Collector Exhibition

In case you've missed it on Facebook I would just like to say that my exhibition 'Claire A Baker - Collector' is almost upon us, well...'me'. 
Argh.

The preview evening is on Wednesday March 13th and if you would like to attend as a regular reader of my blog you are most welcome - just click here.
If you can't make it, the gallery will be open Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays 10-3pm until May 17th except over the Easter holidays, so please check before travelling- click here.
There will be selected items from the extensive mass of collected items of (beautiful)'junk' I have acquired over the years; I haven't decided which yet, which is slightly worrying! I am even still working on my pieces...sigh. I will be absolutely mortified if it's embarrassing, the thought of this is what is keeping me going.

Next job on the list is finishing the veil with the heart above, which finishes the outfit ensemble.
Anyway...these items of historical and cultural value (junk) are what has inspired my style of work I guess, and often particular individual works or projects; either obviously or subconsciously. I have numerous examples that eventually I will photograph together, until then you can use this opportunity to 'spot the link'. 
Words I would use to describe the 'look' of my embroidery work include 'emotive', 'subtle' and purveying an 'essence of reminiscence' but... with aspects of delicious edginess. (Lacroix! - CALL ME!)  
Note: Just had another look - maybe 'subtle' it's not?!

Hi Honies... I'm home!

And this is what I bought... whilst in Paris (along with a couple of G&T's)...

Sacred Heart of Paris...

I am readying myself for the annual trip to Paris tomorrow... Indigo & Premier Vision... so before I choose which shoes to take I have had to prepare a new embroidery to be getting on with in any spare minutes that I may have !!!? That is if my needle doesn't get confiscated...I found a great tip on a forum somewhere to avoid taking scissors - use dental floss packaging; how clever is that?!
So, these are the initial stages of it happening... it looks a bit rubbish so far but I am (fairly) confident I can make it look gorgeous by the end of the week (possibly).
Already I have had some mishaps and troubles but I am not ready to give up yet... for instance I started with a really old, yellowed, tatty veil and have been wanting to do a sacred heart embroidery for a while, so thought it would be the perfect base... I ironed it in readiness and it melted completely, :-(

How does your garter grow...?

Mary, Mary quite contrary

How does your garter grow?

With silver threads and silken flowerheads...

And prettiness all in a row!

New work...COMPLETE - Budgie

Slightly over deadline but here's the final process of embroidery ON the chosen garment - a 1952 tiny girdle (seriously if you were a size 6 why would you even want to wear a girdle? unless of course it had been embellished with a budgie and stuff)... the first new piece especially made for my exhibition ; onwards and upwards.If I'd have thought of doing an animation before I started it may have been a little more thoughtful... but hey - next time!

I have already started on my next piece... embellishment rules.

And on the twelfth day...

Claire had created...an almost finished piece of work!
To be fair there are still 10 hours left to..
finalise a few small areas, cut it all out, apply it to it's 'ground' and then tomorrow (I am guessing) somehow make it look as though it has always been there.

Follow my progress

On my Facebook page...

The 12 days of...Stitch

12 days is my deadline (self imposed) for this piece; working from historical influences in the way of traditional patchwork shapes updated by the intention of slapping a budgie next to it... reasoning being they wouldn't have done that in centuries past...

The images above show the results of 12 solid hours of stitch so when you come along to my first solo exhibition in March '13 please be sure to mentally calculate the total time of the finished piece and if nothing else, appreciate that!

I can't believe...how long it has been since my last post... it's TERRIBLE! I think I have felt that I haven't had anything solid to say about anything solid... for the past few weeks/months everything seems to have been very bitty! - a bit of this and a bit of that.

If I were to have a New Years resolution it would be to update my blog at least fortnightly, if only to make myself do something worthwhile that often in order to mention it.

As this will be my last post of 2012 I won't list the ups and downs of the past year but look forward to what I hope to achieve in 2013, in short:

• for my exhibition to be successful
• to sell some work
• to get my book to a publishable state
• to launch my new 'collection' of paper jewellery at Design Event(proposal yet to be written) 

There will be more information about the March exhibition as and when but I am very aware I have as little as 10 weeks to prepare and I haven't even come up with a title... please help! Without explanation just vote on the title (in sidebar) that would entice you to come along and have a little look or suggest one of your own in the comment box of this post... much appreciated!

Thank you for reading my posts in 2012 and don't stop in 2013 - Happy New Year!

Am so excited!

So I just opened my parcel... and as soon as I've mounted a stack of paper samples/designs in my new CCAD sketchbook am going to let myself loose on these babies... good times /-)

Here comes a new collection...

the good news:

Yes, this IS tidy...

• My studio is tidy again and new (old) plan chest installed
• I will have my 'Built Up - Broken Down' sketchbook back from Portugal hopefully within a couple of weeks which means I can continue designing from it - still loads of ideas to pursue
• Soon I will have 2 new desks on which to put all my sewing machines on in a line (not unlike a factory)  
• I am getting better at Illustrator (slightly)
• Have started a new board on Pinterest - inspiration for my new collection :-)
• 'fish' and 'chips' rings have joined the ' up your street' jewellery collection (packaging to be tweaked, obviously)

Do you speak Portuguese?

Announcing... (in case you missed it elsewhere!)... that I actually won!!! I can't believe it :-)

the louvre boutique haberdashery

to have a friend like Stephen who brings you treasure from France is like a little piece of paradise ... fur and feathers in a fine fine very beautiful envelope  - sigh

Bargains of the Week...last week.

Spent a couple of days that were left of my 'holiday' at auction and a couple of carboots... I actually 'won' some things that were absolute bargains (unusually) , take a look...

pearlised white/mint bike... £20

wooden box 50cms x 50cms x 50cms... £4

5 old doors (to make my bath panels with)...£15 lot

Laura Ashley duck egg sofa vgc... £30

also...

box white tiles ... £1

brand new scanner...£4

craft/robocutter...£10

3 pc suite for sister...£10

How exciting!

Urbex Colour Board...

          

Well... as I am back to full time 'proper' employment tomorrow I am taking this opportunity to show you my next mood board of colour... these are photographs (albeit out of focus, or rather 'soft' focus) that I took on my phone during last weeks photoshoot... of distressed surfaces. It's the colours that won me over, I shall use these in my next collection ...I know what you're thinking ('but she always uses those colours!')...similar to usual I admit, but I LOVE them. I imagine I may use the very dark almost ebony, the rust ochre and the acid lime in larger proportions this time, with a hint of pearlization (made up word), as it WILL soon be winter.
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Out with the old...in with the new old...

Before I finish my tidying up and just in case you missed the shots of my studio on Facebook, here's some of the more atmospheric shots just taken... I added the cobwebs for effect (yeah right!)...  I shall take it all down and swap it for other similar but different delights. Isn't the light delicious?

Installation...

I have decided to give you a preview of my 'Contextile' exhibition piece 'Built Up, Broken Down'... due to be unveiled on the opening night in Portugal on the 1st September, if you have read my recent posts you will know I am not going to be there in person due to lack of (any) funds. That's life I guess.

Please let me know what you think of my collar collection, but note...there's still a way to go and life in this project yet... I may rename it - 'Never finished'...

Love the salutation...

'Excellency' 

Collars... ad infinitum

I seem to have spent the whole afternoon trying to link and control my social networking! 

This is to test whether:

a) this blog post goes onto my Facebook page and

b) whether I can insert a 'like' button into this post... mmm let's see.

Collars continued...

A few images from my sketchbook showing development work and sampling for 'Built Up, Broken Down' for the Contextile Triennial... just tell me when you have seen enough...

not going...not happy

Industrial Felt Collar

The Contextile Triennial Saga continues... 

• my application for funding from the Artists’ International Development Fund has been refused (very bad)
• my work for the exhibition has safely made it to Portugal                    (good)
• I will not be joining it shortly, or at all (not good)

I hope I get a catalogue...

Home & Gift, Harrogate

End of an extremely tiring but interesting day... New 'Up My Street' and 'Up the Garden Path' ring sets are going down well...

Under Wraps (Photoshoot)...

Just a little update on my pieces and progress with the Portugal exhibition stuff, I spent an enjoyable day yesterday getting my pieces (mostly finished) photographed, expertly and professionally by the lovelies Moggy and Katie, we were kindly supplied with copious amounts of coffee and sandwiches - thanks Jane!
My own photographs shown here are intentionally (!) vague and unclear as it is all a big secret just now and still under wraps, am not sure whether this adds impatience and excitement for the big unveiling or NOT.

Free Download... Happy days!

Nothing to do? Click on the image, download and make a lovely decorative hanging thing... I've been inspired by those gorgeous old tourist fabric pennant flags, OR print out lots and make your own bunting! It does work quite well with my own bird bunting (on sale in FOLIO, CCAD and my online shop)even if I do say so myself...

I made this today...

'Bird' ear-rings and 'tree' ring set in a box = £10.00. Look for it in FOLIO at the HE Summer Creatives Show... V.I.P Open Evening Thursday 7th June @ 6.30pm, CCAD, Church Square, Hartlepool... and come and say 'hi'...