New From The Cutlery Draw

I finally got round to drawing some new utensils today and have now uploaded them onto my etsy shop. I've also opened a folksy shop and listed a number of pieces there too. I'm getting closer to doing a few markets here in Northern Ireland. They aren't so plentiful as they were in Melbourne, but fingers crossed they'll be just as good!

Masher and whisk

Five forks 

A lovely vintage beater

My mum went to a Good Food Ireland conference yesterday (she's quite involved with the organisation) and came home with the biggest flower of Kale I've ever seen. Even after my nephew had chewed, pulled and created a little kale carpet on the kitchen floor with it it still looked blooming! So I decided to use it here as a backdrop of green loveliness. We're going to eat it tonight with duck. YUM!

Duck Duck Goose Goose

Yesterday we took a trip down the coast of Strangford Lough to Castle Espie. Castle Espie is part of the Uk's Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust and is home to lots of ducks, geese, swans, waders, and all other seabirds. There is a lot of work going on at the moment, creating new pools and a salt marsh and a fresh water area,  but it was still a great trip. I fully intend to come back and spend a day or two drawing.

Look at these little beauties! They are American Wood Ducks. Very pretty

An Eider Duck and a Greylag Goose

 

Here is the view across the Lough. You can see Scrabo Tower on the hill.

When the drawing isn't going well I always find a change of hand does the trick. I don't know why, I think it's to do with being less precious with your opposite hand and the lines become looser and somehow capture what you're drawing better.

A handsome Whooper Swan

I loved the colours here

The park sells little bags of grain so you can feed the ducks in the small pond area. My 9 month old nephew loved all the birds, he seems to like animals a lot, always wants to get closer. Not the best idea with a hissing goose! 

New Clothes, oooh lovely

The doorbell went and they were here! Hooray! There's nothing quite like new clothes made to measure just for you and these were a real treat.

I treated myself to a few etsy handmade clothes before I left Australia. I'd found Lirola's shop by looking through the 'favorites' of other sellers that I admired and since she makes each item to order they would be ready for when I got to Northern Ireland in a few weeks.

I got this top in a lovely maroon red. It's great to have a top that is casual but still a little bit special and different.

and this one I got in the colour shown. It's just gorgeous! Lovely fabric, lovely colour and they fit superbly! It's always satisfying to find a great shop on etsy!

www.lirola.etsy.com

By Request

My friend Kyoko of Rachel's Cabinet has requested a few photos of my surroundings here in Northern Ireland so I brought my camera with me today when I went for a walk along the coast at Crawfordsburn Country Park. I think she meant more photos of the suburb I live in, but I'll do that another day!

A lovely grey heron

On a good day you can see out to Scotland from here.

Pretty stalks

This is the mouth of Belfast Lough where all the boats come in from Scotland and England

New Fantail Brooches

I'm still making them! Here are a few new ones I have available until I send my order to my new stockist Mattt on Gertrude Street, Melbourne. I'm also looking for stockists in the UK and Ireland. If you're interested please send me an email at bridbird78[at!]hotmail.com.

Herb and Spice Jars

When Jeremy and I first moved in together I went mad and bought lots of lovely jars for all our ingredients. I loved going to all the charity shops and hunting for nice containers. Here are a few new pieces of work in my etsy shop which are based on my jars of herbs and spices. 

This image was included in my mum's cook book 'The Red Bay Tree Book.' The Bay Tree being her restaurant here in Northern Ireland.

Settling Into My New Range and Into Belfast

It's been two weeks since we arrived in Belfast. I've been busy setting up a work space for myself and buying a new printer/ scanner and starting my new range for my Bridbird etsy shop.

The range is based on the pen and ink drawings I made just before I left Melbourne. I'm going to turn them into cards and digital prints. I've listed a few onto etsy already and in the next few days I'll add more. It feels good to start afresh with all new work. 

Here are a few cards from my new range, all photographed with my mum's newly renovated kitchen as a back drop. It's lovely to cook and to blog in such a lovely kitchen! Sometimes moving back home is a marvelous idea! (She also has a TV at the end of the bath, and why not!? In fact, I think that's where I'm going to go now!)