Bright Ideas Show at Craft Central

These are the display cabinets in the entrance lobby of Craft Central, there are 16 in all, divided into 4 lots of 4. I created a scene and story in each strip, this is the first one with them on stage.... (I have added a couple more below this one) and because there were so many cabinets to fill, I also brought in a few things from my big cabinet at home to help fill it up. Here are few of them:

Lovely old cotton reels, and a some wool cards. I collect these lovely pieces of haberdashery and find them the best inspiration for colours and styles for my illustrations and cards.

I found this tiny cup at the village fair a few years ago, it reads 'Mother' in gold. It was the best 20p I spent that day! I'm now on the lookout for a saucer for it, and maybe a teapot and jug.


And this sweet little card is from an old game. You spin the wheel to get a letter of the alphabet and then pick a card and answer it beginning with that letter. Each of the cards is soft, textured, heavy paper and the type is pressed into it quite far, they have a beautiful quality.

Photo credit: Sarah Murphy

Mischeivous Mauds Bedtime

Maud in bed with her teddy Teeny Timmy. I have made a batch of Teeny Timmys for the Christmas sales, they are about 2 inches high and made from the scraps left over from Maud and Boris, they have tiny reclaimed leather ears. Maud is tucked up in bed (my mums old jewelley box) with some crisp cotton bed linen (lace table runners) and a good book (a grusome Victorian miniature).

Photo Credit: Sarah Murphy

Bothersome Boris Baking

This is his biscuit recipe for all butter biscuits with icing, and here he is baking with one of my miniature stoves.
I read an Enid Blyton story when I was young about a little girl who accidentally left her (fully working electric) toy stove at the bottom of her garden overnight. The fairies and elves used the stove that night and, to say thank you to her for having used it, they left her some tiny, tiny cakes and a note. I wanted that so badly - the stove I could cook small cakes on, and most especially for some fairies to make a tiny cake for me.

Photo Credit: Sarah Murphy

Sleeping Baby

A tweed sleeping baby. I've been starting to get some bits ready for the opens studios next weekend, and heres one of the Sleeping babies I've made. Their faces are sewn onto old linens and they have embroidered eyes and rosy pink cheeks. Their bodies are made from soft cashmere and wool tweeds. There are a few of them ready now and I feel like I have to be quite quiet around them (which is rather hard for me) - they look so calm and serene!

Peg Doll Fairy

My studio is at Cockpit Arts in Deptford and as a special niceness for the Christmas Open Studios they have asked us each to make a decoration for a tree that will be given as a prize to one of the visitors. This peg doll fairy is one of mine. She's a lot like the Peg Dolls I made for the Lucky Dip swaps last year, only this one has antique lace wings and very pink ballet tights. I've just realised that I haven't given her a name... ummm.... 'Angel'!

Cockpit Arts Deptford, Christmas Open Studios
18-22 Creekside
London SE8 3DZ
Friday 30th November 12am-9pm Admission Free on Friday
Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd December 11am-6pm Admission £2.00.

Bunny in his Innocent Smoothie hat

My mum knitted this rabbit for me this summer from the softest left-over cashmere from a very snuggly shawl that she made a few years ago and Auntie Jan stuffed him and sewed him up. He lives in my studio and with it being winter now, it's started to get a little bit cold. I found the perfect hat for him from Innocent Smoothies Help the Aged charity Big Knit. The smoothie was delicious, and the hat looks so sweet, I smile every time I look at him.