cloudhopping

craft fairs and more

2011-11-13T07:44:00.000-08:00

Things have been a little quiet on the blogging front, mainly as I decided to get back into the variable world of craft fairs so have been busy busy busy.

Yesterday I ventured over to the Doodle craft fair in Nuneaton, met some lovely people, sold a few things, - and won a prize in the raffle!

Here's a little peek at my stall:

Since being back home I have been wishing for some brighter light so I can photograph and add some of my latest creations to my Etsy shop - managed to get these on today:

And I had a few enquiries at the fair about cream wool flower corsages and wristwarmers - I sense this may be my next project.

In The Red

2011-09-09T11:29:00.000-07:00

When you find the perfect shade of red wool to match that deep red fabric that you couldn't resist buying - well they just had to come together to make a few new clutch bags:

The fabric is an unusual print, dotted with images of an Edwardian lady. I've used the same wool too for both bags - a lovely merino wool that has a subtle two-tone effect. One of the bags I pleated the fabric and crocheted a handle, while for the other one I crocheted a larger piece that covers the back of the bag as well as the fold-over top.

Both heading for my Etsy shop!

Wednesday Wool

2011-08-31T01:13:00.000-07:00

Autumn approaches, a little chill in the air in the evenings and I'm looking towards my wood burner, wondering if it is too soon to get some flames going.
I've adding some wool beanie hats to my shop in anticipation of our need to to get warm and cozy, along with some other wool goodies:

All available in my Etsy shop.

Sewing For The Greyhounds

2011-08-27T10:45:00.000-07:00

Ever since adopting my greyhound Casey I have tried to support greyhound rescue charities in whatever way I could - either taking Casey along to greyhound rescue promotion events, attending fund raising dog shows, and of course donating items to the handmade4hounds shop on Etsy.

My local greyhound rescue, Greyhound Gap, will be running an auction for a week from the 3rd September. All the auction goodies have been donated, and already there are items being added to the on-line forum in preparation.

These are the 2 items I have been working on over the past few days for the auction:

Small embroidered greyhound picture, the hound profile is the logo for the Greyhound Gap charity:

Phone/gadget cover, featuring a greyhound profile:

The auction is being run to raise funds for one of Greyhound Gap's sponser dogs, Fleck. Greyhound Gap's founder, Lisa writes:

"Fleck is one of our sponsor dogs who landed in our care worse for wear, his ears had been home docked with scissors and his tail has undergone what we think seems to be a dodgy/home amputation. He was also very under weight with bite marks all around his ankles, they seem to be scars from possible rat bites and there is every chance that he has been left for a long number of years in a shed with minimal care.
Fleck also had co ordination problems and sadly recently he had a fall where he splayed himself out and hurt himself. This lead to us needing to investigate and it seems he may have a problem with compressed discs or disc damage at the lower end of his spine."

Read more on Fleck here.

Fleck will be undergoing his investigations on the 6th September. Lets hope the auction raises his much needed funds.

The Muse

2011-08-21T03:49:00.000-07:00

So often we hear about designers, directors, artists having a muse - sometimes a model or an actress.
I would like to introduce my very own personal muse.
He lives with me, used to have a career in the racing industry but luckily no longer has to do this, he now spends a lot of his time lying on his back with his legs in the air (quite zen like, he can lie like this for hours without moving).
Please meet Casey.....

His unique greyhound profile is currently gracing some of my latest creations

He has taken to the life of a muse with ease, as long as there is a regular supply of treats and walks through the woods, not to mention the odd belly rub.
I'm sure other muses must demand similar.

Holidays and Hounds

2011-08-18T10:16:00.000-07:00

Braving the Great British Weather, buckets and spades packed, we headed off to Pembrokeshire, Wales for a week - this time taking our hounds along. Alfie, our lurcher, is a nervous boy and we did wonder how he would cope on his 1st holiday with us.

We needn't have worried.

Beaches were a breeze.

Castles - no fear

Woodland Walks - a chance to lie down

Pembrokeshire is lovely, outstanding beaches and we were lucky to be staying somewhere that had a wonderful view across the hills and estuary. We will be returning, with the hounds again of course.

Meanwhile back at home the vegetable patch had been quite prolific:

It's A Tartan Day

2011-07-30T10:18:00.000-07:00

I have a wonderful Aunt who very kindly sent me a batch of Harris Tweed tartan from her home in Scotland, alongside some other lovely woollen fabrics, a fantastic gift to receive for a fabric addict like myself.

Today I decided to try how they would look if I crafted them into a brooch, and chose one of the warm brown tartans, which was the perfect background for a lovely little orange vintage button, one of my favourites.

I've padded the brooch too to give it some depth, and edged it with a contrasting orange. It will be in my Etsy shop as from today, hot off the sewing machine.

Lots more tartan, lots more ideas........

Buttons and Hounds

2011-07-27T11:37:00.000-07:00

I love buttons.
This is a fact.
I have boxes of buttons, bags of buttons, some new, some old, some faded, some gifted, some treasured.
So while thinking of a new picture for daughter's bedroom, it wasn't long before the buttons came to mind, and a joint project began.
One box of buttons, one tube of glue, one ikea white picture frame and the finished result -

Both myself and daughter have sorted buttons together for a few years now, and making this picture together, and hanging it in her newly decorated room, felt good. It now takes pride of place, hanging above the little black fireplace (and the restoration of that is another story...)

Making a picture for a child's room also led me to think about other ways to create wall decor that steps away from the twee and the predictable, and maybe how my hounds (or at least their images!) can find their way into bedrooms in a soothing sleep encouraging way. Over the past week I have been working on my latest wall art, the Greyhound at Night, now added to my etsy shop.

Which I think would be perfect for any age bedroom, surely the comfort of a hound guarding over you at night would help send you into happy dreamland. Made from a wonderful starry fabric, with the instructions to "shh..." embroidered next to a sleeping moon.

The Ears Of A Cat

2011-07-20T03:02:00.000-07:00

"Dear Parent
Please send your child to school dressed as the super-hero of their choice....."

Oh yes one of those frantic moments of putting together a costume with very short notice.

Cat-woman was the heroine of choice, costume sorted (black clothes, no problem), cat ears to be made:

Cat Ears Steps:
I took a plain headband, measured out some black material,a rectangular piece, and wrapped it along the headband.
I hand-stitched it together along the inside.
Now for the ears - I cut out a square piece of black fabric, ironed on some interfacing to strengthen it, then cut out 4 ear shapes.
I stitched 2 ear shapes together, interfacing on the inside for both pieces - I used an edging stitch on the sewing machine.
The bottom edge of the ears was trimmed to match the shape of the headband, and I then hand-stitched the ears onto the headband.

And cat ears were made.

Summer Crops

2011-07-17T06:10:00.000-07:00

A day of showers and sun, inbetween the latest downpour I was able to crop the last of the of fruit - and more of the prolific mange tout.

Plans had been to make more sowings - beans, lettuce, courgettes - after reading about the advantages of second sowings - more veg into the autumn (weather permitting).
However rain clouds and my aversion to gardening in the rain - oh I so need a greenhouse - have led me to a sofa and crochet day.

So hook at ready, wool stash at my feet, a bag, a bangle or a brooch? Decisions decisions.....

Tumbleweed.......and hounds

2011-07-16T03:48:00.000-07:00

I apologise for my blog neglect over the past year or so. Sometimes life brings on changes, disruptions, and for a while my focus had to be directed elsewhere.

The new additions to my home - greyhound and lurcher boys - have not only added fun and frivolity (and a plethora of soft squeaky toys) but have started to creep into my craft - little greyhound profiles in brooches, wall art, and a few other ideas which will soon be heading their way into my etsy and folksy shops.

The support we received from our local Greyhound rescues, Greyhound Gap and GRWE when we adopted our hounds was fantastic, and to add my support to their ongoing endeavours I will now be donating 10% of my profits to Greyhound rescue.

Normal blogging services now resumed!

Summer Speed

2009-08-20T12:03:00.000-07:00

Can't believe it's been a few months since the last blog post - I seem to have got caught up in a house move, a leaking roof, trying to gain some inroads into overgrown garden borders, holidaying in the rain, and wishing all my tomatoes would ripen before autumn heads this way.

Seemed to manage to coordinate the absurdities of the UK summer weather when we took our family holiday by dodging showers in the Castle, ensconcing ourselves in the Butterfly Sanctuary when buckets of rain were non-stop and lazing on the beach (after battling with the worse-for-wear beach shelter - who says the tent poles needed that elastic cord) when the sun deemed to pay us a visit.

Oh and the ice-cream helped.

Boxing Clever

2009-05-27T11:56:00.000-07:00

No crafting for me lately - house move in 2 days time and everything is currently residing in a cardboard box of one size or another.

Luckily one member of the household seem to enjoy the addition of a stack of boxes - tower block apartment with a view anyone?

If You Go Down To The Woods Today.....

2009-05-05T00:59:00.000-07:00

Remember to tip-toe quietly - for this is where the fairies live of course....in their little tree houses with their little wooden doors...

....and their little staircases....

...but I don't think anyone's home today...

You never know what delights you will find in the forest. Over the Bank Holiday weekend we had an afternoon picnic - yummy food, sitting on green grass, meeting up with family, children having fun, - followed by the discovery of the secret fairy houses. Perfect!

(we picnicked at Cannock Chase - follow the sculpture trail through Birches Valley and you will find the fairy houses!)

Buttons And Gadgets

2009-04-27T10:50:00.000-07:00

One of my favourite things when crafting and creating is spending an excessive amount of time sifting through one of my many vintage button boxes to find the exact button that will marry perfectly with whatever fabric I happen to be using at the time. And when I was making a few gadget/mobile phone/iPod cases I found myself whiling many a minute away selecting the perfectly perfect button.

Here are the combinations I came up with:

Love this big brown button!

A starry affair livened up with a splash of pink wool

Butterscotch button and tweed.

Must start to put these in my folksy and etsy shops too - that's after I've spent another inordinate amount of time thinking up names for them!

Grey Flowers Looking Bright

2009-04-22T05:58:00.000-07:00

Another of my fabric finds has been transformed into one of my clutch bags, which I've been meaning to put online for a few weeks now and finally got round to it today. On 1st description - "grey flowers, yellowish background" you could be excused for not thinking this fabric was too cheerful, but when you see how the sweet carnation-like grey flowers sit amongst little white flowers, you realise this is one sweet unique design. I like the background colour too, whether that's because I'm drawn to things that evoke memories of other eras (70's maybe?) I'm not sure, but I think it works well.

I've popped this bag into my folksy shop and called it the Grey Carnation Clutch Bag.

Now to photograph 8 ipod covers and 10 brooches......

Simple Pleasures

2009-04-15T10:37:00.000-07:00

The sun has shone, we're browsing camping magazines and starting to feel a little light-hearted, and a copious amount of chocolate Easter eggs have been eaten. And on a day of intense cocoa bean consumption the question of "what would you like for tea" was answered with the most simple meal of all. Beans. And Cheese. In A Bowl.

Divine.

An Itch To Stitch

2009-04-13T12:09:00.000-07:00

Its a strange time at the moment - caught between selling and buying a house, things in boxes, things not in boxes, life in limbo. I felt I needed to distract myself from scouring the web for sites such as "how to move house in 10 easy steps" or for waiting to accost the postman each morning for any letter that might speed up the process.

So I had to find a way to "step away, nothing to see here" and embroidery was that way. Last year I was given some of Jenny Hart's Sublime Stitching books and kits and it didn't take me long to get back into the swing of a little gentle sewing. Embroidery is therapeutic, I curl up on my red chair, feet tucked beneath me, sink back into the cushions, thread a needle and sew sew sew. There is something about the order of sewing, the rhythm, that slows your breathing and thoughts down into a calmness that is so needed right now.

This is the work in progress:

If you're new to embroidery, the Jenny Hart books are excellent - they include a load of transfer patterns that you just iron onto your fabric (I love using linen and linen-type materials). The instructions for the stitches are also very well written - even the French knot can be mastered with ease!

You can find her books on Amazon, but the Sublime Stitching website has a wealth of other patterns and kits too.

Stalls, Snips and Trips

2009-04-12T03:57:00.000-07:00

Its been a busy old week - started off with the handm@de craft fair in Cambridge, which was great fun - so nice to meet up with some of the lovely crafty folk I'd met last year at Oxford - amongst them paperleaf, quercus silver, pennydog, twinklyspangle - and also to discover some other great handmade delights - such as the lovely Fabric Nation, Made by Kate, and Hannahchan.

This is my stall - apologies for the poor quality photo, but there are lots more images of the fair on the handm@de flickr page.

Meanwhile over in the "its the half -term holiday and I am a child what can I do now" world, what happens when you get a boy of 7, a pair of scissors, a bathroom mirror and an active imagination? This is the fringe result of that combination. Not sure about the boy's new look myself.

There was nothing else to do but head out of the door in an attempt to channel that energy elsewhere.

Handm@de Cambridge Panic

2009-04-02T09:16:00.000-07:00

Eek only 2 days til the Handm@de Cambridge Craft Fair and yes, panic has set in. The fair comes hot on the heels of other hectic life stuff - selling house, new job, usual mundane life events that may have contributed to a recent bout of insomnia and strange 3 am thoughts about wardrobes and crochet.

Needless to say the last few days have been a whirlwind of crochet hooks and wool and sewing and making labels and hunting for a tablecloth (still unseen - must delve deeper into the back of the airing cupboard).

The Handm@de Cambridge craft fair will be held on April 4th 2009 at the Guildhall from 11am to 5pm - more info can be found on the blog here.

So if you've go nothing planned on Saturday do come along, loads of hand crated goodness, and also the chance of picking up a free goodie bag if you're one of the first 200 people to come to the fair on Saturday - see you then!

Creating Corsages

2009-03-18T11:58:00.000-07:00

I love crocheting flower brooches and corsages, and up until recently I'd been making them mainly in one colour, sometimes felting them, sometimes adding a contrasting colour button. Recently I've been inspired by the ever growing collection of coloured balls of wool that lie at my feet each evening to create some multi-coloured ones.

This one is quite chic I think - classic white and slate grey - both fine wools which create a delicate looking flower.

When the light is a bit brighter here I shall take some photos of the more vivid colour combinations I'm coming up with (imagine purples and vivid greens and bight reds and that'll give you some idea!)

Red Nose Day and Crafteroo

2009-03-13T05:25:00.000-07:00

Crafter..oo is a wonderful UK based craft forum, and this year members have been donating lovely hand crafted items to the Crafter..oo shop over at Folksy, in order to raise funds for Comic Relief.

There are some great items, and so far over £450 has been raised - I snapped up some great buttons from hollingdale designs, and there are plenty more delights on sale:

Lovely lavender rice bag by meridian

Bright sunshine stripe pendant by Blue Fairy

And these delicate pink flower earrings by miabelle

I donated one of my flower corsages which was bought this morning (thank you!)

So please call into the crafteroo/folksy shop, buy something lovely and handmade and raise money for Comic Relief!

iPod Attire and Random Notes

2009-03-06T09:21:00.000-08:00

Only a few weeks til the Handm@de Cambridge craft fair (April 4th - come along!) hence the sudden panic of "eek have I got enough stock!"

Had a successful sewing day this week and made 5 more iPod Touch covers:

They were all intended for the craft fair but I couldn't resist adding one to my folksy and etsy shops.

Meanwhile back in home hazard land:
Anyone with a small person or 4 legged being will know the frequency that cups and mugs somehow manage to splurt their contents all over floors, tables and chairs - generally accompanied by a cry of "It wasn't me!".

In our house a shout goes out of "spillage of the day!" each time this occurs. Usually on a daily basis. This week the floor was drenched in a cupful of water (these cups do like throw themselves around) and my youngest decided to write a sign to ensure no-one would walk on the offending spot.

" "Don't Walk Here" is what I am going to write" stated the child and proceeded to write the sign and celotape it to a nearby chair. Here is said sign:

I think that sums things up nicely.

Mad Men - This I Love

2009-03-01T11:54:00.000-08:00

How did I miss this fantastic series when it 1st aired? How could such a wonderful array of clothes and hair and cigarettes and high heels pass me by? Yes I have just discovered the brilliance of Mad Men (thank you M for lending me the DVD!)

loving the buttons on this:

And this is one delectable sofa - not to mention the wall art:

I am now getting an urge to source vintage shops for just the right sort of dress - patterned fabric, clinched waist, buttons - though retraining myself to walk in stilettos may be something of an issue...

More Buttons?

2009-02-19T11:56:00.000-08:00

Oh yes I'm afraid so - another batch of vintage buttons has arrived in the cloudhopping household.

Where they will live remains an uncertainty due to my already bulging button boxes (all 6 of them) who cry out "no room at the inn!" each time I arrive home rattling little bags and boxes full of button delights.

So button sorting awaits, a strangely therapeutic task, and I promise not to buy any more buttons for at least...erm...a week?

A Hair Curling Day

2009-02-18T05:46:00.000-08:00

Youngest sat in the hairdressers and pointed to one of the large, glossy images hanging on the wall.

"I want my hair like that" she whispered to me.

The picture showed a mass of long wavy locks. Long hair - no problem. Curls - oops. Daughter has the sleekest straightest hair ever. And is obviously too young to venture into hair perming.

Kind hairdresser didn't flinch and offered to put waves in using one of her heated implements, and little one was delighted. And the result and her smile was a lump in the throat moment.

Curls glorious curls - for one day only - and worth every penny to see her skip through the town, checking her hair every 5 minutes just to see if they were still there, and breaking into a delighted grin to find they were still there.

Hip Hugging With Belts

2009-02-13T00:58:00.000-08:00

Inspired by the large amount of vintage buckles I seem to be accumulating, I decided to start some belt making in order to give at least a few of the buckles a new path in life.

I love knitted wool belts, there's something rustic and textural about them, and I used a pure black wool for these two belts:

Both belts are hand knitted, and both the red and black buckles are vintage too. I've made them long enough to drape around hips too - I think belts look great just slung casually around your hips. These two belts are for sale in my etsy shop, but with the ever growing buckle collection I sense more will be on their way.

Sorting Out The Stash

2009-02-07T11:46:00.001-08:00

It was a combination of a few things that prompted me to have a fabric tidy up - new fabrics were waiting to gain entry into the fabric cupboard, and I had a few recent requests to make custom gadget covers so needed a way to show the fabric choices I have.

So today was fabric sort out day - I emptied the cupboard, grouped them into sets, photographed them, then uploaded them onto my flickr page (under the photo set "fabric catalogue"). Also along the way I discovered how to create a photo mosaic so you can see all my little fabric groups on one photo:

This isn't all my fabrics either I have to admit - I haven't included the plain fabrics or the small little pieces I collect - but sorting them out will have to wait til another day!

I Am Not Allowed To Buy Fabric Anymore

2009-02-04T10:53:00.001-08:00

I have a cupboard that is very very full. Very very full of fabrics. Lots of them. Plain fabrics, patterned fabrics, vintage fabrics, tartan fabrics....I could go on. And every time I pop into a store that sells anything of a material variety I just have to buy the odd metre of something adorable that I must have.

So I imposed a ban upon myself - no more buying fabrics until I've at least used a small portion of the cupboard (yes, bags and gadget covers are queuing up waiting to be stitched into shape).

But then today I just happened to be walking past my favourite fabric shop (OK so maybe there was a small detour involved). And true to my word I did not buy one scrap of fabric - instead I stumbled on a lovely collection of these cotton trims.

I'm not normally a lace sort of a person but I couldn't resist these - all cotton loveliness. I really liked the one in the middle too which is a great shade of chocolate brown. I have a few ideas of what to do with them - something that will involve wool and crochet too - that will hopefully come into fruition this weekend.

Which also goes to show I can resist fabric (at least when there is something else to distract me anyway....)

Buckle Up

2009-02-02T05:12:00.000-08:00

I have been shopping again. Not your usual jaunt down to the supermarket to stock up on teabags and muesli, but a foray into the world of vintage buckles.

Over the past week little parcels full of buckles have been arriving, and I'm really pleased with some of the colours, shapes, patterns and general cute buckleness of them.

This latest obsession of mine started off with a fondness for buttons, which somehow has expanded into buckles...where next I wonder?

I've used some of the buckles for some wool belts which I've put in my Etsy shop, I'm also working on a way of adding them to my clutch bags - I'll post pics here when I come up with a good design.
Meanwhile I have vintage shops to scour....

That 70's Vibe Again...

2009-01-28T10:38:00.000-08:00

As a child of the 70's I seem to be inextricably drawn towards fabric prints that take me back to that era - I view them through my nostalgia tinted glasses and exclaim "how wonderful!" whist others may tut "oh how not very modern".

On one of my recent forays into a fabric shop I stumbled across this wonderful yellow fabric that was printed with strange brown and grey birds - the images reminded me of a chopping board I'm sure my mum used to have (she'll have to correct me on that one if my memory is mistaken!)

And so my Retro Bird Clutch Bag was born - I added a hand crocheted band of wool, a brown vintage button and hey presto, this is the finished result:

I added the bag to my Etsy shop yesterday, but this wasn't the only 70's style fabric I found on my travels - more retro bags will be on their way!

Herringbone Happiness

2009-01-23T09:37:00.000-08:00

My lovely Aunt recently sent me some fabrics, left over from her previous cape making business. Amongst them were some adorable pieces of herringbone, in shades of grey, as well as some fantastic tartans. Some of the off-cuts are too small to make a bag out of, so I wondered how they would look made into an iPod/phone sleeve, and this is the result:

I added a pink crocheted band of wool and a vintage button to close it - I'm really fond of this grey/pink colour combo, I think it manages to be chic and cheerful at the same time.
This one I've popped in my folksy shop - I'll be working on the tartan ones next!

Obsessions, obsessions...

2009-01-20T12:08:00.000-08:00

So by chance I happened to spot some Japanese crochet books while browsing the internet one day - can't remember quite how I stumbled across them but these things are easily done if you have a few aimless hours on-line. (I think I may have been avoiding filling in the tax return for yet another day).

And what can I say - I was hooked (do you get it - crochet - hooked.....ok I'll stop now).

If you haven't seen any Japanese craft books you really must take a look, the styling, the photography, its all stunning and inspirational. After a day or two just looking at them on-line I decided I must have one of these books, so visited yesasia.com, where there is a wealth of choice - craft books for everything. I thought I'd start off with a book that is full of crochet stitches 1st, before trying to understand a full pattern, as the books are (obviously!) in Japanese but all the stitches are detailed in chart form - lots of symbols and things!

This is the book I ordered - 300 crochet patterns - and some of the stitches look totally delicious.

This link here should take you to a page where you can see the inside of the book too so you can get an idea of what to expect.

Ordering from yesasia was pretty easy too, although at first I found it a bit tricky trying to find the crochet section (is it hobby, lifestyle or arts?). In the end I used the search facility which brought up about 3 pages of lovely looking books, so no doubt I'll be shopping there again soon.

I have successfully managed to make some tiny little crochet circles from one of the patterns (ok, I cheated a bit because I did know how to do crochet circles already but I wanted to be sure I could do them following the chart in the book.) Now I'm ready to tackle more adventurous stitches - pictures will be posted here!

Knitted Bangle Turorial

2009-01-17T11:15:00.000-08:00

Knitted bangles are a great way of combining wool and plastic bangles - charity shops usually have some bangle bargains or check out the sales in any of the accessory shops.

Firstly gather your ingredients - bangle, wool and knitting needles.

(I used 4.5mm needles and a pure double knitting wool, but select whatever needles suit the wool you are using)

Then measure your bangle

and cast on the amount of stitches that will stretch to the same measurement
(my bangle was 10" and I cast on 35 stitches, so that the wool would sit very tight around the bangle)

Then knit away! Use whatever stitch you like (I've used stocking stitch here, knit one row, purl a row etc, but have also used ribbing, seed stitch - they all look good!) Knit until your piece will wrap around the bangle - either stretch it around whilst still on the needle or measure the bangle and knit your piece to match.

Cast off once you get to the right size - don't worry if your piece is curled at the edges, you can block it to flatten it out (see here for blocking techniques).I knitted 8 rows for my bangle.

Now for the sewing! Wrap your knitted piece around the bangle and sew up the seams - once you've finished sewing the wool piece will be able to be swivelled, so you can move the seams so that they sit inside the bangle.

And voila! Your bangle is done!

And you can also keep redoing them - bored of the colour? Simply snip off the wool and knit another colour. And a quick handwash keeps them fresh too.

Hold The Front Page

2009-01-16T08:40:00.000-08:00

Yeah one of my favourite brooches made it to the front page of etsy - and I missed it! Luckily there is a flickr group which saves screenshots of the etsy front pages so if you miss your moment of glory you can catch it later.

This was a treasury picked by dandyapple, I love the selection and the colour theme. The brooch has now been sold, time for me to get crafting I think and make more!

You've Got To Knit A Bangle Or Two....

2009-01-12T11:03:00.000-08:00

I love wool bangles, wool wrist cuffs, fabric cuffs - there is something earthy about draping textures and fibres around yourself.

Using wool around a plastic bangle is a good way to have that chunky bangle look too - and a super method of upcycling any old plastic bangles that have served their purpose in their fashion life.

One of the problems with making these bangles though is that unless you get the tension and pattern just right, the wool can feel a bit "baggy" and not sit close enough to the bangle. However there is a way to ensure you get a tight fit - a little bit of felting.

I knitted these bangles using pure merino wools, then when finished and attached to the bangle, did a little bit of machine felting. They are now super soft and the wool sits really close to the bangle too. I have a lovely lilac wool in my stash that I think will be perfect for the next bangle too...

Craft Fair No 1

2009-01-09T10:15:00.000-08:00

So I've started with the craft fair buzz already and booked my 1st fair for 2009 - the Handm@de Craft Fair in Cambridge on the 4th April 2009.

It follows on from the success of the Handma@de Oxford Fair last year, which I had the pleasure of having a stall at - I totally enjoyed the day and met loads of lovely craft folk. Handm@de Cambridge will also feature a plethora of independent designers and creators selling all kinds of handmade delights so put this in your diary now!

Bleary Eyed Elf

2009-01-05T01:40:00.000-08:00

Tired this morning as the last 2 nights have been spent recapturing those BC days (Before Children) when we would sit up late playing PlayStation Games until unearthly hours.

Quick rummage in the cupboard and we found our old games, and in a flick of a button I was an elf (not any old elf, a wood elf ranger with a speciality in the bow and arrow I'll have you know!) - yes "Champions Return To Arms" was loaded and we were off.

A creatures destroyed, a few treasures collected, some big scary thing defeated and we live to fight another day.

Happy New Year And All That

2009-01-01T10:40:00.001-08:00

Hello 2009.
My thoughts are already thinking about what might lie ahead, what changes are to come, what plans and ideas I can bear into fruition, and most importantly, what colour to die my hair.
I'm thinking copper.

Aside from vanity issues I've spent the day jotting down my plans for my crafting, I've got some ideas on how to develop my products and ideas for new stuff too. Now just need the Time Machine to give me an extra 3 hours every day and all will be well.

Here's hoping the New Year is good and kind to us all x

Men Need Scarves Too

2008-12-30T13:26:00.000-08:00

I realise I have neglected the male contingency when it comes to my knit wear and crochet creations - I have spent most of my knitting activity on pretty in pinks, little lace numbers and flowers on hats.

So to redress the balance I knitted this chunky, unisex scarf in a neutral grey colour, made it extra wide (you can bury your face in it if the wind chill factor gets too much) and I think its perfect for the man in your life!

I've added this one to my etsy store, unfortunately its the last ball of wool in that colour in my current wool stash, so looks like I need to go on the hunt for more man-friendly chunky wool.

Let Them Eat Cake

2008-12-28T09:54:00.000-08:00

Aided by my two little helpers I made the Christmas Cake last week - a bit of a last minute cake due to being caught up with life generally and forgetting all about cake until a few days before Christmas.

The children helped decorate it - hence some size and colour variation in the little baubles on the tree, but I think that adds to the delight of the cake. And it tasted good too - I can confirm there is very little left!

Head Turning

2008-12-14T11:44:00.001-08:00

Skies are grey and that nip in the air is sure to tingle your ears. Me being one of short hair notices it most. Hats are a must.

I crocheted quite a few hats for the last few craft fairs I did this year and they were pretty much all snapped up - I had a colour scheme ranging from blues to lilac to pink to brown (something to suit everyone.

So I thought I'd better get that crochet hook out and make a few for my online shops:

And I have a cupboard full of more lovely wools that are just crying out to be made into a hat - though I seem to spend too much time deliberating on colour schemes. Perhaps I should just add a big sign to my shops saying "tell me your favourite colour and I'll make you a hat!"

The Reincarnation Of A Scarf

2008-12-13T08:59:00.001-08:00

I have lots of scarves - I knit scarves, I crochet scarves, I have scarves in all shapes and sizes (one for every eventuality/weather condition/colour of coat).

But when I stumbled across a pure lambswool scarf in a charity shop I couldn't resist giving it a new lease of life - and I didn't mean for the purpose it was created for. I began by felting it to add a touch of robustness, then cutting it into squares. Add a piece of bright fabric and hey presto, 2 little purses were made!

And last but not least one for the gadget and music lovers - an iPod/moblile phone/gadget sleeve -

They are all in my folksy and etsy shops at the moment, and I feel that this is just the beginning of a venture into upcyling for me.

Oh Pretty Tree

2008-12-10T10:39:00.001-08:00

Christmas tree decorated and I'm starting to feel festive. This year the tree could only take half of the decorations I seem to have amassed over the years, however I did manage to add some of my hand crafted felt decorations without the tree collapsing under the weight of the adornments.

(clue - my decoration is green and triangular shaped - any viewers of the Crafteroo advent calendar may recognise it!)

Picking The Right Tree

2008-12-08T13:33:00.000-08:00

Yes it was the Family Outing to select the perfect Christmas Tree. Wellies on, gloves on, then up to the Forestry Commission to peruse the vast rows of pine trees, spruce trees, fir trees - oh which one shall it be......

C'mon kids put your back into it....

Yes, this is the one...

Homeward bound...

Now all we need to do is decorate it....

Gadgets Need Clothes Too

2008-12-03T09:40:00.000-08:00

A while ago I mentioned the amount of phones and iPods in all shapes and sizes in our house that inspired me to start making fabric sleeves. I took some gadget sleeves on their 1st outing to a few craft fairs recently where they were warmly greeted and purchased, and this week I've been adding a few to my Etsy and Folksy shops.

I'm also offering to make these gadget sleeves to fit whatever gadget you may have - these ones fit the iPod Touch or anything else that size.
Keep your gadget warm this winter!

Double Whammy!

2008-11-28T09:49:00.000-08:00

"Wow I'm on the front page of Etsy!"

3 hours later

"Double wow I'm on the front page of Etsy again!"

Yes it was a good day yesterday! My 1st front page glory moment was a treasury by mamabetsy full of neckwarmers and my electric blue one was featured.

The second treasury was picked by lusitania and featured one of my brooches.

Thank you for creating these treasuries and picking my items!

It's a Retro World Out There

2008-11-26T10:00:00.000-08:00

I adore fabric shops, I adore browsing online fabric stores and I adore my fabric cupboard. I love fabrics of all textures and colours, and sometimes I stumble across one that I really like. I was totally wowed by this retro print fabric when I saw it, with its cirlces and one of my favorite colour combinations, brown and pink. I've made a few bags with the material and this is my latest one:

It's currently for sale in my etsy shop (new in today!) I've also made some brooches and iPod covers with the fabric that look suitably 70ish. I shall photograph them, weather permitting - go away grey skies I need to take photos - and put them in my etsy and folksy shops soon.

Starry Starry Night

2008-11-24T08:44:00.000-08:00

I've been a little busy lately with wholesale and custom orders, which has been hectic but enjoyable. I'm working on my 3rd custom order at the moment and it is a great feeling creating something that someone has specifically asked you to conjure up - especially if you've never met that person! It always gives me a glow to open my mailbox and see a message that begins with "would you be able to make...."

However I did get time to photograph this starry clutch bag and list it in my Folksy shop.

It features a handle that I crocheted in a pure Shetland wool, and the fabric is dotted with little black stars. Add a little glamour to a night out! I also pleated the fabric and added a little inner pocket.

Its similar to one I have currently in my Etsy shop too.

Back to the knitting.....

Power Of The Flower

2008-11-16T01:03:00.000-08:00

Take one crochet hook, one ball of pure wool, a box of buttons and a little thought of how to add a smidgen of cheer to winter skies - and that's where my wool flower corsages started.

Some I made with pure wool and felted, some I made with a lovely pure cotton that is the softest of softness, some I added a vintage button, some I added one of incywincy's gorgeous handmade buttons. I've put a few for sale in my etsy shop, will be creating and adding more too over the next few weeks.

How We Had Fun at Handmade

2008-11-11T10:02:00.000-08:00

So the big day came and went - yes, the Handm@de Craft Fair took place on Sunday at Oxford and I was lucky to be one of the exhibitors.

We set off early, traffic and hassle free journey, until we had to navigate the one-way pedestrian system coupled with road closures. The sight of a row of cars parked on double-yellow lines with a flurry of boxes being unloaded led me to guess that we'd arrived at the Town Hall.

I set up stall in a state of anxiety and probably had a slightly startled look about me to begin with (apologies to anyone who spoke to me at this point if I looked a little odd!). I had remembered everything, stall set up went well, and then the doors were opened. It was a fantastic turn out, goodie-bags were handed out to the 1st wave of people through the doors - well over 1000 came to peruse. It was lovely hearing comments about my stuff, so pleased that people liked it, and I sold quite a few wool hats and corsages. Wool is the way to go this season I think!

I also met some lovely UK craft folks, many who I've chatted to on Etsy and Folksy forums, so nice to put faces to shop names. I also did a little bit of shopping and treated myself to some lovely earrings from Quercus Silver and a super pendant from pennydog.

All in all a great day, a big thank you to the organisers. And yes I would definitely do it again!

P.S There are more images on the handm@de flickr group

The Big Day Approaches

2008-11-07T10:43:00.000-08:00

Panic and anxiety have now set in. Yes, in less than 2 days time I will be displaying my wares at the handm@de craft fair in Oxford.

So if you've nothing planned this Sunday pop down and say hello.

And if you've got things planned, cancel them and come to the fair.

*check out the handm@de blog too for a full list of exhibitors and some great gift ideas!*

Keep your iPod Warm This Winter

2008-11-05T12:55:00.000-08:00

Our house seems to be accumulating a number of iPods, mp3 players and mobile phones, all of varying shapes and sizes, so finding compatible covers for them is starting to become a challenge. Combining this conundrum with my love of fabrics I have developed a new line in iPod sleeves/socks/cozy's - whatever you wish to call them.

I love this fabric - I've called it a Busy Ant Fabric - and it just seemed to suit the size of this iPod cover. I added a crocheted band in white and a button for the closure.

This one has been listed in my Folksy shop, I shall be displaying more at the Oxford handm@de craft fair on Sunday then adding more to my Folksy and Etsy shops next week.

Front Page Moment

2008-11-03T09:15:00.000-08:00

Another pleasing moment - one of my brooches was featured on the Front Page of Etsy today - it was included in a wonderful wintery blue treasury created by TreasuryTown - oh and thank you to the UK Etsy folks for letting me know I was on the front page!

I'm currently working on another range of brooches in wools and cottons, hopefully they shall be in my Etsy and Folksy stores soon.

More Monkey Business!

2008-10-28T11:53:00.000-07:00

"Mummy, for my birthday can I have a Yoda Sock Monkey?"

Hmmmmm. What is a mother to do? Well firstly send a pleading message to sian from the fantastic siansburys who came up with a great idea, went and sourced appropriate socks (green) and in no time at all had created this wonderful Yoda:

We introduced him to Lofty, who moved in a while ago:

Then made him a coat as the weather is getting chilly:

And he soon felt right at home:

And one smallish boy was very happy!

I've Been Tagged

2008-10-24T06:36:00.000-07:00

How exciting... I have been tagged by Lazy Daisy whose blog is lazydaisyglass.blogspot

The rules are as follows:

1) Link to your tagger and list all these rules in your blog.
2) Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3) Tag 7 people at the end of your post by including links to their blogs.
4) Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blogs.

Now I didn't find it that easy to think of more than a few random facts that weren't embarrassing/too revealing/dull/too weird/best left forgotten - but I've had a go and here they are:

1.My dream is to keep chickens.
2.I love buttons. I mean love to the extent of being slightly obsessed by them. I go into charity shops just looking for buttons.
3.When I was 16 I rode a Vespa scooter that had a ladybird painted on the side. I adored that scooter!
4.I tried mushroom picking last year, gathered a huge bounty and discovered that not one of them was edible. I did spot a tiny black frog though.
5. I have 2 tattoos on my back.
6. My favourite food is cheese. Hard cheese, soft cheese, smelly cheese - its all good.
7. When I was 10 I kept a diary documenting how many bounces I could do on my pogo stick before falling off. I was good on that pogo stick!

That's enough randomness for one blog post!

I am going to tag the following bloggers:

1)www.boulieblog.com/
2)hippiedippydesigns.blogspot.com/
3)www.allthingsglassandbeautiful.blogspot.com
4)www.flurogoddess.blogspot.com
5)www.ajournalofdreams.blogspot.com
6)www.the13thgypsy.blogspot.com
7)www.oldbagcrafts.blogspot.com

Phew! That wasn't so easy!

Etsy Front Page!

2008-10-20T04:59:00.000-07:00

Delighted to find my Heart On Heart Clutch Bag featured on the Front Page of Etsy this morning:

Thank you illusio for creating the treasury and including one of my clutch bags in it.

Making Sense Of It By Alice (aged 5)

2008-10-18T07:04:00.000-07:00

Explaining to the children why Billy Cat was no longer with us. Billy was black and white. Alice, aged 5, sat quiet for a while.

"Every time I look in the sky and see a cloud with a little bit of black in it I shall know that that's the cloud Billy is on".

I think I shall do the same too.

Birthday Treats Galore

2008-10-14T10:39:00.000-07:00

My friends and family all know my love of hand crafted delights and so it was a joy to receive a bundle of such loveliness for my birthday last week. And I must share some pictures of the little gems I received from my family:

Soaps by Soapychica that smell soooo good, incredibly chic and delicate ear-rings by Moments By Martha and the prettiest bangle by Twinklyspangle.

Also received a lovely chunky bangle, which coordinates with my latest hair shade (deep autumnal brown) and this fantastic print by Askey (who also happens to be the designer of my etsy, folksy and blog banner).

A Happy Birthday indeed! Thanks guys!

Featured!

2008-10-08T10:00:00.001-07:00

Received a lovely message today from the folksy guys - "You're a new Folksy Featured Seller!" Every 3 weeks the folksy staff pick 4 sellers to be "featured" and I was so chuffed to be one of them (in fact I nearly choked on my museli)

Here's a little shot of the featured sellers page:

(That's me in the middle - the description on the side reads "Using wool and fabric to create richly textured accessories, Lin's stuff 'feels' warm and well crafted."

There's a little more about it on the folksy blog too with a lovely write-up of my work - "so full of texture you want to touch them".

Thank you folksy!

Tea, tea and more tea

2008-10-04T07:21:00.000-07:00

I love looking for unusual and unique fabrics and on one of my many hours spent browsing rolls and rolls of cottons, linens and other delights of the haberdashery world, I was immediately drawn to a lovely lime green fabric. It features pink prints of teapots, milk jugs, cups spoons and forks. And when I started making some clutch bags for my folksy shop I thought it would be perfect for one.

I added a crochet band using a lovely soft pure cotton wool - I love mixing fabrics and wools together - and lined it with a pink fabric.

Perfect for afternoon tea!

Thank You PJ

2008-10-02T11:02:00.001-07:00

So my humming PJ Harvey's song (C'mon Billy) for the last few days has paid off and Biily Cat has come home from the vets this evening.

Cat home = hurrah!!!

Vets bill = waahhhh!! *throws self to floor and sobs*

so I shall take a deep breath, listen to the cat purring and know its all worth it.

C'mon Billy

2008-10-01T10:46:00.000-07:00

Billy Cat has been in the animal hospital for 3 days now.

And the only thing that I can think of to help is to wander around with the words of a P J Harvey song swirling around in my head:

Come along, Billy, now come to me
Come along, and come to me.

I hope it helps.

Belt Up!

2008-09-29T05:04:00.001-07:00

Along with my button addiction I am quickly developing a liking for belt buckles - particularly vintage ones. There are some good supply shops on Etsy - such as the englishbuttonco - that can feed my habit on a regular basis ( strange things happen to me if I don't get my button fix...)

My last buckle purchase was a selection of blue, red and cream buckles,just waiting for the right fabric or wool to marry to. On a recent trip to Hay-on-Wye I came across a lovely wool shop where I found a pure, unbleached, thick chocolate brown wool and the Belt Idea was born.

The Vintage Buckle Wool Belt is currently for sale in my Etsy shop.

How We Love Howies

2008-09-24T10:00:00.001-07:00

So my little Contemplating Cowboy Purse is currently sitting in the Howies store in Carnaby Street, London, as one of the 9 short-listed items in the Folksy competition. As I haven't been able to get there myself I have been begging all and sundry to send me photos, and here are a few of the store and the competition display:

the shop - you can just see the Folksy display through the door

the Folksy display with the entries - my purse is there at the back. Love this display!

You can see how the Folksy sign was created on the Folksy blog.

The competition ends this week, voting has been going on in the store since Friday - good luck to all!

The Howies Competition

2008-09-19T09:41:00.001-07:00

Folksy, (the fabulous new UK online site for all things handmade where you can also purchase my crafty goods!) recently teamed up with Howies - the gorgeous clothing brand - to launch a competition for designers and crafters. The brief was "Life is complicated. Sport is simple" so many of us busied away sketching/sewing/crafting to create our representation of the theme.

I was inspired by my fabric cupboard and came up with this little purse:

Contemplating Cowboy Pouch -
Hand crafted from a retro style cowboy print fabric, one side features a cowboy perched on a fence deep in thought, with hand embroidered words "Just Ride" floating down from the clouds. The reverse of the purse shows a cowboy riding his horse.

This pouch is a unique way of stashing your phone, keys, anything to tidy away the baggage of life and remind yourself to look at the clouds and Just Ride.

9 items were short-listed and you can guess the excitement and whoops of joy when my cowboy purse was chosen as one of the 9. For the next week, until the 26th September,the short-listed entries will be on display in the Howies Carnaby Street store in London, where the general public can vote for their favourites.

You can see all the entries on the Folksy blog, but if you're near London within the next few days why pop down to support the handmade entries!

When Rain Helps To Craft

2008-09-06T09:10:00.001-07:00

Oh what to do when you're out and about, its raining again, and you need to occupy small children. Well, just head for the nearest "craft for children" activity place, find a seat and relax for an hour or so while your little ones immerse themselves in paint.

We went to a lovely place called "Pot-a-doodle-do" while in Northumberland - you select a plain, pre-moulded pottery figure, grab your paints and brushes and settle down to decorate it as you wish.

Daughter selected a fairy, son a rocket (no conforming to stereotypes there then) and I just couldn't resist giving a helping hand.......

(note the furrowed brow of concentration on my face! Tricky business painting fairy wings!)

On the same site there were also a group of tipis and yurts that you could book in to stay, they looked irresistible, definitely something to add to my ever growing "to do" list.

A Little Bit Of Sunshine Goes A Long Way

2008-08-24T13:03:00.000-07:00

Typical conversation overheard between any two people in the UK:

"Terrible summer we're having"
"All this rain..."
"One week of sunshine and that was it.."
"Not as bad as last year though"
"True. But nearly as bad"

Oh yes we remain obsessed with the weather, the lack of a consistent spell of glorious sunshine that we all remember used to occur throughout all our school days (honest, 6 weeks of complete sunshine! It's true really!)

And when I discovered a little yellow wooden heart in my box of bits I was inspired to create my own ray of sunshine:

A little summer brooch - carry your own sunshine yellow with you!

I've put it in my Etsy shop today. Create your own weather!

Off The Cuff

2008-08-20T13:27:00.000-07:00

"Cuff" according to Dictionary.com:
1.a separate or detachable band or piece of fabric worn about the wrist, inside or outside of the sleeve.
2.to put handcuffs on.
3.Anatomy. a bandlike muscle or group of muscles encircling a body part.
4.off the cuff - extemporaneously; on the spur of the moment.

And so to my own definition of the cuff:
1. wrist cuff - band of wool, hand crocheted by me, in a variety of shades of wool, buttons added too, a unique piece of jewellery.

And these are some of my latest designs:

I've put some wrist cuffs in both my Folksy and Etsy shop and will also be making some new designs for some craft fairs later in the year - perfect little Christmas gifts! (It's never too early to be thinking about Christmas!)

Garage Gems

2008-08-13T12:08:00.000-07:00

While on an outing to a Honey Farm recently we discovered that tucked in the grounds was a garage/barn full of wonderful vintage treasures. Treasures that were gleamed from every aspect of past lives - scooters, light bulbs, records, posters.....

.....cars, gas masks, cigarette lighters.....

....big shoes, little shoes, petrol cans, music sheets...

...flags, coins, car tyres, coats, piano....

So much stuff to drool over, some things I'd never seen, some things I never thought I'd see again, some things to bring back memories (oh little vespa scooter how I loved you...), some things to stop the children causing untold damage to themselves (yes, people really did mince meat in one of those.)

We never did meet the "collector" of those wonderful items but whoever you are thank you for letting us take a look at your incredible collection.

Coffee And Cream

2008-08-10T08:19:00.000-07:00

Maybe the sandy beaches of my recent trip to Northumberland have still been on my mind for my latest creations seem to be in shades of cream, beige and sand. It all began with a rummage in my material cupboard to find a piece of this flower print fabric in subtle shades, which just had to be made into this little clutch bag.

Then with the same material I used one of the flower prints to make this brooch, I also added a few machine stitches to highlight the centre of the flower.

And last but not least I crocheted this wrist cuff in pure wool, and added some surface crochet in brown wool.

I've divided them up between my Etsy and Folksy shops and listed them there today.

Find Me On Folksy

2008-08-04T01:49:00.000-07:00

Folksy is a brand, shiny new UK based site for indie crafters to sell their creations. Its still at the early stages at the moment but is open to buy and sell, and joining up was one of the 1st things I did when I returned from the camping trip.

Something we have all been waiting for, us UKer's have been desperate for a UK based craft platform.

Have only listed a few things at the moment but will be adding more soon so check me out on Folksy!

Misty Beach Life

2008-08-03T09:21:00.000-07:00

Have just returned from a wonderful camping holiday in Northumberland (hence the neglected blog) which was full of sun, BBQ's, castles, bike rides, ice-cream, more ice-cream, and the most amazing landscapes.

The sun appeared nearly every day, but what I also found beautiful was when a sea mist would descend suddenly - standing on the beach in glorious sunshine one minute, unable to see the sea the next.

Children's ability to create games without prompting or props is always a delight too - miles away from the play station/ TV/ computer world. The "sand hand" is a game of trying to build the biggest hand you can by piling up as much wet sand on top of your hand as you can without dropping it.

Meanwhile, the female of the clan decided rock pools made a perfect bath, and a shiny black beach stone was the soap.

British beach life at its best!

Garden Soup

2008-07-14T12:13:00.000-07:00

A delicious summer soup recipe created by Alice.

Ingredients

I cupful of orange juice
I cupful of rainwater
2 handfuls of rose petals
1 handful of grass
Slivers of apple
2 oz dried pasta
Shredded tissue
A few twigs

Method:

1. Whilst parents are not looking remove orange juice from fridge and take into garden.
2. Wander around the garden gathering your ingredients.
3. Add the ingredients into any container you discover (search house and garden).
4. Realise the soup is not quite perfect so sneak into house to obtain some pasta and apple. Also "borrow" some tissues while you are there.
5. Tear up the tissues into pieces and add to the mix until they are completely soggy.
5. Add this to the broth and stir with one of mummy's pegs and a red crayon.
6. Carry the dish precariously into the house to show off your masterpiece.
7. Wonder if the tissue was just too much so remove, squeezing as you do, then deposit said tissue all around the garden.
8. Serve and enjoy!

My Knots Are French

2008-07-08T10:43:00.001-07:00

One of my very 1st embroidery projects was whilst at school, the remit was to design and embroider a fabric frame for a mirror. I'm pleased to say the mirror - and the embroidery - remain intact, despite many years having passed. It also delights me that the mirror is still used daily by my mother.

Each corner of the mirror frame hosts a little collection of pink French knots and this must have been in my mind when I started to think about embroidering a brooch.
I choose a pale cream linen (linen is wonderful to embroider on) and a lilac thread to create the French knots, and this is the finished result:

It now joins the collection of brooches in my Etsy shop, and is the 1st hand embroidered one there. It won't be the last though, embroidery is just ever so slightly addictive.

A Coconut Day

2008-06-29T11:21:00.000-07:00

I love Summer Fetes. A unique combination of cake stalls, pony rides, bottle raffles, face-painting, and other such delights guaranteed to excite most small children.

This School Fete had a coconut shy.
Aim - try and hit a coconut with a tennis ball.
Success rate - usually poor.

To lessen the disappointment for those that were determined to practice their hand/eye co-ordination on a coconut, prizes were awarded if you managed to make the coconut wobble - or perhaps the teachers didn't want to lug the 2 huge sacks of coconuts home if there were no winners.

A few tennis balls later we set off home with not 1 but 2 coconuts.

"So how do we open it?"

Hmmm, not sure, I'll quickly pop over to the Etsy forums and ask my UK Etsy friends.
They advised large bowls, wearing of an apron and an array of tools. And so the coconuts were opened - without any accidents too.

Coconut water on a warm day was a delicious treat, I just wish we'd won a few more..

Its A Moo Day!

2008-06-25T09:57:00.001-07:00

I have been drooling over Moo cards for a while - those cute, stylish little business cards. And I eventually took a Moo plunge and ordered some - here are my Moo's!

Don't you just love them!

It's A Green Day...

2008-06-22T01:34:00.000-07:00

It has been a busy few days for all things green and growing. A few rainy days followed by little bursts of sunshine is starting to encourage sudden bursts of strength in plants which have been looking a little pale.

Courgette plants were put into the ground, (keep away slugs keep away!) and I also gathered some flowers to bring a little positive purple energy into the house.

Inspired by all this greenfingeredness I also created my latest brooch - a most wonderful shade of green topped of with a lovely black button. I have put it for sale in my Etsy shop despite being sorely tempted to wear it myself. Though with one black button remaining in my button box I doubt it will be long before I make one of these for myself..

My How You've Grown!

2008-06-19T11:58:00.000-07:00

It doesnt seem that long ago that I was sitting these little potatoes onto a layer of soil, covering them just so the leaves were peeking through, and watching and waiting.

We didn't have to wait long before each day required a check of flourishing leaves and stems, that seemed to grow inches on an hourly basis, covering them with more layers of soil, until the tubs could take no more.

And this is how they are today:

Tall, green, healthy, looking lush - lets hope buried beneath is a bounty of home-grown potatoes.

I have also been given some courgette plants which need a place to live - and lets hope the slug army that try to govern my garden leave them alone this year - and today received an email offering me some tomato plants. And before you ask, no, it was not some spam dodgy emailer masquerading as a bearer of tomato plants, it was my very green-fingered mother. Who grows lots of things.

Time for Tea

2008-06-16T09:40:00.001-07:00

A day does not feel quite right unless it begins with a cup of tea. Other things I can skip without causing too much discord - toast, cereals, coffee - but tea is an Absolute Must.

So of course when I discovered teapot fabric whilst on one of my many missions to the fabric store, I knew it could be created into something sweet and unique.

Finding the perfect deep pink wool, cutting the fabric so the teapot would be seen in its entirety, lining it in a pure white fabric, and hey presto the clutch bag was finished today.

I've listed it in my Etsy shop too so I shall see if there are any other tea lovers out there.

And of course I rewarded myself with a nice, hot cup of tea.

New Bag New Bag!

2008-06-13T10:46:00.001-07:00

So the summer is smiling upon us and I am becoming drawn towards cheerful and bright prints. I loved the colour combinations in this fabric and spent a while debating the merits of a clutch bag or a shoulder bag for it, in the end I plumped for the shoulder bag.

I also, whilst browsing in my favourite fabric store, came across a wonderful electric blue fabric - at the time I had no idea what it would or could be, but once the bag was underway I realised it would make a perfect lining for it.

How nice to have a bright colour to greet you when you're rummaging around in your bag!

My mother also provided me with the lovely vintage button that sits at the front - I so adore buttons - and of course it had to be topped off with a bit of crochet.

Craft Sale Number 1

2008-06-08T08:45:00.000-07:00

My sister (herself full of arty and crafty goodness) has recently helped organise a Craft Sale, as a fund-raising venture for the NCT (The National Childbirth Trust) and asked me to provide some of my wares for the event. The sale was hosted in one of the homes of an NCT member, and included photographs, bangles, knitted goodies, brooches, - and lots of nice cakes. Here are a few snapshots of the day:

My sister's photographs, some in frames, are sitting to the right of this photo next to my knitted flannels and brooches.

Yay! Cloudhopping bags and brooches on display!

So thank you sis for letting cloudhopping goodies venture into your Craft and Art Sale!

And any new mums or mums-to-be in the UK check out the NCT too for an abundance of information and support on all things to do with bumps and babies.

Oh To Be 5 Again

2008-06-03T10:18:00.001-07:00

This week has been a celebratory one, as the Small Daughter reached the excellent age of 5.

The birthday cake was made and decorated - and surprisingly I was able to hide the finished product from her until the grand occasion.

All Small Children insisted on helping with party bags to give to her friends at her party - I love using these white bags for children's parties, we change how we will decorate them each party, the final decision rests with the Party Child. Small Daughter wanted the boys to have pirate pictures and the girls to have fairy pictures, - no stereotyping there then.

I seem to find birthdays a reflective time - "goodness I remember celebrating your **th birthday with you!" to friends and family, with recollections of events that have long gone, some we are glad we left way behind us, some we wish we could recreate.

And when I looked at Small Daughter on her birthday, clever, funny, happy, independent, brave, I could recall the moment she arrived and the emotions of that day so clearly, it could have been last week. So I guess birthdays are not just about the cake.

But a fine cake it was.

Monkey Business

2008-05-30T09:51:00.001-07:00

Small Daughter was asked what she would like for her impending birthday. She is used to seeing me browse pages and pages of Etsy shops and this has obviously influenced her, for top of her list was a Sock Monkey. So I went straight to Siansburys at Etsy and couldn't resist this adorable Lofty.

"Hi Sian just calling to let you know how
I'm settling in.."

"Just reading a few books"

"checking out the white chair"

"checking out the red chair"

"sunning myself on the patio"

"Fantastic! A climbing frame all for me!"

I think Lofty is going to be very happy here.

The Sound Of A UK Bank Holiday

2008-05-27T11:53:00.000-07:00

A cold and damp Bank Holiday in the UK. Prospect of joining hoards of traffic searching for sun/warmth/amusement/activity/entertainment/peace did not appeal, nor did a day of listening to cries of "I'm bored" "What can I do now?".

But we were saved. By Julie Andrew and co.

Yes, The Sound Of Music was being aired across the land, so we settled down, curled up on the sofa, glued to the screen. We embarrassed ourselves by singing aloud, annoyed each other by singing aloud, got tearful when the nun told them they would never be alone when they crossed the mountains, and generally had a good time.

Today The Small Children insisted we watch it again.

They now know some of the words to the songs and replace words they don't know with any other that sounds vaguely similar.

"When the door bites, when the bee stings...."

(Which is highly amusing the first time, but less so the 200th)

Rain is forecast again this week, I hope Mary Poppins will be able to pop by........

Front Page Glory!

2008-05-23T12:46:00.000-07:00

For regular visitors of Etsy, that wonderful place full of lovely handmade craftiness will know, the Front Page features a selected Treasury which changes throughout the day (and night!).
(The Treasury is a selection of items that an Etsy person has chosen)

And I was totally overjoyed this week to find myself on the front page - not once but twice!

Firstly one of my clutch bags was featured in the beautiful Treasury above chosen by Mariasoleil, (thank you Maria!) - my bag is the Lime Flower Clutch in the bottom row, right hand corner.

Then I was selected by Jonatolengo for this wonderful grey and red themed treasury (Thank you Jonatolengo!). My bag is the hand-embroidered grey bag, bottom row, right hand corner.

And despite being only 5'2" I can assure you that I jumped for joy very very high.

P.S And thank you Abi for letting me know I was on the Front Page before it disappeared without me getting a glimpse!

Potato Planting

2008-05-20T12:53:00.001-07:00

Despite living in a town and having a small garden, I insist that my true calling is to live The Good Life, to live a life of self-sufficiency and keep chickens. And a goat.

The local council (and my neighbours) may have something to say about the chickens, and I don't think I could get away with saying that a goat is the family pet, so for the time being I will settle for growing a few crops in the small spaces I have available.

Tomato plants are ready and waiting to be put into the ground, herbs are flourishing nicely (lemon thyme..mmm..the smell) and this week we planted potato pots. Easy, and worth it. We simply put these chitted potatoes into large pots, sat them on a layer of soil, then covered them up with more soil so just a little bit of greenery peeking through. As they grow we shall keep topping the soil up, covering them up, to encourage the shoots to reach for the sky.

This was accomplished by my two garden apprentices - unfortunately as they are still classed as minors (they are under 10) I was not able to pay them, but a chocolate bar was all it took to ensure they will keep up with the garden tasks.

Potatoes - chippy chips!

Wind The Bobbin Up

2008-05-17T08:24:00.000-07:00

A few blog posts ago I let out a cry to the universe - "Please help me sort out this tangle of a thread mess!". And the Universe heard me. And replied. Firstly another Etsy seller, djbebe, kindly commented and sent me a link to a picture of a very organised thread box, then family members (my mum) became aware of my plight and sourced the land to supply me with the tools.

Firstly I was provided with this brilliant thread winder, simply slot in your piece of cardboard and wind, wind, wind. I found this strangely relaxing. Untangling knots was not. A knot was definitely not. Not to the Knot....oh - enough of the knots!

Then, much thread winding later, they were all given a new home. A shiny new thread box. Neat. And Tidy. No knots.

Spurred on by this strange state of neatness and order, I then developed an urge to tackle the abundance of buttons that were spilling out of my sewing box. As a small girl sorting through buttons would have given me immense pleasure, and I wondered if this was a genetic trait. I suggested my daughter join in the fun to test this theory. Not only did she join in but took complete charge of the Button Box, sorting by colour, texture and size.

Finished result? Buttontastic.

The Many Uses Of A Brooch

2008-05-14T11:08:00.000-07:00

Have realised today that I haven't mentioned for a while what I am actually creating at the moment, and as those in the know (IE anyone who lives with me) can testify I am pretty busy everyday, armed with a crochet hook, a needle, a ball of wool or buried beneath shrouds of fabric. The sounds of "ouch!" that emanate from our house tend to belong to other people treading on a pin that I seem to have dropped on the floor. (Funnily enough I never seem to step on them myself.....well I find that mildly amusing anyway).

At the moment I'm having a bit of a brooch phase. Fabric and felt. Buttons may also be involved. And lots of thread. And having created quite a few (most are heading for a craft sale, some will veer towards Etsy) I began to deliberate on the many uses of a brooch. I shall begin with the obvious:

wear it on your coat
when the weather is too warm for a coat, wear one on your t-shirt
stick one on your hat (winter hat, summer hat, who cares!)
adorn your bag with one
attach one to a plant label and stick it in your house plant (trust me on this one, house plants need accessories too)
frame one (who else will have a brooch on their living room wall?)
wear one on your skirt
got a dull scarf? Then it needs a brooch!
decorate a pillow or cushion with one

So there we go, the 1st 10, I shall add more as my mind allows.`Please post any other suggestions too!

Happy brooch wearing.

Vet calling

2008-05-12T15:04:00.001-07:00

Vet: Hello, I'm just calling to let you know the blood results for Darcy Dog.
Anxious Dog Person: ok
Vet: Well, most of his organs are ok, some changes to the kidney but that's to be expected at his age, in fact the results were pretty good for a dog of 13+
ADP: Oh that's good then....
Vet: So the main worry is the heart murmur...
ADP: yes....
Vet: I think we need to start him on medication, he'll need to take it twice a day. The tablets arn't a cure as such, they're a long-term aid. We'll have to keep an eye on him and the medication will probably have to be increased as he gets older.
ADP: So, these tablets, how do they help his heart?
Vet: (describes how the heart stops being effective and gets bigger but weaker and needs inhibitor thingys to stop it being so ineffective and how these tablets work on the thingy etc etc etc....)
ADP: Oh I see
Vet: Unfortunately these tablets are a bit expensive, I'll just check the price....
(sound of fingers tapping on computer keyboard)
They're £46 a month.
And he'll need them permanently.....is that ok?

Dog wanders into room.He didn't hear the phone. He's quite deaf. He looks at me.

ADP: Yes, that's absolutely fine.

To Market To Market To Buy A...............

2008-05-10T06:42:00.000-07:00

..........basket full of deliciousness!

A sunny day today and the local Farmers Market was brimming with wonderful goodies. I'd been out of the house most of the morning (sat in the hairdressers ready gossip mags) and it was nearing lunchtime - tummy rumbling, mouth watering time. Shopping whilst hungry is generally not advised on the basis that you will end up buying a load of rubbish to satisfy hunger pangs, but this Market just had a plethora of organic, home baked tasty treats. And just at the right moment I came across the bakery stall which had trays of nibbles to sample - the treacle tart was a divine, melt in the mouth sugar sensation. Ended up with the Bakewell tart though - I have a thing about anything almondy - along with some beautiful olive bread, some stilton and raspberry cheese,(which is soft, pink, and had a slightly disconcerting combination of strong savory stilton and sweet raspberrys, strangely yummy) and, lest the garden should feel left out, some tomato plants.

Think I had most things covered there.

The summer is beckoning and I can feel the heat on my skin.
For a hair obsessive such a me this was also the time for the "my head is beginning to heat up" crop. This morning locks were snipped away, leaving me feeling lighter, brighter and free.

My obsession with hair colourants continues and picked this reddy-brown today. I was originally a blonde you know. Then went copper. Then red. There was also the (only) time I have attempted home colouring - the packet said deep copper, but the result was an insipid strange peach affair. And many years ago I once had a pink fringe ..........ah, memories, memories.

Other things I get obsessed about - the latest T.V obsession is Miami Ink. Who knows where that will lead me.......

A Stitch In Time

2008-05-05T03:42:00.001-07:00

I'd been thinking about making a bag for some time that would incorporate hand embroidery, but didn't want to to look - well, twee .

So for many a day I have sat with a piece of grey fabric, some sparkly bag handles and a tub full of embroidery thread until I was inspired by the theme of circles - and this is the finished result.I've listed it in my Etsy shop and, depending on how well it does there, I may do more in the range of hand embroidered bags.

I learnt to sew some many years ago in school (yes, there was a day and age when teachers would arm a hoard of children with needles, pins and thread and not worry about a law suit for a pin injury to a thumb) - in fact my mother still uses an embroidered mirror which I made at school - the french knots have remained intact!

Two of my favourite embroidery books are Sublime Stitching, by Jenny Hart, and Doodle Stitching, by Aimee Ray. Neither of which have any hint of tweeness about them. Great instructions too if you've never held a needle before and need some guidance.

And now to my embroidery thread stash - I need some inspiration on how to store all my threads in some kind of order. The Order Of The Thread is in a state of instability.

Skinny Scarves

2008-05-02T09:27:00.001-07:00

Now that the weather here is slowing turning it's face towards the warmer spring vibes, I began to have The Scarf Dilema.

You know the one - "Mmm, I can see the sun but that breeze still feels chilly to me. I don't think my neck is ready to go naked - but am I going to look daft with a thick winter scarf?"

So I crocheted myself a thin little number, using a lovely soft merino/angora blend of wool, and how happy am I with the results!

Wrapped around my neck once, looks like it almost could be there just for decorative effects, yet those cool breezes do not bother me oh no.

And small enough to stash in my bag should the sun shine enough to warrant a naked neck.

So I thought I'd make a few more, and will put them for sale at my sister's craft fair in a few weeks time.
Then, crocheting time permitted (its all go go go agghhh craft fair soon have I made enough things!) I will make some for my Etsy shop.

A Spring In My Step

2008-04-26T10:25:00.000-07:00

So a productive day spent in the garden when, for once, we were free from rain, hail, wind or anything else designed to ensure too much time spent indoors. Little compassion was shown to weeds, the nettles tried to get their own back by stinging my on my arm as I ripped them out of the ground, but I was armed with secateurs and a trowel and nothing was going to stop me.

Next step will be sewing seeds - anything edible, last year we had a glut of tomatoes and very few beans thanks to the slug army - grrr!

Meanwhile over in Etsy, where I have my little shop (click on the link right hand side!) -
I found myself in a Treasury - subrosa had selected one of my bags for her Spring Fling Treasury. Thank you!

(My bag is on the bottom row, centre)

Glutton for Buttons!

2008-04-23T09:59:00.001-07:00

A few days ago I posted about my lucky win in Incywincy's blog prize draw for some of her lovley buttons, and they've arrived! Arn't they just divine?

This elephant is just too cute!

And I have some ideas popping around in my head already for this wonderful pink button.

Don't you just love buttons!

What's In The Box Today Dear

2008-04-22T11:34:00.000-07:00

At some point on a Tuesday someone will ask the question "what's in the veg box today?".
For Tuesday is the delivery of our weekly organic vegetable box. Each week we peer inside to see what earthy delights await us, each week we will hold a vegetable aloft to exclaim about how fresh/fantastic it looks, occasionally we will hold something aloft with puzzled looks and ask "so what's this then?".

Since discovering the joys of having unknown vegetables delivered to your door, I have regularly eaten artichokes (couldn't tell you what they were before), have developed a taste for raw grated carrot, and have discovered the many and varied ways of cooking broccoli. There's more to broccoli than a stir-fry you know.

To compliment the veg box is a newsletter which usually contains snipets of vegetable life in the big wide world. Today's installment contained the following facts:

In one year, the world grows enough potatoes to cover a four-lane motorway going round the world 6 times.
The % of household income spent on food has halved over the past 50 years, from 33% to 15%.
The proportion spent on energy has also halved.
The balance has been spent on housing (up from 7 to 18%) and leisure (up from 8 to 10%).

Oh and butterflies use their antennae to smell and their feet to taste.

Happy carrot crunching!

riverford organics

I won I won!

2008-04-20T08:19:00.000-07:00

So today I had a message from the lovely Incywincy, another Etsy crafter, that I had been the lucky winner in her recent prize draw to win some of her buttons - she makes gorgeous colourful buttons, have a peek at her shop on Etsy here.

This of course means I will no longer be able to moan about "never winning anything" and "never being lucky", although to be fair to the laws of coincidence, luck and fate I never normally enter any competitions whatsover. Just goes to show.

Thanks Incywincy!

Sleep Deprived

2008-04-19T04:15:00.000-07:00

saturday. 4am.
sounds of high heels clattering quickley
across pavements
to a back beat of birds waking.
deep snores
meet thumps and kicks.
thoughts toss
body turns.

Yarn Snobbery

2008-04-15T10:20:00.000-07:00

So the gentle clatter of bamboo knitting needles has ceased as, at last, the knitted shrug is finished. The wool ( a Debbie Bliss yarn, a soft blend of cotton, silk and viscose) is a wonderful burnt orange, sienna. The pattern although wasn't that quick - lots of knit 1, purl 1, lots of bringing the yarn back and forth, but it felt rhythmic and soothing.

Of course this has also resulted in my wool snobbery increasing by the minute - after using such a nice wool it will be impossible for me to use anything slightly below this standard. No squeaky wool for me. And if you've never heard yarn squeak I can only compliment you on never having had the misfortune of using cheap nasty wool.

And while I was tempted to keep this shrug on the basis that it matches my latest hair colour ( a mix of reds, browns and streaks of bleach) I felt the other shrug was getting lonely in my Etsy shop so I've put this one in in there too. For sale. So you may buy!

Much Merriment and Mirth

2008-04-13T06:59:00.000-07:00

If you've ever watched "Mock the Week" then you'll be familiar with Andy Parsons, one of the regular panalists. He is currently doing his 1st UK Live Tour, and we grabbed last minute tickets to see him last night. So glad we did, he is absolutley hilarious, it was a real "laugh out loud gig" from word go. So anyone in need of a little cheer try and catch one of his shows - you can get details from his website here

“Perfectly calibrated…. - the King of Political Comedy”
The Guardian

“Andy Parsons can do no wrong”
The Stage

Managed to make myself a little bag as well yesterday which had its 1st outing last night - used my favourite Fern Fabric which is just such a restful shade.

Quote of The Day:

"Emperor Palpatine looks like a middle sized frog" (E aged 6 commenting on Star Wars)