craft fairs and more

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

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

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

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

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.

It's A Tartan Day

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

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.

Summer Crops

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

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!

iPod Attire and Random Notes

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.

Buckle Up

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....

Hold The Front Page

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!

The Reincarnation Of A Scarf

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.

Gadgets Need Clothes Too

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!

"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

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.

Power Of The Flower

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.

Front Page Moment

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.