Where does time go?

Life alway seems so busy lately and  even though my intentions are to keep up this blog, it has sat silent for so long. Far too long.

I have been busy - like everyone I know has been,  and despite  technology always going forward, somehow I seem to go backwards. I never seem to get caught up with blogs, online selling and recording my work digitally.

Everyone keeps asking me if Ihave a website and although I sell on on-line sites, I do not have a dedicated site yet, so I thought I would start showing signs here so people can see the range I do.

It has been a busy year - time has flown by so quickly and here we are, in the run-up to the Christmas 2012 period and despite all my resolutions to be more dilligent and list posts year round,  - it has not happened - so here I am again writing on my long forgotten blog! 

I have made and photographed loads of signs, and I am still in the learning process of getting to use my DSLR camera, and it is starting to sink in. Slowly, but surely.

After 30 weeks of instructed photography classes and 42 weeks of photoshop classes  a couple of years ago, I am still not there by a long shot, but I am not as far behind as I used to be! My tutor Clarrissa was very pateient with me. Practice really does help! 

I take virtually dozens of pictures every week of my signs and rarely am I happy with them even after altering, but I keep trying and maybe will get there soon. Some work out well colourwise, but maybe they are not sharp enough, or over/under exposed ar will not fit into the format I need them to fit.  I  am sure one day I will get there!

Metal Hearts!

So here goes - a few of the signs I have made in the summer. I intended to take pics of every sign but never seem to manage that so I have bursts!

I found these lovely simple metal puffed hearts  which are about 5 inches across and bought as many as I could find to paint roses onto. No basecoating needed aside from a clear surface primer, I can straight to painting  and then varnishing!  They are great fun to do and very popular on my craft sales table. 

As you may know - I am a bit obsessed with roses!

VINTAGE CHIC

This design is always popular in cream,and duck egg blue, or soft pink backgrounds and with various coloured roses, although pink is the most popular.  Simple, and who can resist  a rosebud or two or three?

NOSY ROSIE'S VINTAGE GARDEN

I have had a frustrating year with wood that I have bought warping! I buy it,have it cut and bring it to the studio I work in and it has been warping - sometimes  slightly, sometimes severely.  SO FRUSTRATING!

It seems that  wood is no longer being cured properly after planing, cutting, sanding etc. All these mills that turn trees itno planks are apparently not curing them! Well not all of them - but the ones that supply the wood to the DIY chain I bought recent  batches from. 

 Ones of the properties of this cheap wood that I do like it that the grain is often highly raised which has a lovely effect when I sand back the layers of paint to reveal the background. This warped wood has been painted with duck Egg Blue background and has bright pink rosebuds peeking around the letters. I wanted to keep it - so taken with the grain that I was, however,  it resides with one of my customers now.

PARIS FLOWER MARKET

This sign is from the same warped batch  as Nosy Rosie's Vintage Garden sign, and this time I decided to use it for a vertical sign. Again - lovely raised grain - this time overcoated with a beautiful vintage green colour, pink roses and little daisies.

Again, I wrapped the stems of the rosebuds and daisies around the letters and squeezed some cabbage roses above.  Unfortunately the  middle one looks a little squished, so this sign lives in my studio and I will make another one of this design to sell on Not on The High Street.  

This sign measures approximately 6 inches wide by 12 inches deep. 

 I intend on doing a bigger version of it as well, which is 8 by 18 inches in size, but it may well have more roses and daisies and even more different flowers

Well back to photographing signs!  You guessed it - Christmas signs for NOTHS and  fairs so I will go now while the light is right and post more later!

Apologies for any missed typos!