Plan? What Plan?

I really do suffer from a short attention span, and am prone to undertaking new projects on a whim, and this week's impromptu project was a total shop makeover.....

 

My cabinet shop in Go4 Market Café is a mid-century teak bureau.

 

 

I had secretly always wished that I had had a 1950's larder unit to create my shop in though, so when I came across this teak shelf unit, operation shop expansion was born!

 

 

The open back on the shelf didn't suit my needs, so Mr Dottie was recruited to help me in my makeover frenzy.......

 

I have developed an unhealthy interest in digital collage lately, so I made some backing sheets, using my vintage magazine collection.....

 

These were pasted onto a back board....

 

 

.....and attached as a back for the shelves, to house Dottie's wares

 

 

I made some paper and ribbon bunting, using more digital collage....

 

 

 ......and this morning we put the whole thing together!

 

The tote bags can now be seen on the side.....

 

.....and the cushions and stuffies are cosying up in the suitcase

 

I'm quite pleased with how it has turned out, and it gives me quite a bit more space to display my work for sale. Hope you can pop by for a visit! 

 

Now I really must get back to playing with clay!!!!!

 

 

 

 

Hey Big Sister!

Dottie's doll face brooches are all recreated using broken and discarded antique doll heads. They are all girls who didn't make the grade at the factory!

 

Sometimes, in my travels around the Internet, I come across their more perfect, big sisters, who made the "cut" to become cherished playthings.

 

Meet the original Lotte, who not only made the grade, but has survived in remarkable condition for many, many years.

 

 

 

 

 

I think she's stunningly beautiful, I never imagined she would have a lovely moulded dress. The teeny buttons are so cute! Her seller has posed her well in her pictures, can't wait to see what she sells for.....

 

It's great for me to have a reference to help me paint future Lotte brooches as usually I just paint from my imagination, and using my knowledge of the kinds of colours that the old doll factories would have used.

 

Although I got the colour almost right for the hat, the original doll is so much "peachier" than my version, and much more heavily blushed, as the old dolls so often were.

 

 

I'm definitely going to have to try again with this one!!!

 

 

 

 



Happy St Patricks Day!!!



Shop Update

What a beautiful sunny Friday afternoon, but sadly I spent it indoors, updating my Etsy Shop

 

Lots and lots of listings to do!!!

Rare BEA Enamel Charm

Opening Gypsy Caravan Charm

Nuvo Opening Mouse with Cheese Charm

Rare Nuvo Opening Dressing Table Charm

Nuvo Crystal Coffee Pot Charm

Opening Engraved Kettle Charm

Fawn Charm



A Trip to Cambridge

We were up and on the road early on Monday, to take a trip up to Cambridge, for a spot of shopping, and to visit Cambridge Contemporary Art gallery. They currently have an exhibition of the work of Marie Prett, from Singing Soul Gallery.

 

Marie makes beautiful figurative ceramics, often inspired by her loves of English Bull Terriers, and the circus. The solo show is on until the 23rd of March, and features ceramics, prints and paintings by Marie, around the theme of Travelling Circus.

 

Here's a few quick shots of some of the pieces in the gallery show.

 

 

 

I've been a big fan of Marie's work for a few years, and even took a week long course at her studio in Kent in 2012. Sadly I only came home with a greetings card this time, but I still plan to adopt a Bully one day........ I'm also increasingly falling in love with the ponies.......

 

If you can get to Cambridge to see the show, you really should! There are some spectacular large "tableau" pieces, featuring found objects, and multiple highly detailed ceramic characters. There's a wonderful elephant, a giraffe, an aerial acrobat in a cage, and a tiny bully in the caravan, sleeping on his back :0) I really wish I'd taken more photos, to tempt you to visit, but I do guarantee the work will make you smile!

 

If you can't make it to Cambridge, you can keep bang up to date with all the news from Marie's studio on Facebook.

Wordless Wednesday



Dottie Digital

I'm pleased to announce the opening of Dottie Digital, where you can instantly buy downloads of some of the vintage paper dolls in my collection.

 

 You can use them in your card making, scrap booking, crafting  and home décor. You can print them on thin card for play, they will fit nicely on to your home printer paper, but as the files are jpeg format, you can resize them as you wish.

 

 

 

Each image has been digitally restored, to remove any tears or marks, and to ensure that the colours are bright and clear.

 

I'm so pleased to be able to share these gorgeous old images with you, and there will be more ephemera to come!