Who doesn't love a Highland cow??

Well, it's been a while since I did a blog post! I'm not going to lie, motivation has been a bit low recently. I fully appreciate that at the moment with energy prices through the roof and the cost of living increasing and increasing, buying art isn't at the top of most people's priorities. While this shouldn't affect my ability to create, sometimes it feels a little like screaming into the void. However if you follow me on Instagram, over the summer I gave my followers the chance to vote on what subject they would like to see for a new homeware range and what products they would like. There was a close battle between dairy and highland cows, but highlands just pipped dairy to the post.

The original vote had been for enamel mugs, water bottles and cushions, all of which I loved the idea of. Once I'd drawn the artwork though, I hit a snag with the cushions. The one company I use only offer cushions to their members. I'd initially planned to be a member for a month to get the cushions printed, but it turns out you can only join for a 12 month period, not a month at a time. Unfortunately, membership for 12 months is £100. This would be fine if I planned on ordering plenty of stuff throughout the year, but I am mainly an artist who does a few homeware items on the side and it just wasn't financially viable for me to do. I'd either have to swallow the £100 costs myself (I'd love to do this, but I'm just not earning enough from my art) or I'd have to pass the costs onto my customers, making the cushions more expensive which sort of goes against my whole values of creating affordable artwork!

So, back to the drawing board. I saw on the same website that they also did tote bags. If you've ever ordered from me or read some of my other blog posts, you'll know that I'm all about trying to reduce wastage and reuse as much packaging as possible. What better thing then, than a reusable shopper? Not only does it look great it reduces the amount of plastic bags you'll use.

We all know we should be drinking more water as well, and these 650ml metal bottles are ideal for keeping your water intake up. Helps clear your skin, helps prevent headaches (I get horrendous headaches if I don't drink enough) and helps with concentration.. Water cures all!

I am also a fan of an enamel mug. No, not just because I'm selling them, I just find them really handy. You can chuck them in a backpack or into your truck and know that you're not going to smash them. Back in my festival days, I'd often take an enamel mug as I could attach it to my clothes and not have to worry about losing it, meaning I always had a glass if someone offered me a drink (tactics, kids, tactics). Now, in my sedate-ish age, I often use one if I'm in a rush to have a drink quickly before I leave the house, as they do seem to dissipate the heat better than a ceramic mug, which is handy if you're in a rush. I'm one of those 'up and out of the house in 15 minutes' kind of people, but I also can't drink very hot drinks lol.

So, there you've had it. There are enamel mugs, water bottles and tote bags coming very soon. There are only 10 mugs, 10 bottles and 3 tote bags, and once they're gone, they're gone and won't be made again. If you'd like early bird access, please sign up to the mailing list if you haven't already, as they'll be available 24 hours earlier to subscribers before they go on general sale!