MADELEINE'S HEP HERD

  The last days of the year are upon us. I know the particular day on which the year changes is more than a little arbitrary but the culture of the year end is still strong.  Re-assesment (and self-assessment for the self-employed!) pervades our thinking.  And so this week I began giving away some of my artwork to family members as the start of some deck-clearing activity for the year to come.  No more cyanotypes of lace and leaves or of anything else for the time being.  A move to a smaller studio space means I have to focus on what I want to use it for - and that boils down to concept-based textile work and textile accessories.   This year's concept project is in its early stages and involves textiles, maths and biology - no more to say until the research is underway in January. The wearable part of my work will continue to explore the continuum from necklace to scarf to wrap to jacket.  I anticipate some larger felt pieces coming out of this ...

mosaic scarves and sari shawl... Originally uploaded by MadeleineS . The open weekend may have passed but you can still find these scarves in the gallery at Coburg House every Saturday and Sunday before Christmas. I've also got some work in the Craft Reactor Members' Showcase in Hula on West Bow. See earlier posts for full details. Hope to have some wearable maths in the form of Mobius scarves and hyperbolic crochet on show in the Stick Factory on Mayfield road next week. Finally I'm waiting to hear if i have a stall at a fair on 15 December. I'll post again if I get a positive response. [Thanks to Summerhall Cafe for today's WiFi :-) ]

In the gallery Originally uploaded by MadeleineS . Yes, it's that time of year again. Open Studios is in full swing and going well. There's still Sunday to go so how about this for a plan. It looks like it's going to be great weather for a morning walk along the Water of Leith arriving at the Shore in tme for lunch in one of the riverside bars or restaurants and an afternoon of exclusive Christmas shopping at Coburg House Art Studios in Coburg Street. Just sayin'...

kid mohair and silk scarves Originally uploaded by MadeleineS . On Saturday I finally finished off a long-standing project to make more mohair scarves. The last batch had been popular and I knitted these in the summer. Multiple distractions of wet felting, dyeing, roof leaks and real life all took over and the needle felting wasn't added until last weekend. Ive chosen to show the stripy one and the orange one in the 3rd Annual Craft Reactor Members' Showcase along with a similarly coloured lattice felt wrap and a selection of hyperbolic brooches. I'll be one of over a dozen exhibitors so Hula Juice Bar & Cafe will be bursting with interesting craft work between 27 November and 22 December.

Thirst aid at the Roseleaf Originally uploaded by MadeleineS . well that was stupid! I just wrote a post about what's happening in the studio complete with nice photo and posted it to my other blog by mistake! So this is a post for that blog to even things up. I'm in my usual Saturday brunch spot, The Roseleafe Cafe Bar next to the studio. I got my latte in my favourite mug and my French toast with bacon and banana arrived shortly afterwards. It's great to have somewhere relaxed and friendly with good food, coffee, beer when you need it too and has free wifi. To read Madeleine's Hepherd's post on Edinburgh Coffee Spoons visit www.edinburghcoffeespoons.com

Craft Reactor exhibition flyer designed by Carmen Moran Originally uploaded by MadeleineS . If you want to see (and maybe even buy!) my work in the run up to the festive season then you'll be pleased to know there are two opportunities. Coburg House Art Studios  will be open for the weekend on 1 and 2 December with the usual fabulous mix of art and craft to suit every budget.  Come and visit Plum and Pepper in studio 26 and see the stuff you've been reading about in my previous posts. Craft Reactor  are having their annual members' showcase from 26 November to 22 December in  Hula Juice Bar , where they meet every month.  I'll be contributing and the range of work is always eclectic.  Drop in and see what we've all been up to this year!

autumn forest scarves Originally uploaded by MadeleineS . Plum and Pepper Studio website is long over due for a makeover. So I started this week with a new front page and template. The pictures are way out of date and the galleries need rearranged. I'll be tackling it in stages over the next couple of weeks and aim to finish in time for Open Studios on 1 and 2 December. have a look at www.madeleineshepherd.co.uk to see what's happening. Makeover time also applies to my studio practice. I'll be concentrating on wearable textiles (scarves, wraps, jewellery for the moment) but experimenting with textile vessels and exploring new techniques. One of the techniques I'm looking at is surface decoration using rubber stamps. When I was ill last year I started playing with this technique on paper. I made a collection of greetings cards and have just picked up some lovely handmade paper cards for another set. However I'm working towards stamping on silk once I'm ha...