The joys of sewing

It turns out that us Gemini’s are very similar, I recently discovered on Facebook. I’ve always gone from one project to another, always berating myself for not being able to stick to one thing. Then I bought up the subject with Nina, an old schoolfriend, and then Jacqui joined in and the result was really interesting: all born within a few days of eachother, all constantly on one project or another but our minds are racing on 3 or 4 projects ahead. Then I realised: there’s nothing wrong with what we do. We’re all busy and very happy being busy.

So, the latest project? I’m making a quilt. An english, hand sewn quilt. Nina told me it’s addictive, she was right. I’m still making cakes, biscuits, cushions, doorstops and dinners, but right now this is where it’s at for me. I still wish there were 48 hours in each day and 7 days a weekend, I could get so much more done.

Alex’s first batch

This is only a short post today, but I just wanted to share with you Alex’s first batch of cookies. They were chewy date cookies and they were all eaten within a couple of days. Alex was very happy with them, and so was his brother!

Chewy date cookies

A couple of new cakes

Here are a couple of new cakes that have been made recently for friends. The first was my first wedding cake request for Caz, who asked for roses and a simple ivory fondant covered cake with a ribbon border. I really enjoyed making the roses, even though it was a nerve-wracking cake to make for such a special day I was very happy with the results.

The second was an indulgent chocolate cake for my very dear friend Jayne’s 40th birthday cake. 2lbs of chocolate went into the filling and covering the cake. It went down very well at her surprise party.

More to come soon, my work colleagues have all been busy testing various biscuits and cakes, as have my ever supportive family. And as for Alex…. well, he’s got the baking love too, and he’s only 3.

Tata for now , Joolz x

9 roses and some small daisies

Caz's wedding cake

Jayne's chocolate cake

Great Big Cakes

Big cake making all started 17 years ago when I made a magic roundabout for my Sister’s 18th birthday. My little sister was a bit shocked as I sprung it on her a bit in the pub that night, and I always have fond memories about making it. It’s something I have recently returned to.

It started as baking a cake as a favour and now other friends are making requests. And I have to say that even though the hours are tight I really enjoy the whole process.

I have a few more in the pipeline over the next few weeks. All the cakes go down well with home made blackberry and raspberry sorbet and a glass of home made elderflower champagne.

If you put your mind to it, you can do anything you like, and that’s the truth.

Love, Julie x

St Boniface Cake celebration day

Matthew's communion bible cake

Buster's 60th birthday cake

Yes, it’s been a while! Hang on in there though – now that we have sunlight and warmth we are back in the world again. It’s been a harsh winter.

However, not to dwell upon the past and look to the future instead, the blooms have been abundant this year – so impressed that I’ve taken up making wine. No, no bad habits I can assure you, simply an interest in the making of it. The first batch has been a Gorse and Pear wine, which is golden yellow in colour and smells like it will mature well. The second has been Lilac wine which has turned a wonderful pink colour and smells like it was made in heaven with the fruit angels. The Lilacs were from a tree that my Grandad planted for my Nan many years ago and had grown enormously. Fresh out also is elderflower champagne which should be ready in the next few weeks. Truth is that I’m nervous it will explode, but if you let the worries get to you then you end up not doing anything, don’t you? Just got to chance it sometimes.

Me, I’m happy with blooping demijohns, big cakes (more about that in the next blogpost) and the ciderpress that’s in the basement. I’m still hankering for screen printing, just don’t know where to start x

Our local botanical gardens

For years I have been inspired by flowers, their intricacies and smells! Unfortunately I a unable to transmit the power of smell across the www however I am able to convey some of the beauty I see.

Firstly though, I must send out a massive Thank You to Ventnor Botanical Gardens here on the Island. Every year they get better and better, developing their landscapes and increasing the varieties of plants they grow. To me, it’s heaven on earth, somewhere I can go any time and never get bored. If you ever get the chance to go, please do.

My Delicate Heart

THIS beauty was sticking out at the end of the hydrangea dell, begging for it’s picture to be taken. I’ve never seen a heart shaped hydrangea before, have you? I always thought of them as old people’s flowers because they seem to perpetrate bungalow gardens all over the Island. Now I see the petal shapes more clearly and  they really are exquisite.

Grace

Here’s another lovely……

About to Bloom

And I promise this is the last hydrangea! I think about to bloom is my favorite, the colours are so romantic.

Please do stop by my Etsy shop to see lots of other flower prints. Flowers are what I draw most often, they always get incorporated into my work. I have several projects on the go right now, and I think listing my inspirations first will show how I work. My screen print designs will be on their way into being posted soon, but for now I’ll leave you with a feeling of Bliss. Julie x

Bliss

Chemicalgdns flyers

Here’s the task that was set by Chris (aka chemical gdns.): produce some exclusive hand printed flyers for a forthcoming photography exhibition in July.  Enter stage left the squeegee, enter stage right the silk screen and from the trap door below please give your applause to the photo emulsion that took a whole week to work out it was a dud. Then there was the pain of the printer that warped the acetate. Tired, angry and swearbox full to the brim with money, we worked out where all the faults were and, one by one, we worked them out together.  Personally, I couldn’t be more pleased with the final result. After weeks of hard work, having only a couple of hours a night after the kids have gone to bed, we have 100 flyers in black and 10 special edition flyers in red.

Special Edition flyers

The great thing is that once you’ve learned the hard way, you never make the same mistake again. Time is precious, so these flyers were a labour of love.

Left black and red, middle limited edition, right official homegrown flyer

Love for Moscoso

The Flower Pot

Of all the great psychedelic artists, Moscoso holds the key influence for me. I can remember finding his work in a bookshop one day and being glued to the spot, eyes wide open and breathless. For me, his work goes beyond nice and great, it’s sublime and beautiful.

Where else would you find reds and pinks dancing together? Every image grabs you and draws you in. First you see the colours dancing around, popping off each other. Then you see the finer details of the image and the subtle way the lettering is introduced. I like the fact that the lettering takes a while to work out, because all the while your eyes are getting a psychedelic workout.  Then, when you’ve worked it all out, you can stand back and put it all together and admire the piece you’re looking at. His work is talented and very clever. It inspires me greatly.

Julie x

Mist Dance by Victor Moscoso

* obtaining higher levels in printmaking

clarity, vision and technique combine in this pair of prints 1. Invasion and 2. Inside

I think there needs to be a benchmark to set yourself against if you are to carve yourself a life as a creative (or anything for that matter).  I have seen some fine examples of print making over the last few months.  Indeed, it is still surprising to me that we have only been training as screen printers for 6 months now and amazing how much inspiration one can gather in such a short period of time.

However, on happening upon The Little Friends of Printmaking a short while ago, I saw exactly what we (that is, Kittybob) should be aiming for in this field.  A husband-and-wife team specialising in poster art,  this talented duo have carved themselves a reputation as printmakers of excellence.  Nailing down colour, execution, skill and technique and that all-too-intangible element of quality,  the work is nigh on flawless to me.  I would recommend checking out their impressive portfolio if you get a minute or two.

using CMYK inks, new colours are produced via overprinting

I am particularly enamoured with their overprint techniques, something I am inspired to try  very soon.  It is a daring way to add further depth and colour to the print.  I can only imagine how difficult it must be to get right (although I have discovered recently that adobe illustrator does have the facility to demo overprints which will be hugely handy)

So, although our styles are different, I have found my bench mark.  If I can be printing to that level in a few years time, I shall consider myself an extremely happy man.

It started on the back of a bus

variations in hue

Yes, it’s true. All of my best thinking happens when I’m sat on a bus;  my mind wonders and I see things that I wouldn’t normally notice. The bus thing happened about 10 years ago for me, on my way in to work one morning.  I noticed a variation in hue of a turquoise/pale blue on the ground floor of the Dorset and Wiltshire bus and thought it was either genius or they ran out of one paint and bought a new pot in the wrong colour.  It got me thinking.  I wondered if anyone else had noticed it?  I wondered if it was a conscious design decision.  I wondered if, 10 years later, anyone else would still feel moved enough to write about it.  It changed my colour perceptions immensely and made me appreciate the art of subtlety.  It inspired me to venture into playing with colour, in the clothes I wore and in the colours I painted on the walls of our old shabby house.  For me, colour combinations are infinite and a pleasure.

Julie x