Craft Fair Time Again

Yes its that time of year again. From now until boxing day I will probably be too busy to blog. I want to, I always have loads I want to say, I could wafle for ever, but actually getting round to writing it down....well that's a different matter.

Anyway here is a not very good pic of what I am working on at the moment. It's taking ages not least because after I crocheted nearly half of it, I picked it up to do some more and found that my tension was all wrong. I had made the big mistake of not writing down at the start of the project what hook I was using. When it mysteriously went all loose, I assumed I had somehow lost the hook I was using, but no amount of searching would reveal it. Actually I have had it happen that my tension just mysteriously changes half way through a project. As a result I unraveled it all and started again. I am trying to develop an original pattern for a scarf that I can use as a pattern to sell. Making these scarves will take too long for craft fair and online selling, but if I like it I might put it up as a custom item. After this I really will have to get down to making for the 2 craft fairs I have signed up for. One of them is for two days and cost £100!! for the stall, so that is some amount of stuff I will have to sell to cover that....am I mad.!!!

Folksy Friday - Burnt Orange

In honor of my new burnt orange gloves and the treasury they were featured in, here are some lovely Folksy folk and their burnt orange offerings. 

First here is my craft though not by me..a beautiful crochet flower brooch much more elaborate than I have the patience to make. This is from Crochety Craft and can be found here

N.B. I am also trying to feature sellers who like me have little or in some cases no sales, visit these people and buy from them...you have been told..lol...

So on to the next one, this great bag is also from a virgin seller, I like it, but I don't need any more bags...actually I want one with a zip top and zipped internal money pocket....small, across the body so I can use it instead of my terminally un-fashionable bum bag...folksy sellers? Anyway this bag is available from Duck Egg Design and can be seen here. Ps the lining is burnt orange..the colours go really well together.

And here for your delectation...a piece of jewellery, I like the chunky nature of this necklace, I think that it would be satisfying to wear and run through your fingers. It's from Jolise Creations and can be found here

 

And here is a funky fabulous hat to add to your outfit. I really do like straw hats and this one is unique and very interesting. Brought to you by Raffique and available for viewing here 

Last but not least the one exception to my only shops with no or low sales, just because I like it. Especially the bit in the shop about cats really running the world....read it and enjoy. From Inkmeup and can be seen here

I hope you enjoy today's offerings and have a good weekend.

Autumn relaunch

So finally got the autumn relaunch under way. I'm trying to post an item every day. I've got the photos and made more stuff. But adjusting each photo and cropping and then posting on Folksy and Etsy takes time. I've made more stuff as well but then I have to get it photographed.



These are my autumn coloured gloves. Funny story behind those...I bought a whole load of yarn at the John Lewis sale, but it was all pink and purple so I grabbed these few balls of burnt orange stuff. I didn't even like the colour. But now that its autumn I do like it and it fits in well with the season. I've been featured in three Etsy Treasuries which is nice, two on the same day!!! all of them themed around colour. My yellow gloves, my orange gloves and of course the burnt orange. So suddenly I'm in fashion and it was mostly just an accident. Serendipity in fact. Mind you still haven't actually sold anything but it was really nice to be featured and gave me a happy glow all day. Now I have to think of more autumn colours and wonder what to do with the pink and purple...any thoughts on colours for autumn all suggestions seriously considered. I just don't do warm colours much and I don't think I'm very good with them.

If I have the time I'd like to do another Folksy Friday and I would really like to do a treasury but I've read all about doing one and it seems really complicated...plus posting stuff every day is taking all my time.

Perfect Pie

Well OK so this probably isn't the most perfect pie in creation but it is the best one that I have ever made.  Thanks to Nigella Lawson for the pastry and Delia Smith for the filling...I wonder if we will ever see a pitched battle between those two excellent ladies of cooking. A cook off perhaps?..

The beautiful decoration was made by my multi talented daughter and she helped overall. Even peeling and chopping apples, not a job she enjoyed so all the more thanks to her for doing it.

Now that September is here I need to knuckle down and start re-vamping the shop, I will honestly its just that cooking is so much fun and as the days draw in how can I resist baking?.....

So Called Summer

Well here we are in 'summer' it feels more like autumn so I should have got more work done....but what with the other half and the kids being home I just don't get much done. Still I've done a sample pair of gloves in the newest yarn. Got them photographed and now I'm trying to design labels for the kits. Then I have to photograph the newly revamped kits. I was hoping to get all this done before September so I would be absolutely ready to go once the kids were back at school. It doesn't look like I'll manage that but at least I am making some progress. How do you like the new look pics? Styling courtesy of hubby. Any thoughts on a postcard please...from somewhere hot to make me jealous.

Cat Physics

Well there I was feeling all sorry for myself and at a loss when I found these great pics of my daughters brilliant cooking. She designed and made this herself with only a bit of help from me. Anyway I thought I would share these with you. I love it when my daughters are creative.

No pics of projects cause I haven't been doig much crochet and absolutely no knitting...well I've done some more pairs of gloves but they just look like all the others. Been using Rowan pure wool 4 ply in anticipation of the autumn. Then I need to photo the new ones, re-photo the old ones, make labels for the kits and photo them.....then start posting in earnest for the coming season. I also want to start making some gem stone stitch markers.

The trouble is I just don't feel like doing any of this stuff. It is hard in the summer holidays for me to get a lot done but I set myself what I hoped would be a few achievable goals ie the above. Then not going to start listing till mid-September. But....just can't get down to even that. I am only one pair of gloves away from making all the gloves I want to at the moment but I can't seem to face even the thought of doing the other stuff. Having to get someone else to photo me in the gloves just seems to make it that bit more complicated even though hubby has kindly offered.

Why can't I just get on with it........ah well. 

Got me an iphone 4. The theory being that I will do more social networking. But....having real trouble getting the bloody thing connected as a phone. So far worlds most expensive hand held games console...lol...still my daughter's enjoying playing Cat Physics.

To list or not to list

A quiz of sorts, well more of an online poll. I have this bag which has taken me a lot of work to make, partly because I had to correct, not so much a fault as an unexpected side effect of the felting process, I am still learning. Anyway to cut a long story short after so much work and so much expensive pure new wool I'm not sure whether to put it up for sale or not. My daughter said, 'you can't sell it, you would have to charge too much.' I think she may be right. It's almost too nice to part with as well since I really love it. Mind you I don't need more bags, so I guess that leaves saving it for a Christmas/birthday present for someone I really love/like.

Anyway here is the aforementioned object, or at least my attempts to take 'better' photos of the bag, so any thoughts on whether to list it or not and what if anything to charge for it. All comments gratefully received.

Folksy Friday

Yes I nearly got this out on Friday...I started it at two mins to midnight..

This time I went for the theme of...wait for it...Purple...ha, ha, ha. Some people on Folksy forums have been noting that Folksy's search engine leaves something to be desired and why does it throw up random things that seem to have no relation to what you asked it to search for. Well just out of interest I went right to the last pages of my search and yes the things there were not purple at all, nor did they use the word in the title or in the keywords, but...I read through one description and came across the word purple. So Folksy's search engine must just track down every mention of the search criteria. So to start this eclectic bunch off here is one from page 478 ish of my purple search..I just liked it..

This little beauty can be found here

And now for something actually purple although what attracted me to it was nothing to do with it's colour. I know it sounds weird but on the thumbnails this bracelet looks like how I imagine the aliens in Host look like, don't worry they are meant to be beautiful...lol..

If you want to know more about this glittery Jewell then just look here

Now enough of jewellery even if  a girl can't have too much jewellery I should highlight some other media. So here is another of my favourite things, buttons. Who can resist buttons? my daughter loves to collect them and make dolls and monsters featuring them, and I like to use special ones in my work. And here are the most amazing buttons I've seen in a long time. My daughter actually has a silver and enamel charm of one of these...I'm sure she'd love these buttons.

Now I'm feeling a bit peckish and I can't eat pottery sweets so this next item is even more frustrating, just to show that you can't keep a good theme down here is a purple cupcake, of course.

And last but not least back to my own preferred craft, well it's not crochet but this shawl was too beautiful to leave out.

Look for it here

Hope you enjoy my little selection and hopefully I should be posting some of my latest projects soon.

Folksy Friday, well I know it's Sunday...

OK I know it's Sunday..got too tired on Friday and Sunday but really wanted to do one this week...so without further ado.

 Here is the first of my cake themed collection, probably because I am trying to do my accounts and I am bored and my thoughts turn to cake, but to save calories I thought I would collect calorie free options...This one is from Wooly Duck (Great name!) and can be seen here

These are from Funky Fragrances. They are melts that you put in a burner and then give off a lovely scent the list of scents sounds lucious. Smell them here

These beauties can be put on your wall so you are always reminded of cake...Ahh so much temptation..View them here

And if you're away from home but never wanted to be parted from cake, you can buy this absolutely gorgeous ring here from Cream Teas Jewellery

Finally back to my favourite material, yarn with this fantastic knitted tea set, serve it at your next gathering..(after everyone looks perplexed you can serve real cake, or just save it for yourself!!), click on the picture for the link.

Flying Teapot...

Yes really, this is going to be a teapot. I'm posting it here now because frankly I seem to have lost my mojo. I just don't feel like crocheting or knitting. I guess its summer but I think it's more than that,,..need some inspiration. It's not like I haven't got lots of projects to be getting on with. I just don't have any enthusiasm for them...

Any ideas..

Anyway this was one of my projects so I thought if I posted it here perhaps I would have to actually finish it, I haven't even picked it up for about a week. At least I went to my monthly knitting circle which was good, still not hugely inspired but at least I had a nice evening.

For those of you who know this will be a Gong flying teapot, for those of you who don't...google it. I am making it up as I go along, so any ideas on how to crochet a propeller gratefully received...lol. 

 


Had my mum over for a few days, she's just come back from a trip to the states and now she's talking about moving to Oregon...!! Apparently because it has the best bookshop in the world..Is that any reason to move half-way round the world?  I suppose to her it would almost be like going home. I notice she doesn't want to move back to Idaho.

WIPs.....WIP....WIP........

Thought I'd share a bit more of my work. This WIP is the knitted all in one cardigan that I posted just after Christmas. Not done much on it, I've been busy crocheting for craft fairs and websites, but since I'm not selling anything I thought I may as well try to finish this.

As you can see I have now split for the armholes, and Instead of using 3 balls for each colour I have carried the yarn across the gap, leaving a long bit, which I will then cut and weave in, I've invented something!! Well it's probably been invented before but I hadn't come accross it. Got to go now to Kids Club where we are icing biscuits and eating pancakes (damn, no toast, I was looking forward to my afternoon toast!)

And the winner is......

Yes the winner of this prize draw picked out by daughter number one is Beaky...so Beaky if you're out there reading this please get in touch with your address so I can send you your scarf...

So, I'm sitting here trying to do my accounts..again..I've got as far as October, numbering and entering every receipt and payment into an Excel sheet..It's so boring..last time I had to do this I asked for nice comments to cheer me up and got loads so please, same again..

And just to have something to comment on here is some of my work for a change..lol.

Listed these on Etsy and Folksy so go and check them out folks along with some more wristlets in yellow and orange

Now I've got to go and cook dinner, chili con carne and chili non carne. Oh and just tacos and rice and cheese for the fussy one!

YES ITS THE BIG 5 OH

Thank you everybody for pitching me up to 50 followers...I will get to work on that giveaway as soon as I can.  Meanwhile here's another of my fellow crafters from the craftshow as a featured Etsy seller.

These adorable critters are tardigrades and you will have to visit this Etsy shop to learn more about them.

And now for those folks awake on the other side of the pond

I managed to track down another of my fellow stall holders. Also thanks to Irina I have the contact details for some others. My friends, they may call it a movement...

Anyway this is she, and she makes some lovely weird and wonderful stuff which you can find here

 And,,,almost up to my 50 fans!!!! yay so this lovely scarf will soon be wending it's way to someone. I will print all of the names of people who have posted  since I announced this giveaway and then get one of my girls to pick a name..watch this space

Craft Fair

Back from the craft fair. It wasn't that good, no one came and I only sold to the other stall holders! Despite that I came back full of hope and enthusiasm having met lots of lovely crafters. I was going to post some of their links here but I've gone and lost the business cards I saved. I've been having one of those days. The weather is lovley and sunny and I really don't want to be on the computer but I really must do some of this.

I have one link I've managed to rescue. This lovely lady had the stall next to me. She is selling hand dyed and printed scarfs, they are very nice and I really should have bought one, especially since they were cheaper on the stall, but still a good price here on folksy.

Also I would like to mention some of the other stall holders I didn't manage to get business cards from. The woman selling beautiful hand made dresses and cosmetics. She was my biggest fan and bought three things from me. If you took my business card then please get in touch. I bought two pairs of earrings from a couple selling dichloric glass jewellery but  I don't have a link from then either. Craft fair tip here, give every customer a business card, I forget as well. I still enjoy craft fairs and if anyone knows of any coming up near me then please let me know.

Watch this space for a revamped Etsy and Folksy. Something has gone wrong with my Etsy shop and this has stopped me listing stuff. As a result any contacts I might have made at the craft fair will be for nought if they go to look at my shop....nothing there.

Work Nearly Finished

Here are some of the items I am making for the craft fair. I have set myself a target amount of work to make but not written it down, bad move really but then I have less than two weeks....and I don't know if I can make it

This is my new lace beret, see Folksy for my orange one, it is actually more pink and less coral than this but then it is wet and being blocked even as I write. I'm quite pleased with this, it is quite small but then my head is extra large..lol..and everyone has different tastes, so hopefully it will please someone. At my craft fair at xmas I did notice a lot of variation in people's sizes and what they wanted so it was good to have a range. It is based on my glove patterns and it's interesting to me to see how a pattern worked in a tube translates to working in the round, a very different way of working.

This scarf is actually a lovely shade of blue not this rather horrible grey...hope it photographs better if I decide to list it for selling. Still I'm very happy about this one. Its a variation on a pattern in Interweave Crochet Magazine and I enjoyed the challenge of a pattern to make me learn some new stitiches. It is made in Debbie Bliss Cathay, a lovely (if expensive!!) blend of silk and cotton. Doesn't go far either...still great to work with and it was fun crocheting this pattern.

Craft Fair Alert

Come one, come all to this lovely Craft Fair, well I hope it will be lovely. It will have my stuff in it so of course it will be lovely. Actually I haven't got that much made, oops. And I've just taken on some extra hours at work for a few weeks...

So if I do get some stuff made, this will be a great craft fair. Lol. I will post again about whether I made enough and hopefully put some pics up after it.

Folksy Friday - bears

Yes I know it's Saturday but yesterday I was just too tired so here it is just a day late. I'm enjoying this browsing through Folksy, lots of great things that I'm trying to resist buying. I've been ordering on Etsy, the trouble is the postage so I really must buy on Folksy again even though it is lovely stuff that I should be getting soon.



This is the first one - knitted teddy bears, this is why I picked bears because daughter number two wants me to crochet her a teddy bear, I suppose I should look for crochet bears...if they are cheap enough perhaps I could buy one instead of having to make one!! These are from Hennies Nimbleneedles.



And here they are although I don't think this is what my daughter had in mind they are very cute. They are from Legyviel in Rivendell and can be found here



I love these bears, these badges are just the sort of thing my other daughter would love, she collects button badges. They are from 'asking for trouble' and can be found here



Just to show you that bears turn up everywhere here they are on this amazing funky bracelet by Jelly Belly Jewellery,



On this adorable mini gardening bag by sew sew lovely,



And on this mini painting, too sweet, (do you get the impression I like mini things?) from Sophie Green Mini Art.

Hope you like my selection for this week. Please drop by and leave a comment.

Folksy Friday

I saw another folksy friday featuring suns so I thought of clouds as a theme since we are not having much sun at the moment.



These funny funky earrings are from Fluffsstufs



This sweet girls dress is from Angelic Folk



A lovely cuddly baby blanket from Topsie



A truly original art jewellery piece from Gimme That Thing



And Finally, these totally adorable cats from Quernus Crafts

A big thank you to the people who contacted me and helped me to sort out how to get my photos right. It's working now, so thanks again for the help

Orange you glad

Orange you glad that summer is almost here, and I was inspired by lovely sorbet icecream colours, actually I went a bit mad and bought loads of summer cotton in orange, pink and yellow. Haven't done enough with them yet but here is the first of my summer berets. I love orange, it doesn't love me, I can't wear it at all but I love to work with it. My favourite gemstone I ever saw was a beautiful fire orange garnet that I can't remember the exact name of and that I have never seen again, but I have lusted after it for nigh on ten years. I thought I'd try a variation of the shell pattern I used for my highly successful gloves, it was hard to translate from tube to circle but I'm quite pleased with the result, next I will try one more like the shell scarf, with a row of shells, then a mesh row, this shows off the shell pattern well and makes it lacier and lighter. I made a lovely one at xmas but lost the pattern in my great big bag on bus disaster, (see earlier posting).

As ever I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.

Folksy Friday - featuring bags

This lovely bag is from Pidgeon Stitch, link here. Bear with me, this is the first Folksy Friday I've done and I'm not sure how to do it, not least because I can't work out how to get a photo then a commment, then another photo with a comment below that, blogger wants to put all my photos in one place then put the writing next to or below all of them. :(

Here goes nothing...... That didn't work at all...if anyone knows how to get a pic then some writing, then another pic etc please let me know. I know it can be done, I've seen it on other blogs.

Anyway the top pic which I posted second..grrr...is Matroyska Jute bag from Beaky, the link is here

Wordless Wednesday

As promised on my facebook fan page, souvenirs of our recent trip to Barcelona. Beautiful city and for three days lovely hot weather.