Week 27/52 Weeks: Making Things
As well as painting and drawing, I like to sew. My Grandmother, Gladys, taught me how to sew and embroider when I was a little girl. The very first thing I ever made was for her. It was a little bag for her hair grips, and she kept it in the pocket of her dressing gown until she was old.
Rachel Lucie Jewellery Designs + Gorjuss Art
Rachel Lucie Jewellery Designs:
Rachel Lucie Bracelet
So, recently (as I rarely buy my self anything) I treated myself to a couple of pretties as I have had quite a bit of work lately, sold some art etc. And as I feel the need to share and show off the talents of these clever people. Here they are.
I acquired this beautiful bracelet from the ever so talented Rachel Lucie (for whom I recently undertook some graphic design work). It’s absolutely fabulous, and is a charm bracelet constructed from an oxidized silver chain that is polished, with lovely stones that are kyanite (apple green), iolite (indigo), smoky quartz and silver freshwater pearls. It’s really beautiful, delicate and very pretty. It’s colours suit me perfectly and is currently my favourite piece of jewellery.
Do take a moment to go and look at Rachel’s web site and one of her many her shops, as her jewellery is so lovely and elegant, also..she has been featured in Vogue, indeed!
Rachel Lucie Bracelet
Gorjuss Art:
Secondly, on facebook recently, I noticed Mr.G from Gorjuss flagging up one of Suzanne’s fabulous illustrations on some notebooks being sold on Amazon. There were not a lot left in stock, and as they were quite reasonably priced, I decided to nab me one quick. It was being sold with a free Santoro pen and included a pretty little bookmark. I was thrilled to bits. It’s utterly gorgeous 
and almost too nice to use. It’s pages are lined, free and grid and in different colours with little icons here and there. Love it…
Gorjuss Top of the World Notebook
School Project Mark I
Have you ever seen that ‘Grumpy Old Women‘ episode where they talk about the ‘letters from school’ and having to make things for school projects? Costumes, cakes, makes etc, and the terror of looking in the school bag to find yet another letter from the school asking for this that and the other. Contributions for this, help to make that, donations for this, cartoons, carboard, this list is endless…
Well, a few weeks ago I was handed a blue piece of cloth, and a letter explaining that we needed to make a collage hand for a community project in which all finished hands would be put together to make one big collage. We had to use the blue square with which they had supplied us, and we could then use anything else we wanted. Fabric, paper, glitter, all sorts.
Being a creative person, I had lots of good ideas, but then like most things in my life, I left it to the last minute. So, realising the deadline was upon me, I pinned down my protesting daughter, drew around her hand (so I could at least with a clear conscience claim she had been involved), used the cutout as a stencil and used some pink felt for the hand shape. I Got some PVA from her craft box, and the day before the deadline start gluing on my stars and sequins, having used spray mount to affix the hand. That worked quite well. I left it for 24 hours, which I thought would be ample time for it to dry. It did indeed dry, however, when I lifted my square, all the stars and sequins started to fall off. I then re glued again with craft glue. Left it for two hours, went back..again everything fell off.
By this time I was getting desperate as I had only an hour to go before I had to hand it over, the deadline having all ready been and gone. Frantically I rushed upstairs to my studio and got my very expensive (only to be used for serious art work) pot of Golden Matte Gel Medium. I got some more glue, and carefully stuck my stars (beginning to look a little worse for wear) and sequins down and painted the gel medium over the the top, then somewhat haphazardly and over enthusiastically covered it in glitter, it actually worked a treat.
I left it pinned to the line to dry and carefully carried it to the school and handed it over with nary a backwards glance, relieved to be rid of it.
It was a stressful day all told and am so looking forward to my next school project.
Hand for school project
Hand for school project
Scandinavian Matryoshka Art Doll Fru Glede by Ravenhill
SALE Scandinavian Matryoshka Art Doll Fru Glede by Ravenhill.
Isn’t this beautiful. I have decided I really love these dolls. Not the traditional wooden nested ones, but the fabric kind like these, so pretty. I find myself looking at them all the time, and would love to have one in my studio or bedroom for inspiration.
This one is made by Ravenhill, a UK based artisan. Her attention to detail, use of lovely fabrics and her light touch are easily spotted. I want this doll, and think I will be making a purchase soon.
Lorrie Whittington
Visual Artist and Designer
Chichester, UK
