Guilt

Guilt, that is what I have right now, guilt that I haven't up-dated the blogs as much as I should, guilt that I don't get as much work done in a day as I should, guilt that I need to do such mundane things as eating and sleeping when I should be working, guilt, guilt guilt!!

This is I find the one major draw back of working from home, the inability to switch off from work. I find myself of an evening gravitating back towards my Mac to just finish this little job off...oh and maybe answer the odd email...oh and I'll just print those Etsy orders off.....and suddenly is midnight arrrrrrr!

One advantage of my recent work obsession is that I finally, after a year of meaning to do it, have built a website for myself! hooray! Ok its not spectacular but at least its somewhere to refer people who are interested in my work too....introducing katwhelan.com



I have ditched my third blog katwhelanillustrations.blogspot and am now using the website, I may eventually (and when I figure out how) move this blog over to there as well but quite frankly just building the site made my brain ache so that will have to wait till another time.

I have been doing many other exciting things, greeting cards, new flat pack Circuses for my Etsy and Folksy shops, a children's book and making some very nice Christmas present for my nearest and dearest all of which I unfortunately can't show you yet, but I will soon!

and finally, did I get to go the the amazing, never to be repeated Banksy exhibition.....No....I was getting married instead.....guilt!

Banksy

Is their anyone on the plant that has not hear of Banksy right now? I think not so I wont bother to explain who he is (what else is google for?), I worked in Bristol for 2 years and was used to seeing his work around he city (usually sprayed 3 storeys up on the side of buildings) so I was really excited to hear he was doing a free exhibition at the Bristol Museum.



They shut the whole place for a couple of months so he could run around setting his artwork up (what an amazing job that must have been!!) at the moment it takes about 2 hours to cue to get in and is probably the most popular exhibition the Museum has ever had running, people for all over the world have been coming to see it!
Which makes me a bit ashamed that Rich and I, who only live 20 minuets away haven't been yet! Well we've got till the end of August, and by God I will go and see it even if I have to stand in rain for 2 hours! Here's what I've been missing...







At this rate we'll be the only people in the south west who haven't seen it, must go to Bristol next week!!!!

Time Slips Away

Ok it is well established by now that I am a bad blogger, but I'm getting married in 6 weeks! that's my excuse and I'm sticking with it!

I'm also lucky enough to have two children's books I'm working on for an American publisher which is very exciting! that will keep me quite till next March, but in between I'm still trying to producing one or two other bits and bobs as well as trying to keep my shops running smoothly.

Here's two little images I managed to squeeze in:






I'd love to do more things like this, fingers crossed!


©Kat Whelan

Art Show

Managed to get hold of the pics mum took at the weekend, here is the finished stand with my work on it...



Can you believe Rich built this all by himself out of 2 old doors we got of freecycle and a load of old pallet wood!



Rich had to make it in stages so the first time it was all screwed together and stand up on its own was at the show, we meant to test run it at home but it kept raining so we never got chance, good job he's so cleaver and it all fitted together fine!



I got some lovely comments about how well the stand complimented my work, it was Rich's idea to paint the shelves white then sand the edges off a little to give them a slightly worn look, I think it was works really well together.



and lastly here I am looking chuffed with my stand, lets hope it survives in our garage to do this again next year!



Hopefully I will be putting pics from the whole event up on the art show website (when I get 5 mins that is!)



©Kat Whelan

Where Have I Been!

I have just looked at my last entry and realized it has been a month since i posted, how very lazy I am! Well not that lazy actually, I've been working my little paper cut fingers off getting ready for the art show which was the weekend just gone. It went well despite a last minuet change of venue (meaning that all the printed fliers where wrong, but never mind!) I didn't sell anything but all my business cards have gone and I have had a few follow up enquires vie the shops so that's great! there will be pics of the show and the totally fabulous stand Rich built for me, but they are on Mums camera so I am waiting on an email for her (hint hint mum!)

Anyway right now I'm busy filling orders...



designing my wedding invitations...



Doing a little more logo design...



and when I get 5 mins where I'm not doing any of those things I'm making miles of bunting for the wedding...



No wonder my hands are aching!

Also a quick thank you to Francesca for choosing Under The Stair Studios as one of her Folksy Feature Sellers, its always nice to be recognized! Francesca writes a lovely blog totally worth a look here!

x

New in My Shops

What a lovely little break that's was, so many things done in such a sort space of time! The wedding plans are coming along brilliantly (we are amazingly managing to stick to our minuscule budget but that's another post altogether!)

So I have rushed home to add my latest creations to my 2 shops, here's a little taster...















I'm really please to get the little card designs up in the shops, all these new items will be featuring in the art shop in May, fingers crossed people like them!



© Kat Whelan 2009

New Ideas & A Little Break

Well I am going to be taking a little blog break for a week or two, I'm off to spend a week organizing things for our up and coming wedding, I will hopefully get a little free time to work on some new designs and ideas too. Heres some new stuff which will be added to the shop when I'm back and its open again.



Also heres a quick pic of Rich's valentines prezzy I made him...



Yep, its a ninja squirrel theater! Isn't love a wonderful thing!