A weekend of jewellery and joy

 We have just had a wonderful Saturday with a studio sale of Barry's new range of jewellery. The studio sale was for just one day, and we delighted in the visits from so many friends and supporters.

So many popped in and bought pieces we were truly truly taken aback. We loved chatting with as many folks we could, and it is always a joy to catch up with people we don't see that often.

And very special to be supported by those we know well. So huge thanks to all who visited and shared in the warmth of these works.

Barry made new work with pebbles from the cove in Scotland, and with pearl shell he had been gifted from Broome. Another new addition was the use of gold-plated silver nickel from vessels he had been given; and he also made use of some slate from the roof at the cottage in Scotland. He brought new life to sterling silver bracelets as earrings as well.

All in all, the works were warm and had lovely soft and supportive energy about them.

Here's how the showing looked, including a gift of beautiful agapanthus flowers.

And some of the older jewellery got a refreshing new display look as well!

We had a super successful day, some pre-sales, some more sales today, and are absolutely thrilled.  If anybody is interested, I have done a couple of short videos that walk you through what was left this morning, which are here and here.  After I shot the videos a couple more pebble pendants sold, so only these three remain:

We live in a generous community and we have many kind, caring and generous friends - and we are grateful for them all.

And the sale is over...

Here we are on Sunday, recovering in a slow and gentle way from the busy-ness that is preparing for and running an Open Studio Sale, especially one so soon after returning from away.

We had a good day - it seemed like there were waves of people, and then some respite, then another surge followed by some time to have a cuppa, and it went like that for most of the day.

The studio looked lovely - with some merchandising display help from a friend - and we also raised quite a few hundred dollars for the Maleny Neighbourhood Centre.

Here are some photos of how things were displayed...

As you came in the front door - some of Barry's copper leaves; and one of my solace stones.

A quirky display of some of Barry's ladles.

And one of his sculptures, Bending, which is able to be displayed either indoors or out.

My recent work Carried was also on display.

And although the Perspex box for this fabric book Validating did not arrive in time, it was on show as well.

Some lovely cement tea light candle holders and display cubes, along with Barry's hand printed and stitched book  Daily Words.

Some of my Solace Stones.

And one of Barry's new pieces that I simply adore Poised-in balance.

Barry's small metal word books are always admired and enjoyed.

Some of my new and old Women Friends work was there.

Some of my Fragile Gains II eggshells in boxes on display.

The studio wall on the left as you entered.

It was hard work but satisfying and you always learn so much. A number of pieces are still available on my website so it might be worth a look if you are interested. Barry's wee metal word books and his hand set letterpress books still have some availability as well  you head here.

With many thanks to the folk who visited, who talked art and artworks with us and to those who bought pieces. We are grateful.

Open Studio Sale

 I have remembered in time to prepare a special discount code for our online websites so that folk who are far away, can also benefit from some (not all) of our offerings at the studio - my head hurts thinking about uploading simply everything we have in the studio onto a website with descriptions and images and pricing and ....

However, we have managed to get a lot of lovely things up there and hope that folk might appreciate a 25% discount off everything that is online, just for Saturday 19 November 2022 (Brisbane, Australia, time).

Links to our websites are here:

fionadempster.com

barrysmithart.com

decklededgepress.com

You simply need to enter the coupon code STUDIOSALE22 at check out to get your 25% off.

Fingers crossed.

Studio Sale has been...

 I don't thinkI even got around to mentioning on the blog we were having a Studio Sale. Says a lot about the busy-factor here at the moment and for being remiss, I apologise.

We had an all weekend 20% off everything sale and had a really good time.  We had flurries and frenzies at some points; whilst at others had quiet times where we could sit and have a cuppa, chat to friends and do small tasks like stitch pages here and there.

So, to make up for my remissiveness; I want to offer any blog readers 20% off our online shop items for Monday 22 and Tuesday 23 November (Brisbane time). All you need to do is go to either

fionadempster.com

barrysmithart.com or 

decklededgepress.com

and search the shops and see if there is something you might like there.  Not everything we have for sale is online given the nature of packing and posting and other considerations, but there are still some gorgeous things there for unique and personal handmade gifts (for others or yourself).

Use the Coupon Code BLOGSALE at checkout to get your 20% off.

There may be a tad delay in getting things posted next week, but we will stay in touch and let you know.

Some images from the weekend... tired now.

Great Open Studio and bits

 Its Sunday night and we are both a bit tired still, but we had a huge day yesterday and it was just amazing.  We had lots of folk visit and there was lots of generous support from locals and visitors.

The morning was busy and I think we sat down for a cuppa and a bite to eat about 2pm after starting at 10am.  With help from friends and family we managed to show people around, helped them print, sold some things and  wrapped and packed things for them to take away.

I have not a single shot of the day but here are some of the preparations:

I made plenty of paper pouches for Barry's jewellery and my pebbles.

We tied thread to all these gift tags - I do love the fuzzy fuzzy-ness of them.

Barry made some beautiful book pendants

We displayed his buffalo horn and riveted silver plate earrings 

Barry prepared several sets of sand servers - which sold really well!

And he made some beautiful small book sculptures.

There was of course much more on show but I have no record of it at all!

During the week I also had the pleasure of teaching a letterpress workshop - we had a good time and folk got to make some stuff they liked. Testing and exploring how text could play into their work was great to watch.

No photos again of the day or the results - but hey, here's some more preparation. Laugh!

Each person has their own set up ready to go.

And I stuck some of my Rules of Engagements regarding workshops up on the side of a bookcase as reminders.

And finally flowers.

This tiny wee leptospermum flower continues to delight me and I popped three tiny sprigs in a tiny wee vase behind the kitchen sink so I can see them when we wash up.

With huge thanks to all who visited and supported us - thank you!

May I say, an early night will be had here...

Muddling along and an Open Studio

 Mostly muddling, but that's OK.

Firstly, thank so much to everyone who watched the video about us and for your kind words.  I think it is a beautifully shot little gem of a film and we really do feel fortunate to have been part of it.  It seems to capture our passion for the history of letterpress and what it has done nicely.  Thank you!

Muddling along this week has seen me teaching for 1/2 a day which was great - one on one in the studio with beautiful results.

I am also progressing the work that I am using the rusted papers for, and it is coming along. In fits and spurts, but moving forward which is entirely the aim for now.

I was thinking about fence lines that run all the way to the horizon...

I wasn't sure how best to illustrate the idea and returned to stitching twigs onto paper. I laid them out, pierced some holes and then practised how to make it look like a five-wire fence. I like the 3-D nature of the stitches because they come from on top of the twig - the scarcest of shadows sometimes appear below.

Barry suggested the looping over the top - and I was able to make it work.

Tools of the trade.

Having sorted out how that would work, I finished some more grief cards. These ones were also hard to illustrate, but I have done watercolour wave-lines and embossed the phases of the moon. All very subtle, so subtle you can barely see the embossing! This is a reject because the paper crinkled under pressure, sigh.

And then to the Open Studio event next Saturday!  Just in time for folk to purchase a few gifts for the season, we are flinging open the doors of the studio and showcasing letterpress printing and giving 10% off all items, and a few other special sales.

Barry has printed bundles of festive drink coasters and gift tags; and I wrapped them. Literally a tag team!

His salad servers are also looking gorgeous...

So this will be a week of preparations and teaching and then Saturday will be a big day we hope.

Another lovely commission, and visits

One never knows the timings of things and just after having been asked to do the commission in my previous post; I was approached to prepare some more thank you cards following the death of a dearly loved mother aged 92.

The person requested 50 cards along the lines of my grief cards that say "may flowers grow in the saddest parts of you".

So we determined a colour scheme (the blues), and a quote by Lord Byron for the front.  Inside was a personalised poem and his mother's name and dates of her birth and death.

So two print runs and hand illustration.

In the end, I think they turned out well.

Arches Velin is a lovely creamy paper which is soft in the hand.  The subdued blues of the flowers and the personal and meaningful quotes worked together well.

Such a poignant quote.

I was able to do a few different colour ways and individualise the flowers here and there.

And then 50 cards and 50 envelopes were packed and ready to head out across the world.

In between commissions and moving house, the studio hosted two groups.  Last week the Maleny Visitor Information Centre volunteers visited so that they could get a really good idea of who we were and what we did.  A fun time was had by all, and folk left having printed a wee thank you postcard.

Then on the weekend The PaperMakers and Artists of Queensland stopped by (they came from all over South East Queensland) and we had a good few hours trawling through my artists books, listening to my story about letterpress and printing and playing with the presses.  They got to print a postcard about their love of paper, and one about the title of a paper quilt project they are doing .  And of course because they

 are artists they experimented and tried this and that!

 

It is always a joy to spend time sharing my passion for letterpress and its history and of course, paper and artists' books, so I also say big thanks to the folk who visited!