Finally getting round to doing another blog. So much water under the bridge but not much crochet news as most of the time was taken up with Christmas celebrations.

I'm posting some pictures of the craft fair I went to at Sutton House, a local National Trust property. I did enjoy it, well at least on the Sunday but despite huge crowds of people I didn't sell much. Just covered my stall costs and not all of mine and my children's fueling!!

Now that the whole xmas/birthday/new year/nother birthday binge is nearly over I should get back to concentrating on Etsy and Folksy. I did quite well in September/October but then all the momentum I had built up was completely lost because I stopped to concentrate on making stuff for the craft fairs. It takes a lot of work and time on the computer to make Etsy and Folksy pay. Also the best results I got were when I was posting new products almost every day. I could only do that because I made and photographed quite a lot of stuff over the summer, but didn't do any actual posting or much online work. I can't actually make stuff that quickly so I can't see me being able to do that all year round.

I have got some stuff left that I could put on sale and I have some new kits to photograph but I just can't seem to get started. It doesn't help that its cold and grey outside as I have to photograph my stuff outside to get any decent natural light.

Oh well sorry to rant on but it helps me to put down in writing some of this stuff, probably not exactly riveting reading though....lol....

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.