The end of the home decor plate assignment and what I learned #makeartthatsells with @lillarogers

What a week! I worked hard, hard. Had highs and lows , a brief teary moment then great happiness when I put together this final plate which was my fifth design:

You’ll see what I mean! I ended up with a plate design I loved after a detour away from water-colour to acrylic on wood, which is lovely to paint on. I actually was very happy working on this pale delicate plate with its winter palette and think that it does work but it’s not a plate that jumps off the shelf at you, or necessarily one that could be produced faithfully either!?

How different they are. And yet… see the swirls the shapes of the icons… the icons themselves? similar. I’m learning what shapes I like and that I love circles and movement.

I needed to do this acrylic work because after hours of painting separate water colours I looked at the pieces and felt flummoxed. Many were delicate little studies which I couldn’t envisage sitting well together. Once I’d finished my detour and had a sleep I woke early, made a cup of tea and sat playing with purpose on my computer, manipulating scans. It wasn’t quite there… I ended up with these:

The one on the left is my favourite and last of my fiddling before going to my summer-house to paint some more. To me it’s the most quirky and striking but not there yet – quite, but I think I will revisit it, I can see things I’d like to do to it. The amalgamation on the far right looks like swimsuit or skirt fabric! I like it but to me it says fabric not plate. I like the sparseness of the one in the middle but it probably needs one more element at least.

I think I am learning a lot, not least that I can paint with water-colour still!

Here’s a composition I’ve just finished as a pair to the one at the top, what do you think? Which do you prefer of the two? I can’t really decide myself, what I love here is  line over bold colour and little details too. Something to pursue 🙂

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November 6th Part 2. To London to meet the very lovely Holly Becker aka @Decor8 and fellow #bywbootcamp bloggers

Photos by Gabriella Buckingham. Top: Images from the book: right – Holly’s own space. Bottom: article in The Simple Things magazine: book jacket converts to inspiring poster!

Arriving at Anthropologie at 4.50ish I realised that I needn’t have worried about showing my invitation which I’d left unprinted in my email. The shop was open – naturally.

I wandered about enjoying brightly coloured confections everywhere I looked, working my way around the floors. Finally at the top I saw stacks of Holly’s beautifully designed books.

This was the British press launch of Decorate Workshop: A Creative 8 Step Process For Transforming Your Home by Holly Becker with photography by Debi Treloar.

Quickly I bought one only to have the shop assistant take it away and give me a receipt instead to furnish Holly with ( so she would sign a copy later and save my arms). That was a great idea. Only I knew I’d have to leave to catch my train at 7.45.

Later when I introduced myself to Holly I had grabbed another copy and foisted it on her to sign which she very graciously did.

Bottom right: Holly with James Leland Day – a stylist from New York whose home appears in Decorate Workshop

I am so pleased to have made the effort to go. Like many bloggers I’d gone alone but I did know there would be at least a couple of familiar faces  there. I met  Fiona Humberstone for the second time, who runs a fabulous brand styling business and on line course which I highly recommend. There were oodles of blogging boot campers and other professional bloggers, a handful of whom I did manage to chat to or at least say hello to.  Lady in red Tiff, Adri, Yvonne, Kirsty, Geraldine, Rona, Anna and wonderful photographer Ingrid. Let me know if I missed you out , I know I spoke to others!

Champagne and cake were served. I managed to ignore the cake, which was difficult believe me. Holly spoke about her 8 step process to guide people through decorating projects while being interviewed by the very popular  Will from Bright Bazaar 

James Leland Day then spoke about his approach to styling before the book signing. Sadly I then had to dash off to catch my train home to Norfolk.

On the way home I looked through Holly’s wonderful book. I definitely found it inspiring. Daunting in some ways because Holly encourages you to really examine your own taste and why you like what you do. It is suggested that you write on the pages of the book and explore your own loves and translate these for your home or project. Subsequently though I found myself reassured that my own home may be messy but there are certainly many very personal quirks and beautiful things to make more of. I will enjoy working my way through and playing in earnest early next year.

Thank you for a memorable day Holly; I wouldn’t have been in London had it not been for your invitation and Blogging Your Way Bootcamp.

Inspirational Design Books

Finding inspiration within the pages of books isn’t hard. Creating something you are pleased with is harder!

A great inspirational book for when I want to start investigating print making!

I’ve discovered several books in the last few days, a couple in my
local library mutely waiting for me to pull them out and the others on
the third floor of The Book Hive in Norwich.

These are the books the other books that inspired me to get cracking, the first one is simply a visual treat that makes me want to reorganise my house ( not tricky to make me want to do that!!) In fact we have put shelves up in the kitchen and anyone who follows me on Twitter will know that I felt extremely happy arranging things on them last week!

Creative Walls – How to display and enjoy your treasured collections – by Geraldine James, published by Cico Books

see more about this book on this blog 

Printing By Hand – a modern Guide to Printing with Handmade Stamps, Stencils and Silk Screens by Lena Corwin an STC Craft/Melanie Falick Book

Cover via Amazon

Patterns by Drusilla Cole

Print Workshop – hand printing techniques + truly original projects by Christine Schmidt of the Yellow Owl Workshop

All visual treats and in the case of the two print books – both extremely practical. I think that I will try to interest my children in printing experiments at various points over the next 6 weeks. There are plenty of new things for us all to learn.

I am just going to enjoy these books and allow myself to play a bit when I can between orders for Moobaacluck and family duties over the school holidays.

I’ve been to an art shop in Norwich and bought a set of lino tools with my son in tow.. I don’t think I’ll let him loose on cutting though!! Printing will be ok though. I’m quite keen on getting the potatoes out!