Roald Dahl vs Dr Seuss (feat. the worst wildlife photo of the year)

Fantastic Mr Fox or Fox in Socks? I just don't get Dr Seuss and presume this to be some personal failing on my part, give me Mr Dahl any day. Just thought I 'd get this off my chest before showing you the subject of my next print.

Yup, it is truly crap photo of one of the foxes that visit my parent's garden. I've had to use a fair bit of imagination on this one - results will be posted here soon.

So, the Dr Seuss thing - am I the only one?

And the winner is ...

Pam at Averil Pam Designs. Congratulations Pam, you suggested purple, teal or black – let me know which you would like.

A big big thank you to everyone for your participation, your lovely comments, great colour ideas and the opportunity to pootle through more great blogs & shops. I especially like Kirsty-Asparagus’ bold idea of blue in a hot pink frame.

I am offering everyone who took part a 15% discount * on any print  in my shop until the 30^th June (but please be aware that my shop will close at some point whilst I move house). Discounts will be refunded via paypal, just send me a message with your order.

* sorry, excludes p&p costs

My turn to play

10 x3 in the Sock Garden - go see, now, go on, what are you waiting for ;-)

full steam (er trunk) ahead!

Things are hotting up move wise and I've very reluctantly been taking down all of our prints, paintings, photos, plates, wall hangings, masks, a CAR throwing knife and three Mexican wood carvings (all thick with dust). I've also made sure the tiny leather shoe that previous owners found under the floor boards is safely stored on the top shelf of a now strangely empty cupboard.

All this activity does mean that I haven't had an opportunity to frame and hang the lovely print that Sooziebee so generously sent a few weeks ago. I promise to show you it in its (and our!) new home once the move is done, in the meantime why not pop over to Sooziebee's blog or shop and take a look.

more packing...

& bored with it already. Hence the wee diversionary video with a bit of dawn chorus to soothe the frayed nerves.

Let the packing begin

This is unnaturally optimistic of me but it strikes me as good idea to do some packing in view of our impending house move. Couldn't resist lining up one of my pot collections for a few photos before wrapping it all up, just in case we never meet up again.

What's in the case?

Asked father and son. But how could I answer when I knew not myself, it had been hidden away in the in-laws attic for more than 15 years. What was in it?

Could it hold the correspondence from my old espionage days? No, that's all hidden in a left luggage locker at [classified] airport.

Could it be a trove of forgotten letters from forgotten lovers? Mm I might be forgetful but I'm not senile yet.

Would it contain a stash of what I thought at the time was glass and paste jewellery but now my more experienced self could recognise as the work of that great Russian Jeweller, Faberge? Yup I've been ODing the Antiques Roadshow repeats again.

I waited with for father and son to leave the house, took my mystery case into the garden (just in case it contained something really nasty). I held my breath and flicked the locks and behold ... it contained some  background reading for a 3rd undergraduate essay on the origins of syphilis.  

Competition time

To celebrate reaching 100 PWFMs in my Folksy shop I am having a little PRIZE DRAW competition. 

The Prize: A custom printed Spiral Rabbit in the winner's choice of COLOUR. 

How to enter: 

1.     FAVOURITE my folksy shop &

2.     FOLLOW this blog &

3.   Leave a COMMENT below stating which colour you would like if you win and why. Don’t worry if your choice of colour duplicates someone else’s. 

Closing date: I’ll be pulling the winner from a virtual hat on 31st May (or thereabouts) 

I’ll aim to print and dispatch the prize by the 3rd week of June (impending house move permitting)

Good Luck!

PS black is ok too!

Disappearing soon…

left to right Just a Goose, Swaledale Sheep, Koi Pond, Passionflower

These 4 inkjet reproductions of my watercolour paintings will shortly be disappearing from my Folksy shop. Until then they will be available at the extremely reasonable price of £4.00 + p&p (original price £10.00 + p&p). They are printed on good quality Bockingford Inkjet Watercolour Paper but they are not archive-quality inks.

Hurry hurry hurry, there is only one of each and they will be delisted from my shop between the 13th and 23rd May.

Mountain

I had a quick play around with some of my wooden type the other night. I haven't managed to track down a chase yet  (that's the bit that keeps the whole arrangement together and stops the letter blocks moving during inking and pressing) so I improvised with an old flat-fronted picture frame. It did the job & was a good size for the plates on my press but I am not sure how long it will stay together under repeated use. Anyway here is the result. I love all the dings and scratches in the bottom capital M, and eagle-eyed experts can probably tell that the top M is in fact an inverted W, I did warn you it would be criminal.

PS if anyone knows what the middle type is please let me know, I am a few letters short and thinking of trying to cut them from lino or ply but need a reference, Ta.

declutter - reclutter

I am supposed to be having a clear out but I've hankered an embossing stamp for quite a while. I thought it would be a nice touch to emboss my lino prints with my name. So when I saw this for just £4.50 I couldn't resist, the fact that it was green didn't help ( I love green). I didn't realise it would cost me probably five times that to get it new plates cut (or a move to Aberdovey, as per the existing plate). So, as I said I've always had a hankering for a large green paperweight.      

Betty's Hen - ready to fly the coop

A limited edition of eight available in a lovely golden brown and delicate pale blue printed on Zerkal paper. Printed area measures approximately 23x30cm.

Available here

Betty's Hen - the film

P filmed the printing of Betty's Hen and put together a short film for me.



click here to shop for Betty's Hen

Sunflower progress...

I've balanced the seed tray on two narrow lathes in the middle of my cold frame in the hope of fooling the slugs. It's working so far, but probably only until the slugs bribe the spiders to spin them silk parachutes.

Betty’s Hen (work in progress part II)

I’ve now flipped the sketch, and traced it onto the lino. I find this stage quite satisfying as I get to see the pared down version of the design and this is usually a better reflection of the final print than my often overworked sketches. I also like the look of the white tracing on the pale grey lino.

The I can at last start cut and carving. I like this kind of design because it is still quiet creative at the cutting stage. Then because I had decided on a two colour print (and was too stingy to use to separate sheets of lino) I had to cut the hen out without spoiling the “background” lino so that I can ink and print from them one by one. This felt like bloomin’ hard work and I have big burst blisters on my fingers where the grip on my knife cut into my skin – I will not be skimping on lino again!  Off to recover with a glass of red.