Folksy Friday - Time flies if you’re having fun or not

What?! Its October tomorrow, already?
It occurs to me that once you reach a certain age, say 18, the concept of time begins to change. When once waiting for the arrival of a holiday, your birthday and Christmas seemed like an eternity, it increasingly starts to feel like Christmas comes a lot more than once a year. Tomorrow is October, yes and I can scarcely believe it. More worrying still is that at the age of 32 and having been told on many occasions that time will only move quicker, I estimate that in about 20 or so years, it will feel to me that an average year will last about 3 months. Well that’s depressing isn’t it (sorry) :-/
On a brighter note lets look at some lovely things I’ve found on Folksy with my chosen theme of time this week:

1. This time next year I’m going to be a millionaire! My first featured is this colourful, framed, collage artwork by 100 percent delicate

2. The workmanship in this beautiful, pine, country house style wall clock, is pretty special. Available from Cheshire Woodware.

3. Could be something to help slow down time - a luscious sounding anti-ageing cream from NOG. I admit I 'm a bit of a lotions and potions addict and this sounds lovely so I may give it a go:

4. I love this sweet little felt brooch made to look like a pocket watch by Kaela Mills. What a lovely little idea.

5. This cute rocket clock from Jigsaw Wooden Products, would make a wonderful addition to a children’s room.

6. I really love this rustic looking, Time Flies metal hanging from Kettle of Fish, who have lots of very lovely things in their shop which you must go see.

7. The Bookity folks have created this super cool wallet, created from the ‘Brief History of Time’ book. What an inspired idea!

8. My final pick for today is this innovative and functional pin master pin cushion, available from the Cajame Creations shop.

Before I say toodle pip, I want to sneak in this extra little item. It has nothing to do with time (except when I was searching for time themed things strangely it came up), but it is so intriguingly geeky and wonderful that I decided just to put it in anyway:

Now I better get back to work, no time to waste!

Welcome in the winter

Sorry for mentioning that word (winter *whispers*) when its only just turned Autumn, but it is round the corner and if you can't beat it, join it.....or something like that.

This is just a mini post to show off 2 new illustrations i've just completed that are very appropriate for the winter season. I've mainly produced them for the December and January images in a 2012 calendar which i'm making and hope to have on sale by mid-late October. However they will also be available as a print and a Christmas card once i've got round to putting them on my Folksy and Etsy shops. Even more exciting, the card will soon be available in the Well Read Bookshop, in Northumbria University Student's Union, as the lovely buyer lady has asked to stock my cards - yippee!!

So here are the illustrations. The first one 'Snow Globe' will be a card:















This next one 'Home On The Ice' will be available as a print:















In the meantime, as we've been told by the weather predicty folks that its supposed to be a heat wave this week (eh?), I hope you enjoy whats left of the sun.

Folksy Friday - Rainbow Bright

I intended to have this theme for my Folksy Friday post last week but didn’t get a chance to post (sorry), but this week it’s getting an airing. I’m going down the rainbow road (a little nod there to Mario Kart fans) simply because my eyes are always attracted to bright, multi-coloured stuff. I've never really been one for pastel shades or muted subtle tones. Although saying that, I do admire artists who can restrain themselves and limit their use of colour, as i find it incredibly difficult to do this in my work.
This theme is more about the use of colour than rainbows themselves. It may be a little out of season now the nights a drawing in and the chill is in the air, but hey I hope it brightens your day.

1. I Love this fun and stylish rainbow cubes t-shirt by illustrator Alicia Yolanda, currently on sale for a bargain price of £7!! She has some brilliant stuff in her shop, go take a peek.



2. There is not much i need to say about this stained glass panel from Dimo Glass except that it is simply stunningly beautiful:



3. Another eye-catcher is this simple and sweet little glass rainbow ornament by Abunda. Very pretty.



4. One of my favourite Folksy shops is the Rainbow Room from Clara Luna and I couldn’t possibly have a rainbow themed FF post without featuring something from this shop. This little beaut is inspired:

5. Look at this piece of awesomeness from Emma Farnworth. I’ve seen some lovely necklaces incorporating stamps, but this really is something else:



6. This luscious and hypnotic art print from Dig the Earth would look great in my work room. Unfortunately there seems to be no stock in their shop today, although when i began writing this post there was, so perhaps check back in the future to see their lovely stuff.



7. I came across this cute tote available at the fabulous bags shop:



8. Check out this amazing collage artwork by Caroline Rose who has some absolutely beautiful work in her shop -

All these colours have inspired me to go forth and create. Bye y’all.

Maker Christmas Trade. NorthEast based makers, artists, crafters

Thank you to all those who have shown an interest in this so far. So here is how it works.

Firstly this is a trade rather than a swap. I know theres not much difference but a swap suggests you're giving away items you no longer want. The trade ethic is rather than using money to purchase something, you use your skills and resulting creations as currency.
PLEASE NOTE: The blog is merely to facilitate the process and enable makers to contact each other in the knowledge that they are potentially interested in trading. It is not moderated & I won't get involved in anyone else's trade.

To take part you must be a maker/artist/photographer/crafter (all disciplines welcome) & have:
1. An online shop on Etsy, Folksy or another online craft retailer. OR
2. Work on Flicker, Photobucket or similar site, which allows others to see photos of your products and more detailed descriptions of product. OR
3. A website, blog, or portfolio of work online, which has images of products & full descriptions.
AND
Have an email address.

~~The Trading Process~~
A categorised list of all those willing to trade will be posted on blog from 30 October to 30 November (by when exchanges should be complete). During trade month the participating crafters & artists can look through the list and if they wish to contact a fellow maker(s) to offer an exchange it is entirely up to them. There is no obligation to trade.

For each trader listed there will the following info which you will need to send me:
a) Their name and business name.
b) Brief description of what they make, i.e. digital artworks, jewellery etc.
c) A *link(s) to the maker's site, online shop or page where people can view images of their products, including full descriptions, item costs, and postage costs.
d) If relevant details of product types that the maker does not wish to include in trade.
e) What items the maker is interested in trading for, e.g. bag, necklace, print etc.
f) The maker's email address for contact from potential trade mate(s)

*If you're linking to Etsy/Folksy shop etc, be aware that if this product sells from that site during trade month, potential trade mate(s) may no longer be able to see that item.

Exchange of traded items can be done in person on a day arranged by those involved, or through the post. If posting please agree a date when item(s) will be sent so you both know when you can expect to get them. All items must be in post by 30th November at latest.

Important note on postage costs:
Depending on the kind of item you're offering the postage cost may be more or less than that of the item you're proposing to trade with. Therefore you'll need to negotiate with your trade mate to work this out. E.g. it may be best to meet up and exchange in person, perhaps offer an additional item to cover postage difference, or even pay cash to cover difference. It is entirely at trader's own discretion & something you should consider when looking for trade(s). We don't want anyone left out of pocket.

~~ Trade tips ~~
1. Please keep it friendly and be considerate. If you get an offer to trade and for whatever reason you don't wish to do so, please be nice and bear in mind this process is not moderated. Remember to think about difference in postage cost so no one is left out of pocket.

2. The process should be negotiable & flexible and please be realistic when offering a trade. Hey if you’re feeling brave you may even want to do a three way trade.

3. The trade contract is based on trust. You must have faith in your trade mate(s) to send their item(s) & vice versa.

4. You & your trade mate may wish to send items recorded delivery to ensure you can claim back cost if lost in post.

To take part email me your details for the list as outlined previously to lucyfarfort@yahoo.com or fill out the form for your trading info here: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/V9YXDVS as soon as possible (Further traders info will no longer be added to list after 1st week in Nov).

Trade anyone?

I got talking to a fellow crafter at a market earlier this year and we agreed it would be a good idea to do a craft trade with other makers/artists for Christmas gifts. With the economic downturn many of us are struggling at the moment and Christmas can be an expensive time of the year.

When discussing this idea originally the thought of organising a venue and stall holders, was quite off putting. Then it hit me - we don't need a venue. Most crafters sell online, so they effectively already have a stall, all thats needed is a central point to host it from = the blog, perfect!
Sorry to exclude people, but I'm proposing this be a regional/local trade, for North East crafters. As this would make numbers more manageable (depending on who's interested) and would also allow the possibly, once all the swaps have been agreed, for us to meet for a drink and actually hand over items in person. It goes without saying that makers outside the NE can set up trades on their own individual blogs, for their region.

At the mo this is just an idea & before I go about setting this up your input is needed:

• 1. Firstly is anyone actually interested in taking part? Please can you ask your fellow NE crafters if they'd be interested too. Because there is no point if only a few peeps are interested.
  
  

• 2. How to do it. My plan is to list all the makers/artists taking part on my blog & put links to their items online, prices and what they are wiling to swap and for what kind of items.
  **BUT how can the swapping process work so that its diplomatic, friendly and makers don't end up falling out because someone would rather trade for a diff item etc, etc? I guess the simplest way would be to leave it up to individuals involved to contact their potential trade mates by email, but could this also cause problems if say 'Maker A' isn't interested in any items on offer from 'Maker B'.**
  Does anyone have any suggestions?
  
  

Please post a comment on my blog or face book wall: http://www.facebook.com/LucyFarfortIllustrator if you're interested in taking part &/or have suggestions on how to run it.

Folksy Friday - Harvest Time

This year has gone so incredibly fast, i blinked and missed most of it. Its Autumn already?!
Well this means it will soon be Harvest Festival time. I'm not exactly sure what that means, except for when i was at primary school, all the kids had to bring in tins of food to be put into a giant decorated box destined for a third world country. The box was usually filled with the tins of string beans gathering dust from the back of several mother's kitchen cupboards. Looking at it now it seems pretty harsh that people generally donated their most unwanted tins of food, when it was going to be sent to a starving child. I guess it all counts.

**Actually harvest festival is is an annual celebration which occurs around the time of the main harvest of the region. Harvest is from the Anglo-Saxon word haverfest, "Autumn". It then came to refer to the season for reaping and gathering grain and other grown products.
Harvest festivals are traditionally held on or near the Sunday of the Harvest Moon, the full Moon that occurs closest to the autumn equinox.**
I don't really know if this information is accurate, as i'll be honest i got it from Wikipedia and we all know what thats like for reliability

1. An absolutely fab and functional present for someone with an allotment is this set of 5 veg tags. A great little idea from Krafts4Kenya:



2. Perfect for the theme today is this very cute 'Acorn Harvest' illustration, by Lucy Consolo. She has some lovely work in her shop, go see.



3. take a peek at this gorgeous Autumn leaf brooch from the 'By Sally' shop. Love the colours



4. Wow these little fellas are awesome. A needle felted pumpkin bowl with lid, so creative and cute to boot!


5. These veggie moustache greeting cards available from 'Kikichoo' made me laugh. Anything with a moustache is okay by me ^__^



6. I found this really beautiful poppy bangle at the Cassiopi shop. I choose it because of the lovely autumnal colours:



7. The detail in this teeny weeny vegetable basket is incredible. Grandma's Miniature Market is really a feast for the eyes. Makes me want to start growing my own veg, although i don't think my 8ftx 8ft back yard would agree.



8. The final pic of today is this lovely autumn art print from LauriePunzzle Land. Love her style and the pattern element in her art work:



I just wish we could trade in some winter months for some more Autumn months so i can enjoy those beautiful warm colours for a bit longer.
Byeeeee!!

An invitation for the BIG day

For a while now i've been thinking about offering my illustration services for wedding invitations. Such a lovely thing to be involved in don't you think? Creating a piece of work for such a special and personal day.

The plan is to produce some stock designs for my site, Folksy & Etsy shops, that can be customised for individual couples. As well as these stock designs, I also want to offer people a bespoke service, where a one off invitation is created exclusively for that particular couple.
The only very slight set back is that if i'm going to print the invites myself it will need to be for a limited number of invitations as i don't think my printer would be capable of producing the number of invites required for a 'Kate and Wills' style wedding ha ha. Not that i expect to be designing for the stars, nor particularly want to. Hey who knows if Jordan gets married again i could be in there!

Although i had thought about this earlier in the year, one thing or another got in the way so i didn't get time to put my plan into action properly. However i produced the 'Bunny balloon' illustration below with this in mind and i intend this to be one of my stock designs.


I seem to have quite a few friends getting hitched in the near future. Congratulations to all of you! Looking forward to dancing around like an idiot at your receptions.
It is from here that i will have first commission. I'm delighted and honoured to be designing the invites for my friend's Erin Hill-Parks and Dave Phillip's wedding as my first commission. I'm very excited to start the invites and of course go the wedding which is in the beautiful setting of Lake Orta, Italy. Need to start saving now!

I've noticed that some of the prices for wedding stationery are exorbitant and i really want to make my designs as affordable as possible, because i'm pretty sure weddings aren't cheap affairs ;) Also as a fan of the DIY budget wedding, i would like my service to be accessible for these as well. So if anyone has friends, family or are themselves thinking about doing the deed and are on the look out for some wedding invites with a difference i would love to hear from you.

Once i've completed the invite for Dave's and Erin's big day i will definitely show it off on here, so keep your eyes peeled.

Feast Your Eyes on this - Etsy artists

One of the things I like most about Folksy and Etsy is that they're a gold mine of some absolutely fantastic artwork.
I'm always coming across new and beautiful works from really talented artists. Some are so creative and beautiful that I must admit as well as making my heart flutter, they also make it sink a little in the knowledge that I will probably never create something as lovely. I know, i know... i shouldn't think like that and of course i'll keep striving to produce a piece as wonderful. However I just can't help being a teeny bit jealous. I do hope its not just me that gets this way.
Anyway i'll get over it ;-)

This awesomely stunning work has inspired me to create an Etsy treasury to show off some of the beauties i've found.
I'll let the work speak for itself: 'Captured my heART, Etsy Treasury'

Folksy Friday post - A good bake!

Sorry been a bit slack on the old FF posts for a while. Mainly because I was on holiday one week and had a project to finish off following the break, so i’ve not had the chance to post for a while. I was planning on doing a little bit about the holiday, however that intention was slightly scuppered since I was unable to take any holiday snaps. This was due to a water based incident which led to Dave’s camera (purchased as a birthday present 2 months prior) getting an unwelcome bath in the Portuguese waves. Writing about a holiday with no pictures to accompany the tale seems a bit pointless, hence no holiday post.

Anyway back to the grind as they say. One of the fab things to return to though is my fave t.v. programme ‘The Great British Bake Off’ (Tuesdays at 8pm on BBC2). Yum all those tasty baked creations. Just wish I could bake a cake to save my life! I blame our crap oven, ahem. As you may now have guessed it is this programme which has inspired this weeks Folksy Friday post.

1. To kick off the list i've chosen this fab 'Bake More Cake' letter press print. I've always been a fan of letter press and its elegant simplicity, even though its something i've never really got into myself. I always managed to make a complete mess when printing, getting more ink on myself than the page.



2. This very fitting 'Great British Biscuit Apron' just had to go in. This would make an ace present for an avid baker. Love it!



3. Check out this awesome bread board from the Earthome shop. Stylish and functional. It looks like there could be some other fab boards available in their shop in the future judging by the pics in their shop banner.



4. I'm a bit partial to crocheted food items and on Folksy there are certainly many to choose from. This wonderfully random crocheted jammy dodger tape measure holder takes the biscuit... ha ha (sorry).




5. Clever, functional and recyclable this cardboard cake strand would make a fab feature at a birthday party. You can find this at the Card Tiers shop.



6. Yum yum. A very delicious looking lemon meringue pie soap. Definitely looks good enough to eat, only you probably shouldn't or you'll be blowing bubbles for days (from both ends).
The SoapyLicious shop has some other very scrummy looking products too.



7. I couldn't resist this perfect little iced doughnut pin cushion from Woolly Duck. In the words of Homer 'Mmmm dooouugghhnuts' *drool*.



8. Finally i stumbled across this lovely 'Home Baking' fabric covered notebook, made by the talented Jane Lightfoot. The lady has serious sewing skills. The ideal place to note down all your baking recipes and secrets.




If my post has inspired you to bake and you get an irrepressible urge to send some of your tasty baked treats such as cake my way, then that is absolutely fine by me :)
Have a great weekend x