How to survive an outdoor craft market

Last Saturday, I dusted off my tablecloth and packed up all my things, eager for the first craft fair of the year. I was a little nervous as it was my first outdoor craft market, but hoped the weather would not be too mean.

Well, that taught me not to try and sell paper goods in the middle of March outdoors in Yorkshire. What a wash out! The rain wasn't so bad, but the wind ws a nightmare with all my delicate paper prints and handbound books. Hooray for pegs at least.

When it wasn't raining, a few people stopped by and I did manage to sell a few things for Mother's Day and received some kind comments. But generally the market was dire, there was barely anyone passing by. Half the people passing were headed straight for clothes shops or a fancy coffee place and it was freezing!

It's always a gamble with fairs, will anyone come, will they like my stuff? Will my future patron turn up and take me away from this life of standing in the street hawking my wares? But at the end of the day, when its pouring down and blowing a gale, what do you do? You bring along your friend who always makes you laugh and belt out a rendition of 'you are my sunshine' with harmonica and shaky egg. That gets the public smiling, and singing along with you too. :)

Leeds International Artist Book Fair 2014

Although I was full cold and feeling a bit separated from my own body, I didn't let this stop me get to the International Contemporary Artists' book fair the other week. This year it had moved venue to the new Tetley Art gallery, formerly the Tetley brewery. Not overly impressed with this gallery when I went to the opening, I have to say that it works much better as a space for a large fair. Although boiling inside, it was much lighter that the hall at Leeds University. I also though the book fair fit really well with some of the original details of the building such as climbing the old steps next to an original grille-door lift shaft, and things like the wood panelling on the walls. It was almost like walking back into an old library.

I didn't spend as much time as I would have liked at the fair this year due to my broken body, but I did stumble upon the gem of Incline Press. They are a private press who commission writers and illustrators/printmakers to create limited edition books' typeset, printed and bound in the traditional way. I met Graham Moss, the owner of Incline press, who generously shared the finer points of his self-taught book binding techniques and was a great inspiration through my fluey headache fog.

I also bought this delightful little chapbook, 'Toad Poems.'

Inside was following poem 'warty bliggens' by Don Marquis:

In a moment of Serendipity I discovered these poems were part of a newspaper column, 'Archy and Mehitabel,' where Archy was the cockroach typing the poems and Mehitabel was his best friend, an alley cat. Now where does that name sound familiar? Yes, from my latest commission under the name of Mehitabel Press! I take this as a sign that I must be doing something right at the moment.

Behind the scenes: recent commissions

So I've been a bit quiet on here over this last month as I've been busy with lots of delightful commissions. I thought I'd share a couple of them with you and a bit about how they evolved into the finished works.

This was a really fun piece, creating a watercolour portrait for a lovely customer all the way in Tel Aviv!

But the project that has got me really excited has been this one.. I was asked to illustrate and bind a collection of poems for a lucky ladies birthday. We were having so much fun with it that it turned into my first editioned publication and the creation of the fictional Mehitabel private press!

binding up the first copy of the book

last book in the press - excuse the mess!

the finished book, buzz buzz

I hope all the recipients enjoy reading their books as much as I did making them. Here's to many more publications for Mehitabel press.

final poem

Illustration for 'Undone' © Laura Long 2014

[DIY] linocut valentine's card with How.Do

Hello, so I've been getting in the mood for love making lots of Valentine's cards, and I thought you might enjoy seeing how to make your own hand printed lovebird cards. I've created my first tutorial for a  collaboration with How.Do, a creative platform for capturing & discovering DIY micro guides. It's a free iPhone app that combines tradional handmade techniques with new technology. There are some pretty cool tutorials on there like how to make your own paper horse head! I love the fact it gives designer-makers  access to a growing community where we can share our creative work via simple but effective video tutorials. Plus I quite enjoyed pretending to be some kind of Blue Peter presenter! 

To celebrate the month of love, How.Do have brought together top DIY blogging darlings including the brilliant frankie magazine, P.S.- I Made This and top Etsy designers to create lovely Valentine-themed tutorials. All projects will be highlighted on how.do/yearofthehorse leading up to the big day.

Here's a copy of my tutorial:

draw out your design on the lino block 

 - remember to draw the image backwards if you have text

cut away around the design the areas you want to leave white

roll out some ink, until it makes a lovely crackling sounds like bacon frying

apply lots of thin layers of ink to a detailed design

place your paper over the block and apply pressure with the spoon to transfer the image

carefully peel back to check progress, keep rubbing if the image is faint

You can print several copies to send to all your beaus!

score the card in the centre to help get a crisp fold

glue the design onto your card for a finished pair of lovebirds

Take a peek at the full tutorial:

MAKE A LINOCUT VALENTINE a micro guide by Magpie Moonshine on How.Do

New hand bound books

New accordion photo album, fireworks! Plus experimenting with long stitch binding:

For sale here

For sale here

'Written in the stars' - new love quote linocut in the shop

So I've been getting all mushy in preparation for Valentine's day and I've finished this linocut monoprint. It is of a couple stargazing out in the mountains. Written in the sky is a quote by Aristotle, 'love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies.' It was really fun making this, and it was my first time creating a 'rainbow' roll background. That is where you roll several colours at once on one roller.

Here's the finished print:

Available to buy here

 

 © Laura Long 2014

© Laura Long 2014

© Laura Long 2014

And these are some work-in-progress shots of cutting the block for the pine trees:

Things I've been making since last week

Printing lots of linocut bluebirds/lovebirds onto old book pages...

...to turn into Valentine's cards!

Available in my Etsy shop here
© Laura Long 2014

Designing the rest of my Valentine's card range; 'swept off my feet,'what a sentimental soul I am!

'Swept off my feet' - available here
© Laura Long 2014 

'You and me, sitting in a tree.. k-i-s-s-i-n-g'
© Laura Long 2014 

'You're my favourite'
© Laura Long 2014 

 Making lots of mini accordion fold 'brag' books:

© Laura Long 2014

© Laura Long 2014 

I decided it was time to broaden my range of cover choices for my mini 3 x 3" accordion books, these will be in my Etsy shop soon. I tried out a new design without the ribbons on the wavy pattern one, what do people think? Ribbons or no ribbon?

I've also been trying to improve my photography skills when photographing my 2D artwork, does anyone have any suggestions of how I can photo my prints better? Here's two I've tried to re-shoot. The yellow picture is actually a heat press dye print on chiffon, based on an A1 linocut I made last year.

Birds in the Apple Tree, by Laura Long
© Laura Long 2014 

Available here
© Laura Long 2014 

I've also been working on a super sentimental linocut print relating to star gazing,  but you'll have to wait until next week to find out more..