Learning my Lesson and how my work got STOLEN! Grrrrrrr

This weekend was the Mad Ferret Festival in Platt Fields, Manchester. I submitted a proposal for a piece of art to decorate the festival site, and was so excited when it was accepted. The brief involved 'recycling' so it needed very little money to complete, but expenses were agreed of £20, plus payment in the shape of a ticket. Not much payment considering how long the work took me (upwards of 25 hours), but I thought it would be a good way to make new contacts and raise the profile of my business.

I am really sorry to say that now the festival is over, I couldn't be more upset about how I was treated. In the end, I overspent by £8 and when I asked whether this was ok, I was asked if they could keep the piece. I said no, it has taken me too long, and unless they wanted to front the rest of the money for it, I would be taking it home (I had an idea to use it as a basis for a workshop). So I had to back down and only accept the agreed amount of £20. I thought this was unfair, on the flyers circulated about the proposal, it stated free drinks and tickets (I only recieved the ticket), but felt like I couldn't pursue it.

When I woke up on Sunday it was to the news that someone had STOLEN the work from the tree where it was displayed. The guy I spoke to couldn't have sounded less bothered. I went to the site (suitably upset and angry as you can imagine), and when we couldn't find the piece (it was long gone), I went to ask for my expenses. It was like trying to get blood out of a stone, and in the end I was proffered a plastic bag of change which barely came to £19. I was so disgusted I just took it.

But if anyone from Mad Ferret reads this, I just want you to know that I'm appalled by the way you treated me, especially when I know for a fact you bent over backwards for other artist friends of mine. I am sick to death of feeling myself and my art being disrespected by people. I learnt my lesson about 'doing people a favour' Next time I'll just buy a ticket and forget about trying to help people out. You don't get a lot of thanks for it.

Anyway, rant over - here are some pictures of the work (before it got nicked obviously!)

The piece is a patchwork of purely recycled fabrics from charity shop clothes *big up Help the Aged!! and scraps from my studio. The tree's 'leaves' were stuffed using the trapunto technique to make them nice and squishy! Also got a bit of advertising there with my website - I just hope whoever took it has hung it on their wall and not dumped it in the bin :(

Custom Order

I have literally just finished my teacher training course (phew...didn't think I would make it for a while there!) and am happy to say that I have several orders to keep me busy. One for a custom bag which will be winging (excuse the pun) its way all the way to Germany very soon for a lucky birthday girl:
The other is a rather large order (well for me, anyway) for Sheffield Millenium Gallery, for work to be sold alongside Timerous Beasties' response to the John Ruskin Collection. This gallery is one that I supplied at Christmas on SOR, so it just goes to show it can be really beneficial, because if work sells well then orders will be made!

I want to write more about my state of mind at the moment, but the cat is giving me earache over being fed so it shall have to be left for another day!

Jeff Soto @ Stolenspace

I just had to blog about a new show that opened last night at the Stolenspace Gallery, Brick Lane, London. It's solo show by arguably my favourite artist - it runs until 6th July, and I gurantee it will be well worth a visit. I am really gutted I couldn't make it to the opening (damn uni commitments) so a big thankyou to Beth for saving me a signed copy of his new book 'Storm Clouds' - you're legend girl!

Stolenspace has got a special place in my heart because I did my work experience there when it was in its first incarnation - The Outside Institute - where I got to work with some other artists I admire like D*Face and Flying Fortress. If you haven't visited Stolenspace yet, then do - it has a great selection of contemporary exhibitions.

To celebrate me geeking out on Star Wars movie last night, I wanted to post about this amazing artist Devorah Sperber - who I just happened to find in fantastic magazine cloth.paper.scissors. Devorah works by manipulating popular images (amongst them - Star Trek), and famous paintings into digital pixels. She then uses these pixels to 'paint' using pipe cleaners and rolls of thread:
She then places a viewing glass in front of the work so that viewers can see the image the right way up. Her work is so unusual, I had to write about it - it is great to see a textile artist pushing the boundaries. I also particularly loved this piece which was made by threading glass beads into monofilament:

Manchester Craft Mafia In Quick and Crafty Magazine

The Manchester Craft Mafia has been featured in this month's edition of Quick and Crafty Magazine. It is a lovely full colour four page article, which I was lucky enough to be quoted in:
I would like to thank Sally Fort for helping put together the press information which was used in the article. Fellow mafia members see if you can spot yourself in some of the photos. They used a lot of our images in the article.

Printed Treasury and feature in Craft Gallery Guide

I have really been neglecting Etsy recently, I just don't have the time to put in what it needs with all my other (mainly teaching) commitments. However, I was really happy to be informed my print has been featured in this lovely treasury:
This week Alison from the Heart Gallery offered me the chance to be associated with the gallery in the 2010/11 Craft Galleries Guide. I found this guide essential when I was preparing for the BCTF, and of course I jumped at the chance to be on the Heart Gallery pages! I have selected a small ad as the book will be published when I get back from Australia, I am sure my work will be different by then.

Stitched Jewels - on pre order now!

Those of you who follow my blog will be aware that I had a project chosen to be featured in the new book: Stitched Jewels. Well, I got my contributer's copy in the post when I got back from holiday, and I am so excitied to share! When I was getting it out of the package, I don't remember being that excited in so many years, lol.

The book is beautifully set out, and my work appears on page 72. I have 4 full colour pages. Because I wrote the instructions, technically I have been published! I was also really pleased to see that an image of my project is on the back cover. I am also very happy that they got the name of the business right - it does seem to cause people a lot of problems!

Anyway, enough blurb, here are some pics:


You can pre-order the book in the Uk from Amazon.
It is available already in the US.