Artist Open House - NOW OPEN!!

Roll up, roll up!! The Artist Open House Event in the village of Firle is now officially OPEN!! And how fantastic does the village look! I am thrilled to have some of my work on display at Vanessa Mooncie's home "Little Talland", I am proud to be among several other talented artists displaying their wares. Above is a view of the outside of "Little Talland", and below Vanessa herself among beautiful handcrafted items on display in her lovely kitchen.

Vanessa is an amazing artist creating stunning screen prints with images of vintage circus displays as well as beautiful crochet jewellery (see some of her artwork and jewellery designs below). Check out the gorgeous vintage lingerie and swimwear for sale by La La Rookh; Using vintage fabrics and trim on reproduction prints these designs are created inspired by vintage, limited edition pieces.

See further info at: www.lalarookh.com

Now the piece of artwork below is absolutely stunning. Created by Jazmine Miles-Long, an Ethical Taxidermist, Jazmine captures the beauty of these animals in stunning styles (please be aware that all animals used have died from natural causes). I know this style of art may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I find Jazmines work beautiful and a wonderful way to preserve these animals.

For more information on Jazmines work please visit: www.jazminemileslong.com

Here are some examples of Vanessa's gorgeous art, in the form of silk screen prints and greetings cards (below). For more information on Vanessa's art please visit www.vanessamooncie.com

And below is a piece of Vanessa's crochet Jewellery which is totally unique and quite adorable, for further details on her jewellery please go to www.kissysuzuki.com

I had pieces of my work dotted about Vanessa's home, my Lavender Cushions (below), some of my Bottled Mermaid Collages, and a selection of my Greetings Cards and Bookmarks as well as a couple of Vintage Pin Cushion Teacups. It was lovely to see my work displayed among the other artists pieces.

Vanessa turned her front room (below) and kitchen, into a treasure trove of goodies to rummage through and her hallway into a gallery of art to admire.

There were cute items at every turn, like these wonderful cushions pictured below, they really made me smile.

In each room there was something to ohhh and ahhh over, I could have stayed there all day, chatting with Vanessa, her wonderful family and visitors to her beautiful home, it had such a lovely atmosphere, very creative and inspirational.

The village of Firle is a pretty place to visit, packed with gorgeous cottage style homes, with roses in abundance, it's a must if you are visiting the area, it also has a great local Pub at the start of the village.

So why not drop by tomorrow, the Event is on again Bank Holiday Monday, it will be your last chance this Spring to visit the Event, details can be found in my side bar! You won't be disappointed.

Fun Head Turners

I am really excited to be offering a new line of fun Fascinators at this Summer's Wealden Fair. My lovely sister (above) has designed a line of fun head turners under the label "Isabella Rose". Her pieces include crystal covered mini top hats and simple headbands adorned with crystals and a little bit of netting, great fun accessories!The "Isabella Rose" Collection will be initially only available through Maygreen Fairies alongside my Feathered Fascinators, however bespoke orders will be taken in the near future directly from Isabella Rose.

Time Worn Elegance

Been busy with more creations today... Using vintage bottles I have covered them in muslin and lace adding little adornments such as buttons, vintage images, coffee stained twine and shabby roses to achieve this time worn look.The bottles look gorgeous displayed together on a dressing table! Each bottle is individual and will not be repeated. They will be available at the Wealden Mid Summer Fair, 9th to 11th June (see details in the sidebar).

Creation Overdrive....

So far I've had a crazy weekend of creating, with just over two weeks to go until the Wealden Mid Summer Fair, it's official, I've gone into creation overdrive!!! Yesterday was spent making the last batch of Bottled Folk Greetings Cards, I made so many my hands were actually a little sore by the end of the morning! And then, with hubby and the boys enjoying a late morning Football Tournament at the boys football club, I was able to get rare uninterrupted me time to then make these cushions which will be available alongside my Bird Cushions at the Fair.

There is still time to buy advance tickets for the Fair, just visit the Wealden Mid Summer Fair site and buy online, or alternatively you can purchase them on the day of your visit. It would be great to see anyone who can pop by to say hello, it would be lovely to see you there.

The Little Green Cabin

I am thrilled to announce that a selection of my work is available for sale at a new Art & Craft Store in the beautiful village of Alfriston. The owner Glenys wants to create a Contemporary Vintage, Shabby Chic Store with Hand Made Arts and Crafts from local Artists. In addition to offering beautiful items for sale in the Store, Glenys will also be promoting an "Artist of the Month" where shoppers will be able to meet the Artist and talk about their work.

The shop is located at the start of the village and is exactly as it describes itself "A Little Green Cabin". And once you enter it is full of delights and you're sure to leave with a little something to treasure.

In the Store Maygreen Fairies has a selection of Greetings Cards, Gift Tags, Bookmarks and Vintage Prints to purchase. I am hoping to add to what is on offer once clients get a feel for what I make, then I hope to also include my Lavender Sachets, Pin Cushion Tea Cups and Whimsical Magnets.

You may remember I blogged a while ago about a friend of mine who runs "Sew Sumptuous", she creates beautiful cushions, bunting a home decor items, well Sew Sumptuous pieces are also available at the Little Green Cabin, a few of her available items are pictured below.

A website is currently in the making for The Little Green Cabin, you can view it by clicking The Little Green Cabin icon top left, there you will find details on the current Artist of the Month and when they are in the store.

I will be making regular visits to the Store myself and on these occasions will photograph any new and exciting items I come across to show to you, who knows, you may find yourself in Alfriston one day and can visit for yourself!

Glenys has created a little oasis of Vintage, Shabby Chic where you can escape for a while and not only enjoy the experience of visiting "The Little Green Cabin" but also take time to browse around the beautiful village of Alfriston with it's pretty shops and tea rooms, it's well worth a visit.

You can find details on Store Opening Times and directions via the Little Green Cabin Website and if you have any queries for Glenys contact details are also available.

Firle Open House Event - More Details

More details on the Open House Event at Firle are now available, please click the link above to find out when the home I am exhibiting at is open...

Firle Open House Event

I am thrilled to be a part of the Brighton and Lewes Open House Event this year. The super talented Vanessa Mooncie of Kissy Suzuki, has given me the opportunity to sell a selection of my work at her home in Firle, Lewes on the weekend of 28th to 30th May 2011. For more information on this event please click the image above to be taken to the Firle Artists web page.
Above is a small selection of the new style Lavender Sachets I have recently completed, all with a vintage pin-up girl theme. These sachets will be available for sale at the Open House Event in Firle along with a selection of Maygreen Fairies cards, bookmarks, magnets and bottled mermaid collages.

Now after a busy day making lavender cushions, the house is full of the fragrant smell of lavender and my studio space is tidied and ready for another day of creating tomorrow.

Royal Wedding Frock Designer at the Mid Summer Fair!!

How exciting!!! The Wealden Mid Summer Fair organisers have really outdone themselves this year, we have the Royal Wedding Frock Designer, Nicki Macfarlane, exhibiting at the Fair! Nicki was the designer of the gorgeous little Bridesmaids dresses at the Royal Wedding last Friday. She will be exhibiting her Bridesmaids dresses at the Fair, so why not come along and check them out.

Wealden Mid Summer Fair

Maygreen Fairies will be exhibiting at this years Wealden Mid Summer Fair, and if last year is anything to go by it will be a wonderful day out for anyone attending. There will be lots of gorgeous stands to browse through and some tasty food for when you need to take a well earned break and all this will be set in the beautiful surroundings of Brick House Farm, High Halden, Kent. The event takes place on 9th, 10th & 11th of June and advance tickets can be purchased here! To see more details on the Fair and a list of Exhibitors please click the poster above.
I'm busy creating lots of goodies to sell and display at the Fair, but in addition I also buy in a few gorgeous items from International contacts and these cushions are just a sample of the type of items I will have available over the three days.

I will only be stocking these for my Fairs, they will not be available through my website at this stage.

Over the next few weeks, in the lead up to the Fair, I will be showcasing some of the items I will have for sale to give you a flavour of what will be available, there are going to be some lovely new handmade items from Maygreen Fairies as well as old favourites, so if you are in the area please do come along and say Hello, I'd love to see you there!

Jack In The Green Parade

What a super May Bank Holiday we had at Jack in the Green Parade in Hastings. It was such a glorious sunny day for the festivities, everyone was in great spirits and the parade was a blast! It was the first time we had attended and it was wonderful; participants wore beautiful costumes with amazing masks covered in feathers and leaves, the music was fantastic plenty of drum beats to get you grooving and lots of whistle blowing from the kids (below)!
Hastings Old Town looked beautiful decorated out for the occasion with lots of foliage and ribbons, many onlookers got into the part too and dressed up just to watch the Parade, there was such a great atmosphere.

It was quite difficult to take good quality photos as there were so many people jostling for a good position, but hopefully you can get the gist from the photos I have taken.

In the 16th & 17th centuries in England folk would make garlands of flowers and leaves for the May Day Celebration and they became increasingly more elaborate. Work Guilds would try to outdo each other, in the late 18th century it became a competition, milkmaids in London would carry garlands on their heads, but the winning crown had to go to the Chimney Sweeps, their garland was so big it covered an entire man; it became known as Jack in the Green.

In Hastings there were two groups who paraded a Jack in the Green until about 1889, but by the turn of the century the custom was seen no more. However, the custom was revived in 1983 in Hastings by Mad Jacks Morris Dancers, and as you can see is still going strong in 2011!!

If you are able to get to Hastings Old Town easily then it is well worth a visit next year on the May Bank Holiday, it's fantastic fun for all the family.

And once the Parade is over they all congregate at the Castle where a small craft fair is in operation and wonderful views of Hastings.

Old Town Hastings is a favourite place of mine, it has fantastic shops all very individual, as well as plenty of Antique shops and courtyards. It is also home to a favourite Artist of mine Claire Fletcher, whose Studio overlooks the sea at Hastings.

Another wonderful shop to visit is MADE in Hastings, who offer an array of handmade items from talented artists living in and around the area.

And if you get a little hungry and need to stop for refreshments, Hastings has the BEST fish and chips shops around!

Another little gem to visit whilst here is the Felt Flower Makers Museum located on George Street, it is stacked high with handmade felt and silk flowers of all kinds and in the basement is an array of machinery from which the flowers are made, some are over 150yrs old!! The shop also boasts being involved in the making of all the flowers and head wear for the blockbuster Gladiator!!

For more information on Jack in the Green and to see photos of previous years parades, visit their website here.