Thursday 24 October 2013

Preparing for the Run Up to Christmas...


 

Hello,

I can't quite believe our children break up for half term tomorrow! This week has mostly been all about getting things lined up behind the scenes on my website ready to switch over to Christmas.  There has been plenty of product listing going on these past couple of weeks and already I've sold a few Christmas themed items (there are some impressively organised people out there!)...


...As well as product listing, I've put together a mini brochure for local stockists and an online Christmas Look Book.  You can take an early peep at the Christmas Look Book by clicking the links here, but I am expecting a delivery of new Christmas cards in the next few days which means there is more to be added to it yet so watch this space...



I've also started using my pretty stock of Christmas stickers and cards that go out with orders - I'm really pleased with how these came out...


My biggest step towards getting organised for the hectic run up to Christmas is I've finally invested in a decent mobile phone.  I spend so much time on my computer that I've really neglected the technology in my pocket - so what better time to get a whizzy gadget to help sort out my life than a few weeks before Christmas!  I can now do my Christmas shopping on the go - once I work out how to use it properly! tee hee!...plus it means I can at last catch up on social media apps like Instagram which I'm thoroughly enjoying exploring for the first time. 

If you fancy joining me over on instagram here's where you'll find me: http://instagram.com/angie_spurgeon


Hope to see you there soon.

Best wishes


Friday 18 October 2013

Visiting Hestercombe Gardens, My New Stockist.

image source -Wikipedia
Hello,
Here are some lovely garden scenes to welcome in the weekend for you.  Despite it being a busy week, it's also been lovely to mix a bit of business with pleasure along the way and these pics are to share a bit of that pleasure with you.  Yesterday I went to visit my new stockist, Hestercombe Gardens, to deliver some items to their gift shop.  You can clearly see from the photos here why it was a joy for me to go and do the delivery in person.  I am very fortunate to live fairly near to Hestercombe so it was no trouble at all to pop out and see them - the hard bit was having to leave such a beautiful place!... 

image source - Hestercombe Gardens
Obviously the photos here are not really the right season, but it was still just as beautiful yesterday.  It was sunny and a hint misty with all those gorgeous autumn hues creeping in which was simply stunning.  I certainly recommend a visit if you are ever in Somerset.  Hestercombe is open all year round and there are plenty of events planned for the coming months with lots to do for all the family during the school holidays - for more details or to find out more about the story behind the gardens, here's a link to their website: http://www.hestercombe.com/

image source -Wikipedia

image source - Hestercombe Gardens
 If you do visit Hestercombe, have a good look in their gift shop as you'll now find lots of my Life is Sweet cards, wrap and notecards as well as my framed family tree prints.  They'll also be stocking my Christmas cards and recipe cards in a few weeks time too...





Hope you all have a lovely weekend

Best wishes


Thursday 10 October 2013

All Wrapped Up.


Hello!
I'm so excited to be able to reveal some of what I've been up to these past couple of weeks.  There has been a lot of development of new designs here at Artwork By Angie HQ with many things getting sent to print, things arriving from the printers, things being prepared for photoshoots - I don't know whether I'm coming or going half the time!...but after a couple of very productive sessions in the photography studio with my friends at Porcupine PR (home of Elsie and Fleur online boutique), I'm delighted to be able to start revealing the first of my new gift wraps... 


Introducing 'Bloomin' Lovely Garden Flowers' gift wrap, now listed as packs of 2 and 3 different designs over on my website and my Etsy shop.  They are also available as a special gift wrap and notecard gift set (an ideal stocking filler for ladies that love flowers and gardens)...


I'm really pleased with the finished photos and what makes me feel even more proud of them is the fact that I was the stylist on the shoot.   We managed to get a lot done in a day because there was no need to brief anyone else, I could go straight from what I saw in my head to the final set up... 


I'd really like to say a big thank you to the team at Porcupine PR and Elsie and Fleur for putting up with me for a couple of days and keeping me supplied with loads of tea and fancy biscuits, very much appreciated!

I hope that you are all having a great week
Best wishes




Tuesday 1 October 2013

Yay Retro are just my cup of tea!..

Hello!

What a lovely start to the week, to find that my work has been featured on the blog of one of my favourite online shops.  Yay Retro is a bright and colourful wonderland of vintage china, glassware and kitchenalia from the 1940s to 1970s.  

Being such a child of the 70s, I adore the nostalia each set of china stirs inside me. The memories of tea at my granny's house and the casserole dishes from which my mum served hearty meals to warm us after a busy day at school.  Many of those Scandinavian 70s patterns are etched deep in my mind and certainly influence a lot of my design work.

To read Yay Retro's blog feature about my work please click here: https://www.yayretro.co.uk/blog/777/yay-retro-loves-Artwork-by-Angie

Meanwhile, let me share a taste of why I love Yay Retro.  Here are my top picks from their current stock...



70s Orange Daisy Teaset - I love the bright zesty colour of these which say 'wakey, wakey, rise and shine!'


https://www.yayretro.co.uk/shop/12865/70s-orange-daisy-teaset/



Filigree Trios and bowl (J&G Meakin Studio) - Such a beautiful and fanciful pattern, I particularly love the line drawn style. 



Enamel Floral Pan Set (Taunton Vale) -  Look at these delicious floral pans worthy of  Beverly from Abigail's party's kitchen - I can almost taste my childhood!




I hope you enjoyed my top picks, there's plenty more to discover over on their site and items change daily so there's always something new to delight in.

Have a lovely day!

Best wishes