fig

At last.... after a long gestation period....

2011-05-03T18:50:00.002+01:00

...my new website is ready!

With a million thanks to patient, long-suffering but truly creative designer, Anthony of Jandaworks, here she blows!

http://www.jemimalumley.co.uk/

I love my new baby - hope you do too!

jemima

Oxfam for Japan Auction

2011-03-28T19:11:00.004+01:00

Mel Poxon of Kookie Designs has again organised a rather fabulous auction to raise money for Oxfam to help in Japan. If you would like to find out more, please visit the auction site here. There are some lovely donations for the auction, so please have a look and see if there's anything you would like to have a go at winning. Happy Bidding!

jemima

Charming!

2011-03-17T20:32:00.004Z

Oh dear - no blogs for ages again, we are a lazy bunch! Actually we are a very busy bunch, beavering away. So here's evidence of my (Jemima) beavering - halfway to making the 200 charms I need to have ready before the end of April when my work will be in the latest notonthehighstreet catalogue. They tell me will sell around 160 of my charm necklaces (available here and in fig) so I want to have lots ready before then.

Just got over the half way mark....

sale ! sale ! sale !

2011-01-29T17:03:00.009Z

Well my friends-we here at Fig have had a move around and this is part of the new layout.There are plans for a new floor and fancy lighting so we shall be transformed again !

We are currently having a sale.We have a table crammed with reduced treasures.Hurry along to see us before they re all gone.

Just look at the state of this desk -horrendous.Oh shoot -it s mine !

2011-01-29T16:53:00.004Z

Hello all.My goodness we ve been bad at blogging of late.Let s put that right !

I (Jane) have got carried away with the idea of having some ceramics with my designs on.It s a work in progress but i m excited by the results so far.Here are the eggcups i ve been working on.And there a peak of the cockerel i ve put onto a mug.It s all a bit trial and error but i d better perfect as i ve got 50 eggcups winging their way to me.

It's that time of year again!

2010-11-23T20:51:00.007Z

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!

2010-11-07T23:26:00.004Z

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

2010-10-11T11:04:00.004+01:00

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

2010-09-22T21:34:00.002+01:00

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

2010-09-17T23:22:00.004+01:00

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

2010-09-13T21:08:00.005+01:00

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!

2010-09-03T08:41:00.003+01:00

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!

2010-08-14T19:20:00.008+01:00

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

2010-08-10T22:49:00.006+01:00

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

2010-07-19T22:09:00.006+01:00

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.....

2010-07-13T21:56:00.010+01:00

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

2010-07-12T23:10:00.002+01:00

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!

2010-07-02T17:54:00.002+01:00

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

2010-06-30T20:03:00.003+01:00

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!

2010-06-30T09:04:00.004+01:00

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

2010-06-24T22:20:00.004+01:00

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

2010-06-14T18:40:00.004+01:00

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!

2010-06-11T19:19:00.003+01:00

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....

2010-06-06T11:38:00.008+01:00

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!

2010-06-01T22:25:00.005+01:00

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

2010-05-30T11:10:00.004+01:00

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!

2010-05-24T21:52:00.003+01:00

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!

2010-05-21T09:30:00.007+01:00

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

2010-05-20T19:01:00.004+01:00

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

2010-05-19T21:42:00.002+01:00

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

2010-05-18T20:51:00.003+01:00

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!

2010-05-14T08:45:00.000+01:00

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
x

Still working when I should be in bed

2010-05-12T23:06:00.000+01:00

Kate: I'm desperately trying to finish a picture that started off as "something small and simple" and has escalated into "small yet very complicated". Its a present for a friend's birthday so I need to get it finished tonight but my back is aching, and newsnight is on and I'm so fed up with bloody election chit chat. Let's all move on shall we - now junior apprentice, that's much more interesting. Personally, I couldn't see much different between the juniors and the older lot. I thought they did a pretty good job with the same amount of bitching and back stabbing thrown in. Are they really all sharing a house together though?! ten 16-year-olds in a mansion? I know what I was like at 16 and I certainly wouldn't have been discussing the next day's business strategy.

Anyway, .. less of that, must get this done...will post a picture tomorrow if its finished. Yawn.

Cuff, cuff... er excuse me?!

2010-05-12T20:30:00.000+01:00

Lame heading I know, but here is one of my own pieces of work that I'm rather proud of and will soon be going to a new home. It's a commission from one of my favourite customers, who wears her jewellery like a second skin and is also incredibly kind, thoughtful and generous. She's also a talented embroiderer, but hides her talents under a bushel, more's the pity. Anyway, for her 50th birthday she asked me to make something with a pomegranate on it and here it is. The main silver body of the cuff is matt silver, and the pomegranate and it's seeds are cut from copper, which is highly polished.

Fingers crossed she likes it!

jemima

My new picture

2010-05-10T22:35:00.001+01:00

Kate: Just thought I'd post this pic. Its a new one I made last week for a lovely client. She wanted a picture of her niece in my lollipop flowers. Its called "Mabel and Mouse".

And thank you Jemima for saying such lovely things about my work!

I've just watched a programme on BBC1 about raising your High Street profile - the message seemed to be good marketing.

Maybe we need to consider our Fig brand....what does it say about us and how can we strengthen our image?

Here's Kate!

2010-05-10T19:53:00.000+01:00

Here's a snap of the lovely Kate Tarling, hard at work, gossiping to someone and pretending to work. Fig has a pretty tiny workshop space that we share rather intimately - you can see a picture of it here, so it's great that we all get along so well (don't we?!), and like to talk about, and eat lots cakes and biscuits. As I don't seem to have snapped any of her recent pieces, I'm going to pop a link on to her website gallery page. It's all gorgeous, and incredibly detailed, and as someone who famously can't sew a cub badge on straight (my poor kids) I have enormous admiration for the precision and invention of Kate and her needle. Please go admire here.

Jane's pants

2010-05-09T21:36:00.001+01:00

Kate: This picture was taken on election day. Jane wore a red shirt for Labour, blue trousers for the Tories and apparently orange pants especially for Nick Clegg. I think we know where her political allegiance lies.

lovely stuff

2010-05-09T18:47:00.000+01:00

Kate: Just wanted to post up a few pictures - see, here are some lovely things at Fig - Jemima's new range of pendants. She can even put your name in one! As long as its not too long...like, um, can't think right now. Dinner is ready...

Never again....

2010-05-09T10:15:00.000+01:00

Eugggghhhh-went to a friend s birthday party last night where i along with 2 friends, were in charge of the cocktails- we were supposed to be making them but there was some quality control going on-2 sea breezes,4 citrus blushes,1 cosmopolitan and 4 bellini s later (and throw in a pair of unsuitable high heels) and i almost had to be carried home.Also remember snaffling loads of fudge dipped in the chocolate fountain and the birthday boy swigging from a tin of pineapple chunks.Got a bit overconfidant on the roulette wheel and lost £800 gambling on black uneven -you win some you lose some.(No it wasn t real money or i d be weeping into my laptop).Got woken up at about 3 am by the bloody gerbils running on their squeeky wheel in Ruby s room..This never happened to SJP in Sex and the City.

Jane

Topical art

2010-05-08T19:48:00.000+01:00

Speaking of Jane's new creations, I noticed a new (and rather impressively current) new print from the lovely lady adorning Fig's walls when I was manning the shop this morning. Seems only right to share it with those of you who haven't made it into the shop recently - and those that have been affected by the ash cloud hovering over British airspace will probably share her sentiment! Hopefully all the furore surrounding the volcano will blow over soon...(Sorry, I couldn't resist! ~ Jo)

Election day madness

2010-05-07T18:37:00.000+01:00

Here is a lovely piece of chocolate dipped flapjack that was accidentally stolen from Jemima by myself.It was delicious.Look at the gorgeous glossy sheen on the chocolate and the golden oaty texture.Imagine how it felt to bite into the crumbly chocolate and then taste the goodness of the oats.It was such a shame she never got to know how scrumptious it really was.I ate every last crumb.

So now the hoo ha is over about Printfest I am having to knuckle down and get on with some new work.Here are a few preliminary sketches of 2 new prints I m working on for my show at the Rostra Gallery in Bath at the beginning of June.

One is going to have something about cats dreaming of Gerbil pie and the other is a sister print for my Cat disenchanted with the wild west.I seem to have spent most of the day avoiding doing anything about it -I MUST GET ON WITH IT.So i must stop messing about and plough on.

Anyway I have decided that it s taking me so long to persevere because I am not happy in the space I m working in at home and I have hatched a plan to move into our loftspace and set up office without my husband s blessing.

There will be trouble-mark my words.

Jane

I admit it - I'm an iphone addict!

2010-05-06T20:05:00.000+01:00

Today I downloaded a new app which allows me to take photos in different styles. So here for you is a couple of snaps of the shop using the 'film' that makes it look like it's from 1969 (apparently).

Also - where are all our customers? I was on the desk this afternoon, and it was so quiet. Please send some nice people our way... and a flapjack (preferably half covered with chocolate) because Jane took mine home with her. I know, you can't trust anyone these days.

jemima

Jane's at Print Fest!

2010-05-02T11:35:00.000+01:00

Jane has spent this weekend at PrintFest (see postings below!) in Cumbria. All on her ownio she has driven up there with a car load of rather valuable prints and framed prints and set up this wonderful stand. You can see three of her latest prints in the Folksy shop here, and more to come soon on her website here.

Day 1 of Printfest with Jane

2010-05-01T18:04:00.000+01:00

So-i ate my chocolate,read my magazine and then fell asleep watching Jonathon Ross.And then I woke up at 6 45 !!!!!!!!! 6 45 ! I could have slept til 8 30 but no-I woke at 6 45. Typical.

Got up,had breakfast and then proceeded into Ulverston for a mooch about.It was incredibly busy until 1 pm and then slack

ened off for lunch.Within Coronation hall they have a lovely little cafe with home made cakes - so far I ve had a cheese scone,a piece of lime and coconut cake and some chocolate brownie.(Obviously the lime in the cake constitutes 1 of my 5 a day).I ve been thrilled at how well it s gone-I m rather hoping to sell more framed pictures tomorrow though-mainly because i won t have to wrap them up and load them up to take them

home-i know i will do a slap dash job.I could have sold my bird houses a thousand times over.I have made 2 new friends

-Ruth Green and Lucy Gell-both are very ta

lented printmakers and in between customers we ve been eating cake and dri

nking tea .

It s such a lovely event-very intimate and with some amazing work-Janice and Jo who have organised it are great .People do seem to

come with a mission to buy -I m hoping for more sales tomorrow !

I never got to the Laurel and Hardy museum boo hoo.Or did my run.

Jane s jaunt oop north

2010-04-30T17:02:00.000+01:00

Well-I am in Cumbria doing Printfest-the good and the great and me are gathered in Ulverston to show our wares.To say I m tired is an understatement.Drove for 4 and a half hours yesterday-then up at 6 30 this morning and then spent 6 hours putting up the show.(I will post up pictures next week).I am now lying on my bed at my lovely b and b eating a giant bar of galaxy and contemplating the private view at 7 this night.There is some fabulous work there-it s very intimidating.Anyway despite my first cock up which was putting the wrong screws in my browser and flapping like a chicken ,I managed to stay calm and actually make quite a good job of it all.I don t know if there ll be much socialising tonight but I m rather looking forward to an early night and a flick through ghastly Ok magazine-don t say i don t know how to live !!!!!

Not such a lazy day...

2010-04-20T20:54:00.000+01:00

Well,i started the day by doing a 5 mile run.Every bone in my body said DON T DO IT but i have to say i m rather glad i did.Jen and i are running the Bristol 10k in 3 weeks -3 weeks !!So we d better get a move on.
I then proceeded to spend a considerable amount of money on acid free board to mount my unframed prints on.Richard at Arboreta is always so helpful and charming -i could spend hours in his paper warehouse.You could swoon over the amount of paper that s in there.He even has a special machine that wets brown parcel tape-genius!!!!I then continued from there to Spike Island where i wrapped about 40 prints that are for the Rostra gallery in Bath to take to the Affordable Art Fair.This is boring.When i wrap work i keep sighing loudly.I want to invent a machine where you just post the print through a slot and it comes out the other end all cellophaned and ready to go.You know,the equivalent of those netting machines that they use on Christmas trees.My other secret weapon is my lovely friend Chitra,a fabulous printmaker herself,who has been known to wrap my work because i m too darn lazy to do it myself.Now all i ve got to do is sort out the delivery note.Yawn.

Lazy day

2010-04-20T17:51:00.000+01:00

Today started with the best of intentions - get the A-board finished, go to the post office , meet old friend for coffee then work. Completed the first two assignment but was led astray by my erstwhile friend. Coffee turned into lunch, lunch turned into mooch around Pink Lemons and Make, (didn't buy anything but considered a pair of harem pants - can I get away with a pair? or is this a fashion fad I will live to regret?) and by then it was nearly 2 o'clock and i needed a cup of tea. Decided to go home and make a cake but wondered around the garden admiring the blossom. Did school run, then once home felt I ought to redeem myself so started making a batch of flapjacks. Got the sugar out of the cupboard and a giant slug fell out of the bag....so disgusting. Had to wash my hands three times to get the slime of my fingers.

5 girls a parrot and a lemur

2010-04-17T11:15:00.000+01:00

Quite frankly I am exhausted.Due to the volcanic dust mullarkey Paul is stuck in Poland and so i had to conduct my daughter s nineth birthday party on my own.So it was me and 5 girls at Bristol zoo.We met some lovely ring tailed lemurs-all those fabulous stripes have inspired me and it s about time i made a break from birds,cats and dogs.We also witnessed a mid air fight between a parrot and a seagull.Now you don t see that every day.

The girls wanted to sleep in a den so i rather cleverly and cunningly created a fabulous tent.It s amazing what you can do by tying 4 sheets together.

An introduction...

2010-04-17T09:50:00.000+01:00

Here is a little bit about one of our quieter members! You'll notice that Jane has taken to this blogging malarky like a duck to water, but the rest have been rather conspicuous in their absence! So I'm going to beginning to remedy the situation by introducing Rosalind King. Ros joined Jane and me at our old studio, back in the day, when she was pretty fresh out of college and knee high to a grass hopper. We feel in love with an amazing wall hanging she had completed for her final project at college which mixed images of Indian seed packets with embroidery and bits and bobs. She has an incredible magpie eye for putting disparate objects together to make an intriguing and delicious piece. She also makes bold brooches, handsome hearts and terrific tea towels! You should be able to find the tea towels for sale here and the brooches too.

No more Mad Men

2010-04-14T23:15:00.000+01:00

I am bereft.It was the last episode of Mad Men tonight.No more Betty and Don for a whole year !Everything is spectacularly styled-the hair,the clothes,the furniture-even the goddamn cigarette smoke.What will i do now on a Wednesday at 10 pm ,sniff?

Jane s tales from spike

2010-04-14T18:23:00.001+01:00

Well I got to do some printing at Spike Island on Sunday.Had the whole place to myself .Thank god the cantina was open downstairs so i could get my usual fix of apricot flapjack.Here are some prints drying on the wrack-not quite right yet but getting there !

Something new

2010-04-12T22:36:00.001+01:00

I've been a very good girl today and went to a quiet fig to work on a couple of commissions (still not finished...) and meanwhile made a necklace for myself! I've hardly got any of my own jewellery - a few prototypes, or dodgy things I can't sell - and as my sister is getting married in 12 days I thought I'd treat myself. Here it is!

Jane s defence

2010-04-09T22:00:00.000+01:00

Oh dear - yes,no surface is safe when i m about.It s called organic spreading.I must buy a lovely shelf.Just imagine what the inside of my handbag is like.

Tidying update

2010-04-09T19:05:00.000+01:00

Well, even though the weather was glorious again today (and I had childcare!) I didn't tidy, and I did work hard. Honest. So here is my 'proper' desk to prove it. I reckon I beat Jane hands down in the Fig Untidy Stakes (2010), but boy can Jane spread. If you're not in the studio she lays claim to your desk and covers it (though not with apple cores, they are strictly for her own desk). This is why I keep mine so messy, to stop the Ormes Encroachment. Honest.

2010-04-08T20:58:00.000+01:00

Here are 2 more photos of the inside of Fig.Lovely cushions by Charlotte and 2 of my new mini prints in box frames.I ve spent most of today signing new prints and quite frankly some of my titles are too damn long.Whilst momentarily distracted by a charming customer i accidentally signed one upside down.Boo hoo -there s a dirty great mark on it now where i tried to rub it out.I haven t quite mastered this composition bit -expect there s another huge white space beneath this.Thought so.

2010-04-08T20:50:00.000+01:00

Here is a shot of our lovely window.I am particularly enjoying the reflection of the houses opposite us.Look at those cardboard rabbits -i made them with my own fair hands.Meibh of Iota,I swear your cardboard fox terrier is nearly ready !

2010-04-08T20:46:00.000+01:00

On the other hand here is my desk Jemima - i have put the browning apple core next to the sellotape to give a sense of scale.I so need a lovely lovely shelf like you.

Before and After - it's tidy up time!

2010-04-08T19:47:00.000+01:00

Today was one of those days - beautiful weather, perfect for an early spring walk and a picnic. So I was working, of course. And had paid for child care so there was no getting out of it. I pretended to work hard for at least and hour and then had a brainwave. I would have a tidy up! Kind of working without working. And I put up a shelf! So here is the result....

Sadly I couldn't quite bring myself to tidy the main desk of doom (which you can't see here!) but who knows, if it;s sunny again tomorrow I might just have to do it.

2010-04-07T23:23:00.001+01:00

Kate's blog

2010-03-30T10:17:00.000+01:00

Just a little word on egg-blowing - be prepared, its not for the faint hearted. In fact, its a bit like giving birth which should give you some idea of the effort involved (unless you've never given birth, in which case if you've ever blown an egg it will give you some idea of what giving birth is like, sort of).

Anyway, the eggs are decorated and hanging in our new Easter window at Fig. Check it out!

Now I'm going to try and attach some photos of some new stuff in the shop....

Mmm, well, layout could be better I guess!

2010-03-26T11:00:00.000Z

Goodness-it s my first blog and is without images or amusing annecdotes but it s a start !My hands are scarlet,blue and yellow (would have made a great photo!) all thanks to the eggs I m decorating for our marvellous Easter window display at Fig.I made some lovely cardboard rabbits yesterday too-keep posted !