Friday 30 April 2010
Ooohh Arrrrrgh Me Hearties!! - This be Folksy Friday!!
I'm hopefully going to have a stall at a Charity Pirate Day soon (just waiting for confirmation!) so I thought I would delve into the world of Folksy Pirates and see what there was. I've got to get my skates on and make some pirate themed bits and pieces so need some inspiration!! Shiver me timbers!!
Monday 26 April 2010
Craft (Un)fair!!
Yesterday was the first date in the 'Grange Prom Art' season. This is a monthly art and craft fair which runs from April through to September (6 in all). As a young friend of ours had booked a table for the whole lot, and then realised she wouldn't have enough jewellery to really cover the area, she asked if I wanted to join her and share...great!! I've never done a 'big' craft fair before so was a little bit nervous and spent last week frantically making lots of littler bits which may have tempted people to buy.
After having a beautiful, sunny week we woke up to pouring rain on the day AAARGH! Did I forget to mention this is an outdoor event, along a breezy prom looking across at Morecambe Bay?? The website advised it was definately going ahead so we packed up early and drove over. Fortunately the rain had stopped by the time we got there but it was COLD!!
Well.....we spent all day sitting in the cold breeze and I made the grand total of £9.00 ...woohoo!! Yes, I know..useless! Still, I did learn a few things......
Firstly, that next time we will take another table (we were squashed onto one) as the area they give each 'stall' is really quite huge! Big enough to easily fit in two pasting tables which is great.
Secondly, we will take a windbreak to fix onto the railings behind us!
Thirdly, take more coffee!!
It was interesting to see what people looked at on my stall and funnily enough it was the bigger, more expensive items (hooked wall hangings) that got the most genuine interest!! Funnily enough this is the area I would like to develop more but always thought that people didn't go for that kind of thing!
So although it was a bit disappointing it's sort of made me more focused for the next projects. I really enjoy rag rugging and making hand hooked items so this is where I'm heading next...with a more contemporary twist maybe?
After having a beautiful, sunny week we woke up to pouring rain on the day AAARGH! Did I forget to mention this is an outdoor event, along a breezy prom looking across at Morecambe Bay?? The website advised it was definately going ahead so we packed up early and drove over. Fortunately the rain had stopped by the time we got there but it was COLD!!
Well.....we spent all day sitting in the cold breeze and I made the grand total of £9.00 ...woohoo!! Yes, I know..useless! Still, I did learn a few things......
Firstly, that next time we will take another table (we were squashed onto one) as the area they give each 'stall' is really quite huge! Big enough to easily fit in two pasting tables which is great.
Secondly, we will take a windbreak to fix onto the railings behind us!
Thirdly, take more coffee!!
It was interesting to see what people looked at on my stall and funnily enough it was the bigger, more expensive items (hooked wall hangings) that got the most genuine interest!! Funnily enough this is the area I would like to develop more but always thought that people didn't go for that kind of thing!
So although it was a bit disappointing it's sort of made me more focused for the next projects. I really enjoy rag rugging and making hand hooked items so this is where I'm heading next...with a more contemporary twist maybe?
Thursday 22 April 2010
Mice, mice are very nice!! - Folksy Friday
Well they are when they're not real!!
This Friday we are having a cheese making day with the kids at our local Home Ed group so I decided to let the mice out to play....... and got in early this week to make up for the lack of Folksy Friday last week!!
This Friday we are having a cheese making day with the kids at our local Home Ed group so I decided to let the mice out to play....... and got in early this week to make up for the lack of Folksy Friday last week!!
Sore Fingers but a Warm Heart!!
Monday 19 April 2010
Hearts, hearts, hearts.....
Sorry I haven't written much over the last few days and even missed the Folksy Friday!! (Tut, tut!!) It's been a weird kind of week, the weather has been gorgeous so we've been out and about at every opportunity enjoying it while it lasts!
BUT, I have been working as well...... even taking it with me at times....
and the evenings have been spent frantically making lots of heart brooches for a craft fair this weekend. Handhooked onto Hessian and half finished with beads or buttons, still to be backed then cut out and the brooch pins sewn on....never ending!!
I've done some weird and wacky ones this time as well so we'll see if they sell. I'm off to Grange Prom Art on Sunday to share a craft table with a friends daughter who makes jewellery. Hopefully the weather will be good as we are outside and feeling a little bit nervous as I've never done a 'proper' fair (only a church fair!) before and this one does get quite busy!! Should be fun though.
I've also been getting on with some bags which have just been listed on Folksy, part of my Summer bag range.
PHEW !!!!!
and now relax......... well not yet but here's a few photos to help out, taken this week, in the beautiful sunshine.....
BUT, I have been working as well...... even taking it with me at times....
and the evenings have been spent frantically making lots of heart brooches for a craft fair this weekend. Handhooked onto Hessian and half finished with beads or buttons, still to be backed then cut out and the brooch pins sewn on....never ending!!
I've done some weird and wacky ones this time as well so we'll see if they sell. I'm off to Grange Prom Art on Sunday to share a craft table with a friends daughter who makes jewellery. Hopefully the weather will be good as we are outside and feeling a little bit nervous as I've never done a 'proper' fair (only a church fair!) before and this one does get quite busy!! Should be fun though.
PHEW !!!!!
and now relax......... well not yet but here's a few photos to help out, taken this week, in the beautiful sunshine.....
Friday 16 April 2010
URGENT....
I know this is not a normal blog post but it is one that I feel needs putting out there.
We have a lovely young friend, Alice who is 14 years old, she also has Hodgkins Lymphona and has spent a long time going through radiotherapy, chemotherapy and being very sick. She desperatly needs a Bone Marrow Donor as there is no-one on the registers at the moment who matches hers. Her appeal has now 'gone public' as time is running out, she really, really needs to find a donor and quickly. If you are not registered already, please, please have a look at this website: http://www.anthonynolan.org.uk and decide if this is something you would like to have available if someone you love needed it!!
I know there are other charities for overseas so just find the one nearest you. The more people who register, the more chance Alice and hundreds of other people have.
Please, just consider it and share this as much as possible to make more people aware.
We have a lovely young friend, Alice who is 14 years old, she also has Hodgkins Lymphona and has spent a long time going through radiotherapy, chemotherapy and being very sick. She desperatly needs a Bone Marrow Donor as there is no-one on the registers at the moment who matches hers. Her appeal has now 'gone public' as time is running out, she really, really needs to find a donor and quickly. If you are not registered already, please, please have a look at this website: http://www.anthonynolan.org.uk and decide if this is something you would like to have available if someone you love needed it!!
I know there are other charities for overseas so just find the one nearest you. The more people who register, the more chance Alice and hundreds of other people have.
Please, just consider it and share this as much as possible to make more people aware.
Monday 12 April 2010
Come Walk With Us....
Today was such a beautiful day it seemed a shame to sit indoors so we packed some lunch, dragged the kids away from the computer and off we went.
We love geocaching, which for those of you who don't know is an International game of finding little boxes of treasure, which are hidden all over the world, with a GPS. (www.geocaching.com) As we are fortunate enough to live in an amazingly beautiful part of the UK we seem to have an abundance of these hidden away right on our doorstep....great! We were just checking on some Geocaches which we had put out a little while ago and this takes us on a round walk, in a relatively undiscovered part of the Lake District, so I thought you may like to come along and enjoy the scenery too!
You can't go anywhere in the Lake District without seeing sheep!! This being the famous, local Herdwick variety!
Just checking one of the Geocaches (hidden in the tree...shhh don't tell anyone!)
Across the little wooden bridge.....
Past some big lumps of rock (and a quick Geology lesson by Mr. WoollyLakes!)
Enjoy the view whilst eating lunch .......
Over a little stream, trickling through the countryside......
Time for another drink (courtesy of Mr. WoollyLakes new Swiss Volcano Stove.....he just had to try it out!!) and for Little Boy Blue to try out his photography skills.
Then onwards past some lovely bright yellow gorse.......
Time to dip our toes in the nice cool stream........Mum...it's freezing!!!
A great end to a lovely afternoon...ice-cream down by Lake Windermere in gorgeous sunshine......Life is good xx
We love geocaching, which for those of you who don't know is an International game of finding little boxes of treasure, which are hidden all over the world, with a GPS. (www.geocaching.com) As we are fortunate enough to live in an amazingly beautiful part of the UK we seem to have an abundance of these hidden away right on our doorstep....great! We were just checking on some Geocaches which we had put out a little while ago and this takes us on a round walk, in a relatively undiscovered part of the Lake District, so I thought you may like to come along and enjoy the scenery too!
Sunday 11 April 2010
Back to the Seventies?!
I said I had some lovely Retro fabric which I was making a bag from ....well...here it is!!
I have to admit it was one of those fabrics I first looked at and thought.....EUUGH!! It seemed to be VERY orange and VERY seventies and I wasn't at all sure I could make it into anything! Then every time I went to rifle though my fabric for inspiration there it was, just lurking in the pile waiting for the right moment! It grows on you, kind of weird but I love this bag now.....it still reminds me of some curtains we had when I was a child but it's kind of retro funky and will make someone a lovely, unique summer handbag.
Friday 9 April 2010
Zibbet and MacMillan...
I don't know if anyone has noticed but I have a nice new badge on my blog for Zibbet. This is a for my new shop on this lovely new site. As I've always been a little bit scared of venturing into Etsy as it's soooo big, this seemed like a smart move. Although Zibbet was started in Australia it is all in USD and a lot of Etsians are moving over or trying it out so it is growing FAST! So now I have my Folksy shop (mainly for the UK) and my Zibbet shop (mainly for everywhere else!!) If you click on my lovely new badge, it will take you striaght through and you can come and join me.....go on, it's free! It's down under my Folksy one!
AND two of my hand-hooked hearts I listed yesterday are now sold.....hurrah! There's still two left and remember....ALL the proceeds will be going to ButeArtism' s MacMillan fundraising.
AND two of my hand-hooked hearts I listed yesterday are now sold.....hurrah! There's still two left and remember....ALL the proceeds will be going to ButeArtism' s MacMillan fundraising.
Bloomin' Blossom - Folksy Friday
One of my favourite sights of the year is spying the first Cherry Tree blossom. It always seems that one day there is nothing and then the next there is a whole load of pink lovliness! We just drove up from our local town and there it was, a whole row of Cherry trees proudly displaying their new pink blossoms.......makes me smile every time! So on that note, my Folksy Friday today is all about blossom......enjoy xx
Thursday 8 April 2010
Have a Heart.....
Well, I finally got these four Heart brooches finished!! These are all hand-hooked with some lovely 'Ice' wool onto a hessian backing and each one has been decorated with little flower buttons. These would be great as brooches but would also look good put onto bags etc. AND all the money made from these is going to the MacMillan Fundraising which ButeArtism has been organising. These nurses do a fantastic job for cancer sufferers so it's a very worthwhile cause.
Tuesday 6 April 2010
Pots and Castles....
Yesterday was hubby's birthday and as he has been dying to have a go at some pottery we headed of to a little place up at Brougham Hall near Penrith called Crafty Monkeys (http://craftymonkeyswebsite.co.uk/) This is a little pot/figure painting workshop but they also have potters wheels where they show you how to throw a pot and then you go back to paint it later on. The kids settled down with some figures to paint while hubby got to play with the clay! His first attempt was great and happened really quickly, a lovely little cup. He then decided to make a small bowl which was a bit more tricky!! After about his fourth attempt he was happy with the result.
Ok, the title about a castle isn't strictly true but it is in the ruins of an old hall which is slowly being renovated privately. The guy lets out some of the refurbished units to crafts and small businesses and there is a nice little cafe there too. Well worth a visit!
Ok, the title about a castle isn't strictly true but it is in the ruins of an old hall which is slowly being renovated privately. The guy lets out some of the refurbished units to crafts and small businesses and there is a nice little cafe there too. Well worth a visit!
Saturday 3 April 2010
Loads of Stuff!!
Yesterday we decided to head south to Lancaster where there is a HUGE antiques warehouse. There are lots of different stalls which are rented out and people can just display their wares and leave them to pretty much sell themselves! It's a real Aladdin's cave but along with some lovely antiquey bits there is a lot of junk. We haven't been here for a few years and I swear there were some items I remember from last time!! But it's a lovely place just to wander and gasp at some bits and laugh at others!!
From all the lovely bits and pieces, we managed to come out with nothing but a 50p toy car!!
From all the lovely bits and pieces, we managed to come out with nothing but a 50p toy car!!
Friday 2 April 2010
We're going Retro! - Folksy Friday
At the moment I am in the process of making bags from some lovely upholstery fabric I've been given, some of which is some wacky Retro Seventies material......so my Folksy Friday is all about this.....some of you may remember these styles from the first time around (he, he!)
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