OnceIt

If you have not been introduced to the fantastic sales that appear on Onceit, you might like to join up as some cute and quaint things are about to emerge on there.

They specialize in designer brands and fabulous artisans whose wares include jewellery, fashion, accessories, home wares and more

I only have a limited number of invites so . . .

Invitation to Onceit

 . . . and I hear there might be some manu on there too.

Latest Hi-Jinx

It has been a wee while but finally life has settled down again and I am able to get caught up on things. ellaQuaint has been busy creating new designs for handmade cards. The 'Warm Fuzzy' range has expanded to include robins and cats.  They seem to resurge when the weather cools, something about the association of warmth that felt brings with it I think.

Some of these have been sent off already :)

Some fresh colours have been added to the ellaQuaint palette which has worked wonderfully with some old favourites. There is something rather meditative about the process of hand embroidering things and the contrast of the matt card against the lustre of embroidery silk is very effective.

Chevron Hearts in fresh hues.

Part of the reason I have been focusing so much upon cards lately, as well as the advent of Mother's Day is because I intend to put together a catalogue of some of my favourite designs and go and attempt to sell them to stores.

I love masking tape. 

Sometimes you have to fix or even remake old templates. Today I got to make some new ones which was exciting also. The perfect activity for the shocker of a day we have had in Auckland.

I really love masking tape.

The old maps that I use can be problematic to cut so lining them on the back with tape allows for a cleaner edge and makes them less likely to disintegrate.

A fresh design and one that I think is pretty special.

Maps are so evocative of travel and that sense of freedom and adventure that comes with it, which is why I have been so selective with the imagery that I have chosen to collage on the cards. Many folks think that it is bordering on madness to hand-cut such intricate designs but when you end up with a result that you are happy with and that people might treasure for sometime to come, then in my belief, it is worth it.

Two old trusty designs one of which has had a bit of a make over.

Some of these are already listed on ellaquaint on felt or ellaCute on etsy should you be interested in seeing the designs in better detail.

More Wee Beasties

I so enjoyed painting the first lot of Timorous Beasties that I decided to paint some more.

Standing Fawn

Standing Fawn had the cutest pose so I just had to paint him. I think that I might have to have paint some more deer as their coats layer up so nicely with watery washes then textured brush marks layered up over the top.

Little Lop

Little Lop, well lop bunnies are pretty delightful but this guy took the cake.

Sparrow

Sparrows are one of my favourite introduced birds. This guy looked so sweet all fluffed up into his feathers. Should you be interested in purchasing any of these cuties, you can find them on our ellaCute store on etsy. Ooo there is a sale happening there also!

Timorous Beasties

'Fawn' closeup

It has been a little while since I last did some water-colour painting. After a bit of encouragement from Alice I finally painted these wee guys just in time for Easter :)

'Fawn' framed

The image of 'Fawn' was wonderful to work off as it really showed the detailed patterns that occur on it's little face and around it's eyes.

'Sparrow' unframed

'Sparrow' was so much fun to paint. I think that I might need to paint her a few little friends to hang out with the gang.

'Rabbit' with a real daisy

'Rabbit' has a cheeky little grin as he snacks on a daisy. As you can see they are very cute by themselves or they also look fabulous hanging out together.

'Timorous Beasties'

Better photos will come as the weather clears up and you can view them in detail on Felt or Etsy. Larger Glicee prints are arriving shortly!

You can also check them out this weekend at the Silo Night Market and Cinema, Amelie is playing. Also we will be at Kraftbomb this Sunday from 11 - 2 pm

The Art of giving Cards

my work space in it's typical state . . . no sign of hoarding here

Ever since I was a kid, I have been a terrible hoarder . . . probably as a reaction to my mum being a stream lined, efficient non-collector. One of the things I have always had issues parting with has been cards, there is something about them that brings out my sentimental tendencies. Sometimes it was because of the images on the outside of them, other times what was written on the inside but mostly who they were from. I have shoe boxes filled with them!

experimenting

Over the years, what with our dependency on the internet and social networking sites, the art of sending physical mail or cards has subsided. It is such a treat to get something that is not a bank statement or bill in the post. That is where I really like the idea of producing carefully crafted, hand-made ones, ones that people would really want to keep . . .

work in progress

or even possibly frame . . .

as they really are little illustrations in themselves.

As you can see there is a slight February-esque theme to some of them being produced at the moment. They are available for sale on either ellaCute on Etsy
or ellaQuaint on Felt

Bunny Valentine

Seasons Fleetings

card marquettes

At the moment we are trying to get sorted for Christmas . . . I know! It is a little scary to think that it is just around the corner. In preparation for the festive season, I have been creating some plans for cross-stitched Christmas cards.

a delightful accident

Basically I have been coming up with the templates and testing them using white silk embroidery thread. White on white is a fabulous way to test out something that has sculptural or textural elements as it shows the form more clearly. I had popped up one on the window sill to see what it looked like from a distance and was thrilled with the effect of light coming through the needle holes.

my working space is not normally this tidy!

As well as festive colours, I think I will have to continue to produce some in white too. I will have a collection ready for both Crafternoon Tea on the 15th October and The Devonport Craft Market on the 16th October.

Spring is in the Air

Nice! Our wee dear made it into a spring selection on Felt Spring is in the Air. Do check out the other lovely treasures that people are listing :)