New Year, New Ideas

So, we're just over two weeks into 2014 and I'm wondering how many new ideas & resolutions have already hit the skids - my diet & exercise programme is already history!

One of the main tasks for this year for us was to promote our business. It's so easy to Tweet & Facebook until you have no clue as to who is looking at your site - or how soon everyone is sick to death of your Profile!
We have a clear idea of who we think may be interested in the items we have produced, after all, it's no good targeting people who have no connection to what you have to offer.

Our aims are simple, we want to be creative, different, support Buying British & be kinder to the planet.

We make clocks, now I know that timepieces have been around for maybe a millennium or two so we haven't rocked anyone's world there - but - we do have some ideas for designs. Whether we have taken inspiration from some of the late greats such as Alphonse Mucha http://www.artstonestudio.co.uk/ourshop/prod_3007164-Zodiac-1896-by-Mucha-Handcrafted-Stone-Clock.html or have produced our own work such as our 'Romantic Clock' range  http://www.artstonestudio.co.uk/ourshop/cat_762130-RomanticLovers-Clocks.html
To reach out to like minded 'crafty' people, Etsy is one of the most popular places to showcase handcrafted items so we opened a shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/ArtstoneStudio?ref=search_shop_redirect
So that covers 'creative & different'.

Natural and environmentally friendly hand moulded clocks made from stone and stone paper, our clocks had to be something more than just a piece of chipboard or MDF. Stone, a natural product that we make & shape with our own fair hands, then print as and when we have a design ready for the appropriate catergory. With more people sharing an interest in sustainable products we contacted http://www.mygreendirectory.info/index.php and they accepted us on their listings under 'Eco Gift Companies'.
So that covers 'green issues'.

Buying British is something close to many hearts, why should we not be proud of what we do & where we do it? Seeing that many 'Etsiers' are of the same mind, we looked into the promotion of Buying British and found this link which we are a part of http://www.etsy.com/teams/12958/uk-crafters-on-etsy 
Just before Christmas in a fit of "I must have five minutes of total nonsense before I go Christmas Crazy" I switched the TV on and yes, it was Daytime programmes, my eyes crossed and I gave an audible sigh of frustration. Then my head snapped up in attention as I watched an item about the Bradshaw Family from Kent, who can tell you in their own words about their ethics. http://britishfamily.co.uk/  I was very taken by what they had to say and decided that as soon as the New Year had kicked in we wanted to know how to join them! After following a few simple steps we are proud to announce we have a listing on their Britipedia website http://www.britipedia.co.uk/directory/wpbdm-category/housewares/    
So that covers #BuyBritish

In a nutshell we have already covered the main points we wanted to address and the year is only just over a fortnight old!

Swansea Life.

It has to be said that we live with an affliction called "Itchy Feet Syndrome" - no, we don't have nasty feet in any way, shape or form - it's just that we get the need to go and live somewhere else! Perhaps we have a little bit of wanderlust in our DNA.

Having moved 4 times in our hometown in England, we decided to go abroad for a year which we loved and then decided to return to the UK. By chance, which seems the best way to do things, we settled in a semi rural village near Swansea in South Wales.

It would seem during our time here, over 10 years have passed, the longest we've ever been 'grounded'.

Swansea has a lot to offer, from great seascapes, scenery, beaches - then there are the mountains, hills, the quaint way that the Welsh language seems to have no word for 'gravy' or 'sofa' - unless you know different & we just haven't encountered it yet!

One of the loveliest  Welsh words is the word for a cuddle which is Cwtch. Everyone should always have time for a Cwtch so we have designed this clock so you'll always know it's "Cwtch Time"! http://www.etsy.com/listing/172483747/romantic-heart-shaped-handcrafted-stone?ref=listing-shop-header-0

Preferring handmade & eco friendly gifts, we set up www.artstonestudio.co.uk and we are having a wonderful time designing and making gifts.  Just check out this gorgeous, handmade framed map, printed on  natural stone. http://www.artstonestudio.co.uk/ourshop/prod_2752915-Swansea-Map-Heart.html


We have met some lovely people and love that life is more laid back than the Midlands. I must admit the Welsh way of life has influenced us more than we thought it would and so we'd like to share with you our little tributes.

Iconic Classic British Motorbikes on Stonepaper.

In Britain we have a lot to be proud about, the iconic sights such as Buckingham Palace, The Union Jack flag, Red Pillar Boxes, Fish & Chips - the list is absolutely endless. However, we couldn't let the list not include some of the most iconic Motorbikes of the 20th Century.

We have digitally enhanced four of the most iconic and put them together in a set of four single prints with the addition of a fifth compilation print.

 http://www.artstonestudio.co.uk/ourshop/cat_801786-British-Motorbikes.html

On environmentally friendly stone paper made from calcium carbonate and non- toxic resins. A naturally white product that uses no trees, bleach, acid or water during production. It is also tear, grease and water resistant so makes the prints ideal in kitchen and bathroom environments.
All prints are A4 (210mm x 297mm) unless otherwise stated.

A couple of James Bonds with his significant others!

All the James Bond's have been terriffic and the Bond Girls even more so, and let's face it, everyone has their own favourites. Here we have a compilation of a couple of OUR faves!
Our Bond' and Bond Girls prints are available either in sets - 4 separate A4 prints and 1 A4 sheet containing all four images or indidually.
and a couple of James Bonds with his Bond Girls - http://www.artstonestudio.co.uk/ourshop/cat_796499-Bond-and-Bond-Girls.html

 

So, which is your fave Bond & Bond Girl?

The qualities of this stone paper gives excellent results and feels velvety & absolutely exquisite with its heavy 210gsm weight.

Due to our products and packaging being as eco-friendly as possible we were able to obtain a link with @mygreendirectory who have 1000's of ethical & eco-friendly business' in their directory.

Who Said "It Can't Be Written In Stone?"

I don't know who first coined the phrase "It's not written in stone" but I'm afraid I have to disagree slightly, because as I have found you can have writing ON stone!

Not all stone is hard & solid either, after quite an extensive search we have discovered stone paper - which is made with a natural, calcium & carbonate mineral combination which is resistant to water & grease and gives a superb finish without any bleeding - paticularly good should you want your prints in a kitchen or bathroom.

Not only do we use this as a backing on our clocks and plaques http://www.artstonestudio.co.uk/ourshop/cat_757203-Clocks.html 

but now available, a series of prints in the form of line drawings depicting Hollywood Starlets - http://www.artstonestudio.co.uk/ourshop/cat_796490-Starlets.html 

 

Our Hollywood Starlets and Bond Girls prints are available either in sets - 4 separate A4 prints and 1 A4 sheet containing all four images or indidually.

and a couple of James Bonds with his Bond Girls -  http://www.artstonestudio.co.uk/ourshop/cat_796499-Bond-and-Bond-Girls.html 

The qualities of this stone paper gives excellent results and feels absolutely exquisite with its heavy 210gsm weight.


Due to our products and packaging being as eco-friendly as possible we were able to obtain a link with  @mygreendirectory who have 1000's of ethical & eco-friendly business' in their directory.





 

A Brief Tale Of the Birth of Artstonestudio.

Having come into the world of technology, later, rather than sooner in life, we do embrace new challenges.  In our past life we have travelled to Spain after being married for 25 years & staying for what turned out to be the ‘Gap Year’ we couldn’t afford when we young, came back to the UK to buy and run a village Post Office in a semi-rural village in Swansea for four years – then going on to college to take both a business and Photoshop course. We rapidly became interested in printing – but the world and his dog are printers! So along with our dog,  we wanted to work outside the boundaries of paper, canvas, T shirts, mugs......

There had to be a better way to express our designs. 

‘Cavemen’ said David, Just as I thought his grey cells had finally gone AWOL he expounded with ‘Art on stone’ - which prompted our name Artstonestudio - Art on stone at our studio - and we just loved the way it sounded.

So we looked into various types of stone we could work with and what might be best to print on. Having tested several options we found what was best for what we needed, decided on the shapes we thought would be popular and began testing the inks to find the best finish.

Once our perfect ingredients were joined together, we could let loose our imaginations to create our unique handmade, alabaster stone composite clocks and plaques. So along with David’s designs and my getting to grips with Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest etc, we were ready to launch Artstonestudio. 

http://www.artstonestudio.co.uk/ourshop/prod_2872071-Love-Quote-by-Aristotle-A4-size.html

We always mention new followers on Twitter as soon as possible and now have a few fellow 'tweeters' who regularly re-tweet us – and in return we do the same for them. Facebook  likers also receive a message and/or shares and likes of their pages as it’s the whole point to get your brand out there as much as you can without being greedy.

We have taken inspiration for our unique & individual artworks from various vintage sources. The Gua Tewet cave drawings were found in a cave in Borneo,  are thought to be around 10,000 years old, we love this so much we chose it for our background, quotes by amongst others (as well as ourselves) Aristotle and images from long ago artists such as Franz Marc, whose abstract animals blended beautifully with his use of colour.

http://www.artstonestudio.co.uk/ourshop/prod_2791014-From-the-Animal-Collection-by-Franz-Marc.html

To make our work totally unique we print onto an alabaster composite stone, either framed in reclaimed timber as standalone pieces of art or handmoulded as functional clocks.

Made with care and made to last, all our clocks are made from alabaster stone composite, no MDF, vinyl letters, peeling transfers or fading paper fronts. Our clocks are printed directly onto the stone with archival quality fade resistant inks and then sealed for added protection.

http://www.artstonestudio.co.uk/ourshop/cat_761494-Patriotic-Clocks.html

On our clocks we use quartz mechanisms which are guaranteed for 12 months and require one AA battery, a backing material which is made with a natural, calcium & carbonate mineral combination - resistant to water and grease, giving a superb finish, which is particularly easy to write on without any ink bleed, making it perfect for greetings, good wishes, signing etc.

Due to the natural components, no toxic substances are used which helps to protect our environment, also, we haven’t forgotten about the packaging. Our cardboard & wrapping paper is re-cycled and our bubble wrap is bio degradable and the most environmentally friendly available.

http://www.artstonestudio.co.uk/ourshop/cat_762130-RomanticLovers-Clocks.html

As a taster of what our site has to offer, we decided on a slideshow gallery on our homepage to showcase as many products as possible in a short burst.  We are thrilled & proud to produce our website – something we’d previously thought was beyond our mature years – as we are to discover printing on stone, with a little help from the Cavemen  -  and women of course!

http://www.artstonestudio.co.uk/ourshop/prod_2810746-Its-All-About-The-Golf-Clock.html