ukhandmade blogpost

Just wanted to highlight a blog posting on ukhandmade written by Larissa Joice. (Check out her photography website, giggleicious, for beautiful family portraiture). The post highlights some of the great people and crafts on show and for sale at Made by Hand this year. I also had to include this photo above (by Larissa) as I just thought it was so whimsical.

Made by Hand, Wales

Last weekend the Made by Hand Fair took place at the idyllic location of Tradegar House near Newport in Wales, where I had a lovely stand alongside around 140 crafts people based all over the country. I had travelled from Scotland (along with a couple of other stands), as well as Devon, London, Shropshire, Manchester etc etc! The work on display was of such a high quality I couldn't resist coming away with a few goodies myself, as well as selling my work to customers who had travelled in from Bristol, Birmingham and Wales to experience the first Made by Hand Fair to be held at this location. Thanks so much for making the journey if you made it...the weather certainly didn't make it easy! The location was beautiful (see the picture below) and I had a great time chatting to fellow crafters and creative types exhibiting and visiting the event. I had a lot of my smaller pieces, popular purchases included the gift tags, birdcage tea-towels and butterfly canvas bags which made perfect presents for friends and family (but more often than not for yourself)!

Some other exhibitors you should go and check out if you have a chance include;

peris&corr (screen-printers based in Wales)

studioat37 (ceramists based in Glasgow, whose work I had seen at the Gin Palace Event back in April...check my blog from then)

Dennis Farrell Ceramics (I couldn't resist one of his sea inspired bowls)
Helaina Sharpley (The wire pieces were soooo clever)

Ecoh (stunning paper manipulation)

Jennifer Collier (I've admired the paper artworks for many years now)

Ruth Green (whimsical screen-printed creatures, flora and fauna)

I could include everyone in this list for something as it was an amazing high standard of work on offer so if you get the chance then check out the link here for a comprehensive list of everyone that took part this year.

Blombos Cave, Newcastle

Despite the heavy snow happening across the North of England and South of Scotland, I braved the wintry weather to exhibit and sell my products at an event to publicise Blombos Cave in Newcastle this Saturday just past. Blombos Cave are an online jewellery (and paper giftware) emporium which you should check out if you have a chance as they stock a huge range of hand-made necklaces, bracelets, cufflinks and much much more which would be great as a present and even better as a treat for yourself! GraceInk has a selection of the digital cards with various designs for sale on the website too (if you're looking for the connection!)

This is the GraceInk display of my work being admired at the event. I was selling quite a range of textile and paper gifts including my new birdcage notebooks and larger purses to fit a passport in. The wrapping paper which I had printed with the Trinkets design went down a storm along with the gift tags...must be everyone getting ready for Christmas.

My favourite jewellery item from the show had to be these brooches by Compass Alba, which featured parts of out of issue ordnance survey maps backed onto a beautiful beech wood. I even ended up buying one featuring my home and surrounding locations. Check them out here on the website.

Quilts and Crochet

It's been over a month since my last post, how time flies! I've been crazy busy getting ready for two events I'm doing this Christmas, one in Newcastle and one in Wales (more on those later) but I thought I would update you on a little project I helped with back in October. I produced a piece of fabric with my Chinese junks, scribbles and Indian shoes (I had free range to do what I liked which was great fun)! The fabric was used for the back of a crocheted baby blanket which was for a present, the crochet was made by a mother and her daughters, so it became a unique hand-made beautiful present for it's recipient.

Pushing Print Launch

Just wanted to quickly highlight the Pushing Print Event happening throughout Margate this October, which has recently celebrated its launch. I've been sent a few links which you might find interesting publicising the whole event as well as the partner exhibition at Qing (where work by GraceInk inspired by the Orient is being exhibited and sold).

Check out...
http://www.canterburyfestival.co.uk/eventdetail.asp?id=1335
For the advertisement in the Canterbury Festival and information on other local events.

http://www.yourthanet.co.uk/kent-news/Push-some-print-in-Margate_s-old-town-newsinkent40743.aspx?news=local
For an article from the local paper.

http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/launch.aspx?referral=other&refresh=y18CEn0791Wx&PBID=84956776-5fe0-4064-a733-83aabf1dd4b7&skip
For a picture article from the front page of the local paper.

Decor8 Blog

Check out the decor8 blog from the 4th October to read Holly Beckers raving review of the Papa Stour website and all about Rosie Brown, stylist and founder of Papa Stour...my Chinese Junk Table Runner has been featured! (it's a brilliant blog too, well worth a look with some beautiful and inspiring design...check out the day to day features just here)

What a wonderful WASPS weekend

I should be heading for my bed (it's been a very busy weekend), but while I'm still buzzing from the WASPS open studio in Selkirk this weekend I thought I better let anyone that couldn't make it know what they missed out on!!

This was my display (above) within the communal space that is inside the industrial unit that Wasps occupies in Selkirk, to keep it in line with the other artwork being showcased (which is mainly framed artworks) I kept it sleek and simple and tried to display my tea-towels like works of art instead of kitchen linen. I took a few orders for my tea-towels over the event, which is great, and will be busy busy over the next week fulfilling those orders.

Here is a sneek-peek into my working space where all the magic (!) happens, it's looking very clean and tidy which has to be said isn't a common occurence...especially when it comes to the way I work!

This is a picture of the wonderful activities which were on offer for kids and adults alike, everyone went away very sparkly. Overall there was over 500 people through the doors which was an amazing turn out and it was great to see loads of familiar faces (as well as meeting some wonderful new people too). Thank you to all those that could make it along, it's great to know that WASPS is supported throughout the local community! There was great performances from two local folk bands and plenty of yummy cakes too which altogether combined to create a fantastic weekend, I'm now going to sleep for a week!

'Prints of the Orient' Update

The event down in Margate has pretty much only just begun and I'm updating you on it already (I couldn't resist). I thought you might like to see a few images of Qing furniture and stationary mixed up with my illustrative/textile take on the wonderful land that is Hong Kong.

The cushions and tea-towels I have produced for the event are all inspired by a trip I took to Hong Kong at Christmas time in 2006 (it was to see a lovely friend and if she's reading this then she'll know who I'm referring too). It was an absolutely wonderful experience and one which I'm very fond of and have loved capturing onto my textiles over the years.

Other artists at the event include the wood-cuts of Dawn Gray, which even from this picture look impressive so I'm sure they would be a delight up close.

I'm a big fan of mixing old and new concepts and I think Qing Art have really managed in their shop in Margate. Don't forgot it's all part of the Pushing Print Event and I'm sure you have not heard the last from me on the subject just yet!!

Freshly Blended

Just a quick mention that Freshly Blended (a blog dedicated to the creative inspirations of graphic designer Nicole Lecht) blogged about Papa Stour back in July and included my work as one of three designers inspiring her creative lifestyle. To check out the specific blog about me, Libby Day and CLO then click here. To check out Nicole's brilliant blog and it's daily updates then you'll want to click here. Enjoy!

'Prints of the Orient' Exhibition

Throughout October, GraceInk Design will be showcasing Hong Kong inspired interior furnishing products at the Pushing Print Event taking place in Margate. The work was selected by Qing Art based in Margate to work alongside their own collection of home furnishings and furniture, which is a beautiful selection of throws, tables, lamps and cushions bursting with colour and pattern from the Orient. The website is well worth a look if you can't make it to Margate yourself...check it out here! (I'm saving my pennies for one of the beautiful throws)

And below, I finally managed to transfer my hand-drawn birdcage design onto screen and here are two of the finished results below (that are currently making their way to Margate), this design has become so popular that it's also adorning tea-towels and notebooks and I'm sure in the near future a whole host of other products. The notebooks will be on sale from Saturday, launching at the WASPS open studios!

WASPS Open Studio

The weekend after next (2nd & 3rd October) is the annual WASPS open studios which is happening Scotland wide and will be showcasing some of the artists and designer-makers Scotland has to offer. I'm based at WASPS in Selkirk in the Scottish Borders, where there will be live music, cakes and plenty of inspiring artwork and artists...so if you live near by why not pop along or see if there's a studio closer to you!

Craft Residency Masterclass

Back at the end of June I headed off to Oban to teach screen-printing techniques to a group of pupils from schools across North Lanarkshire. As a follow up they came over to Heriot-Watt University in Galashiels to do a two day masterclass within the fantastic facilities there with two wonderful technicians and me (of course)!

The students got the chance to print images they had created while in Oban, including textures created from seaweed and slate picked up from the beach and images inspired by the shoreline and terrain around our base in Oban. The fabrics created will be cut into pattern pieces and made into shirts to be showcased at an event in November alongside a range of shirts from Heriot-Watt's campus in Dubai.

They got the chance to use a whole range of printing inks, dyes and adhesives including devoré (which burns away fibre), foils, hand-painting, pigments, opagues and puff binder. There were some amazing colours and patterns created which will go onto to make the coolest skirts.

And if you pop back to my original post on the Craft Residency back in June you'll see a picture of this artwork of boats (above) being drawn, which the student turned into the prettiest hand painted silk scarf.

Arrows at the ready...

What a busy month September has been so far...my feet have hardly touched the ground. The weather has been a bit up and down of late but just over a week ago the sun shone for the annual Archery Competition happening at Abbotsford House (home of Sir Walter Scott) near Galashiels in the Scottish Borders. As well as the usual bows and arrows flying about there was a lovely little craft fair taking place which I took part in.

As well as my usual bits and pieces, I've just recently finished an old/new design (old as it was originally for digital, new because it's now on screen), which I have been using on tea towels in duck egg blue above (it's the birdcages). More of the tea towels along with a whole host of other bits and pieces will be making their way to Pushing Print in Margate at the end of this month...check out www.qingart.co.uk News and Events for more information on that or check back to my blog in the next few days for a separate blog all about it!

I also had to include a picture of the fantastic birdie pegs one of my sisters brought back from France while she was on her travels...they will be making theie rounds to all the other fairs I'm doing in coming months because as well as looking cool they also come in extremely handy!

And just to finish, one of the towers on Abbotsford House with it's Scottish Flag flying, it looks like an ugly grey cloud is gathering behind but it stayed dry all day, just the way I like to exhibit my work!

Here comes the Bride...

One of many projects I have been involved with recently has included a commission for drapes to hang inside a marquee; 100 metres of hand printed fabric incorporating a butterfly motif designed and printed by me! I was really pleased that it all worked out so beautifully and I was commissioned to produce such a special piece of work. Thanks to Best Intent Marquees for all their help with logistics and getting them in-situ. After many days working out measurements, ordering fabric, creating designs and then finally printing I was pretty amazed at the finished result. Even though I had been with the drapes throughout their creation I just couldn't picture how they would look inside the marquee...so it was such a sense of achievement to receive this picture and know that it all looked pretty good!

Lets Celebrate!

So as it turns out I have some kind of a life outside of my own design bubble, and when I pop it every so often I usually find it's for a celebration of some kind...the best kind of breaks from the job! Just last week I attended the wedding of two very dear friends, and they, being absolutely lovely, asked me to design and craft their wedding stationary (above and below). I had the invite laser-cut for that little extra sparkle (many thought I had hand cut all 100 invites...I am mad but not that mad)!

Here is the menu in-situ and below is the invite stood up, before I fastened the blurb inside. It was an absolutely beautiful day enjoyed by all and I was soooooooo happy to be part of it...thank you!

Continuing on the theme of me putting my design skills to good use among friends and family, I also designed and made the invites for my Aunties Surprise 40th Birthday Tea Party earlier this year...check out the result below.

Harestanes Craft Fair

I may have moved away from a lovely studio space located at Harestanes just under two months ago now for pastures larger (!), but I was recently invited back to take part in a small craft fair the centre was organising, showcasing a range of crafts people from across the Borders. The weather has been so changable of late, so it was a nice surprise for the sun to make a guest appearance for the Sunday afternoon event.

It's great to be able to get involved with the local craft community scene and small events such as this are a great way of doing so. I just had a few smaller pieces on offer such as greeting cards, purses and tea-towels, but everything was still hand-screen-printed by my own two fair hands!

I shared the space with another fantastic screen-printer who is based over in Selkirk, where my new studio is. Her name is Gina Tebbutt and her attention to detail is spot on with a lovely mix of quirky owls and florals mixed in with some beautiful interpretations of the local borders region which whe creates into greeting cards and framed prints with canvas bags thrown in for good measure.

Me and Gina are hoping to do fairs together in the future as the work really sits nicely together, we both have a passion for screen-printing and want to sell it to the masses! I'm hoping to be taking part in a small craft fair at Abbotsford in the near future, so stay tuned for more information on that one.

Papa Stour

Papa Stour is one of those great little finds if you have ever had the pleasure to stumble across it, as I did several years ago. Bringing together the finest contemporary craft designer-makers based in Scotland, it has a huge range of unique and beautiful household items, stationary and jewellery which would make the perfect gift for friends, family or even yourself!

And I now have the pleasure of announcing I am one of their newest recruits with a selection of my current work available for sale from the Papa Stour website...so make sure to pop along not just to check out GraceInk but the other wonderful design work they have to offer.

And one last thing, new design work at Papa Stour has been recently blogged about at the design sponge blog (which if you're not already a fan of, you should really visit the possibility) www.designspongeonline.com/2010/07/new-at-papa-stour.html

I have been forecasted...WGSN

For those amongst us with a membership to WGSN then the news is good as you can now view my work as part of the Interiors Trend Analysis for New Designers Part Two, for those of you without (including me) you'll have to take my word for it...I did get a sneak peek at the article and I get name-checked below!

'WGSN loves Grace Smith's tactile, hand-printed linens featuring birdcages and folk art references'

WGSN is a fantastic trend forecasting and analysis website providing the lowdown on anything and everything design from fashion to product, illustration to furniture as well as the coolest boutiques and exhibitions worldwide.

New Designers: One Year On Update

Thought you might all enjoy some pictures from inside the One Year On stand at New Designers Part Two this year. If you couldn't make it then you missed out but hopefully the pictures below will go someway to making up for it! If you want to check out the designer-makers that were there then head over to www.newdesignersonline.co.uk.

Lisa Connolly and GraceInk Design

Paul Cummins

Kate Usher

Sarah-Jayne Guest, Tamar Balakjian and Edward Robinson

Andy Murray

Home Addict by Caroline Gauci

Lauren Revell and Leah Wade