tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26752827767096339162024-03-13T17:55:28.078+00:00Kate Betty Smith ArtistEnchanting and timeless artwork inspired by British folklore and the natural world.Kate Betty Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12771309203523995739noreply@blogger.comBlogger77125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2675282776709633916.post-68362368125849683372018-05-05T19:51:00.001+01:002018-05-05T19:51:43.214+01:00The Times They Are a-Changin'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qJyeLSvfjrU/Wu358H7vc-I/AAAAAAAABe4/0AaIc-I12i4aGE7ekSPU0sVXgii3x3y0ACEwYBhgL/s1600/Kate-Betty-Smith-Summer-Wedding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="711" data-original-width="1000" height="454" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qJyeLSvfjrU/Wu358H7vc-I/AAAAAAAABe4/0AaIc-I12i4aGE7ekSPU0sVXgii3x3y0ACEwYBhgL/s640/Kate-Betty-Smith-Summer-Wedding.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The last twelve months or so have probably been, and will be, one of the biggest years of changes I've every had. From a very grotty start to 2017 with two operations and being very poorly, to the wonderful surprise of getting engaged in Scotland, surrounded by family, by the beginning of summer. I have also started a new 'day job' which takes up a lot more time than your average day job, with lots of truly lovely people. In a few months' time Sam and I will be getting married in the woods at home on the farm, and we know have a newfound respect for everyone who has tackled the logistical minefield of organising a wedding! It's hopefully going to be a very relaxed and quirky wedding mixing both our Chinese and English traditions. I've used the drawing I made for our invitations in this blog post. To top it all off, and because we don't do things by halves, we're also going to be building our first home at the end of the summer too. We've certainly had a few 'What are we doing?!' moments but it's all very exciting! Unfortunately, all of this means that art shows have been rather on the back-burner this year. However, I am still at the Teme Valley Market on the second Sunday of every month at The Talbot at Knightwick and write the monthly newsletter for the market stallholders. We will also, of course, be having our annual Christmas Open Studio- I know that some of you will recoil in horror at the thought of Christmas during all this beautiful sunshine, but that others, like me, will be starting to feel the very early beginnings of festive excitement! We're channelling our innter swan at the moment and going for the calm and serene exterior whilst peddling madly under the surface so I'm sending a very heartfelt thank you for 'bearing with' as Miranda would say!<br />
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<br />Kate Betty Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12771309203523995739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2675282776709633916.post-23849239696793099112017-05-24T10:29:00.001+01:002017-06-22T00:02:25.907+01:00Evenfall<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="s1">Owls have long been associated with witchcraft. In England it was believed that cooking owl eggs until they became ash was an excellent ingredient for various potions including one to improve eyesight.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">In some stories, owls were seen as an omen of death, perhaps due to their unearthly screeches frightening people at night! However in other parts of Northern England, it is good luck to see an owl. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">'Evenfall' is now available in my <a href="http://owls%20have%20long%20been%20associated%20with%20witchcraft.%20in%20england%20it%20was%20believed%20that%20cooking%20owl%20eggs%20until%20they%20became%20ash%20was%20an%20excellent%20ingredient%20for%20various%20potions%20including%20one%20to%20improve%20eyesight.%20%20in%20some%20stories%2C%20owls%20were%20seen%20as%20an%20omen%20of%20death%2C%20perhaps%20due%20to%20their%20unearthly%20screeches%20frightening%20people%20at%20night%21%20however%20in%20other%20parts%20of%20northern%20england%2C%20it%20is%20good%20luck%20to%20see%20an%20owl./" target="_blank">Etsy shop</a> as a greeting card or small print.</span></div>
Kate Betty Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12771309203523995739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2675282776709633916.post-81999488519353303072017-05-24T10:25:00.001+01:002017-06-22T00:02:31.198+01:00The Last Wolf<div class="p1">
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<span class="s1">Although no longer to be found in the wild in the UK since around the 17th century, wolves in British folklore are seen as animals to be feared, We are all familiar with tales of wolves in the woods, luring and eating unsuspecting children or grandmothers. The wolf also snatches women and babies in some British tales. In Medieval stories, he would spit on his paws to make his approach silent to unsuspecting victims, or bite a paw if he trod on a twig. This image appears in some church carvings.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">There are a few stories where the wolf is shown in a positive light- in some Scottish stories, a wolf nurtured human babies and in some saints’ legends the wolf appears as a dog-like companion. There is a story of a wolf guarding St Edmund’s head near Hoxne, Suffolk.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">There are many stories about the ‘last wolf’ hunted in England. January was known as ‘wolf month’ because it was the time of year when people were in most danger of falling victim to wolves and the wolf hunting season was between 25th December to 25th March. There are stories of the last wolf being killed in Cheshire at the end of the fifteenth century, at a farmhouse named ‘Wolfa’ near Great Salkfield in Cumberland, or at Wolverstone in Devon. There are also stories of a wolf being killed at ‘Wolfscrag’, West Chiltington, Sussex but it is thought that many of these stories were most likely inspired by their wolfish place names.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">In recent years there have been proposals to reintroduce wolves to parts of Scotland and England.</span></div>
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'The Last Wolf' is now available in my <a href="https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/katebettysmith" target="_blank">Etsy shop</a> as a greeting card, small or large print.</div>
Kate Betty Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12771309203523995739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2675282776709633916.post-60496554063683667552016-12-08T09:40:00.002+00:002016-12-08T09:40:52.137+00:00Christmas h.Art<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's always my favourite event of the year- thank you so much to all of our friends both old and new who came to join us over the weekend. Here is just a very small snapshot of a wonderful weekend.</div>
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You make it possible for us to be able to take part in fantastic events like h.Art.</div>
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We wish you a very Happy Christmas! </div>
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Lots of love </div>
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Kate and Lit xxx</div>
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Kate Betty Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12771309203523995739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2675282776709633916.post-34359864129317079382016-12-08T08:35:00.000+00:002016-12-08T08:41:39.474+00:00Crafts for Christmas at the NEC Birmingham<div style="text-align: center;">
Hopelessly late, but I had to write about how we got on at the NEC last month.</div>
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The show is actually four shows in one- Crafts for Christmas, Cake International, Hobbycrafts and Art Materials Live so there were hundreds and hundreds of different stands to see and tens of thousands of people visiting.</div>
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It was incredibly hard work and Sam was amazing for taking the time off work to come and support me (you really can't do a show like that by yourself). There weren't as many independent designer makers as in previous years but we were lucky to be positioned in with a cluster of other makers. We had a fantastic time and the best part of the event was that we made some lovely new friends.</div>
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Andy and Hazel of '<a href="https://www.facebook.com/HandmadebyHazel14/?fref=ts" target="_blank">Handmade by Hazel</a>' were our neighbours. They were great fun to be around during the long days and make stunning wooden and slate items for your home such as cheeseboards and wine racks.</div>
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Lovely Val of '<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Foxy-Brushworks-384967101595069/?fref=ts" target="_blank">Foxy Brushworks</a>' makes gorgeous hand painted mirrors. We did an artist swapsie and I came away with one of her super cute cat mirrors! These would make perfect wedding or special occasion presents as they can be totally customisable to you.</div>
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Super smiley Irek of '<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Forever-Amber-Jewellery-371952362880605/?fref=ts" target="_blank">Forever Amber</a>' makes beautiful amber jewellery that I can't tell you too much about as I don't want to spoil any Christmas presents!</div>
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We also met '<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Henleysweets/?fref=ts" target="_blank">Henleys Traditional Sweet Shops</a>' who talked me into trying their sour challenge which I failed at dismally!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My very lovely and talented friend, Philippa Day also came to see us!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wonderful to see Alice and Susan, as always!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Best visitor outfits from these lovely ladies!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They returned as reindeer the following day!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bringing festive cheer in our Christmas jumpers!</td></tr>
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Kate Betty Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12771309203523995739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2675282776709633916.post-6364321256051829382016-12-07T20:37:00.004+00:002016-12-07T20:37:56.887+00:00CHOCOLATE!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's been an incredibly busy few months with very little free time, but Sam and I decided to treat ourselves to a rare day off- we went on Jacqueline Keenan of <a href="http://www.lafleurdechocolat.co.uk/" target="_blank">La Fleur de Chocolat</a>'s chocolate making course!</div>
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We know Jacqui from a few of our regular markets and I don't think I've ever managed to resist not going home with (most likely an empty) box or bag of scrumptious treats made by her.</div>
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To say I was in my element during the day would be a huge understatement. I LOVE chocolate.</div>
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Jacqui welcomed us all with proper hot chocolate (the best I've ever had) and delicious nibbles. She taught us all about how chocolate is made and then had us taste a variety of different chocolates. This was fascinating and it's amazing how many different flavours you can taste in the real deal when you have an expert guiding you. I've never been wine tasting but I imagine it's a similar experience.</div>
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What shocked us the most was how unpleasant the supermarket brand chocolate tasted to us all after trying so many fine chocolates. I didn't think I liked dark chocolate before but Jacqui was absolutely right that we just hadn't tasted the right sort!</div>
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During the rest of the afternoon, we made our own fruit ganache to fill a tray of decorated chocolates, as well as three chocolate lollipops. My favourite part was the decorating and I'd love to have another go at it! I tried creating all sorts of detailed designs but I think the simpler, more abstract ones actually looked the most effective.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Painting chocolate designs</td></tr>
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My filling of choice was raspberry and framboise, while Sam opted for mango and passionfruit so between us we had a good selection.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You have to bash the tray with a rolling pin to line each chocolate mould</td></tr>
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I knew chocolate making involved a great deal of artistic skill but hadn't realised what a scientific process it is too, and how exact temperatures need to be reached and cooled to in order to temper your chocolate properly and give it a wonderful shine. </div>
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I absolutely loved how messy it was as well- such fun!</div>
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We had a wonderful day with Jacqui- she couldn't have been more welcoming and it was a real pleasure to learn more about the greatest thing on earth from a passionate expert. We were also allowed to taste everything throughout the day (which of course we did) so I was on a sugar high for the majority of the afternoon. I can't recommend the experience highly enough, so if you're looking for the perfect gift for the chocoholic in your life, head on over to her <a href="http://www.lafleurdechocolat.co.uk/" target="_blank">website</a>!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sam's chocolates</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Christmas themed chocolates</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our lollipops all set to go!</td></tr>
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Kate Betty Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12771309203523995739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2675282776709633916.post-80805440551650969192016-10-25T10:10:00.001+01:002016-10-25T10:10:26.825+01:00In the Forest of the Night Exhibition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-66msoBPWBrg/WA8YuFHOHQI/AAAAAAAABUQ/oiIKg7xz040_xAa0YlwdBXgvNf4vwbmJgCLcB/s1600/In-the-forest-of-the-night.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-66msoBPWBrg/WA8YuFHOHQI/AAAAAAAABUQ/oiIKg7xz040_xAa0YlwdBXgvNf4vwbmJgCLcB/s640/In-the-forest-of-the-night.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I'm absolutely delighted to be in the <a href="http://www.waterperrygardens.co.uk/Art_in_Action_Gallery-U34" target="_blank">Art in Action Gallery</a> winter exhibition entitled 'In the Forest of the Night'.</div>
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I really admire the work of Catherine Hyde and Flora McLachlan (the other two artists taking part) and am honoured to be in their company for the exhibition. I've seen Catherine Hyde's stunning work at Blue Ginger and bought some of her cards at the final Art in Action show. Her paintings are like scenes from stories of myths and magic of old. See more at her website <a href="https://catherinehyde.co.uk/" target="_blank">here</a>. I first saw Flora McLachlan's work through the Art in Action Gallery. It's hauntingly beautiful and makes you feel like you've stepped into a fairy tale. Find out about her <a href="http://www.floramclachlan.co.uk/" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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'In the Forest of the Night' is running from the 5th November to 24th December. <a href="http://www.waterperrygardens.co.uk/Art_in_Action_Gallery-U34" target="_blank">The Art in Action Gallery</a> (open daily) is a charming converted barn amongst the grounds of Waterperry Gardens, Oxfordshire. There's also a gift shop and tea room, so it's well worth a visit for an autumnal or wintry day out.</div>
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The exhibition will feature original artwork from my 'Winter' collection as well as a good selection of prints and cards.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tT9keSKDTjI/WA8ciqosJsI/AAAAAAAABUc/BV1M0t08L_0auk7lzLqY5SLvK-IKQtbxwCLcB/s1600/Christmas-Deer-Watermarked.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="452" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tT9keSKDTjI/WA8ciqosJsI/AAAAAAAABUc/BV1M0t08L_0auk7lzLqY5SLvK-IKQtbxwCLcB/s640/Christmas-Deer-Watermarked.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">'Dashing Through the Snow'</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This painting is inspired by the deer seen on a wildlife tour in Ardnamurchan off the west coast of Scotland.</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> I visited during the summer, but couldn’t resist the idea of turning these magnificent creatures into a wintry scene.</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9R1rFPUMKN4/WA8chU4ZI_I/AAAAAAAABUY/U5lhYmLM8CEFfznMO8mxbg-GvMaT7vi2QCLcB/s1600/KBS-hare-lores.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9R1rFPUMKN4/WA8chU4ZI_I/AAAAAAAABUY/U5lhYmLM8CEFfznMO8mxbg-GvMaT7vi2QCLcB/s640/KBS-hare-lores.jpg" width="482" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">'Winter Moon'</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There are stories linking the hare and the moon from all over the world.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The hare was believed to be the sacred beast of an Ancient Saxon goddess, Eostre. </span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">These mysterious creatures come out at night when the moon is full and became</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> associated </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">with life and re-birth.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yPinbgBRWVQ/WA8cqE0OjiI/AAAAAAAABUk/eBG1-jze9nEhSbnzkfIudfV1c72xLLGGwCLcB/s1600/Midwinter-Messagenger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="468" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yPinbgBRWVQ/WA8cqE0OjiI/AAAAAAAABUk/eBG1-jze9nEhSbnzkfIudfV1c72xLLGGwCLcB/s640/Midwinter-Messagenger.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">'Midwinter Messenger'</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There are stories linking the hare and the moon from all over the world.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The hare was believed to be the sacred beast of an Ancient Saxon goddess, Eostre. These mysterious creatures</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> come out at night when the moon is full and became associated with life and re-birth.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He was thought to travel between worlds under the cover of darkness when the moon was full.</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> In some stories he is seen in a positive light, and in others as a trickster.</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q1sF7x048_k/WA8cqmP4PiI/AAAAAAAABUo/t4cdbOKRtDs6Ty5JTBVMn4BMrP-cCNTswCLcB/s1600/Mr-Fox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="464" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q1sF7x048_k/WA8cqmP4PiI/AAAAAAAABUo/t4cdbOKRtDs6Ty5JTBVMn4BMrP-cCNTswCLcB/s640/Mr-Fox.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">'Mr Fox'</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There are folk tales across Britain of a cunning foxy gentleman who tricks a young lady </span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">into agreeing to marry him with his elegance and fine manners. Little does the lady know that </span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Mr Fox is planning to murder her. Foxes often represent male predators hunting female prey in </span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">these stories. Thankfully in most of the tales the lady is usually more cunning than sly Mr Fox.</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sshCCnZUShI/WA8cx2wA7lI/AAAAAAAABUw/UrGZlb0QarUtnxfpS9dNoXDEL-k01-U0wCLcB/s1600/Robin-Red-Breast-watermarked.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sshCCnZUShI/WA8cx2wA7lI/AAAAAAAABUw/UrGZlb0QarUtnxfpS9dNoXDEL-k01-U0wCLcB/s640/Robin-Red-Breast-watermarked.jpg" width="464" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">'Robin Redbreast'</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">During the Victorian times, postmen wore red tunics as part of their uniform and</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> were nicknamed Robin Redbreasts. Postmen delivered cards and presents </span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">over the Christmas period and the robin was used on cards to represent these </span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">bringers of festive cheer.</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hqWaJWoMc98/WA8clzvAW_I/AAAAAAAABUg/srAYtTpxqSgfU_lYYF3YW0sxsBUZneJHQCEw/s1600/Mab%2527s-Mischief-Maker-watermarked.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="462" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hqWaJWoMc98/WA8clzvAW_I/AAAAAAAABUg/srAYtTpxqSgfU_lYYF3YW0sxsBUZneJHQCEw/s640/Mab%2527s-Mischief-Maker-watermarked.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">'Mab’s Mischief Maker'</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Squirrels have long been associated with faeries, particularly Queen Mab. Mab was queen of the faeries</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> according to British folklore and was believed to be accompanied by a bird and a squirrel on each shoulder. </span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">She was thought to be fond of mischief, including swapping human babies for changelings (faerie children).</span></span></td></tr>
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Kate Betty Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12771309203523995739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2675282776709633916.post-39085101560168820162016-10-13T10:51:00.000+01:002016-10-13T10:51:04.395+01:00Christmas is Coming!<div style="text-align: center;">
We've had a fantastic h.Art, and that can only mean one thing…</div>
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Christmas is coming!</div>
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I'm in full preparation mode for some very exciting events to close the year with. Firstly though, we'd like to say a huge thank you to everyone who came to support us during h.Art. We really appreciate it and couldn't have done it without you. It's very special for Mum and I to be able to take part in these events together and we're already looking forward to our Christmas Open Studio.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tuzWsiwRiog/V_9OqZXbPTI/AAAAAAAABTk/Z_a7aUEj5EIV2Wb2sI8jxASnKgkSx-XqwCLcB/s1600/DSC04988.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tuzWsiwRiog/V_9OqZXbPTI/AAAAAAAABTk/Z_a7aUEj5EIV2Wb2sI8jxASnKgkSx-XqwCLcB/s640/DSC04988.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here are just a few photos of our lovely visitors this year.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T3-8yHGsHg4/V_9YgxaJ4NI/AAAAAAAABT0/ADPEgIZX0AslzD9R1q8WxziSjGZiTUo6gCLcB/s1600/hartforblog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="434" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T3-8yHGsHg4/V_9YgxaJ4NI/AAAAAAAABT0/ADPEgIZX0AslzD9R1q8WxziSjGZiTUo6gCLcB/s640/hartforblog.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I'm currently feeling a little like Home Alone's Kevin as I prepare for my first ever show at the NEC, Birmingham- <a href="http://www.thecraftshows.co.uk/christmas/birmingham/" target="_blank">Crafts for Christmas</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/--TSV45h5VfA/V_9Ib-aYLYI/AAAAAAAABSs/4dj55hOpuvcKjtn8Bred0vuNFlZ12OecgCLcB/s1600/0edbac4a-e2c3-4d04-a382-fc3f26962fa7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/--TSV45h5VfA/V_9Ib-aYLYI/AAAAAAAABSs/4dj55hOpuvcKjtn8Bred0vuNFlZ12OecgCLcB/s320/0edbac4a-e2c3-4d04-a382-fc3f26962fa7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This will be far and away the biggest retail event I've taken part in and is the biggest stand I've ever been able to fill. I'm at the scary stage of ordering vast quantities of stock, display materials and stand decorations and hoping it is all worth it!</div>
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<a href="http://www.thecraftshows.co.uk/christmas/birmingham/" target="_blank">Crafts for Christmas</a> is a fantastic show. Alice and I have visited the last two years for 'research' purposes and have been thoroughly swept up in the festive atmosphere so I decided it was about time I had a go myself. </div>
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<br /><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8G2FYL3petw/V_9JNOOR0bI/AAAAAAAABS0/fFflo6JEsFYDHduIIhHkt4DVKMorYSV7wCLcB/s1600/Crafts%2Bfor%2Bchristmas%2Bbanner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="82" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8G2FYL3petw/V_9JNOOR0bI/AAAAAAAABS0/fFflo6JEsFYDHduIIhHkt4DVKMorYSV7wCLcB/s640/Crafts%2Bfor%2Bchristmas%2Bbanner.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The show is on from the 3rd to the 6th November </div>
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9.30am-5.30pm (5pm Sun)</div>
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Click <a href="http://www.thecraftshows.co.uk/christmas/birmingham/" target="_blank">here</a> for tickets which are £12 for adults when booked in advance.</div>
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Your ticket actually allows you entry into 4 shows on the day: Crafts for Christmas, The Stitching, Sewing & Hobbycraft Show, Art Materials Live and Cake International.</div>
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You can find me at Stand C04 where I will be demonstrating!</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--re2moXe9JU/V_9KqLVD4oI/AAAAAAAABTA/Ewj88PoQS0I9aOvosrnJrTTes5JuvT6iACLcB/s1600/KBS-hare-lores.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--re2moXe9JU/V_9KqLVD4oI/AAAAAAAABTA/Ewj88PoQS0I9aOvosrnJrTTes5JuvT6iACLcB/s640/KBS-hare-lores.jpg" width="482" /></a></div>
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I will also be taking part in another very exciting event which I will be able to tell you more about at the end of the month.</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nIypC56xc10/V_9Nm66afiI/AAAAAAAABTc/lTiZDjER9fogYTKTg9-h6epMljW4r39dgCLcB/s1600/Winter-Events-2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nIypC56xc10/V_9Nm66afiI/AAAAAAAABTc/lTiZDjER9fogYTKTg9-h6epMljW4r39dgCLcB/s640/Winter-Events-2016.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The other main places you can find me before the end of the year are:</div>
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Saturday 29th October, Hereford Art Market, High Town </div>
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Thursday 3rd-Sunday 6th November, Crafts for Christmas, NEC Birmingham</div>
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Saturday 12th November, Malvern Arts and Food, Abbey Road</div>
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Sunday 13th November Teme Valley Market, The Talbot at Knightwick</div>
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Saturday 26th November, Malvern Art Market and Christmas Lights Event</div>
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Saturday 3rd- Sunday 4th December, h.Art Christmas Open Weekend at Goose Farm</div>
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Saturday 10th December, Hereford Art Market, High Town</div>
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Sunday 11th December, Teme Valley Market, The Talbot at Knightwick</div>
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Kate Betty Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12771309203523995739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2675282776709633916.post-40234018232110137122016-09-08T13:38:00.001+01:002016-09-08T13:41:53.180+01:00Be like a Swan!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Do you ever have one of those periods of time where it just feels like everything is going wrong?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This Summer has certainly been one of those. Firstly, I lost my beautiful cat Mia to foxes which left me heartbroken and feeling completely uninspired, particularly by the fox I'd only recently painted.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">After months of living in a very wrong-feeling house, we decided to adopt three rescue cats, including an only five week old kitten. They are wonderful but two had cat/kitten flu and needed treating for that including some very gunky eyes dripping all over the house. Then somehow they also managed to get fleas despite not going outside yet! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">They have fully infested our bedroom so I can no longer lie on the floor with my yoga mat because they have been crawling out of the floorboards. We've been using every treatment we can find and although we seem to be making a little progress, the little delights just keep coming. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">The poor cats have had to be quarantined in the (thankfully large) bathroom. We chatted to the vets on the phone and found out we're doing everything right by combing them as often as possible and keeping them away from the main infestation in the house. We can't use any other treatment on them yet as they had already been treated. I've become an expert at extracting fleas and drowning them in boiling soapy water. I've never been so well acquainted with my hoover and I've discovered a strong obsession with steam cleaners.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It's a horrible feeling when you can't relax in your own space or even work productively because you're constantly worried about where the little critters are coming from next although thankfully we haven't had any jumping on our bed recently.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My usual go-to is to have a bath when I feel a little overwhelmed with everything and it really helps me wash everything, mental and physical, away. But I can't do that at the moment and I must admit, it's really getting to me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Last night, the lovely Whisper decided to completely miss the litter tray and we ended up with cat pee EVERYWHERE including up against the wooden cladding of the bath tub. It's taken a lot of cleaning up (mostly by wonderful Sam because I was teary tired by this point) and the smell is still lingering. Any flea and cat odour tips gratefully appreciated!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The cats are all absolutely gorgeous though and such a great mix of personalities. I cannot wait for the day when we are flea free and able to cuddle them all without immediately washing our clothing and getting into the shower!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I had perfectly timetabled my summer so that I would be well ahead of schedule for the rest of the year and have written so many blog posts, but thanks to this curveball that hasn't really happened. We have two days until one of our busiest weekends of the year. I had my stock all ordered and ready but had some damaged mount boards which were very promptly replaced. I'd kept these safely in the box until today when I discovered that they'd been dropped in transit by the courier and were all unusable. Steve from Cotswold Mounts is fast becoming my hero because he is sending some replacements out to me for tomorrow.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I'm writing this on my lunch break from our final two days of prepping for h.Art. It's been a bit of a rush, and I keep remembering things to add to my to-do list but I'm sure we'll have everything ready in time... I'm channelling my inner swan- serene and graceful above water, but paddling furiously underneath!</span></div>
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<br />Kate Betty Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12771309203523995739noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2675282776709633916.post-10801681120079696842016-09-01T13:53:00.001+01:002016-09-01T13:53:28.801+01:00Dratsie<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
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My latest work features an otter, or ‘dratsie’ to use its Scottish name.<span class="s1"></span></div>
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<span class="s1">Otters usually offer help to humans in folk tales by bringing food so are usually considered to be animals symbolising joyfulness, playfulness and happiness. Their Anglo-Saxon name was the ‘water-snake’ and in Celtic folklore they are referred to as ‘water dogs’.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Irish and Scottish highlanders believed that otters had other-wordly powers and that they secretly lived as part of kingdoms, like humans. Their rulers were called ‘otter kings’ and were thought to be accompanied by seven black otters. It was thought that the Otter king’s skin was magical and could protect an entire household from harm, but this came at a price. The person or beast who killed the otter king would die shortly afterwards. Legend says that the few surviving suporters of Bonnie Prince Charlie at the Battle of Culloden were all carrying king otter skin to protect them from harm.</span><br />
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This new design will be available as cards and prints at my open studio as part of h.Art from the 10th-18th September. Please see details below.</div>
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Kate Betty Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12771309203523995739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2675282776709633916.post-49518990018288043492016-08-09T18:33:00.000+01:002016-08-09T18:33:54.910+01:00Making a Living from Art is Tough: Why I Support the Just a Card Campaign<div style="text-align: center;">
Just a Card is a fantastic campaign which was started by Sarah Hamilton after she read this sad statement from an independent gallery owner,</div>
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<em>“If everyone who’d complimented our beautiful gallery had bought just a card we’d still be open.”</em></h2>
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This is something which will resonate with all of my artist friends, particularly during the quieter summer months.</div>
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Unfortunately, due to the current economic climate, it's increasingly difficult for artists to be able to make a decent living from their work. Gallery and shop owners, as well as event organisers are suffering the same effects. When I attended BCTF earlier in the year, many participants commented on how much quieter the show was than in previous years. My very favourite show- Art in Action had its final event this summer after 40 wonderful years and I've just read that Treefest at Westonbirt Arboretum will also be finishing this year after 25 years due to falling visitor numbers. The Arter in Stratford (a wonderful supporter of the Smiths) was also forced to close earlier this year.</div>
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Making for a living is such a rewarding job but it's not an easy one. Taking part in art markets and larger shows can cost anything from £50 for a single day into the multiple hundreds and even thousands. That's before taking into account buying in enough stock, travel costs, promotional materials, packaging, display materials and even accommodation for artists travelling further afield.</div>
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During h.Art, I always like to bake a cake and offer it to our visitors free of charge. I'm always a little disheartened by the number of people who arrive, help themselves, even send me off to make them a cup of tea, stay for half an hour or more wanting to know all about how we make our work, insisting on a tour of the farm animals and then leave when just a single card could help us cover the cost of their visit. We even had a man say goodbye, get into his car and then run out to grab a handful of cake to take away with him- in my best Miranda voice, "Rude!".Thankfully, these visitors are outnumbered but not by as much as you'd think.</div>
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I've seen the same happen both with myself and other makers at art markets. You'll have a lovely visitor who wants to learn everything about your work and doesn't stop telling you how beautiful it is, how clever you are and how much they are absolutely in love with it. They usually even come back for a second visit. If this is you, why not consider buying just a card, or small product, from the maker? It will have their website on so you can look up more of their work when you go home- you won't forget about them and will have helped them cover the cost of their pitch that day and, fingers crossed, tip them into earning a wage for their work. Every purchase is much appreciated.</div>
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According to Sarah Hamilton's research, the buying public often said they were embarrassed to make a small purchase, fearing that it appeared mean. I, and so many other maker friends, have had so many markets where this small purchase from all of the people who loved our work would have totally transformed our day. I'm not talking about the people who have a quick look and walk by but the ones who are genuinely interested in what they are looking at and comment on how much they either like or love it.</div>
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Of course, not everyone has bags and bags of cash to splash around. Why not just choose your top few makers at a market, or even just one, and make a small purchase from them so that they are able to return to subsequent events? </div>
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I do practise what I preach here, and have a drawer full of artists' cards recently purchased from from Aquarius, Iapetus, Catherine Hyde, Jane E Hall and Nicola Taylor. I keep some for myself and put them on display, always have a stash for birthdays and thank you cards, and even stick them into my diary and use them to write checklists.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just a few from my card collection. Work by Sally Anne Lambert, Catherine Hyde, Jemima Jameson,<br />
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Just a Card is supported by the magazine Mollie Makes as well as The Design Trust (a fantastic resource for any artist). You can find out more by reading the flyer below which will be proudly on display at our open studio during h.Art.</div>
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Kate Betty Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12771309203523995739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2675282776709633916.post-30508103912488207822016-08-05T15:47:00.000+01:002016-08-05T15:47:33.033+01:00My Final Fox Design<div style="text-align: center;">
Earlier in the year, I created this new piece of work entitled 'Mr Fox'. Foxes are very much out of favour with me at the moment after losing my beautiful cat Mia to one a few months ago. Unfortunately, I don't see myself painting any more for the foreseeable future but 'Mr Fox' was already finished and in my batch of recent work to be scanned and made into prints.</div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/katebettysmith" target="_blank">'Mr Fox'</a></div>
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There are folk tales across Britain of a cunning foxy gentleman who tricks a young lady into agreeing to marry him with his elegance and fine manners. Little does the lady know that Mr Fox is planning to murder her. Foxes often represent male predators hunting female prey in these stories. Thankfully in most of the tales the lady is more cunning than sly Mr Fox.</div>
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This picture is now available as a greeting card and print and is the second fox in my collection along with <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/katebettysmith" target="_blank">'The Kirtlington Vixen'</a>.</div>
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In British folklore witches were rumoured to be able to turn themselves into foxes, amongst other creatures.</div>
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According to the story, there was once a vixen in Kirtlington, Oxfordshire which no huntsmen were ever able to catch. Once day they finally tracked her down with their hounds and chased her for many miles. They thought they had her trapped when she ran inside a small cottage. By the time they reached the cottage, the only living thing they found inside was an old woman, slightly out of breath.</div>
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Please visit my <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/katebettysmith" target="_blank">Etsy shop</a> or get in touch to order any foxy related products from me. I always have them with me at art markets too. The next one will be the Teme Valley Market at The Talbot at Knightwick on Sunday 14th August.</div>
<br />Kate Betty Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12771309203523995739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2675282776709633916.post-25985287025054105942016-07-29T12:01:00.000+01:002016-07-29T12:01:46.283+01:00The Teme Valley Market<div style="text-align: center;">
I was absolutely delighted to have a three month trial with the <a href="http://www.temevalleymarket.co.uk/" target="_blank">Teme Valley Market</a> earlier in the year and even more so to be accepted as a permanent stallholder!</div>
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The market is on the second Sunday of every month at <a href="http://www.the-talbot.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Talbot at Knightwick</a> (aka Best Pub in the World) and features local producers of food, drink, arts & crafts. </div>
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Here's a video my mum made of one of her visits in May.</div>
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There are too many fantastic makers to mention so I'll start with just a few of my favourites:</div>
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<a href="http://www.rubysfudge.co.uk/" target="_blank">Ruby's Kitchen</a>- hands down the best fudge I've ever laid my hands on. Cherry Bakewell is my favourite flavour and I end up getting a bag every time I see Ruby at any event.</div>
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<a href="http://www.handmadescotcheggs.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Handmade Scotch Egg Company</a>- just delicious! So many different varieties to try and a couple of gluten free ones too! </div>
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<a href="http://www.jcblacksmithing.co.uk/index.php" target="_blank">Jonathan Clift Artist Blacksmith</a>- if you see any beautiful metalwork inside the Talbot, it was probably made by Jonathan. He also collaborated with us for 'A Celebration of Nature' in Worcester Cathedral in 2014.</div>
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<a href="http://www.lafleurdechocolat.co.uk/" target="_blank">La Fleur De Chocolat</a>- A fellow newcomer to the market. Oh my goodness these chocolates are divine!</div>
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<a href="http://www.hintonsbakes.co.uk/" target="_blank">Hintons Specialist </a><a href="http://www.hintonsbakes.co.uk/" target="_blank">BakeHouse</a>- Emma bakes tasty sweet and savoury treats including gluten free sausage rolls and cakes. I always get my lunch from her when she's at a market.</div>
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The next market is going to be on Sunday 14th August. I hope to see you there!</div>
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Kate Betty Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12771309203523995739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2675282776709633916.post-69573713051001352512016-07-27T12:36:00.001+01:002016-07-27T14:05:44.049+01:00The Last Ever Art in Action<div style="text-align: center;">
Life has been slightly hectic over the last few days with the arrival of our three absolutely beautiful rescue cats. I'm just about resisting turning into a full on cat lady, but it's a tough job!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">10 week old Monty, 3 year old Whisper and 5 week old little Ink</td></tr>
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A couple of weeks ago we went to the last ever Art in Action. I was absolutely gutted to hear that this year was the very last show due to difficulty in finding sufficient volunteers to run the event and I really hope it can continue in some other form.</div>
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It was Sam's first visit to the show so I enjoyed showing him some of my favourite makers and, of course, food stands.</div>
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Art in Action is set in the beautiful grounds of Waterperry Gardens. There are loads of different marquees filled with all of the artwork and demonstrations you could wish to see from glassblowing to illustration. </div>
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My favourite tent is always the Market tent. This is the largest marquee with a fantastic variety of handmade items.</div>
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As this was the very last Art in Action, I did use it as even more of an excuse to shop. I can't show all of the photographs now as we stocked up on Christmas presents but here are a few from the day, and my favourite makers.</div>
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<a href="http://elizabethwelchglass.com/" target="_blank">Elizabeth Welch</a> makes stunning contemporary glass art, gifts and homeware. We really enjoyed chatting to her about what inspires her work. She is a big Game of Thrones fan and makes gorgeous tiny glass dragons! She was kind enough to let me try on one of her necklaces above. Check out her <a href="http://elizabethwelchglass.com/" target="_blank">website</a> to see more of her work.</div>
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After the first stint of shopping it was time to head for the shade and have a delicious lunch form the <a href="http://www.arabicafoodandspice.com/" target="_blank">Aribica Spice Company</a>.</div>
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We watched a really interesting raku pottery demonstration and did some more exploring after lunch. </div>
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Before the end of the day, I had to return to <a href="http://www.lucysylvester.co.uk/" target="_blank">Lucy Jade Sylvester</a>'s stand. I fell in love with her beautiful botanical and British insect inspired jewellery on my very first visit to Art in Action. I was lucky enough to visit her studio and had one of her beautiful dragonfly necklaces and some earrings for my 21st birthday present from my parents. I decided to treat myself to one of her delicate leaf necklaces as a memento of many happy years visiting Art in Action. I love it!</div>
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<a href="http://www.lucysylvester.co.uk/" target="_blank">Lucy Jade Sylvester</a></td></tr>
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Kate Betty Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12771309203523995739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2675282776709633916.post-54538932671660366912016-07-22T11:38:00.000+01:002016-07-22T11:39:43.894+01:00Herefordshire Art Week 2016<div style="text-align: center;">
It's that time of year again when Mum (ceramic artist <a href="http://litsmith.com/" target="_blank">Lit Smith</a>) and I start preparing for this year's <a href="http://www.brightstripe.co.uk/services/herefordshire-art-week/" target="_blank">Herefordshire Art Week</a>.</div>
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This will be our third year taking part in the fantastic event. If you've never heard of it, h.Art is a prestigious annual event across Herefordshire (and some parts of Worcestershire) during which over 150 artists open up their studios to the public. You can meet the artist, chat to them about their work and even make a purchase directly from them.</div>
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<b>This year h.Art is from the 10th-18th September</b></div>
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<b>Follow the pink signs for Venue KLS</b></div>
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Every year a guide is produced with all of the venues featured plus a little information about them. The guides are free and will be popping up in shops and galleries around the area over the next few weeks but you can find more information on the website <a href="http://www.brightstripe.co.uk/services/herefordshire-art-week/" target="_blank">here</a>. You can also contact us if you would like a copy of the guide.</div>
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Here are a few pictures from last year to whet your appetite. We hope to see you there!</div>
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And if that's all not enough to tempt you, I bake a cake every day for our visitors to enjoy!</div>
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Kate Betty Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12771309203523995739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2675282776709633916.post-4942127590886319562016-07-20T11:43:00.004+01:002016-07-20T11:43:56.023+01:00The Magic of the Hare<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">It seems like hares are having a bit of a moment; Every art show and gallery I go to features some kind of beautiful representation of these mysterious animals, yet we still can’t get enough of them. My hare designs are by far and away my most popular prints and cards, and I absolutely love to paint, draw and read about them.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So why are we so drawn to the hare?</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'Midwinter Messenger'<br />
Kate Betty Smith<br />
Coming Soon as original, greeting card, small & large print</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The hare features in many myths linked to the moon from all over the world. He was believed to be the messenger of the moon in many ancient legends and was linked to many gods and goddesses such as the Anglo Saxon goddess Eostre. In some stories he was though to travel between worlds under the cover of darkness when the moon was full. These mysterious creatures become associated with life and re-birth due to their appearance when the moon is full.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/katebettysmith" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vNItCHcaNWo/V4Ti2WD2Y6I/AAAAAAAABLg/dbIpTz5MZCojKR0orRq9Dvlo6-GHuRtXQCLcB/s640/KBS-hare-lores.jpg" width="481" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/katebettysmith" target="_blank">'Winter Moon'<br />Kate Betty Smith<br />Available as greeting card, small & large print</a></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As well as being seen in a positive light, there are many myths and legends featuring the hare as a trickster closely tied to witchcraft. According to ‘The Lore of the Land’, almost every rural area in the country has stories of a witch able to shape-shift into a hare. The hare always managed to evade the local hunters but on occasion would become wounded and a trail of blood would lead back to an old woman’s cottage. Inside there was no sign of the hare, but the old woman had an identical injury. At this point her identity was usually revealed and her powers broken.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My favourite variation of this tale is from Tavistock where an old woman’s young grandson used to make a fair amount of pocket money by tipping off the local huntsmen as to the whereabouts of a particularly tricky hare to catch. They would always reward him for spotting the hare but could never catch her. One day, however, the hounds were too close to the hare for comfort and the boy was heard to shout,</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">“Run, Granny, run, run for your life!”</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">His grandmother arrived home panting, bleeding and exhausted, but safe and with her powers intact. There are also tales of children warning the witch in Breamore and Longtown, Hereford.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ooXyDa-EWjY/V49VY-Ux9OI/AAAAAAAABNE/b8eXHR5eYAMh5QJHO7eJwLLxg5CKFn5rgCLcB/s1600/KS-hare.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ooXyDa-EWjY/V49VY-Ux9OI/AAAAAAAABNE/b8eXHR5eYAMh5QJHO7eJwLLxg5CKFn5rgCLcB/s640/KS-hare.jpg" width="488" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/katebettysmith" style="font-size: 12.8px;" target="_blank">'The Messenger'<br />Kate Betty Smith<br />Available as greeting card, small & large print</a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"><br />There was said to be a very well respected and powerful witch in Zennor, Cornwall. Well, she was treated with great respect by all but her own husband who did not believe in her magic. One night he threatened to kill her because his supper wasn’t ready. She put on her cloak and left the cottage, but there was no sign of her, only a large hare where she had been. She appeared soon afterwards with a hot and steaming feast and the husband, unnerved at what he had seen, never dared cross her again.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The feet of rabbits and hares were also used as good luck charms, with the foot being brushed against a baby’s face to ward off misfortune. Actors also used them to apply stage make up and kissed them for good luck.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tSEmmlKx_LY/V49Ve3cjSBI/AAAAAAAABNI/IlU6uj4w4RcP8btXe7PqH-VQdi-W0wy2gCEw/s1600/KS-hare-moon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tSEmmlKx_LY/V49Ve3cjSBI/AAAAAAAABNI/IlU6uj4w4RcP8btXe7PqH-VQdi-W0wy2gCEw/s640/KS-hare-moon.jpg" width="486" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/katebettysmith" style="font-size: 12.8px;" target="_blank">'Moon Gazing'<br />Kate Betty Smith<br />Available as greeting card, small & large print</a></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In Cornish legend if a young girl dies of a broken heart, she is said to return as a white hare to haunt her former lover. There is a particularly grizzly tale of Lord Pengersec- a man who sailed to a distant land in search of adventure. He met and fell in love with a beautiful princess and promised her his heart but returned home to his wife in Cornwall. He was horrified when the Princess appeared at his castle with their newborn child and turned her away. The princess cursed him and he pushed her over a cliff to her death. Her ghost came to haunt him in the form of a white hare with blazing red eyes during a storm whilst he was hunting. His hounds and horse abandoned him in fear and he woke half dead, without his sword and full of terror. He went on to live a cursed life and his only son Marec disappeared and was never seen again after seeing the same spectre one stormy night in a flash of lightning.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My dip pen and ink drawing from Hallmark's 1999 version of<br />
'Alice in Wonderland'</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Perhaps the most famous hare in literature is the March Hare- companion to the Mad Hatter in ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’. The phrase ‘mad as a March hare’ is thought to originate from their strange behaviour, such as boxing and jumping, during their breeding season. During the 18th century top hats were manufactured using hare skins. To prevent the fur from becoming matted, the skins would be kept in a bubbling vat of mercury nitrate and as we all now know, that’s quite enough to turn anyone into a ‘Mad Hatter’.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Messenger of the gods, moon gazer, trickster, shape-shifter, the ghostly form of the slighted lover. There’s such a rich history of stories surrounding the hare. I think they remind us of deep-rooted legends of the land and will always fascinate and inspire us.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">If you would like to find out more about the folklore of hares, I thoroughly recommend two books I use to find inspiration for my work, as well as to write this blog post:</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">'The Lore of the Land' by Westwood & Simpson</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">'Spirit of the Hare' by Karen Cater</span></i></span></div>
Kate Betty Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12771309203523995739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2675282776709633916.post-40365185047985268882016-07-19T13:02:00.000+01:002016-07-19T13:02:45.832+01:00New Work: Highland Tiger<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1">I come from a family of cat ladies. When it comes to our feline friends, the love is very strong which is why I was heartbroken to lose my beautiful cat Mia a few months ago. I miss her very much and keep expecting to see her around the house- my mind has even played tricks on me a few times when I think I’ve seen her lying on my bed, or coming in through the cat flap.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">I decided that I wanted to paint a cat piece of artwork whilst the house feels empty and wrong. I like to focus on painting wild animals so I chose the elusive Scottish wildcat. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Wildcats only remain in northern Scotland (they have died out in other areas of Britain) and are under threat due to a variety of factors including hybridization after breeding with domestic cats. There’s a fantastic program underway to try to conserve the Scottish wildcat which you can find out more about <a href="https://www.facebook.com/scottishwildcathaven/" target="_blank">here</a>. I was lucky enough to hear about the project on a wildlife tour in Ardnamurchan last year. I’m returning again next year and hope to learn more about how the project is progressing.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Known as the ‘Highland tiger’, the wildcat understandably has many folk tales attached to it and is an icon of the Scottish wilderness. It was even used in clan heraldry in the 13th century. The Clan Chattan Association (‘Clan of Cats’ formed of 12 different clans) use the wildcat in their badges and have the ominous motto of ‘Touch not the cat bot (without) a glove’. Be warned!</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Charles St John had this to say of the wildcat,</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><i>“When caught in a trap, they fly without hesitation at any person who approaches them, not waiting to be assailed. I have heard many stories of their attacking and severely wounding a man, when their escape has been cut off... If a tame cat has 9 lives then a wildcat must have a dozen”.</i></span></div>
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<span class="s1">There are tales of a Cat Sìth which was said to be either a fairy creature or witch. It appeared as a large black cat with a white spot on its chest and is said to haunt the highlands. It is thought that these stories are inspired by the Kellas cat which was possible a cross between a wildcat and domestic cat.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">I really enjoyed creating this painting and the finished piece, entitled ‘Highland Tiger’ is going to be available in original, greeting card and print form very soon and I will be making a donation from every sale to the <a href="https://www.wildcathaven.com/" target="_blank">Wildcat Haven</a> project.</span><br />
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<i>Information from this blog post is from <a href="http://www.snh.org.uk/pdfs/publications/naturallyscottish/wildcats.pdf" target="_blank">'Scottish Wildcats: Naturally Scottish' by Kerry Kilshaw</a></i></div>
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Kate Betty Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12771309203523995739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2675282776709633916.post-13273085798794825782016-05-17T15:05:00.002+01:002016-05-17T15:09:33.762+01:00Country Living Magazine's Build-a-Business Day<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from <a href="http://www.countryliving.co.uk/kitchen-table-talent/ktt-events/a410/new-come-to-our-build-a-business-day/" target="_blank">Country Living's Build-a-Business event page</a> </td></tr>
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Last week I ventured into London for <a href="http://www.countryliving.co.uk/kitchen-table-talent/ktt-events/a410/new-come-to-our-build-a-business-day/" target="_blank">Country Living Magazine's first Build-a-Business Day</a>. The day consisted of a series of talks and workshops aimed at both established businesses and those with the germ of an idea for a new business. The main 'scary moment' was having the opportunity to pitch your work to a Country Living editor.</div>
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My ticket was a birthday present from Dad. I'm not a natural extrovert to say the least and although I can very happily stand in front of large groups of children for hours at a time with my teaching background, the thought of pitching my art business to proper editors and grown ups struck cold fear into my heart. Nor am I a natural Londoner. So many of my friends and peers have headed for the city to fulfil dreams and follow where the work is but I just find it overwhelmingly impersonal. Give me fresh air in a place where someone is more likely to smile and start a conversation with you at a train station than (literally) walk over you in a suited mob any day. </div>
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Safe to say I was very much out of my comfort zone at the start of the day!</div>
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However, as soon as I arrived at the venue I instantly felt more at ease. The group was fairly small, with around 50 attendees and everyone was really chatty and friendly. The organisers, from lovely interns up to Susy Smith the editor, couldn't have been more welcoming.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Fiona Davies<br />
Photo from <a href="http://www.countryliving.co.uk/kitchen-table-talent/ktt-events/a410/new-come-to-our-build-a-business-day/" target="_blank">Country Living's </a><br />
<a href="http://www.countryliving.co.uk/kitchen-table-talent/ktt-events/a410/new-come-to-our-build-a-business-day/" target="_blank">Build-a-Business event page</a></td></tr>
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We began with a talk from bubbly <a href="http://www.wireuk.org/" target="_blank">Fiona Davies of Women in Rural Enterprise (WiRE)</a> about why now is such a good time to be running your own business. She gave lots of helpful advice about forming a business plan and identifying your brand. We then split off into smaller groups for a workshop to write and discuss our own with the help of an expert leading our discussion. We were lucky to have <a href="http://www.marketingvision.co.uk/about/" target="_blank">Paula Hutchings from Marketing Vision</a> talk us through this and discuss any areas we had difficulty with. The workshop helped me to identify the areas I want to work on in the short, medium and long term.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paula Hutchings of Marketing Vision<br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Photo from </span><a href="http://www.countryliving.co.uk/kitchen-table-talent/ktt-events/a410/new-come-to-our-build-a-business-day/" style="font-size: 12.8px;" target="_blank">Country Living's</a><br />
<a href="http://www.countryliving.co.uk/kitchen-table-talent/ktt-events/a410/new-come-to-our-build-a-business-day/" style="font-size: 12.8px;" target="_blank"> Build-a-Business event page</a><span style="font-size: 12.8px;"> </span></td></tr>
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Next up was a refreshing talk from <a href="https://www.sophieconran.com/" target="_blank">Sophie Conran</a> entitled 'What I Wish I'd Known'. It was so reassuring to hear someone talk so openly and honestly about the changes their business has gone through over time and tell you about their failures as well as their successes. This was my favourite talk of the day.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Sophie Conran<br />
Photo from <a href="http://www.countryliving.co.uk/kitchen-table-talent/ktt-events/a410/new-come-to-our-build-a-business-day/" target="_blank">Country Living's </a><br />
<a href="http://www.countryliving.co.uk/kitchen-table-talent/ktt-events/a410/new-come-to-our-build-a-business-day/" target="_blank">Build-a-Business event page</a></td></tr>
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As you will probably have gathered by now, I am largely governed by my stomach and the venue (The Good Housekeeping Institute Cookery School) was a foodie heaven. It was immaculately presented with vast quantities of tea, biscuits and cake and a delicious buffet style lunch with lots of gluten free choice so I was a very happy bunny.</div>
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After lunch came the dreaded pitch your work talk. As is so often the case, the workshop I was most nervous about was the one in which I learned the most. This began with an interview style panel led by Fiona Davies and included Features Editor Anna Jury, Food & Drink Editor Alison Walker, Health & Beauty Editor Kate Langrish and Deputy Home Design Editor Alaina Binks. It was completely invaluable to learn about what an editor is looking for, the best times and ways of getting in touch and what grabs someone's attention. The main thing I took away from the session was the importance of telling the story behind your work. This is something I definitely plan on developing and making more of a feature of on my website.</div>
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Next we split back into our smaller groups and had the chance of pitching to the very kind Kate Langrish in our group. She was so helpful and positive in her feedback and I think everyone who pitched their work to her felt much more confident about doing so in future. Thank you Kate!</div>
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Social media followed with a short talk from Paula Hutchings and a group workshop with <a href="http://www.socialsocialuk.com/" target="_blank">Ruth Thomson of Social Social</a>. I think social media is always a difficult topic to cover in a short space of time because there's always such a different amount of experience within a group of people. Ruth did a great job of advising us of the pros and cons of the various platforms and gave us lots of material to take away. I've got a fairly good understanding of how the various platforms work but would like to use them to better effect and she gave me some really useful tips which I am looking forward to putting into practice.</div>
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The day concluded with a Q&A session between Features Editor Anna Jury and Emma Bridgewater. This was another very inspiring talk and her passion for British manufacturing really came across. It's so interesting to hear the different routes such successful people have taken to reach where they are today.</div>
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I think creative people tend to prefer spending time creating much more than putting themselves and their work out there in the world and this was something we discussed in our group during the day. It was so nice to see everyone learning more and growing in confidence with that we'd learned as the day went on. I had an absolutely fantastic time, met lots of lovely people and even got sent home with a goodie bag! My brain is completely full of new ideas and I feel more confident with the business side of selling artwork. This is going to be the first of many Country Living <a href="http://www.countryliving.co.uk/kitchen-table-talent/ktt-events/news/a630/build-a-business-day/" target="_blank">Build-a-Business Days</a> and I would thoroughly recommend going if you get the chance. What a valuable experience!</div>
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Kate Betty Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12771309203523995739noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2675282776709633916.post-29605845388174088332016-04-18T13:53:00.002+01:002016-04-18T13:53:27.196+01:00The British Craft Trade Fair 2016<div style="text-align: center;">
We did it! It's been a stressful, busy and exhausting few months but our first trade fair is complete! Hooray!</div>
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What a learning experience it's been.</div>
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We arrived on the Saturday morning in beautiful sunshine to set up at The Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate and straight away saw some friendly and familiar faces including <a href="http://www.jodewar.com/index.html" target="_blank">Jo Dewar</a>, <a href="http://www.katiepruden.co.uk/" target="_blank">Katie Pruden</a> and Paula of <a href="http://www.thearter.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Arter</a>. There was a great atmosphere in the exhibition hall, with everyone helping each other out when they realised they were missing something or needed help with their display. </div>
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We were really pleased with how the stand looked for our first one and have come away with lots of ambitious ideas for the next one!</div>
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I was so nervous on the first official day of the show but soon relaxed into it. Being at a trade show is so different to showing your work at a retail event as buyers have a very clear idea of what they are looking for so tend to do a quick sweep of the hall rather than stop and look at all of the stands. With hundreds of talented makers on show I don't blame them though! Every time I walked to the cafe I spotted a new maker I hadn't seen before. It was great to chat to lots of galleries and shop owners interested in stocking my work and I have lots of following up to do over the next few weeks.</div>
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We had some fantastic neighbours in the Newcomers' Gallery.</div>
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The lovely Ben from <a href="http://www.theowlery.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Owlery</a> is a product based printmaker and artist who works with lino and screen print media to create textiles, ceramics and printed products. My favourites are his badger cushions.</div>
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Helen <a href="http://www.perkypainter.com/" target="_blank">The Perky Painter</a> was great fun and definitely lives up to her name! She produces quirky colourful paintings and digital illustrations and is also inspired by British wildlife and the countryside. I love her fruit/animal puns- Sam and I were chuckling about 'Pandapple' long after the show.</div>
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<a href="https://flocandles.com/" target="_blank">Flo Candles</a> are natural soy candles with pure essential oils and no added chemicals. They smell incredible and we really enjoyed chatting to Emma about their philosophy of keeping the quality of their materials as high as possible. My favourite scents were 'Uplifting' and 'Embrace'.</div>
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The super talented Meghan of <a href="http://www.meghandownsceramics.co.uk/" target="_blank">Meghan Downs Ceramics</a> was the well-deserving winner of the Best Newcomer Award. It was great to see the look of pure surprise on her face as the award was announced! Keep an eye out for her in future issues of Craft & Design Magazine.</div>
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Unfortunately I don't have a photo of Stacey's stand but you should also check out <a href="http://www.staceymooreart.com/" target="_blank">Stacey Moore Art</a>. She creates gorgeous coloured pencil wildlife drawings and we came away having ordered one of her beautiful stag cushions.</div>
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I'd been in touch via Twitter with <a href="http://www.scarlettwillowdesigns.co.uk/" target="_blank">Scarlett Willow Designs</a> before the show so it was great to meet her in person and see her stunning jewellery. She's also from Worcestershire so it was good to see another person from the Shire whilst up north!</div>
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Check out my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/katebettysmith/?ref=bookmarks" target="_blank">Facebook page</a> to see more photos from the show.</div>
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By the end of the show my head was buzzing with ideas and my notebook full of business cards and email addresses from interested buyers. Thank you so much to all of the lovely artists and buyers we met for making it such a fantastic first show! And most of all thank you to Sam for putting so much on hold for me in the run up to the show, building my stand, driving the terrifyingly large car, being at the show every day, bringing me vast quantities of cake and ice cream and being a wonderful support, always with a smile.</div>
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After the show we had a few days of well-earned relaxation time. After visiting the must-see Betty's tea room we stayed at a spa hotel in the beautiful Derbyshire countryside and topped it all off with a visit to beautiful Chatsworth.</div>
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Now to get back to work!</div>
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Kate Betty Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12771309203523995739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2675282776709633916.post-35182126256228584672016-03-23T18:52:00.001+00:002016-03-23T18:52:33.655+00:00Primary School Art WorkshopI had an absolutely fabulous day yesterday- I went to Martley Primary School and got to work with a small group of very talented young artists to create acrylic canvas paintings of famous children's book characters for display in the school hall.<br />
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Our characters included Tracy Beaker, Smaug, Peter Rabbit, The Gruffalo, Winnie the Pooh & Piglet as well as Sophie and The BFG. I gave all of the children a laminated reference picture and explained that this is how I begin all of my paintings because you have to have something to work from. The laminating part is important too because it doesn't matter if you get it covered in paint or water!<br />
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The children then all drew a rough sketch of their design, beginning by mapping out the main shapes to make sure that they filled the paper, and then going on to add progressively more detail. I never let children use rubbers at this stage because I don't want them to be afraid of making mistakes- nobody is going to collect their sketches in and mark them so this was their time to experiment and figure out how to draw their character.<br />
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Our next step was to transfer the sketches onto large canvases. This is such a difficult skill to master and my group made a very good job of it. We did use rubbers at this stage to make sure that no unwanted pencil lines were visible beneath the paint. I helped a little with the odd positioning of eyes and marking where the head and feet should fill on the canvas.<br />
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It's a little tricky to see the sketches at this stage but that is only because the children did such a good job of drawing out their outlines lightly with their pencils.<br />
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After morning break we painted our background colours. There were so many different styles from all of the reference pictures that we covered lots of different colour mixing skills to create the more natural colours found in Beatrix Potter's illustrations to the vibrant primary colours in Nick Sharratt's quirky style. It was a bit of a rush (a large piece like this would usually take me a week and we had a day to finish!) but we finished our background colours in time for lunch.<br />
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After lunch we focused on colour mixing again to create the right shades for our characters and used smaller brushes to add details and make sure that we didn't have any white gaps left on the canvases. Finally, once the paint began to dry, the children used fine liner pens very kindly lent to us from Oak Class to add finishing touches and really make the paintings stand out from a distance.<br />
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I'm sure you'll agree that the children did an absolutely fantastic job. I was blown away by their talent and what they managed to achieve in just one day. A huge thank you to my group of artists and to all of the staff at Martley for letting me borrow the children from their classes for the day. They were an absolute pleasure to work with.<br />
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Kate Betty Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12771309203523995739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2675282776709633916.post-37891095343538206452016-03-15T12:18:00.003+00:002016-03-15T12:18:20.896+00:00What I'm Working On: March<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've had a particularly busy start to the year because I will be attending my first trade show (BCTF, Harrogate) in just under a month's time. I had heard great things from the lovely makers I met during art markets last year and decided to register my interest in the show at the start of the year, thinking perhaps I could learn more about it and apply for 2017. I then received a phone call from the lovely Margeret who organises the show telling me she had taken a look at my work and would be delighted to have me in the Newcomers Gallery this year. I was absolutely delighted and a little apprehensive as I am very much a planner and this only gave me a short window of time to prepare for the show.</div>
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Since then I have been redesigning my packaging for my products- smartening up my fine art prints with printed labels and information cards on the backs, creating catalogues of my work, designing new packaging for my pocket mirrors and altering my pricing so that it is suitable to sell at a trade show without making a loss to name but a few! So far I would thoroughly recommend taking part to any other makers out there as there is a wealth of information to help you prepare for the show and it really helps to guide you to a more professional set up.</div>
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Sam has very kindly agreed to help me build my stand and come along to the show with me and my next job is deciding exactly how I'd like the stand to look. The Newcomers are allocated a 2m by 1m area which is actually quite a tricky space to fit lots of stock into so I will be having an experiment with ideas this week.</div>
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I have also been working on a time-lapse series of videos showing how I create one of my paintings. My mission is to double my range of work by the time h.Art rolls around and this is the first of those pieces. He's not finished quite yet, so part three will be appearing soon!</div>
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I will be attending loads more art markets this year- please see the list below and am also delighted that I will now also be at the May Farmer's Market at The Talbot at Knightwick on the second Sunday of the month.</div>
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And finally here are a few images from my sketchbook:</div>
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Kate Betty Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12771309203523995739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2675282776709633916.post-31157434662480081342016-01-07T13:38:00.000+00:002016-01-07T13:38:12.947+00:00Independent Makers<div style="text-align: center;">
I don't know about you, but 2015 went by in a flash for me. It was a busy year of starting at the the Hereford Art Markets, taking part in September and December h. Art events, visiting the Bologna Children's Book Fair and creating more books with my fantastic friend Alice Brunt. It was also a year of falling in love with a wonderful boy, a fantastic family holiday in Scotland and attending many, many weddings (perfect excuse to catch up and dance the night away with old friends!).</div>
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The sad end to the year is that the gorgeous ladies of <a href="http://www.thearter.co.uk/" target="_blank">the arter</a> (Paula and Rachael) have made the difficult decision to close their beautiful home of handmade in Stratford. In the current climate it's getting more and more difficult for creatives to make a living. Paula and Rachael, with the help of Paula's gorgeous son Rory, have supported Mum and I right when we were starting out and we love them very much and wish them the very best with their next adventures.</div>
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It is one of my missions in 2016 to support independent shops and makers more. There's a fantastic campaign at the moment called <a href="http://www.justacard.org/our-aim/" target="_blank">Just A Card</a> which aims to do just that. It's pretty much what it says on the tin- if a gallery or artist makes you smile and you love their work, try to spend a couple of quid on a card to support them if you can so that they can continue making beautiful things. As someone who spends hundreds and hundreds of pounds to be featured in various markets and events, believe me this can make all of the difference and help to cover costs.</div>
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With that in mind, here are a couple of my favourite makers from the last year:</div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/FoxgloveBears/" target="_blank">Foxglove Bears</a></div>
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The insanely talented Sharna Rothwell of Foxglove Bears makes the most beautiful bears I've ever seen. Just take a look at her page to see examples of her work. They make the perfect present to commemorate a beloved pet. I have purchased two commissions from Sharna- a Ryan the Gosling for Harvey and a Truffle the rabbit for Sam. If there's a dry eye in the house when you hand over one of these presents I'll eat my hat.</div>
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Between the Smith gang we have quite the collection:</div>
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<a href="http://www.katiekeith.co.uk/" target="_blank">Katie Keith</a></div>
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I met Katie during one of the Hereford Art Markets this year. As well as being a thoroughly lovely person, she makes stunning cushions and home accessories using traditional hand-dying and hand-printing techniques. Dad gave Mum one of her dragonfly cushions for Christmas and it was very much a hit!</div>
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More to be added to the list soon!</div>
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Kate Betty Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12771309203523995739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2675282776709633916.post-24665044508987626762015-12-03T15:21:00.000+00:002016-01-07T13:51:57.053+00:00The Winter Edition of Werifesteria Press!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It’s that time of year again – Christmas music is floating on the breeze, your nose is twitching with the smell of mulled wine and mince pies which are in frequent supply, and you can finally watch Christmas films on repeat, guilt-free! All we need now is some cold, crisp weather and we’ll be shaping up for a perfect Christmas. </div>
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This is just one of the best times of year, and one of the best things about the festive period is having the chance to curl up with a good book in front of the fire, with a cup of something warming and a plate of cinnamon-y treats within arm’s reach.</div>
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On that note, we are delighted and very excited to announce the winter edition of Werifesteria Press!</div>
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Following on from the autumnal volume, ‘Flight’, we have been hard at work putting together a visual feast. Motivated by our own love of Christmas, this issue is called ‘Yule’, and is inspired by some lesser-known (but no less lesser-deserving) Christmas traditions and stories. We also share our own family traditions!</div>
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We have filled its pages with little nuggets about mistletoe and the mighty oak tree, together with a story about one little girl’s Christmas wish. There is also a tiny reappearance of the little Ivy fairy we met in Yuletide Tale - see if you can find her…</div>
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'Yule' will be available at £9.50 from Saturday at the h.Art Christmas Open Weekend, details below. If you don't yet have your copy of 'Flight', both volumes will be available together for £18. Hope to see you there!</div>
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<i>Guest post by Alice Brunt</i></div>
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Kate Betty Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12771309203523995739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2675282776709633916.post-75738959990728899932015-11-19T13:40:00.000+00:002016-07-22T11:40:08.067+01:00Christmas Events and Gift GuideIt's that time of year when the Smith women are in full Christmas prep mode! Mince pies have been baked and much mulled wine consumed in the planning of Christmas art events.<br />
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Here are some festive dates for your diary in the run up to the big event. Read on for my Christmas gift guide too!<br />
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You can find me in many places this Christmas!</div>
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CHRISTMAS h.ART WEEKEND<br />
On the 5th and 6th of December, Mum and I will be having an open studio weekend at Goose Farm, Lulsley, WR6 5QW.<br />
We are open from 11am to 5pm on the Saturday and Sunday.<br />
Join us for handmade Christmas gifts, decorations and cards and why not indulge in a mince pie and glass of mulled wine?! The event was a great success last year and we had lots of feedback that we had put people in the festive spirit in time for Christmas!<br />
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HEREFORD ARTS MARKET<br />
I will also be at the Hereford Art Market in High Town, Hereford on the 12th and 13th December.<br />
9am-5pm on the Saturday and 10am-4pm on the Sunday with more prints, gifts and stocking filler presents.<br />
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You can also find my work at THE ARTER in Stratford Upon Avon<br />
<a href="http://www.thearter.co.uk/"><span class="s1">http://www.thearter.co.uk</span></a><br />
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As well as through Louisa Wyatt at THE MEWS INTERIOR DESIGN COMPANY<br />
<span class="s1"><a href="http://www.mewsinteriordesign.co.uk/home">http://www.mewsinteriordesign.co.uk/home</a></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><b>Christmas Gift Guide</b></span></div>
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Here are a few gift ideas for you this Christmas.These will be available at all art events as long as stocks last. You can also order from me directly by replying to this email or using my <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/katebettysmith"><span class="s2">Etsy shop</span></a>.</div>
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CHRISTMAS CARDS</div>
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I have three new <a href="https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/katebettysmith?section_id=14060794&ref=shopsection_leftnav_1"><span class="s2">Christmas card</span></a> designs available this year. Which is your favourite?</div>
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SPECIAL GIFTS</div>
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My <a href="https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/katebettysmith?section_id=14060796&ref=shopsection_leftnav_2"><span class="s1">archival quality fine art prints</span></a> are mounted and signed ready to be framed in standard sized frames. They come in both small and large sizes in all Woodland animal designs.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vQEUqU7ICYQ/Vk3QYQSJqmI/AAAAAAAABBU/EohWmjEsgiI/s1600/IMG_7789.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vQEUqU7ICYQ/Vk3QYQSJqmI/AAAAAAAABBU/EohWmjEsgiI/s640/IMG_7789.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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STOCKING FILLERS</div>
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I have a new range of <a href="https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/katebettysmith?section_id=17111313&ref=shopsection_leftnav_3"><span class="s1">pocket mirrors</span></a> with gift bags that make a perfect small gift for someone. </div>
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My recycled notebook packs are also still available. </div>
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NEW COLLECTABLE QUARTERLY ANTHOLOGY</div>
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'Werifesteria Press Volume Two: Yule' will be launched during the h.Art open weekend. This volume is based on a festive theme and features on mistletoe, the yule log and Christmas tomtes all feature to name but a few!</div>
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Keep an eye out on my <a href="http://katebettysmith.blogspot.co.uk/"><span class="s1">blog</span></a> for more pictures once these arrive from the printers.</div>
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I very much hope to be able to wish you all a very happy and healthy Christmas in person over the next few weeks.</div>
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Love Kate x</div>
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Kate Betty Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12771309203523995739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2675282776709633916.post-39375930448878220832015-09-02T13:06:00.001+01:002015-09-02T13:06:40.283+01:00A New Publication: Werifesteria Press<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Alice and I have been working on our next publication and we
were very excited that it has officially gone to print this week!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Our previous book, ‘A Yuletide Tale’, is an artisan handmade
book featuring archival quality fine art prints and was of a limited print run
of 50. The book was a great success but was very much a time and cost intensive
labour of love.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We both decided that we wanted to expand our range of books
with something a little more accessible to all for our next publication and
came upon the idea of a quarterly anthology. Something for younger readers to
purchase with their pocket money and for readers of ‘A Yuletide Tale’ to add to
their collection.<o:p></o:p></div>
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During our Bologna trip we received positive feedback across
the board for our independent approach to bookmaking and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>we were told that the English folklore theme
which so fascinates us both is definitely the direction for us to go in. With
this in mind, we decided to name our small press ‘Werifesteria Press’.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Werifesteria, pronounced ‘were-i-fest-ear-ia’, is an Old
English word meaning ‘to wander longingly through the forest in search of
mystery’. We decided that this was the perfect name for us. In a world of e-books
and websites requiring little attention and time, our publications are books to
be held and treasured. We are enthralled by traditional tales, myths and
legends and want to share this love of storytelling.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Our quarterly anthology features illustrated short stories,
poems, letters, pages from our sketchbooks and notebooks all inspired by
English nature and folklore. The publication has a colour cover and features
blank and white dip pen and ink illustrations throughout.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Werifesteria Press Volume One, entitled ‘Flight’, will be
available from the 12<sup>th</sup> September at £9.50 each. I will have
stock with me at the Hereford Art Market in High Town on that day, and will
also have copies at the open studio event during h.Art (for details please see
<a href="http://katebettysmith.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/hart-its-that-time-of-year-again.html" target="_blank">previous post</a>). You can also order your copy directly from Alice or myself. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TJp6O5uvL6M/VebF4oxyAdI/AAAAAAAABAY/oUuvDhVgg14/s1600/IMG_8736.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TJp6O5uvL6M/VebF4oxyAdI/AAAAAAAABAY/oUuvDhVgg14/s640/IMG_8736.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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Kate Betty Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12771309203523995739noreply@blogger.com0