Workroom Wednesday

This week I have been working away on editing the wedding shots from the start of the month. I have learned so much from the day and now am learning more about achieving the effects I want with the photographs and trying out various finishes.


It was such a cold day I didn't want to keep the guys outside too long. I love this one and have been debating whether or not to clone in a flower for the one who forget! Don't worry it was delivered before the bride arrived!

Gallery Updates and a Box of Joy

Last week I was busy with working on new pieces and updating some stockists. Now The Smokehouse Gallery in Eyemouth, Chirnside Gallery and Crown Studio in Rothbury have new selections of my sea glass and pottery jewellery.

Saturday was the first time I'd visited Crown Studio as the snow before Christmas meant my first selection of jewellery had to be posted. It was lovely to finally meet studio owner Lynda Taylor who I'd only spoken to previously through twitter! The Studio is a beautiful space with a gallery frontage and private work space at the back. R and I were really impressed with Lynda's paintings of local landscapes and a fascinating series exploring family history through still life

paintings which incorporate an item the artist inherited.

Image courtesy of Lynda Taylor

It was a lovely afternoon spent looking at a wealth of paintings, prints and pottery, nattering over tea and doughnuts and trying to control my excitement over what Lynda had given me . . .

. . . the most fabulous collection of pottery shards she and her husband have collected on various beaches! Can you spot the fish head?!

Being a trained potter Lynda was able to share all sorts of fabulous facts about the finishes of various pieces which I am now reading up on and will share soon!

Handmade in Europe Gift Swap

The Artfire Handmade in Europe Guild decided to do a New Year gift swap rather than a Secret Santa to provide a little lift during January. It worked! I received my parcel last week and had such fun exploring the gifts kindly sent by Marianne creator of Nidlongdir.

Together with a note in a card featuring one of her drawings Marianne sent a whole collection of her ACEOs (Art Cards, Editions and Originals) and a pair of lovely wire spiral earrings made by her daughter.

Thank you very much!

My pro Artfire account was due to expire this month and I had already decided not to renew it and have now downgraded to a basic account. For me, Artfire was not a successful selling venue; in the year of pro membership I had one sale and that was through my untouched basic account rather than the studio I was paying for!

Since launching my website in June it has been my primary online selling venue and has definitely been the wisest move I have made since starting to sell my work through the internet. I will be maintaining my Folksy shop and, to a lesser extent my free Artfire shop, but lauracameron.co.uk will be my main online focus. Now I just need to update it!

Books 2010

Last year I kept a record on my blog of books I'd read over the year. I always like to record the books I've read and I used my blog last year to share with you what I've been reading and also so I wouldn't loose the list in the chaos of moving house!

So, my reads of 2010 in chronological order were:

• A Moveable Feast
• Surfacing
• The Wind-up Bird Chronicle
• The Other Boleyn Girl
• Tickling the English
• Mere Christianity
• When Will There Be Good News?
• The House of the Spirits
• The Opposite of Fate
• Celestial Navigation
• Jackdaw Summer
• Kit's Wilderness
• Remarkable Creatures
• Life Before Man
• Human Traces
• The Edible Woman
• The Sisters Antipodes
• Engleby
• The Buddha of Suburbia
• Beatrice and Virgil
• The Amateur Marriage
• Morgan's Passing
• Esther's Inheritance
• Secret
• Kiss Kiss
• Barking
• Black Dogs
• The Chronicles of Narnia
• 
  
• The highlights of the year were discovering Anne Tyler, loving all things David Almond and finally reading all the Narnia books in one go! Now, with the wintery frosts continuing I am returning to 'Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell' as the last time I started it, it was sunny and warm and just did not feel right.
• Any recommendations for me for this year?

Winter Wedding

January has been tootling along at a fair pace and we are already half way through! I came back to Scotland last week after an unexpected opportunity to act as second shooter at a wedding back in Northern Ireland. As some of you know R and I have our first booking to photograph a wedding later on this year and I am working away on the new website and gaining as much experience as possible.

I have to admit (Kate look away now) I have been really nervous about the responsibility of photographing a wedding, however, supporting the main photographer last week provided invaluable experience and was a privilege to see such a lovely couple exchange their vows. So, now I'm really looking forward to the final edit of the shots from last week, shooting more weddings and, of course, the big, first official wedding in October!

Here's to 2010!

Which started off a little ropey with. . .

January's wisdom tooth of doom and us not moving house when we were supposed to

In February we didn't move house and I made some wedding jewellery

In March we didn't move house, I became increasingly grumpy which was relieved by a trip north

Then there was April when we said our goodbyes to the Midlands and, after seven months of house selling shenanigans we moved to the Scottish borders!

May was all about settling into our new abode and starting to finally realise the sea glass and pottery jewellery ideas which had been brewing for years

June was full to the brim with local visits, learning new jewellery making techniques and launching my very own website!

July I continued working hard, announced a new stockist in The Smokehouse Gallery and had a wee holiday when my parents came to visit

August brought visits from much missed friends, jewellery work shops and my first fair since we moved

In September we celebrated the start of a new term without going back to school, I appeared in the local paper, attended another fair, visited Crossing Borders Open Studios, made my first bezel set ring, provided Chirnside Gallery with some jewellery, foraged for elderberries and damsons and enjoyed some stormy seas

October led to two more fairs, many new jewellery designs and seeing R's painting exhibited

November brought three new gallery stockists and snow, lots of snow which was beautiful but cancelled my last Christmas fair

Now December brought festive joy and R asking me a very important question* to which I answered yes!

Happy New Year Everyone!

xo

*yes, I meant he proposed and yes, we are very excited!

24th December Christmas Stars

A perfect treat to leave for Santa this Christmas Eve and to keep little hands busy as excitement mounts!

Recipe from 4Food.

23rd December Free Gift Tag Download

Super pretty lovely gift tags kindly shared by Second Sister for you to print and use.

If you haven't checked out her beautiful blog, give yourself a treat and go there!

22nd December Undercover Gift Tags

Create a little mystery with undercover gift tags from Disney Family Fun

What a fab way to involve children with giving out gifts from under the tree and slow the pace of unwrapping!

21st December Bird Ornament

Bird Ornament tutorial from Geninne's Art Blog

20th December 15 Minute Multi Snood

Fifteen Minute Multi Snood from Kitschy Coo

One for all of you out there who are feeling the cold!

19th December Cranberry and Pear Pies

Cranberry and Pear Pies from BBC Good Food

I have a confession to make amidst all this festivity: I do not like mince pies. This recipe looks like it just might fill the pie gap!

18th December Music Sheet Bows

Beautiful gift wrap idea from Urban Daisies

17th December Poinsettia Napkin Ring

Poinsettia Napkin Ring from Emma of Bagladee

16th December Mulled Wine

The Best Mulled Wine Ever* from Happy Hang Around

* I haven't tried this recipe but it does look mighty fine!

Fancy giving mulled wine as a gift or need a simpler recipe? See this recipe from 4Food.

15th December Christmas Crackers

Christmas Crackers from Little Dishy

Now you can put your own choice of treats, jokes and hats inside your own handmade crackers! Cracker snaps are widely available to buy online and there should just be time for delivery if you order now, in the mean time start saving your bog rolls!