The next Midcentury Modern Show is at Dulwich College on Sunday 18th March. There will be dealers selling vintage ceramics, textiles, furniture and ephemera from the 50s, 60s and 70s. There will also be designer makers selling contemporary products.
Smashing Chintz is now listed on the Modern Shows website.
With the first day of the new year, it was time to be back in the studio yesterday. I've got ideas for new work and need to start making! I caught the V&A's 'Power of Making' exhibition on Saturday before it finished today. I liked the glossary of A-Z definitions of making processes in the exhibition leaflet and put these up on the wall of my studio.
The January issue of Making Magazine, which is published by the Guild of Master Craftsmen, features a mosaic bowl project that I was asked to do.
The January issue of Making magazine (number 16) came out today. Before heading to buy a copy I had a look around the Garden Museum's shop (it was a special Christmas shopping night after all) and spotted Esther Coomb's quirky plant labels made from broken crockery. I had to have one for my herb window box! What a coincidence though. Reading through Making magazine later on this evening, there's a lovely four page article about Esther and her work. I really agreed with her remark that running your own business involves a whole range of tasks apart from the making, 'People are amazed that I might only spend a day or two each week drawing, making and creating.'
Also in the same issue is my tutorial on making a mosaic bowl from an up-cycled metal IKEA bowl.
I had a fantastic time at Hope & Elvis in Nottinghamshire last weekend. Louise Presley is a great host and workshop organiser.
I had 14 students who made amazing mosaics throughout the day. I don't know if it's because they are already used to 'making' and textiles but they seemed to transfer their skills readily to the medium of mosaic!
During the morning they made mosaic mirrors - learning the skills of cutting and placing. By the afternoon they were ready for some more intricate work - working on a smaller scale to create Christmas decorations, mosaic hearts and teapots.
I was so impressed with the amount of and quality of work produced. There are lots more photos on the Facebook pages of Hope & Elvis and Smashing Chintz. I am looking forward to returning next year to run a similar workshop. Meanwhile, Louise has lots of lovely workshops on offer... (check out her website)
There's also a fabulous cafe & gallery on the Welbeck Estate. Last Saturday the cafe had been reviewed by the Times Newspaper as a top place to have tea and cake. (their lunch was great too!)
I thought I'd post a couple of close-up photos from yesterday's workshop - I love the way in which words and text were incorporated into the mirror frames.
Thanks to Brionny for her hand 'made' mosaic.
Thanks to Liz Kent for creating mosaics with messages..
Next month I'm at Hope & Elvis in Nottinghamshire for a workshop with a Christmas feel. I've just been ordering Christmas trees, holly and hearts in preparation. Not real ones - wood cut-outs! I'm really looking forward to another visit to Louise Presley's treasure trove studio. http://www.hopeandelvis.com/workshops.html
This weekend we are opening our studios at Lewisham Arthouse and there'll be a pop-up cafe with home made cakes as well as site-specific works around the building (including a rather wonderful elephant in the foyer!).
Alexandra Valy's installation in the foyer
Entry is free and we are open from 12 - 6pm on Saturday 1st & Sunday 2nd October. It's the opening night tomorrow evening and as I type I can hear last minute preparations in other studios and my husband hammering nails into his last few picture frames!
My annual/biennial camping trip to France ended recently with a beautiful ferry crossing back from Dieppe.
This time I didn't get to see many mosaics or gardens but saw lots of France! Over three weeks we drove through the Loire to the Ile de Re (on the west coast). We then followed the Gironde estuary to Bordeaux, where the Dordogne starts. We followed it as far as Argentat before heading back up to cross the Loire. We stopped at Chartres before heading to Rouen. Then it was back to Dieppe. I love camping next to water whether it's a river or the sea. This summer I got to swim in both.
At Souillac on the Dordogne there's a wonderful museum of automata. Many of the objects are mechanical toys made in the 19th & 20th century by a family business/shop called Roullet & Descamps based in Paris. It's sad that the shop only closed in the 1980s. One of my favourites was the laughing man, who rocked around in laughter. I had to take a photo of the daschund in the box with accessories. I also liked the doll's house dresser with it's glassware, china and ship theme! (although it's not automata)
One of the last stops on the trip was Chartres where every August illuminations light up the outside of buildings. The cathedral is always spectacular but even this Church of St Pierre looks beautiful lit with a myriad of colours and shapes - even the trees illuminated with pattern.
Also in Chartres but which I didn't get to visit this trip, is the wonderful mosaic Picassiete house made by Raymond Isidore in the mid decades of the 20th century. It's also known as the house of the thousand fragments! It is now a listed monument.
I did get to have a meal out at a favourite restaurant and pudding!
I popped across the other day to Craft Central in Clerkenwell with a bag full of work and props for a photoshoot. With the wonderful help of http://www.full-focus.co.uk I've now got a new set of photos. Some of the props I used included wooden printing blocks I found in France years ago, my great Uncle Fred's 60s curtain fabric and some favourite vintage books.
Here's a sneak preview:
The photoshoot was part of the London Style mentoring programme based at the Fashion and Textile Museum and organised by Newham College.
Since I last posted here (absolutely ages ago), I've been on not one but two camping trips to Devon! The first over Easter involved taking my work to an exhibition and the other, a month later, involved collecting it! Both trips included visiting the lovely town of Totnes (the original transition town). And in between, I spent a wonderful weekend in an 'ecopod' in the Hampshire countryside with expeditions by steam train and vintage bus! (My grandfather was a ticket inspector on Hampshire buses)
I've taken loads of photographs, too many to show! (but I've put a few up)
Ropley station on the Watercress Line.
Brixham harbour wall.
Cows on the coastal path from Dartmouth Castle.
Meanwhile, inspired by my trips, I've been busy in the studio making some new work.
Plate purchased from This'n'That - a lovely vintage themed shop in Totnes. The owner organises vintage/nostalgic markets and the next one is on September 24th. Details can be found at http://www.thisnthat-totnes.blogspot.com
Tomorrow in Deptford, Ta Na Deptford have organised a street party which kicks off at 2pm with a street theatre performance followed by a tea dance at 3pm. The Deptford Project will be transforming a train carriage into a 1940s cafe fit for a Wedding Breakfast.
I recently ran a workshop for children and we had a great day making royal wedding inspired mosaic hearts (as well as mirrors and plant pots) using buttons and beads.
I visited Nottingham last weekend and spent Saturday afternoon happily making porcelain brooches in Debbie Bryan's Studio and Shop. Our tutor was Katie Almond who's delicate and intricate looking ceramics I have only just discovered.
Debbie has recently expanded her lovely shop so that she can offer a range of different workshops during the year. For example, this Sunday there's a chance to get advice on starting and running a creative business with enterprise advisor Sara McNicol.
Whilst I was in Nottingham, I delivered some new Smashing Chintz pieces to the shop including vintage plates with transfers which went up on the wall to join some other framed work.
The March issue of Making magazine is out and Smashing Chintz is featured in an article written by Clare Kelly called 'On the Up'. Upcycling is all about transforming something old into something new. I've tended to call it 'recycling' but that could apply to re-using an envelope or a yogurt pot! Upcycling is the term now being adopted for customising objects in order to create a new object. Other makers and designers that get mentioned include Loglike who make lovely animal kits using vintage fabrics (that I've admired for some time), craft duo Alice and Ginny and the collective Re-Found. There's a blog all about upcycling called 'Give Me One Good Raisin'.
I've also got a tutorial in Making magazine on how to make mosaic Cupcake brooches. Another great reason to buy Making magazine! (£4.99 and available at W H Smiths and by subscription)
Steve Wright is going to be opening his House of Dreams next month on Saturday 19th February. Details about the opening times, address and how to book are all below in previous posts....
Discover this corner of London with a visit to Steve Wright's House of Dreams, followed by browsing in the shops and market stalls along North Cross Road on your way to see his wonderful mosaics outside the front (and back) of the popular Blue Mountain Cafe.
Here's one of Steve Wright's mosaics at the Blue Mountain Cafe in North Cross Rd, London SE22.
Then continue by walking (or taking a short drive) to the Centre for Wildlife Gardening at Marsden Road in SE15 (run by the London Wildlife Trust) in Marsden Road where there are a few more mosaics to see.....
Continue to Bellenden Road to see the architectural, alphabetical mosaic designed by the artist Tom Philips and executed by Gary Drostle...
Finally, in Peckham outside the award winning Library designed by Wil Alsop see the architectural mosaic orbs created by ceramic artist Duncan Hooson.
It's January and time to plan ahead for the new year...
On Saturday 22nd January there's another chance to visit the 'House of Dreams'...... Steve Wright is opening up his wonderful house-museum/art installation to the public from 10.30am - 4.30pm. Entry is £10 and includes an artist's talk. (for the address and photos see November's update below)
January's issue of BBC Homes & Antiques Magazine is a vintage special and Smashing Chintz workshops get a mention and some photos in their feature 'Trends for 2011' (under Do It Yourself).
and in January's issue of making magazine (which is also a vintage issue) there's another mention of Smashing Chintz workshops - this time in an article about Louise Presley of Hope and Elvis.
Look out for a feature about Smashing Chintz and up-cycling in a future issue of making magazine.......
Steve Wright's House of Dreams is in East Dulwich, London. It's an amazing house and front garden that has been mosaic-ed inside and out. It's been featured on the pages and front cover of World of Interiors magazine more than once. If you have been to the Blue Mountain Cafe in Dulwich you will be familiar with Steve's work but the house is a whole 'other' experience. I love outsider art like La Maison Picasiette in Chartres and this is a 21st century example right in the heart of London.
I've been fortunate to visit twice - each time it's looked very different as it is an ongoing project and national treasure (it is bequeathed to the National Trust). The House of Dreams is open to the public on Saturday 4th December from 10.30am until 4.30pm at 45 Melbourne Grove, SE22 8RG. Tel 020 8299 3164.
Entry is £10 per person which includes a cup of tea, a mince pie and an artists talk.
Well it was quite an evening... the scene was set with tables set for chatting at, vintage china tea services and cup cakes piled high, forties music in the background and bunting overhead. Other tables were set up for making and doing - needle-felting, crochet, knitting, sewing, painting (and mosaic-ing) with tutors on hand. Then the doors opened ..... and it was non-stop making (in between eating cakes and sipping tea and chatting).
I met some marvelous people - the organisers (especially Helen), other makers and of course the wonderful young people who came along and made the most amazing mosaic hearts. And money was raised for charity at the same time - £3,000!
This is me in my vintage dress bought especially for the occasion from fab vintage shop Rag N Bone in Deptford. Thanks to lovely Marcia of http://www.glammamamma.tumblr.com for the photo and comments! Marcia runs a regular local knitting & crochet evening with Anna of http://www.onehandknits.com
It's been a while since my last post. I've been busy running mosaic workshops for adults and children and I'll be adding some photos of their work to the website. Meanwhile, this Saturday I'm heading off to the Handm@de Craft Fair in Winchester ......
I've just been looking at November's BBC Homes & Antiques magazine which has a feature on the lovely 1930s home of Louise Presley of Hope and Elvis. I'm off up to her wonderful treasure trove (I mean studio) next Saturday to run a workshop and I'm really looking forward to it!
By coincidence October's BBC Homes & Antiques magazine features some Smashing Chintz work! It's difficult to make out in the photo but one of the plates has a flying duck mosaic on and just above the bed head is a plate with a mosaic cow.....
I've been invited to take part in an event for the charity Bliss. It's a Vintage Tea Party with all sorts of crafty fun - all for the price of £15. I'll be doing a mini mosaic workshop. There will be art, sewing, dancing, bunting making, knitting, felting, crochet and tea & cake!
Bliss is a charity that raises money for premature babies.
Here's the finished picture frame I made for the tutorial for UK Handmade. It combines a pretty Booths cup, in a design called 'The Pompadour' which I bought from a bric-a-brac shop in Hastings, with a pale pink and a pale blue mug donated to me by friends. The Booths cup had been broken and glued back together. I like making something new from favourite broken mugs.
Here's a step by step guide to mosaic a small picture frame....
The equipment and materials you will need to do the mosaic with include mosaic nippers for cutting (available from DIY shops), PVA glue, a glue spatula or paint brush, long handled tweezers (optional), goggles or spectacles. A hammer is an alternative to mosaic nippers.
Step 1. Prepare the picture frames.
Take out the glass or perspex and backing board. If the wood is varnished - sand it down. New wood can be treated with a milky solution of PVA glue (water and glue) painted evenly over the wood. This helps things adhere to the wood.
Step 2. Gather the mosaic materials together. Chipped ceramic cups and mugs, broken plates,
beads, buttons, pebbles, shells, mirror......
Step 3. Cutting. Start cutting the ceramic with the mosaic nippers or alternatively you can use a hammer and smash it (put the china inside a magazine or newspaper and place it on a hard floor when using the hammer).
Step 4. Arrange the pieces ready for glueing into place. Tip: use long handled tweezers for positioning small pieces.
Step 5. Glueing. Using a spatula, butter the reverse of each piece with PVA glue or use a paint brush to apply glue to the ceramic pieces. Position into place. Tip: use the tweezers to pick up small pieces and dip into the glue.
Don't put too much nor too little glue onto each piece....
and aim to keep the spaces between pieces the same.
Step 6. Leave to dry for at least 24 hours.
Step 7. Grouting.
The materials and equipment needed for grouting include rubber gloves, goggles, dust mask, a bowl for the grout, water, and old t-shirt, vinegar. I use powdered grout available from DIY shops or specialist tile and mosaic suppliers. You can buy grout pre-mixed in which case you don't need the goggles or dust mask. If you want to colour the grout - add acrylic paint to white powdered grout before adding water.
Mix the grout powder with a small amount of water until it is creamy in texture.
Apply to the mosaic with a spatula working from one corner of the frame all the way around. Push the grout into the spaces and scrape along at the same time. Don't forget the edges.
Leave the grout for a short while (minutes) so that it just starts to dry .....
and then scrape off the excess grout with a spatula. Use a rag (made from an old t-shirt) to clean the remainder of the grout off....
Step 8. Finish off. Leave to dry for 24 hours and then polish with white vinegar and a rag.
The edges of the frame can then be painted with acrylic paint in a colour to complement the grout colour.
Here's a frame with buttons which can be grouted and below with shells, pebbles and beads.....
This time last year I was lucky to gain an additional studio (at the Arthouse) - but within a year I've managed to fill it too! I've been re-organising my studios and sorting them out and this has reminded me of a photograph taken last year by an MA photography student from the London College of Communications.
The unusual thing about the photo is that it is a 360 0 view - here's what my old studio looked like last year:-
I think that it's very clever and it reminds me of my poor attempt to do a 3600 drawing of a landscape when I was an art student.
The weather during August has been disappointing but it's meant that the studios have been a perfect temperature. So I've been sorting mine out and making more space in preparation for some new classes this autumn. I'm going to run some Eco Workshops based on the idea of thriftiness as well as my usual mosaic workshops.
These are going to be an excuse for me to get out my sewing machine and threads as well as an opportunity to do some gardening...
I took this photo yesterday of sunflowers - a sure sign of summer! Today I've been picking raspberries, gooseberries, rocket and broad beans from my very hot and dry allotment. (My sunflowers don't look like this yet!)
Back in April, the lovely people at http://www.frombritainwithlove.com sent along crafts journalist Clare Kelly to one of my mosaic workshops. Clare brought along some of her own vintage china, her grandmother's buttons and some ceramic hearts. She made a fabulous mosaic mirror frame in record time (and managed to take photographs and make notes!). The course notes are up on the From Britain With Love website with photos of Clare's mirror at different stages. Thank you to Clare and thank you to Nicky at From Britain With Love!
I'm back from camping in West Sussex, Dorset and Devon. Here's the latest news and some photos from my trip.
I shall be exhibiting new work at The Harley Gallery during August and September, running a mosaic workshop at Hope and Elvis in October, and taking part in Handm@de Winchester in November.....
... meanwhile Things We Love will be exhibiting some Smashing Chintz work as part of the London Festival of Architecture at the Outsideworld Gallery, Redchurch St, London E2 from 24th June until 4th July.
Clerkenwell Design Week is coming up in May. A selection of Smashing Chintz work can be seen on the Things We Love stand in the festival's Design and Craft Market. The market runs from Tuesday 25th to Thursday 27th May in St John's Square, London EC1 near to Craft Central. Open daily from 10am to 6pm. Pop into the marquee to see some unique and desirable items from different designers and makers.
Last Saturday I spent a lovely day in Nottinghamshire in the Hope and Elvis studio with hosts Louise Presley and Julie Arkell. Louise's studio is a real treasure trove of all things vintage.... buttons, stamps, fabrics, china (for cups of tea and chocoalate cake!), tins, toys etc and very inspiring!
Julie Arkell had brought some of her work to show us. I loved the papier mache watches that tell the right time twice a day! She also had series of brooches made from fragments of fabric, ribbons, found objects sometimes with autobiographical meanings.
I had a go at incorporating ceramic with textile and stitch in two brooches I made on the day - see the photo. I had a dog theme going on after acquiring a small plate on my journey up to Nottingham!
Other news this week..... Of Cabbages and Kings in Stoke Newington has a small display of Smashing Chintz mosaic birds on plates until the end of March. Check out the shop for gifts (for self or others!) from perspex laser cut jewellery to hand made hot water bottle covers and colourful china teapots.
Spring Summer mosaic workshops begin in March. The booking form is available for download, now with the correct dates! I'm hoping to be able to offer a credit card booking system soon as cheques are used less and less.
Last Sunday I ran a mosaic workshop for my family in my mother's studio - with my mum, her sister, my sister, my cousin and cousin's husband. We had some competitive fun! My father and husband stayed out of the way reading the Sunday papers and making us pots of tea!
I'm really looking forward to going on a workshop in March at Hope & Elvis in Worksop, Nottinghamshire. It's with Julie Arkell and all about making objects and jewellery with found materials.
