Camden Market

Down memory lane, across the cobbles and near the Canal. That would be Camden Market then. I had a stall at Camden Market for many years, during the time when the indoor market was for makers and designers selling their own handmade goods. This changed over time which is a shame. I was reminded of this period recently when a writer called Caitlin called me to ask about the market and its people. Caitlin has written this book spanning several decades, showing how at one point, the market launched the careers of people like Wayne Hemingway, who I love.

There I am in the index, yes, my surname does not lend itself to coming first, this became apparent to me from the tender age of 5 when school registers were read out surname first.


So, well lets have a look at the kind of thing I made and sold at Camden, here is the corner of a mirror I still have in my bathroom which incorporates flowers pressed between layers of glass.

I used this technique to make frames, clocks, pendants - all sorts.

I learnt to make stained glass, with Lynette Wrigley who taught me both the techniques of leaded (like church windows), and copper foiled and soldered, which is less messy and easier to manage at home. I did sometimes make coloured glass and heres something I designed and made for my parents.

Next week I shall be in Sweden, many wonderful things are planned, all revolving around photo shoots. Luckily I also get to see my God-daughters who are frequently my models on such trips.
The designer (and bessie mate), Van Asch has got Swedens top newspaper coming round to photograph her at home, so she is going through the same turmoil as myself. we have both found ourselves  scrutinizing every detail of our homes before they get photographed. Mine will be for Homes & Antiques in the UK.  

I hope to be doing some research on Swedish knitting and antiques, lets see if we can fit that in our schedule.

left is a Mora clock, I will be doing a piece on these soon. 

we shall be celebrating Midsummer Festival while in Sweden

Swedish Midsummer parties will be happening during my trip, thats partly why Im going, it's very Pagan, garlands of flowers in hair, folk costumes, dancing round an effergy while drunk on some sort of home brewed alcohol and full to the brim with raw fish.
What more could a girl want? My camera hopes to be capturing the season in its full glory, and yet again, I will be thanking auto focus. Somewhere along the drunken path, I shall have to learn a song about a frog while dancing round a Maypole, the song is  called Sma Grodorna. There will be an extra long, double strength, all guns blazing, blog on my return .....

did I mention that my hosts are excellent cooks this was one of last years creations.

As usual, all photos are my own and so are the typos. 
Since writing this I have thought a lot about my surname, and if its good enough for Will.i.am then I shall from now on, be 

Jan.is.IT  - why not make it work for me, who else could do that with their real name. Might as well !

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