arts 'My Type'; PTI 'Mat Stack 3 Collection', Background Basics Text Style II, Think Big Favorites #7.  Heart die cut: LR0186 designed by Eline Pellinkhof for Marianne Design Creatables.

Busy Busy Bee!

This is a post I should have written before Christmas - but guess what, I didn't get round to it!  I want to show off my favourite Christmas 2011 gift - this absolutely wonderful tote my dear blog friend Baukje made for me.  Isn't it fabulous! I just adore the colours of the gorgeous fabric and the shape and size is just perfect for my latest 'work in progress'.  I decided against using it as an everyday tote as I don't want it to get knocked about with daily travelling and shopping trips.  So I'll keep it especially for my crafty projects and enjoy it all the more as I'll be getting it out whenever I sit down to do something I love.

Baukje writes one of my favourite blogs, Busy Bee Free, and never was there a blog more aptly named.  She is one of the most prolific crafters I have come across, sewing up quilts by the dozen, knitting beautiful shawls in a matter of days and producing many other beautifully crafted items for family and friends and her stall at a local market.  So I wasn't surprised when Baukje wrote her New Year post about Japanese origami paper cranes and the story behind them, and then offered 10 hand folded origami paper cranes to each of her readers.  Mine arrived today and I've hung them in a circle around the light above my computer by tying them to an old wooden embroidery hoop.  I'll think of my kind friend when I look at them and remember the hope of peace for the world.  I'd like to try folding them myself and found this excellent demonstration on Youtube.

Helfa Gelf 2010 (Art Trail)

This weekend is the first of the three North Wales Art Trail weekends and today my friend and I visited Ann, where we learnt about using oil based printing ink, painting and stencilling to make beautifully vibrant prints, Maud, where we made paper beads and added them to the "community" necklace she was creating from the beads made by her visitors, and Sarah, where we were inspired by what she had produced with things discarded by the rest of us (and admired the pretty beach hut - in her garden!) All three artists were so warm and welcoming, inviting us as complete strangers into their homes and even offering us tea. We were so glad we'd made the last minute decision to follow a tiny piece of the trail.

We loved seeing the artists' work spaces and their works in progress. I came home determined to be more creative with all the "stuff" I've been collecting over the years - I've mountains of stuff stashed away; fabric, yarn, old books, magazines, postcards, ephemera, old linen, lace, beads and all the bits and pieces I can't resist picking up at car boots and charity shops.

I'm looking forward to more visits next and the following weekends - there are 125 studios open over North Wales. And if there's an Art Trail near you why don't you visit some of your own local artists and be inspired.