It's all about the mushroom

Hello,

My good intentions of more frequent posts have appeared to have gone out of the window!  Life gets busy and so this blog takes a bit of a back seat.  I do want to keep it up though and will strive to get better!  

A lot has happened since my last post back in....well, whenever it was.  I've been creating some new work and taking part in several creative/makers markets which I've really been enjoying.  I've got some more of those coming up so I'll aim to write about those properly nearer the time.  I'm also going to be having a piece of work in a group exhibition coming up shortly which is very exciting for me.  I haven't exhibited anything since my college days so I'm delighted to be a part of a show now.  I will post about that soon.

In the meantime I'll share my latest piece of work all about mushrooms.  They fascinate me and are something amazingly fun to draw.  This work did go through a few iterations before I settled on this composition and colour palette, but I'm so happy that I stuck with it and I'm really pleased with how the final piece turned out.  My intention was for it to have a vintage kind of feel to it, and I so enjoyed playing with all the textures in this one.

I WILL be back soon with more updates.  In the meantime I hope you're having a good week.  It's Saturday so I'm getting out and about in (hopefully) the sunshine!

Sharon :).

New cards and upcoming markets

Hello!

I hope you're all doing well.  Today I'm going to share my brand new card designs that I've been busy working on recently.  

Apart from Christmas cards it's been a little while since I made any new greetings cards so I thought it was about time to create some new ones.  I also heard in January that I'd got a slot at a market I'd applied for so I wanted new cards ready for that.  I've now got two upcoming markets in spring (hooray)! so I'm super excited for those. 

I knew I wanted to make at least three cards and that I wanted them all to have the same colour palette so they work as a set.  My first market is the day before Mother's Day in the UK so one of the cards I wanted to be is for that, plus a Birthday and any occasion floral card.  

They're now all at the printers so they should be with me in physical form very soon.  It's always exciting to see them when they come back in finished form.  Once they arrive and get photographed I'll also be popping them into my Etsy shop SharonFarrowArt.  I also have a sale on there at the moment with 50% off all A5 prints including these below.

I mentioned earlier that I've got two markets coming up.  The first is @localmakersmarket on March 9th in Wanstead and the second is @craftyfoxmarket on April 6th in Kings Cross.  Both are brand new markets for me and I'm super excited to be taking part in them.  I will post more about them soon.  If you're in London then it would be great to see you!

That's all for now, time to head out for a refreshing morning run.  Have a good week :).

Happy New Year and a sale!

Hello and Happy New Year!

2024 is now upon us.  Strange to think just one week ago was Boxing Day and I was eating crisps and losing (yet again) at Cluedo.  I hope (if you had one) that you had a good break and are feeling refreshed.  This is what I call my first day back proper, and I've tried to make it not too challenging with some sketchbook work.  So far I've been quite happy with what's been going on in there today.  There's a bit of admin to do as well so overall day one looks ok.

Todays post is really to advertise (shameless plug) that I have a sale on over in my Etsy shop SharonFarrowArt.  It will run for most of January and includes all my Christmas cards, wrap, tags and tree decorations.  There's either 25% or 50% off those items as detailed in the listings.  Some of them are pretty low in stock and it would be good to sell them on to a good home.  I've also got reels over on my Instagram with all the details.  I know many people like to get organised for next Christmas in advance so if you fancy taking a look in my shop have a look here.

Here's some items that have 25%off :

and below some of the 50% off goodies including all my tree decorations :

I had a good and busy December which I really enjoyed.  Can't deny that now feels like a flatter time but it is a good time to plan ahead.  I've got a list that I've been adding to, started in December, with things I would like to try in my business over the coming year.  I am just jotting down anything that comes to mind, no doubt things will be deleted and the list will be added to as we go forward, having it there gives me something to work toward and get going with right now though.  The sketchbook work today is one of those starts, as I want to make some new cards/prints for my shop and I feel starting there is a good way to try a few things without putting a huge pressure on straight off.  I think it's worked but I'll save that for another post.  I don't make resolutions and stuff, but the start of a new year always does feel like a time to reflect and reassess.  

I hope you're having a good start to January, it was raining here this morning and now it's really windy.  I do quite like listening to the wind whistling when I can just stay in.  It really does feel like back to regular life again! 

Speak soon :).

Final December market of the year!

Hello!

I hope everyone is doing well.  I thought I'd pop back with an update as I've now done my final fair of the year.  

This weekend was the @designandcraftfair held as part of the Truman markets in East London.  It was my only entire weekend market of December.  One of the really good things about having a stall here is that it is huge so I can really spread out and bring some framed prints which I can't normally fit on a table, (although my arms are not so pleased with this 😅).  Unfortunately though, it wasn't as busy as I had hoped.  The area in general didn't seem as busy as it is usually, as it's normally very buzzy.  It was a bit of a shame but, I still made a profit and sold a lot of cards in particular so that is the upside.  Sadly footfall is often something that is totally out of a traders control, however, I got to chat to some of the fellow stall holders which is always a lovely part of trading.  

So, that's my December markets wrapped up!  It's the first time I've done a market each weekend and I would do it again.  Over the past year I have increased the amount of markets I've done and next year I definitely would like to do more.  I enjoy them, inspite of the schlepping of stuff around London (which is always a challenge), the days are really fun.  I've met lots of people doing similar things with similar struggles and wins! and that is one of the best bits, as well as people liking your created goods enough to buy which is always a joy.  

To round up my busiest market was definitely the @illustratorsfair.  Very well marketed every time, and the location is itself is busy and has a really good vibe.  The second was the @ktmakermarket and for their first one it really was a huge success, so again great marketing I think.  I really want to do more with them. Even though this last Design and Craft fair was quieter than I hoped, I would still do another.  The last one I took part in in September was much busier, and I still really enjoyed my weekend there.  

I'll just pop in that if there's anything that tickles your fancy in the photos above have a look in my Etsy shop SharonFarrowArt.  I have now sold out of some stock, but most of what is on display here is still available.  If you want in time for Christmas though as I post by second class, the cut off for guaranteed delivery has now passed but....maybe you want to surprise someone for New Year!

This will more than likely be my last post before Christmas so, if you are celebrating, or just having a break, I hope you thoroughly enjoy yourself 😊.  Also just to say, thanks for reading my ramblings I really appreciate it!

See you soon

Sharon x

December market time!

Hello!

So I'm back with my market/fair update.  I have now taken part in two of my December markets with just one more to go.  It's been a bit of a hectic couple of weeks hence why this is now a two for one post.  

My first market was on Saturday 2nd December and was held in a church in Kentish Town with @ktmakersmarket.  It was their first market, it was busy and felt very festive.  I had a very good day and was impressed with the turnout as it was a very cold day.

My second was the @illustratorsfair held last Saturday.  I've done this fair a few times now and this was the busiest it's been.  It seems people do really want to support small businesses which is lovely.  I can't say I got a chance to look around because I really didn't, but just from my vantage point I'm always so impressed with the variety of work on offer.  Again, I had a very good day and really enjoyed it.  Markets are always tiring as the lugging of all my wares around London is exhausting but I always think it's worth it.  This Saturday night once I'd got home and eaten, I had a nice relaxing bath to help wind down :).

So, just one more market to go and that's this weekend @designandcraftfair so if you fancy popping by then please do.  I post photos from the events over on Instagram if you want to take a look.

I hope you've had a good week! 

Back soon 

Sharon :).

Flyer winner!

Hello,

So I'm back with some exciting news.  Yesterday I was told that my flyer for the @illustratorsfair won the competition!!  I'm so shocked and dead chuffed.  There were so many beautiful flyers (check out the @illustratorsfair feed to see all the entries), I don't know how the judges ever made a decision!  It's been so lovely to read everyones comments and see the likes, I'm totally overwhelmed!  

I had a lot of fun creating this flyer.  I'll be honest I started out with a totally different design, the only similarity to this was that there was a bird on it.  I worked on it for a bit but I wasn't happy, abandoned the idea, sketched out a new one, and went for a new colour palette.  I am really happy with how it turned out.  Sometimes an idea just seems to come together and that happened with this.  I got to play a lot with texture and I loved making the border and the blue frostiness in the background.  

They are now continuing with a wildcard flyer competition that anyone can enter to also create a flyer for the event.  So if you'd like to submit a design check out their feed to see how to get involved.  

The fair itself is now just under two weeks away (how did that happen)!!?!  This weekend I've been organising my stall ready for the next few weeks of markets.  The first is this coming Saturday in Kentish Town.  It's the first market of @ktmakersmarket it's going to be held in a beautiful church.  There will be pizza on sale as well so if that doesn't make you want to come I don't know what does :D.  I will be there with all my prints, cards, illustrated mirrors, notebooks, stickers, Christmas themed goods and tree decorations..phew! 

This is their flyer for the event and below that all the markets and fairs I'll be doing.  If you are looking to buy from me, or just want to see my creations but can't make the markets, everything can be found over on my Etsy shop SharonFarrowArt.

These are all the markets I'll be doing in December.  It would be lovely to see you if you are coming to any of them :).  I will post more about each one as we go through the month.

So, have a great week and I'll be back soon :).

December Markets and Fairs

Hello,

It is a very dreary rainy day Tuesday here in London.  I've already been out and got drenched so I'm happy to be back in the warm and dry.

To brighten up the day I thought I'd share a bit more about the markets/fairs I'll be doing and sharing flyers for the events.  Firstly I'll share the flyers I've made.  They're all made for Instagram so they're square in shape.

This first one I've created is for all the markets I'll be at, arranged around my shop logo for SharonFarrowArt shown in the middle.  

SharonFarrowArt

Kentish Town Makers Market

Illustrators' Fair

Design and Craft Fair

The next is a flyer specifically for the Illustrators' fair.  For every fair they do, all stall holders are invited to create a flyer for the event a #festivalofflyers.  It's a great way of showcasing the work of the illustrators' involved and it makes for a beautifully diverse gallery over on their feed.  I was thinking of crisp and frosty December days for my flyer and I'm really happy with how it's turned out.

Here's the generic flyers for two of those events :

I'm getting ready ensuring I have everything to display all the items I have.  It's not that long until the first one now.  I will be bringing all my Christmas cards, wrap and gift tags but I'll also have prints, greetings cards and small illustrated gifts.  These markets are the perfect place to find something really original to give as a gift or keep for yourself 😀 (well, why not)?  I'll be posting more over on Instagram if you'd like to follow me there to keep up to date. 

If you do come by come and say hello!

Ok, that's me done for now.  Have a great rest of the day.

Sharon