Kate Selene

Life is everywhere!

Isn't this weather glorious?! After work Jon and I did some gardening, sorting out the chickens and I took some pictures! 







Theres something new everyday, plants are exploding from the ground and spreading themselves far and wide.







Theres already fruit in the bushes and strawberries on the plants.







My little gem lettuce's are coming along well and we have made a good start in the veg patch. Malcolm is going to take the tractor and rot-ovate our largest patch, which is a good job, were already late with our planting!







Just some lovely details from around the veg patch.







I even gave my workshop a really good clean too, it needed it after Jon taking over part of it, there bike parts and pieces all over the place!! 

Well at least they are no longer all over my bench!!

Crafting on the brain

Aaaahh, well its Sunday, the weather is glorious ad my weekend has been filled with lots of talking, drinking wine and crochet.

Friday was a good day also, everyone in the workshop is getting very close to the end, so I grabbed a small space to pierce some work out, being in the middle of the room so everyone could access me.

The workshop was boiling, I was sitting with my back to the open door, feeling the breeze cool my skin!

I always think its important to work alongside students, everyone gets to pick up so many new skills, makes the workshop feel more communal and relaxed.

I have had a very mixed crafting week, a bit of everything. I even made a new bag last night but I'm not sure about it, it doesn't quite feel finished! You know?!

I have been feeling very inspired of late,so I ordered a few new books to feed my mind!

I wanted to share with you my favourite book............ Its making me distracted from the crochet........

Made at Home is a beautiful and inspiring book for those who enjoy crafting their home. I have been pouring over the beautiful images, finding my self drawn to make a number of these projects. Here are a few.........

I have some silk screens in the attic, this book makes me want to go and get it and make some stencil prints from my doodles. I love that everything is in my colour pallet, lots of inspiring reds, blues, greys and mustard!

Even the pages are beautiful!

No doubt I will be trying some of the projects soon, I'm already thinking of which table we can do without so that I may have a sewing table!!!

........maybe the dining room table?!

Soaking in spring!

What a day!! Its has been mad busy in work, I have been in the workshops and studios all day, dishing out advice, tutorials and the occasional ass kicking but everyone has had a really productive and busy day!!

On the drive hone from Hereford its like driving into the wilderness, I was met by huge tractors with huge trailers on the way up the hill, which given my past experience with tractors ( for those of you that don't know, I managed to drive under one last year!! 206 vs tractor....... I didn't win!!) went really well!!

The hedgerows were bursting with new flowers and plants.

When I got home Jon had already settled our new chickens in. We lost two more chickens this week, the damp cold weather really hammered their house and both fell ill. So, we bought a brand new coop and 6 more chickens!! We have been making lots of pickled eggs of late so we predict we will need lots more eggs!

So when I got home, I checked out the new chickens and decided to take a walk to capture some of our surroundings.

The rain has really Invigorated the soil, everything from blue bells, wild strawberries, rhodedendrums and drifts of while flowers.

And just a little further down the path i paid a visit to the new foal!

He was very beautiful and very shy!! I stayed here for a while, watching them quietly, thinking of nothing, soaking in the warm fragrant air feeling the sun warm my skin.

It was good to get home, its my escape, helps me soak in the day, put some space between me and all the stuff that goes on around me everyday.

I hope the weather stays with us for a while, makes being outside a lot more fun!!

Have a good evening!

Busy busy busy

Well its full on at work at the moment, all the students are really busily getting work finished for assessments and final degree show!!! Final degree show! I cant believe I have been at Hereford for two years already, its gone by so fast!!

This year I will have my first graduating year of jewellers, I'm so excited! I have spent so much time with these guys that I know I will really really miss them! We have all been through a lot together!

Have a look at the crafts cluster blog to see what I do in the day!

So, having said how busy my day job is, it sort of makes me want to make more!! I finished Avril's shirt stiffeners on Friday, these were supposed to be done ages ago as the first pair went in the wash, but I finally sanded them down and gave them to Avril first thing Monday!!

So with these finally finished, I decided to play with an idea I have had for a while. I really would like to bring crochet into my jewellery work. This will definitely be a personal project for a while as ilI don't know what I'm looking for. Maybe taking bits of my home comforts with me?

Something doesn't sit right with the way the crochet has been applied. Next time i will drill holes and do a blanket stitch to begin with and then build the stitches onto that. It should retain the stitched feeling!

Right, in going to eat, read, crochet, rest and sleep!! Catch you soon!!

Mountains have moved

It has been some week!it feels like mountains have moved and all is finally going in a good direction. Lots of things have changed at work, I have spent all week in the workshops helping all the students as we approach the last assessment of the year, and for some it will be their final one!
So, many of you are actually coming up to me in the corridor and asking me how I find the energy to do all my crafting and making? To be honest, I never really gave it too much thought, but when I think of what I have got through this week, I think it doesn't feel like work! You know? Crocheting in the evening, thinking up new ideas, jewellery on the weekend and a social life, it's all about keeping the balance. I think if I stopped making and fitting it in, then what kind of example would I be? And this week, I really fitted it in!!





Today I needed a bit of time in the workshop. I am getting stock together for a new venture. I will be selling my new collection through a gorgeous website called 'and vintage'. My flower work has really got under my skin and it's something I can see myself being able to make over and over, whilst listening to some turned on the iPhone.
Only one of these pairs if for the collection, the others were for me. I am forever loosing my studs, I have non left therefore needed a few new ones.











I have also photographed some of the blankets I have made over the last fortnight, as these will be going into an online shop! Yippee! Il update you with the website shortly. It feels really good to know that I will be able to make with a purpose. I never wanted to sell anything other than my jewellery, I didn't really have the hunger for knitting and crochet that I had for jewellery, and for me to be able to have time to learn and feel confident, I decided not to sell anything, It allowed me the time to be creative and push little personal boundaries, without having the deadline of a sale looming.
So, as you may have picked up over the last few months, for those of you who stop by often, I have really developed in my confidence. It's now part of my daily routine. If I'm not making then I'm thinking about making.
So in one week I haven't done too bad, two new online stockists, wedding orders coming in, made myself some earrings, finished Avrils shirt stiffeners ( long over due!), started crocheting a new bag, crochet a hem on my cardi and now I'm sitting down, radio on, warming by the log burner. 



So have a good Sunday, I hope you all get some well deserved rest.

What a week!!

What horrid weather we have had!!! Seriously Miserable! It has rained relentlessly! I even had to stay at home last week because we couldn't get out!!

It was so dramatic, the poor chickens were almost drowned as a small stream developed in their pen!!

But....... Lots of plants have been growing! I planted lots of wild flowers a while ago, they are really growing with all the water. My strawberry plants have really settled in and herbs and rhubarb are bursting from the ground.

I have also been crocheting like a machine lately. I have been waiting for a tiny bit of dry weather with some good light to take a photo. This started with a visit to see our friends in Wrexham. I settled down for an evening of crochet with Amy and Rich. Its so exciting inspiring someone to take up a new craft, they have taken to crochet like a duck to water!

These were a really spontaneous make! I made a really cute little blanket and made a rose and some leaves for the centre, I loved it so much I just carried on making them!

I have made a good little bundle of blankets, different colours and patterns, seeing them pile up makes me smile!!

I do still have all the ends to weave in, a job I always leave till last and regret it every time! Its definitely a job best left for a cold night in front of the wood burner.

I have also bought a new bag! I love bags and I love having bags for work, it really gives me a boost when it comes to organising my life, of which is going to get a bit manic very soon!

I couldn't help but put one of my business cards in the little window in the front. It make me feel that my work, craft, life balance is finally getting somewhere. If everything goes well, there will be lots of changes for me at work, I'm very excited about how this new change will in invigorate both my job and my own creative practice. So new bag was well deserved!!

Taking of bags, here is one I made this week. I broke out my knitting machine and gave her pride of place in my craft room. I didn't take much time before I had whipped up enough to make a bag, complete with strap. The knitting machine really does create an entirely different type of stitch, really robust and very uniformed! It would never replace hand knitting but it does allow you to create a different type of fabric.

This is a sample that I made a few years ago, its really long and I really love it, but never know what to do with it. It will go back in the stash for now.

I have also been busy organising new suppliers for my new collection of work. Elle Dawson, an ex student of mine will be setting up a beautiful vintage inspired website, its almost ready and it will coincide nicely with me having to make all of my brothers wedding jewellery, so I will be in full making mode to be able to stock work for the website. Im very excited about it. Its amazing to have been a part of someones education and then be invited to sell work alongside them in a new venture. Makes me feel really humbled!

I am really keen to bring some of my craft closer together. Exploring how and where I can introduce yarn into my jewellery. Its something I have been interested in for years, my wedding collection is all about fabric and its preciousness, I want to extend this further. It may not go anywhere but it will be fun finding out!

Well, its Sunday afternoon, I'm going to be reading my new magazine, Mollie Makes, taking a break after a long week, getting ready for a new start tomorrow.

Have a lovely afternoon

X