Archive for 2012|Yearly archive page
bird illustration, birds, drawings, owl illustrations, owls
In Original Art on May 14, 2012 at 10:29 am
That’s it in a nutshell. I love Owls, I also love Puffins, Blue Tits, Robins, Sparrows, all birds and animals really. That’s why I draw them.
My bird illustrations are fun to do and a great way for me to communicate my love for these creatures. In fact all my drawings are a method for me to explore the world around me and celebrate the things I adore.
So here’s a sample of some of my recent owl drawings, all of which are using a well-loved medium of felt-tip on paper – enjoy!
Scops Owl, felt tip on paper
Great Horned Owl, felt tip on paper
Little Owl
Barn Owl
art, black, blue tit, drawing, elegant, gift tags, gold, grey, handcrafted, handmade, handprinted, illustration, ink, luxury, Not On The High Street, original, Paper, stationery, white
In Original Art, Stationery collection on May 3, 2012 at 7:43 pm
A5 Coptic Bound book, Blue Tit, Grey on White
I am delighted to announce that I am now officially a seller on Not On The High Street.
Ella Johnston Art and Illustration on Not On the High Street showcases my brand-new stationery collection.
The new range was inspired by my two classic items; the Grey on White Blue Tit Stationery Set and the Grey on White Garden Bird Card Set, also available on the site.
I used these popular sets and their gentle grey on white palette as my starting point. From there I’ve created what I think is a simple, elegant range that celebrates my original drawing and the tactile pleasure of printing with ink and paper, using a range of just four colours; black, white, grey and gold.
I’m really pleased with the breadth of products on offer too; from gift tags and notelets to full correspondence sets and books – as well as lovely cards to choose from – at a number of price points. Every item is handmade and handprinted, each one has a touch of handcrafted luxury and I’ve managed to keep everything under £25.
Anyway, enough of my gabbing, here’s a taster of what’s on offer. (Styling and photography all MW Bewick).
Ella Johnston Art and Illustration at Not On The High Street.
Gold and black coptic bound notebook, available in A5 and A6
Deluxe writing set: 5 A4 paper, 5 cards, 5 notelets, 5 gift tags 15 envelopes
5 Stork notelets
Set of 2 A6 grey on gold Flora and Fauna notebooks
Woodland and garden bird stationery set: 4 A5 paper, 4 notelets, 4 notebooks, 4 envelopes
artisan makers, colchester, handmade, handprinted, original gifts, shop, stationery collection
In Stationery collection on April 30, 2012 at 6:58 pm
It’s been v busy at EJHQ of late. Not only have I been preparing a new handprinted stationery collection to launch on Not On The High Street but I’ve also been putting the feelers out to shops to stock my current colourful range.
Well, it’s been really exciting and a number of places have not only showed an interest but are now asking for orders – brilliant.
I’m particularly pleased to be part of the Handmade High Street that has just opened, this Saturday in fact, in Colchester.
As the shop’s name suggests, it celebrates the handmade. So it’s great for people who like original gifts and want to support artisan makers.
Owner Maryann is passionate and committed to the handmade cause and everything in the shop has been lovingly crafted by an artisan in the UK, it’s nice to be in such esteemed company.
Shop sign
In the shop!
Handmade High St, 6 Sir Isaacs Walk, Colchester, Essex CO1 1JJ.
bookbinding, gifts, illustrated greeting cards, illustration, independent retailers, jotters, luxury designs, notonthehighstreet, screenprints, stationery
In Stationery collection on April 16, 2012 at 8:45 pm
Very soon…
Ella Johnston, new collection coming soon
Next week I will be launching my new collection on Not On The High Street. I’m incredibly excited about it and am looking forward to this new phase in my work and reaching out to new audiences.
Watch. This. Space.
boutique, british designers, designer mother's day gifts, Floral Stationery, gift ideas, gift sets, handmade books, handmade gifts, illustration, Mother's Day Gifts, notebooks, screenprints, stationery, stationery sets
In Stationery collection on March 4, 2012 at 8:10 pm
It’s Mother’s Day on the 18th March. And, what is now an annual tradition, here’s a picture of me and my mum (my auntie Gillian pops up at the end)…
At a 1977 Queen's Jubilee Party (and we're republicans???)
And here’s another – this time with some retro photobooth action!
1980's Photobooth fun
And if you’re looking for something nice for your Mum, here’s a selection of affordable gifts from my collection at Folksy. As always, everything on my shop is illustrated, handprinted and handmade by me. Click on the captions for more details…
fonts, ink, Letterpress, Letterpress workshop, letters, Turnbull Grey, type, typeset, woodblock
In Ella loves! on February 23, 2012 at 5:24 pm
After my sister bought me a rather fine vintage letterpress and some lovely type, I thought I’d better learn how to use it!
So, I went on a fantastically inspirational letterpress workshop with rather lovely people at Turnbull Grey. Based at Craft Central in London, the TG studio was just lovely; small enough to be intimate and personal but large enough so our two expert trainers and my two fellow workshopers weren’t stepping over each other. Yes, there were just three people per session, which kept things friendly and made sure learning could be quite fluid.
Myself and my three companions were like kids in a sweet shop. There were drawers and drawers of woodblock and metal type of various fonts and sizes – lovely. There were also two types of letterpress machines (two Adana’s and a larger one for posters) to play with.
I didn’t take any photos at the course as I didn’t want to disrupt anyone’s learning. I also made sure that I didn’t try and produce a finished piece of artwork – I just wanted to get the hang of the process. It is really easy but can produce incredibly effective results, especially as you’re working with the woodgrain, little nicks and idiosyncrasies of each individual block that give real character to every print. Anyway, here are some examples of what I produced in the three-hour session.
Wonderful W
Yeah, yeah, yeah, YEAHHHHHHHHH!
M. W. B.
Everything starts with an 'E'
B is beautiful!
Loving the L
Yeah - with a kiss!
It’s only £60 per session and it is a tremendous amount of fun with real letterpress practitioners. See the Turnbull Grey website for more info.
Cushion, Fabric notebook covers, Felt, Felt Necklace, Folksy, Green, Green apple, Green floral fabric, Hand Painted Silk Scarf, handmade, Lampshade, Plaid, Printed fabric, Retro Mouse, Sunglasses case, Vintage
In Ella loves! on February 21, 2012 at 11:22 pm
It’s another Folksy competition – this time on the subject of textile love. Seeing as I adore all things natural I decided to plump for a green theme. Here’s my selection; product details and links below.
Feel the green love
From left to right, top to bottom: Vintage Fabric Retro Mouse by Audrey’s Cat; Vintage-style Fabric Party Wedding Bunting by Crabtree Lane; Funky Green Circles Shoe Bag by Plookiss; Green & Black Spot Tulle Fabric Necklace by Dainty Dora; Sunglasses case by Crafty Little Sew and Sew; Tartan Plaid Wool Moss Green Cocktail Hat by Talulahblue; Cushion and cover, handmade from vintage 1950s fabric by Home ’til Monday; Green Apple by Woolly Duck; Green Felt Flower Brooch by ClassicBecca; Green 1st Class Cushion by Karen Hilton Designs; Handmade Elephant Door Stop by Crabtree Lane; Hello Roses Lampshade in Olive by gilhoolie; Hand printed Forest green birdcage fabric on linenby Sarah Waterhouse – Plain Jane Textiles; Chunky Bead, Fairtrade Felt Necklace by Anna King Jewellery; Hand Painted Silk Scarf by Mulberry Arts; Lush Green Fabric Fridge Magnet by Crafts Council; Fabric notebook covers by Sew Happy; Scissor’s Fabric by Andover by Stitch Me Lane
bird greeting cards, bird illustration, etsy, floral greeting cards, Floral Stationery, handmade books, illustrated greeting cards, illustration, new bab
In Stationery collection on January 29, 2012 at 3:52 pm
I’ve bitten the bullet and opened my shop on Etsy, Art by EllaJohnston.
My shop front
I shall be selling my stationery collection (highlights below) and uploading some new work in the coming months so watch this space!
Star of Bethlehem card set
Flora and fauna, black on pink coptic bound notebook
Baby blue stork coptic-bound book
Blue tit stationery set, 2nd print run
Bird drawings., bird illustration, birds, drawing, illustration, little owl, redshank
In Original Art on January 29, 2012 at 1:57 pm
I’ve been worried of late friends – I’ve been asking myself if my drawings are working hard enough.
I want to convey a subtle tonal range and strong contrast yet still retaining the elegance and character of my previous work. I also need something that will translate from page to scanner to possibly silkscreen and back to paper again. Hmmm.
With this in mind I’ve been experimenting with an old drawing technique that I first played around with at art college (quite a while ago). Here are the results.
Little owl
Redshank
all you need is love, Folksy, handmade, hearts, Letterpress, love is all you need, original gifts, screeprints, sttching, textiles, valentines day, valentines gifts
In Ella loves! on January 25, 2012 at 3:35 pm
The good people of Folksy have asked their facebook fans to be ‘curators’, choosing 18 favourite Folksy goodies around the theme of “Handmade love”
So here’s my little round-up, I have to say it was a real pleasure looking at all the rather fabulous stuff available through my Folksy friends. Take a look – links to individual items are at the bottom…
Folksy love
Left to right from top right: Mwah Papercut Valentines Card from Storeyshop. Rock Valentine I Was Made For Loving You by Sam Ossie. Love you Earrings by Canny Belle. Red Made With Love Ribbon by Jodie Wells. Vintage-Love-Heart-Confetti by Paper Heart. Heart Wedding-garland by Bookity. Lovers Kiss by A Resin Revival. Love is all you need Letterpress Print by Print for the Love of Wood. Wings-of-Love-Necklace by Cherryloco Jewellery. Heart-Necklace by Rosie Jo. Love Tokens by Tea & Ceremony. Lovebird Valentine Cards by Ella Johnston. Felt Love Cushion by G & B Interiors. HUG me KISS me LOVE me cushions by Karen Hilton Designs. I Love You Garland by Teapot Lane. Love it Keyring by Do it Momma. Heart-in-Hands art work by Becca Young Stitches. Hello I Love You Screenprint by Mengsel
