Lights, Camera, Action.

Work continues apace at the Studio as we trot on taking hundreds of photographs for the upcoming online shop. I suppose one of the drawbacks of Her Ladyship making unique items is that everything must be photographed separately although I am rather enjoying setting up the scenery for the backdrops...would you like a taster?

The Bears had a great deal of fun with the little sewing machine although Herbeart had a very close shave with the scissors. I told him not to run about but he wouldn’t listen, he’s almost as bad as Bramling.

The prop for these lovely silver bracelets is a piece of petrified tree that is more than 300 million years old...that's even older than my Great Grandfather!

New Year New Projects.

I say it has been very quiet at the Studio.
I don't mean customer wise, I mean Her Ladyship has been typing away on the laptop for days now sorting out the text for the new online shop (I would say "coming soon" but there is still much to be done).
There is an exciting big box sitting in the corner waiting to be opened once all the writing is finished...I believe it contains a small but perfectly formed lighting kit for us to photograph all the stock for the shop.
It's going to be quite a marathon session believe me as there are an awful lot of things to be photographed especially as most of the things she makes are one off pieces.

The Bears behave themselves quite well when being photographed, I'm not sure I can say the same about Bramling...perhaps we can send him somewhere for a few days.

I'm quite looking forward to it though...I like to keep busy.

Furgeous.

My my we have had a busy day, Her Ladyship has had a commission to make a stack of calendars for a Gentleman with some pictures of his two beautiful Maine Coon cats, so we have been sticking like mad all day.
They are called Pearl and Jasper and are brother and sister...

Now it's almost home time (I don't always stay in the studio at night in this cold weather, I go home with Her Ladyship and have a warm house to snuggle down in instead) I must tidy up before we go however, there are bits off of the double sided sticky tape all over the place...

...I wonder what's for tea?

Better late than never...

At long last here are some of the Oil Pastels Her Ladyship was painting last month.
They are rather fun to use, a bit like painting with lipstick (not that I ever have painted with lipstick you understand, but you get my drift!).

This one rather reminds me of the heather moors on the Isle of Lewis...

and these are three of the seascapes.

We do live in such a beautiful part of the world...such an inspiration, especially as that dreadful Goblin has gone west with His Lordship so we have peace and quiet today without any of his inane questions like "Wot would 'appen if I was to put this crayon in the toaster?"...really!
That said, I shall put the kettle on to celebrate his absence, a little toast and some Lady Grey is called for I think...without added crayon.

Artistic licence.

Gosh I have had a busy summer.


Firstly I must apologise for not writing sooner but Her Ladyship gave me a leave of absence as I had been commissioned to paint the portrait of one of our Elfin royal family.
Now a commission would normally be most welcome but when it is to paint Prince Grogbot one is faced with a bit of a dilemma.
The Prince is not...how shall I put it...much of an oil painting, therefore how much artistic licence should be used in order to make the painting acceptable to all ?
To that end it took several attempts and numerous working sketches before I dared show him anything.
This is one of the earlier working sketches…

…as you can see I had my work cut out to make him as regal as he would expect.
However with perseverance I succeeded and the finished work now hangs in his private chambers.

I was therefore relieved to get back to the studio…much less stressful pottering about in here helping Her Ladyship…I believe she has just ordered some more oil pastels and we are to do some painting when they arrive…thankfully not a portrait !

I felt that!

Oh my goodness what fun we have been having.

The felting machine arrived along with a huge mound of brightly coloured wool roving and Her Ladyship and I have been having a ball making all sorts of things to try it out.
We have made a veritable bouquet of flower corsages which are now festooning the studio.

It has been most interesting finding out how to felt the wool both by needle and with soapy water, the latter being rather messy but such fun.
I wonder what we shall make next.
Perhaps some wall hangings or something else…there are a selection of cookie cutters in the felting box and I’m not quite sure what they are for…I guess we shall have to wait and see.

Golly it has been a busy month since I last wrote, the trade fair is over and Her Ladyship has been tweaking and cutting and sewing and stuffing as a new batch of bears comes to life.

They are rather jolly, if a bit fiddly to make as they are only a few centimeters high.

I think this one is rather fetching in its blue and lilac flowers.

I thought I might gather together all the scraps and make myself a waistcoat, although it may take some time as the scraps are also rather small. Perhaps I shall have enough by the autumn then I can spend the winter sewing them together.

We are waiting for a shipment of wool to arrive soon and Her Ladyship is going to make some felty things...there is even word of an embellishing machine to help...I do hope she lets me have a shot of it as it sounds most intriguing.

Perhaps I could use it to decorate my waistcoat.