Oh Japanese Screw Punch, where have you been all my life?

I have just bought the best tool EVER. How many years have I been trying to make holes in paper but have been limited by the jaw of my hole punch? ...well at least ten I can tell you. Everything changed when discovered this marvellous tool on my bookbinding course last week. Rachel and Wendy both had one and I just couldn't believe my little eyes when I saw it. This Japanese screw punch has a clever mechanism which simply drills a hole down into paper, card or even leather and it has interchangeable nibs too for different sized holes. And look at the packaging. How utterly cute is he! 

It is beautiful and effortless to use. So much easier than poking holes with an empty rotaring pencil, like I have been doing for years and years (see all those white dots on the cutting mat there? They are the holes I've left behind).

I got mine at Hewitt and Sons bookbinding and leather supplies. Pricey but worth every penny. The screw punch also a Japanese website where I read that they were invented in 1977! When I was just FIVE. All these years and I haven't even heard of one. Makes me wonder what other tools I've been missing out on. If anyone knows anything that I should know do tell!

Book Binding adventures on The Summer Isles

(from a book by Rachel Hazell)

I have just returned from a very special weekend workshop with the wonderful book binder Rachel Hazell on a tiny Highland island in the big blue sea. What an adventure we have had, travelling with my friend Natalie (from Galley 339) we set out early for a flight over mountains and lochs to Inverness and then a coach winding through stunning scenery to Ullapool where we met up with other course participants at the lovely Ceilidh Place. Once we were all revived with tea and cake we all piled in a big taxi and wound around even more mountains and lochs to meet with our sweet little boat,

who was called Patricia,

(just discovered lots of gorgeous paintings of Patricia by Hazel Velacott)

and she took us over the sea to Tanera Mor. 

 The island is small and has no roads (no ROADS...amazing) so Lizzie and Richard (lovely lovely people who gave up their desk jobs three years ago for a more adventurous and wholesome life looking after the island)  had to transport our bags by rowing boat 

while we made our way along mossy paths to Fuchsia Cottge.

And it was here that the papery fun took place. The workshop was called 'Maps, Charts and Other discoveries' and Rachel showed us how to make our own hand bound book inspired by this theme. 

How wonderful to have three whole days totally engrossed in...

folding,

cutting,

colouring in,

 printing,

and collaging poetry whilst sharing stories and belly laughs with five amazing women. Lizzie is a remarkable cook and made us gorgeous soups and stews and fish pies. It seemed that no sooner had we sat down after lunch we'd see Lizzie coming along the path with our supper. We were very well fed!

The island was so beautiful. I was very happy to see an otter one evening at dusk and I was mystified by a strange noise I heard outside the same evening. It turned out to be Snipe rubbing their tail feathers together. It wasn't the giant prehistoric dragonfly that the noise conjured up!

I took a walk one early morning loving the huge mountains in the distance

and the tiny lichens,

 seaweeds,

and mosses underfoot.

We were sad to have to leave but excited by another beautiful journey.

We waved goodbye to our little cottage 

and discovered that the whole of Scotland (except the island...how weird) was covered in snow. STUNNING...and a little hairy at times on those winding roads..

I made a book (that's a WHOLE other blog post to come) and I also made some friends. 

I miss my new bookbinding family and I hope we will meet again soon. 

Rachel  (they don't call her the Travelling Bookbinder for nothing) does book binding workshops all over the world at beautiful venues for the adventurous. This year - Shetland, Stockholm, Cornwall, Edinburgh, Tuscany, Venice, Skye and Paris. Have a look at her website to find out how to have to have a book binding adventure of your own and be sure to watch this gorgeous video to inspire you.

Part two will follow soon!

Sneak Peek

We have just set up a website/blog for Illuminate where you can find out more about the book, and about me (if you didn't know already), take a sneak peek inside and perhaps, just maybe pre-order a copy!!!!

Thanks to my daughter Ffion for the website design and build. Ffion is going to uni next year to do Software Engineering and loves a project like this. And doesn't she do it beautifully. There's a big project for her around the corner too as her and Robert are going to make me a new website for my lamps. Lots to plan with that one.

Anyway I hope you'll go and have a closer look at the book!

Saltaire Arts Trail

I'm going to be exhibiting in an Open House at the Saltaire Arts Trail between the 5th and 7th May. It's the first time I've been involved with the festival and I'm really looking forward to it. I love the concept of open houses( I have done a few in Brighton where the trend began) where artists exhibit work in (willing) peoples homes and the public can come and not only see lovely art and craft, but they can have a good nosey around someone's house too! 

I'll be exhibiting at 71 George Street with seven other artists which is one of 14 houses on the trail this year.

There's loads more going on too (as you can see from this flyer) and the website is brilliant with loads of info about all the houses and about Saltaire itself, which is steeped in industrial history and is now a world heritage site. I love the illustrations on the site too. So sweet.

If you've never been to Saltaire before you won't have been to Salts Mill with it's David Hockney galleries, and all it's shops and cafes. It's a tremendous place. It's always amazing to be in such a huge architectural space. It's vast and it's got the most fantastic bookshop. I sooooo hope to see my book there one day.

Hope you can make it.

Mothers Day

So blessed. Two lovely kids who know how much I love flowers.

A problem shared....

When I started the Hello Soul Hello Business e-course in January it was advised that if we have more that one business it would be best to choose just one to concentrate on for the duration of the course.  As Radiance has had all the attention lately with it's sparkly new website and it's continued growth I decided to concentrate on 'Hannah Nunn' the artist.

'At LAST' said Hannah Nunn, 'I have FINALLY got your attention! You have done so well with Radiance,' she said 'but to tell you the absolute truth I am FRUSTRATED. Radiance demands so much of your attention, Radiance takes up so much space, it makes SO much mess on my desk when it wraps it's parcels and receives new stock. I haven't got the head space to concentrate on all the beautiful new work and projects that I keep dreaming up. I have loads of ideas and things I'd like to make but it's so itty bitty. I can't get into the flow of creating that I so love because it is really distracting me'.

Oh heck! And Radiance and Hannah Nunn continued to bicker over space and time management for the next few weeks until they completely fell out! :(

Meanwhile Hannah Nunn dreamed of having a beautiful spacious light and airy studio space (cue Pinterest Business Dreamboard)

and Radiance could spread out without being moaned at and Hannah could go and spread her wings somewhere else. Now obviously this means more money, more staffing, a conundrum for Mathew (does he work for HN or is he Radiance) and more complication but it is all do-able. We know from experience that you have to take risks in business in order to grow. She checked out fears and assessed risks to make sure is wasn't those gremlins holding her back but something still wasn't sitting right.

Now everyone knows it's not a good feeling to fall out with something that you have been completely in love with for a long time. Very uncomfortable indeed. Something needed to change and I have been trying out so many different scenarios in my mind to try and bring them back together again whilst acknowledging the needs of both. As we were about to move into the house upstairs it seemed crazy to move my studio out. I liked the thought of having everything in one building. I liked the thought of sneaking down to my quiet studio at night....

One sleepless night I was scribbling furiously in my journal at 2am. If I could take everything out of my work premises, the shop and the studio and just have a blank canvas again what would I do? I looked back at the photos of when it was empty before I moved in. ..ohhhh how nice....

And I reflected on my amazing situation. I mean hows this for a story? I live in a beautiful Victorian four story building in a stunning nature rich valley that fills me with inspiration for my work. The bottom floor of my house happens to have been converted into a gorgeous shop space with original windows and a lovely fireplace and has a back room with flagged floors, sash windows and a wood burning stove. This shop happens to be on Hebden Bridge's Market Street famous for it's quirky independent shops and artistic nature that has people flocking in from miles around. The shop space is in the front room and in the backroom I have a beautiful studio where I make my lamps and sell them in the shop. Alongside my own work I have a collection of other artist made lighting to complement mine. It's perfect. If that was someone else's life I'd want it! There HAD to be a way to make it work!

Anyway, we moved into our new house but I was still struggling. How could I create a peaceful studio space for myself in a small chaotic space? How could I claw back some time for Hannah the artist?

Well yesterday after much ear bashing of friends a family (thankyou) I found a way and the the solution involved a few things, some of which I had already and some I need to acquire. A garden shed ( will fit perfectly in the yard and can store a lot), some magazine files, (to neaten a wealth of things) a new desk top (with our Ikea delivery) and some noise reducing headphones (can anyone recommend any good ones?), but mostly it has been the love of some GOOD GOOD people. While I was out on Wednesday, Matthew, in an attempt to cheer me up, cleared out the crazy alcove which was so stuffed with cardboard boxes that I couldn't reach my books or files or so much even look in that direction. It was a simple kindly act that changed everything. I suddenly could envisage a desk in there. A quiet private corner all to myself unseen from the shop. 

Ta-dah! Robert fixed me up a desk top, my computer came down from upstairs so that I have everything i use for work in one place (at last). Now I have a desk for designing on the computer and a desk for cutting and making.

We had a massive clear out and thought about how we could make the most of what we had. These lovely old clipboards are a good way to organise lots of different projects and ideas.

and these shelves that have been hanging around doing nothing made excellent bulb and tape storage (oh my Dad is going to be so pleased with that). 

I feel one hundred billion zillion times better and couldn't wait to get to work again this morning. THAT's more like it. Hannah Nunn and Radiance reunited and falling in love again! In hindsight it looks a bit like I had a BIG paddy just to get a new desk. Hahaha! Really it has been a long intricate process of untangling, shining a light on many matters, making the absolute most of what I've got and getting things straight on many levels. Just some time management issues to refine, but funnily enough that's what Hello Soul Hello Business has been about this week!

NOW it's really time for some work!!!

Home Sweet Home

Since I last wrote, things have changed. We have moved house and we all love it. We've been here a couple of weeks now and we are all filling out into the new space and making it home.

I love coming downstairs each morning and lingering at the kitchen table. I can get the juicer out as the bedrooms are so far away that I won't wake anyone up. I am making a new habit of sitting at the table after breakfast and reading something inspiring...even if it's only for ten minutes just because it's nice to be there.

 Everything is new. There are new places for things (taken some getting used to),  lots of new keys (also taken some getting used to), new STAIRS...(we now have three big flights of stairs)

 and after living in a flat for 9 years you can imagine how many times we are UP and DOWN when we've forgotten things! 

I love that there is room and LIGHT for plants again, which I have missed.

 I had the talented Clare Scott build a shelf in the bathroom especially for succulents.

Look how this one is coming along Wendy. It has three whole leaves now AND it has flowered (and look how the leaves match the sofa).

(Tomsk looking very handsome)

And as well as there being room for plants and cats there is plenty of room for people too...

 Look how many lads Euan can fit in his room in one go now...

and look at this little guy who came to stay this weekend  (with his Mummy and brother and sister). What an absolute cutie. Our house has well and truly 'warmed' by lovely people this weekend.

And I don't have far to go to work. Down some stairs and I'm in the shop. Will I ever go outside again? It's a good job the pull of the woods is strong or I might not!

I hope you enjoyed your little tour. Thanks for coming to my new house. x

Illuminate

Look look! Illuminate has a front cover! We are on the way. The stunning lampshade illuminating the front cover is by Allison Patrick from Zipper 8 Lighting based in New York. It is the most perfect image to have on the front. I love it.

So today I send the final, final (fingers crossed) layouts back to the publishers and then the 43 artists profiles and the 171 beautiful images and the many thousands of words of inspiration and story will go off to be printed.

And do you know what else? It's on Amazon! It was pretty amazing to see that for the first time yesterday. I hope you will share my excitement!