Not just for Valentines Day

Valentines Day.

You either love it or you hate it.

But I'm actually somewhere in between.  

So my 'Valentines' card this year celebrates an action rather than just full on love, which reminds me that love isn't just for a significant other.  It's for friends and family too, where ever they may be.

This was the valentine that I gave to my boyfriend last year, and we went on many adventures together, I'm looking forward to another year of that but feeling the pressure to produce a better card than last year...

 

You can buy this card (A5 and printed on a lovely textured stock) in both my Etsy and Not on the High Street shops, if you fancy exploring with someone you love.  Here are the links to the shops:

www.charlottevallance.etsy.com

www.notonthehighstreet.com/charlottevallanceillustrationanddesign

Rest - Restore - Rejuvenate

La Maison Blanche, The House for Knackered Women

The House for Knackered Woman has been a dream of Julie's for years, I can't think of a time when she hasn't been dreaming about this.  And now all that dreaming has finally paid off!

Carcassonne Castle

Here are some of my works in progress, the final cards have just returned from the printers so I'm looking forward to seeing how they look in print!  Julie wanted a layout similar to my 'London Town' postcard I did for a 'They Draw and Travel' competition, so it's DL in size and shows Carcassonne Castle as well as Limoux town - where the house is located.

Limoux Town

You can find details of 'La Maison Blanche - The house for Knackered Women' via the following links:

Website : www.lamaisonblanchelimoux.com

Twitter : @THFKW1

Facebook : La Maison Blanche, The House for Knackered Women

Risograph Printing

Two Times Elliott run a Risograph printing social night once a month in West (ish) London.  I've followed them for a while on Twitter and Instagram and decided enough was enough - time to have a go myself!

  

With the Manchester Artist Book Fair looming over me and no new books to speak of it seemed logical to illustrate a small book to print using the 'Risograph' technique.  Now, I really didn't know much, but I had seen posts and flyers by Two Times Elliot so I had a general idea, and picked up that it may be similar to screen printing.  With that in mind I designed an A6 book that could be created from an A3 page (which is the size printed via 'Risograph') with simple folds and a single cut.

I used Lisbon as my inspiration as after spending 5 days there in August, I really loved the city and it's colourful buildings.  I opted for 4 single page illustrations and one double page spread as well as a front and back page - all of which could be cut up individually incase the fold and cut technique didn't work out!

It just happened that I had friends visiting from California, so I persuaded them to come along with me for company and for something different to do :-D The Great Western Studios was easy enough to find, and somewhat challenging to navigate within, but over all a great place - I'm only sorry that we were there so late so no one else was around!  I selected 2 paper stocks (as I couldn't make up my mind) and went with a contrasting purple ink that was a lovely dark shade.

I'm so impressed with how quick and easy the whole process was, and the results were great!  Personally my favourite is the 'gold flecked' paper, but I had many compliments on the more textured grainy stock as well.

I'm pretty sure that I'll be back next month - MUST do a new design now :-D

25for25 is just what it says on the tin - 25 prints for £25 (+VAT) - you can book via eventbrite, and bring a friend if you're too chicken to go by yourself as I was!  Everyone was friendly and helpful and didn't mind all of my emails making sure I had 'got it right'.

Excellent, thanks guys!

p.s. Look out for the finished book at the Manchester Artists Book Fair!

Home Sweet Home

This piece marks the start of a new personal project of mine to do more illustrations of buildings.

HURRAH!

It is so easy to get distracted with all the lovely commissions I get, that I get carried away and forget that I need to illustrate for me too or I'll have nothing to show for what I love.  I get a great sense of achievement being able to illustrate other peoples loves, bringing a smile to your face and maybe a chuckle if I've got it spot on.  But It's not always something that can be shared with everyone.  Therefore, I have given myself this project to design and illustrate a range that is focused on what I love.  Buildings.  Cities.  Architecture.  Houses.

Give Away

Thats right, you heard me correctly!

I am giving you the chance to win an illustration by me commissioned by yourself.  An A4 illustration of your choice, a complete one of a kind illustration specially for you.  I will use watercolours and add fine line detail, which is the style I tend to opt for when illustrating.  I'll allow a border of paper round the edge to make framing easier.

Some examples of past commissions I've done

In order to enter, I'm asking that you visit my Etsy shop and give me some feedback.  Now.  This doesn't mean that you have to buy something, (although that would be nice if you are tempted).  It means that, I have recently added new products, experimented with the photography and altered my postage costs and therefore would love to hear what you, my lovely customers / fellow illustrators / crafty folk / friends / family, think of it all.

Ideas for you customisable illustration:

• Home / House
• Favourite city
• Garden
• Invitation
• Favourite cafe/shop
• Sweets / Chocolate
• Logo
• Favourite plant
• Pet
• A trinket
• Favourite shoes / bag
• Or you might just like to tell me a few things that you like and see what I come up with!

Please follow this link: www.etsy.com/shop/charlottevallance

And either leave your thoughts in a comment below here, email me, send a message via Etsy (there is a link to 'contact me' on my page) and of course let me know how you would like to be contacted if you won!

I'd love to hear what you think of my photos, the postage costs and the actual items for sale.  If you think something needs improving, let me know!

After all the entries have been placed in a hat I shall select one lucky winner and three runners up.  If you are a runner up, I'll be sending you a little goody bag :-) ppppst I've just had confirmation of a piece of Naida Crystal Jewellery to be in the runner up prizes...you can see her work here: www.etsy.com/shop/naidacrystal

So a total of 4 prizes to be won, you have just under 3 weeks to enter and closing date is the 22nd August at 8pm (UK time).

Most importantly, anyone can enter!

Good luck

X

Ship Shape Studio

Craft Club and Tote Bag Printing


One of my favourite places to go recently has been Ship Shape Studio.  From around October last year up until May they held a craft club every other Thursday evening.  I started out with a Christmas project, which I admit didn't actually get finished until after Christmas - naughty Charlotte!  

 

This event has come to an end until further notice/after the summer, and I'm sad to see it go!  Emily & Adam have put together the nicest space to relax with a hot drink, a piece of cake and your latest crafty project whilst being surrounded by inspiring products and illustrative works. Perfect.

Last month I got organised and booked a Tote Printing Workshop at Ship Shape Studio for myself and a couple of friends.  Nancy Straughan was our lovely teacher and she made us feel nice and relaxed through the class.  For me, workshops like these help me find other ways at approaching my own illustration and designs.  For my friends, it's a chance to give themselves time to be creative!

Hard at work concentrating on our designs :-)

Do you have a place like this that you can go to and be creative?

Artist of the Month of March

Artist of the Month of March at Seasons Cafe @ Rowan

I'm so happy to tell you all about my upcoming exhibition (My first ever proper one don't you know!) which takes place for the whole of March and is situated in the lovely Seasons Cafe @ Rowan.  

They feature a different artist every month, and take on work of all disciplines ranging from illustration to fine art to photography and all thats in between.  This provides a great rotation of gorgeous work for all who work at and visit the Cafe and the Garden Centre that it's located in.

I'll be showing original illustrations in watercolour, silkscreen print and drypoint print.  These will be available to purchase along with digital copies, cards and a few other bits and bobs.

I'll be having a preview evening for those of you who are local and are able to get to Chalfont St. Giles by 5pm on a Friday!  There will be drinks & nibbles or tea & cake, depending on what takes your fancy, from 5-7pm on Friday 2nd March.  Come along for a chat, ask any questions you may have, and enjoy a nice look at my illustration up close.

Hopefully the evening will be nice and clear as it's staying lighter and lighter in the evening already and there are great views across the fields from the cafe.

You will need a car to get there.  If you are visiting on a weekend, give me a shout and I'll join you for a cup of tea!  If you're visiting from afar (maybe via train?) Then hopefully I can give you a lift as well! Otherwise the closest train station is Chalfont and Latimer on the Metropolitan Line, which you can get a taxi from for not too much.

I've been busy working on these lovely stickers for promoting this exhibition.  I opted to create a sticker that could be used on the already existing A6 postcards from the Cafe as then visitors can view the map!  I'm very excited about distributing my 'QR-code' stickers :-) which when scanned will bring you straight here (to my blog) where you can see all I've been up to.  A few have been sent out to friends over seas, so keep an eye out for photos of them in random places!

Wake up and Smell the coffee

This Drypoint printed Artists Book was inspired by my time spent working at Seasons Cafe Deli in Old Amersham, near were I live.  It consists of a front cover, 6 prints of different coffee and a contents page on the back page which tells you of the contents of the different coffees seen in the book.

I've used drypoint printing technique with Chine Colle to attach tissue paper/newspaper to areas of each print.  To do this I apply glue to the tissue and pass it through the press with the print plate when it gets printed.  The whole book is actually on one sheet of paper.  This makes making the book less time consuming, meaning that if you are interested in buying a copy then it works out cheaper than it may of done!  Nice huh?

I made an edition of 12, last year infact, I think it didn't get talked about because I was giving one as a Christmas Present!  However, now you can buy it as a gift too.  It's for sale in my Etsy shop HERE.

Sinterklaas

I always worry a lot about presents.  This stems from the thought and idea that I really want the person receiving the present to love it and not be disappointed.  But also for it not to sit in some cupboard for the next year!

So now I know my boyfriends family better than i did last year, so for Sinterklaas (5th December) we celebrated at their home in Oosterhout, Holland.  There was food, drink, family and presents!  I also felt much more in control this year, as last year I was spoilt rotten and had no former warning...this year I was prepared.

These are the paintings that I did for my Boyfriend's Mum and Dad.  The garden is for his Mum and the Landrover is for his Dad.  I must admit, I think there were a few tears!

Have you made any presents this year?  Leave me a link so I can check them out!

Mail Art for a YEAR!

The lovely Jessica Mack has been a very busy bunny over the last couple of months with this & that, what-not and life.  But, bless her.  If this is the outcome...I LOVE IT!  I am now the proud owner of a Jessica Mack ORIGINAL ILLUSTRATION :-D, she's stocked me up with gift tags (just in time for Christmas present wrapping), a cute notebook + matching pen, a sweet origami bunny and a lovely christmas card.

I had begun to worry that something had gotten lost in the post so was really happy to come home to this package on friday evening after work.  It was a lovely end to my week and start to the weekend - my first weekend after a week at my new job :-D

Most of this I shall be keeping, using, treasuring...but the illustration, I feel deserves a home.  So, it has been framed up and is going under the tree for my sister...I can't give too many details incase she reads the post - I have two sisters so they will be mystified as to which one of them is getting it!  But I know she will love it and it won't be too far away for me to appreciate it still.

Thanks for reading,

X

Jules and The Gang

I've been working with Julie Chard to develop a classic look for her new company 'Jules and The Gang', that will provide catering for 3 levels of service:

Hightum - Smart Dinner Parties
Tightum - Smart Supper Parties
Scrub - Kitchen Table Supper

She wanted a design that was simple, clean, elegant and welcoming.  I found a few fonts, Julie went for this one because of the similarities to her own handwriting.  It's a nice balance of elegant and simple.  What do you think?

I've been a bit quiet on here recently.  There has still been plenty going on but not much to post about!

I've re-printed my '(Delft) Blue' silkscreen book on buildings of Amsterdam, so there is now a second edition of 20 copies - you can find them in my Etsy shop HERE.  I've also printed a small range of greetings cards using sections of the print from the book, which can also be found in my shop.  There is also movement for an Amsterdam Print - yes a flat silkscreen print that you can hang up on your wall!  No book format what-so-ever.  Keep your eyes peeled for updates, or sign up for my newsletter.

Thanks for reading,

X

Garden Illustration

Over the course of the summer I've taken on a few commissions to do Illustrations of gardens.  Maybe you know someone who is very proud of their garden, fond of it, enjoys spending a lot of time there?  Or maybe you threw a great party and want to thank everyone for making it a special day!  These lovely gardens are a few that I have had the pleasure of illustrating.  They have made it onto gift sets of greeting cards as well as being gifted as framed illustrations.

I can work from photographs and visit the garden in question personally (I've been known to travel quite a distance for a good illustration opportunity).  However, if it's a secret, i will work from snap shots that you can provide on the garden's behalf.  These gardens obviously show off their summer colours, this doesn't limit your garden at all, what ever may be your preferred season - Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter - I will illustrate it at it's best.

It's quite nice to have an original illustration + a set of greeting cards of the garden, go hand in hand together.  But if you're just interested in just one or the other, then thats fine too!

Please contact me on charlotte_vallance@hotmail.com 

I'll happily answer any questions you may have.  And if you know the general size of illustration you would like, and maybe have an image of the garden (so I can see how much there is going on that I'll have to work with), I can give you a quote.

Thank you x