Fauxidermy, Textile Taxidermy, and the inspiration behind each - Marie clare.

Fauxidermy Beasties and how I name them!

I love locking myself in the Craftorium, late at night, with re-runs of some obscure comedy on the goggle box and a big vat of coffee. Sometimes the odd alcoholic drink, and some biscuits. These late night events in the Craftorium usually result in me trying to make a piece of Fauxidermy, or textile taxidermy as it's sometimes called. With a BSc Hons in Zoology, and parents who both have PhD's in biological sciences, and for that matter a husband with zoology BSc Hons too I suppose you could say I come from a natural world background. My interest in the natural world and my love of animals manifest in the Craftorium in the creation of my beasties!

I'm afraid I anthropomorthise animals, and it's the same when I make one in the Craftorium. I give each one a certain look, a character and also a name and date of creation.

Marie Clare the Fox

Marie Clare was one such beastie. I named her after a friend I met through the antiques trade, a well known Vintage dealer, with long legs, sparkly smile and a glamorous look. When I made the model with the turn in the head, and long eyelashes she spoke of delicate femininity, but she was still a fox, she'd nip if you didn't treat her properly........much like my friend MC. You see Marie Clare is the kind of woman you want your daughter or niece to learn from, a strong woman, a character trait to be admired. Even in todays society women at times still need to fight their corner, so weak and feeble just wouldn't do.

Well, Marie Clare the fox wasn't with me long before she was snapped up by another strong woman, a lady who runs Herbs on the Hill, Frome. Kate who bought Marie Clare the Fox, is frankly equally as strong! A successful business woman, who's known for business acumen and lovely products, she was attracted to my Fauxidermy beasties because they speak to the free thinkers, the people who stand out and aren't afraid to be different. The people who don't want to be run of the mill.

As Kate walked away after purchasing, laden down with her model Fox running for the train, I couldn't help but wonder, "do strong women, attract strong women?" or in this case "do model foxes named after strong women attract strong women?" I'll be honest I haven't got a clue, but what I do know  is I hope, when needed, we can all be called strong women, who raise strong children. After all, I wont be rushing to name a model fox after anyone weak and feeble now will I?

That Post Christmas Day, Pre New Year Lull. 

Time to think about what we do...

Being self employed, these few days in between Christmas day and New Year leave me with a bit of a quandary. I'm not working, and that cant be right can it? Anyone in any form of retail will tell you that the run up to Christmas is incredibly stressful, that is added to ten fold when the business is your own, and then even more so when you hand make the majority of the stock, so this sudden "thumb twiddle time" is a bit of a shock. I tend to use it to plan roughly what I intend to achieve within the year. So, let me tell you about the three main ways I fill the hours of the day, well, the working hours of the day with anyway.

Firstly the Antiques and Vintage goodies. For seven years I've dealt in Antiques, Collectables and Vintage goods in Hay-on-Wye the Book town, famous for its Annual literature Festival. www.hayfestival.com  Found nestling in the Welsh borders, frankly, it's known for being a bit eclectic. We have a unit in Hay Antiques Market and I'll be honest, I LOVE IT!

I source and stock a collection of vintage and antique furniture, renovate pieces and source an array of English china, along with other items, most of all, I love the sublime characters I meet in the trade and in Hay-on-Wye itself. If Dickens was still alive and kicking, he'd find a gold seam of Characters to use in Hay. I promise to tell you about them sometime.

I also run a little design firm called Elam & Eager Fauxidermy. I make life size textile taxidermy, using vintage upholstery materials, such as Sanderson linen and welsh wools. After all what else do you do with a BSc Hons in Zoology? We've made Badgers, Black Bears, Hares, Foxes, Stags, essentially what ever takes our fancy, we'll try and have a go.

We currently only sell them at events but I think its time to move online, don't you? Each of our lovely beasties gets signed, named and dated when finished. We've sent them around the world, and I'm incredibly proud of every characterful beastie we've made in the craftorium. Each one is unique in its own right. The best bit, is when I get a photo of them proudly hung on the wall and "re-homed". It's all born out of our love of the Natural World.

Then there is Sara And Heart. With its roots in my Bespoke Handmade Jewellery Company (Sarah Elam Jewellery) that I started in 2003. We make hand made individual jewellery designs,

and under the same Design House source items for Vintage Decorative Living. We also make soft furnishings from vintage welsh wools and vintage linens. For years we've mainly attended fairs and markets in the Cardiff area with our goodies. We've just finished the well known Cardiff Christmas market, 43 days trading in the centre of the city. Hard work to say the least.

In between all of this I travel around visiting Antique Fairs, sourcing goods, gardening, cooking, renovating the house, walking the dog and doting on my niece.

Not a bad way to fill the hours of the day :-)