New Sheffield Prints

Here are some of my latest new prints for my Sheffield Pick & Mix range. Thought I would introduce them here and share why I chose to draw them.

I originally wanted to make a print of Endcliffe Park Cafe after I drew it for my Sheffield Colouring Book, but in the end I decided instead to draw it again from scratch. The park is one of my favourite places to be on a sunny day. Not only is it a perfect picnic spot, but there's the delights of Ecclesall Road and Sharrow Vale Road nearby for fun shops and lovely snacks!

The Rutland is a favourite place of ours to meet friends before going to a gig at The Leadmill. I love the cosy atmosphere, the juke box (with accompanying list of songs banned from the jukebox) and their gorgeous food!

Red Deer because it's another pub I'm very fond of in Sheffield city centre. It feels hidden away, does a good Sunday lunch, and they have board games to play while you wait. What more could you want?

Speaking of food, The Riverside in Kelham Island is another favourite for a Sunday dinner (sensing a theme here?). I love the quote on the sign of the building and seeing it lit up in red, when arriving back from somewhere far away, telling me I'm back in lovely Sheffield.

The Brother's Arms beer garden is a super special spot and well worth walking up a hill for! Lots of space with nice views and lovely dogs whenever I go :)

The Winter Garden print has been on my list for a while - The Makers Shop there was my first proper Sheffield stockist and I'm very proud to still sell there. A walk through the beautiful garden and visit to the Millennium Gallery is a top choice to take Sheffield visitors!

Another for Sharrow Vale Roadies, the Lescar was a fun one to draw. The architecture style is more modern than most pubs I've illustrated, I especially like the font for the name.

I first drew The Bessemer Converter as part of a bigger illustration of Kelham Island Museum. I've isolated it here and reworked it to neaten it up a little... and incase you're wondering what a bessemer converter is, it's a machine which (in my super simple terms) removes impurities from pig iron and converts it into useful steel. Nifty! 

As a piece of art, it refers to Sheffield's proud history of steel production and sits well alongside my other landmarks or Kelham Island icons in the range.

STOCKIST NEWS - Curated Makers opens it's own shop in Meadowhall

I’m SO HAPPY and excited to announce today’s opening of Curated Makers pop up shop (an entire shop!) at Sheffield's Meadowhall shopping centre. It’s quite surreal to see my stock in Meadowhall - I know the place like the back of my hand after spending many a shopping trip there in my youth and beyond! 

As ever, I am amazed by the hard work of Megan and her supportive team to transform this space (previously a menswear store) into a bright and beautiful shop dedicated to showcasing local, independent makers. I’m very proud indeed to have my stock there and urge you all to go have a look!

Being in this beautiful new store along with my other amazing stockists in Sheffield has spurred me on to create new products this Autumn, so please follow along on Instagram to keep an eye out for new delights on their way to the shop shelves soon!

NEW SCREEN PRINT - Sheffield View from Meersbrook Park

Today, my new Sheffield View screenprint will be going live on Etsy at 7pm tonight! A four colour screen print, signed and numbered from a limited edition of 60, showing the view towards Sheffield city centre from Meersbrook Park. 

I‘ve only ever had two colour screen prints on my shop, so it feels very special to have a four colour print. I hope you love it as much as I enjoyed drawing it. 

My Sketchbook Diary, Week 18 - featuring Peddler Market, Mad Men and a little bit of disco dancing!

Hello!

I'm back with my sketchbook diary, I'm sorry it's been a while! As you know, I'd been renovating my old house and it was taking aaages. It was really hard splitting my time between that and getting newly full time freelancing off the ground, so in the end, I wrote off the month of April to get the house finished once and for all. It was tough, but it was probably good for me to switch off from work things and just focus on that. I'm so glad to be back to my work (full time for real, finally!) but I've got some catching up to do on here!

I've been keeping up with my sketchbook but not the blogging. So I'm going to post last weeks and then backtrack a little at a time. Despite all the grotty cleaning jobs and pain-inducing decorating (yes, really! I'm on Naproxen!) there has been some mega fun times to fill you in on! I had an amazing trip to New York, a fun weekend in Copenhagen and I'm oh so grateful for the sunshine we've had! So watch this space (well, maybe scroll backwards every now and then!) to see what's been keeping me quiet.

Thankyou so much for reading my blog. I know commenting on blogs is a bit old school but I'm an old school person really - I would love to hear what you think!

It was great to get back to a working routine this week and get ready for my first Peddler Market of the year. For anyone who doesn't know, Peddler's takes place in Kelham Island at 92 Burton Road - a big warehouse building with some outdoor bits too. They get different gorgeous food and drink stalls in and several artists/makers each month. It gets super busy and has a great atmosphere!

I was excited to show my new extended collection of Sheffield Mini Prints! Previously, the 'Kelham Collection' featured Alfred Beckett & Sons, The Chimney House, the Kelham Island Tavern and Green Lane Works. I've been working on some new prints to add to the collection, which now also features the Fat Cat Kelham, the Three Tuns, the University Arms and the much loved old Henderson's Relish Factory. You can click on the names to see them in my Etsy shop.

You'll also spot we went to Blue Moon Cafe in Sheffield. I love this down to earth cafe, they serve different vegan and veggie mains with a choice of healthy side salads, a good spot in the city centre for when you're fancying something healthy!

Lastly, we went to a lovely wedding reception where I took a spin around the dance floor with my lovely other half, Lee! He's got some really good moves.
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March Meet the Maker - My Best Bits

Hello!

I'm sorry if you've noticed I'm a little behind with my diary posts, I've had a mad March really. I had a mega-exciting trip to New York, plus my birthday, a weekend in the Lakes and various projects going off.

I did March Meet the Maker over on Instagram this month, a challenge set by Joanne Hawker. I Was surprised what an effect it had on other things sometimes, having that extra job I had to squeeze in every day. It has left me with a few things to catch up on since my holidays, but I am glad I did it! Hopefully if you were following, you feel like you know me a little better now. If not, here are a few of my favourite posts from #marchmeetthemaker...

Day 1 - You 

I'm Josephine, an illustrator from Barnsley, living in Sheffield. My favourite food is Yorkshire puddings, I live with my super cool boyfriend Lee, I'm the youngest of 5. I love cook books, trips to the seaside and the sound of a synthesiser! I love drawing so I made it my job! I have an etsy shop and sell at markets and do different kinds of commissions for people. Nice to meet you!

Day 2 - Where

So here I am in Sheffield, where I moved less than two months ago! I’m from Barnsley, so pretty close anyway and have spent lots of time here over the last few years. I feel very at home here. I love the big creative vibe the city has and the amount of events going on (as well as the myriad of gorgeous places to eat) and I still have lots to explore, it’s all very exciting!

Day 6 - Workspace

It’s my favourite #marchmeetthemaker day - workspaces! I love seeing where other people work. Here are some shots of my new studio! I only moved in a couple of months ago, so there is still mess that needs sorting, which I craftily angled the camera away from! I try to keep my table fairly clear so I can put my drawing board out easily or use it to wrap orders. We replaced the old postage stamp sized window with this big beauty before I moved in and it’s now the best room in the house for light. I love it!

Day 8 - Flatlay

Of course, I’ve taken photos from above for my shop before, but to compose a flatlay just for the fun of it - like the super cool ones on instagram - was a new one for me. I have to confess, my other half Lee helped with the idea to make my Cantastic cookbook zine the star of the show. The Cantastic Cookbook is available on my etsy shop for £3. 

Day 9 - How it's Made

For today's post I shared a multiple of images that show a simple explanation of the screen printing process (and making of the screen). You can take a look at the Instagram post here, or follow this link to read my previous blog article on how a screen print is made. 

Day 10 - Time to Relax

Considering how busy I make myself, I think I’m pretty good at relaxing. I really enjoy most things I do! Here are some of my favourite ways to unwind... 

Food - cooking/eating/going to restaurants. I’m obsessed and 9 times out of 10 I’ll eat every last crumb.

Tea & Netflix - either cuddled up to my boyfriend or wrapped up in my blanket like a walnut whip.

Yoga - my most favourite exercise, I love it and I also love to swim!

Fresh air - I love to go for a walk and shriek with delight every time I see a squirrel or hear a rustle that might be a squirrel. 

Day 13 - Work Clothes

It was my birthday this day, so I was in a great mood. 

What I wore to work in seemed much less important than a smile!

Day 14 - Dreams and Plans

Today’s #marchmeetthemaker is all about ‘Dreams and Plans’ so I chose dreams. My other half tells me I should draw my dreams, maybe he’s trying to detract my attention from me having to tell him them when I wake up (or text him them if he’s not here). Swipe sideways to see what’s going on in the picture... Oh. Wait. Ambitions!! I’ve got a lot of those too! As well as my crazy dreams. But you do feel like you know me better now, don't you?

Day 29 - Community

I think getting involved with your local community is pretty essential when you're learning to run a business. I've learnt such a lot from members of Sheffield Sellers on Etsy and The Crafty Business Network - through meetings, fairs and on the Facebook groups. I'm finding living in Sheffield amazing for community events and opportunities to meet fellow creatives and business owners. I recently joined Sheffield Creative Guild and also discovered Creative Mornings Sheffield and looking forward to going to more! It's also good for me to make sure I'm getting out and chatting to people, now I no longer have colleagues to tell my silly stories to!

Day 30 - Tips and Advice

•Under promise, over deliver is one I've picked up from the Honest Designers podcast and has stayed in my head as a handy reminder when agreeing to work and delivering something delightful!

•'If in doubt, take it out' is something Warren, one of my tutors told me at uni when I was putting my portfolio together. I hear it back in my head often! I particularly like advice that rhymes!

•'It'll all come out in the wash' is something my Dad used to say. He was a pretty laid back dude!! It reminds me not to worry or stress about things that would be forgotten in a few weeks! (Yes, sometimes it takes me that long to do my washing. It's ok, I have lots of clothes).

So that's a wrap for March Meet the Maker. I definitely recommend doing a challenge on Instagram to show your work to more people and give yourself accountability to post every day. I'd like to think I might have time to do Inktober in October... let's wait and see! Here is a link to my Instagram, if you'd like to follow my illustration adventures!

Dellow's Diary Week 10

Last week was good, a mix of work and house renovating (again...) interspersed with some lovely treaty food and outings and even a spot of adulting (check out the DIY skills...) hope you had a lovely week!

P.S. Spring is coming!

Dellow's Diary - Week 9

This week was the ice blast that snowed me and a lot of the country into the house for days. I feel very aware at the moment of how long it's taking to finish renovating my old house... So it was nice to be 'powerless' due to the snow and stay in the studio, concentrating on my work for most of the week! I had commissions to work on so it was good to get my head down and listen to lots of podcasts, getting out for some fresh air when I needed to venture to the post office. I am massively grateful that I don't have to worry about driving in it anymore - even though working from home means I no longer get to sit and watch disney films all day because it's a 'snow day'!

Dellow's Diary - Week 8

This week you'll see more sad faces than you're used to on my diary post - the week started with sore throat and nasty headache - but thankfully, the magical healing powers of pineapple sorted my throat out quickly!

I was feeling much better towards the end of the week and nothing puts a spring in your step more than a free slice of cake and an interesting talk on a Friday morning! It was my first time at Creative Mornings Sheffield and I was super impressed - what a fabulous event! Creative Mornings takes place all over the world, it's a 'breakfast lecture series for the creative community' and yes, they provide top drawer refreshments! And it's free!

Dellow's Diary - Week 7

Last week was mega eventful! Not only was it Pancake Day and Valentines Day (aka. Franz Ferdinand Day) but I also got a big surprise, went to some creative networking events AND won at Scrabble! I hope you had a nice week too!

Dellow's Diary - Week 6

Had another pleasant little week, despite the dramatic 'cold snap' we were warned of on Monday morning.

My weeks have been so full of work and decorating, I haven't had time to go out and try a new yoga class yet, since moving to Sheffield. I loved my class in Royston (Wednesday nights at 7pm, if you're local and looking!) and went to it for over four years. For now, I'm trying out Yoga with Adriene on Youtube and rather enjoying it! It's amazing how much more like myself it makes me feel. 

Finished the week with a lovely weekend of charity shop shopping, mashed potatoes and jigsaws!

Dellow's Diary Week 5

This week I went to a Speed-mateing event at Union St, organised by Girl Gang Sheffield. It was such a unique experience - over 50 ladies all in one room, getting to know each other! It was LOUD but so much fun... and I did indeed make some lovely new friends! On Sunday, my boyfriend Lee flew to Boston with work for the week, giving me some bonding time with my new crib (ie. watching gilmore girls). But before that, we fitted in some fun food, a gig and a cinema trip...

...and I hate to sound like I'm bragging, but I did also smuggle a Pizza Hut into the cinema once.

Here is a link to find out more about Girl Gang events and their next Speed-mateing session!

APG

Another show for my work this summer was in the Up There exhibition at APG Works gallery in Sheffield. My Sheffield Town Hall piece was selected to be displayed – here is me and my print at the preview evening!

You can still buy the Sheffield Town Hall screen print on my etsy shop.

The Cantastic Cookbook - a quirky little cookbook zine that celebrates the contents of your tin stash!

Hello boys and girls!

I'm sorry it's been a little while. I like to babble you see, so I seem to think I need time to babble if I'm going to sit and blog. But I know I should blog more and babble less so here's a quick hello and an update on one of my latest projects... The cantastic cookbook.

The Cantastic Cookbook on my etsy shop

I decided to make a cookbook zine when I was preparing for Sheffield Zine Festival in February. I was told by one of the organisers that my work would fit in well, even though I didn't have any zines exactly. Securing a place at the zine festival seemed like the perfect excuse to set myself the challenge of producing my first zine.

Some bits from my sketchbook

A lot of people have asked me what a zine is, so incase you don't know, it's basically a self made publication, often on a (sometimes very niche) topic or theme that the maker or writer is passionate about. And I'm passionate about food. Very! Food is my hobby and I love to think and talk about it as much as possible, as well as eat it. So a cookbook zine was the natural result of my brainstorming. I am also a very thrifty lady and I pride myself on my moneysaving weeks between food shops (struggling artist and all that), when I get creative with what's in my cupboards when all the fresh things have gone.

All the copies were hand folded and stapled,

with the covers printed on lovely multi-coloured sugar paper

I definitely want to make more food zines in future - there are so many cross referenced collections in my notebook of different things I make for different reasons... I'm a big believer in medicinal cookery and will tell anyone who will listen! Some people won't believe that there are foods that can help stop a cold in it's tracks for example. I'll save that for another day, anyway, or another zine...

I do feel like quite a healthy lady and there was a time when I couldn't imagine feeling like that. It's happened over a long time, but if you'd have told me five years ago that I would end up over four stone lighter (or that I would love mushrooms, or get a kick out of kidney beans), I wouldn't have believed you. Don't get me wrong, my love for food combines treaty things with lots of healthy food too. But I think it was still worth noting that I'm quite mindful with food and that the recipes are balanced, use lots of veg, don't involve any suspicious processed ingredients and are pretty low in fat and sugar.

That was the serious part! But rest assured my zine is actually quite silly and hopefully a bit funny. Producing it as a zine made me feel more comfortable in being myself and letting my quirky humour be free. Readers will hopefully get to know me a little and laugh a bit at the same time.

I shall leave it there and hope that people let me know what they think!

Here is the link if you want to get your mitts on a copy for just £3. It is also currently available to buy in my Artist Showcase in The Civic, Barnsley.

Thankyou for reading, have a fantastic or cantastic day (whichever suits). Guess I did have time to babble after all!

Etsy Made Local, Sheffield - December 2016

So my January has been a little less crazy than December, which means I am working through a few things I needed to catch up on, blogging being one of them! I've been mega busy lately and feel like I've got a really good momentum going now - having a day job plus running a double-sided business (being a freelance illustrator and having an online shop) does take some getting used to, but I now feel like I get enough chill time to savour as well as working like a beaver!

Etsy Made Local in December was my first full weekend fair and I felt so privileged to be there. Not only was Sheffield Town Hall a beautiful, festive and atmospheric venue, but the people were absolutely wonderful. The Etsy Sheffield team were brilliantly organised and the city centre location meant lots of footfall, feedback and sales too - hooray!

Visit my etsy shop here to see what you missed or what I've added to my shop since.

Here are some photos of my stall and the venue...

Though I spotted lots of gorgeous things to ask Santa for, I had to be strict not to buy for myself, for all my pennies and more had gone on expenses recently. But I instantly fell in love with this little guy and HAD to call him mine!

This gorgeous little bear is made by Holly Balfour of Holly Heartfelt. Since seeing her lovely characters at Etsy Made Local, I have followed her on instagram and love seeing her adorable quirky creations, many with endearing, smiling faces like my bear! 

I was also delighted when I found a basket of felted acorns (oh, I did buy more than one thing then) - they felt so delicate and all different from each other. I love saving real acorns when I find them on a walk, but unfortunately they do perish, so Holly's felt acorns had Josephine written allover them. I decided they made fabulous earrings for my Christmas reindeer:

One of the amazing organisers of Etsy Made Local was Sophie Cooke, a milliner and owner of Imogen's Imagination. Sophie makes beautifully vintage inspired hats and accessories, I loved her headbands with big bows on and most of all, gorgeous felt berets. Her lovely website is very inspirational to look at for style ideas for yourself as well as great gifts.

I have always been a beret fan (though I haven't had one I've been attached to for a while) and I saw a particular one I fancied on the website before the christmas market. When I saw that the navy beret with navy velvet ribbon wasn't at the market, but tried lots of other lovely ones on, I casually mentioned this to Santa (my boyfriend) and what a gem, he remembered! So this is me modelling my very special christmas present...

You can visit the Sheffield Etsy sellers website to see more local artists and makers.