current art adventures
Nothing like a huge affirmation to cheer your day. We Can Move Mountains screenprint by YOKE.
I know its spring time, but with this British weather I think we may still be in need of some warm woolies. Animal Hats by Vanessa Mooncie.
Beautifully printed cushions by Gwendolen.
As many friends and regular readers of my blog can tell you, I have a great fondness of foxes. Every time I stumble across fox-related crafts I make a mental note to return to them, but when it comes to it I can rarely find my way! So I’ve started making a list of fox crafts on a few pages of my blog, partly for my own records and partly to share some of my favourite foxy things. Enjoy and please let me know of any of your own fox finds!
Plains Fox Pocket Pillow by Coral and Tusk
Magpie Dusk Wildlife Cake Tins designed by Tom Frost
Over the Easter weekend there was a delightful mixture of sunshine and snow. (I have to admit this post was a little slow to be uploaded. I have no excuse other than other events got in the way of blogging, but as they say, better late than never!) Easter Sunday brought icy cold winds and overcast clouds, but by the Monday the skies were a bright blue and the sun brought the temperature to a level where I could happily walk coat-less, although not quite scarf-less. Taking advantage of the sunshine, I spent the afternoon wandering around a scarecrow trail in nearby Chalford. Local residents had made some spectacular creations around the picturesque village.
Spring is on the way, and it is time to share some of the bright and colourful things that I love right now:
Snuggly knitted blankets by Seven Gauge Studios.
This giant patchwork floor cushion by Big Bird’s Boutique.
Stunning quilts by The Family Love Tree.
Illustrated Linen Lavender Bags by Ceridwen Hazelchild Design.
These charming textile tea sets by Emma Dolan.
These handmade patterned notebooks by Brookfarm.
These illustrative dresses by Poppy Children. (Part of me wishes they came in adult sizes!)
The decision to change the name of my business from “Mystic Moose” to “Ceridwen Hazelchild Design” was based on a drive to forge a closer connection between my artistic practice and my craft business. Alongside my illustrated fabric goods that I make for sale, I also create installation and sculpture artworks which deal with concepts of memory, nature and childhood. This side to my artistic practice has been somewhat abandoned whilst I have been focusing on developing my creative business, and I now want to create a closer link between both creative outlets.
But at the heart of the name change was the urge to enable valued customers to identify with the maker of the products they were purchasing. As a frequent buyer of handmade beauties, I enjoy learning about the maker or designer; knowing and sharing the maker’s name is part of this process. By renaming my business Ceridwen Hazelchild Design I aim to provide a closer link between maker, products and customers.
Although the products I make and sell now have new tags, labels and packaging with our new logo, we will continue to provide the lovely designs and high quality goods our customers have come to expect.
For more information please visit our new website: www.ceridwenhazelchild.co.uk or if you have any queries please email me at design@ceridwenhazelchild.co.uk
Useful Links:
Website: www.ceridwenhazelchild.co.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ceridwenDESIGN
Twitter: www.twitter.com/ceridwenDESGINS
Etsy: www.ceridwenDESIGN.etsy.com
One of my favourite makers recently is Susan Horth, who constructs exquisite animal and insect sculptures and jewellery pieces from woven wire and bead jewels. Each piece is stunningly detailed and surprisingly life-like. They seem so precious and intricate that time can easily slip away whilst you gaze at them. I am particularly fond of the little bee and lizard brooches.
The studio has been a flurry of activity this week, working late into the night to send off orders to their new homes across the world. This week heralded our final posting dates for most of the world, bar Western Europe (which is Tuesday 11th December) and the UK (Tuesday 18th December), and all orders placed from now on should arrive in the new year.
Since I also work part-time at a lovely craft shop and art space in the heart of the Cotswolds, my evenings have been spent catching up on orders, and days off have been at the heat press and the sewing machine, pressing totes and stitching lavender bags, pencil cases and felt pouches for pocket mirrors. Feeling festive midweek, I decided to make roast chestnuts but had a minor accident when one rolled away whilst I was attempting to piece the skins, which resulted in plaster-covered fingers and general fumbling when it came to using my sewing machine again! All seems healed now though, and I’m back on full form for the sewing in the week ahead! Every spare moment is geared towards making, packing orders or answering enquiries and updating sites. Although it is exhausting, it is also exulting.
My lunchtime post office trips have been taking considerably longer than usual, as I waddle in with bags of packets and parcels under both arms. It seems that the post office has become a gathering place for creative entrepreneurs, and I’ve come to recognize regular customers who seem to be on the same time table as me, also laden with bags of posting. With nods of recognition and semi-awkward grins all around, we acknowledge that we are major contributors to the queue, and share a desire to sincerely apologise to the people behind us, particularly the poor guys at the very back who only came in to buy one stamp. Last Monday I spent a full 55 minutes at the counter, much to the dismay of the patient folk in the queue behind me!
The last few weeks has brought with it a few birthdays for some lovely Sagittarian friends. Even though we may not live nearby any more, having moved to various parts of the country to pursue our dreams, we try to send tokens and cards through the post at regular intervals, and birthdays are one occasion which can’t be missed! I am a firm believer in card-giving, especially when it means you can support smaller companies and independent artists. One of my favourite illustrators in recent months is the independent greeting card company called Alice Palace.
I recommend taking a good look through their website to peruse the selection of quirky colourful designs.
With December approaching fast, I feel the need to share these wonderful advent calendars by Sally Swannel. These flat-pack wonders are assembled to create a free-standing three-dimensional house, complete with chimney and dorm windows, with 24 numbered advent windows on all sides. They are relatively easy to assemble too; we did add a tiny bit of double sided tape on a few of the tabs to make it more secure, but it was more for peace-of-mind than any physical need for it as the slot and tab design holds the house together very well!
I also adore the miniature advent cards, which come with an envelope, perfect for giving and receiving. I enjoy these traditional picture advents like these so much more than chocolate ones!
If you are looking for colourful and quirkily designed home wares, I wholeheartedly recommend taking a browse through the delightful products by Lush Designs. Their screen printed lampshades are one of my favourite things to ogle at when I am in need of healthy dose of pretty things. Naturally I was drawn to the fox design, but after some thought I decided that I preferred it in the cream and pale grey to darker tones because of how the colours of a lampshade can affect the light in the room. The colours of all the designs are so beautiful and well combined that they seem to make my mouth water. The cotton napkins adorned with root vegetable screen prints are a prime example, with their exquisite array of purples, oranges and blues!
