Something New!

Hello October!

So since my last posting in September, I've had a nice and quiet past few weeks to say the least. Okay well rewind, minus preparing for the current exhibition I'm in alongside three others designers, that is still running until the end of November at
Springmount Garden Centre in Ballycanew.

So on Twitter I mentioned changes will be happening. I've been doing a lot of thinking lately regards bringing out something new as it's been a while. So this Winter through until next Spring, I am introducing a small fashion design led collection of handwoven scarves and shall continue these on into about April.
Then I shall be either re-branding another idea under my own name or using another name, I have not quite decided on that one as yet. But it shall be another Fashion product.(My lips are sealed!)

As it stands I create Interior products such as Lampshades, pictures, tea cosies and the baubles at Christmas time. I will still be continuing this.
Over the years many people have asked me and especially those who have seen my woven designs, tell me that I should make scarves or something in the fashion side of textiles.
I'm pretty focused on Interiors, because I know the fashion market is huge and very competitive. It can be difficult to break into that mould because there are so many designers and so many people making things like scarves, hats and jewellery for example. Each very different, some very alike, others so out there with their ideas and designs. But then again, it's down to luck and how you brand and push yourself and your product and grow because that's the only way your going to grow but you need to put the work in to get rewards out of it after.
But anyway, getting back to my point, so I had thought about fashion before but stuck with Interiors but always in the back of my head I would think of someday and sometime creating something fashion led.

So for Spring 2016... I am launching a small collection of handwoven scarves. I really want focus and move ahead with the weave side of me because my main area of specialism is Woven Textiles. I enjoy mixed media textiles, people love my pictures but I don't want to be known for just woven trimmings on lampshades, although I love and everyone seems to love my lampshades as they are unique and I shall be continuing these further and possibly for a very long time and then I weave the odd hanging, I guess there are people thinking is that all she does in weaving, which to be fair is not true. Because all they keep seeing is a lot of mixed media among other things which I enjoy mind you and it works!
I have been asked about weaving workshops in the past and other friends suggested I run them as another way to make money but I don't and won't be possibly ever be giving workshops because A) I just don't have the time to and B) Loom weaving takes time to do, there is the whole setting up side that non-weavers don't realize that us weavers have to do and it's slow and I just would not find time to teach and do my own work at the same time it's just not do able.
Anyone wishing to learn, my advise is take up a course in textile design, do a degree or diploma or learn the basics from someone who does teach it. Oh and do not get mixed up between loom weaving and tapestry ... tapestry is done on a wooden frame (I was taught this at Grennan Mill a long time ago ... I have two frames myself) this weaving is done with a bobbin like needle or using just your fingers it can also be taught on a loom while loom weaving is slightly more difficult and takes time to master and you use a shuttle, there are so many different types of looms to choose from while larger companies use power looms if producing large quantities for retail. These are much more powerful and it's just a touch of a button and it weaves itself! Handy but so god damn expensive to not only buy but to fix if it breaks down! Jacquard weaving again is done on a power like loom and it weaves itself and here you can weave from drawings so it produces imagery to that of patterns and blocks of colour. I work on a table loom which looks like a mini floor loom as it has a floor stand and instead of a bench I have a chair propped up with cushions so I'm able to reach in to thread my heddle's when threading up. It does the job and it's neat as it can be collapsed if attending a trade fair or craft fair and if you wish to take it with you but I don't do this as it's kind of heavy and awkward!

Going back, in fact I have two ideas in mind, one I'm keeping under wraps and will possibly be launched in time for Christmas or else in the Spring. It will have elements of weave and mixed media.
At the moment both of these ideas have been circling in my head for ages and have landed as doodles on sheets of paper. Both are wearable.
I'll also be making Christmas boxed baubles and the little pine cone elves again this year.
I will also be launching a little give away competition mid December.

Please note: I shall not be taking any orders for be-spoke lampshades in the run up to Christmas.

That's all for now,

Gráinne :)

Below are a few photos (Not all) of my work currently on show at Springmount Garden Center, Ballycanew.

Above: My work on exhibition at Springmount Garden Center - current exhibition on now!

Lampshades by Grainne Kenny - Exhibition at Springmount Garden Center.

Close up of hand woven trim on lampshade.

Lampshade - Wood turned base by Robert O'Connor.

Mixed Media Nature Study - 'Spring'

Left: Work by me and Right:Pottery by Christine Van Bussell.

Work by Robert O'Connor - Wood-turner and William Stedmond - Photography

New Season & Up-Coming Exhibition.

Yes that's right it is September and the second month of Autumn. (Yes August is seen as a summer holiday month, but it is in fact the start of Autumn!)So really we are half way through.
I missed a blog post for August so I'm skipping on. :)

I had a good summer, shame about the weather but there are talks of an Indian Summer for next week (I'll keep my fingers crossed then so!)

Next week for me is going to be busy.
I am one of four local Craftspeople exhibiting at Springmount Garden Centre, Ballycanew Road, Gorey from Thursday 10th of September.
Our opening evening is on Thursday 10th at 7pm and all are welcome!
I've known about this exhibition for a long time, I actually work part-time at Springmount so I know what's on most of the time and I'm looking forward to exhibiting my work here. The three others are Robert O'Connor who is a local Wood-turner, Christien Van Bussell,she is a Ceramic Artist/Potter and William Stedmond who does Photography. It should be a great show.

Springmount is a lovely place and the gallery upstairs is fairly large, in fact Springmount was the first place that I did my first ever Craft Fair. This is where I started out and I think I did at least two to three Christmas fairs and one at Easter. A few months later I took a stand at 'The Knitting & Stitching Show' in the RDS, Dublin where I sat on the landing between the Irish Lace makers guild and the Irish Feltmakers guild who took me under their wing (all looked after me!!) and were lovely to me during the duration of the show as I was on my own and it opened my eyes to what could be. However, I went off to further develop my CV and studied Visual Merchandising at Dublin Institute of Design on Nassau Street which then led to working for a couple of months with Shaw's, while I still continued my craft and then finally took the plunge in January of 2012 and started my own business in textile design. Honestly, I've had a few ups and downs along the way, it's not easy! I'd say from about mid 2014 things progressed a lot more and I even have a few stockists and I hope by looking on that it continues to grow. Above all I am happy anyway and I think that what's most Important.

I love my work, I love colour (you might notice that next week!) I am a sucker for detail and tactile surfaces.
I suppose when I'm not in the studio, I love taking photographs of anything .... mainly nature/sea/sky. I like to paint the odd time, my first choice in college was Textiles and if I had not of got that my 2nd choice was Painting.
I don't want to share photos now of work I'm exhibiting, as it will ruin it for those of you who might go see it.
I am collaborating with Robert again by using his lamp bases, three of my new A/W 2015 lampshades will appear on plinths that shall sit on his bases and lit of course! I have a set of four pieces to do with 'Seasons' and each one has a leaf and each leaf is different except for spring and summer. These are circular and framed in a boxed white frame. Some other shades will hang down and some other pieces too but that's all I'm saying! Yes so I'm setting up the day before,the opening is on Thursday and I am another year older on Friday! ;) And on Saturday I'm going to go and treat myself and relax!
Then it's straight into work again and making baubles and Christmas stock, sorry have to say it as it's only 112 days or so till then! Not that I'm counting ... !! :/

The exhibition 'Kaleidoscope' is still running at Market House Design until the 30th September. (My work is also in this one)
Do check on my Facebook page for peeps of pieces and posts.
Oh... I did have some press recently. My Purple Lampshade featured in 'The Irish Times Magazine' on the 30th August, page 7.
I would not have known only for somebody I knew spotted it and sent me a tweet via Twitter about it. So that was nice to see.

Oh and last but not least, I designed new business cards too ... (Showing front side only)

Don't forget the exhibition opens on September 10th and runs until I think the end of the month, but may check that!
Until my next post.

Gráinne :)

July 2015 - What's Happening?

Hi again.
Right so I skipped June and it's now mid July, is it just me or are the weeks flying!
I'm going to keep this blog post short (Hmmm... I wonder!) even though a lot has happened since May.
So what is new?

I suppose I'll start with my own work, I've been steadily working away. I have new stock in both 'Market House Design' and 'The Woodturning Studio' in town, so if your visiting Gorey at all this summer make sure you pop in and visit both of these lovely places.
I am delighted to announce that I have a new stockist called 'The Forge Craft Shop' in Baldwinstown, Co. Wexford (close to Kilmore Quay)You will find a small collection of lampshades and framed pieces of mine stocked here.

I will be switching the theme of my work come August to plants, flowers and butterflies.
So, I work part time in Springmount Garden Centre in Ballycanew (Lots of Inspiration around me) and I'll be creating a body of work based on the colour's and textures of some of the flowers there. I've half started this theme already by moving it into my weaving.
It's very hard as an artist not to get distracted by such a variety of colour, pattern, detail, shape and texture of plants. And I love butterflies so I've been creating stitched butterflies and stiffening them after building up layers of texture and adding beads. The butterflies and floral theme will creep into one piece for the upcoming exhibition 'Kaleidoscope' at Market House Design starting very soon ...next week in fact,this exhibition will continue through for the 'Gorey Market House Festival' end of July/August Bank Holiday that's coming up soon!
Then I'm looking at creating three more panels. The panels will be for an exhibition that is in the pipeline for September that I'm doing alongside three other locals.
The same theme will follow through for the winter, for lampshades and cushions and something new that you can wear that will also tie in the same theme.
My work is mostly Sea Inspired and I#ll come back around to this too, but it's good to try new themes/ideas too and although I love Blue, I'll make sure it makes an appearance! ;)

My weaving is going well, I've a monster of a warp on the loom but it's been behaving itself so far, so good anyhow!
Photos to come soon!
This time of the year I find framed work sells well, to start with it's Wedding season so there is always someone looking for a present that is a bit unique to that of handing over money or buying the happy couple that third toaster or cutlery set like everybody else.
The Seashore studies of mine fit well into this category. I've been told my pricing is very reasonable and I suppose these people are right, but there is no point in charging to high because I know they might be harder to sell. And worse case scenario is under selling your work so I think somewhere in the middle and at a price that your happy with works best as log as you cover your costs!

I research all the time, (loved research I was practically a library worm in college, always had my nose in a book )
One of the things I learnt while doing my business plan is who are your other competitors. There are many weavers I know that bit, but I know there are other people out there making things for example take Lampshades, I know of four other lampshade makers there is one in Donegal and she paints onto silk, two in Dublin one of these are a shop in the city center specializing in lampshade restoration and making, the other is a lady who did Interior Design and started a lampshade making company and sells through fairs in south Dublin and Wicklow and the fourth is from Kildare and she sources fabric and creates funky, bright shades in all patterns, to animal print fur and comic ones for kids/teens where as I'm very different again but I am aware of who else is out there, which in a way you have to be!
As for my framed work, I came across an artist who just uses felt and from a personal point of view, you can make out due to the colour's of the piece if its a sunset or a landscape but again it's just made using felt, nothing else and boxed in a frame, her work is abstract so you need to really look and understand exactly what it is,to me I can see where she's coming from but it's just bands of colour in the end and costing around the ninety euro mark. I use felt and other fibres too and beads, shells and other media and it makes me think shit, should I be charging more when I compare mine to her's as there is more going on in mine.
I do know that once upon a time ago I could, but that day is gone, in order to sell and make profit one has to come down off their price, I did so and I know I once charged crazy prices for my work but in order to sell you need to re-think of ways in order to do so.
I used to make larger, bigger pieces that once sold well, now I'm finding the smaller pieces are doing better. Unless someone is willing to shell out the money for a bigger piece, there's not many people around here that will. Unless you travel to where you think they are that might work!? Everybody is different, even talking to fellow friends who are both in the art and craft world some are doing rather well and others are struggling. It ain't easy!

I can however sympathtise there with those who are feeling the pressure and admit that I had been in a bit of a rut towards the end of 2013/early 2014 ... so quite recent!
I took a short break from my business (I did have other things going on) and re-thought things through and made changes to my business plan, pulled myself together and threw myself back into my work and to be honest I'm glad that it happened and I know that it sounds strange but in fact it made me stronger. And I know I'm not the first to experience this as I later discovered. But I'm, glad it happened early and not somewhere down the road because the road I'm on now is grand. I'm not a throw yourself into everything type of person, I'm more take things slowly but surely and eventually I'll get there!

Knowing me I've gone way off course here and wanting to keep this post short is an understatement!!!

Wait there is more .....

Onto Exhibitions for this Summer, I've already mentioned 'Market House Design' and 'The Gorey Market House Festival' that's on the end of July/August Bank Holiday weekend. Plenty to do and see as Gorey is the place to be on the August Bank Holiday! I have work/new work on display and available to purchase there. So as far as that is concerned I have no confirmed dates for the exhibition in September or anything there after as yet, but do keep a eye on my website for details. Or on Facebook at Grainne Kenny Design.

Oh and I'm glad to say that I gave myself that nudge I needed and launched my brand new website last month ....finally!!!!
It did take a while and there are still some adjustments and there will be further adjustments as I go.
Do take a look http://www.grainnekennydesign.com

In other news, I will be holding an open day here in the studio sometime over the next couple of weeks for an afternoon. Date/Time to be confirmed. Some sale stock will be available. It will be posted as an event to Facebook and appear on the website under news/events. Gift vouchers will be available on the day if there is someone in mind you would like to buy a voucher for or even treat yourself! I've only ever held one open day and that was the day I opened the studio almost 2 years ago next month. So that's on the agenda. Towards end of August/Early Sept.

Below is a selection of lampshades available from 'The Woodturning Studio' in Gorey and from Market House Design.
Do pop into both as mentioned before and Robert who owns the Woodturning Studio is also holding an exhibition of his own work at his studio during this time, so I recommend you visit him as his work is stunning!
I also have some framed studies in Market House Design and a few new ones plus a very Colourful piece being delivered in from Saturday. It also acts as the Tourist Office so everything you need to know about Gorey, you'll find out from there.
Here you will find a selection of work by Wexford and South East Craftspeople including work by four of my fellow Wexford Craft Trail members they are Annette Whealan - Glass, Paul Maloney - Pottery, Robert O'Connor - Wood turning and Patsy Flood O'Connor - Millinery. The perfect place for pressie shopping and buying Quality Irish Design/Craft.

Applique Medium Lampshade €55 Euro - Available from Market House Design, Main Street, Gorey.

'Little Yachts' - Cube Lampshade(Small) - €40 euro - Available from Market House Design, Main Street, Gorey

'Seashells' Medium Lampshade €65 Euro -Available from Market House Design, Main Street, Gorey

'Cherry Blossom' - Digital Print Lampshade - Available from The Woodturning Studio, Arklow Road, Gorey

More Lampshades available from 'The Woodturning Studio', Arklow Road, Gorey.
'Pink Butterfly','Spring Flowers' and 'Birds on a Branch'.

Digital Print Medium Lampshade - design taken from own Photograpgh €65 - Available from 'The Woodturning Studio'

Bye Until August,

Gráinne :)

May Posting.

It's the 2nd of May and it's a wet, miserable day outside. So much for a nice May bank holiday weekend! So I skipped a posting for April as it was a busy month. This post is going to be rather short as I have no major news from the last time.
I was in the 'Irish Examiner' - Property & Interiors Magazine last Saturday the 25th April. There was an article by Carol O' Callaghan and she was discussing wedding gifts for the bride and groom and it featured one of my lampshades.
I was notified that this particular image was downloaded,(with my consent) and who it was for (the paper) but after that it's up to the person who downloaded it whether they use it or not, but luckily for me they did! YAY! They don't necessarily make contact with you either, I did know which paper it was, but not what it was being used for or about in or when it would be used but, it was a lovely surprise when I opened up the magazine and saw mt work in it last weekend. Seeing as most of my work is targeted and bought as wedding gifts and after that by homeowners/new homes. Nice little bit of press before the summer season kicks off! :) (See images below)

I was at a Visit Wexford trails meeting/event the other week. I helped set up the Wexford Craft trail table and I brought two lampshades down with me, luckily as it turned out only three of us had examples of our work at this. That was an Interesting day and it was nice to mingle and meet new people in the tourism sector. (Photo from left: Me, Mairead Stafford and Gilly Thomas)

In other news, the exhibition at Market House Design, Main Street, Gorey is still running until May 31st. I'm very lucky that I have this place still stocking my work as is The Woodturning Studio but there you'll find just Lampshades as my shades help sell Robert's bases and vice versa. I also have a potential new stockist, not another in Gorey but Wexford based. And I have an exhibition among three others for September. So I'm looking forward to the Summer, not to mention two festivals thrown in there too where again, new work beckons! (See below some examples of my work now in stock at Market House Design, photos taken at own studio ... not showing everything!)

At home in the studio, I did remove my signage recently outside the gate. I'm planning on getting a new smaller sign made to keep in style with my new branding ... yet to do business cards/brochures and I've done very little so far with the new website but it shall all come together by the end of the month! I do have a website already, but it's very limited on how many images you can post and posting Imagery or background imagery is also limited, you have to choose an already existing background and I rather design my own and be more creative and in control of my own ideas. I'd like everything to match/blend together. So I'll work on that in my own time, when I get a chance.

Anyway I did mention a short post, so that's kind of it for the moment. I'm going to head back to the studio now as waiting on something to dry, which should be dry by now ... but I felt I should post like I mentioned I would so now that's done too.
Will keep you updated with any further developments and in the meantime check Facebook for Photos and updates.

Happy Bank Holiday Weekend!

Gráinne. :)

Recent going's on - March 2015

Hello again, it is now half way through March!
So I finally solved the problem regards posting up photographs. At present I can only upload using Firefox instead of Google. I'm having to do the same for photos and editing Information on my website. (That is soon changing, I'm switching to a new host and designing a new website to follow and should be complete by June.... fingers crossed!! My current website http://www.grainnekennydesign.com still exists and will be in place until next February 2016 as I'm paid up until then.

At the moment I'm focusing on producing and creating as much new stock as I can, to fill the studio again when the summer season and the Wexford Craft Trail re-starts for the Summer. As many may know, I'm a member and admin of the group Facebook page however, I'll soon be requiring help from fellow members from June, as this week I was appointed a new role for the up-coming year as Secretary. Padraic, Mary and Gilly stepped down last Monday and the new Chairperson is Mairéad Stafford, Secretary is me and Treasurer is Mairéad Cairbre. I'm not too sure what's in store, but here's hoping we will live up to the others and do a good job! So that's all very new.
Talking about new... there is also a new exhibition opening next week at the 'Market House Design' Gallery in Gorey. I have some new pieces that I left in yesterday for this exhibition opening on Tuesday. I'm still there and it's a great outlet for my work and I also have lampshades in Robert O'Connor's Studio to complement his wood turned lamp bases. Whether a person is looking for a base or a shade, the two together would make an ideal wedding or for any occasion gift. My Lampshades are made to order but I do have designs available to buy too.

As noted above I've finally figured out how to post photos again. I just have to switch from Google to Firefox to do so. It's a slight pain but at least I know I can post Imagery again.

There's not much else happening at the moment to be honest, I'm just in a head down and working on mode at the mo. I'm on the loom and have a pink - 'Raspberry Ripple' linen yarn as my warp on at present. It's going to be a length/hanging when done with a bit of a twist. Let's just say I'm trying out a few new ideas that I thought of in January and I'll be weaving for quite a while! Because I am a Weaver to start with like I mentioned in a previous post, the cosies, the lampshades, the mixed media studies there all fine but I'm taking two steps back and moving the weaving forward. And the goal is to link up shades, studies and weave somehow. Before I specialised in Weaving I was a mixed media/embroidery textile designer so that's where that creeps in and I love it. So when I started out in Weaving I brought elements of mixed media into my woven designs and I have continued to pursue that. So when I get asked what do I do, I always say I'm a Weaver but I also specialise in Mixed media textiles. I know it's good to focus on one thing alone but I like to be versatile so I do both. I weave with ribbons, feathers and I've also strung in pearls and beads into my weaving and like to embellish the cloth afterwards. I don't know of any weavers in Ireland doing the same, so it's what makes me more unique at the end of the day. We're all different.

So there you have it, I'm creating a series of lengths to start with and go from there. I have a few opportunities on the table, competitions and that and I've made it my mission to have a go at everything this year or at least try what I can and hopefully it will open up new things! My main focus now is to get through the Summer and the exhibition I hinted at for May has now moved to September.
Do pop into the exhibition in town this Easter and I will post a few photos on my April Post.

Grainne. :)

A Spring of Ideas.

Hello again, it is now the month of February and it's officially Spring. Lot's of ideas happening here, first there was designing my own fabric and used it to make Lampshades that turned out really well. More of this to come for S/S 2015. Weave Ideas and so on. It's the perfect time of year for exploring and experimenting so I have a few surprises in the making! Take note.


Anyway each Spring, I also do a large spring clean of the studio and re-arrange the furniture (AGAIN!) I have probably moved full circle at this stage around the room! My studio is fairly big, the larger of the two areas, the outer space I was using to display finished pieces but there just seemed to be a lot of space, empty space in the middle of the floor away from the walls while the longer side of the room, was pretty cramped with all of my materials, tables, books, boxes, shelves and so on. So earlier this week, I literally moved all of my weaving equipment and the loom, so when one enters the studio I'm behind the door. All of my yarns are colour co-ordinated (of course!!) each with their own shelf and I've created a sewing area alongside this. What greets people still is the larger of the walls with the metal slide across hanger/rail thing with all my framed textiles on it and to the right I've created a corner with cushions, lampshades and cosies and I plan to add to this. While leading back up to where the once meant to be kitchen area is, is where my work table still sits and other furnishings that store materials that I need. So I have two separate work areas now and dotted everywhere is finished work. I really like it now and I have a nice view of Tara hill through the tress while weaving at the window plus more light! I still have my signage up although I'm not open this time of the year however, these are going... in fact I'm getting a new one made in a while and only one, because at the moment I have two, one either side of entrance and to be fair I don't need two. However ... they are also causing some confusion with my parents B&B sign, because my sign is the first thing guests see as it's closer and so they drive past thinking they are in the wrong place! (I work from home) So I'm going smaller and perhaps placing it under the B&B sign, I'm not sure yet but if you happen to drive past and see them gone in the next week and think 'oh god she's closed up' .... no I haven't I'm just having it re-done! I'm still here!!!


Back to business, I'm setting up the loom again. I have a small narrow warp this time in a Linen yarn to tie on. I love linen, it's a lovely yarn to weave with and comes in various weights. I prefer finer yarns to that of thick, chunky yarn. If I was to use a thicker yarn I'd prefer to use this in the weft rather then the warp. Warping a loom is a bit tricky and known has the hard bit as you have to make sure each warp thread is threaded perfectly, if not prepare for all hell to break loose when, if like me you happen to skip a heddle or snap an end. These things happen, but the joy of it is once your set up and weaving away can be very relaxing. The joy of actually weaving and whereby creating fabric is so rewarding, regardless of weaving being a slow process! So yes I'm weaving again, I was quite busy with elves and baubles the past month or so that it's nice to get back to normal.
Referring back to my post heading I do have a string of Ideas on the go, this Sunday I'm having a go at space dyeing yarn. In fact I'm going to dye the linen warp although it's already coloured. I'm going to piece dye areas of it, leave it to dry and then undo it and tie/thread up onto the loom. The weft threads will be as normal. I have dip dyed hanks before for use as weft yarn and these resulted in exciting effects. I enjoy dyeing yarn/fabric, I've dyed all sorts of yarn/fabric even right down to feathers. I even loved mixing up colours for screen printing, I just love the joy of creating colour. The only colours I hate are Black and Gold. I prefer warmer tones like copper when it comes to metallic. I like a charcoal grey though, but black is a no go. I hate monochrome, neon and pastels to a certain degree. I love bright colours, jewel tones, sea/shades of blue tones and calm/neutral as in cream. )


As mentioned in Januarys posting I'll be introducing a new product later in the year and I'm developing on existing ones so I've plenty to be doing. If there is one thing I find really useful and a great place to source Images it's that of Pinterest. I'm on Pinterest simply just under my own name Grainne Kenny. I love visuals and it's a great site to use. You can create various boards based on whatever it is your wanting to look up and add to these. I joined sometime last year or so. Great ideas for Interior Designers or anyone really! There are a few boards that I have created that I'm using to go with my Inspiration at the moment. I love it!


Well best get back to it once I go for my daily walk with the dog. I'm still experiencing problems with uploading images to blogger. It's dreadfully annoying as I don't know why this is. So much that I started thinking about moving my blog to Wordpress so that I can then link this to the new website ... when I start that. Will see whether I decide to close this or not.
Anyway do check Facebook at Grainne Kenny Design or Twitter at grainnek11 for all updates and Images of my work until my next post in March.

Happy New Year -2015

Happy New Year!!
So it's a new year, that means a new start, new work, new beginnings, new memories and so on.
To review 2014, (well let's just say it was way better then the previous year!) minus a little break from January until April. It was a good year in particular the summer and Christmas was good in terms of sales. I hate January, not many people like it either but it's a good time to develop and experiment on ideas for spring/summer collections not to mention that I'm still fairly focused on Christmas. My baubles went down well during the festive season (as did the elves!) and since time is not rushed and quiet now I'm making more for Christmas 2015 and then I'll pack all away until August again when I usually start thinking about getting pieces ready for Christmas. Once the Opera festival in Wexford finishes in October you usually start thinking on this next. But that's all ages away yet! So back to now, as mentioned in a previous post weaving is my main specialist area I shall be looking at developing products I already produce. I've been doing quite a bit of research and gathering new inspiration, fresh ideas is what I like to call it. I'll still continue the small framed seashore/landscape/sunset mixed media textile pieces that are very popular and Lampshades with the woven trimmings that are also best sellers for me. However, I'm going to be mixing it up a bit. Some time ago I had also mentioned print. Print will creep in this Spring and also during the summer mixed with weaving. You'll have to wait and see what I have planned there! The Seashore theme will be a recurring theme and floral will make a debut for S/S, while A/W will be similar but more warmer colours. Pinks, turquoise/sea/cobalt blues, the saying blue and green should never be seen....well I think blue and green (some!) are nice together and green is on my list too, orange, neutral colours such as grey and cream and perhaps a hint of charcoal, a hint of a metallic tone and an earthy colour. Seems like a lot hey? But you'll be surprised at how when mixed and matched how well they shall go together. I don't wish to give away too much too soon but I am looking forward to a great year. A Fashion product may creep in too, but a little later in the year! I'm going to be keeping a lot of things close to my chest this year and post Images and text to the likes of my Facebook page and my blog here when I have work to show and not post about it weeks before I get round to posting about it. For example tell everyone what I'm doing and just go and do it and when it's done then post about it. In other words ... Surprise! Anyway back to product .... lampshades (as featured in House and Home magazine Nov/Dec 2014) at the moment mine are all round. I might be introducing a new shape if the Interest is there. Judging by some self research round is a more popular choice, but it might be nice to introduce a new shape and size. Will see! I'm not a fan of coolie or bell shaped though. Cushions will be back too however not to match the woven lampshades. I suppose you will have to keep an eye on Facebook to see what developments and new designs I come up with. I know I'm pretty excited with my work this year and I hope you will be too!! G :) xx Oh by the way on Friday 23rd of January I mark my business birthday. Happy official 3rd Birthday to me!