Meet Babble+Yak! (Emma and Jess)

Hi and welcome to Babble+Yak, also known as Jess and Emma.  We could not think of a better way to start the blog than an introduction to who we are and what we do.  Fortunate for us then, that this week over on Instagram #Meetthemaker is starting! Joanne Hawker, the brains behind the Meet the Maker campaign, challenges makers to post daily photographs from a list of prompts.  The aim being to bring a little insight to creative business's, the people behind them, their ideas and the processes that go into making the products they make and sell.  Opening up to a whole new audience.





You can get a sneak peak at our responses below, following us on Instagram: Emma, at Studio Pinnock and Jess at Jessica Kinnersley Textiles to find out more! Follow the blog directly and stay up to date on our posts by following Babble and Yak on Instagram.  Next month we will be sharing our favourite small indie businesses and designer-makers, perfect for some last minute Christmas gifts! Look out for the next blog post on 8th December :)


Jessica Kinnersley (Jessica Kinnersley Textiles)

Fun Christmas cards 2018
 Product or range
Sweet stitched illustrations on Christmas cards for 2018. I couldn't resist a llama...I named him Larry.

Kitchenalia collection

It's 5 o' Clock Somewhere!
 What inspired it?
I spent many years using machine embroidery to create surface designs for interiors and gift.  I've had a break from this recently as I'd overdone it a bit and wanted to use different skills for a while, but I've recently returned to free motion machine embroidery because I quit simply love to draw with stitch! I find inspiration all over the place, from everyday objects to looking at trends.
"You can find inspiration in everything, and if you can't, look again" Paul Smith

Initial drawings, brainstorming
Stitched and ready for cards!
The Making Process
I start with sketches...lots of messy sketches, a bit like a visual brainstorm.  My sketchbooks have things stapled and precariously pinned in them so i don't forget an idea! I separate colours and trace my drawings on to bondaweb, to transfer the image from paper to cloth, then I stitch!

Cards for special occasions
 Variations


Spool Stories workshop sample
Paperlove by Jessica Kinnersley
 What else do I do?
I have a little sideline of printed paper goods which really picks up for wedding season.  I also work with hand embroidery a lot, particularly for workshops.  This work is influenced by more traditional and slow stitching techniques and can be taken "on the road" for workshops.  These pieces document my own journeys in stitch, looking at family, memories, old photographs and the piecing together of beautiful compositions, using found vintage ephemera.

Shop online
Where can I buy?
I have plans to get more stitched items on Etsy in the New Year, so you may not see a lot of stitched goodies on there a the moment, but bear with me! 



Emma Pinnock (Studio Pinnock: Emma Louise Pinnock)

Hand painted lampshade-Studio Pinnock 

Product: my hand painted lampshades and candle shades.  I try to make these as beautiful as when the light is on, as when it is off.  All hand painted, and then made by me. 


Cornwall sketches 

sketchbook drawing-Seaburn Sunderland 

Inspiration: Always love being by the sea, and I love to paint.  The idea for my shades came from a series of drawings from a sketchbook done in Cornwall, and developed further from sketches done along the North East coast.  Also inspired by the William Morris (Arts and crafts movement fame!) quote 'Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful'
Cornwall sketch book and fabric panel
Process: using a variety of fabric inks and pens, I paint directly onto the fabric, before making the shade,  I add in metallic flecks as I go to highlight areas or to add tonal detail with cross hatching.  

lampshade detail

Detail: close up of the layers of colour, the areas left of the original fabric, and the little marks that make up the bigger image. 

Hand drawn candle shade

reductive print-anatomical heart lino print

scraper board drawing, Fletcher Moss park Manchester

Other makes: I work in various media, Hand drawn commissioned candle shade, print making with lino print (reductive technique shown) and now developing a range of scraper board drawings.



Shop: you can find me Etsy or on my website at studio Pinnock, I have two up and coming events one at the Assembly rooms Edinburgh 8th 9th December, and then at Parrs Wood High school, Didsbury Manchester on the 15th December. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Christmas shopping guide

Image
Lets talk Christmas shopping :)  There are those of us who have everything organised, bought, wrapped and under the tree in March (it seems) and those who (like us) have lots of good intentions...yet have no actual presents yet.  Too late for bespoke?  Not quite!  Here are a few of our favourite makers that we'd like to recommend! Yak-Emma Christmas is always a hectic time for me, I work up until the 20/21st normally and then think...oh yeah presents?! I’m lucky in that my work takes me to selling events where I can meet makers, handle items and appreciate the whole story to a shop. We have put together a little guide of shops we’re following and have pieces on our wish list.  There might be something here that fills that place of a last minute gift for your parents, a friend or your gran. I don’t buy independently for everyone, but buying one or two pieces really helps people make a living out of something they love, while also giving the gift of something unique is a
Read more

How do you measure achievement?

Image
Yak:Emma  February, ah the month of love, pancake day and my birthday! (my brother's as well but as he doesn’t write this, I am not sure it should really be mentioned…) If you’re anything like me, then you are probably not feeling the love, worrying about the calories and aghast that the year has gone so quickly.   When I say year, I do wonder where the last 16 years have gone. Way back in 2004 I graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University with a 1 st class hons degree, world was my oyster and I genuinely thought that by the time I was my age now, I would have achieved so much.   Charcoal drawing circa 2004-hanging fabric E Pinnock  To unpick that a bit I should say what I mean by achieving.   The d efinition is, 'to successfully bring about or reach (a desired objective or result) by effort, skill or courage'    On reading this I can already see that it doesn’t mention anything I measure my own achievements by; a high-flying career, being a home owner, b
Read more

Sorry, its been a while.....

Image
Yak:Emma Hello! firstly I just want to apologise to you for neither of us being in touch this year and we are already nearing the end of April...I'd say where does the time go, but its dragged, its really dragged and honestly I think that we have both just struggled to get motivated.  Life has got in the way but we have still been working away behind the scenes.  I hope that you're doing ok and with vaccines and roadmaps we might be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  New postcard designs to send out with orders January and February were mostly taken up with an arts council career development grant application.  Both myself and Jess applied and we are waiting to hear back.  I don't really want to talk too much about it as we spoke today and agreed that if we think about it too much, or speak about it, then it will never happen for us?! It sounds pretty superstitious doesn't it? It was a lot of work, and a lot of going back and forth and I think we both just
Read more