Just a handful of talented UK women

I've got some really talented friends. Not the one's I've worked with over the years (though boy there's amazing talent there - I'm so lucky) no, I'm talking about friends who live locally to me and have just become friends through schools and streets really...

There are a huge amount of amazing women out there in the UK creating wonderful things and I am lucky that my friends are amongst them. Wish I could say the same!

So I am unashamedly going to introduce you to four of them here, all of them who have brought up children, run households and are fabulously creative.

Cheryl Powling

Cheryl keeps and hatches chickens as a sideline - check out her blog Mucky Hen. But her real talent lies in stained glass and as we are an Edwardian area there's lots of it that needs restoration and replacing so she is always busy. She also runs workshops for those who want to learn the art of stained glass. She's also quite mad (again see her blog).
Here is something she made for me for my birthday with handpainted glass (all her own work too). She knows I love bees (I have a tattoo).

Oh and she also does a bit of mosaic when the fancy takes her...

Then there's Tami Hedley. She also works with glass using fluid dyes on the reverse of glass bowls and dishes to create the most wonderfully vibrant pieces which are sold all over the world. I love the colours she produces and she also works as an Art Therapist with youngsters who need help and a creative outlet. How beautiful are these?

No list of my talented female friends should be without commercial artist, Pauline Hazelwood who produces large paintings, smaller watercolours and illustrations. She is an acclaimed artist who has had her work displayed at the Mall Galleries and the National Gallery. I love her children's book illustrations which I first learned about from a set of greetings cards which I came across on sale. One day I will treat myself to one of her painting classes (especially the one's she runs abroad and in the sunshine - sounds like bliss) where she will learn how bad a painter I actually can be. Needless to say her sons seem to be following in her footsteps with amazing success.
Here are just a few pieces of her work...

and here is one of her children's book illustrations which I love...

And last  is Helen Masacz whose portraits have been hung in the National Portrait Gallery and whose star is very much on the ascendant in the portraiture world. I am proud to say that I was one of the first people to commission her to do portraits of my girls - now I can't afford her which is a good thing for her but bad thing for me (though she is still very affordable for what she does I hasten to add). Anyway she too has brought up children and created a business from home - here is a taster of her amazing work...

She also has produced a series of wonderful still-life paintings too...

We all have talented friends so if you want to let me know about your's I'll certainly blog about them here - would be delighted to showcase more amazingly creative women of the UK!

How to make a birthday card...

A friend of mine turned 50 this weekend and instead of presents she wanted everyone to make her a home-made card. Nice idea but she is an artist so it was a bit daunting...

I decided to produce something that was an homage to the current David Hockney exhibition where he used the Brush app. on the ipad (and it avoided me having to be too creative). I created a simple 'painting' and printed it out....

I then created a still-life using newspaper type cut out and stuck down, a cup-cake, candle and the small card, which I then photographed with my ipad. This I printed out onto photographic paper - I was really rather pleased with the result and will be doing more!

Folksy.com - modern British craft

Once upon a time I was an art student with a passion for textiles and even now I can't resist hand-made products that have that folk-art feel. I have recently discovered Folksy.com which showcases the best of British craft. If the word craft immediately puts you in mind of crocheted 'lady' toilet-roll holders and lace mats then think again - these are about as far removed from that as you can get.

Loving this jewellery with an angel (£16) that will last way beyond Christmas.

And this i-pad sleeve in soft leather for £50.

Cup-cakes come as candle-holders for £13.

As you can see this is far from the usual crafty items but are made in the UK with the most remote supplier being Alison Moore Designs in the Orkney Islands. Buy British and support local crafts people!