Artwork

Covid-19 Lock Down – Week One – Anxiety

April 1, 2020February 11, 2025 Julie GardnerLeave a comment

It’s April fools day, 2020. A bit different from other years. I don’t think many people will be playing pranks. We’re doing okay though. My family have adapted really well, it just feels like a long stay-cation at the moment!

I’ve been keeping to a routine each morning at least. Exercise first thing (was Joe Wicks last week but decided to hunt around on YouTube for something else this week, there’s so much out there to choose from). Then I have breakfast, shower and take Arthur for a big long walk. I’m very lucky that I can do this and we have fields and woodland very close to our house that we can walk to. My husband on the other hand, is cooped up in his little office upstairs, working away all day. We live on a busy road which is currently hauntingly quiet most of the day. I’m not complaining about that, it’s bliss.

In the afternoon I’ve been working my way through my lists of jobs, very slowly! I have one for the house, garden and gilhoolie (I’m thinking we’re going to be stuck in for quite some time unfortunately!) Lots of gardening completed last week when the sun was shining 🌞 I’ve also had lots of virtual coffees with friends and feel very blessed that I have them to chat to. It’s definitely making me appreciate all the little things that’s for sure.

Yesterday I even hunted down my acrylic paints and plucked up the courage to have a go. It’s the first time I’ve done it since I finished a painting course at Henley School of Art and because I was feeling inspired by the Portrait Artist of the Year on Sky Arts. What a great programme! I really enjoy painting but always start with a worry that it will turn out really badly. I guess that’s what stops most people having a go?! I’m going to keep trying though, now that I have lots of time to fill. I’m not watching TV until the evening and trying to stay away from the news during the day too. It’s easy to get obsessed with all the stats on Covid-19 but not good for me mentally!

Pencil drawing the painting was based on

Last week I was crazy busy finishing off lampshade orders. It’s obviously going to be very quiet for a while but hopefully orders will pick up again once this is all over.

So that’s my first week in lock down. I really am getting used to this social distancing. Last week I cried every time I went out for a dog walk and felt quite anxious. I just felt so sad about it all too. You do adjust though, it just takes time. Isn’t it going to be amazing when this is all over and we can hug a friend or go out to dinner?! In the meantime I’m going to make the most of this time and maybe it will make me slow down in the future too.

Lampshades

Everyone loves a tapered drum…

April 1, 2019March 10, 2025 Julie Gardner1 Comment

Tapered drum lampshades have been very popular at gilhoolie lately. Either restoration of an existing lampshade (as it’s hard to find a replacement of the same dimensions) or made from scratch using a template.

I particularly like restoring a client’s tapered drum lampshade – it’s always a happy feeling when I roll it along the workbench to make a drum, with new PVC and fabric but reusing the existing rings. They look great in a contemporary setting, on a lamp base or hanging from a pendant.

Take a look at some of the ones I have made recently below. And if you’d like one for your home just get in touch.

Click here if you need help with choosing a lampshade shape or size.

2 recovered lampshades (the one on the right is made using a map)

Tiny candle clip lampshades in a turquoise tweed

Recovering a tapered drum lampshade using champagne embossed PVC lining

In-situ photo of two very big yellow tapered drum lampshades which were restored

Lampshades

Harris Tweed lampshades…

March 26, 2019April 25, 2025 Julie Gardner

I have always loved Harris Tweed so was delighted when a client in Birmingham asked me to use some to make two very big and two small lampshades to fit bases they had purchased from Loaf.com.

The fabric is about as thick as you’d want to go for a lampshade (you really need to consider how much light they will allow through, as well as the logistics of making a lampshade, tucking the fabric around the rings to make a neat edge). But the effect is great, especially with the added touch of Harris Tweed labels attached at the bottom of each lampshade seam.

If you have a favourite fabric you’d like to use to make a beautiful lampshade just get in touch.

Lampshades

Map lampshades…

March 19, 2019February 12, 2025 Julie GardnerLeave a comment

I’m at home with Arthur puppy today (just a bit poorly after a minor op). So I have finished off some lampshades for clients, but otherwise I plan to generally take it easy myself too (which is very rare!) I feel very lucky that I have the flexibility to be able to do what I do. To be honest, it’s a bit strange not having to go for a muddy dog walk this morning, but it won’t be long before he’s up and running again I’m sure.

So, it’s a good opportunity to post on here while Arthur is resting in his little t-shirt, (he hated the cone of shame!)

I made these lampshades using maps that showed a special area to my client, in France and in the UK. Maps are a really great choice for lampshades and always look really effective. They were neatly finished off with some pale blue bias binding on the top and bottom rings.

The tapered drum on the right was made using the old lampshade as a template – reusing the rings but cutting new PVC to give it a new lease of life.

Amazingly, you can buy a paper Ordnance Survey map based around a specific location, which can then be made into a lampshade at gilhoolie – have a look here.

They’d make a great present too – do get in touch if you have any questions or to order a lampshade.

Uncategorized

Lampshades galore…

May 26, 2017February 16, 2025 Julie GardnerLeave a comment

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…

Most of these have been made from scratch but some of the tapered drums are lampshades that have been recovered – if you have a lampshade you like the shape of I can take it apart and remake it with new PVC and fabric. Just get in touch for more information and prices.

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Lampshade for a London exhibition…

March 4, 2016February 16, 2025 Julie GardnerLeave a comment

I was contacted last year by a lady who was interested in having a lampshade made from images of record sleeves. I must admit I was a little confused about the concept at first but it all made sense after a bit of a chat. It was to be displayed at an exhibition in London on sound system culture (which I knew nothing about, hence the confusion!)

The Sound System Culture website says:

Sound System Culture is a compact, informative and carefully curated exhibition tucked away in a corner of west London arts venue The Tabernacle. Using photographs, archives and memorabilia, as well as highly detailed narratives, it traces the history and growth of sound system culture in London, from private parties in the 1950s to the modern day Notting Hill Carnival. The travelling exhibition began in Huddersfield, journeying to Bristol and Birmingham before hitting London this month.

Born out of a need for ‘community focus’, these systems acted as vehicles for the excluded Caribbean people to be heard in London. This was achieved through decades of dedication towards sound and communication – these systems were, and still are, the stars, taking precedence over the musicians that play on the decks. These gargantuan speaker set-ups provided the people with music from their homeland in the way that it was meant to be heard.

The exhibition is not just a two-dimensional experience; you can have a go at cueing up a record and feel the sound coming out of the speakers, which must be pretty impressive judging by this amazing photo from the Sound System Culture website:

Mandy from Sound System Culture wanted to display images of the original record sleeves in an interesting way and we agreed that a drum lampshade would look great.

It wasn’t just about making the lampshade for this one though – my first challenge was to fit all the scanned images into one long strip in Photoshop and then get it printed at my local printers. Next I made the long print-out into a drum lampshade and trimmed the top and bottom with white bias binding to neaten.

I really enjoyed making this lampshade for Sound System Culture and hope it looked great displayed on one of their sound systems in the exhibition. You can follow them on Facebook and Twitter (@Stringupdisound).

This photo is from ‘The Cultural Expose’ website:

Here it is in my house, where it looked lovely even if it didn’t quite fit in with my decor:

Creative Courses

7 vital ingredients of great craft workshops

September 26, 2013February 16, 2025 Julie GardnerLeave a comment

I haven’t been to that many craft workshops but I’ve been lucky that the ones I have attended have been fab. The ones that made me go W O W were at The Make Lounge (now sadly closed) and at Homemade London. I remember leaving with an enormous sense of achievement and satisfaction that I had learnt a new skill and had the opportunity to chat to some lovely people. I traveled home, proudly clutching whatever I had made, thinking “I made that!”

So, what’s the difference between a memorable craft workshop and a not so memorable one?

7 signs you’ve attended a great workshop

When you attend a great workshop, you should:

Receive clear correspondence beforehand on what to bring, where to go and what to expect, so that you arrive feeling relaxed and ready to learn
Be taught by a teacher who is patient, knowledgeable in their skill, and interested in what you do too
Meet like-minded people, even make new friends and contacts to stay in touch with afterwards
Learn a new skill in a relaxed atmosphere and in pleasant surroundings
Get a chance to ask questions about the craft and learn some useful tips
Be invited to give feedback on your experience
And finally… Be offered refreshments, and if at all possible (I personally think it’s really important….)

h o m e m a d e c a k e ! ! !

After all, a craft workshop isn’t complete without it, don’t you think?!

I consider my lampshade 1-2-1s and workshops for small groups to be all of the above, I really do. I think it’s important that people leave feeling happy, with a buzz about their new found skill, and of course full of cake and cups of tea!

Here’s some feedback from a 1-2-1 I held last week with a lovely lady called Helen (including the cake above):

“My only feed back is that you have a lovely teaching style, relaxed , friendly and not rushed. For me, the perfect thing to do on my day off and the finale that gorgeous cake. Just perfect!!!!”

Pictured in the photo below are Tamsin from Curious Upholstery and Libby from Elizabeth Eley Upholstery. We had a lovely time making four lampshades, including lined ones – workshops can be tailored to suit you, just let me know when you book.

You can find out more about my lampshade lessons here, or contact me for more information.

Inspiration

Happiness message in every tub…

September 9, 2013February 16, 2025 Julie GardnerLeave a comment

Last week I opened an ice-cream tub to discover a message inside the lid that kind of summed up my first week back making lampshades after a long summer break.

So there I was, eating my ice-cream and apple and blackberry pie with the family, when I read:

“The three grand essentials to happiness in this life are: something to do, something to love and something to hope for” (by Joseph Addison, born in 1672)

Okay, so it’s not just making lampshades that makes me happy but after a glorious summer holiday my first week back couldn’t have been better. In amongst catching up with friends, I made and posted off a lampshade at the beginning of the week for a company who make kids curtains (Kids Curtain Company). Then, after making the most of the last day of summer, I made two beautiful silk drum lampshades for a client in Maidenhead. It’s always nice to hand lampshades over in person and Gill was thrilled with her lampshades as she had struggled to find some to match her newly decorated lounge. The butterscotch coloured 100% silk she chose matched the curtains and finished off the room a treat (the photo doesn’t do them justice, they were gorgeous!)

So, I’m really looking forward to more lampshade making and I know I’m incredibly lucky to do something that makes me happy. Oh, and I’m wondering when I can buy another tub of ice-cream to discover another happiness message inside! 🙂

Uncategorized

Just a normal gilhoolie day…

March 13, 2013July 17, 2025 Julie Gardner2 Comments

I haven’t written on here lately about what I’ve done on a normal gilhoolie day so I thought I would now when I feel like it. Once the boys were in school and I’d been for a swim, (that’s not usual, I only go once a week!) I started by answering a few emails, then I wrapped up a couple of house portraits I drew this week, ready for posting.

Next, I had fun with lampshade PVC, scissors, a ruler and a hairdryer! I have a large square lampshade to recover and I thought I’d have a practice at scoring the PVC before I tackle the real thing (the hairdryer warms the PVC slightly to make it more malleable, you have to be careful not to snap the PVC completely, I learnt!)

Here are the lampshades before (a tapered drum one too):

I’ll post photos when they’re all ready at a later date.

Then I sent off an email to Moo – I buy my business cards from them and they’re looking for people who use their products a bit differently. I always tie one of my gilhoolie business cards to lampshades with a matching ribbon so I thought it was worth a shot.

Finally, before I whiz off on the school run, I sanded down my lamp base I bought a while ago – I’m going to paint it this week, so here it is before, looking very shabby (except for the lampshade of course!)

It’s been a very satisfying day, lots done, must whiz now though!

PS Hope you like the shots in our newly decorated dining room, still curtains to do so I’ll show you properly soon!

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Why lampshades?…

February 7, 2013February 16, 2025 Julie GardnerLeave a comment

When I’m teaching I’m frequently asked, why do I make lampshades? Well, I can’t easily explain why, I just have this obsession with them and they make me happy. I’ve been writing this blog now for two years and making lampshades for nearly as long and I still have to pinch myself to check it’s all real. I’ve been busy with orders lately, for private clients and interior designers and I still go through the following emotions:

when I make a lampshade I still start with a feeling of excitement, anxious to see what it will look like in the end
while I’m making a lampshade I still double check everything, I would hate to make a mistake and I still really, really care about every one I make
when the lampshade is complete, whether it’s a simple drum that’s taken a couple of hours to make, or a drum with a hand-made trim that I’ve designed and stitched, or a hand-stitched empire lampshade that’s taken considerably longer, I feel elated and often literally jump with joy and stand back and go “wow, I love it!” (Then feel a bit silly as I’m there on my own…)
then finally, when I hand the lampshade over to a client, all packaged nicely, I love seeing their faces light up and I imagine their happiness whenever they turn the light on…

This may all seem a bit silly and extreme to a lot of people but I am proud of the fact that I take so much care in making each and every lampshade. And I’m proud of the fact that they are all hand-made with lots of love and attention. And I’m so happy that I enjoy what I do so much, even if I still get a bit nervous about the whole thing, it just shows I still care, long may it continue… so that’s why I make lampshades, crazy I know…