WRAPPING PAPER LOVES

Here is a quick post of the beautiful Wrapping paper I've found on Not on the High Street. I quite like the handmade feel which is currently big this year...

Here are the links - left to right.

Indigoelephant, Sophia Victoria Joy, Moobaacluck, Lime Lace, Solitaire,  Sophia Victoria Joy

Enjoy

xx

I HAVE A PLAN

Well, a very quick post - as it's better than no post at all.. here are a few things I've been working on for the last day or so. I'm trying to have a social media break in an effort to get more work done. 

I hope you like them, please feel free to pin etc.. 

I'm thinking of making these into note books, what do you think?

Thanks for looking

Trina 

A FEW SHARES

Hello my dears - thought I would very quickly share a few bits with you before school pick up.. 

Not much happening really.. I've made a few patterns, found a few friends making things for Xmas markets.. 

Thinking of having a few bits made. The problem is that I can't think or organise beyond next week Friday and lots of these things are booked, paid for, and organised like a year in advance. A whole year. Who in the blazzers is that organised,? not little ol me for sure. I can only just organise a dentist appointment in advance, so there is no way I'm going to get that organised. Alas - I won't let it kill me, I will try and do something. 

Our dishwasher machine thingy decided that enough was enough the other day. Obviously not to be undone, you sort of convince yourself, ha, that's no problemo, we can eat out, wash up - or just not eat... but no.. !

With 5 people in our house, we all went into melt down mode. For a start our kitchen is not designed around washing up being a pleasure - the sink is for used tea bags and that's about all - no flies on us.

After three days even our 3 year old started to complain his milk didn't taste right. We cave in and pay a man 250 shinys to retrieve a kids car part from inside somewhere. Thanks. Felt quite sorry for the man - I mean he could hardly get to the thing for all the dirty pots over taking every surface in our kitchen. Gross. The acid test was he accepted a cup of coffee which you never do if your in someones house you think is filthy. 

So what else, oh, yes I made a few patterns for the latest brief in Moyo Mag issue 5. I don't normally do them because I either forget or think - hmmm what to do. Then I move off to something else and again forget..

But this time - I went back to basics, thought about the brief, what colours came to me and took a few pics. 

I'm loving grey and orange right now - 

Anyway - recently I've been taking a class in Nicoles Classes, they are of course on line. ( as practically everything is these days) - You can find the one I took here. 

So one of my ideas was to use the snowflake I had made and sort of use that as a basis for the 'Winter theme'. 

Anyway I know there is some room for improvement - but not bad for a days work. A fixed dishwasher too.. we can eat again. xxx

STYLISH GARDENS

Hello peps..

Gosh have I been busy, busy as Larry, busier than you can imagine.. you see I have 3 little ones, actually one if them is almost as tall as me and she's only 9 - but they do take up so much time. Time I just don't have - I so want to be doing lovely things with my time, but nope, I don't - I do washing and homely things, I break the dishwasher, I tidy up, tidy up tidy up. I've done so much tidying over the past few weeks, I'm like the Tidy up Queen.. you see nothing ever ever stays in the same place that I put it around here. Like NOTHING. You would think that 28 people live in my house. Or just 5 very lazy ones. Perhaps we could just buy a new house and sort of spread out the messiness so it's not so noticeable.? I'm sure everyone who has just completed the illegal marathon of stress called the school holidays will agree.. or at least part agree. 

Still - I have been on a lovely holiday - note picture above, I took at a NT place called.. Lanhydrock   Lovely place, big gardens. I like big gardens, makes me feel much more relaxed when I'm outside doing stuff.  Took some fabulous pictures too. Saw my friend the 'Wood man' who brings our wood, amazing who you meet when on holiday - the world is getting smaller, or I'm getting older and sound like my Dad now.

Anyways today my title is Wind Sock - I just can't control myself. I think I know what I am doing with my patterns and indeed am taking a fab course at the moment with Nicoles classes called Embelishments. Here are a couple of things I made in the first day - (more to follow).. 
I've always wanted to do Damask - well at least since I saw them on this site in fabulous fabric - I've wanted to do Damask.. 

So -  that's all for now. 

Trina x

p.s I've added a little pin button if you would like to 'pin' me. (obviously not literally pin me but pinterest me - well you know what I mean). Thanks.

PINTEREST I GET IT

OK, I get it, I get it, I get it.. 

Pinterest is amazing - I've been so blown away at what this platform can do - I've discovered so many new ideas on how to use it and what it should be about it. How? I've been watching a free webinar. (what's that? ) a 3 day workshop on Creative live - video format of teaching. 

I think I'm going to become a Pinterest fan of all fans. Here is my first test.. I took the picture above at a flower show last year. Believe me if you want to run out now and buy a blue poppy - well I'll tell you, they are 'tricky' to say the least. 

So lets see if this pin - which follows the advise of make your pictures beautiful.. 

I think this is beautiful, do you?

You can find (and follow I hope ) my board here.. 

Thanks for looking. 

Trina 

DAYS OUT - CALKE ABBEY DERBY

Well, had a little visit with the family last week. Mainly to get a break from the kids, or at least try to off load some of the telling off to my parents in Derbyshire. 

Whilst there I took the opportunity to visit Calke Abbey in Ticknall. A wonderful place - lots of things for the kids to do and a big old house for the grown ups. It helps if your Mum is a volunteer.. (Does that mean I'm middle aged - when your Mum is volunteer at the NT?)

(image credit National trust)

I took a few pics whilst I was there of the patterns in the house and quickly dropped them into a collage for you. Hopefully some of them will inspire me to make something great in the future. (or you) - It amazes me how they made such wonderful intricate patterns without photoshop or Illustrator.

I'm finding it quite hard at the moment to get going - which direction etc. I have opened an Etsy shop selling printable downloads in an effort to get some of my patterns noticed, alas this is proving more difficult than expected.. the market is quite saturated.

So - do I now get a few things into Spoonflower? - but a friend suggested that sales are so low, (I guess because the site is so big) - that it's quite a lot of effort to get them in there, plus are unlikely to make a fortune. (glum face) - Perhaps it is better to look at it as more of a notice board to getting noticed..?? But, I'm not totally away with the Fairies, I do know you have to start somewhere.

Talking of notice boards - I'm starting to fall in love with Pinterest. To begin with I thought well, what is the point of it, but now I see why it is - it's kind of addictive! I see so many things I'd like to try, paint, draw - redecorate etc. Here is my page if you would like to see it. I've noticed quite a bit of traffic too from there to here - so that is good.

Well hopefully I will have more time to devote to my project once the kids go back to school. 

I hope you like the pattern above, I made it supa quick one morning - out of necessity more than anything as I needed something fresh for a directory.. shhh... more about that later.. !

Bye for now..

COLOUR FOR THE MASSES - AM I 12?

Of course I'm not 12, but I might be.. I might want to be 12 again. Given that I feel 12 when I see this new book sat  on my desk. Yes, what kind of book is that I hear you say, some kind of picture book.. er no.. it's a colouring book. Not just any old colouring book, a book for people to colour in - yes, but why the hell would I want one? Given that I'm now 40 (cough cough)...???

Well I'll tell you peeps, it's because I'm still trying to draw each day, I'm still trying to draw something of reasonable quality and yes I want to be good at colouring in. Especially on those days when I can't draw a flippin circle even. You see my patterns need colour and where do you get that from? No, not from years of slaving away in the back room of a colourist, or taking a textile degree, or from dyeing peoples hair.... its by experimenting with your own colours. I'm not talking those 20 pencils ya mam got you in Wilko when you were 10, (because you'd been good all morning and not taken any of the plastic square toppers from M&S coat hangers honestly Mum... ) I'm talking about Copic markers, Sharpie markers, Faber -Castell and Zig loveliness.  If they were shoes, we're talking Jimmy or Vera here. (perhaps not quite so expensive, but really quite good) 
I was listening to this the other day and I just love the way Khristian A Howell can use colour.. she is amazballs. I mean she has the full package, colour, pattern, everything, and looks like a super model too.. ! Darn it.

So my intention is to grapple my way through the hell of his Tax Return, (why do men seem to be able to do big things, but none of those little hit you in the eye this is a crap job for Monday) jobs??? - Not that I will add any colour to THAT but at least at the end - I shall be able to colour something in. 

Haven't started yet, but that the fact that I'm writting about it, means that 
A) I will in due course, 
B) If I don't I will have wasted an hour writing this and 
C) I will look a ninny). 

The book is called Secret Garden - by Johanna Basford and here are few more pics for you..

Hopefully after I've done a few pictures I'll let you see them. (I recently got aquatinted with Instagramenes (that's Instagram) for those failing to keep up - I'm Surface Hug if you want to follow me.. and maybe I'll follow you back.  

So what have you been colouring in lately? 

Currently I'm listening to The Potato Factory - which is a sort of historical fiction book about a real life pick pocket in London in the 19th century.. some say is the character Fagan in Oliver Twist. 

On the T.v.v.. I'm still watching and waiting each week for the next episode of The White Queen. I have to say I didn't really like the what I'd read about the Woodvilles but I am now warming to them (and I love the name Jacquetta) I would pay the BBC dearly if they made the drama of Mary Queen of Scots.

Bye for now.. 

(ha 2 posts in 2 weeks - getting better)

Trina 

x

PATTERN COURSE ON SKILLSHARE

Hello dear readers, 

Well, here I am again - I'm still here, hurrarh. 

I've been reading a lot recently about blogs and if my blog or your blog for that matter, will simply just drop off into a blog drop abyss. You know there must be a place somewhere for all these blogs which people start and never get on with. Sort of like a blog heaven.. no that's wrong because you can't really come back from heaven (well, that's what I have been told) so that wouldn't be correct. Anyway - my blog has just been brought back from blog heaven.. and here I am. 

So what is Skillshare? I hear you shout.. Well, it's a platform for learning, where individuals who have something to teach can well, basically, teach us in a virtual classroom. Pretty nifty it is too. You sign up to get an account, (don't worry this is free) anyone can do it - and then choose a course to take. As my intention is to design something spectacular one day I went straight to the design section. There are courses on all kinds of things, painting, drawing, computers, lots of programs, writing etc. The course I chose, wait for it - was a Pattern making course called Reign Repeats. 

I found the course through FB (that's short for Face book- keep up) - it was to say the very least amazing. Not only can you go at your own pace, (perfect if you are anything like me) but you can view other peoples projects too as they are working through the course and give feedback too. Don't worry it's not in any way competitive, I mean I have no intention of comparing my work to an Illustrator based in New York for example (as clearly that would throw you off the edge) - but still it is nice to know you are not alone with the lights off. 

I won't go into detail as you can view the course here - but it was 4 weeks and the amount of information Majo (that's teacher) gave was amazing. There were a mountain of videos, and lots of tips, tricks and pattern skills throughout. I highly recommend it. 

(so you fell down a hole on week 1 and got lost - don't worry, because all the course remains at your disposal for ever - that's right, gone on holiday, no problemo, gone to ground, no problemo, you can just come back to it later - when ever you wish.)

I'm also completing another course on Typography - more about that later. !! 

Here are a few other bits I've been messing around with during the course too... because I know we all love a good look at other peoples stuff.... 

This is me when I can't decide if I'm painting or drawing or colouring - 

This pattern I made for my Etsy shop (gasp shock horror) you didn't know that did you?.. well, more about that later. 

So that's all for now - I've had a few more books delivered... damn that Amazon 1 click order button.. which I will tell you about soon... 

Take care peeps and get drawing - (oh sorry that's to me).

Trina x

A FEW BITS FOR THE PORTFOLIO

IS IT SUMMER YET

It may be cold, wet and rainy outside, but it's summer in here.. 

Grab some old motifs, pick the loudest colour pallet, and make a pattern... 

Hope you like it.. 

Short post, but I'm trying to get my portfolio together... 

Trina x

It's not often!

Hello, hello, hello. How long has it been? - like ages and ages right? - Of course, I want to say that i've been on a gigantic adventure, been to the moon, raised ten thousand for charity... but alas no I haven't. I have however been reading a bit. Since the ending of my lovely e-course Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design.. I'm flummexed. Departed from sane thinking, what am I doing, well, I tell you. I've been finding it really difficult to get going. 

The e-course was just so fab, but there was a plethora of information, just too much to take in in one sitting, let alone the 5 months or so I was taking part. I'm actually still digesting most of it.

At the beginning I did think, ha ha, this is going to be just perfect. Once I've finished the course I will have a boat load of fantastic things to sell to you all. I'd have a mountain of patterns, and loads of exciting people breaking down my door to buy them. But No. It is not yet to be. 

I have't given up hope yet. But life has sort of got in the way. Why?

Well simply because what we think will happen never does. What we assume is the next step, can never be. It's not quite so easy to be creative with a 2 year old at your feet. (and two more at school) So here I am flummoxed..

Of course I've been making the odd pattern. Some of which have received supper feedback from my co- patterners.. and thats fantastic, we all need it. But then I've waisted so much time on things of little creative calorific value and I really wish that the Twitterness, and that blasted FB would just switch off sometimes. It does however confirm my belief that even at school I was easily distracted - I'm still the same.

Anyway - going back to my statement above.  I've read my FB, my Twitter, I've read Pillars of the Earth, The Help, (supper fantastically bloody amazing by the way), and I've read a pattern, making book thing. I took the option like many of my fellow patterners to purchase the new book from Lilla Rogers. I Just like to Make things. 

Here is my review:

Beautifully bound, lovely illustrations, great photos and lots of inspiration. It goes along the lines of 'well after you've made all these lovely things, what are you going to do with them?' 

There are some sub heads - Getting into the process of being creative, being good and how to be great at what you do. Then it moves onto some nice interviews from successful individuals, how they got there, what they do etc etc... after that there is quite a large section on different areas to get your work into. Such as Picture book, home decor, fabric and such. Whilst it may seem easy to make patterns, design stuff, Illustrate happy thoughts, what are you going to do with them afterwards? - There are some exercises to complete to get you moving along and helpful tips on getting your plans written for goals and such. 

So if your just starting out - and want to know more, get yourself a bit of direction and see whats out there, this is for you. 

Downsides, there actually is not a huge amount of information that you might not already know, or can seek out easily on the web. It's not a 'grand plan' more of a 'dip ya toes' if you are just starting out and it looks lovely and happy and the interviews do have depth. The book is sort of fatter than the information, as it's all quite well spread out and loads of blank spaces.. (not entirely sure if you're supposed to be scribbling your new ideas in the margin, or dictating your grand plan to take over the world with your new home made dolls, none, of which you've actually made yet) - but I think if you follow it - do what it says to do, then it could be beneficial.

All in all, a nice read, interesting and colourful. Brilliant if your determined to make money from the market but not quite sure whats next, or how to go about it.

Coffe table envy - 4/5

Value for money - 3/5 (amazon did it for £10 at one point)

Information overload - 3/5

Keep forever to refer to again - 5/5

So that's it - hope it's given you a bit to think about.

See you soon

In the mean time - stay well, eat loads of scrummy food, (actually don't do that save it for Easter) -  be nice and make lovely things. 

And of course if anyone has any bright ideas as to  a)how I'm going to make money from my patterns - because despite reading the book above, I'm just on a merry go round.. my fault..or b) what I should be doing next - or c) what to become my mentor for a year and tell me what to do a bit then let me know.

Trina 

x

Moyo Magazine feature and new name

Yeh - I was featured in the Moyo Magazine 3rd Issue.. something to tell everyone about..

Here is the link if you missed it..

Moyo magazine..

For those of you with beedy eyes, of course I'm not Lilly and Sage, but Surface Hug now.. rebranding necessary for keeping in the swing of things, finding my own identity and not necessarily being mistaken for a lady who takes her clothes off 'a lot' for money..

Phew.. what a journey.. its been a big one, that's why I've been so quite, but I've now finished my course ABSPD.. yey.. so pleased, but not pleased. I made so many friends and had such a lovely time doing it that it will stay with me forever I think but I miss it. Those little posting every day became my comfort blanket of necessary creativity each day. I was forced to do things outside of my zone, sometimes more successfully than others I might add.

So will post a lot more about it shortly.

I'm sorry but this blog will be changing names back to www.Surfacehug.com soon but I hope you stick with me.. !

Trina

x