It's that time of year again!

Oh yes it is (oh no it's not shouts Jane from the back of the shop) - it's the North Bristol Arts Trail this coming weekend, the 27th and 28th of November, and in Fig things are all go. We have been tidying and polishing, tweaking and twizzling (or slimmering perhaps Kate?) getting Fig to look just right.

Meanwhile I have been putting the finishing touches to my new aluminium collection to be unveiled on Friday night at the NBA preview night. But, as a special treat, I'm putting a couple of photos here for you to look at. Come and check them out for yourselves this weekend, and if you can make it on Friday night, there'll be mulled wine to enjoy too.

jemima

Oh so pretty!

Look at Kate's new creations! The lovely fairies are already flitting out of fig so drop by soon to get your hands on one.

Running out of time - Kate

There never seems to be enough hours in the day. Despite suffering from a cold, Jemima doggedly continued to make her new range of jewellery for an exhibition in Bristol at this week .

As you can see, it's a combination of her traditional butterflies and birds, cut out in aluminium, mixed with her clock range and I love love love it.

She didn't want me to take this picture of her, but you can just get a glimpse of her cool new dress that she bought from a little independent shop in Dorchester last week. It's really versatile cause you can wear it both winter and summer - just add a top and leggings! At least that's how she justified it!

Nightmare

I ve just got sucked into 15 minutes of an Audience with Cliff Richard -and now i ve lost the will to live........

Happiness is craft shaped

Hello to readers of the blog...I have finally worked out how to do this blogging thing!! but the most important thing to say is that I am so happy to be part of Fig and have found myself so full of ideas that I am trying to do half a dozen projects at once and the house looks like a bomb has hit it! my main concentration right now is preparation for a sale at the bicycle event in Queens Square on Sunday where I will be selling some items from my bike, including a re-print of the t-shirt design that my son drew 20 years ago!!! I will post some photos next week...might see you there

Let's here it for the girls

Yes we've been naughty, but we've also been very productive -

Jane's been getting to grips with her Gocco printer (not sure that's spelt correctly) and once she overcame the initial carbon printing hiccup, managed to rip out nearly 50 beautiful two-colour birdy prints.

She's been relegated to the cellar now because she moans about Radio Four, (too much talking on the channel for her liking), its got nothing to do with her needing more space and splattering ink all over the place.

Jemima has been experimenting with aluminium with wondrous results. She's ordered some inks to colour up her work so watch this space......

And I have been revisiting my childhood passion for all things mice.

Naughty figgers!

We have been very bad recently and have neglected our lovely blog! Anyway, we will now resolve all that and get blogging. The new girls will be under strict instruction and the old guard will be cracking the whip, never you fear.

In the meantime I've joined frombritainwithlove which is a gorgeous listing site for all things made in Britain - have a little look.

And I have been busy (honest) and I'm now making children's charm necklaces alongside all the other charm jewellery. Available here on notonthehighstreet, or in the shop.

Please vote for me!

I've had this bracelet choosen by etsy for a competition on kaboodle - if you like please pop over there and vote for me! Click on the image or the word kaboodle above to take you there. And if you have a spare hour or two click on the word etsy (if you've never had the pleasure) and lose yourself for an hour or two!

jemima
x

Husbands doing macho boys stuff

I'm back from the warm, damp wilds of Cornwall, and happy to be back at fig pootling about ON MY OWN! Yes, no children, no other people, just me. There are times when a bit of solitude goes a long way!

Anyway, here is a picture of Kate and my husbands doing outdoor, boysey stuff in Cornwall. Kate and family were staying just a few miles away and on one of (few) warm evenings they build a a camp fire and cooked out supper on it. Excellent chicken tortillas, but we did rather underestimate how hot the fire was and so we nuked the baked potatoes! Kate's husband Matt on the left, Joel on the right.

jemima

Hello bloggers. Today's important lesson is entitled "How to put up a shelf without making 6 trips to the hardware shop, drilling unnecessary holes and losing your rag."

As you can see from Sinead's resigned expression her first attempt at creating new shelving in Fig is not going well.

However, after about 4 hours (and many words of encouragement from her fellow Figgers) things have improved and she has completed her task, creating a perfect (some might say small, but they would simply be jealous because they do not possess shelving of any sort) shelf. As the picture shows, just right for a mug.

As you can see from my own and Jane's attempts, things have not gone well - we could learn a lot...or we could GILMI (get a little man in, which, incidentally is precisely what Jane did today, with the result that she now has a set of shelves, perfect for rolling maltesers down .

Kate's lesson tomorrow is how to compose a blog with pictures in the right place and in the right order. She might find it easier without a cat on her lap, especially one infested with fleas.

Abstaining and dirty lies.....

For a start,that box is not big enough for me to spread my paper,balsa,cardboard and photocopies on -and secondly,i have every intention of using this particular tool once i have worked out what it is and infact how it is to be used.Possibly to bore a surprise hole in Jemima s chair or to loosen a few screws on the casters of it.......

Anyway,last time i was at Fig i bought this lovely bag of Maltesers.I offered them around -i mean it was a large bag (usually i d just secretly scoff them).This miserable lot all turned me down .And now there aren t even enough Maltesers to make a full stop........

Laser Guided Torquey Doo-Dah

Yes that is the technical term I believe for this brand new, untouched item of hardware that we found when we had a bit of a sort out at Fig. Whose is it? We don't rightly know. What does it do? Er... we don't rightly know. Though I do know how the tape measure works. Uh huh. Anyone who thinks they know who it belongs to, feel free to send suggestions. Rumours that Jane plans to use the flat surface (when the box is closed) for storage are as yet unfounded. But there's still time.

Look what I got in the post!

Aw look at these gorgeous mice! I ordered them (just yesterday) from Beth of The Linen Cat, and today they arrived, BEAUTIFULLY packaged, and utterly irresistible . I so wanted to keep them, but one has gone to friends with a new baby, and the other stashed away for a pregnant friend. Click here to see her lovely shop.

jemima

Jemima's Chatelaine

Just wanted to share this wondrous creation. Granted its a rubbish photo, but you can hopefully see a little of the workmanship that has gone into making this beautiful chatelaine.

Its the result of months of hard work and is Jemima's end of year piece. Its on show all weekend at the RWA alongside other silver jewellery makers.

Go and see......

10% off everything this Saturday only!

To celebrate the arrival of our three new colleagues - Sinead Finnegan, Chitra Merchant and Caroline Casswell, we are giving all our lovely customers 10% off anything in the shop (including the work of the old gang!) this Saturday only.

Come along and save, save, save!

Jemima speaks on Folksy

Listen here followers !!!!!! Click here to read a fantastic interview with our our lovely colleague ,Jemima, on the folksy blog.

Jemima has been a huge source of inspiration for me (Kate), especially during those moments when you question your own talents - I feel that I'm often asking myself whether I'm good enough to sell to others. I like what I do, but does anyone else? Am I just playing at this or is it a viable business?

Jemima is always there with helpful advice because she has been there, had similar doubts and overcome them with great results.

She also used to be a great source of yummy, home-cooked cakes and biscuits which she would produce with a flourish at coffee time..... but now she's on weight watchers and all the goodies have stopped.

My advice to her now is: you look great (and she does) please can you start making cakes again cause I'm fed up with ginger nuts and digestives.

My friend Chitra

I thought i d blog about one of our new members at Fig, and a good friend of mine,Chitra Merchant.Chitra is a very gifted and talented printmaker and extremely modest.She told me today that she had had her print accepted in the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition and it is hanging only inches away from Tracey emin s poodle print ! And she has sold 30 already !!!In between teasing her about the quantity of microwaveable fish fingers she eats and the whole bags of salad leaves she munches she produces these beautiful pieces .Come and see her work from the beginning of July at Fig.I am looking forward to the smell of Eau de Findus that will be wafting round at the shop from then.

Jane

Kate's cakes!

Here is a sneak preview of an almost finished piece by Kate (actually it is finished now but I forgot to snap it today!). The picture shows it pre-embelishments, and I can tell you that it looks even more delicious now. More pictures to follow (when I remember to take them!)

jemima

Beards,booze and buyers....

I ve been absent from the old blogging for a while -too much dashing around and half term on top.Here s what I ve been up to.My show has started at the Rostra Gallery in Bath.The girls there have made a lovely job of it and i ve even got my name on the window !!!!Get me !!It s on til 30th June and has gone incredibly well so far with one customer coming in and buying 8 framed pieces in one go (yes,that cruise i ve dreamed of is not so far away).Here are a few pictures of the private view.Including one of my glamourous and beautiful friend Jen who lowered the tone by sitting on the floor next to the hare and below the fabulous Susie Brooks print that i intend to own very soon.Ofcourse it all got a bit messy after champagne mojitos and bellinis but a good time was had by all.Much fun playing on our i phone apps including this corker of my husband.He is so going to kill me.

Jane x

I {heart} ice cream - but not the mess!

I splashed out on a teeny tiny ice-cream maker the other day (you know, those boiling hot days of summer, last week!) and while the ice cream is deeeelicious, the mess is er.... messy! I have improved my technique a little since this first attempt. Honest. So far we've had blueberry and blackberry, strawberry and today rhubard and ginger!

jemima

Charming jewellery

Have finally got around to designing and making some charm jewellery. Have been asked many times to make them, but somehow never got around to making a proper 'range'. So here it is at last! Ten different charms on a necklace, bangle, bracelet or child's bracelet. Must do some earrings....

Kate's talents recognised!

Kate has some of her gorgeous work in a fabulous restaurant in Dorset - and this weekend someone spotted it, and blogged about it too! Have a look...

http://jimmynailslovechild.blogspot.com/

jemima

It's Folksy Friday again!

Now instead of fiddling with my iphone while I'm waiting for an email here, I thought I'd do a quick Folksy Friday. I'm currently working hard to finish off my final project for college (nearly all over after three years.... sniffff) and as there's lots of type in my work, today's theme is TYPE!

Just love all these....
Julene's work is simply stunning - I want it!
Bookity's work is great - have a read around the shop.I've already bought a few pieces from Kerry of Hello Monkey, and not because she's a fellow Bristollian!And, finally (as my email has now appeared) is this poster from Print for love of wood - I'd be happy to see this every morning - wouldn't you?

Click on any of the images to go to the item. Byee!

jemima
x

46 and moving around like an 86 yr old

I haven t blogged in a while-too much work and dashing about.So what have i been up to ?I had my work represented by the Rostra at the AAF in Bristol last week.Photos should be here of the stand-it looked lovely -they hung me with Rick Smith and Clare Halifax and the stand was chocka.(Is that how you spell it ?)Through the Rostra I am being featured in Artists and Illustrators magazine in June-get me !!!

I ve been working on a couple of new prints-here s a picture of me and our cat ,Hilary, working on the stencils.To be honest she wasn t that helpful.I loved the idea of a fish and

net-when i hung my work at Printfest I realised there wasn t much blue anywhere so i needed to set that right.I may have entered my blue period.Not sure what i think of the final print-haven t had it photographed yet.

So it was my birthday yesterday and we took the children to Alton Towers for a couple of days .I haven t been for 17 years and now i know why-it was terrifying.Sadly for me i hurt my back on a waterslide and I m now in quite a bit of pain and feeling out of sorts-i slept til 11 30 today -bed rest is what i needed !So what do i think of being 46 ?IT S RUBBISH.

Jane

Searching for new blood

Kate: Hello, anyone out there who would like to join our wonderful shop and studio at Fig? Its a fun, inspirational and supportive environment. We've got a light and warm studio - very important if, like me, you suffer from cold hands and feet, and the shop, although small, is well lit and inviting.

Yeah, I know I'm really bigging it up, but honestly, its a lovely place to work and a great opportunity for a creative type.

Forgot to say I finished that picture for my friend and here is a photo of it:

Kate hard at work

Just a quick one tonight as I'm not really supposed to be on the computer (aka wasting time!) but here's a photo of Kate hard at work painting (and unscrewing the back off...) our new display boxes! Yippee! Just one coat of silk to finish them off and they'll be gracing our window display showing off new goodies.

jemima

Fruity Folksy Friday!

Welcome to our first Folksy Friday! in recognition of our fruity name fellow figgers have chosen fruity items. Here goes....


I love the cards by Quite Contrary Crafts - Mary must have a very steady hand!


Another person with steady hands I feel - wonderful stamps, hoping Emily will be making a fig one soon.


Kate's catty choice here - the name is the fruity part!


One from the forum thread yesterday - fab and fruity pendant!


Oh so cute earrings here - I'm sure I had an apple pair very similar back in the day!


Oh I must get the crochet hook out again to indulge my wool passion..... boy, will Joel be pleased!


Jo's fruity choice (she's commissioned Magic Minky to make something related to her work.... watch this space)


Now I had meant to stop there, but then I found Leanne's brooch on the thread, and well, I just had to squeeze it in!

Click on the pictures to link to their gorgeous shops.

That's it for now! How'd I do?

jemima
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