NEEDLESMITHS
  • Home
  • Witterings
  • Lampshades
    • Commisioned Artshades
  • Galleries
  • Contact

Witterings from a Creative 

Up to date .....

12/9/2018

1 Comment

 
Facebook was telling me that my 547 friends and followers hadn’t heard from me for a while.  When I get 'head down & motoring' busy or I’m feeling a bit out of sorts, I do tend to forget to post on there.  I think ‘I'll do that/say this tomorrow' and of course tomorrow doesn't ever arrive as it is always today then it becomes yesterday, and I still haven't popped by.  The same happens with blogging.  I have a number of started blogs, or a folder of photographs, but then something happens, or is it that it doesn't happen, and items stay unwritten until I sit down with that hat on and my fingers rattle over keys and a whole pile of 'stuff' gets done.  Emails fly out into the ether, blogs get written, posts and pictures start to appear on Facebook & Instagram.  A flurry of activity and a great deal of satisfaction achieved.
Picture
​The main thing that has been taking up time recently is this 'White Butterflies Magenta Flowers' lampshade. I finally stopped painting it and sewed the butterflies on and then turned the flat to round. The client has seen photographs & her first word was ‘Stunning’ which is a bit of a relief as I really wasn’t sure about it!  It is very different from my 'usual' blue themes.

Picture
​Now it's full on with Christmas things and preparing for two SWI – Scottish Womens Institute weekend workshops on fabric collage.  They will be making a tealight or picture and I need to get some examples sorted asap and also to sort through my fabric scraps which have spent some time ‘airing’ in boxes on the cabin decking… I need to check that everything is OK there. And write lists.... lesson plan.... materials.... equipment.... samples etc....etc.... 
This picture is of a lampshade that I made inspired by an old stone wall.  

I've also started to get my Christmas hat on.  I organise the Christ Church Winter Bazaar in Lochgilphead and it now has a great reputation for being the biggest and the best event in Lochgilphead, which I’m thrilled about.  Taking place on the first weekend of November it really kicks off the Winter & Christmas Fairs and markets in the area.  I’ve already taken a LOT of bookings including I think 11 new makers so it’ll be even bigger than usual!   That's only seven weeks away, and then there is the Homestyle Argyll Christmas House .... with Friends .... Last year was such a success that we’re doing it again ….
 All of a sudden, the month I thought was going to be quiet isn't!
Picture
The utter chaos that is my studio desk..... designs, with potential and without.... and rather refelcts the state of my head at the mo!
More anon, 
Kx
Picture
A couple of last years Christmas lanterns.
1 Comment

CHArts at The Briggait, Glasgow

21/8/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
I was at the Argyll Festival in Glasgow at the weekend.  Organised by CHArts Argyll & the Isles (Culture Heritage &  Arts) who are charting all the culture, heritage & arts activities in the Argyll area.  Argyll Fest was about the best that Argyll has to offer by way of food, drink and artisan crafts.  I was delighted to have been accepted and been part of the event.  

Picture
We had arrived in Glasgow the night before as I hadn't wanted to travel across country in the early hours & it meant we could go to the cinema and see something loud and nonsensical the evening before.  Glasgow was fully booked up, my favorite hotel had run out of beds.  So we took the first one we could find with a vacancy.  Not the nicest but we went to see Mission Impossible which was loud very nonsensical and just what the Dr ordered!

Picture
After a late night, as I was up until all hours sending emails for Artmap weekend, we left the hotel to get to the venue, slightly antsy as I was tired and feeling stressed by the day to come.  Arriving early, when we realised that we had driven past the venue twice before eventually finding it, I had written it off as a waste of a weekend.  If we couldn't find it what chance did was there of any customers coming in?  Then I discovered that there wasn't any electricity as had been requested and promised.  I was stomping around by this point.  We hadn't been able to park terriby near by so I had a lot of to-ing & fro-ing to do before I could start to set up.   However an electrician arrived and power points produced, I stopped being hot and bothered & fakely smiley, was provided with a cup of tea and gradually I calmed down and properly smiled at people!  I discovered later flags and bunting etc got hung out and so people did come in to see what it was all about, LOTS of people!

Picture
The Briggait is an interesting space/venue.  Now full of workshops for over 100 artisits and creatives with a huge central space, fantastically light and bright.  (I was actually quite pleased it was a bit of a grey rainy day so that my lit lamps and shades did show up.) 
It is situated in the medieaval part of Glasgow,  Merchant City, a category A listed building originally built to house Glasgow's fish market, it was completed in 1873 and used for the market until the late 1970's.  

Picture
I didn't take this picture but have nicked it via Google from discoverglasgow.org.  I probably should have googled it before we went so that we knew what to look for when we arrived!  There's also a, now restored, steeple/clock tower, which can't be seen in this picture, that dates back to 1665, an interesting building.

Picture
Picture
I was very rubbish at taking photographs that day and was too busy chatting to customers and fellow stall holders to remember.  Periodically Mr B brought across a sample of one of the gins or whiskys or ales that were on offer and food.  It turned out to be a really nice day and we decided to stay an extra night and managed to book into our favorite quirky urban chic hotel 'The Z'.  Also an interesting old building, formally a printworks.
A very mixed weekend!
Kx
0 Comments
    Picture
    The Needlesmith & Rosie the Studio dog

    Author - Me!

    I am a ‘Creative’ - designer/maker/teacher/writer, Art/Homewares/Creativitea Craft Kits/The Needlesmith.
    I'm
     a fabric hoarder & vintage sewing notions accumulator; Textile artist, lampshade maker and teacher of creative things, often but not always, made with needles ... ​A reader, dreamer, dog walking tea drinker.

    My Instagram page
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    View my profile on LinkedIn

    Categories

    All
    Argyll
    Card Making
    Christmas
    Creative Writing
    Dog Walks
    Events
    Glean A Gealbhan
    Just A Card
    Lampshade Making Workshop
    Lampshades
    My Poetry
    Naked Cards
    Walking
    Witterings
    Writing

    Archives

    May 2020
    August 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    May 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    September 2016
    August 2016
    February 2016

    RSS Feed

Copyright ©2020
  • Home
  • Witterings
  • Lampshades
    • Commisioned Artshades
  • Galleries
  • Contact