As I live on a main road I thought it would be a good idea (and excellent, free advertising!) to put a sign on my front wall, telling passers by about gilhoolie. Finally, after lots of deliberating on the general design and size, it went up at the weekend. Yay! It should probably be bigger but it's a start, and all those people waiting in traffic outside might glance sideways and see it...
Annabel Smith Interiors…
My work often comes from clients who have searched for lampshade makers online but I also regularly take orders from local interior designers. Annabel Smith owns a small interiors shop in Wooburn Green which is where I first met her a few years ago. I've been making lampshades to go in her home and for her projects ever since. It's always exciting to see what fabric Annabel has sourced from her travels to be made into a lampshade.
New look gilhoolie website…
I recently realised my gilhoolie website wasn't mobile responsive so it was time for a new one. The old one first started in 2011, can you believe it?! (I can't!) After several weeks of testing here it is. Not an awful lot different really as it was working how it was, but I hope you like the new layout and fresh new header images. Check out the new 'Testimonials' page - more coming soon.
Greys Court, Henley…
We discovered this National Trust property quite a few years ago and have been going back regularly ever since. It is definitely one of my favourites - the house is quite small and incredibly homely; you can imagine the Brunner family living there. And the gardens (with it's ancient wisteria) are very English and beautiful, surrounded by lush rolling hills. Perfect for an escape from the hustle and bustle, with lunch or a cream tea in the lovely cowshed tearoom.
Pub crawl anyone?…
When I was younger people used to go on pub crawls quite a lot. Now the number of pubs in our towns is decreasing and being taken over by coffee shops and restaurants. I really like coffee shops but there’s nothing like a British pub; for a cosy night out in the winter and a great pub garden and a glass of Pimms in the summer.
Lampshades galore…
This week I thought I’d share with you a few photos of the lovely lampshades I have made recently. I’m afraid the picture quality isn’t great; I don’t usually have time for a proper photo shoot before posting them off or handing them over to clients! I really should though as they look much better in real life…
Art on the Street…
Very quick blog post today I'm afraid. I'm not sure where the week has gone, feel like I'm on a bit of a roller-coaster really. But I didn't want to miss writing on here. It's so easy to get out of the habit so I must make sure I find time.
On a mission…
What a busy week. My mind has been buzzing with ideas for next month's Art on the Street so I spent the day yesterday working on that. Mostly looking at old house pictures I've drawn and playing around with Photoshop, great fun. I've realised I need to be structured with my time, so Thursdays are my day for art stuff and nothing else. It really works. I also feel like I achieved a lot this week - I managed to book a summer holiday (what a relief!), squeezed in lots of exercise and even did a bit of gardening.
Back on the road…
Right, no messing, it’s time to get this blog back on the road. Just one of the things I’m trying to get back into at the moment. The other is drawing regularly – I’ve started drawing everyday items around the house in a small sketchbook, just to get back into practicing. I’m enjoying it but quickly running out of things to draw! (Have to keep telling myself, it’s not what you draw, it’s just the act of drawing…)
My favourite local buildings…
I love old buildings, especially the fine details that architects used to incorporate and that are often missing from new builds. I also love drawing old buildings. So it made sense to set myself a challenge to draw my favourite local ones as a personal drawing project. Something to do in between making lampshades, working part time and being a mum (not much time there then!)
