Nowhere Like Northern Ireland

Yesterday was Christmas number one, today is my friend's wedding and tomorrow I'm going home to Northern Ireland for Christmas number two with my family!

Yesterday I won the latest 'Nowhere Like Northern Ireland' group photography challenge on redbubble (a great community for all you artist types - worth checking out!) with my digital ttv style 'Over to Donegal' photograph.

Wahey!

I've nearly had my lovely EOS 400d for a year now, it is my favourite thing (as opposed to people and dogs!) and I've had a great time photographing this year at home, Norfolk, the Peak District, Florence (still excites me!), Wales and Cannock Chase.

So as he gets ready to do his yearly rounds I'd just like to say again, thanks Santa!!

Dental Doom and Badgers

My lower wisdom tooth has been aching since Friday, the dentist has poked and provided drugs and feeling a little grumpy I had a nosey on folksy and couldn't help but chuckle at this little fellow:


And thus my theme for folksy perusing for today was born - badgers! This little creature of felty, handstitched loveliness above was created by Lupin Handmade.

Then there is Penny Dog's Resin Necklace below:





And if all this badger talk has inspired you to make your own - thanks to Lime Cat Crafts you can:


I feel better already!

Winter Whites

A few winter white (and blue and silver and grey!) favourites from folksy on this frosty Friday evening!

Winter Tulip Earrings by Mia Belle Jewellery


Snowy Birches by Richard Johnson Photography






Snowflakes bracelet by Noodlefish Crafts





Grey Knit Unisex Collar by iLEAiYE

New Folksy Shop!

Yesterday I had to give up an 'art' day to do an extra day's supply teaching; bills to pay ya-de-ya-de. The school was one I hadn't worked at before and I had a pretty good day there, very impressed with the organisation - I was given a supply pack on arrival with a map and outline of the school day and all the lessons were planned and ready to deliver! Made origami with a low ability group in a lesson on imperatives (fun!) and met a little girl's cat who was making a visit for the last lesson of the day - I really wanted to go to that lesson instead of teach yr 9!

So today on my only day away from school this working week I went Christmas shopping for all my friends on this side of the Irish sea and opened up a new shop on folksy for my Art work: maintaining my redbubble name the shop is called Red Shed Art


This evening I played around with designing a shop banner and am starting with a black and white square cropped kind of a look, I think I'm still under the influence of those frosty webs at the weekend!


There are postcards on order and I'm going to list some images available to buy as prints and I'm going to finish that ttv painting which is still leaning up against the wall upstairs and I'm going to break open the four new square canvases I got today and then I'll have a mini series of paintings for my new shop!

Weekend Wonders

After a few days broiling in concerns of one sort and another I've been rescued by my man with a lovely weekend of romance and wintery bliss! A relaxed candlelit evening and the Andy Goldsworthy DVD was followed by a foggy photo shoot and a bit of striding on Cannock Chase this morning, so far this winter web image is my favourite.


Worries have been banished, I am a fortunate lady.

So here I am

So, here I am, having resigned from full time teaching to give some time to creating, I'm having a wonderful time! My friends are being guinea pigs for items and my first ever charm bracelet was a leaving gift for the wonderful Miss Scott who is heading off to teach in South Korea in Jan!

The Scotty Charm


I've got my photographs up on redbubble and my jewellery on folksy and am awaiting delivery of my first lot of packaging materials to get some jewellery sent out!

Exciting times!

My next couple of jewellery items were inspired by Charles Frazier's fabulous Cold Mountain including these two bracelets:


'Black Bark in Winter'


'Ashes of Roses'


And now I must be off to make!

Tutorials

• How to make a decorative beaded hair pin

• Make your own straw calligraphy nibs

• Links to ten tutorials on basic wire jewellery making techniques

Shops

You can shop directly on my website www.lauracameron.co.uk or the following websites:

Jewellery

• www.lauracameron.folksy.com - my main shop, priced in pounds sterling and ships worldwide
  
• www.lauracameron.artfire.com - smaller selection, priced in US dollars and ships worldwide

Prints and Paintings

• www.redshedart.folksy.com - photographic prints and original paintings, priced in pounds sterling and ships to UK and Ireland
  
• www.lauracameron.artfire.com - photographic prints, priced in US dollars and ships worldwide
• www.lauracameronart.etsy.com - photographic prints, priced in US dollars and ships worldwide
• www.redbubble.com/people/redshedart - prints of photographs and paintings, calendars and t-shirts

About

Hello,

I am Laura Cameron, born and bred in lovely Northern Ireland, studied in beautiful Wales, spent a few years as an English teacher in England and now I am enjoying life as a self employed artist and jewellery designer maker and part time adult education tutor living in the beautiful Scottish borders.



My photography tends to reflect my love of being outside and my work is heavily influenced by my own sense of the places I'm drawn to again and again. Having been thoroughly consumed in teaching and the desire to be 'useful' I did not pick up a paint brush for years since my degree but now I've been challenged to reconsider what 'useful' is.

This blog is a record of my attempts to get back into painting and drawing, to learn new skills with my jewellery making, to explore the inspiration around me and see where it takes me.

Thanks for stopping by!