Working through my ‘To Do’ list…

February 22, 2012February 8, 2025 Julie GardnerLeave a comment

Yesterday was a bit of an admin day for me as it was the first day back at school and a chance to get my head round things again. Now I can start to work through my gilhoolie to do list (there’s lots on it after a week off!) Today I have been busy getting ready for my first lampshade workshop on Saturday – instructions – check, equipment – check, lampshade kits – check. Looking forward to it, I might even make some cakes to take along; it was so nice when our tutor brought homemade cookies to the lampshade workshop at Homemade London, nothing like the personal touch!

I have also been finishing off some drawings for an art gallery in Romford, Essex. These are all now on my Folksy and Etsy shops and I’m going to stock some for future events. Sorry about the light reflecting on the cellophane but I just neatly packaged them all and didn’t want to get them out again to take the photos.

Oh yes, and while I’m here I thought I’d put this personalised house portrait on my blog. It was commissioned by a lady called Gemma in Birmingham, as a present to her fiancee for their ten year anniversary – ahhh, this was really special to do. It’s the first one I’ve drawn from someone else’ photos and came out really well.

If the weather cheers up this week I’m going to take some photos of wedding venues near here and do some drawings, oh and there’s a building down my road I MUST draw… So lots to do, I really should get ready for the events I’ve got coming up though. I think tomorrow I will be mostly machine embroidering a pile of tea-towels!

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Seventies vibe…

February 10, 2012February 8, 2025 Julie GardnerLeave a comment

My drawings definitely have a seventies feel at the moment, like this one of some kitchen scales and a tea caddy I drew this afternoon. The tea caddy is actually drawn from my Orla Kiely one so I guess I’m drawn to that style, no surprises really. The fabric on the pot is another Cloud 9 design called The Banks – Pumpkin by Michelle Engel Bencsko. I’m not usually keen on orange but this fabric is great for small areas and for giving it that seventies vibe.

I’m going to try and machine embroider all my kitchen drawings onto tea-towels when I get time, but for now I’m happy working on ideas, makes a change from screen-printing and making lampshades!

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Fresh on Folksy…

February 9, 2012February 8, 2025 Julie GardnerLeave a comment

I’m working on some pictures at the moment but still really like my retro teapot and cup and now it’s been featured on a blog called ‘Fresh on Folksy’! You can also find it in my Folksy shop of course, along with some other pieces.

My latest drawing is seventies inspired; I still remember our brown and orange floral sofa and matching curtains in our living room when I was growing up. The fabric is from Cloud 9’s Across The Pond collection designed by Michelle Engel Bencsko and is called Variegated Butterflies. Cloud 9 Fabrics say the collection is ‘a fab mix of art nouveau and 70’s mod all revolving around a gentle aquatic locale theme’. I think it goes well with the seventies coffee pot, it’s very me!

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Busy busy…

February 2, 2012February 9, 2025 Julie GardnerLeave a comment

I started making cards for something to do when I wasn’t so busy with lampshades etc. but things have picked up over the last week with quite a few orders and another art gallery wanting lampshades and pictures for their shop – argghhh more screen-printing to do tomorrow – surely I’ll be more relaxed about it this time?! Anyway, here are a couple of cards I made this week for friends, again with the gilhoolie retro circles print behind the cut outs. I’m really enjoying making them and have lots of other ideas plus I think I’ll have a go at making a more complicated paper cut picture maybe, when I have time.

I love Heather Moore’s ‘Flowers’ paper cut illustration, a bit complicated for me though; knowing me I’d cut the wrong bit and it would all fall apart! Note to self, start with something simpler and be VERY careful…

Flowers paper cut illustration by Heather Moore – wow!

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More cards…

January 25, 2012February 8, 2025 Julie GardnerLeave a comment

I’ve been working on card ideas over the last week and am hoping to have a bundle ready to sell at the next craft fair. From what I’ve seen they’re always a hit and I thought it would be a good way to use my textile designs printed onto paper (plus I like making them!) They’re drawn in ink and then I’ve cut out parts of the picture to show my fabric designs behind – see my retro circles in blue on the mini and house and my tulips in purple on the handbag. These were really tricky to photograph so sorry they’re not that clear; they look lovely in person, honest. At the moment they’re A6 size but I’m thinking I like these square so that may be the way to go for the next ones. The only problem is I keep giving them away and might not have any left by the time I do another craft fair – oops!

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gilhoolie greeting cards?…

January 12, 2012February 8, 2025 Julie GardnerLeave a comment

I don’t know about you but I’m forever buying cards – there’s always a birthday, birth, new house, new job, so… I thought I’d have a go at making my own. This week, a friend of mine had her first baby and it was another friend’s birthday yesterday. So, there I was making cards rather than looking round the shops for the ‘right’ one. It’s got to mean more if it’s hand-made, well that’s what I think anyway. I hope they think so too. It’s a shame the photos don’t do them justice; I thought photographing stationery would be a doddle compared to lampshades and beanbags!

The birthday card is made using remnants from my screen-printing this week plus some Lotta Jansdotter fabric for the vase. I LOVE her designs so you may see more of them cropping up on here. It’s a shame her shop is in Brooklyn or I’d be right there! LOTS.

The baby card is for a close friend who had a beautiful baby girl this week, what a cute name! I used some vintage-style floral fabric I found in my local sewing shop. I thought it went with the old fashioned pram.

Update – I actually wrote this post two days ago and couldn’t publish it until I’d delivered the cards yesterday and I now have 2 more friends with babies – better make some more!! (What is it they say about waiting for a bus and then 3 come along, what a special week, congratulations all!)

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gilhoolie has a Facebook page!

January 5, 2012February 8, 2025 Julie GardnerLeave a comment

Okay, this might have to be the last drawing for a week or so because I really need to get back to screenprinting and then make some lampshades now that all the kit has arrived. There seems to be a bit of a kitchen/retro theme going on here don’t you think?! The only problem is I don’t have a retro looking salt mill but I found this one on etsy, shame it’s sold already.

This fabric is from Heather Moore’s Cut Out and Keep collection and is called ‘Avenues in Straw’. I love the yellow and the simplicity of the design is so clever.

I’m posting this as my first update from my new gilhoolie Facebook page so I hope someone reads it, I need some ‘Likes’!!

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Happy New Year!

January 4, 2012February 8, 2025 Julie GardnerLeave a comment

I’m easing myself in gradually so this will be a very quick post just to say Happy New Year everyone! It’s my first day on my own and I’m straight into gilhoolie, with a break to meet a friend for coffee thrown in of course! I must admit it’s a bit too quiet but at least we ended the holiday with a great day indoors building Lego and making cookies while the storm raged outside…

I’m back to drawing again because I really enjoy it and want to practice more while I book my next craft fairs for the months ahead. After the Christmas order rush it’s nice to sit back and have a play with things like this cutlery drawing, using Heather Moore fabric again, because I love it so much.

It’s funny, this time last year I was a month away from finishing work and just had plans to decorate the house, finish my Interior Design course and learn how to screen print (oh yes, and learn how to make a lampshade). Now it’s January again and I feel a lot closer to knowing what I want to do when I grow up 🙂 hehe!

I have lampshades to print and make for a gallery in Leeds, lampshade workshops to look forward to in February and March. I just need to find a regular local craft fair I like, if anyone knows any near Maidenhead please let me know!

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A bit of ‘me time’…

December 30, 2011February 8, 2025 Julie Gardner2 Comments

Well, the Christmas holidays are whizzing by but there’s been plenty of time for nice cups of tea, along with far too many mince pies and choccies. It was so nice to have a bit of ‘me time’ yesterday and do a bit of drawing while the boys played with their new toys and bothered their Dad while he’s at home!

retro teapot and cup — Retro teapot and cup

I really like the shape of my teapot and teacup (see my previous blog post ‘All nice and cosy’) and thought they would be fun to draw. Again, I added some detail with fabric; this time just stuck on and not machine embroidered so even easier. The fabric has a small pattern which worked really well and is in keeping with the simple ink drawing. One of my favourite Christmas presents was a bundle of fabrics from my Mum and this one is called ‘Chards’ from the Cut Out and Keep collection by Heather Moore. I’ve got a feeling I’ll be using more of her fabric in my pictures as the print is nice and small and quite retro too, plus the colours are lovely. Not sure what I’ll draw next but I know I want to do another armchair and lampshade one; maybe more traditional this time but I might have to go on the hunt for more fabric to add to my collection first…

Well that was a bit of ‘me time’ in the morning, then it was a pretend family gun battle round the house before dinner and a tombola after dinner (a sneaky way to earn pocket money from us parents, funny boys!)

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And finally…

December 21, 2011February 8, 2025 Julie GardnerLeave a comment

I know I said I’d written my last blog post for 2011 but when you feel like being creative it can’t be helped and this is just a really quick one! Besides, all the Christmas shopping is done, presents wrapped, cards posted, just some mince pies to make (and mulled wine to drink!)

I’ve been wanting to do some drawing for a while but the Christmas orders meant I had to wait. This is just the first attempt; a pen and ink drawing of a Scandinavian style armchair and lampshade. The cushion and lampshade are machine embroidered which was a bit tricky as you can’t sew too much in case the picture falls apart! Just about did it but more practice definitely needed.

I’m going to do some more traditional ones too as I enjoyed it so much. This one will look nice in our living room, just the right colours…