New Screen Printed Designs

I've been using my screen printing skills recently and made these new products. The Heavenly Angel Wings coasters above are my favourite and are available over on my Etsy Shop. The coasters come as a single item (£8) or a pair (£15).

Next, is this cutesy Diva coasters:

As Valentine is approaching, I created these Love Tokens at only £5 each:

As mentioned earlier, these items are available in my Etsy Shop

I will be creating some more screen printed items shortly, so check back soon.

Kathryn, Lazy Daisy Glass xx

UK Designers Fit for a Queen - Madonna

Never one to big up Madonna, after all she doesn't really need it! But, after all the hype from the weekend I decided to watch the Super Bowl half time show. And show it certainly was! A great performance by the Queen of Pop, Madonna, but was also in awe of the stage set. After some internet research, I found that UK designers were commissioned to make part of her set. The designers, Jimmie Martin, are based in Kensington, London and make some wonderfully quirky products from chairs, beds, cabinets to cushions:

It is great to see a pop icon using UK designers who's main business is to transform old pieces of furniture in to unique items with their urban style.

Not only are Jimmie Martin edgy designers, they are British! And I'm all for supporting UK designers/makers - Buy British!!

Kathryn, Lazy daisy Glass xx

Marketing at the Right Price Point

I was reading an interesting article in Gift Focus Magazine recently about getting the price point right for your creations. Gift Focus is a gift ware trade magazine sent to retailers throughout the UK.

In the first edition of 2012, an 'Industry Insight' article was focused on getting the right price point for your goods. A handful of suppliers and retailers were interviewed about the current climate and it became quite apparent that there has been an insurgence in the £10 category in recent months. Customers will not hesitate in spending up to £10 as these are more likely to be impulse buys.

With forecasts still gloomy, the retail climate continues to be a tough one, it is important as a maker to offer retailers what customers are demanding, and at the moment it is gifts valued around £10.

As a maker myself, it is increasingly difficult to create and offer such goods when the cost of raw materials continues to rise. Also taking in to account the retailers mark-up as well as your own! With this in mind, a maker has to sell an item for £4 in order for the retailer to sell at £10. Not only difficult, but also having to compete with foreign, mass produced goods!

The article has been an interesting read and one which I am now taking in to account. It has made me think about reducing my costs i.e., buying in cheaper/alternative materials, without compromising the end product. The key being to create fun and unusual items that customers still believe to be good value for money. It's not easy having to be one step ahead, but the beauty of handcrafted products, is that they are unique and will often stand out against the mass produced. Keep creating!!!

Kathryn, Lazy Daisy Glass xx

Standing Stones - New Products

The Standing Stones Curve was launched at the recent Spring Trade Show in Glasgow. This will be added to my website and available to purchase. This piece is ideal when a candle is placed behind it and sat on a shelf. Orange and red make a very romantic scene.

The deer scene panel was another item added to my catalogue. Again, with a candle placed behind it, it looks fab. This design is also available as coasters:

All available on the website.

Kathryn, Lazy Daisy Glass xx

POP-tastic! A Great Marketing Campaign

Did you know it was National Bubblewrap Week this week? I'm not kidding, it really was! A local creative company decided to have some marketing fun when they sent out these POP! cards to their clients. The card came in a bright orange envelope, wrapped in bubblewrap and sealed with a small orange sticky dot. I couldn't wait to open mine as I was absolutely intrigued to see what it was. So, did I POP it, SQUEEZE it, or TWIST it?

I have to admit, I'm a TWISTER! I love nothing more that to get hold of a handful of bubblewrap, scrunch it up and twist, making lots of popping noises at once! It does seem so childish, but who doesn't do it??The reason for all the orange colour-coded accessories - the company's corporate colours. Added impact! I contacted the owner Clare of Clock Studio and asked her what she wanted to achieve by sending these POP-tastic cards. She responded "It was a KIT campaign -Keep In Touch. A fun way of connecting with around 60 clients, just to say hello and a reminder that I'm still here should they need anything. Trying to get people to interact via social media was an add on really - an additional way to start an interaction. Its been an interesting exercise".

This is why it pays to talk to experienced people like Clare who can help with great (and unusual) marketing campaigns. After all, they are the experts. The campaign certainly had me going and others to.

People were commenting on it on Facebook and it certainly did make people interact! All in all, a successful campaign, and such fun for ALL.

Clock Studio - Design Agency

Kathryn, Lazy Daisy Glass xx

Bursting with Fresh Ideas

Finally, got around to using my screen printing equipment again. The bulb blew in the exposing lamp in the middle of an exposure and was really annoyed as it spoiled the project! Since then, it has just sat in the studio. But new year, fresh ideas and raring to go! I am trying out some new ideas for a trade show. The photo above shows the screen under the exposing lamp. and below is the exposed screen after being cleaned.
I'm really pleased with the outcome, considering I'm a newbie to screen printing. I love the deer scene and this will be used to make coasters and freestanding piece. Below shows the enamel designs on glass.

I have now made some more items and now waiting to add a splash of colour to the clear glass and will be firing these later. Will be posting photos of the finished pieces soon

Kathryn, Lazy Daisy Glass xx

New Year - Fresh Start

Happy New Year! A little late I know, but have time to breath now. The last few months have been so busy, I haven't had a chance to update my blog. I'm hoping I will be able to keep on track this year!

I have to say, I am using Facebook more and more these days, simply because it's short and sweet! You do not have to spend so long thinking about what to write. Then there is twitter too - so much internet marketing!! It certainly keeps me on my toes.

January is the Spring Trade Show event in Glasgow. I am now working on new products to launch at the show and making some stock. I have also received some trade orders already - and it's only the first week of January!

Kathryn, Lazy Daisy Glass xx

Crafts for Christmas - SECC Glasgow

Excited.... I have taken a stand at this year's Hobbycraft event at the SECC in Glasgow. You will find me on stand E10, Crafts for Christmas. For the first time this year, the organisers are showcasing Scottish Highland businesses and there are five different businesses, making good quality handcrafted products.

These are just some of the new items I will be selling at the show and have been added to my Autumn Trade Catalogue.The show will be open Thursday 27 October - Sunday 30 October and 20,000 visitors are expected.

If you visit the show, pop along and say hello.

Kathryn, Lazy Daisy Glass xx

Dundee Flower & Food Festival .... Continued

We had a great weekend at Dundee once again at the Flower and Food Festival, with Gino D'Acampo being the main attraction on Sunday. He gave a few cookery demonstrations and the one in the afternoon took place on the music stage (above). He was actually a really funny guy, answering lots of questions from the audience.

He also did a book signing and we were right next to him, as you can see from the photo above. My daughter, who had lost her voice from playing and screaming with the kids on the next pitch on site, was shouting out 'Gino' in a very husky voice, it was very cute. Any way, it got his attention as he looked at her (on my shoulders), came over, caressed her face, then gave her a kiss. Not that I was jealous!!!! He even signed my daughter's arm - she was happy really!

The Council staff worked hard making sure the showground was accessible to all after the night rainfall - they go around with mini dumper trucks spreading bark over the ground. They do a great job.

We were pitched next to another family exhibiting at the show who had some children which were great company for our daughter. She had a fab time too!

We had Cornish Pasties every day - they were so yummy (can you tell from the photo).

I'm now getting ready for Open Studios this weekend, so a massive tidy up in the studio!

Kathryn, Lazy Daisy Glass xxx

Dundee Flower & Food Festival

It's that time of year again when I'll be visiting the Dundee Festival (where has the past year gone??). It's a great 3 day show with celebrities visiting too - as you can see from the photo Gino D'aCampo and Monty Don are attending this year. I'm secretly hoping that Gino will be doing his 'naked chef' demonstration again?? Well, there's no harm in dreaming!

There is plenty of activities going on too; music stage, children's crafts, food marquee, theatre, floral demonstrations, and a huge craft marquee, where you will find Lazy Daisy Glass. Not forgetting the wonderful garden displays.

If visiting the show, be sure to pop along and say hello.

Kathryn, Lazy Daisy Glass xx

Art & Craft Exhibition, Elgin

I will be taking part in an art and craft exhibition to be held in St Giles Shopping Centre, Elgin from Saturday 20 August - Wednesday 24 August, 10am - 4pm (Sunday 11am - 4pm).

Demonstrations will be taking place throughout the event and special guest artists will also be exhibiting. Rachel Ashton is one of the artists; Rachel is a well known local artist from Huntly, is self taught and predominantly paints soft landscapes. You can view her work here

This event is also to help raise funds for Help for Heroes, as you know, a worthwhile charity.

Come along and watch our ceramicist, kilt maker or wood turner at work and view the beautiful artworks on show.

Free entry.

Community Project - Portknockie Primary School

I have been working on a community project over a couple of months, where I made four glass art panels for a local school. As you can see from the above photo, the panels complete and installed.

I met a local teacher, Tom Hay from Portknockie Primary School, at a local craft fair and we started talking about glass fusing and that he was interested in learning about it. I mentioned that I wanted to be involved in a community project with a school, his school was working on the theme 'Made in Scotland' and we discussed the possibility of working together. One thing lead to another. I then visited Portknockie Primary and did three 30 minute presentations to each group, explaining the process.

The School ran a design competition, where all the pupils took part and made collage-type pictures of what the village of Portknockie meant to them. There was some fantastic pictures and I was lucky to be one of the judges too. Above - the judging panel.

From the design chosen and in hand, I cut all the designs out of glass back in the studio. I returned a short time later, where the pupils had some hands-on experience by sticking bits of glass to the panels and the youngest ones, cut out fish, seaweed and jellyfish out of copper foil and sprinkled glass frit to the borders.

One of the talented artists (above) painting the little happy fisherman on to the glass.

I also made the plaque displayed below the panels (above).

Each panel measures 600 x 400mm - they make a great display on the wall in the library at Portknockie School.

The panels installed (above) - I think the children have created some beautiful pieces of art!

Kathryn, Lazy Daisy Glass xx

Highland Games at Gordon Castle

I attended Gordon Castle on Sunday 22 May - the first Highland Games since the 1930's. I was very impressed with the attendance and really pleased the new event received local support. It was a gamble for Gordon Castle to re-start such an event after 75 years, but they pulled it off. The location is stunning too.

I was there as part of the Speyside Artisans (above), seven of us pitched up to enjoy the day. The weather held up for most of the day, but the wind was too much for all the gazebos and they started taking off. And as a result, we all had to pack away early, as the gazebos were starting to break.

This is the new Speyside Artisans outdoor banner (above) - what do you think?

No Highland Games are complete without a Pipe Band - this is Dufftown & District. They looked and sounded fantastic.

Perhaps the Castle will entertain the idea of hiring a large marquee, so we can have an indoor pitch. The industrial marquees are able to take the weather, better than our little ones!

Kathryn, Lazy Daisy Glass xx

Green Fingers - Grow Your Own - Part I

It was a beautiful summery morning - one day last month we were out in the garden at 8am to start work on planting and setting up our mini greenhouse. Our daughter was so enthusiastic, here she is helping to fill the containers with compost:

We bought little grow your own kits - adding water to the plugs, sowing the seeds, and also plated our own seeds from packets, then we watched them turn in to these:

It took us a couple of hours, enjoying the sunshine, to get all the planting done, but we now have a full greenhouse:

I'm glad to say, our daughter's enthusiasm still exists and waters the plants regularly. She still gets excited each week and regularly investigates their growth.

We are growing tomatoes, cucumbers, strawberries, carrots, pumpkins, peppers, lettuces and sunflowers. At least we will all enjoy eating our own fruit and veg this summer.

Part II coming shortly - how are the plants doing??

Kathryn, Lazy Daisy Glass xx

Launch of Highland Key

I recently attended the launch of Highland Key - an online gateway to the Scottish Highlands, offering discount cards to visitors (or locals). The business trade event took place at Achnagairn House in Kirkhill, a beautifully stunning private house venue. The House has 24 bedrooms, all individually themed, a spectacular ballroom, all in a stunningly secluded location. A great venue for weddings!

I was also asked to make some corporate plates for the canapes. The Highland Key logo incorporates the Scottish thistle, and these were then designed in to the plates - green, purple and pink (see above).

Spud the Piper welcomed everyone to the event.

My daughter loved these cupcakes, courtesy of Cupcake Creations in Inverness - she hand paints the individual logos on to each cake, very clever! They are the most tastiest of cakes and always look beautiful and so many people comment on how wonderful they taste.

The main presentation took place in the Ballroom - a stunning room with vaulted ceiling and huge stone fireplace. The chairs were also decorated, courtesy of Dress the Day, again incorporating Highland Key colours.

The Event Manager gave us a personal tour of some of the bedrooms in the house, but will leave that for another blog post as they were stunning, especially the Honeymoon Suite.

Kathryn, Lazy Daisy Glass xx