New Stockist

I'm pleased to announce I have a new stockist north of the border, Beech and Birch in Gifford, East Lothain.  They sell a range of beautifully designs Scandi inspired home-ware and accessories and have just re-ordered more of my cards and tea towels.

Winter Events

I'm now fully ensconced in my new garden studio and it's really wonderful to have everything in one place.  I've been busy working on a new print of two blue tits in autumnal branches and also getting stock ready for my four Christmas shows.

See my events page for full details and links to the various websites.  Hope to see you at one or more of them.

New Studio Finished!

Fanfare please...my new studio is finished and I'm in the process of sorting through 20 years of accumulated stuff - mostly paper such as rough sketches, colour mock-ups, orders from shops and galleries (from the days before email), paper samples and catalogues.  There's also dried up paint tubes, ink pots and dusty reference books (from the days before google images).  It's taking quite a while, so there's not much in the way of new work taking place.

I'm hoping to be fully moved in by the end of next week.  I'm really looking forward to having a clutter free and more organised working environment but I'm sure it will take me a while to remember where I've put everything.

Big thanks to Mark and Stuart from myspacestudios for doing such a great job.

If you would like to hear about printmaking workshops, starting in the New Year, please let me know.

Hahnemühle Mini Print Exhibition

Wren, Long Tailed Tits and Oyster-catchers

Delighted to have all three pieces I submitted to the Hahnemühle Mini Print Exhibition accepted  and on display from 22nd September, starting in Aldeburgh, Suffolk.

The Cambridge Art Book

I'm thrilled to be able to tell you about a new book which was launched last week at Heffers Book Shop; The Cambridge Art Book.  It features 51 artists who depict Cambridge and the surrounding area in a variety of style and media.  My two Bike prints are on page 109.  The idea was thought of my Emma Bennett last September.  I'm not sure how she managed to get all the artwork together, curate and edit the book as well as get it published and in the shops in such a short time, but she has and it's a really great publication.

I have a few copies, so if you would like one, let me know.  They are £14.99.

New Studio

Cambridge Open Studios is over for another year.  This is the last year I'll be based in our garage as I'm having a purpose built garden studio constructed as I type.  It's been something I've been hankering after for 25 years and I can't really believe it's finally happening.  I'll post regular updates here or on instagram so you can see progress.

I'm hoping to be able to run printmaking workshops, so if you are interested in learning how to make drypoints, collographs or relief printing, contact me and I'll add you to the list and send out details when they have been finalised.

Cambridge Open Studios 2017

New Baking tea towels

These have been in the planning stage for about a year, so I'm really pleased to finally have them finished.  I was asked to design a bread/flour themed tea towel to sell at Anglesey Abbey National Trust shop.  In the gardens is Lode Mill, a working watermill that produces it's own stoneground flour.  I already sell cards and coasters in the shop that feature the exterior of the mill (just visible top right in above photo), so these make a nice addition to the range.

It was really good fun setting up the photoshoot, with visitors asking if they could buy some bread (they could only buy the flour), listening to guided tours telling the history of the mill and watching the machinery turning every now and then.

I was lucky to be able to borrow some of Nadine Anderson's beautiful rush bread baskets and willow cooling/serving trays which really enhanced the composition.  They are also for sale in the NT shop and details can be found on her website Ely Basketmaker.

My daughter did a great job with photography and editing and hopefully can be persuaded to do some more promo work for me.

The tea towels are screen-printed onto either unbleached or white cotton and the design features lots of hand drawn illustrations showing various types of bread and pastries.  There are also calligraphic words associated with baking, grains and flours.

If any galleries, gift shops, bakeries or coffee shops would like to stock them, please get in touch.  They are also available from my online shop and my etsy shop.

April & May

Eek have just realised I haven't posted anything at all for April or May!  It's not that I haven't anything to show, I tend to use instagram for more instant images these days, so pop along there for a visual treat.

'Wren' - relief print 7cm square by Alison Hullyer 

Here is a quick summary of what I've been doing:

• Designing a new baking themed tea towel (click 'shop' to see)
• Working on Christmas images
• Finishing prints ready for Cambridge Open Studios
• Pricing and getting samples for possible new mugs (but hoping to licence them)
• Delivering prints to The Robin's Nest Gallery and Haddenham Galleries
• Carving a new relief print 'Wren'
• Demonstrating printmaking techniques at Babylon Arts, Ely
• Having a little holiday at Easter

Two more designs for National Trust

Last Friday I was pleased to deliver a big box of stock to the imposing Houghton Mill, near Huntingdon.  It's a fully working 18th Century Mill with a fascinating history.

I had a private tour with the manager, Stuart and discovered that it was a youth hostel at one time.  A millennium funded project restored the water wheel and you can now see it milling weekly.

Unusually I have  designed two versions of the cards and coasters, one shows the mill in summer with blue sky and leaves on the tress and the other one is more wintry.  It will be interesting to see which one proves most popular.

Wicken Fen Nature Reserve already stock some of my designs and for a while they have been asking me for something that features their Wind Pump.  I finally had time to produce this drypoint print with watercolour and think it works really well.

They are all available on my website in limited numbers.

Spring has Sprung

I have been really busy this year already with amongst other things, designing Christmas cards, working on a new design for another National Trust property and sorting out costings for a new garden studio which will hopefully be built this summer - very exciting!

Hence my tardiness at posting anything on here recently.  I think instagram seems to be the place to be these days, so if you want to keep updated on a more regular basis then do find me over there or click on the link above.

It's all looking very Spring-like in Cambridgeshire at the moment.  I recently launched these six new Spring Flower Pot coasters which sold out almost immediately.  I'm waiting for more stock to come in this week.  Anglesey Abbey and Wicken Fen have some of them just for this season.

Lode Mill card

The National Trust shop at Anglesey Abbey has now been stocking my tea towels, coasters and cards for 16 months.  The best selling coaster by a mile is one of Lode Mill.  So I decided to have the print made into cards.  They arrived yesterday and look great.  Hopefully they'll be in the shop at Anglesey Abbey next week and prove to be just as popular as the coasters.

Look back at 2016 and forward to 2017

Nine favourites from 2016

Another year has passed.  As a new year starts it's been fun to look back over the work I've done in 2016.  It's been a bumper year for prints, with 18 new pieces produced, mostly spurred on by taking part in the 2nd Cambridge Original Printmakers exhibition in September.

There were also events I've been part of for many years such, as Cambridge Open Studios and it was my 3rd year at Ely Cathedral Christmas Fair.  Two new events were Histon Handmade and the Cambridge Etsy Handmade Fair. All achieved record sales figures.

My products on sale at Anglesey Abbey

I'm also pleased to be supplying ever increasing amounts of stock to my two local National Trust shops at Anglesey Abbey and Wicken Fen. I'm currently working on new Spring themed coasters and a new design for Houghton Mill.

I've signed up for Open Studios again in July, which will be my 22nd consecutive year.

First order of 2017 - Hogweed print and five coasters

Both my Etsy shop and website continue to receive orders and already this week I have posted two parcels.

I've also been thinking about holidays and we're planning a week walking in the Lake District which is always good for recharging ones batteries and also an exciting trip to Malta, Greece and Albania...watch this space.