Handmade BAC May Market

This weekend is the monthly Handmade BAC online market night and I am excited to be selling in it again, alongside a host of other amazing small businesses.

The market runs from 6-11pm, Sunday 3rd May. If you have never taken part in an online market night before it's very simple and great fun! On the night there will be an album full of photographs and details of the items available, it's already open to browse here

May Market Night Album

If you see something you would like to purchase you simply comment SOLD along with the password which will be released on the night and contact the seller to confirm, all payment is taken via a paypal invoice which can be paid using a paypal account, or securely with a credit or debit card. Although we are based in the UK many of the sellers are happy to ship internationally, so please get in touch if you are considering buying from outside of the UK.

For more details pop over to the Handmade BAC facebook page.

If You Go Down to the Woods......

This Sunday I will be taking part in Oak Tree Events online market, and this months theme is woodland and nature. The Oak Tree Events online markets take place on the last weekend of every month, on Facebook, when a photo album of beautiful items from 25 sellers opens for sale. To make a purchase on the night simply browse the album, and comment SOLD along with the password, released on the night, against the item(s) you would like, and then message the seller's Facebook page (stated on listing) to confirm.

I will have 4 brand new shadowboxes in the market, including 3 of my new floating shadowboxes, at the special introductory price of £16 plus p&p.

https://www.facebook.com/OakTreeEvent/photos/a.878993975500475.1073741856.671008426299032/891700007563205/?type=3&theater

All 25 sellers in the market are based in the UK but as always many are more than happy to ship internationally so please feel free to browse the album and contact Oak Tree Events, or the individual sellers, if you are hoping to purchase but are outside of the UK.

This is the link to the album

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.878993975500475.1073741856.671008426299032&type=3

https://www.facebook.com/events/363793633793031/

Work in Progress

I thought today I would share a little of how I create my shadowboxes.

I spent last week creating lots of new polymer clay leaves to use in my new pieces, it's one of my favourite parts - especially when I get to sit outside to do it!

We have had beautiful weather here in London this week and so I took my clay outside and sat at the table with a collection of leaves from my garden, including buddleja, cherry and some divine smelling mint.

I have experimented with several different types of air drying and polymer clays, but mostly use a type by Sculpey, as I find the air drying clays tend to be too brittle for thin pieces. 

To start with I roll my chosen clay as thinly I as think it can handle, then select my leaves. Once I have chosen I place the leaf on top if the clay and roll over it with the rolling pin to leave the impression and texture in the clay, then carefully cut around the leaf using a very thin needle to ensure that I get the edge of the model leaf as realistic as possible.

Doing this with the mint leaves last week was a real joy as with each roll the smell of mint became stronger.

Once the leaves have either dried, or been baked and cooled I then hand paint each one. I have tried using ready coloured clays before, and they are great for one pieces, but for my nature boxes I prefer to paint each one and keep them really unique, I feel it adds to the overall piece; once the paint is dry I finish each leaf with a varnish.

These are some of the leaves ready to bake last week 

(and a few models the kids made too!)

I tend to make a few batches of leaves at a time, with designs already in my head to use them in. My 3 new floating shadowboxes I shared with you last week all contain some of these new leaves, can you see each type?

Floating Shadowboxes 2015 Summer Range

This year's range have been created using beautiful, handmade, distressed white wooden box frames, with glass front and back to create a floating feel, from a lovely small business.

Each box contains a piece of beautiful silk paper, which I handmake, suspended between 2 sheets of glass, as well as origami models created from traditional Shoyu and Yuzen Chiyogami patterned washi paper, natural silk and bamboo fibres and polymer clay leaves, made by taking impressions from real leaves and then had painted and varnished.

I love every process and material I use in these boxes, and the the way the butterflies come alive and seem to fly with the light pouring through. I hope you like them too.

Each boc ix 4inch x 4inches, glass front and back, and can be wall mounted or freestanding. Whilst I would recommend not leaving them in direct sunlight they look particularly lovely on a sunny shelf or windowsill.

They will retail at £18 each plus p&p and will be added to my etsy store soon, in the meantime please message me via my email paperbutterfliesorigami@gmail.com or through my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/paperbutterflies to purchase.

Handmade - A British Artisan Collective

Well it's the first weekend of the month and that can mean only one thing, it's time for the Handmade market over on Facebook!

For those of you that don't know Handmade is a collective of artists and crafters working out of the UK, who work together giving advice and support, and organising online craft fairs on the first Sunday of every month.

Each month features the members of Handmade as well as guests, ensuring that we bring a wide range of talent and beautiful items to the fair.

This months market begins at 6pm, Sunday 5th April, on Facebook, where an album of beautiful items will be ready to view and buy. It is already filling up and available to browse here 

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1571625129778640.1073741837.1520039144937239&type=1

Although based in the UK the majority of sellers are more than happy to post Internationally, so please feel free to browse the album and enquire about postage costs and delivery times, where ever you are in the world.