A whole year!

I have been so slow at blogging this past year... oh! I have been making things for the baby and doing projects and work...and not spending anytime photographing things or writing about them...I want to! But here is a collection of pictures from her first birthday party with a few bits I made for it: A panda cake, some flags for the food, birthday bunting, bags of sweets and extra decorations, I love the Japanese paper balloons!
I had such fun preparing for it and it was a beautiful sunny day spent with lovely friends and family.

Doll Project Number 4

I've started the next doll project - I was so sad at having finished the last one that I set-up the next one almost straight away!

The last one I set-up has it's own blog and is still on show at the V&A Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green in London.

This next one has a new blog and a lovely new set of makers. It'll run for the next nine months until everyone has worked on each doll and then the surprise will be sent back... can't wait!

My doll is called Elodie but I can't show any more than this or it'll ruin the surprise for the other doll makers in the project... we have to keep them a secret. I am very bad at keeping secrets and at having surprises, I am too impatient. I want to know what they all look like NOW!!!!

Home making for the baby

I've been playing with things pretty for the baby too (well, ok, for me really, she is far too young to appreciate them just yet). This gorgeous bear was made by Alice who was a very lovely assistant! He is called Ernest and for the moment guards a chair that is far too big for the baby. You can see more creations from Alice Gabb here. I've also put up some colourful prints by Hannah Waldron who used to be in a studio down the corridor from me at Cockpit Arts. I bought pictures and finger puppets from her each open studio and I'm very happy to finally have some of them on the wall.


There are also a few shelves with bits ready to go on the wall... but not up yet! Here are a few of them:
* Teddy and Teddy the two knitted bears, the original by my mum and the remake by Aunty Jan,
* a tile from Katy by Rob Ryan; a bird with the message 'I am going to have a baby'; so, so sweet!
* a little postcard by The Claudettes,
* a letterpressed card from a vintage game that reads 'What is your favorite name for a child?',
* a print made by my new sister-in-law Mithi who is coming up to her final year show for her Illustration degree,
* and finally a dolls wardrobe that my mum and dad made for me from a wine box when I was a child, which I have painted and relined, it'll be a while before she is big enough to play with it though!

Home Making

I've had a lovely chance to make some things for our home and the baby; not much chance, but when ever I have, I have relished it! The latest is one I have been itching to do for months - our house number embroidered onto a starched doily from the local charity shop. I had never used starch before and now I am hooked - it's magic stuff! No more confused looking delivery men. And I even washed the front door and step and cleaned the window.

Doll Project Number 3 (Bunny returns)

My doll is home!! I am so excited that she has finally made it back after being added to by everyone in the project. She is absolutely beautiful; a fluffy pompom tail and a 'bunny' tattoo, a cashmere hat, a tiny bunny doll, a knitted scarf, a carrot apron (for making Rabbit pie without the rabbit), a pet rabbit, a shell souvenir, some badges and.... a baby!!! I LOVE HER!! More detailed picture to come.

Now I am going to parcel her back up and send her to Lucy May (book artist) who has arranged for them to be exhibited at the V&A Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood. So exciting, thank you so much Lucy, and it will be fantastic to have them all in the same place at the same time. More info to come....

Kirsty (print designer and baby bootie maker) has put all of our pictures into a book so we can have a record of the project and the dolls; THANK YOU Kirsty!! You can see a preview of the book here.