Butterfly On Cow Parlsey

A lady commissioned me to make a Cow Parsley and Butterfly lamp and today I have been working on it. I think it's quite pretty.... but that's enough work for a bank holiday Monday. Now we're off for a big family tea at my sisters....hooray!

Oona Patterson

Last week I met a guy in my shop and he told me that his daughter worked with paper too and that I might like to look at her website. Well I did and I was utterly blown away by her work. You must have a look. Her name is Oona Patterson and she makes tiny magical worlds from paper to illustrate poems and stories that she has written. The piece above is called 'Digging Words'. Look at all the tiny, tiny people excavating this book. Amazing! There are so many awe inspiring illustrations and sculptures on her website. Her Dad was obviously very proud. My Dad was in the shop with me that day too and they both had a gushing proud father moment together. Bless 'em!

The Spirit Collection at the Darwin Centre

Every now and again me and my friend Natalie (owner of the gorgeous gallery 339 in Halifax) go and have a couple of days in London for our fix of inspiration and I have just returned from a couple of fantastic days. The sun shone (a little too hard on Oxford Street mid Monday afternoon....yes we were crazy to be there but we had somewhere to go...) and we soaked up the atmosphere, visited inspiring design shops and ate astoundingly good food. Ottolenghi had divine salads and I will be attempting to make some of those myself (might buy the cookbook). Yauatcha for Dim Sum in the evening was spectacular with beautifully presented dishes and amazing interior design...oh and the longest fish tank I have ever seen.

We were travelling light so I didn't take my camera out much (it's heavy and I had sunburned shoulders) and when I arrived at The Natural History Museum yesterday I have to say I was kicking myself. I haven't been there since I was a child (I have photos of me next to the dinosaurs) and since seeing that Museum of Life series on TV recently I have been very excited about going. I was a bit awe struck actually. What I really wanted to do was go rummaging in all those storerooms and look in drawers of butterflies and beetles, something you can't do unless you work there BUT my desire was fulfilled when I found the Spirit Collection in the Darwin Centre. Oh My Goodness. Jars and jars of creatures preserved in alcohol, some 200 years old all labelled and dated with curly old fashioned handwriting. Big jars, small jars, jars within jars full of fascinating shapes and textures. Plants, mollusc's, fish, starfish, snakes, seahorses, even mammals. It may sound gruesome. In fact there was a large party of school kids screeching and errrring and saying 'Oh my God sir have you seen this?' with a mixture of fascination and disgust. When they had gone I was all alone and I took my shoes off (London feet ACHING) got my notebook out and had to draw them.



I had such a lovely time and have come back full of ideas and inspired to do some drawings (never mind this light making lark!). Must remember to go more often!

Hebden's Bridge is 500 years old!

Did you know the packhorse bridge (the bridge of Hebden Bridge) is 500 years old this year? That's a lot of years isn't it. It has seen a lot of goings on in it's time! There are all kinds of events taking place around town over the coming months to mark the celebrations like 500 voices where 500 singers will meet around the bridge on the 4th July to sing together and 500 words where you're invited to write, you guessed it, 500 words about the town. There will be re-enactments, exhibitions, food, films and lots more. Have a look at the Hebden Bridge 500 website to find out more....there's even a original Hebden Bridge typeface by graphic designer Mike Barrett, based on the weathered lettering on the three old plaques on the bridge. It's available to download and everything! Very cool.

I have made a lamp with the Hebden Bridge 500 logo on it to mark the occasion and they will be available from Radiance.

Annastassia Elias

I just got very excited when I found these on Behance Network. Gorgeous little paper cut worlds inside toilet roll tubes by Annastassia Elias. Go and have a look. There are loads more.

Art Market

I'd like to invite you all to the next Art Market in Holmfirth. It runs for two Sundays, the 6th and 13th June. I'll be doing the first one. I've never done this show before but I have heard nothing but great things about it. This is the fifth one they have done and each time it grows a little bit more in it's reputation for being a place to buy and sell great work by designer/makers. I'm really looking forward to it. Look at the makers list! There are some great people exhibiting!

Blom!

I brought some of Jurianne Matters 'Blom' home from Radiance (perk of the job) to brighten up the house. They really are the most joyous things. An everlasting bunch of flowers. They want to live on the windowsill....and on the coffee table....and on top of the piano...and on the kitchen table. They look beautiful everywhere. I might have to take them with me wherever i go!