Mother's Day is on the way!

I'm feeling rather pleased with myself, this chilly Sunday night.

Is it down to my transformation yet again into a card making machine? A machine so efficient it has churned out a pile of stock ready for next weekend's March Morningside Makers Market?

Or is it because I got up at 7am (early for me!) on Tuesday morning to drive in the snow around town getting those street names that have eluded me when I'm usually rushing to get home? I have to admit, the early start and quiet-ish roads were definitely a welcome change and it was quite an enjoyable outing!

Or was it posting off my first international order!? Quite a thrill I can tell you, to say to the man in the post office, "Can I post this to Singapore please?"

No, the reason is: I have finally finished my selection of Mother's Day cards! It's been such a busy time of late, when I finally sat down on Wednesday night to have a go at putting some together, I just couldn't find my creative mojo! But never fear! It was with me today and what a relief! I was starting to get a little concerned...

The cards are a mere snip at £2.20 each and can be bought online on my website or on the wonderful world of Folksy - a site dedicated to buying and selling arts and crafts, featuring a host of lovely creative-types. Worth a look!

Next weekend I will be back at the Morningside Maker's Market for my second craft fair and I can't wait! For those who fancy popping along, it's at the Columcille Centre, Newbattle Terrace from 10.30am-4.30pm. Hopefully see you there!

Jen x

Busy busy busy...

In the aftermath of last weekend's wonderful, wild adventure across to the other side town for the Morningside Makers Market, there's been a flurry of activity in the world of Jen Owens Images. Feeling somewhat inspired by the lovely reception my streetname cards received, I had a very productive evening updating my stock with the newly acquired names from a trip out to Gullane (who knew the East Lothian roads would provide such a good haul?!).

I've also been getting busy online and involved with the, quite frankly, super-talented and friendly Scottish craft community. Thanks to my new found fellow craft-fair friends Angharad Jefferson, Konnie Kapow and Lucy Loves Soaps, I've been pointed in the direction of the excellent UK Handmade website where you can now see my new profile, and to Glasgow-based Made in the Shade Maisonette which I can't wait to get through to and visit!

I'm also about to embark on an exciting new collage for a certain public watering-hole of favour. Can't really say more than that at the moment, but watch this space...

On top of all that, I have booked into the March Morningside Makers Market (or as I like to call it, MMMM...) so you will find me there on Saturday 6th March, as well as on Saturday 3rd April.

And should you be wondering what is at the end of the road to Gullane...here are a couple of views I found. Nice to get out of the city :)

Swimming in cards...

And so my first craft fair has been and gone... and what an all-round lovely day it was.

All those late nights making cards, mounting collages, writing stickers, pricing stock and drinking tea (read: wine) was worth it! Not only did I meet some lovely fellow crafters, I also had some, quite frankly, ego-boosting feedback about the collages and the street name cards were brilliantly received as well, which totally made my day :)

There were the inevitable few who couldn't find their name amongst my stock and in response I think I made a couple of promises that I won't be able to keep ("Of course I'll find Engelbert Street, just keep checking the website, or pop along next time!") but lots that I will.

The whole day in general had such a great atmosphere. All of my fellow crafters that I had chance to chat to were so welcoming, friendly and happy to dole out craft fair advice, which I duly scribbled onto numerous pieces of paper (and which I spent a good half an hour or so deciphering this morning!).

The next fair is booked for April 3rd, although I may try and get one in for March, so watch this space...

Jen x

Swimming in cards!

Valentine's Day is on the way!

In preparation for that good ol' romantic day, I've created some Valentine's Day cards after discovering Lovers' Lane in South Queensferry back in December - too good a street name to not use for such an occasion.

I've even been extra organised and added them to the website, available to buy in their very own shop, which you can access by clicking here. Of course do come and buy them in person at the Morningside Makers Market craft fair on 6th February if you prefer!

Jen x

The hunt for street signs

Ever since I took that first street sign photograph almost 18 months ago, it has become an obsession - I can't go anywhere without first studying maps of the area I'm heading to in case there's a worthwhile street with a name I haven't yet added to my ever-growing list.

Without trying to sound too exotic, it was in Australia when I first stumbled upon the idea. A lazy week spent on Magnetic Island (ironically, a tiny island with only a handful of roads) presented 'Heath Street' - the name of my cousin's boyfriend in Canberra who we would be visiting just weeks later. How could I resisit!? How fun it would be to show him that many hundred miles north of his capital home, on a lovely, warm, quiet island lay a road named 'after' him?

Of course it didn't stop there, oh no... As Mr O and I continued to travel north up the coast, each new town we stopped at held more and more signs: David St and Campbell St in Mission Beach; Minnie St and Sheridan St in Cairns. And then to Melbourne - to this day the most affluent place on earth (that I have yet discovered) in terms of street signs.

This Sunday saw my first ever trip to somewhere with the intention soley for the search of street names - to Perth. Not a long drive from Edinburgh and with the snow no more than a splash of slush on the side of the road, not a bad journey either. A whole list of names to obtain (eight in total...not quite enough to rival Melbourne, but a good effort) and obtain-away I did!

Miles I walked, often in the wrong direction, looking, hoping, turning corners in the hope that the terrible map I had drawn out on a piece of scrap paper would somehow lead me to my destinations. And what a buzz! To find not only those names on my list, but also ones that I had somehow missed on my Saturday afternoon map-studying session (how did I miss you, Stuart Avenue?!) was quite a thrill.

My enthusiasm was fuelled thanks to my booking my first craft fair, at the Morningside Makers Market on Saturday 6 February, at the Columcille Centre on Newbattle Terrace from 10.30am-4pm - I need to start building up stock!

As for my Perth haul, I would like you to welcome Angus Court, Malcolm Court, Lewis Place, Rae Place, James Street, Isla Road, Victoria Street, Scott Street and of course, Stuart Avenue, to the list.

I wonder what next weekend will bring...

New Year, new collage

Happy New Year! Thought it was about time to get a new collage up on to the website - please welcome Anstruther Harbour to the collection. Despite a rather grey day, the photos for the collage turned out rather well and I have to say the lovely bluey-grey of the water and sky is probably my favourite part.

And here we are in 2010...what will it hold. Well so far, I've got my Facebook page up and running. If you're a Facebook user, you can find my fan page by searching for 'Jen Owens Images'. I've also got my first craft fair coming up - more info to follow soon!

What with all this lovely snow, it would be a shame to not take advantage of some quite simply stunning scenery that's appeared over the past few weeks so fingers crossed it continues through the week so I can get out and about with my camera!

Twitter

In an attempt to improve my online presence and further my knowledge of all things internet, I am officially on Twitter! You can follow me at: twitter.com/jenowensimages.