Commissions

I carry out commissions to customer specifications in all my product lines. The following are some examples of such work.

144. My client liked my 3 Colour Print of the Umbrella Girl which is printed on cardstock. She asked if I could print some on fabric for her. I used a plain white cotton to print on, as usual for me with acrlic paints.

Client: Just absolutely amazing. Thank you so much.

143. My client wanted a large format (A4) book for use on a photography course.

Client: Book arrived on Sunday, I’m so excited, It looks amazing and I’m in love!! Thank you!!!

142. My client wanted a fabric/paper collage to celebrate her time in Sheffield.

141. My client wanted a collage made up from vintage wedding papers

140. My client wanted a Creative Journal for a writer friend.

139. My client wanted a Malta Journal to use on an upcoming visit to Malta.

Client: Thankyou so much for my beautiful Malta book. It is absolutely beautiful, the thought and detail that has gone into it is fantastic. I will treasure it and take it to my next trip to Malta.

138. My client wanted two leather covered books based on my Lists book but larger and with facility for a pen to be stored in the spine. She chose signatures made from copier paper and there was also to be a French version as well as a North Shore one.

137. Seasonal altar hanging for St. Anne's Buxton

136. My client asked me to make aprons for her young daughters and also drawing books with slip covers.

My customer sent me this photo of the aprons in action.

135. These are pictures of new owners of my bags which have proved popular this year.

134. My client commissioned a customised journal for his wife.

133. I made a wall hanging to celebrate Cupola Gallery's survival through this turbulent year.

132. My client wanted a very specific book with plain pages and prescribed end pages.

131. My client wanted a set of four aprons made from three coordinating fabrics.

130. My client wanted a highly personalised Journal for her daughter.

My daughter was over the moon! I’m so excited for her and her husband to receive your beautiful pieces.

129. A welcome visitor to my tent at The Barrington Art Walk was this lady who had already purchased one of my "Cat" face masks online.

128. It was only a matter of time till I started adding collage to my face masks! Here are some early efforts. If you would like a customized mask for yourself or perhaps for a group of friends contact me to discuss details.

127. The UK government gave me an opportunity to expand my range of Face Masks. There are three different methods of attachment : two ties, one tie and elastic. Full descriptions are given in my Face Mask Shop.

126. My client asked for a petite version of my "Embrace the Chaos" apron.

Client: It's a perfect fit and I love it! Thank you!

125. My client wanted journals for friends to record pre Covid trips.

Client: After reading your email yesterday, I thought to look at your Commissions, knowing I would see the new journals. They looked great! Little did I know I would have them today. They are so much better in person.

124. A friend was having difficulties with elastic style face masks and so I made her two with differing types of ties to try out. The version on the left has two separate ties whilst the one on the right has an adjustable top band and a tie at the bottom.

123. My client in 121 was pleased with her customised version of my denim book and ordered two more with other variations.

122. Karen Sherwood at the Cupola Gallery asked me to create some 6"x4" cards for an exhibition she is holding in the summer. I was pleased to create some based on my current range of Greeting Cards.

121. My client wanted a front pocket on a Denim covered ring back book with a customised title.

120. My client wanted a customised journal for a relative. I had to incorporate double end pages and a pocket inside with her name on it.

119. My client wanted a customised version of my Work in Progress Apron with Odd is Good on the pocket.

118. My client wanted a China Journal for a trip.

117. My customer wanted a Journal for his daughter.

116. My client wanted a specific journal for an upcoming trip.

115. My client wanted customized versions of my Beatles collage.

114. A friend was impressed by my pouch for carrying my mobile phone and related paraphernalia to my events and asked me to make him one. It is fully lined and has a Velcro closure.

113. My client wanted matching Journals for her companions on a forthcoming trip.

112. My client wanted a large format plain pages book to record his trip.

Client: Thank you so much for the India book which arrived today. It looks great and I’m sure my wife will love it.

111. The WCE asked me to design some Journals with local interest for their Holiday Bazaar.

110. The Woman's Club of Evanston asked me to design a Journal to be used as a fundraiser.

109. My client wanted a Prague Journal for a colleague who was planning a trip.

108. My client wanted an island specific version of my Hawaii Journal.

107. My client wanted a customized version of my Art collage.

106. My client wanted an individual version of the John Lennon collage.

105. My client ordered a plain page visitors book with textile collage on the front and back covers.

104. My client wanted a large size plain page leather covered notebook with "recipes" on the front.

102. After seeing a version of Commission 99 my client asked for one featuring Jimi Hendrix.

101. My client wanted a Journal for her father who is an enthusiastic for Standard Vanguards.

100. My client wanted a Mediterranean Journal for her upcoming cruise.

99. My client wanted a mounted textile collage depicting Bob Dylan. This has been a fun exercise as I had to first cut a rubber stamp.

98. My client wanted customized books for her daughter to give her teachers as leaving presents.

97. My client wanted travel journals for her friends who were planning trips.

96. My client wanted one of my standard Alice Journals with his daughter's name instead.

95. I made a winter coat for Peter and Debbie Aichison's dog, Alfie. It is lined and padded and has a velcro fastening underneath..

94. My client had bought an Australia Journal for a friend and now wanted a Marrakech Journal for her own upcoming trip.

93. My client wanted me to add her own words to one of my collages.

92. My client wanted a customised version of one of my large denim pocket books to use as a guest book in their holiday home.

Client: Thank you, James, the book arrived today and is just as ordered.

91. My client wanted a journal to record a visit to Argentina.

90. My client wanted a travel journal for a relative who was starting a European trip in Sweden.

89. My client wanted an oversized Ireland Journal for a relative who is a prolific journaler.

88. My client in 87 was pleased with her Journal and immediately commissioned an Alaska one.

87. My client wanted an Australia Journal for her upcoming trip.

86. Last year my client ordered a Hawaii Journal, see no.72 below. This time she asked for an Israeli themed Journal to record a recent trip.

Sandy: "Thanks for the lovely Israel book. Now to get photos printed and pasted in."

85. My client wanted a diary customised with initials.

84. My client wanted a Summer Journal with London maps.

83. My client in 81, below, liked her bag and ordered another "Fashion Girls" bag and also one with a Paris theme.

82. My client wanted a Japanese Journal for her sister and niece who are learning Japanese together.

81. My client asked me to make a shoulder bag with the fashion girls appliqued to it. I was able to use the full set with ten on each side.

80. My client wanted a handmade book with a Kafka theme.

79. I made a leather covered Wedding Book which incorporated pockets as well as folios for writing on.

78. My client wanted a Wedding Book for guests to write in at her forthcoming nuptials in Greece.

77. My client wanted me to make a Scottish themed book to be the basis for messages from friends and family for a special birthday.

Client: "It's brilliant and beautiful. Just the job. Thanks so much. The book went down brilliantly. Many thanks.

76. My client wanted a gift for a couple who had married in Las Vegas.

Thank you so much for the book it's perfect 😊 Kind regards Lorna

I have added a Las Vegas Journal to my catalogue of place themed journals.

75. My client wanted a customised version of my Italy Journal for two friends who are going on a culinary trip to Puglia.

Customer: "I love them!!! Thanks so much! "Thank you James...the 2 books on Italy you made for my sisters are great...I know they will love them...they came out perfect....thanks again.

74. My client asked a Film themed Journal.

73. My client wanted one of my pocket books for a particular purpose.

72. My client is planning a special anniversary visit to Hawaii and wanted a special journal in which to record the trip.

Client: "The journal arrived. I just love it! I'm going to try and do it on the trip as you recommended."

71. My client wanted a custom designed journal to record an extensive European visit.

70. My client was pleased with last year's commission (see no 67) and asked for a Los Angeles themed Journal this time.

69. Rosemary wanted a soft slip cover for her new Kindle Fire.

68. My client wanted a book for guests to write in during a house party.

67. My client wanted a place specific journal for an upcoming trip.

66. This is my contribution to the Christmas Show at the Cupola Gallery, Sheffield.

65. My client wanted a specific book in which to record the first year of a new family member.

Client -"Thanks for everything. It looks perfect. I will always have you in mind for special occasions and will for sure recommend your work to others."

64. My client wanted personalized Lists books with pencils as gifts for her work colleagues.

63. My client requested a Washington Journal for a visit.

62. The purchaser of item 49 below ordered a new version as she had filled up the original book.

61. My client liked my Big Bunting in my own tent and decided to commission some for her own tent.

60. My client wanted a Fashion Journal featuring the world of Alexander McQueen.

59. My client wanted a place specific journal for his mother to use on a forthcoming trip.

58. My client wanted a place specific journal in which to record a recent trip.

57. My client wanted a Birthday Book.

56. My client wanted a place specific journal in which to record a recent trip.

55. My client wanted a leather slip cover to house her A4 ruled pads. I added maps inside to add interest.

Client: "Many thanks, just right! "

54. My client wanted a leather covered A4 size book with envelopes inside to create a scrapbook of his daughter's progress.

53. My client wanted a large scale(A4) slip cover book with a pocket inside for holding scripts. He also wanted to be able to replace the signature block inside.

52. My client wanted a Campervan Journal based on the style of my Italy Journal.

51. My client decided to customise one of my Leather covered books.

50. My client, Digital Next( see also 18 and 40 below), wanted another customised notebook for a new member of staff.

49. My customer purchased one of my Little Leather Books and was so enamoured with it that she commissioned an A5 version with an elastic strap.

48. My client wanted a lavender slip cover book with textile collage on the front. She selected five signatures of copier paper inside with lavender hearts on selected sheets.

47. My client wanted to customise one of my Cook Books.

46. My client has a work colleague who is moving to Scotland and wanted one of my journals customised with a Scottish flavour.

45. My client's daughter is going to Guatemala and she wanted her to have a customised Journal to record the trip. The covers have textile collage and inside the pages are made from envelopes and have Guatemalan towns and cities as page edges.

44. My client wanted a large scale book and selected a herring bone wool for the slip cover. The signature block is made from brown envelopes and is decorated with a Hitchcock theme.

43. My client wanted a Nepal Journal for friends planning a visit. She requested velvet covers and customised collage on them.

42. My client was a well travelled person who wanted to record her visits in a personalised version of my standard Travel Journal.

41. I recently found this photo of aprons I made for the Proprietors of a cafe in Telford a few years ago.

40. In 2013 I made a set of notebooks for a client to present to his staff at Christmas, see number 18 below. The client now has a PR Department and the ladies in it wanted their own books. They also wanted a girly colour!

39. I made this Malta Journal for a friend who is taking a winter break in Malta. I combined one of my three signature page edged blocks, which I normally use with my leather bound and slip cover books, inside with a standard place theme journal cover. My friend is a professional photographer and he tells me that he is taking a polaroid camera with him and will stick the prints into the journal during his trip.

38. I made these slip cover books for friends. The slip covers have personalised textile collage. The signature blocks are made from recycled envelopes with decorative edging papers.

37. This customer bought herself an A6 sized Diary and asked me to make a denim slip cover for it.

36. This client wanted a gift for a friend who was planning a trip to Viet Nam. She liked the format of my Paris Journal and so we based the design of the Viet Nam Journal on that.

35. This customer wanted a feint ruled notebook with a textile slip cover.

34. This client wanted one of my handmade books with a tweed cover in which to record her commissions for specific jewellery.

33. This client wanted a large version of my Italy Journal so that she could paste emails from her daughter and so record her time living in Italy.

32. This client wanted personalised journals for gifts for members of his family. He selected velvet covers and signature blocks made from recycled envelopes embellished with page edges.

31. My client wanted to use her book as a photograph album and so she selected copier paper for the pages inside. The cover is woollen tweed with textile collage.

30. My client selected a standard ruled hard back book which was covered with a velvet slip cover with specific words appliqued.

29. This client wanted a personalised slip cover book for his daughter. The inside is five signatures of copier paper giving 188 pages.

28. My client wanted to customise one of my standard A5 slip cover books to celebrate a friend's birthday. The inside has three signatures of recycled envelopes giving 114 pages. Alternate pages are decorated with page edges.

27. Art Apron to mark the Christmas Exhibition, Delicious, at the Cupola Gallery, Hillsborough, Sheffield.

Karen Sherwood, the proprietor of the Cupola Gallery, models the Art Apron:

26. A local entrepreneur in the upmarket cake business wanted an apron which reflected her corporate colours and identity.

25. A previous buyer of my Denim Shoulder Bags asked me to make one with shorter straps and without denim pockets. I was happy to oblige and the result is as follows.

24. My first customer on the Sunday of the Fountain Square Art Festival liked my slim line apron but also wanted a large pocket. She also needed extra long side ties so that she could fasten the apron at the front. Finally she said that she wanted the slimline apron style of collage to be extended down over the pocket to the base of the apron. And why not? I have been enjoying myself creating the Combination Apron for her.

Within a few days of returning to the UK I received this:

23. My client wanted a velvet slip cover with specific lettering appliqued to it. The book inside was a lined hard backed book.

22. Velvet slip cover bookwith textile collage on front. It has 114 recycled pages inside. The client wanted to make an album for her friend.

21. Understated wedding album with three signatures of recycled envelopes giving 114 usable pages. The slip cover is tweed.

20. Wallhanging approx 36" x 24" reflecting aspects of the family home.

19. This is a standard A5 Diary with a customised lined slip cover in velvet for a cricketing client.

18. This is a series of sixteen A5 ruled notebooks with a slip cover customized to client specifications which included individual's initials. The client presented them to his staff as Christmas gifts.

17. Textile hanging for CRIT Group open event.

16. My Panda Journal was originally commissioned by a client who bought one of my Cat Journals for one of her daughters and wanted a Panda one for her other daughter.