Reasons to visit Hebden Bridge part one hundred and one...

Juan, the guy who balances stones is becoming quite a feature of a sunny day in Hebden Bridge. Today he was out in style and had created his graceful stone sculptures along a large stretch of the river.

I was overhearing a sceptical couple watching him and not believing that he could possibly be balancing them without some kind of aid or magic!

But he does. He stays with his stones for a long long time patiently balancing and re-balancing until he can let go and leave them teetering and seeming to defy gravity. His patience is amazing. He has more that most! It reminded me of a quote by Einstein that I read the other day. He said 'It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer.' The stone balancing is a kind of meditation. He gets into a zone with the stones and stays there until they balance.

The other great thing about Hebden right now is all the knitting. You see the bunting in the picture? Every flag is knitted and it's part of the Hebden Bridge Arts Festivals ( i got the email about it but I'm a rubbish knitter) 'yarnstorming'. Lots of people made garlands and bunting and colourful knitted buns hanging in trees - even all the bollards wore woolly hats. I love living here.

(I just read that Juan is doing stone balancing classes in town too)

Open Studio and Seconds Sale!

It's time again for the Hebden Bridge Open Studios where you can visit over 65 artists and designers in their workshops all over Hebden Bridge and the surrounding area. I wish my desk always looked this tidy. It certainly won't during the open studio because...

I'm having a SECONDS SALE and it will be covered in bargain lamps!

I have a drawer full of near misses, petals that slipped, things cut a bit wonky, the odd eyelash trapped in the laminating haha. Mostly there's not a lot wrong with them and people look at me a bit strange for being such a perfectionist. Next week we'll be getting them all out, building them up and giving them their very own BARGAIN price so I hope you can come along and join the rummage.

Friday, Saturday & Sunday 1st, 2nd and 3rd of July.



Hebden has some great studios. There are a lot in old mills and many people are opening up their houses this year too. There is a website and a brochure. If anyone would like me to send them a brochure in advance just let me know and I'll do that happily.

Loula Belle

I LOVE this photo so much. This is my daughter and her friends modelling for Loula Belle at home in the launderette (yes they did get a few funny looks). Leonie Stephenson makes these gorgeous vintage style pinnies in the most pretty fabrics. I saw Leonies work for the first time the other evening when Fiona had a brilliant fashion party at her house. They are beautifully made and would turn baking into the most stylish affair! Leonie gave me her business card with this image on when I saw her but seeing it over on on 7071 design blog just now made me want to put it on my blog too!!!

Loula Belle keeps a lovely blog with lots of recipe ideas (she made a gorgeous lemon drizzle the other night) and this is her shop.

Big Things Ahead

I am sooooo proud of this amazing girl! This is a joyful interview with her on the Big Things blog. It's a lovely read all about her photography and the books and zines that she publishes.

And just in case you think I'm always blogging about Ffion and not about my boy Euan well let me tell you, I'm equally as proud of him.

This is his Sound Cloud page where you can hear his latest musical creations. They send shivers up my spine. He's amazing.

Wow! My best creations ever!

It's a boy!

I have the most amazing of weeks. My friend invited me to be her birthing partner...well part of 'team birth' with her partner. I went down to Hastings to be with them last Sunday when her waters broke and then we waited and waited and drank tea and ate biscuits (and the obvious hot curry) and walked on the beach and waited some more.

There was stopping and starting but the little guy in her belly was obviously very happy and comfortable and didn't really want to come out no matter how hard she tried. And tried she did. She was AMAZING. He was finally born by C section on Friday morning. And what a little bundle or gorgeousness!

Being there for the labour was something I will never forget. It was a roller coaster of emotion. Intimate, painful, exciting, exhausting. It's been a long time since I've done an all nighter and I still have the huge bags under my eyes. It was such an honour to be there with these lovely people at such a special time. I'm still all dreamy about it. I'm going to have to make alot of trips down there to visit!

Pouch Panic Over

Panic over! Laminating pouches are back in the country so I can make my lamps again much sooner that expected!

I am away from own computer for a few more days so I can't remove the notices all over my website saying 'this product is currently unavailable due to the national shortage of laminating pouches' so I thought I would just announce it on my blog!

I can make everything again! :)

Friday Morning Walk with the birds and the bees

I've had the most gorgeous walk this morning. I think I must be a bit in tune with the birds and the bees, or perhaps my clothes are more camouflaged than usual because it's been one of those up close to nature days where the little birdies haven't flown away but have just gone about there business in my presence. I watched a family of tree creepers by the bridge in Nutclough Woods for ages doing their thing in a big beech tree while was a pair of blackbirds hopped about on the forest floor and a little robin sang a hearty tune for us. Then a little later a pair of Goldfinches at the edge of the field.

(this is not my picture by the way, I didn't want to risk getting my camera out)
I watched them for ages trying to remember what they were from my days in Wales before CATS when I had a bird feeder outside my window which attracted all sorts of beauties (alas no more on our cat infested cobbledy Yorkshire Street-peril for birdies). So sweet with their bright yellow tail feathers and stripey heads. I saw a couple of pheasants (are there more about than usual, I've seen more this year than I have in my life) and Mr heron fishing in the river. On the way home I was intrigued by the people looking over the wall at something. There was a swarm of bees gathering at the base of a tree. They were working out how to move them. I love living here!

I put a few more piccies on Flickr.

Plea for laminating pouches!!!

It seems that in business there is always some challenging hurdle to overcome. We have had all sorts of little complications over the years, poppers losing their pop, papers being discontinued, metal rod chopping machine being blunt and causing legs to become loose, repetitive strain injuries from too much cutting.....you get the drift. This weeks problem is large A2 laminating pouches being out of stock NATIONALLY. In my 8 years of making I have always been able to ring up and order them for next day delivery. Four weeks ago, I did just that only to find they were out of stock until the end of May. Now I am told they will be at least another EIGHT weeks away. Oh arg. I'm already behind with my orders.

So I can't make tall lamps, oval lamps, floor lamps, wall panels or wall lamps until at least August. All my stock has dwindled the past month since they ran out so there are none available.

I CAN however make lots and lots and lots and lots of small lamps and that's just what I'll be doing today.

If anyone has any laminating pouches tucked away anywhere I would love to buy them. Very specific ones though. They have to be A2 350micron flat matt laminating pouches. Nothing else will do! Do get in touch and I will smile forever!

*********(Hey, just adding this paragraph on 8th June.) They have just called to say they are BACK IN STOCK so the panic is over. I can't take off the 'this product is currently available' notices from my website as I am away for a few days but thought I'd announce on my blog that all is well again and products can again be ordered! HOOORAY!!!**********