For what is Chatteris?

Munro Cautley (and some other new things)

2009-07-13T15:30:00.007Z

Many apologies for almost a month long blog absence! Where do the weeks go? Life at SpoonerGregory Acres has been extremely busy for the past few weeks, but hopefully we can start to relax again now and post more regularly!

Since we last posted we've acquired a big, cool new block to add to the collection (thanks again Alan!). This one is for the cover of a book (well known in these parts) - Norfolk Churches by Munro Cautley, originally published in 1949 with a watercolour by Albert Ribbans on the front cover.
Cautley was also an architect, and there's a Flickr group devoted to his work.

Here's a print taken from the block -

The church is St Peter's in Ringland, not far from Norwich, so of course we had to go on an expedition (complete with the block in our rucksack....)

The tree in Ribban's watercolour has gone, but here's the church from almost the same place.

You can find out more about the church on Simon Knott's Norfolk Churches website, always our first port of call for Norfolk church related things.

Now we just have to get our hands on a copy of the book!

In other news...

I have finally finished sewing together the pile of little notebooks that I started a while ago. Sets of five notebooks are listed in our Folksy shop at the moment.

Our Folksy shop was in serious need of restocking, and this afternoon is the first chance I've had to sit down with a cup of tea and do it, although there's still more to list.

Jon is busy working on a new engraving, which should be finished by the weekend.

And finally - on my way to the Post Office with some orders this morning I couldn't help but notice this dandy Hornsea storage jar in the local charity shop, so naturally it came home with me and is adjusting to life on our mantlepiece rather than at the back of a dusty shelf.

Poppies and castles

2009-06-16T20:20:00.002Z

On Sunday it was another sunny, hot day so we headed off early in the morning for a walk and then a picnic at Baconsthorpe Castle, near Holt in Norfolk. It was built in the 15th century, and was more like a country house than a castle, and the ruins are a lovely spot for an afternoon in the sunshine. We spread out our picnic blanket next to the moat and watched the ducklings gliding around.

Even though it was a glorious Sunday afternoon, there were only a couple of other people there, and we didn't see a soul on the five mile walk we did beforehand - where does everyone in Norfolk go when it's sunny? To the seaside I suppose!

Jon has printed his new engraving of a poppy head - it's on thick, Somerset paper, which was lovely to print on.

Theres one in the Folksy shop now.

We both have ideas for new prints to start this week - the inevitable water tower for me, and another engraving for Jon...

Wheels, windmills and water towers

2009-06-08T19:16:00.005Z

Today we had a fun day out for the first time in ages! After several weekends cooped up doing Open Studios (great fun, but housebound), it was lovely to be out in the countryside, especially on such a nice day.

We started at Bircham Mill - a mid nineteenth century windmill in north west Norfolk, scene of many a childhood cream tea for me and Jon's first visit.

We climbed all the way to the fan at the very top!

It was definitely worth the climb up the steep ladders, and unlike previous visits I didn't have to be talked down in tears by my Dad (I am not brave with heights, but Jon was bouncing up and down the ladders).

Then it was off for a 10 mile cycle along a section of the Peddars Way, a Roman road that runs all the way up through this part of Norfolk towards Holme-next-the-Sea on the coast.

One day we'll get round to doing the whole thing, and camping along the way - but 10 miles was quite enough for one afternoon. We didn't see a soul, just lots of birds and several hares.

After a nice cup of tea and a scone back at the windmill, we headed off for a bit of water tower geekery - stopping to investigate Docking and Foulsham. Expect to see both in printed form soon(ish)...

Docking (in the distance)

Foulsham

In July there's an exhibition on the towers of East Anglia (not just water towers) in Felixstowe organised by the British Water Tower Appreciation Soceity. I wonder just how many there are in Norfolk?

New projects

2009-06-02T15:05:00.005Z

Last weekend was the final weekend of Norfolk Open Studios - thanks to everyone who came along this weekend. We have really enjoyed the experience, and we've met so many lovely people!

We both started new projects over the weekend. Jon engraved a small block with a close-up of a poppy head in a walled garden -

We are going to print it one evening this week.

I letterpressed lots and lots of little coloured covers with some of our nice vintage blocks for sets of small notebooks. I've been sewing the notebooks together inbetween other jobs - very therapeutic.

This week we've been enjoying cherries and peonies (and these strange pink spiky flowers) from the market in Norwich. The cherries didn't last very long...

Just nudging into the corner of the photo of the flowers is our new little raku pebble by Norwich ceramicist Lucy Edwards. It just fits in the palm of my hand, and is lovely and tactile, and such pretty colours!
Also, thanks to everyone for taking part in our survey. We've had loads of responses, and I'm going to pick the winner of the giveaway later this evening :)

Seed Packets

2009-05-28T16:50:00.005Z

The sweet peas in our front garden are in their full glory this week - they smell lovely!

Last week we finished off the seed packets that we started printing earlier in May. We finished them off with 'seeds' printed in 24pt Plantin underneath the little linocut - leaving plenty of space to write names, dates and notes.

In the background is my new orange Nutscene twine - I can't live without it. Well, I can, but the garden would be a sadder place without it.

The seed packets are available in our Etsy and Folksy shops now.

You can also win a little package of printed goodies by taking part in a short survey about buying artwork for a course I'm doing at the moment. If any readers have time to take part, I'd be eternally grateful!

Click here to take the survey

Otherwise, we are gearing up for another jolly weekend of Open Studios!

Open Studios

2009-05-26T19:56:00.005Z

Well, our first weekend of Norfolk Open Studios has now been and gone! We had such a great weekend with a steady stream of visitors, most of whom stayed for a nice long chat and some tea.

We found time inbetween visitors to take some photos of everything set up -

The chimney in the front room is adorned with a framed set of Flying Ducks (as well as the inevitable Penguins).

We put Alan's manicule to good use in directing visitors through to the dining room...

...where they found a table full of materials, assorted bits and bobs as well as the Adana. We did a little demonstration for a few visitors, who had a go on it too and took their prints home with them.

Thanks to Celia, Andy and everyone else who came along to say hello! And we're doing it all next weekend as well!

But before next weekend's excitements we've got a busy week ahead of less than exciting things (like the enormous pile of ironing that's been ignored during the run up to Open Studios....).

Nearly ready!

2009-05-22T17:52:00.005Z

Tomorrow is the first day of Open Studios for us! We have spent a couple of busy days getting ready to open our doors.

We're open from 10am to 5pm this Saturday, Sunday and Monday at home -

5 Chester Street in Norwich (just off Unthank Road)

You can see a map of how to get here on our artist pages on the Norfolk Open Studios website - click here!

Parking on our street is for permit holders only, but there are some 'visitor' spaces at the top of the hill, and at the bottom (outside the fish and chip shop).

Do come and say hello if you're in Norfolk.

If you can't make it this weekend then don't worry - we're doing next weekend too!

Right, back to organising things...

New project - seed packets!

2009-05-17T15:07:00.007Z

This weekend I've been working on a little linocut of some vegetables to print onto some little envelopes.

I cut a pea pod, a leek, a carrot and an onion onto a small rectangle of lino (about 2 x 3 inches). I really like working at this scale, especially with a freshly sharpened tool :)

Our garden peas are racing up their pyramids, and the sweet peas started flowering this week too. We need to get lots of our seedlings planted out too, especially our climbing courgettes - we just need a dry afternoon!

Here is the block inked with some nice, new green oil ink -

The green looks really nice against the brown envelopes -

The next stage will be to letterpress some text onto the envelopes to turn them into proper little seed packets.

This weekend was the start of Norfolk Open Studios. We are doing the next two weekends, and we're quite excited about it! We'll post some more details about how to find us this week.

British Birds

2009-05-11T17:06:00.009Z

Last week Jon finished a new linocut - British Birds!Each little bird is paired up with his colloquial name. Naturally, we had to include a hornpie.

Here's a close-up of Billy Biter -

I love the blue Jon has printed this in, very Farrow and Ball I think.

Here is the block, halfway through cutting - lots of fiddly backwards lettering for this one. Fortunately Jon has a steady hand!

There are prints of British Birds in our Etsy and Folksy shops now.

The first person to leave a comment guessing the 'real' name of each bird will win a selection of Lapwing Printworks cards and the like! EDIT: Well done Fibrespace for guessing them all correctly!

I'm going to go and eat some more ice cream now - I had my wisdom teeth out this morning - so no solids or hot things for two days. I'm desperate for a cup of tea.

Computers and cupcakes

2009-05-06T14:26:00.004Z

This morning I made some delicious little elderflower cupcakes with pretty white icing and little yellow sugar flowers. Yummy and very cheerful!

We need cheering up because last night my desktop computer's hard drive failed! Fortunately, the most important things like theses and wedding photos were backed up elsewhere, but we have lost a lot of files. Most upsettingly, all of our Lapwing Printworks files!

Anyone who sells their work (online or offline) will know the joys of a finely crafted stock spreadsheet with a myriad of colours for what's been sold, and which things are in which shops. Not to mention all our accounts and things like that. All gone!

Also, we've lost all our internet bookmarks - blogs, interesting websites, tutorials etc. If you have any good links to share then we'll be happy bunnies :)

Anyway, enough doom and gloom! Tomorrow - a new print and some exciting things that have been arriving in the post!

Two more new prints

2009-05-04T16:41:00.007Z

It's May Day bank holiday today, and we've spent all weekend busily carving and printing ready for Open Studios.

Jon has finished an engraving of a bunch of daffodils in my favourite spotty jug -

It's engraved on plastic, rather than wood, and printed in black oil ink on Zerkall. Here's the block at various stages of completion -

This one has taken a fair few recuttings and proof printings to get it just right. The little spotty jug is from Ark in Cambridge, and is often filled up with flowers.

I've been working on a reduction woodcut of East Ruston water tower, which we saw on a walk we did in Happisburgh and East Ruston on Easter Monday. Jon did a woodcut of Baconsthorpe water tower a while ago - perhaps one day we'll do them all? Well, all the Norfolk ones anyway...

Here's the finished print - two images of the water tower side by side.And the block in the early stages of cutting -

And the first four layers of printing (the fifth and final one is the green layer) -

Of course, they are in our Etsy and Folksy shops now!

This weekend we had a go with our new book-making leathers - the result is one nice red leather journal, with some more gorgeous marbled paper inside.

If you join our email mailing list (sign up on the right!), then you can get 15% off (plus free shipping) on any of our leather journals this month. We promise not to spam you :)

Right, we've got rosemary breadsticks to bake for dinner, to dunk into a baked camembert... It's strange how I'd never dream of eating a whole camembert to myself raw (as it were), but I don't have the same qualms about a baked one...

A new print and exciting news!

2009-04-30T15:11:00.008Z

I like making word clouds - here's one made up of some of the most used words here on the blog. I think the fact that 'Lovely' is so large shows up that I've been writing far more posts than Jon recently!Make your own at Wordle.

So last night we printed a new linocut - a little word cloud full of printmaking words like ink, paper and burnish.Here's the block in various stages of being cut - backwards lettering can be fiddly sometimes!

Now in our Etsy and Folksy shops...

Meanwhile, Jon is busy drawing birds for a new print which he's hoping to start cutting this weekend. A good excuse to break out some ink.

Our exciting news is that we're going to be in an exhibition! For the very first time! At the Perfect Pad! From 22nd May to 11th June! Hurrah! But more on that later...

Tonight we are looking forward to popping into the private view of Celia Hart's new exhibition in Verandah on Upper St Giles Street. If you're in Norwich in May then do go and see it!

Flying Ducks

2009-04-24T13:58:00.004Z

At last! They are finished!
I started this trio of flying ducks 9 months ago, but for various reasons they got put on the back burner. But this week I've finally had a chance to finish cutting the blocks and print them.

I've always wanted a set of flying ducks but I thought a printed set would be just as good (if not better!)
Each duck is an individual print - a 7 colour reduction linocut. The biggest measures 18cm across, the smallest 9cm. I'm really looking forward to having a set framed, and on the wall! There is a set in our Etsy shop and our Folksy shop now.

Today I picked some of the lilac from the garden and filled up several jugs with it - the smell is slowly pervading the whole house... Lovely!

We have a friend coming to stay this weekend - tomorrow night we are going to see Pride and Prejudice at the Maddermarket Theatre for another friend's birthday treat. Hope you all have a good weekend too!

Sunny days

2009-04-22T16:56:00.006Z

We have been enjoying some beautiful sunshine for the last few days - the garden is bursting with greenery! It's lovely to sit outside and have morning coffee, rather than staying indoors.

The lilac in the garden has bloomed, and smells wonderful. Tomorrow I'm going to pick some for the house. Well, actually Jon will pick them since it requires the use of a step ladder (I am not to be trusted...).

The postman has had some lovely things for us over the past couple of days -

Some pretty type from Devon (more to follow too - hooray!)...

And a box full of leather offcuts for bookmaking from the Midlands - lots of black, as well as dark brown, tan, cherry red, dark green and a nice foresty green, and navy blue! We're looking forward to making some new journals with it all over the next couple of weeks. Although the leather will probably be enough to keep us going for several months!

We've also been busy printing reduction lino cuts - they should be finished by tomorrow afternoon, so we'll post about them once they are finished.

In the meantime have a look at our Etsy treasury here. Jon's ordered his gown for graduation this week - he gets to wear a bonnet, no less.

Enjoy the sunshine!

Getting rid of the TV

2009-04-20T17:06:00.005Z

We often get really fed up with the TV in the evenings and turn to a good book instead - hence Jon's new letterpress print -

Let's sell it and spend the money on books.

There are copies in our Folksy and Etsy shops now, as well as some newly listed hand bound journals too.

Today we're really pleased to be featured on Sam's Inklore blog (one of our favourites). Sam is another printmaker who makes the most wonderful block printed fabrics for the home. I especially love the 'no tie' hydrangea apron in her Etsy shop.

New Stuff

2009-04-15T16:07:00.006Z

We've bought a few lovely things from the internets over the past few months (some of which we have finally got round to having framed) to share -

Two lovely bird prints from five in the morning lino -

One linocut of swallows and swirling clouds...

...and one of some weaver birds and their intricate nests.

Mark's Etsy shop is here, and he has his own website too.

We also have a new screen print from The Post Family, which is now hanging in the office next to the camera shelves...

The photo doesn't really do it justice and it is pretty big - 79cm x 70cm.

And this morning the most adorable amigurumi from hannah-chan arrived in the post.

A sweet little star gazing bunny...

...and the most adorable finger puppets ever.

Have a look in hannah-chan's Folksy shop, and her blog - they are so lovely, I want more!

Hot Cross Buns

2009-04-10T17:36:00.006Z

Today we made a big batch of hot cross buns using our favourite teacake recipe. We slashed the tops in the shape of a cross, rather than using dough crosses because I always end up picking them off anyway.

They were quite delicious toasted with a cup of tea after an afternoon spent tidying up the garden.

We have been working hard all week so we are looking forward to our weekend off which will be spent baking, gardening and relaxing (and no doubt planning the next print...).

Here we are working from home together in the dining room

This is our Easter egg tree made with some greenery from the front garden ...

...and some sweet little egg decorations from John Lewis.

It was really sunny for most of the day, so we took advantage of the nice light to take some photos of our leather bound journals to list in our Folksy shop. This is our favourite photo, white paper with a few pastel coloured pages.

Swallows

2009-04-09T18:02:00.002Z

Today Jon saw his first swallow of the spring down in Suffolk. I managed to snaffle a treasury on Etsy this afternoon, so I chose some pretty swallow themed items to go in it -

Have a proper look here.

View from Cotehele

2009-04-06T18:59:00.005Z

Cotehele is a lovely, rambling old house in Cornwall owned by the National Trust. We've been there several times when we've been down in Devon and Cornwall - it has a great 18th century triangular prospect tower (there is another one tucked away on a side street in nearby Plympton too).

Jon's new print is the view from the top of the Prospect Towers - a five colour reduction woodcut.Here is the blue ink being rolled out for the first layer of sky.

The sky was followed by a creamy yellow for the arable fields, followed by three layers of green for the pasture fields and the trees and hedgerows.

In our Etsy and Folksy shops now.

Handm@de Cambridge

2009-04-05T18:02:00.002Z

Well, we are home from a lovely day out at Handm@de Cambridge. Here is our little stall!

We had a fun day, the sun shone, and lots of people stopped by to say hello including Celia (we love her work, and her blog Purple Podded Peas), one of my students from UEA, our little nephew Gabriel (along with his Mum and Dad), and some of our lovely blog readers (hello!).

It was hard not to resist spending all our taking on other stalls (I am still coveting this necklace by Claire Howison), but I got some lovely earrings from corryvreckan, and we got some sweet Gocco bicycle cards from Paperleaf. Too lovely to send!

It was nice to meet so many lovely fellow Etsy and Folksy sellers for the first time too :)

Now we've tidied everything away back into our little studio store and we're having a gin and contemplating Open Studios....

Price labels

2009-03-31T09:01:00.003Z

Preparations for H@ndmade Cambridge are in full swing here - there still seems to be lots to do!

This morning I made new price labels to have on our stall - we put individual price labels on things like handmade books and prints, but we find it always helps to have big price labels standing on the table too.

These ones have little Lapwings standing up from the top of the fold - a happy morning with a sharp cutting knife awaits...

New stuff

2009-03-27T22:02:00.003Z

A short post this evening - we've had a busy few days, and a tad too much ginger wine... But I think it's safe to say that we'll have plenty of handmade goodies on our stalls at Clutter City tomorrow, and H@ndmade Cambridge next weekend!

New hand bound books -
New letterpressed cards -
And some new prints too. Hooray!

Busy, busy!

2009-03-24T17:39:00.009Z

We have had a busy old week - engraving, printing and organising mostly. And a spot of letterpress too. Remember the Pemberley notecards we printed ages ago? I always meant to make them into a series, so here is the next one - a nice quote from Northanger Abbey with a vintage block.

'A woman especially, if she have the misfortune of knowing
anything at all, should conceal it as well as she can.'

We're hoping to perhaps print these tonight so the ink will have plenty of time to dry before the weekend, then tomorrow we have Jon's new engraving to print.

Otherwise, we have been busy working! Here I am attempting to teach some students something useful at Wimpole Hall yesterday - they all seemed to enjoy themselves despite the downpours.

More books (and some bookplates too)

2009-03-15T12:41:00.005Z

This weekend we are busy getting ready for the next Clutter City and H@ndmade Cambridge - Jon is working on a new engraving, and I've been letterpressing plenty of cards and notelets.

We've printed a batch of Penguin bookplates, and letterpressed 'Ex Libris' in black oil ink on the Adana.

We popped out into Norwich yesterday to buy some leather offcuts from Norwich Art Supplies and Anglian Fashion Fabrics to make some more hand stitched books... We picked up lots of lovely brown leather, and a really gorgeous piece of soft grey suede.

We've got plenty more to keep us busy over the next couple of weeks, including new prints!

Handmade Books

2009-03-06T12:46:00.008Z

Last Saturday we went on a brilliant course run by a local bookbinder, Judith Ellis. We learnt a technique called 'longstitch' binding, which doesn't require any glue.

In the morning we used pink and green PVC covers to get the hang of things -

But in the afternoon we were let loose on a selection of lovely leather covers, and marbled papers....
Jon used dark brown leather with a light blue marbled paper inside, and I used red leather with a matching red marbled paper.

We're really excited about experimenting with this technique - somehow printmaking, letterpress and bookbinding seem to be happy bedfellows. Hopefully we can remember enough from the course to make another one each this coming weekend...

There are lots more examples of this type of binding on Flickr.