Aileen Clarke Crafts

February Update

2012-02-05T06:25:00.000-08:00

February already and it finds me getting on with a few new makes.

I love making a big piece of background felt using lots of bright colours and different textures then making it into various different pieces.

First out of this cerise and turquoise piece of felt was this wrist cuff. I used a previous design with the leaves dancing along the length of the cuff but added semispherical felt balls to it and a whole ball for the loop to fasten around.

Then I made these heart shaped pendants to match.

They can all be found in my Etsy shop here

These birdy brooches can also be found in my Etsy shop. Both feature vibrant handmade felt with silk fibres and hand dyed scrim.

My little tweed and felt boxes have continued to be popular and I managed to get two made on Friday. You can see some photos from our trip to Harris here and see where the wonderful Harris Tweed comes from. I love working with it but stocks are running low.

Both boxes are on sale aslo in my Etsy shop.

I had a commission for an Ivy Leaf brooch/cloak clasp similar to one I made last year so I made an extra two in beautiful purple and blue shades.

Brooches are £15 each and come with an extra long 5cm brooch bar making them perfect for keeping a cardigan, shawl or cloak fastened at the front.

Alongside all these colourful creations I got another Coo picture finished.

This is Callum.

He measures 12x17cm and comes complete with mount and frame.

Win an Aileen Clarke Crafts Original!

2012-01-26T02:10:00.000-08:00

The February Issue of 'The Scot's Magazine' goes on sale today and I'm delighted to be featured in the 'Around Scotland' section.

The Scot's Magazine is one of these publications that seems to have been around forever and certainly in our family it could always be found on the coffee table. It reminds me of the cottage I grew up in, especially relaxed Sunday afternoons by the fire with Granny and Grandad visiting. One of us would always be sifting through it's pages and I always loved the great photos of Scotland's beautiful scenery.

So I feel it's a great privilege to be featured in this iconic magazine!

Here is a close up of the piece that you can win.

'Highland Cottage with Sheep'

12x17 cm

Comes complete with mount and frame.

For this piece I have used some of these wonderful hand dyed fibres from Orkney.

The colours are so beautiful and reflect the colours of the landscape perfectly.

The chosen winner will also receive this set of six printed cards.

You can read The Scot's Magazine online.

To enter the competition all you need to do is

Email your your details to

mail@scotsmagazine.com

or send a postcard to

Aileen Clarke Crafts

Giveaway, The Scots Magazine, 80

Kingsway East, Dundee DD4 8SL

to arrive by February 29. The first name chosen at random will be the winner.

All the best!

Highland Coo's!

2012-01-20T06:20:00.000-08:00

I said I'd be working on some Highland Coo pics this week and I have been.

This is based on the photo I took of Alistair on Monday. I've given him less of a frosty fringe and I nice dry stone wall to look over.

Alistair

Harvey

I made Harvey up with inspiration taken from other photos of various coo's in our neighbours herd.

Both pieces are now sold. Hoping to get a few more made soon.
I have a couple of commission pieces to work on and stock to make for shops as well so it's busy, busy but hopefully I'll be back with more new pieces to share soon.

January Makes

2012-01-17T10:21:00.000-08:00

Frosty Fringed Alistair

We had a frost as thick as snow here yesterday. This is Alistair who we pass every day on our way to meet the school bus. He's a handsome coo and likes to stick his tongue out at us (except when I have the camera to hand!) He has beautiful blonde highlights along his back and fringe but the frost was so thick that these were hidden yesterday.

I'm planning a few new coo pictures this week and have felt drying above the wood burner this evening ready for tomorrow.

I have been busy making more felt landscapes though. I know they all feature the same little cottage and sheep but they are in great demand! Seems everyone wants a wee cottage to day dream about living in.

'Distant Glens'

£40

These are listed in my Etsy Shop Here

'Poppy Stone Cottage'

£40

Wee Landscape With Poppies

£35

'Purple Poppy Stone Cottage'

£40

My Etsy Shop is also choc full of jewellery as well including these iridescent textile and resin heart pendants.

All my pendants are £20 each and come gift wrapped in a wee box.

I'm loving having a laptop to work on instead of just the family desk top PC. It's great to be able to sit in the warm for a start! The PC is in a different room from the wood burner and I'd much rather sit by the fire during the winter. I'm hoping the wifi will work outside in the summer and maybe even allow me to use the laptop in the summer shed! That would be great! But we shall wait and see.

The new camera is taking a bit of getting used to and I've reverted to our old one for close ups of my work. The new one is great for outdoor shots and landscapes and I'm sure I'll get used to it for taking macro shots but they seem to need heavily edited and I don't think that the laptop gives a true representation of the brightness and colours. I've had the laptop hooked up to the other monitor today and that made a big difference so I'm sure I'll be able to get some great photos with the new camera soon. It's just getting the time to play around with it that's the problem. Plus the other PC has gone off to my brother to be fixed.

Hopefully I'll be back with some new Highland Coo pictures soon. Our neighbours herd have a new addition but I haven't been able to get a good photo of it yet. You can just about make the wee thing out among the hay here.

A Mosaic of Makes from 2011

2011-12-18T06:48:00.000-08:00

2011 has been a fabulous year for Aileen Clarke Crafts.

My work has sold really well through various gift shops and galleries here in Scotland and gone all over the world thanks to the wonders of online shopping sites like Etsy and Folksy. Apparently my shop is among the top 250 sellers on Folsky which truly amazes me. It is one of my goals for 2012 to keep both of my online shops well stocked with a full range of items.

Events like Open Studios North Fife and The Handmade Show have also helped me focus and given me the opportunity to meet so many more people face to face, both customers and fellow artists.

Textile Trinket Boxes

My little boxes were an instant hit and have all gone to new homes over the past couple of months. Only two left in stock.

I do hope to develop new ideas for these and make them regularly available.

These photo mosaics are just a snap shot of pieces I have made during 2011.

Textile Wrist Cuffs

My range has certainly expanded and will hopefully continue to grow throughout 2012. I have enjoyed making a few commission pieces this year including pendants, earrings, brooches, wrist cuffs, handmade cards and art work.

Fibre, Textile, Glass and Resin Pendants

Earrings

Brooches

New to my range this year have been these rings. I love wearing them myself and have to admit to owning at least five in all different colours.

Also new this year have been the Sheep Pendants, Earrings and Rings.

There are so many different colour combinations and different fibres that can be used that the possibilities are endless! It means that every single design is different. It also means that it is sometimes hard to choose. I've had customers at fairs swithering for ages not knowing which one to get for a friend and ending up buying one for themselves instead.

A variety of Sheep Jewellery is still available in my Etsy Shop

Card making was my first love and really how my whole Aileen Clarke Crafts business came about. I still make hundreds of cards but most of them go out to local shops and sell at craft fairs. I find them difficult to photograph for selling online and the time taken to get the photos just right is worth more than what the card will sell for. One of my plans for the new year is to buy a new and better camera during the sales so hopefully that will allow me to make more of my cards available online.

The bookmarks continue to be a hit but again, I have struggled to find time to make more of them in recent weeks. Much of January will be spent making back ground felt for lots of different projects so hopefully I'll get some new bookmarks made in the new year.

Over the past year I have met people in real life that are regular visitors to my blog and fans of my page on Facebook. They have all helped and inspired me to come up with new ideas and make more of everyone's favourite items. Thank you to all of you who take the time to leave comments. It's such a great source of feedback and encouragement especially for someone who works from home.

It's great to be part of such a wonderful creative community as well. So many of us are busy making and creating trying to make a living doing what we love and the internet has certainly provided us with a fantastic way of helping and supporting each other.

Felt Art Work

I'll leave you with this little selection of cosy cottages.

Bonnie Wee Hooses

2011-12-09T03:37:00.000-08:00

I think it's fair to say and obvious through my work that I have a bit of a thing for wee cottages.

I was brought up living in a cottage on the outskirts of Perth and I've lived in a few different ones over the years including the one I live in now with my husband and two children.

This is the cottage I grew up in as a teenager. My brother lives in it now.

Painting By Jim Douglas

This is the cottage we live in now.

You can just about make it out behind the trees! The trees provide a nice bit of shelter and are home to lots of Greenfinch in the summer. Thankfully they are all still standing after yesterday's gale force winds! I felt like I was in the opening scenes of a disaster movie yesterday when I went out for wood and coal!

I found these old photos taken in 1996 on a visit to Donegal with my Mum. I can remember we were ridiculously over excited with these cottages much to the bemusement of the old fella we met in the driveway.

We were even more over excited when we saw that this one was a florists!

Mum and I both worked as florists for years and we thought this our absolute dream place.

A few weeks ago I spotted a photo on Craft Blog UK that really intrigued me.

It was of a knitted cottage against the backdrop of the beautiful Scottish Highlands. I immediately went in search of it's maker and got chatting via email to Julia Marsh, owner of Hand Knitted Things based in the north west of Scotland.

Julia sells knitting patterns for her little croft house cottages but seeing as knitting is not one of my talents she offered to knit one for me!

Drum roll please.............

Ta da!!!

I am so delighted with it! I think it's the cutest thing ever.

It reminds me of some of the wee hooses we saw on holiday this summer out on Harris.

And of course it's like a 3D version of one of my own little needle felted ones.

Sunset Behind The Croft

£40

You can find out more about Julia and her Hand Knitted Things here

So we had an unusually wild and windy day here yesterday with the children off school and the fire needing fed like a hungry animal.

My postie still got through though and brought me some new supplies to play with.

These new Felt Flower Pendants are now available in both my Etsy and Folksy shops priced £20.

More colours coming soon.

I also have these new Sheep Earrings available in both my shops. Just click the images to go to the listings.

December and It Finally Feels Like Winter!

2011-12-04T08:35:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pieces I made using all that stash shown in the last post.

Heart Shaped Pendant

£20

Wrist Cuff

£18

Wrist Cuff

£18

Just click the photos to go to the listings for more information and use your 'back' button to come back here.

I received a commission from a customer to make her a silvery grey felt brooch so I made a few and let her choose which one she preferred.

This one is now available in my Folksy Shop

Silvery Grey Brooch

£12

I also managed to get a couple of new boxes made. I sold all but one of the previous ones.

These are both in my Etsy Shop priced £30 each.

I have also been busy with more sheep pendants.

Got some new ones available both on Etsy and Folksy but they are selling out really quickly.

All my chains now come with a little extension making them wearable up to 18 inches long.

I wore one of my own pendants and a matching ring to the Trad Music Awards last night in Perth. My outfit was purple and mauve so I wore a textile and resin heart and purple textile ring to match and I did feel that the 16" chain was a little short on this occasion.

The Trad Awards were fantastic with such a great line up and everyone decked out in their finery and killer heels! Except I don't do heels. It's hard enough negotiating stairs in a long flouncy skirt never mind heels as well! We were on the lower balcony seats but I still managed to come home with these beautiful Amaryllis from one of the tables.

You can watch highlights from the Trad Awards on BBC Alba on Monday night and on the BBC i player for a week after. I'll be watching with my daughter and playing 'Spot Granny In The Crowd'! My Mum was at one of the tables with other Folk Club and TMSA members enjoying the wine and chocolates.

And last but not least on this little catch up post, I have made this felt landscape available in my Folksy Shop also.

'Red Poppies Along The Wall'

£46

A New Week and New Supplies

2011-11-28T04:00:00.000-08:00

I find these colours so uplifting and on rummaging through my stash I realise I have quite a lot of them! So I'm planning to make a background panel today featuring all these lovelies plus some sari silk snippets for extra texture.

When I go shopping for supplies I am always drawn to the same colours so buying a mixed bag or a mixed skein of something helps me to move out of my comfort zone and work with colours I may not have thought of using.

I was in Perth on Saturday and took the opportunity to visit Elena Costello's most fabulous shop at Bridgend. Elena sells the most beautiful yarns and fibres in a shop/studio that makes you want to move in and never leave!

All my purchases came in this cute little newspaper bag that was handmade in India by street children.

Here's a wee shot of some threads I have at the ready. I try and keep my work table tidy by putting the threads away in a wee drawer but some colours are just permanently in use.

Last week I made up a batch of bookmarks to send over to Oban so I was getting busy with my paints and teabag tissue. Teabag tissue is great for using in mixed media projects. If you iron it onto Vilene it becomes like a paper and a fabric which can be painted and stitched.

Above is a piece ironed onto Vilene with washes of turquoise and purple in simple sweeping strokes.

Below is the same effect but the teabag tissue has been ironed onto purple commercial felt after it has been painted. The purple felt gives more depth to the colours and shows up the texture of the paper more.

I used the above piece for my bookmarks and still have this piece below to work into with my sewing machine.

And here is a lovely new bundle of sari silk yarn waiting to be put through the embellisher machine along with other fibres, yarns and fabrics.

So who knows what will come out of all these new supplies! Designing things on paper has it's place but you can't beat a 'play day', just going with the flow and letting the creative process take over.

The Nights Have Fair Drawn In

2011-11-25T12:07:00.000-08:00

As we move from darker day to darker day through this odd time of the year when it's too warm to be Winter but too dark and wet to be Autumn, I find keeping busy creatively a real solace.

Most of this week has been spent making stock for a wee shop in Oban called Room 15.

I did manage to make some extra sheep pendants for my Etsy shop as well though.

Most of my framed pieces go out to stockists but I have made a few available online too.

Sunset Behind The Croft

£40

Red Poppy Cottage

£46

My tweed supplies are dwindling so the boxes are becoming few and far between.

Harris Tweed and Felt Box

£30

Smaller Tweed and Felt Box

£25

Moontide Pendant

£20

My Folksy Shop is also full of colourful makes, some of which you can see below. Just click the picture to go to my shop.

And when I am not busy making new things, you will find me here.

Is it a dog? Is it a bear? No it's a big fluffy beanbag! and once my children have stopped fighting over who is sitting on it and gone off to bed, it's mine!

Art Tokens and Other News

2011-11-20T10:15:00.000-08:00

The lovely people at ArtTokens.co.uk are working very hard to promote their new site.

Art Tokens are like Book Tokens, but for art!
Go and check out the site and sign up if you are an artist or designer/maker looking for more outlets for your work. (You can also play 'spot the sheep' on the front page!)
ArtTokens.co.uk

Talking of sheep I am working as hard and as fast as I can to produce more pendants for both my online shops as well as some of my outlets here in Scotland.

One of the sites I use to sell online has undergone a massive overhaul and is looking fantastic.
You can visit my shop at Folksy.com here and see how snazzy it is looking.
Among other new listings are a set of ten printed cards including two new designs.

The cards are selling for £2.50 each or five for £10. When you buy ten, however, you save a bit more by getting them for £19.50. I have had customers telling me they look great framed and others giving the set as a gift.

On a completely different note, I found this map of the world the other day and was showing it to my children. I found myself saying, "Oh, I've sent one of my pieces to that state and that state and that state" so I thought it would be fun to trawl through my Etsy sales and put a dot in each state that I have sent things too. Wow!

It has certainly improved our geography of America. Now we need to find a map of the world!

New Hair Accessories

2011-11-11T06:49:00.000-08:00

My neighbouring stall at The Handmade Show last Sunday was Angie Young Angie makes really beautiful silver jewellery and she gave me this idea to make some of my brooches into hair accessories.

So I have stitched a 5cm hair bar onto the back of these leaf brooches and voilà!

My friend Gillian is coming round on Monday to model for me but until then I have resorted to using my daughters girls world as attempts to take photos of the back of my own head were disastrous!

Managed to get another wee box finished this week too.

And a few more shimmering Moontide Pendants

All these pieces can be found in my Etsy Shop now.

You can now find some of my pendants available in a new boutique in Glasgow called

Lemon Pomm-Pomm.

It looks like an Aladdin's cave of beautiful treasures just waiting to be discovered. I'm hoping to visit in January.

Other exciting news is that as of Monday you will be able to buy Art Tokens from ArtTokens.co.uk. The site goes live next week and I'm delighted to be taking part. I'll put all the info up once the site is up and running and details of who to contact for anyone else who would like to be involved.

New For November

2011-11-07T10:27:00.000-08:00

What an absolutely fantastic time we all had at The Handmade Show in Perth on Sunday.

The event was really well organised with a fantastic variety of talented people exhibiting.

The Concert Hall made a wonderful venue with lots of light and an ambient atmosphere. Plenty of space as well.

I met up with a few online friends at the show including Alison of Alison Moore Designs, Rebecca from Songbead, Sally from Soul Silver, Tracey from Fat Cat Felt, Audrey from Prettyful and Rachel from Beauelle.

Alison took this photo of me at my stall. I have to say I was not feeling at all well. I came down with a cold on Friday and was really unwell all day on Saturday. I got to the show in good time to set up on Sunday morning though but once the doors opened I never stopped! Thankfully Carol, two stands along came to my rescue by getting me some hot water for a Lemsip and a cup of tea later on.

I completely sold out of my printed cards and nearly sold all my brooches.

My new resin hearts were very popular, especially this purple design below.

I have spent most of today listing new pieces in my Etsy and Folksy shops (as well as recovering!) so do take a peek to see if there is anything you fancy.

If you click on the photos they will take you to each individual listing.

If you would prefer an overview then just click these links

Etsy

Folksy

A big thank you to everyone who stopped by to say hello and to all my customers old and new.

It was really lovely to meet people who actually visit my blog here! We never really know who is finding us online and it's always lovely to meet people in person.

I sold a couple of my boxes this weekend and last but I still have these two available.

The brooches were a big hit and I will have to get busy making more.

Here are a few that are still available.

This week I have a batch of sheep and heart pendants going out to a lovely new shop in Glasgow called Lemon Pomm-Pomm.

You can find the Facebook page for the shop here and keep up to date with what's new.

My new textile pendants and cuffs certainly attracted a lot of attention. One lady loved this purple shade so much she bought a cuff and put it on there and then!

Most of my pictures will be going out to stockists over the next couple of weeks but I have kept a few back.

I'm not sure what I will be working on next. I HAVE to spend some time tidying up as it's getting to the point where I can't find anything. I also have some new ideas that I am desperate to try out.

Thanks again to Dawn and everyone else who helped make the first ever Handmade Show a great success.

I'll See You In Perth!

2011-11-04T02:56:00.000-07:00

Perth Scotland that is.

I know I've said this already but I will be at

Perth Concert Hall,

this Sunday 6th November for

The Handmade Show

11-5pm

Free Entry

Been a busy bee this week making new pieces to take with me including these

Moontide Pendants

£20

Hand Dyed Merino and Silk Pendants with matching Cuff Bracelets.

Pendants £20 including chain and gift box.

Cuff Bracelets £12

Brooches £12

I will also have a selection of my little pictures with me.

All my pieces are one off's so the early bird .......!

The Handmade Show

2011-10-31T01:57:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone who stopped by the Craft Fair at Pitcairngreen Village Hall on Saturday. I think it was the busiest one ever! I certainly had a great day and really enjoyed meeting customers old and new.

I was up at 6.30 this morning making lists of everything I need to do this week in order to be ready for The Handmade Show this Sunday.

Sunday 6th November 2011

Perth Concert Hall

Mill Street

Perth

11-5pm

Free Entry

I absolutely LOVE taking my work out to fairs and shows and because I don't do it every weekend I never get fed up with it and always get really excited about upcoming events.

The Handmade Show looks set to be an extravaganza of talented designer-makers from around Scotland and beyond with a wide range of arts and crafts on display. I have 'met' one of my fellow exhibitors via Facebook and I am really looking forward to meeting her and her work in real life.

Alison Moore hails from Orkney and brings with her a stunning array of individually handmade jewellery pieces made from copper and sterling silver.

I'll be back on here later in the week with photos of new things to tempt you along on Sunday.

Meanwhile if you are on Facebook, why not become a fan of the new Open Studios North Fife Facebook page. This will keep you up to date with local events that our participants are involved in throughout the year as well as updates on the main event as it draws nearer.

Craft Fair This Saturday

2011-10-25T01:33:00.000-07:00

Join me this Saturday 29th October at Pitcairngreen Village Hall, near Almondbank, Perth for a lovely craft fair packed full of exciting stalls, tea, coffee and home baking.

Fair opens at 10.30am until 3.30pm

I will have a wide variety of art and craft for sale including these new Textile Heart Pendants.

Also on display will be lots of new felt landscapes, bookmarks, trinket boxes, cuffs, bracelets, sheep pendants, earrings and more!

Hope to see some of you there.

A Special Commission

2011-10-16T02:50:00.000-07:00

One of my very good customers asked me to make this piece for her parents. She sent me a photo that was taken on their honeymoon and with a bit of artistic licence and a lot of needle felting I came up with this.

Honeymoon Kiss

12x17cm

I have to admit that I was very daunted by the challenge to start with. I don't usually work this much detail into my pieces but once I got started I found that the piece flowed and became enjoyable to work on.

It was difficult to get the perspective right on the dads arm and because he was dressed in white it made it quite tricky to work shading into his outfit. As I said to my customer when I gave her a progress report a few weeks ago, "Little does your dad know that there is a woman in Scotland stabbing at his armpit and bottom with a very sharp needle!"

The recipients have not seen it yet but my customer now has the piece and is absolutely delighted with it.

This week I am continuing to build up stock for my upcoming fairs.

I'm also trying to keep my online shops well stocked so I have listed these two pieces below in my Folksy shop today.

Wee Cottage £35

Purple Poppies and Cottage £35

I'm hoping to get some more bookmarks finished soon and I will be listing them in both my Etsy and Folksy shops.

If there is anything you would like more information about please don't hesitate to contact me

aileenclarkecrafts@yahoo.com

October Makes

2011-10-14T04:04:00.000-07:00

It's the October school holidays here in Scotland and I cannot believe how quickly they have come around. Seems like no time at all since the children were heading back to school after the summer! It's always difficult to fit crafting time in around holidays so I was delighted when my Mum said she would take my children for a few days to let me get on with some work. They all had a great time and I put all my child free hours to good use.

I've been making some small felt landscapes ready for my upcoming fairs.

(See Upcoming Events on the right hand side of the page for details)

This vibrant piece below is available in my Folksy shop and has been featured on Folksy's front page this week.

These little snowy scenes below have been a delight to make. I had one go off to Alaska last week and had a nice email from the customer to say she loves it and that she hopes to visit Scotland some day and trace some of her ancestry. Coincidently, I happen to have family with the same surname as hers so who knows, we might be distantly related! I love the connections we can make across oceans and continents via the internet.

Snowy Cottage and Sheep £35

In keeping with the season I've spent hours making lots of leaf shaped brooches this week. Here's a sneak peak at the cut felt pieces waiting to be stitched.

These leaves are not just cut from ready made felt. I use the finest hand dyed merino and silk fibres to make the felt then cut and match each piece, making each one different. The hand dyed fibres add to the uniqueness of the finished brooches.

These mauve and green shades are so pleasant together.

You can find these for sale in both my Etsy and Folksy shops as well as at Studio 222 in Newburgh, An Cnoc in Crieff, Zigzags in Dunkeld and Room 15 in Oban.

If there is a colour you would particularly like, just ask and I can list one especially for you

aileenclarkecrafts@yahoo.com

The birds are all made with Harris Tweed that I brought back from our summer holiday in the Outer Hebrides.

The wing pieces are handmade felt to add contrast and texture.

Brooches are all £12

I'm really looking forward to my upcoming fairs. I've got a new card stand for my stall and can't wait to see how it looks.

Right now I have to go and bake cakes. Flap jacks and fairy cakes I think.......and a big apple crumble!

And The Winner Is.........

2011-10-10T01:00:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much to everyone who entered my Friday Freebie Giveaway. You all left such lovely comments and I really appreciate each and every one of them.

The first name out of the hat this morning to win this pendant and card was Valerie Duthie.

Congratulations Valerie!

These will be winging their way to you this week.

As a special offer to all my blog visitors both regular and new, you can enjoy 15% off anything in my Etsy Shop with the Coupon Code OCTOBER. Just type it in at the check out and 15% will automatically be taken off the price of your purchase.

I will be exhibiting at two fairs come the end of the month and all shop stock will be coming with me so this is a chance to buy anything you have had your eye on.

The upcoming fairs are

Saturday 29th October

10.30-3.30

Pitcairngreen Village Hall

Pitcairngreen

By Almondbank

Perth

This is a lovely fair with lots of great exhibitors including some of the loveliest handmade soaps you will have ever seen or smelt. There is a small entrance fee but it includes tea, coffee and home baking.

Then I will be at

The Handmade Show

Sunday 6th November

11-5

Perth Concert Hall

Mill Street

Perth

This fair promises to be an extravaganza of talented designer/makers from around the country giving visitors the chance to find truly unusual gifts and treats. Entrance is free.

You can get a visual feast of what's in store at this fair HERE

Thanks again to everyone who entered the Giveaway.

Don't forget you can keep up with what's new from me by liking my page on Facebook

Friday Freebie!

2011-10-07T00:55:00.000-07:00

Here is a completely new and one off design from me and I'm giving it away for free!

The pendant measures 4cm x 2.3cm and comes complete with a 2mm thick 16 inch silver plated snake chain. The chain has a little extension and can be worn up to 18 inches long.

The matching card measures 12cm square and features a shining silver heart on a textile art background mounted against silver mirror board for added impact.

If you would like to win this pendant and card simply leave a comment below.

If you are not already keeping up with what's new on Facebook then please feel free to become a fan

Aileen Clarke Crafts on Facebook

I'll put everyone's names in a hat and do the draw on Monday.

All the best,

Aileen : )

As The Season Turns

2011-10-03T10:03:00.000-07:00

After our unexpected heat wave last week the season has definitely started to turn with the leaves changing colour and the wind whipping them up into swirling dervishes that dance across the grass. With all that sunshine we had though, some of the flowers have come out for a late showing which adds extra colour to the garden.

We had a lovely weekend here with a few friends round. My son and his friend made us the most delicious Mocktails (non alcoholic cocktails) and we enjoyed some music and song as well.

The weather last week was perfect for drying felt outside....

....and for watching cows watching me!

My wee boxes have been flying off all over the world.

I made this one below with Harris Tweed sides and thick green felt for the walls and base.

It worked really well so I made one more like it.

This one is available here

This middle sized one went off to the USA last week.

I reinforced the sides with ice cream tub plastic to make it more robust and plan to do the same with the bigger version that holds the cards (see the last blog post for photos).

I just need to get the time to make it!

Something I did make time for though was this 'First Snow' landscape.

Last year during all that snow we had I kept being asked if I had made any snowy landscapes. I thought I'd make this in advance and have it printed up into a card so that it would arrive in plenty time before the snow!

'First Snow' £55 framed

'First Snow' Greetings Card £2.50

The Cards are available in my Etsy shop and the original will be coming with me to The Handmade Show in Perth Concert Hall on Sunday November 6th

If you would like more details about this piece just email me at aileenclarkecrafts@yahoo.com

I made this little pendant today using beautiful Orkney fibres and a soft pinky red for the apples. It is also available in my Etsy shop.

We have enjoyed some glorious sunrises here over the last week. I love the mist hanging above the field in this photo.

Little Boxes

2011-09-22T08:45:00.000-07:00

Little boxes on my table,
Little boxes made of textile art
Little boxes on my table,
Little boxes all unique,
There's a blue one and a purple one
And a landscape one and another one
And they're all made out of textile art
But they don't look just the same.

(sing to the tune of Little Boxes!)

So yes I have been making little boxes.

I first started making these last year and took a notion to try a few more this week.

The original inspiration for the one above comes from the Fairy Pools on the Isle of Skye on the west coast of Scotland. The clear turquoise water flows straight out of the awe inspiring Cuillin mountains and tumbles downstream through a series of waterfalls and pools. The contrast of the blue water against the rugged shades of the mountain side really caught my eye. I made a wall hanging similar back in April.

This little box below is more a cupboard really.

It's a totally unique and one off piece. I love to use my embellisher machine to turn a variety of fabrics, yarns and fibres into a sumptuous surface of texture and rich colour. Included in the mix here are voiles, organzas, felting fibres, yarn and devore velvet. I have also included a little angelina fibre here and there for a touch of sparkle.
The box is lined with bright purple felt and closes with voile ribbon ties.

You know how the creative process takes you from one idea to the next.......

well I wondered how one of my felt landscapes would look turned into a box and filled with a selection of my printed cards.

This is a prototype and not available as yet.

For the lining I have used some of the Harris tweed that I bought from the weaver at Carloway on our trip to the Outer Hebrides in August.

I think I'll make the next one with the landscape horizontal.

Below is one I made last year with a little matching book inside.

Perfect for keep sakes and secrets.

And on another note, I had these beautiful floating candles made just for me by

Fraoch Highland Inspiration

I chose the colour I wanted and the scent, payed by paypal and they arrived well packaged, within the week and are just exactly what I wanted.

Patchouli Floating Candles by Fraoch Highland Inspiration.

The first and second boxes are now available in my Etsy shop

September Update

2011-09-17T06:54:00.000-07:00

As we definitely move into Autumn here in Scotland I am working flat out to keep shops stocked, get felt made and new items thought up.

I bought this brilliant little vintage wash board in The Little Curio Shop in Dunkeld recently. Not only was it irresistibly cute but it helps me with my felt making.

The shop itself is just lovely. Full of vintage and antique finds with lovely scented candles burning. I felt like I'd stepped into the past.

I have been working on lots of new brooches this month and have some out at a couple of new stockists.

An Cnoc in Crieff

Room 15 in Oban

and

Studio 222 in Newburgh

My brooches have been popping up all over the internet too in various Etsy Treasuries and Folksy Features. It's great to have your work chosen for these as not only does it give extra exposure but it's heartening that out of the thousands of photos people upload every day to these sites, someone has spotted some of mine and deemed the items suitable for use in their feature.

Photography is something we all have to work on all of the time. Making and selling your work online is easy but getting your work noticed is another matter. Photography is a whole separate skill and not one that everyone finds easy to master. It has taken me about four years of trial and error to be finally taking photos that I am happier with. They are still not all good and there is always room for improvement. I don't have a great camera or a light box or even a day light bulb but I try my best with what I do have.

I entered this photo into the Craft Blog UK August Photo Competition and I'm delighted to say that I won! Along with a beautiful photo taken by Kiki's Umbrella, a wonderful maker of silver jewellery.

Below are some more of my new textile rings.

I have some available in both my Etsy and Folksy Shops.

These are all truly Hebridean inspired with their shimmering turquoise sea colours.

I haven't forgotten our Hebridean adventure and all the inspiration gathered, I just haven't had time to do much with my ideas. I do plan on making some new seascapes but I have had commission pieces to work on as well as new stock for shops.

I do have lots of landscapes made though. None of them are available online yet but if you would like to know what's available just drop me a line

aileenclarkecrafts@yahoo.com

September Cottage

£35

And as if that's not enough to be getting on with I got my new harp strung! I sold the last one in April and couldn't get the strings on this until I had at least painted the base coat. I do plan to decorate it further but at least I can play it now the strings are on.

The harps are available from my friend Ian for £150 assembled and painted with a plain base coat.

Regular visitors to my blog will remember Mr Fox that we found and rescued from the woods.

Well, what an adventure he has had over the summer!

He stowed away with us on holiday!

Seems like he fancied a Hebridean adventure as well. Here he is on the ferry from Mallaig with the Isle on Eigg in the background.

I have to say he was very well behaved. He made a few friends in the Tweed Shop in Tarbert.

I did have to stop him from eating all the chocolate though.

He and my little girl did a great job of looking so cute that the shop assistant actually bought them a bag of locally made tablet! Hyper children and foxes on ferries with mummies that feel seasick.....hmmm. Just as well dad has good sea legs!

When we took him back to Muddy Boots Farm Shop and Cafe for the craft fair in August, we were really sad at the thought of giving him back. However Trina and Paddy were more than delighted for my daughter to keep him as they think he has found a nice new home : )

His name is now Foxee, that's how my little girl spells Foxy. Cute.

Woolly Rings With Blings and Things.

2011-09-09T09:13:00.000-07:00

Woolly rings!

I must say that I'm delighted with how these have turned out. I made a blue one like the one below for myself yesterday and have not stopped wearing it. Although it's the biggest ring I have ever worn, it's comfortable, not at all clunky and doesn't waggle about.

I have been busy making felt today and trying out different colour ways including this deep purple and bright red. The possibilities are endless!

I returned to my passion for shimmering, shining fabrics for the two below. They are glazed over to give a nice glassy finish and catch the light beautifully.

And of course no new collection would be complete without some sheep!

The ring bases are adjustable so one size fits all.

I have some circular ones on the work table too so watch this space.

These are all available in my Etsy shop now.

Also new to my Etsy shop this week is my Mum's tartan bunting.

Pink and Purple Tartan Bunting!

How cool is that!

It's made with genuine Scottish tartan and priced according to length.

The pink and purple are limited availability.

Mum can also make a piece featuring lots of different coloured bunts to your desired length. Just let us know if you want some made.

Just Call Me Bo Peep

2011-09-02T02:29:00.000-07:00

There have been flocks of sheep packing their bags and heading off all over the world from here this week.

It's funny but I hardly ever used to get orders from Australia but recently I've had about six! I love to think of my sheep going off to bask in the sun. The Scottish weather is certainly enough to send anyone packing. 2nd of September and the thermostat here in the cottage says 'Cool-Turn Heating Up'. The heating isn't actually on yet so it's extra jumpers for me today...... and plenty of comforting cups of tea!

So here are some new sheepy makes available now in my online shops. Most of my items have been going into my Etsy shop but I will be restocking my Folksy shop this month as well. I think I have said that a few times recently but life is just so busy!

I'll be continuing to make more sheep pendants including ones with green apple trees and maybe a few in Autumn shades.

The bookmarks sold out both online and through my stockists so I have been busy making more. A few will be heading up to Starfish Studio in time for the North East Open Studios which runs from Saturday 10th to Sunday 18th September.

Perthshire Open Studios starts tomorrow with a vast array of Artists and Makers participating. You can find my new printed cards at An Cnoc, a lovely little shop in Crieff. (Links to websites at the end of this post.)

I'm not sure how many studios we will get round but I really hope to visit Eileen at It's Only Natural, Balhornie Cottage, Cargill.

Eileen makes the most delectable Organic Soaps and Creams as well as other crafts. I LOVE her patchouli soap. Not only can you see around Eileen's workshop but you can blend your own unique oils, make a gift box, or ribbon wreath. It all sounds like good fun to me!

I've had a few commissions to work on recently too.

This is a pendant piece to go with a cuff I sold a few months ago.

I also had a commission to make a cuff. Woodland browns and greens was the brief.

I put a shade chart together for the customer and she chose the combination she preferred.

And here is the result. Woodland greens on a deep earth brown background.

The button is carved wood and came from my own collection of vintage and second hand buttons. There was only one of it so this cuff is even more unique.

I liked the piece middle top on the chart so I made it up and found this toning button in a rich chestnut brown to finish it off.

Forest Cuff

£20

available in my Etsy Shop.

More news is that I will be exhibiting at The Handmade Show in Perth Concert Hall on Sunday November the 6th.

The Handmade Show showcases the talent of designer-makers from Scotland and beyond in a wide range of arts and crafts disciplines.

I will have a full range of textile art and craft with me and hopefully some brand new designs as well.

And on a completely different note, look what my lovely husband made!

He has been making bread using the bread machine for a while now but while I was looking through a book called 'Super Foods For Kids', racking my brains for good ideas for healthy packed lunches and snacks, I found a quick recipe for bread made by hand.

David had a go but it came out rather heavy and a bit on the damp side within. The crust was delicious though.

For his second attempt we dug out an old Delia Smith book and the result was fantastic!

Our bread tin was a bit small for her recipe so he just cut a bit off the dough and baked it separately. He is so pleased with himself and we are all delighted with him too.

Only problem is that fresh baked bread is irresistible!

For more info on some of the above topics click the links below.

Starfish Studio

North East Open Studios

An Cnoc

Perthshire Open Studios

It's Only Natural

The Handmade Show

For the Love of Tweed

2011-08-26T01:51:00.000-07:00

As much as we are trying to hold on to summer here in Scotland, there is no denying that Autumn is just around the corner. I usually try not to mention the next season before it starts but I just had to make something with all the glorious Harris Tweed I brought back from our recent trip to the Outer Hebrides and the stash includes lots of lovely Autumn shades.

I have been making leaf shaped brooches for a while now but not usually in leafy colours.

Here are some beech leaves I picked this morning so I can share with you where the inspiration comes from.

I used to love keeping sketch books and making samples as a form of inspiration gathering but time just does not allow for that any more. The ideas go straight from my mind to the finished piece these days then off out to stockists and craft fairs or into my online shops.

My petunias have been a great asset to my photography this summer and now it's time for my little nasturtiums to shine.

The brooches below are a combination of tweed and handmade felt. The felt is embellished with little foil sprinkles which catch the light without being over 'blingy'.

These earthy tweeds are so full of colour when you see them up close. They reflect the landscape of where they are made perfectly.

This bright orange is incredible! I only have a little bit of it, probably enough for two brooches so once they're gone, they're gone.

This rusty brown felt matches the hawthorn berries that are now hanging in abundance from the bushes up and down our farm track.

Talking of tweed matching the landscape I must share a link to this wonderful exhibition.
FROM THE LAND COMES THE CLOTH

The exhibition is a display of photographs by Ian Lawson that are to be published as a book next Spring. The exhibition is on at An Lanntair in Stornoway until September the 4th 2011.
You can enjoy a virtual look around it here.

Hebridean Inspiration.

2011-08-17T04:36:00.000-07:00

Where does a girl inspired by the Highlands and Islands of Scotland go on holiday?

The Highlands and Islands of course!

Well actually we usually go to the west of Ireland but this year we went to the Isle of Harris via Arisaig and Skye.

Fantastic.

We pitched our tent here at Horgabost on the stunning west side of Harris.

A few steps over the dunes from the door of the tent brought me to this spot where I loved to sit and drink my coffee first thing.

You know you have come to the right place on holiday when the sea is your favourite shade of turquoise.....

... and the flowers and shells are your favourite shade of mauvey purple!

I read one guide book describe this place as paradise refrigerated .... they were not wrong! I still went in the sea though. It wasn't as cold as it looked and wasn't the coldest water I've ever swum in either. I loved it. So clear and fresh.

As you can imagine I was very excited about the prospect of buying some Harris Tweed to include in my work.

These are cones of Harris wool in the weavers shed at Carloway on Lewis.

Norman Mackenzie weaves his tweed in the traditional manner on a Hattersley single width loom. There are only a handful of these particular looms still working on the Island producing this famous cloth.

I bought a metre of this glorious purple from Norman's sister Margaret who was holding the fort the day we visited. She kindly gave me a few labels to use on any bigger finished pieces. Not sure what I'll do with this piece but it will have to be something special!

There are SO many different colours and patterns of tweed to choose from and I nearly passed out with excitement when we walked into an enormous shed full of tweed next to The Tweed Shop at Tarbert.

I managed to get my hands on various bits and pieces on our travels around the Island and have already started playing around with it.

These bird brooches are a mixture of tweed and felt. The felt areas are hand dyed merino with hand dyed silk fibres and I feel that they compliment the tweeds well.

The pendants are again a combination of tweed and felt with a little bit of stitch for added detail.

I added some beads to this heart as I felt it needed just that little bit extra silver across the middle. This magenta tweed is extra thick and fuzzy and looks a bit like felt already.

On one of our days out we visited this brand new Gallery and Shop at Seilebost.

I happened to be wearing one of my square textile and resin pendants which caught the eye of Artist owner Lesley Wiseman. Although all the paintings in the gallery are by Artists living on the Islands, the crafts and gifts are by artists from further afield, inspired by the area. My textile sea pendants are certainly inspired by the beautiful turquoise hebridean sea and so Lesley bought some from me there and then to sell in this fabulous new venue! Lesley bought some sheep pendants too and I hope to send some cards soon as well.

Just look at the location!

That's the gallery, the bigger of the two white buildings on the left.

Harris Huts and Houses.

The east side of Harris is a total contrast to the machair and endless beaches on the west. It is a coastline of little coves and a landscape that puts you in mind of the what the moon must be like. All rugged and barren. This side of the island is well populated though with lots of interesting artists and makers to visit. We took a drive up what is locally known as The Golden Road (because it cost so much to build) and I was enthralled by all the cute little huts and houses dotted about.

If you thought those red roofed cottages so prevalent in my work only existed in my imagination think again!

I'll be getting on with lots of new work now that our children are back to school and I am so enthused with new inspiration.

Don't forget that if you are local to Fife you can find me and my work at Muddy Boots Farm Shop and Cafe, Balmalcolm this Saturday 20th August.

As well as all my usual textile art and craft I will have these new cards for sale.

They are all prints of some of my favourite felt pieces. There are nine designs to choose from and cost £2.50 each or 5 for £10. They have been selling so well already that I am out of one or two designs already. I have ordered more which should be here by next Wednesday. If you would like to order some just drop me a line at aileenclarkecrafts@yahoo.com

Wildfire

2011-07-28T07:25:00.000-07:00

At this time of year our hillsides and roadsides here in Scotland are swathed with Rosebay Willowherb making beautiful patches of pink everywhere we look. I can see lots of it from my window here in the cottage.

This little cottage sits at the end of our track and looks adorable no matter what the season. I day dream about doing it up as a craft bothy.

I have used it loosely as inspiration for this piece below.

Willowherb Cottage £30

Available in my Etsy Shop now

I thought it would be nice to feature some items from other crafters inspired by Rosebay Willowherb so I put together this Treasury on Etsy.

At first I struggled to find items by other people until I found out that Willowherb is called Fireweed in the USA. We call it Wildfire here in Scotland.
It turns out it grows in abundance in Alaska and I found this great shop making all sorts of interesting things with it including tea and jam!
Salmonberry Origins

I also listed these two new pieces featuring a similar shade of pink to Wildfire.

Textile Leaf Pendant £20

Textile Leaf Brooch £12

And talking of Wildfire, doesn't this look like fire in the sky!

Don't forget that you can find me and my work at Muddy Boots Farm Shop and Cafe on Saturday 20th August. Scroll to the bottom of my last post for a map. Muddy Boots is located on the main road at Balmalcolm.

Foxy Friday

2011-07-22T11:06:00.000-07:00

Last summer on one of our visits to Muddy Boots Farm Shop and Cafe, we went for a walk through woods behind the farm and came across these two happy fellows perched on a branch.

The last few times we have been, the foxes were nowhere to be seen which was a shame as they looked so cute and unexpected.

Today however we found Mr Fox abandoned in some bramble bushes! No sign of his little friend but we rescued Mr Fox and asked at the farm shop if we could take him home for some TLC and bring him back on our next visit.

So we washed him.

And dried him.

He played us a wee tune.

And we had a cup of tea with him.

He is now fit as a fiddle and ready to go back to Muddy Boots.

You can find me and my work and possibly Mr Fox at

The Muddy Boots Craft Fair

Saturday August 20th 2011

11-4pm

The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow

2011-07-18T13:08:00.000-07:00

5.30am on the north east coast of Scotland.

The promise of a lovely sunny day.

We didn't spend all of our holiday sitting on wind swept beaches. Having children aged 6 and 13 can be quite a challenge on holiday as they both like doing different things. The beach is usually a good option for both but some days it's nice to go and find other things to do.

Scotland is great for museums and places of interest.

While my husband took our daughter to the 'Tain Through Time Museum' in Tain, I took my son to visit an old friend of mine from college.

Brodie Nairn and his partner Nicola Burns run the contemporary glass studio 'Glasstorm' in Tain.

It was great to catch up with Brodie again. We haven't seen each other in nearly 20 years!

My son and I were delighted to be able to watch Brodie at work and he explained to us about his latest commission pieces.

You can follow this link to see some superb glass work and read more about the Glasstorm Studio.

I also met Fiona Byrne who works at Glasstorm. Fi makes her own glass jewellry and has an Etsy shop which you can visit here

Below is one of my faves from her shop.

'Summer Anchor Pendant' by FiFi Loves Jewellery

Another highlight of the holiday was visiting the lovely village of Dornoch.

Lovely cottages in warm sandstone with beautiful gardens.

A castle on the main street which is now a hotel.

Ahh.... the relaxing scent of summer roses.

And where did this inviting door lead to?

A peaceful and enchanting walled garden.

It was so nice to just amble around and wander in and out of some lovely shops.

Since we got back from holiday I have been busy making small framed felt landscapes and felt bookmarks for Room 15 in Oban.

Today would have been a good day to be in Oban. They set the World Record for the longest 'Strip The Willow' ceilidh dance this afternoon! Some german tourists apparently thought they were going to witness some nudity!

I have also had a couple of orders for 'Highland Coo' pictures.

Not difficult to find the inspiration with a whole herd living next door.

I went out to lock the shed the other night and heard lots of munching and snuffling going on behind the hedge.

I turned round to see this little cutie peeking through.

Just look at the length of those lashes!

It's easy to order something from me. Just send me an email telling me what you are looking for and we can work out something unique to suit your budget.

aileenclarkecrafts@tiscali.co.uk

'Wee Chubby Coo'

SOLD but you can order similar.

Last but not least on my list of things to share is that despite the dreadfully wet weather we've had for the last while, it dried up enough to go out picking flowers this evening.

These are all from our garden or the verges beside the farm track.

Can't wait for the honeysuckle to come out and fill the house with it's heavenly scent. I also can't wait for the sun to come out again....maybe tomorrow?

Doorways and Shoreways

2011-07-10T04:32:00.000-07:00

Just back from a weeks holiday around the Moray, Findhorn, Dornoch and Embo areas of Scotland. Very much a beach holiday although we went from basking in bright sunshine in summer clothes to wrapping up in woolly jumpers and hats.

We stumbled across quite a few interesting doorways which I thought I might use as inspiration for a textile piece.

I love getting in the sea at every opportunity and a bargain buy of a wet suit for a fiver at a car boot sale meant getting a lot less chilly. The invasion of these squishy jelly fish though put us off going in the sea up at Embo but we enjoyed a good bit of body boarding at Findhorn.

The beaches up there are glorious and endless with hardly anyone on them. I took a walk at 7.30 one morning and apart from a few joggers and dog walkers, the beach was deserted. As you can imagine, I soaked up lots of inspiration for my work. The dunes at Findhorn are fascinating with beautiful purple heather growing in profusion alongside low growing rosa rugosa and pink sea thrift.

This is a very quick sketch I did with my daughters paints after my early morning walk. I'm hoping to interpret this in textile using the embellisher machine sometime this week.

If you are a new visitor to my web page here, you might like to keep up with what's new from me on Facebook. It's always lovely to hear from people both here and abroad so please feel free to leave a comment.

....And That Was June.

2011-06-29T15:04:00.000-07:00

June has been a very productive month for me and it was rounded off nicely with the street fair at Falkland last weekend. Here is the view over to the Lomond Hills from near Freuchie.

Funnily enough, I made this picture from my imagination the day before I took the photo!

A cottage, some sheep and a bit of artistic license with the size of the poppies and you'd think I'd used that scene as inspiration.

Me and my wee stall.

The street fair went well and was very enjoyable to do.

My Mum supplied us with the tartan bunting.

Mum, Fynn and Kirsty

I shared a stall with Kirsty of Falkland Felts. We had great fun doing a stall together. It is something we day dreamed about doing 15 years ago when we were young, free and single. We were going to get a van and travel all summer doing stalls at festivals then head for the sun in the winter. Then life and children took over and this is the first of us actually doing a stall together!

Kirsty's on-the-spot workshop making felt soap rocks was a great success.

Children and adults alike had a go and went away delighted with their creations.

For anyone unfamiliar with the process, you take a bit of soap, in this case a piece shaped like a big pebble, and cover it with felt.

You wrap some dry felting fibres around it to the point where you can't see any soap anymore. Holding the fluff and soap carefully in both hands, you dip it into warm water and start to squeeze gently.

Keep squeezing until the fibres start to stick together, then start rubbing the ball of soap and fibres around in your hands.

It gets all sudsy as the fibres felt together and once you are done you have a soap wearing a woolly jumper that you can use as a normal hand soap or a bathroom ornament.

Here are some of Kirsty's along side some real rocks. You can make them any colour you want. The children made some fantastic rainbow ones.

I have made a lot of new pieces this month from brooches and pendants to landscapes and bookmarks. I have a constant supply of my work going out to four main stockists as well as keeping a variety of work available through my online shops.

These new sheep cards and mixed media pendants are going into production in between doing stuff with the children during the holidays and going camping.

One of my favourite things about June is the flowers.

It's probably the only time in the year when I miss my job as a florist.

Although you can generally buy most flowers all year round now, my favourites are at their peak at this time of year as this is their natural growing season.

My Mum and Hugh had their 5th wedding anniversary this month and we gave them these. My husband is great at buying flowers. He chooses and few bunches of this and that then I get some greenery from the garden, my trusty roll of cellophane, a big piece of ribbon and transform them into a presentable bouquet.

Just look at those scented stock! Absolutely heavenly! Mum was delighted with them and they looked even better in her big Azteca glass jug.

Hope everyone has great plans for the summer holidays. I was looking at video footage from our trip to Ireland last year. I felt a pang of regret that we are not going this year when I saw all the sunny shots, then felt glad we have decided not to go when I watched a clip taken in the porch of the tent with the rain pouring and low cloud as far as the eye can see. I'm sure we will get just as rained on this year but we won't have gone so far for the privilege!

Falkland Street Festival Stall

2011-06-23T00:42:00.000-07:00

This weekend, Saturday 25th June, I will be at Falkland Festival Street Fair. I will be sharing a stall with Kirsty of Falkland Felts. Kirsty will be doing an on-the-spot workshop making felt soap rocks and I will have a wide variety of my textile art and craft for sale including these new hair bands.

The hair bands have a plastic inner band that sits across the head rather than the kind with elastic. I find these stay on little girls heads better.

I have made a variety of different colour ways and I'm tempted to wear one myself!

New chains have arrived too. They are a lovely 2mm thick and 16 inches long. They close with a nice sturdy clasp and look really good on.

Also new this week are these cards made with old plastic carrier bags.

I made a few cards last year with fused carrier bags and when I was clearing out a cupboard I found that I had collected a few nice colours of bags and I took a notion to do a bit of experimenting with them.

I usually cut little rectangular panels for my cards and put a flower or a heart motif on each but when I came to cut up one of the fused pieces I felt it didn't really suit being rectangular. My bird template from making the brooches was sitting on the table and I had a little light bulb moment and here is the result.

You can see my 'Isle of Skye Waterfall and Tree' piece on display at the Art Exhibition in the Upper Town Hall in Falkland along with a few of my other larger felt pieces.

I will have some smaller framed pieces on the stall along with all my jewellery and cards etc.

You can find our stall on Cross Wynd, just round the corner from the fountain in the middle of Falkland. There are many stalls with food, crafts, plants and games. There will also be live music and street entertainment. Theme will be Scottish.

For more information on this event click here

A Bird In The Hand

2011-06-13T13:03:00.000-07:00

This week I'm working on some more new brooches. I've always liked bird shaped brooches and have made many over the years.

The garden flowers I'm using as props are being very obliging with their matching colours.

I really enjoyed sitting in the shed doing a little sewing at the weekend. I'm delighted that these Vintage Table Linens have found a perfect home. Don't the colours go so well!

I find it very time consuming hand stitching beads and brooch bars but it is also very enjoyable when I can do it sitting in my little garden hideaway.

Here are some finished leaf brooches. I have some listed in both my Online Shops.

I'm very careful when I'm sewing outside not to let any bits of thread fly off in the wind. I found this little fellow stuck in a Cypress tree and couldn't really understand why. I had to get a chair and a broom and very carefully pull the branch down low enough to see how I could help. Turned out there was a fine thread tangled in the tree and caught round the birds ankle. I managed to free him easily enough and snip the thread off without harm to the bird. It wasn't a sewing thread, more like a string fibre or something but even so, I'll keep a little bin beside me while I work for all those snippets of thread and wool.

There are a whole gang of Goldfinch enjoying all the wild thistle seed at the side of the farm track near our cottage. It's lovely to see them flit from stem to stem, bush to bush then fly off in a flock over the field.

A Passion For Pink!

2011-06-10T05:04:00.000-07:00

I love it when new supplies arrive.

These designs all started with the leaf shape in the centre of the square pendant. I had made a blue version of this in March with a cuff to match and I wanted to see how the design would look in these beautiful fuchsia shades.

Next came the heart pendant. It has a lovely puffy effect as it is two thin layers of felt stitched together.

The matching cuff is incredibly soft. It closes with two buttons layered together as I liked the shimmery effect of the top button but it wasn't big enough on it's own.

I had a leaf shaped template in my drawer of bits and pieces from when I was making fused fabric leaf pendants last year. I had picked a beach leaf off the hedge while walking home one day and based a few designs on it. When I cut this leaf out of the felt, one of the smaller leaves that I had cut for the square pendant fell onto the big one and hey presto! another design was born.

I have made these as brooches but they could also be fitted with a jump ring and worn as pendants.

The little pink daisy on the green background in the top photo was a bit of fun. I had some felt flower shapes cut from commercial felt for me by a fellow folksy seller and she kindly gave me card board cut outs of the four different daisy shapes that I ordered. The teeniest one just happens to fit within the square pendant tray and I couldn't resist the pink on green combination. A shiny shell bead makes up the centre and matches the background green perfectly.

I also have plenty of heart shaped templates lying around and this brooch is reminiscent of the hanging hearts I used to make. Again, this heart has a lovely 3D puffiness due to the layers being stitched together.

You can find some of these new pieces in my Etsy shop and I'll be adding more as and when I get them individually photographed. Thankfully the sun is shining today so I may have to just sit outside sewing on beads and brooch bars!

How ToTransform A Shed in Four and Half Hours

2011-05-30T09:16:00.000-07:00

Our shed was a mess. I had always wanted to make this into a little garden retreat but it seemed like a huge task. We always call it the Summer Shed because it has glass on two sides and although I used it a few times as a potting shed it had become a dumping ground. The roof used to leak but my husband re-felted it last year and I decided that today was the day to transform it.

As You can see the mice had a field day during the winter with some stuffing from old patio chair cushions.

The previous owner used to let his Grandchildren play in here and it was set out like a shop when we moved in.

I wonder who Katie loves now....she is 21 and had just graduated!

I gave my Dyson a real work out sooking up all the cobwebs and dust, then went rummaging for some emulsion for the walls.

I found a tin of 'Precious Jade' which must have been used for our kitchen walls goodness knows how long ago. I just gave it a good stir and slapped it on.

And here we are! A lovely wee garden hideaway.

All the bits and pieces are taken from the house. We used to have a lilac colour scheme in the bedroom but don't now so it's great to make use of some pieces that don't really fit in the cottage any more.

I'm so pleased with how this has turned out! The extension cable reaches here from the cottage so I can see me doing some crafting out here aswell as relaxing with a book.

I've managed to squeeze in two adult sized chairs as well as a child sized arm chair and a wee stool.

The old sea chest is housing all the plastic pots and seed trays and I have a big pile of stuff to go to the recycling centre. I managed to squirrel away some of the other stuff into our other shed so that only leaves one homeless bike.......it's not coming back in here!

New Gift Boxes and Other News

2011-05-25T03:10:00.000-07:00

All Aileen Clarke Crafts original jewellery now comes gift wrapped in these pretty little boxes.

This week got off to an unusual start with all that wild weather. We had a 30 hour power cut which left me half way through a batch of card making with no way of using my sewing machine or printing out my labels. Unlike the winter weather though, the storm did not stop the postie getting here and I was delighted that my new gift boxes arrived.

If you ever wonder where I get the inspiration for my work then look no further than the photo below. This was the view from the patio of a holiday cottage we stayed in back in April. There are even sheep in the further away field! I thoroughly enjoyed sitting out here first thing before the breeze got up, drinking my coffee and doing a little needle felting.
The cottage is in highland Perthshire and we enjoyed three nights there thanks to friends of my Mum.

Perthshire is my home county and I do miss it sometimes. North Fife has a charm of it's own but I really love the wild areas of highland Perthshire.

We drove away up to Loch Rannoch then on to Rannoch station. If you cross the railway line and walk down the track a bit you come to this beautiful loch on Rannoch Moor.

Loch Laidon

It's only 12km to Glencoe from here. We spent a glorious couple of hours enjoying the exceptional April sunshine and I soaked up lots of inspiration too.

The textures of these mossy stones and dried sticks really appealed to me.

A couple of weekends ago we had the privilege of having our cottage used as a venue for the filming of a traditional music DVD.

Redbarn Stuidos are making the DVD and were looking for a venue that had a traditional cottage/bothy look about it. We have exposed stone walls in the kitchen and sitting room so they used these as a backdrop for the singers.

It was a great session and an interesting experience having a film crew in the house.

Here is my Mum, Doris Rougvie with Gillian Murray from Redbarn and Alsitair Ogilvy who is not only a fantastic singer but he makes good tortilla wraps too!

If you would like to hear Alistair singing just Google him as there are a few lovely tracks on You tube.

My son had a brilliant time playing camera man. Gillian gave him a small camera to film extra footage on and he got to keep an eye on this big one to make sure it was capturing what it was supposed to.

Included in the DVD are bothy balladeers Jim Taylor, Geordie Muirison and Joe Aitken. Joe won Scots Singer of The Year at the 2010 Trad Awards. They are such fun people to be around and they know so many wonderful songs both beautiful and funny.

Speaking of singing and songs, I was coerced into entering a song I wrote into the Edinburgh Folk Club Songwriters competition last week and despite the very nervous performance I gave, I won second place! A cash prize of £50! I'm still gob smacked. I treated myself to these beauties with the winnings.

Is it a bit mad to share photos of new shoes on the internet? Well people love shoes and I know that some of my blog readers will love these :)

So what did I do during our 30 hour power cut with no sewing or embellisher machine or even an iron available?

I turned my hand to a bit of embroidery and worked on a wall hanging that I started the weekend of the Open Studios.

If you visited me at the studio you will remember me telling you that the leaf shapes I was working on with the embellisher machine were going to be made into a wall hanging with leaves and birds. Well this is as far as I have got.

I have new stock heading off to Zigzags in Dunkeld today to if you are in that vicinity, pop in and say hi to Dave.

Lots of New Things Available!

2011-05-13T13:51:00.000-07:00

The great thing about working so hard in the build up to a big event like the Open Studios is that you get a nice build up of stock.

I am adding new items daily to both my Folksy and Etsy shops.

I have made lots of these lovely felt heart pendants in various colour combinations and using various techniques.

These pink and green 'moon' pendants are so hard to photograph as they really catch the light in an unusual way and gleam like fire.

Although I made lots of purple pieces I only have a few left. Definitely the most popular colour.

This new design below with the added stitching was well admired at the weekend. I had some pre prepared and stitched felt which customers were able to choose their favourite little section from, to have made into a pendant.

My sheep are still heading off in flocks all over the world.

Available with or without a tree.

Still got a few bookmarks in stock. Look out for some new designs coming soon.

And I have made a few new felt pictures available in both my shops.

'Sheep In The Apple Orchard'

'Lavender Cottage'

'Peaceful Glen'

And last but not least, this wall hanging inspired by the Fairy Pools on the Isle of Skye is now available too.

For information and prices, just click on any of the images above.

There are many other pieces in my shops too so for an over view just click on My Etsy and My Folksy.