Book Haul-Not Afraid of Aardvark!

My latest find-a big stack of the most glorious battered antique books packed full of brilliant illustrations! Only 25p each, and enough to keep me in card-making material for the rest of my life. That'd be selfish though, so I'm thinking about running a vintage collage craft class/party. Then everyone can share the fun, whether its cards or art. See the tab at the top of the blog for more details.

'Not afraid of aardvark/hard work-
I've been writing my CV-can you tell?

The images are so old [well over 100 years]
that they dissolve when I cut them
if I'm not careful,
and the paper is musty and faded to a mid sepia. 

Its time travel.
What people believed to be true, how they presented the world;
 its a glimpse 'through the looking glass'
to a quirkier, quainter, and more inquisitive time.
Back then, cutting up books was for political rebels and madmen.
 Now a paperless revolution has been Kindled [ahem!}
and trees are more important than paper-its come full circle, baby!

Crammed full of sketches of peeved looking tribesmen.

So much potential...

To the rat-mobile...but had she paid her road-ent tax?

'Me, a poser?!Never'

Its a lot of fun leafing through the pages thinking up captions and scenarios for the different animals. 

Perhaps too much fun. 

You should try it. 

But not with library books. 

Although that'd be a great art concept. Hmmmmm, hang on a minute...I'm at the library now! Hold me back. Hold me back. Hold me ba... 

Elephants never forget....their trunks!

I've been up to more cheeky card crafting again. Can't seem to be able to stop...

Pugs not drugs: The Doggy Bag

What do you do when the birthday present of your friend's/minion's dreams
 is a rather pricey T-shirt from Urban Outfitters?

You recreate it in black thread on a canvas bag, leaving the strands untrimmed for a punky look. Varying the number of threads definitely adds a bit more character, and she can take it walkies every time she goes shopping.

Prints Charming 2-dark and handsome

Here are a few more dark and handsome cards, from an obscure 70s book called '365 Animal Stories'. I do apologise if l am sullying your childhood memories!

Prints Charming-latest card series

Printing dark and witty phrases onto a 70s children's book has yielded some exciting new cards. Do l HAVE to sell them?

Tiger tiger burning bright-Happy Birthday Tilly!

In honour of my dear sister Talitha,  who enters her late twenties today,  l would like to shamelessly flaunt the dark and twisted card l made her to commemorate the event. Its that moment when your cat brings you a very feathery and not very dead little gift and leaves it on  your bed. Except the moment is pepsi-maxed with a tiger and an ox...

This Little Piggy Goes to Market

Tomorrow is the day of the art stall, forecasted gales permitting. I shall be nestled between the Fruit and Flower stalls like Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady. "Get your art, luverly art" I shall cry in a Cockney twang. The plan is to advertise my art skills so as to get some commissions. Maybe l will sell some art on the spot too.

Some would say this is taking 'doing my market research' a bit too literally, but hey, at least l will know whether those 'wot shop local' also want local art. Art from the heart of York.


The ultimate result would be, as well as a few good commissions, that l'd be painting while-u-wait. The canvases are primed and ready. Just need the customers to dream up the image or indeed words. This is where it crosses into performance art. Art for all. Its a little bit Pure Communism in that way. Might nod to that with a red beret.


Of course, having a loyal workforce really does make the difference. Introducing Gigi-model, muse and sometime minion. Here you see her willingly sawing wood for my shop signs and reluctantly posing with her portrait.