Wordless Wednesday



You need wheels..................

Some charms with wheels....

 

Miniature moving train with a station

 

Ice cream sellers trike

 

 

Opening pram with a tiny baby

 

 

 

Fire engine with a moving ladder

 

 

 

 





New Stock in the Shop

I've been rather quiet lately......trying to get some brooches and fridge magnets ready for my Etsy shop.

 

 

The weather here has been quite grey and damp, so getting a dry day to get the spray varnish done, or enough light to take good photos has really been a challenge. But I'm pleased to say that today I manged to get some complete.

 

 

I also had some good news last week, I have been accepted into Art Dolls Only. I'm thrilled to have been accepted, and I'm looking forward to getting to know the other artists, and joining in the challenges with the group. If you are curious about doll art, the Art Dolls Only website really is a good place to start!



Sonya Todd - Illustrating Fashion

I've just heard about an exciting exhibition opening this weekend at The Minories Gallery in Colchester.

 

Sonya Todd - The Minories

Sonya is based in Suffolk, and worked as a fashion illustrator in the 1960's.

 

The exhibition is currently being set up....

 

 

......and looks rather good indeed :0)

 

 



Antique Dollie pins

One of my favourite styles of antique dolls are googlies, these round eyed, snub nosed, smiling characters are full of joy.

 

I have created a selection of brooches based on these googly eyed dolls, and they are now available in my Etsy shop.

 

 

 

These tiny dollie face brooches are handmade replicas of a real broken antique doll heads from my own collection. The original heads are dirty and unloved, having been discarded and buried as rubbish almost a hundred years ago.

 

I had originally intended to make them from porcelain, but this would have made them too heavy and fragile. Paperclay is light and strong, so if the brooch is dropped it will not shatter or crack. They have been sealed with several coats of ceramic varnish, so they are quite durable too.

 

They have an antiqued, painted finish so that they look just like antique doll faces. They really make me smile :0)

 



Wordless Wednesday

Cranbrook and Colchester

I had a fantastic week away, I learned a completely different way of working with clay with Marie Prett, and I'm looking forward to developing some of the techniques over the coming weeks. I was amazed at the number of pieces that I managed to make during the class, just goes to show what can be acheived when you have no distractions!!!

 

 

Some of these pieces will provide the inspiration for more brooches, and I have other projects in mind too........

 

 

It was great to see Marie work, and to meet "Pluto" her miniature English Bull Terrier and part time muse. Mr Dottie has promised to take a day trip to Marie's gallery with me, so that we can select one of her pieces to bring home :0)

 

 

I shut my Etsy Shop while I was away, but since I re-opened two items have been included in treasuries;

 

Amber Celtic Brooch

 

 

Georgie Paperclay Brooch

 

 

We popped to town today, to check out the exhibitions at The Minories, and Firstsite. It's lovely to have these spaces "on the doorstep".

 

Firstsite is an absolutely beautiful space, and we always stay for a drink and a bite to eat in the lovely cafe. I can't say that I enjoyed the current exhibition though.....just not my thing.

 

 

 

The Minories was much more interesting today, with 3 exhibitions running, Potentiates, Colchester and Tendring Open Studios Taster Exhibition, and 'Art for Colchester; The 20th century collecting practices of the Victor Batte-Lay Trust'.

Lots of varied pieces, sculpture, prints, painting drawing and costume, a great feast for the eyes!