Spring Fair International and My Interviews with Folksy

Hello,

What an extraordinary week this week has been.

Everything has been done and all my new designs are with ArtEco Designs and on their way to the NEC today.  If you are planning to visit Spring Fair International in the next few days, pop and say hello to my friends on stand 4F75 where they are showcasing some of my designs.

Also, this happened this week...

I'm really delighted to be the featured seller on Folksy this week and have done two interviews with them for their blogs.  Here are the links to those interviews:

Folksy Meet The Maker Interview

Folksy Shop Talk Interview

So it's a big THANK YOU to Folksy for the feature and also thank you to all of you that have come and followed me on facebook, twitter and on my Folksy shop and for saying nice things to me - I'm truly grateful for the support and kind words.

With all the prep for Spring Fair, I was a little bit behind on getting my newsletter out this month, so as a thank you to my lovely subscribers and to celebrate finishing my new greeting card collection, 'Bloomin' Lovely' - I'm running a giveaway over on my newsletter.  All newsletter subscribers will automatically be entered into a prize draw which will take place on the 28th Feb (so there's still time to sign up for the newsletter to enter).  The prize is any 4 unframed prints from my new Bloomin' Lovely range.

Here's the link to click and subscribe to my newsletter.  If you do sign up - good luck for the giveaway!

I'm off to Spring Fair on Tuesday and am very excited because I'll not only be catching up with my publisher friends, but will also be meeting up with some of my artist friends that I've met through social networking for the very first time.  I'll make sure I make lots of notes and give you a full review of the Fair next week.

Until then, have a lovely weekend,

Best wishes

Golden Years - New Anniversary Cards...

Hello!

The days seem to be flying by and tumble weed is beginning to fly past my blog - so let me show you some of the things I've been working on lately. 

Here are my 4 special wedding anniversary cards to add to my 'Love and Best Wishes' collection.

These will generally be printed as 120x170mm cards (although the diamond wedding one will be slightly larger).  There'll be some fancy print finishes with these too - but more about those when I can reveal the finished printed versions.... 

These cards are just some of the ones that will be added to the Love and Best Wishes range this year and will be showcased at Spring Fair International in a couple of weeks time...

I had lots of fun creating these, especially these last two (Ruby and Silver Anniversary) as they brought back happy memories of  3 weddings that I was lucky to be a bridesmaid for many years ago (I've been a bridesmaid 3 times before I became a bride, so you all know where to stick that old saying! ha!).  There are definitely elements of those weddings encapsulated in these designs and I'm sure some of my family may spot where I've been inspired...

As I said, these designs and plenty more of mine are heading off to Spring Fair International at the NEC.  

If you are planning to head there for a visit, you'll find them on Art Eco Designs Stand, number 4F75...

 I've booked my tickets and have made plans to visit and am really looking forward to what I know will be a very inspiring trip soon.

Have a great week

Best wishes

Planting Dreams and Growing My Portfolio...

Hello,

The first working week of 2014 has been a reasonably good start.  As readers of my last post will know, I'm currently working at the speed of light on new designs to be showcased at Spring Fair International in three weeks time.  There's still plenty to do and next week is going to be full on.  If I manage to keep pretty much on track with my work plan, then hopefully next weekend will feel a whole lot more relaxed than this one does, so there is a light at the end I can see...

Spring Fair is only the start of things.  Over the past couple of months I've been making lots of plans and planting dreams for the future.  I am bursting with ideas to bring to life this year and can't wait to get stuck in, This year I'm hoping my portfolio will grow in ways I've been dreaming of for a very long time.  

As well as all these ideas, there are a couple of exciting collaboration projects lined up for me from February on-wards which I'm really looking forward to getting involved in.  Looking at the year ahead I feel very hopeful and inspired and will be nurturing all those dreams I've planted with great care and attention...

In the midst of all the work on new card designs, I had to have a blitz on my workspace this weekend as things where getting out of hand and it just didn't feel like the right sort of space to start a fresh year from.  The chaos was preventing me from focusing on the jobs I need to get on with.   I'm convinced it was a couple of hours well spent as I'm sure that I'll gain that time back this week by not having to hunt for things I need.  After all, it's not a good situation when you spend 15 minutes a day hunting for a drawing pen that works when your job is essentially drawing!...

...At last, things are in the places they should be and there are lots of pretties on display to keep my spirits lifted, it feels good!....

However, now my workspace is habitable again I don't want to look too closely at the rest of the house as that'll have to wait until I've met my pressing deadlines.  A lick and promise is the best I can offer the other rooms, one thing at a time.

Over the next couple of weeks I'll be adding illustration prints of my new garden themed collection to my online shops, the images above are a taste of what's to come.  

I'm hoping this year will turn out to be a 'Bloomin' Lovely' one!

Have a great week

Best wishes

Hello 2014 - Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

I hope you all had a lovely festive break and that 2014 proves to be a very happy, healthy, peaceful and lucky year for everyone...

It's been a very relaxing Christmas and New Year spent catching up with family and friends.

Just before Christmas I received two delightful things that put a big smile on my face. The first is the image above which was sent to me by a lovely customer of mine.  She'd bought quite a few items from my shop and had 'plans' for them...and here is the finished feature wall which was what she had in mind! I love it!! especially the wall decal 'Drink Tea and Eat Cake' - both of those are certainly on my list of New Year's resolutions!...

The other thing that arrived was a gorgeous package from Gracie's Garden Bazaar - one of my very favourite designer makers.  I adore Cassandra's work and was thrilled to bits to win her recent giveaway.  Those beautiful Russian dolls look down on me while I work as it now lives by my desk and helps keep me inspired...

Only one more day of the holidays left, my children are back at school on Tues so that is my officical 'back at work' day.  I know I have a number of messages I need to reply to (please bear with!).  I'll get stuck into replying to those on Tuesday without interruptions.  Meanwhile, I have managed to re-organise my online shops with a few sale items to tempt you and my shops are now open once again:

http://www.artworkbyangie.com/

https://www.etsy.com/shop/artworkbyangie

https://beta.folksy.com/shops/artworkbyangie

With Spring Fair International only a few short weeks away, in between eating and drinking too much and generally enjoying precious family time, I've been busy working on some new illustrations for greetings cards for 2014.  A range of 12 garden themed greetings cards are now ready to send off to be printed and plans for 17 more occasion cards by the end of Jan are top of my to do list.  So, it's straight back into my colouring in at full speed  next week - but then I wouldn't want it any other way!...

Here's a sneaky glimpse of a few more from the new 'Bloomin' Lovely' garden collection coming very soon - these will be released as greetings cards and illustration prints this Spring.

Have a lovely week everyone

Best wishes