On the 6th day of Christmas...

...a lovely customer sent to me...

this beautiful photo of her new friend enjoying the snow!

Thank you Sarah, it's such a pretty photo.

Cockpit Arts Christmas Open Studios

It's that time of year again for snooping in studios, sipping tasty mulled wine, feasting on fine foods, and most importantly purchasing some beautiful handmade gifts for your nearest and dearest this Christmas...

Yes...it's Cockpit Arts' Christmas Open Studios!

Holborn: 26th-28th November
Deptford: 3rd-5th December

I'll be here, at my studio in Holborn, ready to greet you all with a glass of glögg and some spiced biscuits and with plenty of new treats on display. Do hope you can make it!

This year I have 5 free tickets to give away that will provide you with free entry to the Holborn open studios on 26th, 27th and 28th November. Entry is £5 so to snap up your free ticket please send me an email to enter yourself in the draw. I'll randomly select the 5 winners on Monday 22nd November...so get emailing!!

abigailbrown81@hotmail.co.uk

What?!?!?...more new work!!!

Gosh...even more new work to post, I do feel like I've been busy!

These little critters are on their way to Munich, Germany for the 'Artistic Toys' exhibition at Galerie Handwerk. I've taken part in this Christmas exhibition for the past three years now and love being invited back. It's a fab gallery and the theme is left as open as that so we are all free to come up with whatever it is we might like. I try each year to make something new and exciting for myself and this year has certainly been the most fun. I doubt many of us will be in Munich this Christmas so here's a peek at what I've sent...

Some new things!!!

Wow! It's just non stop crazy at the moment and as usual I'm thoroughly behind on everything...including posting anything on here! I've been making new work for several exhibitions and it's been great to take a break from the birds, as lovely as they are!

The first project was for 20:21 Visual Art gallery in Scunthorpe, 'Tales from the Sock Drawer' called upon the 9 artists taking part.... ( Claire Montgomerie, Donna Wilson, Kate Toms, Lindsay Marsden ( The Black Rabbit), Rebecca Shreeve (Quirkles), Lucy Turnner (Lucy Moose), Louise Evans ( Felt Mistress) and Anna Creighton).... to work their story around a chest of drawers.

My creatures turned their chest of drawers into a travelling circus...

Paul Smith

I had an incredibly exciting request from Paul Smith's head office, to borrow my birds to feature in their Spring/Summer 2011 Press Day last week. Here is a look at how they were displayed...

http://www.facebook.com/paulsmithdesign

Selvedge Christmas Fair 2010

I shall be at the Selvedge fair on the 4th December, selling my wares. It promises to be a lovely day, just how Christmas fairs should be...mulled wine, mince pies and lots of beautiful handmade treats to feast your eyes on.

Hope to see you there!

Natural Beauty

Through some blog, at some time...I completely forget when and where...I discovered the blog 'resurrectionfern'. It is the daily diary of Margaret Oomen, a talented maker from Canada, whose interests and explorations in nature are captured and documented for us all to share in.

I'm swept away into the forests of Canada every time I find my way to her blog, tiptoeing past nesting swans, breathing in the moss and decaying leaves, the fresh forest air and the many flowers and plants she sweeps gently past. Her eyes find the most exquisite examples of natural beauty, from tiny mushrooms to dew dropped spider webs, often added to to form compositions for her photographs, or simply captured as they are, in all their glory.

I don't feel I've ever seen Nature the way Margie sees it, I feel as though they are things I am seeing for the first time. Her pictures excite me, they fill me with that wonder of childhood, the introduction to things you know almost nothing about. They make me so very envious of where she lives and the journeys she makes into that land each day...but I am sure if I set out each day, exploring my surroundings the way Margie does I'd find those same things that currently go by unnoticed.

Margie asked me to make her a little Blue tit a few months back and in exchange I asked her if she could make me one of her beautiful crochet covered stones.

It's taken me such a long time to post it up for you to see, but I didn't want to just throw it up here without taking time to explain how wonderful her blog is. If you feel trapped in the city, severed from nature, take a trip to resurrection fern and get yourself a little dose, it will force you to find time for explorations of your own! and if you would like a beautiful crochet covered stone for your very own...here is Margie's shop

Origin

Eek! 2 weeks to go for Origin. I'm madly crafting and the collection is very steadily growing...making some exciting pieces and some sizes bigger than I've so far managed.

I hope it'll be a great show and all the hard work will pay off.

I struggle a bit being on show with my work so it's a mixture of excitement and dread that I'm feeling in anticipation of standing there with my work for a week! It's always lovely to meet people who admire my work and I love the smiles I can see appearing on people's faces as they take the birds in...but I do find it a bit scary standing there all alone waiting for those responses!

Hopefully I will see lots of friendly faces and the days will fly by!

Origin is a wonderful show, packed with talented makers from all disciplines. This year will be it's first at Spitalfields market...which I personally feel is a great location.

Origin will run from the 23rd-29th September, tickets are £8 in advance and £12 on the door.

Please come and say hi if you make a trip!

Calling All Stylist Assistants...

My friend Polly is looking for some freelance stylist assistants. If you are interested please go to her blog here for more details. You can contact her from her blog. Thank you :D

Big Chill workshop video

Following my post after the Big Chill Festival, Mr Goode has put together this lovely video he shot during the workshop days. Magpahi has kindly let us use her music again...very befitting a bird making workshop!

Bringing my creatures to life....

My super talented friend Craig Goode, was asked by IdN magazine to contribute a video to their 100th anniversary edition. I'm on tenterhooks waiting for it to appear in the shops but until then I have the animation to post here for you all to see.

It was a first for both Craig and myself and so much learnt for next time...but I think he's done an incredible job...it's got such a beautiful feel to it and works perfectly with the Magpahi soundtrack.

I'm keen to give it another go with Craig as chief animator so stay tuned!!

Big Chill 2010

Earlier in the year I'd been invited by Selvedge to join them in running a sewing workshop at the Big Chill Festival. Last weekend Team Selvedge headed out to Eastnor Castle to set up shop, teaching participants how to make a little fabric bird that would then be hung in a nearby tree for the duration of the festival.

The event was a huge success, with hundreds of birders keen to take part. It was lovely to see the dedication, care and love that went into making these little birds...and the smiles on so many peoples faces as they finished theirs up and hung them in the tree.

Thank you to any of you who might have come along and taken part, and to my friends who offered themselves up to help and of course to the lovely Selvedge ladies who asked me to be part of it.

Photograph credits to the lovely Abbi and Craig Goode and Benedict Sanderson.

Small Magazine

Delighted to find my flamingo and peacock gracing the pages of Small Magazine today!

I love how they piece the magazine together, really inspiring pages...there's always a heap of people to investigate.

This second page lead me to some other textile artists making some other truly beautiful works...

Astulabee

Jennifer Muskopf

Lemmikkiapina

Little Black Crow...

...gorgeous!

Swanning about...

I've just finished up the last stitches on this fine fellow... introducing... Mr Swan!

He looks a little on the plump side so he obviously likes a good feed! He's taken me a fair old while to create. His body involved a third section which created his large tummy, and added considerably to the stuffing time. Very sore little fingers now!

I'm feeling really pleased with him. It's quite an accomplishment as my pieces grow as I'm really only comfortable in the realm of small things! But it's really quite something to work larger, this little guy has such presence...hmmm...what next?!

Mr Swan will be heading off to Birmingham next week to be part of the 'Once Upon a Time' exhibition at the RBSA gallery.

He measures 28cm in height and is priced at £380.

YOU magazine

Two of my species of birds were featured in YOU magazine last week, following an article on Nathalie Lete's beautiful home. I am a huge fan of her work so I'm delighted to be shown alongside her.

New little birds for sale

I've just added 5 new species birds to my shop...they are part of my British Garden Birds collection.

There's a Song thrush, a House sparrow, a Blue tit, a Redstart and a Siskin...all waiting to hop off their branches and fly away home.

Please come and take a peek...these are limited edition pieces and likely won't be seen again.

Origin

I am delighted to announce my hugest news...I will be showing at Origin this year!!

This is a new year for Origin, moving from it's home at Somerset House to Spitalfields market, and now all as one week.

I'm delighted to have been accepted and more than a little nervous about it, but very excited!

Please come and say hi if you're planning a visit, friendly faces will be more than welcome!!

Selvedge issue 34

Hooray! Today I finally got my hands on a copy of this months Selvedge magazine, the 'Romance' themed issue...
Pages 76-79 feature a little interview with me and some photos of my studio which is really an honour so a huge thank you to Polly and the girls for featuring me.

I was delighted to see Emma Cassi's beautiful jewellery is featured, giving us a sneaky peak at her elegantly styled home...such a talented lady!

A Girly Interior In London

Very excited to open the little parcel that was sent to me last week containing the Japanese book 'A girly interior in London' that featured a shoot at my old flat and an interview I can't read because it's in Japanese!

The book was styled by Emma Cassi, jewellery and styling extraordinaire!

It was really fun to have the team round making things look nice in my rather bizarre old bedroom...would have preferred slightly to have had it in my new one but hey ho! I would guess a lot of time went into painting those wardrobes so it's nice that they can be appreciated so far afield!

Thank you to Emma for choosing to include me in such a beautiful little book, and to Aya Nomura for writing, what I'm sure is a nice little account of me and my room.

The book is published by Editions de Paris.

Kids Modern 2010

Head to Dulwich College this Sunday, 18th April, where I'll be showing some work at the fab 'Kids Modern' show. The show features all kinds of product and clothing design for kids, aimed at parents who want something a little different and more imaginative than the average kids shop offers.

A fun day is planned for all with workshops and activities, food, music and beautiful things to fill your homes with.

Sunday April 18th

10-4pm

Dulwich College, SE21

Embroidery feature

Months back I was interviewed by a lovely lady, Susie Johns, for a feature in Embroidery magazine, the publication of the Embroiderer's Guild.

I had no idea how big a feature they would make of my work and was totally blown away to discover that not only do I have a 6page spread, but my little butterflies adorn the front cover!

Wow! Thanks so much to both Susie and Jo Hall at Embroiderer's Guild for the coverage, I am delighted!

Little Birds

Available from April...this very cute little book I contributed a project to.

Filled with a variety of really sweet little sewing projects all on the theme of birds! It's published by C&T Publishing and available to order here :

http://www.ctpub.com/showproducts.cfm?WPCID=1072

More on the book when I receive my copies!

Touchstones Rochdale

Finally managed to get some photos up of the Creatures Show at Touchstones. They did such a wonderful job with the display, lining old drawers with beautiful wallpapers to display Julie Arkell's pieces and creating a little 3D forest for my creatures to live in.

It's still on for a few more weeks if you're in the area.

They have also very nicely chosen a piece of my work to feature as the cover for the March-August information booklet, very pleased indeed!

A break from the birds...

I've been working on some new things which went into an exhibition now open in Rochdale at theTouchstones Gallery...

It's a delightful little show of creatures from Samantha Bryan, Julie Arkell, Anya Keeley and me, on until 18th April.

As part of the exhibition I was asked to do some large scale painting on the walls...something of a feat for such a little person who works so small!
I had such a wonderful experience meeting such friendly people and taking part in something so lovely. I hope to get some photos up of the whole show soon but for now here are some little peeks at the new pieces...my little squirrel friend is incomplete I feel...lacking something such as a wee red waistcoat perhaps?!