The Anonymous Travelling Market

I have been to the ATM (what it's called for short)  twice, twice is definitely not enough! It's such a lovely happy place. It is, as the name suggests a travelling market, that tours Dorset. When you enter, it's just like being at a little festival for the day, there's music, art, delicious food, great things for the kids to do and lots of other lovely delights which pop up around the place.

We have been when the market has pitched up at Dean's Court in Wimborne and at the Larmer Tree gardens, both beautiful sites. And the ATM has made the already stunning locations even better. There's loads of space for the kids to run about (my two loved it). You can lounge in the sun, listen to some local music, meet some great people, eat some yummy food, and treat yourself to somethig lovely for your home, or a present for a friend, which they are bound to love as you won't find things like you find there on your usual high street.

Last time, we picked up a vintage scooter, which has featured in my scooter ribbon adverts, and is super cool. My little boy loves being pushed around on it.

And, very excitingly, I'm going to have a pitch at the next one (at the Larmer Tree Gardens on the 23rd March). Really, really looking forward to it. Why don't you come too?

http://www.theatm.co.uk/about.php

Ribbons, Any Place, Any Time.

Today the bike riding was in the living room! Check out these two little video clips, 'Ribbons' even work indoors!

http://www.sarahlovellart.co.uk/category/scooter-ribbons

Ideas, Ideas, Ideas and a Box of Stock

A while ago I hadn't really ever thought of designing cards. Yes, I always love to draw and paint, I would do a bit for fun, paintings for friends and family, but most evenings I would just relax, watch some tv, have a chat and so on.

Nowadays, it's a different story. I have started the cards, and seem to have opened the idea flood gates! Every day I have new ideas, what ever I'm doing I am constantly thinking of what design might work well on a card, what different people are into, what hobbies they do, what cards people find it hard to find, and how I could maybe think of some ideas to fill those gaps. Some times a random image just pops into my head, and I just have to get it down on paper. I really like it, it's fun.

And now I have a box of stock! All full of my cards, all that I designed! Very exciting, I have 29 designs, and lots more where they came from.

Inspired by 'Campfire' and a comment my sister in law made about the fox, rabbit and hedgehog needing a tv show, we (my husband and I) have set about writing a children's story featuring the characters on the card. Judging by my daughter's reaction of 'keeping going Daddy, what happened next?' as Pete made up the story as we drove to a friend's house the other day, it may be a goer, so watch this space!

It seems that one thing leads to another, and another and another, and so far, it's working out very nicely.

I Believe in Unicorns

New idea for card and print.

Art Club Launch getting Closer.

I picked up my after school art club flyers from the printers today. Am really pleased with them, so will be posting them this week round the neighbourhood. Fingers crossed there are some budding artists around  who want to attend.

Art with my children (and husband who really enjoyed it too!)

This morning was Sunday morning, and as we were all at home and free for the morning, we decided to do some sponge printing. Pete was on hand to help out too, which was great- an extra pair of hands to make sure most of the paint ends up on the paper is always helpful.

When painting is mentioned in our house, our children are always very enthusiastic, so out came the paint, sponges, paper, aprons....and we were off!

Like Collage, sponges are brilliant, you can get great effects with them, and they come and can be made into all sorts of different shapes, so my two love using them, and make some lovely pictures with them.

Pete joined in too, and he doesn't get to do much painting, so it was really more like having three children doing art togeher instead of just 2!





We all had lots of fun with the sponges and later on, brushes, rollers.fingers and what ever else they found to paint with! Most of the paint ended up on the paper, some of it on Henry too!

The finished masterpieces!

What's The Worst That Could Happen?

Well we've had a busy half term week, and inbetween play dates, some shopping and lots of playing I had a day to myself yesterday. My two lovely children were having a great time at my Aunty's for the day (which my daughter was incredibly excited about, and from reports back, it lived up to expectations!). And I went on the road with my cards.

First stop, Dorchester. It is quite scary going into shops and asking if they would like to stock your products, but I thought, well they are already in some shops, so those people like them, and if they like them, surely some others will too! What's the worst that could happen? They say no, right? So I went for it with my little wicker box of cards. It was freezing, but I met some lovely shop owners, and got lots of good feedback, gave out lots of business cards, got some good interest and a really good order for 78 cards woohoo!

And for the ones who didn't order (yet!) at least they know I exist now. As the day went on I got less worried about approaching shop owners, as all of them were lovely, we are living under a 'sky full of kindness' after all. I got to see some beautiful little Dorset towns, Sherborne and Shaftesbury are definitely worth a visit if you're in the area, and I did well resisiting buying toys for my children from some amazing little toy shops (this was very hard!).

So all in all a good day. And I came out of it happy, braver and with a good order for my cards.