Santa Claus is coming to town!

(Puddings by the wonderfully talented Jayne Ward)


Only 1 more sleep!!!

I am ready, it can happen. The last few days have been testing to say the least with my car breaking down spectacularly (costing lots of money, money that could have been spent on fabric!), but I am refusing to let that burst my Christmas bubble.

I wish you all the happiest of Christmases and a healthy and happy New Year.  See you in 2010.  I leave you with a fine offering from the Raveonettes.  Enjoy x





Pin It

It's beginning to look a lot like...

I am better, hoorah!  Thank you so much for all your get well wishes, they worked, after  a week of feeling rough I am now back to fighting fit and trying to catch up with work and Christmassy stuff.  I am feeling fairly organised and am no longer panicking but there is still much to do. For example I haven't written a single Christmas card to anyone in the UK nor have I  wrapped any presents, but it will be done, it always is, and a bit of adrenalin at the last minute always spurs me on!

We have been enjoying decorating this year though, as  the past 2 years pre Christmas period were rather fraught for us and the decorating  was done in a rush. Last year was this.  Oh and that TV stuff,?  That was Kirsty's Homemade Home. It didn't come off (thank goodness, the thought of being on TV made me feel sick). I sent them down to Cowslip Workshops for their textile fix.

The year before was this.  The decoration were put up at the end of November, when the children were at school and so they had no involvement.

I tried to take photos of the tree but failed, I shall try again tomorrow in daylight but here is a little collage of our other decorations made into a Christmas card for you all.

Pin It

From my bed

I’m so sorry that I haven’t been around lately. After doing the 3 day fair down at  the Cowslip Workshops I came home to a poorly boy, followed a few days later by a poorly girl and now I am a poorly me!    It has been, and continues to be, a very testing time.  I am not good at being poorly as I can’t stand taking it easy, resting and going to bed.  My family know when things are bad if I can’t get out of bed! 

So here I lay, bored silly, feeling too ill to do anything fun like crochet, listen to music or watch television.  Today was the first day when I could actually pick up a book and read for a bit until I got too tired.  So, the only thing I could do was to take a series of photos called ‘From my sick bed’. This is the view I have as I lie here and I will leave you with them and hope to be back on form soon, ready to  start enjoying the festive period (which is making me panic).

Pin It

Textile Pictures

Preparations are now afoot for the 3 day Christmas Fair at the Cowslip Workshops in Launceston this weekend.  I am replenishing stocks and adding  new items to my rather empty boxes ready to take along.  Do let me know if you come along and be sure to say hi!

Do you remember this?  Well Jayne has now got herself a website showing more of her wonderful designs.  Have a look.  Her work is just stunning and I could happily give more wallspace to her beautiful pictures. Here are a few more that she sent me photos of.  I can't decide which one I like best. What do you think?

 

 

 

 

Pin It

The Vintage and Handmade Fair

Well the big day has come and gone, that date we have had marked on our calendars since last May is now over,  and what a day it was!!!  Mum and I travelled up to Bristol the night before and stayed in a hotel, Sue came up too so it was a jolly girlie evening!  My 4.30am start for Ilminster the week before made me realise that I just can't do a ridiculously early start, a fair and then a long drive home all in one day.  By lunch time my brain has turned to mush, I can no longer add up and cannot remember my name, so starting off from a mere 19 miles away was wonderful.

Before going to bed  however, I switched on the tv only to catch the weather report  and hear the severe weather warning for the next day.  They said it was going to be at it's worse between the hours of 6am to 9am with 75 miles per hour winds, trees down and floods but should be over by 3pm.  So I went to sleep, or rather didn't sleep, with that worry on my mind!  Well the weather could not have been more different, it was sunny, dry and clear on our journey to the Town Hall and unloading was not the traumatic experience I had envisioned.

So, we unpacked and quickly set up ready for the shoppers to arrive at 10am, and they were prompt with queues around the building!  The fair was just wonderful, loads of beautiful stalls, really talented women showing  craftmanship at it's best, with the very best of vintage goodies to compliment them.  It was so lovely to meet many bloggers, who I have communicated with for years, but have never met in person. One of these was Claire, who designed my logo and whose work I adore.  I would have loved to have spent more time with her. 

I did not take many pictures sadly, it was such a busy day that after I took a few photos of my own stall, just before the customers were let in, and then of the crowds coming through the door, I did not get an opportunity to take any more.  There are wonderful photos on HenHouse's blog as well as Sal's and no doubt there will be many more as people get home and find time to upload their photos.

 

 

 

 

The photos do not do it justice though, the lighting in the hall was not great, but what you also can't get from the photos is the buzz, the atmosphere, the excitement and friendliness of the whole event. It has to be experienced.

I heard so many women talk of being overexcited and I could understand. When I first got in and saw all the lovely things being put out on stalls I was practically hyperventilating!!!

I bought a few lovely bits but, alas, cannot share them with you as my recipients are blog readers and I would not want to give the game away!  Let's just say there were a few bits from Hen, made with my own fabrics I hasten to add, some lovelies from Jayne, Michele and Niki, fabrics from Lucy,  Lizzie and Sue (as always) and some little goodies from Daniella and Claire and a furry something from Nicky (I tried not to look!).  I didn't get to look round all the stalls as I kept having to go back to my stall which was a shame.

If you didn't get to come this time, make a date in your diaries for May 1st and come, you will not be disappointed! Pin It

Talent for Textiles

Yesterday was the Talent for Textiles fair in Ilminster.  A great event in a wonderful venue.  The stall worked out fine and the boxes worked a treat.  The table was a bit longer than my desk, thank goodness so I was able to improve on my mock up. 

 

It is always so lovely to see my customers at these events as I only communicate with my customers by email or phone usually, which is the downside to having a mail order business.

The next event I will be at is the Vintage and Handmade Fair in Chipping Sodbury. I know many of you are coming to sell and to buy and I am really looking forward to meeting a few people who I have known for some time but have never met!

For those of you who can't come don't worry I have added listed loads of new fabrics to my website and will continue to add more so that you will not miss out. Pin It

Fairs

Well here we are in November.  How did that happen?!!

I am very busy this month with 3 fairs to attend as well as the website to maintain. The first fair is on Wednesday at the Meeting House in Ilminster. This is a wonderful fair both to sell at and to buy from with some great sellers and top quality textiles.  The venue is lovely too with a great cafe selling delicious food.

I have been busy painting the insides of vintage apple boxes to use as shelving, using Cath Kidston furniture paints.  I love the colours.  Here they are drying out.

Today I did a mock up of my stall. I always like to change it as much as possible to keep things looking fresh and new.  Here is a preview for you.

 

 

 

I have so much stock to take and I am hoping that the tables are just a tad bigger than my desk!

The next fair will be the Vintage and Handmade Fair in Chipping Sodbury on November 14th, which I am beyond excited about, and then I am at the Cowslip Workshops 3 day Christmas fair in Launceston on 20th to 22nd November.  Hope to see some of you at one of these events.  Don't forget to come and say hi.

Remember me telling you about the Sip and Stitch club I go to now?  Well we were all featured in the local paper. My ripple blanket is now famous in North Devon!
Pin It

Lovely Gifts

Isn't it wonderful to get unexpected gifts through the post?  It very rarely happens to me so the other day when I got a box from Australia I was intrigued.

Allison of Lark makes beautiful fabric buttons for me to sell on my website. I send her the fabric and she sends the buttons back  all made up ready to be put on cards.  She was sending me some cards as I had already received the buttons so the box was a little big for just button cards.

Inside was a lovely book called Afternoon Tea, beautifully illustrated with vintage tea sets and fabrics.

Another beautiful packet

This one held some reels of the most beautiful Japanese masking tapes. Are they too beautiful to use?

And then there was a sweet goodie bag which I recognised as the goodie bags that Allison was giving out when she opened her fab shop in Daylesford.

I felt very spoilt!  Wasn't I lucky? 

For those of you who haven't yet discovered Allison's blog and her delicious online shop Lark I suggest you hotfoot it over there!

Pin It

Sip 'n' Stitch

I no longer ripple alone!

Tonight was the first Sip 'n' Stitch knitting and crochet club.

I loved it.

Being creative in creative company.

Pin It

Weekend at Lyme

This weekend I took Mum and the children to stay with an old friend of ours from our Somerset days.  She used to live in London but last summer moved her family to Lyme Regis for a slower pace of life.  Her house is just beautiful and she is the BEST hostess.  It is a role she really enjoys and you feel very pampered when you stay with her.

Alfie was in boy heaven with her two boys being close to him in age and Lizzy enjoyed the company of Sid the cat and Lottie the labradoodle.

The weather was superb, couldn't have been better, and the children swam in the sea.  This was great for them as the waves are pretty wild on the North Devon coast. At Lyme the sea is calm and Lizzy loved wading out calling 'Look Mum I'm in the sea like a proper girl'!

 

 

We had a leisurely lunch at the Harbour Inn before my friend offered to take all the kids back home, leaving Mum and I to wander round the lovely shops.  We popped into the various charity and vintage shops before walking back to the house with our goodies.

A lovely weekend, I felt rested and chilled.

Pin It