Thanks to everyone who came and visited Lady Bay Open Studios, even though it was so cold!
As you can tell from the pictures, I was set up in my friend Jane's kitchen, which was an excellent venue. 
I had a great weekend, met some really lovely people and received great feedback on my work. 
I did name cards for the children coming round - there's something rather nice about them being so happy just because you've written out their name in "fancy letters".

Interesting (to me, anyway!) was that last weekend at the Historic crafts event, it was the family tree that was most studied.  This weekend I took that, but also my shipping forecast piece that I have not exhibited before, and Shipping Forecast was definitely my star piece, to the extent that I do need to think about how to get some high quality prints made - someone even gave me their details in anticipation of the doing exactly that! 

Well - I had a lovely day in Southwell Minster yesterday, and met many people who were really interested in the crafts on display.  Lots of great conversations - in particular about the family tree on my stand (which happens to be my ownthat I had on display.

I did do some demoing, but I was really cold - having forgotten that even if the sun is shining (and it was) it's going to be cold in a stone floored cavernous minster!  Thanks to my kind friend who loaned me a scarf for a while and the splendid cups of tea, I survived.

I'm sorry this image is poor, but it gives you an idea of the look of my stand.

It was an interesting mix of crafts and people to advise on restoration of buildings.  I enjoyed watching medieval tiles being made, stone carving, furniture making, beautiful embroidered stoles, calligraphy from another calligrapher, amazing hand bound books, and more. 

A whole set of activities (all good) have arrived together - three new workshops to run, and preparation for 4 craft events, as well as a lovely commission for the name cards for a diamond anniversary.  The name cards job wasn't great for my nerves, as I knew there were 61 names and 61 cards, which isn't great.  As I wrote the last few names I realised there were in fact only 60 cards (and yes, 61 names) so the last card had to be created - this included choosing a good match of card (weight and colour), cutting it, embossing a double depth square in the middle, patterning it, randomly cutting the edges, and then writing it - took as long as the 60 that had gone before!

I really enjoy the change from an edged pen to a pointed pen, and tomorrow for the first time I'm running a workshop on it.  I'm at Nottingham Calligraphers - my group - so I'm hoping they'll be kind to me ;0) 
I've been rummaging through to find pieces to show - this is one I did a few weeks ago.  The photographs are still not brilliantly sharp - it's onmy list of things to learn about!

If ever there was something to illustrate how my self employed life as a calligrapher differs from my previous life in corporate world (other than my bank balance!) it might be that I spent a day last week playing with paste papers, including potato printing.  Never got to do that when I worked in an office!
It was very soothing, and quite messy - and now I have all sorts of beautiful paper that I'm scared to write on....
Interesting sorting the images to go on my blog - starting to suggest some ideas to me....

My car is packed to bursting point with calligraphic catalogues and magazines for people to buy at the Society of Scribes and Illuminators Lay Members Day tomorrow (LMD for short!).   The plus - a day with calligraphic friends, many beautiful things to see (and probably buy).  The minus - driving in London - right in to Waterloo - aaargh!  My SatNav and I had a falling out last time I used it - I hope it's not going to take its revenge on me tomorrow! 

I'm happy to say that the recipients of the Shipping Forecast piece were very happy!  They live in a huge house, so although the piece is very large, it'll easily be swallowed up by one of their giant walls.  Barry was in the Navy, so I'm sure he'll be checking that I've got all my information right!

Now - because the recipients are family, I couldn't contenance charging them for anything more than materials, but I knew they'd not be happy about that!  So instead I suggested they bought me something for the garden.  Imagine my surprise when a delivery lorry arrived.... bringing me a chicken house!

That really wasn't what I was expecting... but we're now ready to take on our first ever chickens!  I often say that calligraphy spins off into other interests - didn't see this one coming though!

It might only be a little change, but I'm delighted!

I have a beautiful spacious studio, with masses of natural light and more cupboard space and working space than one person needs or deserves!  The only thing that's not been great is that my laptop is perched on the end of a cupboard, and because I think "I'll only be on there a minute or two" I rarely move it, and end up scrunched against the cupboard, doing my back no good at all, I'm sure!

Anyway - today I had a little shelf installed for me, thanks to my lovely husband, which the laptop sits on - and I can sit straight at it, with my knees under the shelf - amazing!
Might mean I remember to post a little more regularly now.

Oh-  and a spin off benefit was that I was forced to clean a few dark corners as I moved the printer etc.  So I can even claim I've done a little spring cleaning!