Organisation & looking back..

Celebrating 2012 - Jubilee Celebrations - The Queen, the flame..

Preparing flowers pots, ready form decorating and planting herbs

It has been a long time since I  last posted, so it's a long post, with so many projects and changes to Poppies. 
Poppies started almost 7 years ago, it was time for Poppies new organisation plan to be put into practise.
In fact, an ankle injury at the end of November really did knock me off my feet; ohh how I missed the mad Christmas crafting sessions but not trying to clear up glitter.
(I only managed one art session at Poole Hospital Children's ward with volunteers running around for me!)I think maybe I did need this time to recharge, read, plan and prepare for the mass organisation of Poppies.

Over the last 7 years, with every session being especially tailored for the client, the hundreds of drawings, samples and equipment has been simply Eminence.
Each workshop/ client paperwork has been neatly filed and then archived at the year's end; storage of equipment divided down into big neat plastic boxes with labels such as paper craft,fabric painting etc. not to mention the thousands upon thousands of mosaic tiles filling floor to ceiling professional racking of a garage, 3 sheds, an office and a studio.
So we decided ( with the agreement of the board  of the directors) to cull, create space and organise every aspect of Poppies at grass roots level.


It went something like this:

O hh, when to start?!
R eally, do we need this & this & this?!
G oal of finishing within 2 days - dashed!
A nd so it goes on...and on..
N eeding lashing of tea...
I nspired by children's drawings & the many thank you cards
S orting out, space for new materials..
A chieving & seeing the light at the end of the tunnel or the garage in this case
T ons of art equipment donated to great causes
I personally got emotional remembering certain kids, projects - happy tears!
O nward and upwards..
N ew space, beautifully organised and streamlined.

We decided to donate tons of equipment with a high value to various charities, schools, individuals that we simply knew would really enjoy the arty activities and it felt really, really good. At the heart of Poppies we create the right environment for kids and adults to have that special moment.
The one where we see the person enjoying being creative and forgetting everything else; that joy of painting, cutting, sticking, drawing, choosing colours normally with a hint of their tongue sticking out due to total concentration of the task in hand.

Looking back, here are a handful of memories of our workshops..
We have grouted a mosaic with a full gospel choir singing to us; we have run workshops in a wide range of places including fields, festivals, cleaning cupboards, churches,random rooms in schools,playgrounds, gardens, hotels, offices, hospitals, hospices, daycentres, shopping centres, in the middle of Mothercare stores, mask making workshops in the Co-op in the Shetland Isles, libraries, dining huts, pubs, homes, halls, galleries, tents...
Not to mention some of the themes and what we have mosaiced or decorated in different forms:

Bugs, superheroes, ants, airoplanes, animals, badges, spices, trees, fish, sheep, chickens, crowns, cushions, mugs, clouds, children,crosses, flowers, herbs, birds, mobiles, sun, grass, beachhuts, mini towns, ark, houses, lions, elephants, frogs,trains, butterflies, seahorses, crabs, sea, sky, stars, logos, swings, flags, the Queen and her golden carriage, sayings, mirrors, picture frames, pirates, cards, pop art xmas trees, fairies, tractors, magic wands, reideer hats, snowflakes, bunnies...

Christmas card winner..

The Golden Carriage with the Queen

Young school girl with flag..

Team building mosaic butterflies..

Superhero glasses...

 

Parents painting Boscombe Cafe

'Finn' giving you a wink!

I never would have imagined some of the things we been asked to and have created, heard or seen all those years ago, when I decided to start up my own company sitting on a bench with Nigel Wood in front of the Tate Modern. I decided to start this company to be able to connect people and creativity - we really have made 'Creativity Bloom!' i am very proud and thankfull for being able to be able to do it! Thanks to everyone and a wonderful team and clients.

I attended my first after school art class at the age of 5, since then i have been able to find art rooms and just made myself at home..so it's come full circle huh?!!

Poppies will continue with its primary aim of bringing creativity to people of all ages and abilities tailormaking each and every workshop.   We will also focus our attention on our other company Natalie Guy Mosaics.   I hope we will meet again soon! 

Temba the Audi crystal lion takes shape in Metropolis Art gallery in Westbourne

A new lion has come to life in a beautiful setting. I remember waking up suddenly with a rather 'wild' idea when thinking about the characteristics of Audi. When I think of the rather well formed and luxury cars that state Audi, I can't help thinking of sleek lines, German engineering, and total elegance. So I hear you cry, what was the idea?  Swarovski crystal mane with diamonds against a beautiful white body.
White lions are  very rare creatures and after speaking to the managing director David Kelly of Poole Audi, it was clear he wanted to promote their plight. He has after all been to Africa to the one place they live in the world and was simply enchanted by this majestic animal. So the idea was born. A sleek white lion encrusted with crystals and a couple of diamonds that would be hand stuck. Temba - Swahili for 'Hope' seemed perfect.
In my mind, Temba had started with a personality. He would have the right car, the perfect house, maybe a yatch, fine art hanging in his house, eat at the finest restaurants, attend the right parties, dinners and would be an interesting person to chat too.
So the next question, where would I transform this now beautifully sprayed white lion with his mane of crystals? In a Westbourne gallery called 'Metropolis Art' surrounded by famous art from Banksy, Damien Hurst and the like, in the window!
Not any old window, no this window happened to be just by a set of traffic lights and in the main part of Westbourne.
Sometimes things happen in life that are simply just great. Sticking on the crystals one by one onto Temba  in the window of the gallery was fabulous!  I simply loved every minute,creating a sparkly lion in such a great atmosphere with the public stopping to stare and lashings of tea surrounded by brilliant artwork.
The team of the gallery kept me sane, as as you can imagine sticking over 6,000 crystals could send you a little mad...
The eyes needed to be just right and 'Soap' a very talented Urban artist, who's works features in the gallery, sprayed the eyes and Temba's character came to life in his hands. Soap's care and attention of the blue eyes looks great- thanks Soap!

The beginning of Temba..

Temba looks out of the window at his new surroundings and greets the public..

Soap working on the first layer of his eyes

The sparkle of Swarovski crystals..

A finished Temba looks out and sparkles at night time

Temba daytime...

Temba's new friends -Kitty & Bebe say hello...(he also gets a kiss!)

Lion in the library - 'African Sunset' is finished for Chinese New Year!

I'm just at the front of the library now, for you to come and visit!

Do you like my mane?

My tree has real gold don't you know!

Is this my best side?

African Sunset lion is now finished with many, many hours of loving care spent on this fine beast! Many hours, even days were spent cutting and sticking smaller and smaller mosaic tiles to create his new coat to be part of 'Pride in Bournemouth'. He has put on rather a lot of weight and needed many pairs of hands to lift him from the table to the floor...He now stands guard at the front of the library, waiting for a new name..

Over 200 people of different ages stuck on their tiles to be part of this community project including Harry Porter and Mrs. Porter, different school children and staff, little ones, older ones, council members, even a member of our government!

Visitors and new friends..

There have been comments that he has a lovely bottom..this photo also shows the colour change of the mosaic tiles..


A helper polishing the feet to make them very shiny


The Cole's Miller African Sunset mosaic lion is starting to get a personality and has now got black eyes with a very small piece of gold in the middle that should sparkle in the sunshine when outside. The lion, (still to be named) has had his photo taken by Sally the photographer of the Daily Echo and he was a showoff! Surrounded by the many different colours tiles that make up his new coat, he had his best side on show, and I was in the photo too.

He has also had many different visitors and friends come and say 'hello'. Charlie from Wild in Art, gave him a little stroke, pupils from nearby St.Michael's Primary school came to stick a couple of tiles on, whilst choosing books for their homework projects and even some of the parents stuck a couple of tiles too. Many of the 'lion' books have been checked out of the library, so their are many children learning and reading great stories about lions somewhere in Bournemouth ..
Cole's Miller are also sponsoring St.Michael's lion, so fingers crossed both lions will meet in the near future when they both have their new decorated coats.
Our lion has a new friend, a blackboard lion who he will share the Children's section with for the near future. I promise to take some photos tomorrow and post, so you can see the progress.

stories coming alive in the library

Mosaicing the lion in the library has given me 'food for thought' today. I have met some lovely people and has reminded me why I love working with art projects in the community.
I am mosaicing this lion in the children's section of the library, with small benches and storybook galore nearby.
I had been privileged to hear some wonderful stories - parents reading storybooks to their younger children, complete with different voices of the characters, children sitting in ore waiting for the next instalment. I have had parents talking to me whilst their child has been sticking, telling of small snippets of their lives and funny ditties and waiting to stick their own tiles too.

I had also heard heartfelt stories of bravery, that I could not imagine and could never understand and totally admire their determination and personal strength and love for others. Stories of crazy fundraising events coming up and the reasons why the fundraising is just so important; having a moment to talk to someone I wouldn't normally chat too from young to old. Seeing children's' and adults faces light up simply sticking their tiles and being part of the mosaic jigsaw. A simple act making the bigger picture, or lion in this case!

This project reaches an audience that wouldn't interact in day to day situations and being able to say 'Would like like to stick a tile on my lion?' and knowing that come the summer, different 'pockets' of our Bournemouth community could walk up to this lion and say 'That's my bit, I stuck on in the library'. 'Pride in Bournemouth' ( see the link there? oh, it's here: www.prideinbournemouth.com )
I'm a lucky girl seeing this project coming alive and meeting wonderful people and hearing their mini stories, how fitting for a library! I promise to bring more photos for you to see the progress of the nameless lion soon..

There's a lion in Bournemouth library!

The start of the African baobab tree with real gold highlights! -

He's looking a little LEGO yellow at the moment, but he has his 'shoes, a couple of legs mosaiced..

Staff from a local school want to stick a 'bit' too after their students have had a go!

Mike and Dave community officers come to help too!

Families are all getting involved..

Heather was the first person to stick on a tile..

A lion in the library...!

The news of lions 'taking over' Bournemouth in the summer has started to spread! Bournemouth will host 'Pride In Bournemouth' ,a public art event with lions in our streets and in our shop windows for all to see. There will be a trail map and we'll be able to search for them all!

'So what, summer is months away!' I hear you cry..well, the lions have already started to appear in strange places..such as Bournemouth library children's section.

Yes, you read that right - the library..

Poppies Art Workshops have been commissoned by Coles Miller, solicitors to mosaic a lion with the help of the public in the library. The design is of an 'African Sunset' in rich reds, oranges, yellows and even gold. We have been working hard and have had many different visitors including Hannah Perry from Cole Miller, Mike, a community officer, schools galore, families, tourists from Japan, Canada and even Switzerland to name a few. Some children have come back a couple of times to help and see the progress.

He is starting to look like the design, but another 6 colours will be added to make sure the colours blend well together, as he looks a little 'blocky' at the moment...watch this space for more information.

Lions, the BIC and santa for one night only!

Christmas is almost apon us, with snow in the sky, the same old Christmas songs bellowing from the shops and every advert on TV connected to Christmas from the food, to glamerous dresses and the must have something or other...Poppies have been very busy with wonderful workshops making the essential decorations, gifts and using the most amount of glitter ever seen!

So keeping with the Christmas theme, every stage for the big Light Switch-on needed a 'Santa Paws' lion ( stay with me, all will be explained!) - I was up for the challenge.

'The Bournemouth Tourist Awards were being held at BIC Thursday night and it would be great for an artist to be painting a lion at the same time'. Armed with paints, brushes and a design,

Santa paws was painted during the awards with many lovely comments from the invited! (& finished off the next day as well!).

'Santa Paws' now lives on the stage in the sqaure to promote intrigue and conversation. Santa Paws proved popular with the crowd during the switch-on and even Jules from Heart FM Breakfast couldn't resist his charms.

Coles Miller Solicitors sponsor a lion!

"What?" I hear you cry? A solicitors and a lion in the same sentance..read on! WOW!
Coles Miller have sponsored me to create a stunning mosaic lion for the 'Pride in Bournemouth' next year.
The law firm, work in many different ways within the local community and this will be a new way to reach the community!
The lion will be mosaiced by the public, staff and with a little help and guidance by me next year in Bournemouth centre. The design is still top secret and all will be revealed after Christmas...watch this space!

Julia's House butterfly mosaic

Here is the finished result - not the best light..what do you think?

One cold and windy Saturday, a couple of weeks' ago, I had such a lovely day working with the siblings, affected children, staff and families creating a butterfly mosaic for the hospice's new extension. The butterfly was a Dorset Blue flying around the heather (shaped as hearts). Most people think that hospices are sad places, but as Julia's house logo states 'A happy place' is just that due to the people and wonderful atmosphere as you walk in the door.

Much laughter, glitter, other activities, butterfly cakes ( see the connection there?!) and sparkle mosaic tiles, everyone had a great time. The butterfly uses much calmer colours, mirrors to reflect the light and give the butterfly slight movement. I will leave you with this thought:

Martin Edwards, Chief Executive wrote something so beautiful in the lastest newsletter that I would like to share it with you:

'The butterfly is the symbol of the children's hospice movement. For butterflies, like the children whom we help during their short lives, are not with us for long. Like the children, they are beautiful but fragile. When they are gone we are much poorer for their loss, and long winter darkness follows. Yet they leave behind vibrant, colourful memories for all who knew them, because while they were among us they lit up our world.'

The Dolphin Shopping centre winners..a little taste of fame!

A little taste of fame!
Following the release of the charity Christmas cards, we simply needed to let the world know how wonderful this project really was with a press afternoon. All the five winners had their photos taken and each winner was presented with a prize of a £50 voucher per and £100 voucher for each school.
The smiles were almost as big as Rudolph's!


Can you spot the winning design in the group from St.Mary's Catholic School? Many of these designs were also transformed into floor vinyls that can also be seen in the centre (upper floor). What a talented lot!

The Dolphin Shopping Centre Children's Christmas card project

Wow! What a couple of months we're had! So many wonderful projects that show creativity isn't dead, but a shining beacon.

I have been lucky enough to have worked with 5 amazing local schools in the Poole area, designing simply the best Christmas cards for The Dolphin Shopping Centre Christmas Card project.

The project involved many talented children designing Christmas cards, that capture the essence of what Christmas is truly about, from robins, Father Christmas, decorated Christmas trees galore, angels, traditional subjects....these cards simply rock!

The Dolphin Shopping Centre have pulled out the stops - 5 winning designs have now been printed into cards to be sold for two wonderful local charities: Lighthouse and Julia's House. Both charities really make a difference. What a great way to raise really needed funds from local school children designing fab. works of art, to then be sold in the Dolphin Shopping Centre, bought by local people to enjoy - a 'win win' situation!

Not only have 5 winning designs been printed into Christmas cards, but 60 designs have also been printed into A1 floor vinyls that will create a magical 'floor gallery' for all to see!

Working with the children, it's evident that there is a great new wave of creative talent just starting out.

Each pack of 5 designs, will be available to buy for £2.99 from shops in the centre..smiles all around!

Lions are coming to Bournemouth..

Not long now before the big launch of the pride in Bournemouth 'The mane Event'. Over 50 lions will be decorated and placed outside for all to enjoy next year in the streets in Bournemouth. Have a look at the website: www.prideinbournemouth.com for more details. I promise to post some news tomorrow...fingers crossed some photos too..

Bugs, seaside and mosaics!

We here at Poppies have been very busy with fabulous mosaic workshops working with Children's Centres and lots of sticking and having fun! Stokewood Children's Centre have been working hard to create 2 mosaics - the first based on ground bugs such as ants, beetles and the other flying bugs such as dragonflies, ladybirds.
Southbourne children's centre have been sticking tiles into their 'By the Sea' design with land train too!
Many other projects have also been started and are in the process of being completed..more info. coming soon!

Poppies have been busy..

Poppies have been very busy this summer after the auction of the wonderful Kubella the Seaside elephant mosaiced for The London Elephant Parade.

We have been running fun and messy childrens' art workshops during the summer holidays including exciting eco projects such as painting eco bags to save using plastic ones, creating eco cities using household recycling, making memory boxes for ' found treasure' found during the holidays. We have been mosaicing panels based on drawings from 'Bug week', which will showcase our native garden bugs we can all find and help to survive. Making bee hotels and ladybird homes, along with sewing wild flowers all help the survival of bugs and are a simple way to help, as well as being fun to make and watch!

We also enjoyed making many hundreds of badges to the very popular 'Big Fest' festival in Andover last weekend, with lots of happy children drawing. colouring and stickers galore in a beautiful Indian tent.

Big Fest had loads of cool eco stuff too.. from willow weaving, making bee hotels, wild flower quizes, free eco bags with refillable water bottles from Southern Water, recycling challenges, hand painted flags, storytelling with a great big stage for music and dancers to entertain.

We have also enjoyed working with the wonderful Children charity Julia's House, a hospice for children based in Corfe Mullen and made many badges, handbag mirrors, keyrings during their summer BBQ at the rather beautiful The Orangary in Winborne, with the sun shining, the smell of BBQ in the air, magicians entertaining, a great time was had by one and all!

We are looking forward to creating a Dorset blue butterfly mosaic at Julia's house in a couple of weeks to brighten a bare brickwall in the new extention, with help from children, thier siblings, families and staff. Watch this space for photos after 22nd August!

4 million raised!

Well, the latest update from the elephant family is that £4 million has been raised from the London Elephant Parade, that's double what the charity hoped for!
I am still waiting to hear who and where Kubella will be re homed. The charity have written to all the winning bidders to ask their permission to tell the world and the artist whom they are or if they want to stay anonymous...fingers crossed, we will know soon. I promise to keep you posted.
In the meantime, Poppies have been running some wonderful other charity projects, mainly mosaics in Dorset and I will post photos and details later.

Kubella the Star and the final journey..The Grand Auction

Well what a day! Kubella was finally sold at The Grand Auction in a marquee in the grounds of the Chelsea Royal Hospital yesterday for a stunning 20K. The day was perfect. The sun shone, the champers flowed, the live jazz played in the grounds and many celebraties mingled amongst the elephants including Terence Conran, Tommy Hilfiger, Rula Lenska, before the big event. I went to check Kubella looked her best and was surprised to see she was gone!!

Just the stand left with her footprints..slight panic came over me. I looked around and just couldn't see her - the only place left was the marquee..

The marquee was a sea of orange and shocking pink tables with a handful of elephants lining the edges. Kubella was at the entrance to the main room of the marquee looking gorgeous, panic over!

There she was at the entrance to the main room with a big vase of flowers in case she got hungry, placed in front of the air conditioning in case she got hot and in front of the fire hydrants in case she needed to be a hero or had to stop someone at the entrance.

I was very nervous as she was lot 26, after Julien MacDonald's Bertie, so a couple of glasses of champers were consumed and small round sandwiches were served, along with bite sized smoked salmon bagels and shots of cold pea soup... Then her photo appeared on the screen and Harry Dalmaney of Sotheby's started the bidding...within minutes she was sold!

Unfortunately I couldn't see who brought her or if it was telephone bidder..but will hopefully find out where her final home will be this week from the Elephant Family..maybe she will be coming home to Poole, brought by Lush or even Sunseekers or live in someones grounds backing onto the sea with boats in tow..a restaurant in a harbour somewhere...fingers crossed Iwill be able to get a photo to share...

Kubella has taken many many hours, weeks, months of TLC and thanks to everyone who has helped along the way..mum, family and friends, who have helped listened and made tea, Reed Harris for their donated dark blue tiles that look great, Azzura for the discounted tiles for this project, the public for helping to stick and the wonderful crowd at the sadly now closed Kube gallery in Poole for the space, help and constant tea and the wonderful support from everyone!

A day and a half before Kubella is finally sold at auction on Saturday and goes off to her new home. She is currently £5750 on the online auction site, I think she might make more on the day too!
Fingers crossed she goes to a wonderful new home, where she can settle in well. I will keep you updated! The Grand Auction is looking to be a rather grand affair, with live jazz and a champers lunch. I promise to take photos and post them here.

Kubella the twinking star at the Royal Chelsea Hospital

All the outside elephants are together, in the ground of the Royal Chelsea Hospital, on the area used for the Chelsea Flower Show!

Kubella getting a pat from a Chelsea pensioner

Kubella in line with some of the other elephants..

Well, Kubella is currently at wait for it...£4251 on the online auction site http://www.givinglots.co.uk, with one whole week before she is auctioned at the live Grand Auction.

I visited her on Friday to make her toes twinkled, the small missing piece in her tail was fixed and she had a polish ahead of the auction in the grounds of the Royal Chelsea Hospital.

Whilst I was there, she had many admirers with wonderful comments like 'She's my favourite, out of all the elephants'. One couple even asked if they could take her home on the coach (they live in Bristol). Kubella did twinkle in the wonderful sunshine and seems to be enjoying being with the herd.

I wonder where she live after the auction? By the seaside somewhere, someone's mansion gardens, in a shop or even in a lobby, maybe she will have to get a passport and end up somewhere else in the world...well not long now, before Kubella's great journey ends!

Elephant news update

Kubella is now up to a bid of wait for it...£3251 online at www.givinglots.co.uk and there are 3 weeks to go before the Grand Auction where Kubella is one of the lucky ones, to be auctioned live by of Sotheby's Harry Dalmeny.
The Grand Auction should be rather special, as the tickets are £75 each! I will endevour to take photos for you all to see.
Farwell to the elephants on the streets of London..
All the elephants will go 'extinct' on 20th June- which means they will be uninstalled and taken away to the Royal Hospital of Chelsea. On the 25th, 26th and 28th, all elephants will be available for viewing to the public. In the period from 21st June until the beginning of July, The Elepahtn family will be arranging for all the elephants to be restored to saleable condition.
Kubella will soon be on her new journey to another part of the city and then on to a happy home within the next month.
I will be going to give her a clean and tidy up on 25th June before the auction, so hopefully she will shine!
She has received many lovely comments this week, including:
'Kubella is by far and away the best looking elephant I have seen to date, and should generate some good bids'.

Bidding of kubella

I have just had a look online at :www.londonelephantparade.org and checked the online bidding and Kubella has a bid of £1500 to date. She will be part of the live auction of 3rd July at The Royal Hospital and fingered crossed she will raise a good amount for the charity and of course, find a good home to live!