Christmas is coming!

Christmas is well on it's way and everything is go go go in our world!
Fiona just got an order for 6 knitted fairies - to be delivered by the 19th of December, to hop on a plane to the UK in time for Christmas! Which is why I'm the one updating this blog because she's not allowed to put down her knitting needles!
She also got a Father Christmas special order to finish by this weekend and I've got 8 dragons to make! Phew!

All the while she's coming up with new book ideas, illustrating a book of Selkie Stories by the marvelous Kate Forsyth and baby sitting my kidlets while I run the shop for her.
She's musing over a new knitting book - any ideas?

Love,
Beattie xoxo

Happy Birthday!

Did you know that today is Fiona's birthday? She's made it through half a century and managed to keep her youthful looks!

Fiona, aka Granny Fi, is holding her birthday presents from me. Two little tea cup dragons based on her larger dragon spawn, but I altered the pattern to make them teeny-weeny and very cute! She was very excited when she opened the tin, that looked like it had biscuits, to find them!

Now, one of the reasons that you may not know it's Fiona's birthday, or any other fun facts about her, is that she doesn't have a Wikipedia page. I've tried and tried to make one, but it keeps getting declined. Firstly, for not having enough references, next for having a tone that was 'unbefitting an encyclopaedia' and lastly for having too many references that came from interviews.
If there is anyone out there that wants to help me with this, please email me at beattiealvarez@gmail.com! I feel that she deserves a Wikipedia page for her contributions to changing the way we think about dolls and art and knitting.
So Happy Birthday Mum! We'll make you famous before your next birthday!
Love,
Beattie xoxo

Our Toy Shop

So as you may know, Fiona is a busy woman. So busy in fact that she's had to outsource her blog to me. I'm not just a random person, I mean, I am fairly random, but I'm also her daughter, web manager and shop manager!
We're getting bigger and better all the time! Our shop Granny Fi's Toy Cupboard in Uralla is speeding along at an incredible rate!
Just look at the special order of a bride and groom jackal she did last week!
Because we're so busy, I've also taken over dragon production and window displays. 

We're working on a website, although my technical skills are being sorely tested, hopefully by early next year we'll have a fully functioning website for you to buy from!
Fiona, aka Granny Fi, is working away on two books at the moment 'Fairy Gardens 101' and illustrating 'Two Selkie Stories from Scotland' by Kate Forsyth, to be released next year.
Busy, busy, busy!
Lots of love,
Beattie-the-daughter xoxo

Too long away

Hi everybody. Apologies for so long between postings. One thing that put me off was the unresponsiveness of blogspot. It was just not working.

Also my apologies to the lovely person who left a comment asking a question which I have neglected to answer, I will do so today.

Can I claim to have been too busy to post? Well, I have been busy but I should have been posting too.

We finally got Granny Fi's Toy Cupboard open and have a lovely shop front in Uralla, just south of Armidale in New South Wales, Australia. Here is the facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/GrannyFisToyCupboard?ref=hl
 We sold out of dragons in the first week and I am still trying to fill orders.

The dragons have been so popular that we have decided to host a dragon extravaganza in early April, complete with dragon cave, hopefully.



Then, I have also been finishing my latest book, a history of graffiti for SkyHorse publishing in New York.

http://www.skyhorsepublishing.com/book/?GCOI=60239103718920 And this is the link to the website.

Lots more to tell but if I don't post this now it won't get done.
 

Granny Fi's Toy Cupboard now on Facebook

Granny Fi's Toy Cupboard now on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/GrannyFisToyCupboard

 

We have now registered the business name Granny Fi's Toy Cupboard and set up a facebook page just for the shop. Follow the link and let us know what you think.

It's happening! I am going to open a toy shop called Granny Fi's Toy Cupboard. It will begin as a Facebook shop and then next year it will have a real, geographical location in Uralla, a small town 15 minutes south of Armidale, NSW, Australia.

 

I will be taking over the running of my aunt's gallery, Chaucer on Bridge Street and adding my toy shop/gift shop. I'm hoping it will be a family business as there are lots of talented people I'm related to: painters, potters, writers, storytellers, textile artists and toy makers for example.

 

 

We, because I do want to include the family, will sell: handmade dolls and other toys, quirky toys, handmade gifts, jewellery, cards and prints and baby gifts. We'd also like to have a book nook, a snug corner in which to read books, surrounded by shelves with books by local writers,  my own books and glorious picture books. On Saturday mornings and throughout school holidays we will have story readings for children. At night, accompanied by wine and nibbles, we'd like to have book readings for adults. We shall host musical soirees and puppet shows, have regular exhibition openings and offer a range of workshops.

 

However, that part won't happen until February next year. Stay posted for the next exciting episode of Granny Fi's Toy Cupboard.

The Truth About Comets

 

This is the title of my upcoming exhibition of new work. I have taken the title from a painting by the artist Dorothea Tanning who is one of three women artists associated with the Surrealist Movement. The other two artists are Remedios Varo and Leonora Carrington.

 

I recently learnt that Dorothea died early this year aged 101. This exhibition is a homage to the three of them.

 

 

I will be exhibiting alongside David Allan and his gorgeous 'Flights of Fantasy' exhibition



Time: 6 pm Saturday 15th September

Place: The New England Art Society Gallery, upstairs near the nesagent in the Mall, Armidale

The exhibition will be showing for almost a month