Half term Orbs and Wellcome

Its half term holidays here and we went to London to visit family at the begining of the week and also fitted in a visit to The Wellcome Museum http://www.wellcomecollection.org/exhibitionsandevents/exhibitions/index.htm

Its a fantastic place with an Anthony Gormley figure upside down on the ceiling in the entrance, and lots of interesting things to see. It is a cross between a medical museum and art gallery with numerous strange and wonderful old medical instruments, artificial limbs, a mummified human body, japanese sex aids! all sorts. Heironymous Bosch features amongst the collection of paintings, also more contemorary pieces, for example a canvas covered with hundreds of tiny pills, each one carved into the shape of the part of the body it helps.

The rest of the time we've been at home. I'm working on artworks commissioned for greeting cards, ideas for fabric baby books, and character development for line extensions for a range of toys.

Toby has created a new range of jewellery 'The Orb Collection', and here is a sneaky preview for you, it's not yet in the shop!! All handmade from Stering Silver and Vintage beads, can be bought individually or put together as sets. They are standard sizes, necklaces approx 16" and the bracelets 7.5" but can be made to order in any size or colour required. Lovely for a special gift.

email Toby at: info@naturalattrill.co.uk

We thought we should soak in a little culture (!) during the holidays so Laurence, Toby and I went to the cinema to see Ratatouille yesterday http://www.apple.com/trailers/disney/ratatouille/

We've not had many comments on the last couple of posts, where are you all? lurking? if so, please come and say hello!!

Green

Blogging friend Sue Cook commissioned Toby to make a gold stretchy bracelet with green buttons, here it is. In the pic above you can see one of Sue's paintings, to find out more visit her blog http://www.picturedreams-studio-blog.blogspot.com/

Trousers Fish

(click on image to enlarge and see in more detail)

I have bought this artwork from Debs, it's called 'Trousers Fish', and I love it!
Have a look at her work, there are more creations for sale here:
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5035468

New Makepiece

Have a look: http://www.attrills.blogspot.com/

Makepiece of Todmorden http://www.makepiece.com/about/about1.html now have Toby's new range of jewellery in stock. You will have seen most of the pieces already on this blog, they were posted here when first made, to give everyone a chance to buy them direct. Now they are all boxed and delivered to the shop with the 'designer' price tag too! The window display looks really beautiful with one whole shelf devoted to Toby's work. One pair of earrings have sold already. Toby has named each piece, as he did before, after people who have supported him, donating treasures, or those who have commissioned/bought pieces of his jewellery, to thank them. Those with blogs are: FHIONA http://fhifhi.blogspot.com/

DEBORAH http://theimaginationofladysnail.blogspot.com/ CAROLINEhttp://uniqart.blogspot.com/

KAREN http://karenjinks.blogspot.com/

He couldnt include everyone, but is making more jewellery for the range, so, if you were left out this time, or last time, I am sure you'll be there next time! It's always so nice to hear from everyone, so please do leave a comment here (rather than on the showcase blog) Thanks!

The morning after the cabaret............

Well........ the title says it all really!

Acrylic, and doily on wood,
T.A. 2007.

Toby.

Chinese and tag

We have been tagged by Catherine, http://the-illustrators-teabag.blogspot.com/who makes lovely felty things, have a look here: www.scatterboxoriginals.etsy.com, to show you our computer desktop. Very useful, cos I now know how to do a screen grab - thank you!
Some people have their own artworks or photographs or fancy wallpaper on the screen, but ours is just plain flat blue. We have quite a large screen, and I have 2 boxes up and open all day to see incoming emails, and also a section at the side with all our folders. I find it visually very distracting to have another image behind all this, so nothing to show you. Instead, Toby has scanned some of the Chinese characters he has been learning at school, only had 2 lessons so far, so just the basics, but I think they look far prettier than our desktop!

Chirpy Cheerful Flowerballs

CHIRPY CHEERFUL FLOWERBALLS
Bracelet and Keyring set.
A bracelet of various handmade polymer clay beads, some sparklyized, some flower beads (made by sausagizing lots of little bullseye canes around a central bullseye cane, then slicing and holing and baking in the oven), arranged with bright pink handrolled beads, all on special elastic so bracelet fits most sizes.
Matching Keyring made by very thin slices of the above mentioned flower cane rolled onto a large handmade polymer clay bead and baked in the oven.
.......a bargain at £7.50 (plus p+p)....for both !!
email: info@naturalattrill.co.uk

angel of the north and me

My dad (laurence) took me to beamish for his 56th birthday. We stopped of at the angel of the north, on the way, and my dad took some photos of me on it. The angel of the north is a sculpture comissioned by Gateshead council, the world renound sculptor Antony Gormley, was selected from a selection of candidates to design, and build this sculpture.

Toby.