Happy New Year!

Firstly, i would like to wish you all a very happy New Year! lets hope 2012 brings you all lots of happiness, creativeness and good health : ) At the moment, I'm waiting patiently for a new delivery of lino....(well OK, not that patiently!) for some new printing projects, but the break over Christmas has at least given me a little time to get jobs finished at home.

For over a year we have been living with a gaping hole in our living room, while we installed a wood burner. Whilst we installed the stove in the autumn, everything else had been put on hold, as work commitments and family life became ever more chaotic and we became blind to the falling plaster and grubby paintwork. With a very limited budget (i must be the only woman i know, who asked for a stove chimney for her birthday!), a little bit of determination and lots of help by family, we've finally finished the room.

Old Fortnum and Mason hamper basket from Reloved Furniture, King's Lynn.

Many thanks to my long suffering father-in-law, Ian, who despite being on night shifts, came in during the day to help paint, plaster, scrape the floor boards and generally give me the help needed to get the job done before Christmas.

It's now a perfect setting for all little gifts and objects I've received and collected over the last couple of months, many from local artists, friends and businesses, and those precious items collected from the beach too.

So while i wait for new materials to get started on my own work in the new year, it's been wonderful to have the time to appreciate the work of others.

Wagtail by Tony Bellars

 Norfolk artist Tony Bellars, creates charming pieces of artwork from salvaged and re-claimed materials and recently exhibited at the Bazaar Bazaar Show at Greyfriars Art Space in King's Lynn.  I couldn't resist this little wagtail, which now sits perfectly with this painting by Norwegian artist Line-Katrin Moe.

Bird painting by Line-Katrin Moe

Cushion by Victoria Evans and the Victoria Works Union

I was thrilled to be given this wonderful cushion from artist and sculptor, Victoria Evans as a Christmas present this year. Vicky usually works in bronze, creating beautiful contemporary sculpture but recently started to produce these fantastic cushions, using local, vintage imagery as an inspiration. Anybody that knows King's Lynn, will recognise the iconic Campbell's factory tower, which is now in the process of being destroyed. A little bit of history on a cushion!

Mind blowing origami by Vicky's brother Luke.

Driftwood collected from Brancaster Beach