New felt cushion

My latest cushion, made with a background of felt and incorporating appliqued bird and leaves  in a variety of fabrics. I have top stitched in free machine embroidery to add detail, you cant quite see it but I have written Blackbird in mustard at the bottom of the brown band. I have some for sale in Eccleshall and Tixall £39.00. I have also made some in other colours.

This is my new work space and shop at Unit 12 Tixall Heath farm Stafford, its only half done so far, I will post more photos soon when it is finished.

R.B.S.A Highly commended

I went to the R.B.S.A gallery Private view on Thursday 3rd Feb to view my work alongside all the other successfully entries, I was shocked to see a sign on my 'Blackbird' embroidery, as I arrive half way through a speech I couldn't see what it said.  moments later I was called up to receive my highly commended certificate, I was very chuffed, made all the effort worth while.  If they haven't sold I am making a trip on Sunday to bring them home again and put them up for sale in one of the galleries.

Royal Birmingham Society of Artists friends exhibition

I was really excited to receive a notice informing me that my 3 bird pictures have been accepted into the RBSA friends exhibition, the private view is this Thursday night the 3rd of Feb and the exhibition runs until Saturday 12th February. I had to drop off the pictures on Sunday for selection on Monday.

 This is my Wagtail embroidery, it is the first time I have framed my work in a proper 3d frame with glass, Bob Thacker, the framer from Gallery at 12 Eccleshall did them for me. Its for sale for £90.00, It measures 10" x 10". The wallpaper backing is from my interior designer friend Andrea Brown of Home Farm Interiors, she gave me all her out of date sample books.

 This is my Warbler Embroidery, with a more subtle wallpaper backdrop of leaves which compliments the leafy fabric on the embroidery.. This is for sale for £120.00, it measures 13" x 13".

This Blackbird embroidery is quite large, I have forgotten the size, probably about 16" x 24" its for sale for £230.00. All the background fabrics are hand dyed by me, they all incorporate applique and hand and machine embroidery.
The RBSA gallery is in 4 brook street St Pauls, Birmingham,

Felt roses

This week I have been making felt roses, I use merino fleece tops finely layered in a disk shape about the size of a dinner plate, they are felted together with a little silk to add luster and texture. When the felt disk is dry I cut into it half way and twist the felt into a rose shape, I add a felted wool bow and a brooch back.  I have made about 24, in batches of 4 in each colourway, that's one for each gallery, some are already in  Radford Gallery Stone and Gallery at 12 Eccleshall, the rest are waiting for a trip to the Tania Holland Gallery Bridgnorth and the  craft cabinets at the Museum and gallery in Newcastle- under-Lyme.  They are photographed on a Christmas jumper my Mum gave me, I felt the texture made a good backdrop. Next time I make some I will photograph the different felting processes.
Here are some photos of them.

These were photographed in the evening with a flash, I think I will have another go in daylight and no flash.

There also yellow, blue and black and red ones but have not photographed them yet.

My first blog

Hi how exciting, my first attempt at blogging, my colleague Angela Smith from Gallery at 12 Eccleshall is helping me get started. 
I am a textile designer from Stone in Staffordshire, this is an example of my work, and I am looking forward to sharing more with you later.

If you want to see more of my work go to my web site