Crafty present ideas

I'm just finalising my plans for my Cards, Tags and Decorative Papercrafts workshop today, so I thought I'd let you have a little look at some of the things I've come up with. For a start I've made some pretty tissue flowers, perfect for jazzing up a wrapped present

I've also put my homemade stamps to good use, creating some unique wrapping paper

and I've made some papercut and collaged cards

Hopefully the attendees of the course will enjoy making everything as much as I have!

I'll let you know how it goes.

Rosie x

Cards, stamps and....cakes?

Hi!

Just a brief blog today I'm afraid, as I am dashing around trying to get lots of bits of work done, while preparing for my housemate's birthday tea.

As I mentioned last week, I am running a workshop at ArtisOn on the 20th called Cards, Tags and Decorative Papercrafts, so this week I am busily finalising the lesson plan, and making lots of examples of the projects I will be doing with the class. The tissue pom-poms which featured in the last blog are definitely going to make an appearance, as are poper-cut cards. Here's one I made this morning...

I've also been experimenting with making my own rubber stamps, which are great for personalising wrapping paper or cards. Instead of using rubber, a cheap and easy alternative is fun foam, which you can get from most craft shops. The foam cuts easily, but can also be drawn into as it holds the indentations. I cut my foam and glued it to a stamp block, purchased from the best rubber stamp shop in town, Make Your Mark.

But I also made something else today, something I'm particularly proud of...a (hopefully) delicious chocolate truffle torte (basically just a mass of chocolate and cream  - yum!), for tonight's tea party. Unfortunately there was rather a lot of chocolate left over so I was forced to eat it...

Bye for now!

Rosie

Travels South and North

It's been a few weeks since my last blog - apologies for this. I have an annoying habit of regularly leaving my camera in the wrong town, and therefore can't provide pretty pictures to illustrate my stories. Luckily today I have my camera with me, as I have a few hundred photos of Saltburn to upload and sort through. Allow me to explain...

Saltburn and Carmarthen

Yesterday I popped over to Saltburn-By-The-Sea, a victorian seaside town on the North East coast. I have been commissioned to make a picture of the town, so it was the perfect excuse to have a day at the seaside. It's a really beautiful place, and I've taken plenty of photos to help me get to work on the picture. I have already got hold of an old map of the area, and my first job is to draw out a rough layout of the piece, making sure to include all the buildings and features that make Saltburn special. Including the pier, the old hotel The Zetland, and the amazing Huntcliff...

I have been working on another piece this week, the subject of which is close to my heart. I found an old map of Carmarthen and Tenby in Wales, and decided to make this area my next focus. Until very recently my grandpa lived just outside Carmarthen, and annual holiday for most of my childhood was to Wales. 

I had a great time looking up all the places we used to visit, especially when I realised that some of the more remote rural areas are available to view not only from the sky, but from a street view as well (thanks Google!). Here is my progress so far:

RA Summer Show update:

One of the pieces I've entered at the RA Summer Show this year...

Last week I took a trip down to London to drop off my selected works (and those of four other artists) for the Royal Academy Summer show. Having decided that hiring a courier was too expensive, team RA (which includes myself, printmakers Janis Goodman and Hester Cox, mixed media artist Josie Beszant and painter/printmaker Ian Scott Massie) decided to pack all our work into a big suitcase and deliver it to London by hand.

As I discovered after 10 minutes of hoisting a glass-filled suitcase up the steps of York train station, this may have not been the best idea. However, you'll be pleased to know that each one of the 10 pictures arrived in perfect condition, and were speedily and efficiently removed from my person and filed away in the substantial storage areas of the Academy by their helpful assistants. Now I have up to two months to wait to find out if either (or both) of my pieces have been successful. watch this space....

British Craft Trade Fair

I just wanted to briefly mention the BCTF, which has been taking place in Harrogate over the last few days. I look forward to this event every year, as it's a great chance to see the high standard of British art and craft being made at the moment. This year was no exception, and I particularly loved the handpainted ceramics I saw by Katie Almond.

Thats all for now!

Rosie

To do list...

As I have discovered since becoming a full-time artist, it's often rather difficult to focus on one project without getting distracted by another.

Every week I make a to do list, in the hope that at very least I complete the list, even if I go about it in a slightly bitty way. Here's what I'm doing this week...

Course preparation for my next workshop.

I have recently started tutoring craft workshops on a variety of subjects from handmade christmas decorations, recycled jewellery, to bead making. These workshops take place just outside Masham, North Yorkshire and are run by ArtisOn, who put on an amazing array of creative workshops in their beautiful studios. Next month I am running a workshop called Cards, Tags and Decorative Papercrafts which will involve collage and paper cutting amongst other things (I'm VERY excited about this one as it's basically a  day of doing what I love, but with cake and biscuits provided!).

This week I'm doing some preliminary prep by searching online for any inspiring papercraft ideas. Here's a couple from some of my favourite blogs..

Tissue Pom Poms by Smile and Wave

Amazing folded novels by Paper Faerie

A new Big Picture.

I am finally getting round to starting a new big map picture this week, which I am incredibly excited about as I love making them and haven't had the chance to do so for a while. Having riffled through my map collection i have decided to make my next piece about Wales. My Grandpa lived just outside Carmarthen until last year, and I grew up visiting him once or twice a year. The map I have found is of Carmarthen and Tenby, perfect as it covers the areas I know the best. I'll keep you informed on the progression of the big picture.



Button Jewellery.

If I get a chance, I may spend some time this week making some more jewellery. I recently opened an Etsy shop called underthecoldtap (of course) where I can sell these pieces. I love buttons and hit upon this idea a few years ago - so far I haven't seen any button jewellery quite like this, and it's been fairly popular!

RA summer show update.

One more thing I have to do before the week is through...next week I journey to London with a suitcase full of work destined for the Royal Academy Summer Show. I'm being loaded up with work by 5 artists including myself, thus saving us all a few pennies (plus I get a trip to london), and will be dropping it off ready for it's review from this years judging panel. But before I pack my work up I must adorn it with these lovely labels so it doesn't get lost.

Well, lots to do, better get on!

Rosie

The Royal Academy Summer Show...

It's been about 5 weeks since I left my 'proper job', and since then life has been a flurry of business plans, lists of goals and lots of talk about what I'm 'going' to do. In order to sell my work, I need to make some. In order to make some, I need money. In order to get money, I need to sell some work.... It's time to stop thinking and start doing; in the immortal words of Mark from Peepshow, lets strap on the nosebag and eat some serious work.

The first big item on my exciting new agenda is the RA summer show - possibly the best exhibition an emerging artist such as myself can get involved in. Every year the Royal Academy (in London) invite artists and architects  to submit their work for consideration, and the lucky chosen folk get their masterpieces displayed in a beautiful show which runs between June and August. I have always loved the concept of the RA summer show, and admired the shows themselves when I have had a chance to visit, but this is the first year I have decided to apply.

Trying to create the work was far more difficult than expected. I had to submit two pieces, and had about 4 weeks to come up with them. When first sitting down to draw out my ideas, I found myself looking at my creative talents through the eyes of the most critical and cynical judge imaginable. Every idea was scrapped, every skill I thought I had was picked apart by niggling doubts and worries of bored sighs.

Eventually, having changed my mind about sizes, styles and themes I eventually settled on entering a piece I made about a year ago. Although simple in it's construction, it was one of the first works I made using a scalpel (now my artistic tool of choice), and I have always loved it's optimism and springlike colours. 'Dear Florrie', which is named after the recipient of the postcard it is made from, is entry number one.

'Dear Florrie', deconstructed postcard collage, Rosie Scott- Massie 2010.

Submitting an 'old' piece of work had not been part of my original plan, and having made the choice to include 'Florrie', I now felt I definitely needed something new to go with it. I was recently introduced to the beautiful work of Kate Slater - a papercut/collage artist and children's book illustrator, who uses recycled papers to crate unusual textures in her work. Taking inspiration from her work, I spent days layering old envelopes and maps in different ways to achieve a dramatic, stormy sea and sky.

As with much of my work, I wasn't convinced about the success of this one right up until it'd completion, but I have to say that I'm pretty happy with it now.
'Swallowed by the Sea' is entry two...

'Swallowed by the Sea' (with details), maps, envelopes, postcards, paper, gouache. Rosie Scott-Massie 2011.

The application form has been sent, and the pieces are ready to be taken down to london at the end of March. Fingers crossed the RA judging panel will like them too. I'll let you know.

Rosie