24th October 2011

Interview with Amiee Bowker – Handmade & Heritage

Vintage Upcycled Lavender Cushion

Back on track with Monday interviews, this week: Amiee Bowker with her online shop Handmade & Heritage.  Amiee's  shop is a world of thrifty chic, she upcycles fabrics, paper and found materials into lovely homeware. She likes drawing, making hats, and watching X-men. I wanted to find out more... 


Aimee, tell us a bit about yourself.

Handprinted Bluetit Card

I originally studied Fashion specialising in Millinery and worked for a headwear company as an assistant designer until child care costs and travel expenses forced me to be a stay at home mum. Handmade and Heritage is the culmination of different projects over the years from jewellery making to millinery which also incorporates my love of traditional craft, history and nature. 

How long have you been on Folksy?
I've been a member of Folksy under different guises for a couple of years now but its only in 2011 that i've really started to develop Handmade and Heritage.

So, you started out as a Milliner? How did you get into that and what's it like making hats? Millinery came about as a bit of an accident really. I studied fashion at college with the intention of specialising in costume design however a national competition that the college entered yearly really caught my attention. I loved that you could take a piece of felt or straw and mould and manipulate it into amazing shapes using processes that have not changed for hundreds of years. Each hat to me is a bespoke piece of art and I really enjoy developing designs with sculptural inspiration. Even though my craft has taken a different route now, I still find myself sketching and playing. It's something I could never not to again and the odd commission for family and friends keeps me happy.

What would you say inspires you?

Vintage Cigarette Card Bunting

Anything really could take my eye. It could even be a song or TV programme. Recently I've found inspiration with birds visiting my garden. I sketched everything that passed through and used it to create a whole range of items from prints to embroidery. I constantly read books, trawl the internet for ideas and scour charity shops and car boot sales for vintage finds such a bead or scrap of fabric to spark an interest. In the new year I want to look further into the Biologist and artist Ernst Haekal who illustrated hundreds of species of animals and plants, I think his illustrations would translate well into my style of work. 

Where does your passion for handmade stem from?

Origami Bracelet

My family. My father is an artist and my mother has sewing and knitting skills I could only dream of achieving. I was brought up making and drawing and also creating something out of nothing! My parents have taught me so much over the years not just practically but also to widen my knowledge of art, craft and culture by taking me to galleries and museums. In fact a lot of my family are talented makers, crafters and artists we all seem to work with our hands!




And finally... favourite Saturday morning cartoon whilst growing up?
Over the years I've had many Care Bears, Beauty and the Beast, Fraggle Rock (my nickname is Fraggle) spring to mind. I have to say my favourite that I could still watch now is X-Men. I love it and always wanted to be Rogue. In fact I have a little section dedicated to X-Men on Pinterest featuring images and crazy ways to make Wolverine's claws!

Partridge Christmas Gift Wrap

Thanks Amiee for being interviewed. That just leaves me to showcase one of my favourite items: this Partridge gift wrap, and to encourage you to check out Handmade & Heritage for yourself. Thanks for reading!

Interview - Monday 19th September 2011

Alison Deegan Interview

Another Monday, another interview, and today it's printmaker Alison Deegan. As some of you may have read, I took up lino printing again recently (Alison left an encouraging comment about my ham-fisted efforts), and I'd forgotten just how painstaking it was.  When you see Alison's work you know you're in the presence of a master, as it were. My personal favourite is a recent print of the Lewis Chessmen, seen here. If you've never tried lino printing, have a go, the materials are easy to get hold of online and the results are so satisfying.  I humbly approached Alison, being an admirer of her work, and now I'm happy to unveil the interview she kindly gave. 

Tell us about yourself

I am an archaeologist, printmaker and mum. I took up printing about 4 years ago and was immediately addicted. My main subjects are rural landscapes and wildlife. I spend a lot of time looking at air photos, some of them dating back to the 1940s, so I am always conscious of the archaeological and historical time depth when I am creating a landscape study. I love watching the birds and animals that visit the garden with our small son so these are often subjects too.

For those who are unfamiliar, take us through the process of lino printing. 
Take a sheet of lino. Cut out the bits where you don't want ink. Roll out the ink out onto a sheet of glass until you have a nice even layer on the glass and roller. Then roll the ink onto the lino. Carefull layer the paper on top. Add pressure. Add a bit more pressure. And some more for luck. Cross your fingers. Gently lift the paper. Stand back and admire :) You can see the inking in action here.
What was it about lino printing that attracted you to this medium?

I really like the physicality of this type of printing: carving the lino, rolling out the ink, winding up and down the press. A vague pencil line can be transformed into something quite different when it is cut into the lino, it feels like a very decisive form of mark making.
Which piece are you most proud of?

 I made a few special versions of my Newt Love linoprint using several different layers and merging shades of green, I love the results.

What else do you like to do?
Walking in the hills; swimming in the sea; collecting and foraging; making a mess. I'd like to do more sewing and painting.  

And finally... Who would play you in a film about your life?

 Mmm, I'd cast Natascha McElhone, though of course it would have to be a fictionalised account...


Thanks Alison! Don't forget to investigate her shop and blog. As ever do comment, follow and get in touch if you'd like to be interviewed (I have a small waiting list). :-)
Copyright for all images in this interview belongs to Alison Deegan, and images have been used with her permission.

The Fun Fiasco - Lino Printing

Today all my purchases arrived from ebay, so I was good to go with my lino printing! To say I was excited was an understatement. Now, before you read any further, there are some things you ought to know. Firstly, it's been a while since I've lino printed. As in years. Secondly, I don't have my own home, my own workspace or my own printing press. And thirdly, I'm not one to let the things mentioned in Secondly hold me back. So, without further ado...

Whilst cooking dinner I thought about the things I could do with my two small pieces of lino I had. I settled on two ACEO sized prints, one of Peterborough Cathedral which I can't seem to get enough of lately, and one which would meet a brief set by a collaborative I am part of, roartalent. We had to illustrate a holiday we had been on, so I decided to do fish and chips (I ate a lot of it in Cromer, the seaside town we went to).


I bought this tray for £1! Look how well it serves as somewhere to roll the ink! I'm pretty proud of my solution to the "no equipment, no space" hurdle.

 I started carving Peterborough Cathedral, and I suddenly remembered how difficult lino can be. My admiration for the lino artists increased, and with it my doubt in my own abilities. I forged on though.
Here are the first few prints. I'm just getting used to the amount of ink, and the amount of pressure to apply ('pressure' meaning either going at it with a clean roller, or pressing my hands on the lino with all my weight. Technical stuff). This is my Peterborough Cathedral print.

So, the inevitable happened. Three times, actually. I rammed the blade of the lino-cutting tool into my middle finger. And I know the bandage looks like a slight overreaction, but believe me I tried an ordinary plaster, and lets just say it wasn't doing its job. I made a lot of mess. But I had just the thing to cheer me up...

 Now for the fish and chips. I only have blue ink for now (in case you haven't guessed) but I'm looking forward to trying new colours. All in all, I'm pleased with tonight's effort: it's been a long time since I've done this, I've overcome shortage of space, shortage of equipment and shortage of non-bleeding fingers.
To round off I want to salute all the lino-printers out there who make AMAZING images that continue to wow me daily. I'm not there yet, but I will be!