Beautiful Braemar and Impact 8.

This morning I was off to Braemar to collect some framed work. It's a long drive, but a very pretty one, so I don't mind the odd hold-up.  

 My work was being framed by The Braemar Gallery, which is owned and run by husband and wife team Andrew and Kirsty. It's a very eclectic and tasteful gallery, and I'm very glad to have my work exhibited there. The framing is always beautifully done too.  

The work I was collecting is for submission to an offshoot of the Impact 8 International Printmaking Conference being held in Dundee. The exhibition is collection of work by members of the DCA Print Studio, (Dundee Contemporary Arts Centre)
DCA Print Studio Registered Artists Exhibition

Flyter av til Norge (Floating off to Norway)

I wish it was me floating off to Norway, but it's my balloons. I've recently had an unusual number of enquiries from Norway about my work. It turns out, it was thanks to Norweigan Magazine ROm123. 

The translation reads 

Beautiful print: Freya Cumming creates the most beautiful silk prints. They cost from 850 - 3500 NOK

Not: When Freya drinks lager , especially 850-3500 pounds worth, she gets side-tracked.

Thank you Rom123, and thank you to a very kind customer who sent me the info.

Also this month, I've been printing wallpaper in my shed. Which was very peaceful, apart from the moment when one of my hens jumped onto the table and ran a length, that bit had to be cut out. Maybe I'll decorate her coop with it. 

Hot Gossip

New Balloon Wallpaper 'Hot Gossip' hung in a recently refurbished Hotel in Somerset. I'm very happy to see it up, and I hope the guests like it.

Last but not least..

Bristol!!  My home for over seven years. I went to visit friends in Bristol after exhibiting at Pulse, and hadn't realised it beforehand, but I was there just in time for the South Bank Arts Trail. Yipppeeee!
For anyone who's never been before, its the one weekend of the year when the Creative folk of Bedminster and Southville open their doors to the public, its good fun to wander the streets and visit everyone, and as a bonus, you can get a great nosey round other peoples houses.

I was so happy that my friends Chez Williams and Jo Rose were exhibiting, so I could add to my rapidly growing Chez cushion corner, I love the latest, thank you Chez.

...And I had a good natter with an old friend Katie Wallis at No. 3, and got myself a beautifully embroidered phone cover, in Katies' own fabric design. Check out her blog for this and many more designs.

Confessions

I was very grateful to Katie Treggiden, creator and writer of the Blog 'Confessions of Design Geek', for interviewing me during the recent Pulse show. You can read the interview here. It is fantastic publicity and an honour to be featured on such a great site. Thank you Katie!

Katie also had the task of choosing her top ten exhibitors in LaunchPad. Included in her ten were the brilliant Hole in My Pocket. Brain child of fellow Scot Allistair Burt, his stand was most excellent, and very deserving of an award. 

Hand Painted 'Ships Crew' by Hole in My Pocket

Also selected was Jessica Hogarth, whom I had the pleasure of chatting to at Pulse. Jessica is a screen printer too, and maker of all manner of desirable things. Her 'Coastal Cottages' wallpaper is very lovely indeed. I am well up for a swap anytime Jessica!

LONDON!

I'm back in home in THE VILLAGE, after a few brilliant days in London and Bristol. I was exhibiting at Pulse in Earls court from the 11th-14th of May.

The show was a really good experience, and after four days straight, in a small space, you get to know the people beside you pretty well.  I was very sad to say goodbye to the exhibitors around me at the end. Life would be worthless without a good swap however, and there were some excellent swaps going on. If you haven't already seen the work of the ridiculously talented people mentioned below, then you should have a look. I think I got the better end of the deal.


Jennifer Slattery designs Irish Linen table runners and napkins from her native Dublin. I wanted to run away with the lot, but I am over the moon about these, a beautiful table runner and two napkins. No one will ever get to use them, I will be hanging them on my walls instead.

I'm also the proud owner of a lamp by the cheeky Frenchman, exhibition-stand-chair-thief and owner of Desinature, Etienne Esmanjaud. Thanks Etienne, you have literally brightened up my days.

Also on our block were the lovely ladies Kay, of  Ketchup on Everything and Camilla, of Butterscotch and Beestings. (Obviously that's not them above, that is the Frenchman and the Dubliner.)

Camillas' beautiful work is below. I have my heart set on a Circus Triangles Cushion and I hope there will be one swinging its way to Scotland soon, and if your name begins with a letter of the Alphabet, or even if it doesn't, you should check out Kays' amazing screen prints.. 

Camilla of Butterscotch and Beesting

Kays Jolly Jellyfish.

I've never exhibited at a trade fair before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. Forking out for fancy order books made me feel like a grown-up, but was in actual fact, a massive waste of money. I could have written the orders I took on the back of a (very swish new) business card. On the other hand- lots of great things happened. I have four new galleries, some freelancing work, some interior designers interested in my wallpaper, and lots of good publicity. Also, my sister who is a massive twit, launched a twitter account for me down there. @freya_cumming if you want to twit twoo. 

Hello London.

I've been printing solidly for days as I have the trade fair Pulse coming up in only a few days. Starting on the 14th of May in Earls court. I'm taking three new wallpaper designs, cushions, several cards and some prints. Fingers crossed for a good fair.

Happy New Year!

Fennel and Mint

Happy New Year to you if you have found this post!  I have just updated my Shop and added the 'Fennel and Mint' print above. This year is going to be busy I hope, I'm exhibiting at the Battersea Affordable Art Fair in March and have a stand at  the trade fair Pulse in London at the beginning of May. I'm making a slight change of direction for the trade fair and concentrating on wallpaper and other products. I'm hoping to teach myself some Potatoshop over the next few weeks to help with the pattern repeats. Watch this space for some hot-air balloon wallpaper, and hopefully some cushions and fabric.