The weather has been so beautiful lately that my sunglasses are finally out of retirement and what do you need when toting around your favourite shades? A sunglasses case!
I wanted to make something with the new tweeds using the wee orb labels.....
and I had some nice wee frames in the drawer that were just crying out to be used so I made myself a new case for my (rather bulky) sunglasses. I liked it so much I made a few more to sell.....
It's great to be able to add a label to these smaller items - something I have not been able to do until now. These could also be used for normal sized spec or as a wee pouch to carry all your essentials if you don't want to carry a bag......
You can also fit an iPhone in them although I am in the process of making some iPhone covers which I hope to blog about next week.
For those who are more inclined towards linen I have made a selection from the lovely Echino fabrics too - I love these fabric designs - such great colours ..........
The events I will be attending in the next couple of weeks will be the perfect place to road test them. Hopefully it stays sunny!
Yesterday was a particularly lovely day and I had a bit of a jaunt out to the countryside. I had some of my Liberty print make-up bags and shower hats to drop off at the Green Gallery in Buchclyvie…….
They have an exhibition opening on Saturday….
Although they still had a lot to do – hanging artwork etc - all the work to be displayed was there so I was lucky enough to be able to have a good look around at all the gorgeous things. It is a lovely gallery with a really good mix of painting, jewellery, ceramics. textiles and glass…..
I am very excited to be part of the exhibition among such gorgeous work – Look, my name is on the flyer!! I was particularly taken with the ceramics of Karen McPhail and the tree paintings by Sandra Moffat – oh to be rich, I could spend a fortune there. If you are in the area do pop in – it is well worth the effort. Downstairs the paintings are by a variety of artists using animals as subject matter and upstairs are some beautiful seascapes and woodland landscapes.
As I was in the area I took the opportunity to call in on Rebecca and her gorgeous wee boy Duncan. I wish I had had my camera with me as she lives in an idyllic location with some amazing views. In fact the whole journey was one amazing vista after another – quite breathtaking.
Rebecca had recently purchased a tepee for Duncan which her husband had put up while she and the baby were out – his wee face was an absolute picture when she showed it to him for the first time! Hopefully she will blog about it!
I like these resin bow bag fixings so much that I bought half a dozen so I could make a few wee bags in a variety of fabrics and colours – there is something very satisfying about their ‘boxiness’ plus they are just really cute!
These are made in an unadulterated plaid tweed for the Harris tweed purists amongst us!
I have a couple of events out in Argyll this month and I have a feeling that there may be a few people out there that will really appreciate these more traditional plain plaid tweed bags – let’s hope so anyway!
I will be at the Loch Fyne Food Fair 14th & 15th May and the Benmore Gardens Open day 22nd May – come along and say hello if you can! I am especially looking forward to Loch Fyne - all that lovely food!!
I had the idea for these wee bags a while ago – before Xmas in fact, but have only got around to making them in the last couple of weeks. I like to mix colours and textures in my work and when I came across the work of Margo Selby I knew that her fabrics would be the perfect contrast to the plain Harris tweeds that I have and also of a good enough quality – I wouldn’t want to devalue the tweed by pairing it with an inferior product! I love her fabrics but find them a little too much in great quantities however, used sparingly with a rich contrasting texture and colour I think it looks lovely and allows both fabrics to shine equally.
These wee bags are perfect to carry just the essentials like keys, phone small purse etc - could be used both in the day or evening and can be used as a clutch or with the chain handle.
Yes – you heard it here first. The delegates from Creative Scotland (the new organisation that has replaced both Scottish Screen and the Scottish Arts Council) will be sporting Fieldy felted Harris tweed brooches at this years’ Cannes Film Festival as they mingle with the great and the good!
I’m very happy to be involved in flying the flag for Scotland albeit in a very small way – so happy in fact that even having to have a painful root canal treatment yesterday (unpopped popcorn casualty) has not wiped the smile off my (very sore) face!
When I was up in the Outer Hebrides 18 months ago I met the person who runs the Harris Tweed Authority and she showed me some beautiful photographs and graphics that they were intending to use to publicise, and update the image of, Harris Tweed to the wider world. However, they were still waiting for funding to go into production as these sort of quality publicity materials cost a lot to produce.
When I was up in the islands this time I noticed that there had been some new developments – there were some new posters/publicity materials and swing tags featuring these new images and also some much smaller woven fabric labels with the Harris Tweed Orb that had not been available before. As Harris Tweed is a registered trademark you only get 4 woven labels with every metre purchased so if, like me, you make a lot of smaller items you cannot put a label on everything. These wee labels will make it easier to identify the products I make as the real McCoy. I didn’t have time to go and see the people at the HTA in person this time but a couple of emails and a phone call later I received a parcel of loveliness in the post!
New posters bearing the legend “ From the land comes the cloth"
All the images show the link between the environment and the cloth – how the shapes and colours of the islands influence the colours and designs of the tweeds…
This new publicity works brilliantly as it shows a much more modern aspect of Harris Tweed (this industry is enjoying a new lease of life and a lot of designers are using Harris Tweed in a variety of ways) whilst still emphasising continuity of tradition, using the natural resources of the islands….
I wish I could tell you the photographers name but I do not know it – anyone out there able to cast some light? They are such beautiful images.
Some new style swing tags featuring the infamous Harris sheep – I can tell you these sheep got ‘tude!
On the back of the labels there is an inscription “Made by the Hands, Woven from the Heart” – now we know where the motto ‘Heart and Hand’ on Lews Castle in Stornoway is from! I’m tickled pink! I also discovered that the motto 'Head, Heart and Hand' was adopted in 1896 by Charles Voysey for the Society of Designers.
Wee woven labels – like gold dust and very closely guarded but I was able to get some!!
I am so delighted as I have 2 lovely events booked for May and I can revamp my stall display with the new display materials and the new products that I have made with the new tweed will have wee labels on them.
If you are interested in Harris Tweed and/or the Outer Hebrides please pop over to Isobels’ blog as she has done some detailed posts with great photographs of our recent road trip to the islands – it is so lovely to relive it!
So, now I am back home again but not empty handed, oh no!! Apart from some great memories and a wonderful sense of well being having been mentally and physically restored, I have more black pudding than you can shake a stick at….
Not everyones cup of tea but you must try it once - seriously!
No trip would be complete without a small purchase of tweed. Here I have some beautiful jewel coloured plains….
And some new style coloured plaids….
I particularly like the one on the bottom and have bought extra to make a bag…… for myself!! I never make myself anything but that is all going to change.
Last but not least I have this beautiful handmade willow Hebridean Sket……
A gift from Isobel as a thank you for doing all the driving – totally unnecessary but very much appreciated! Thank you Is for being the perfect travelling companion/photography mentor!
It is sitting in the hearth in my living room holding a couple of hebridean stones (gneiss?) that I collected at Port Ness when I first went over to buy tweed a few years ago. I think they look like eggs in a nest – a symbol of ideas/future plans about to hatch ?(hopefully!)
That concludes our trip around the Outer Hebrides and west coast of Scotland - as Isobel and I constantly remark – how fortunate we are to live in this beautiful, beautiful country!
Our final day on the islands was a bit overcast but it perked up once we entered Stornoway. We had plenty of time before we needed to get to the ferry so we took a drive up to Tolsta which is at the the end of one of the 4 roads out of Stornoway. The road ended abruptly and became single track and looking at the map we realised that if we continued we would reach Port Ness but from another direction – I was always under the impression that there was only one road there and back. We didn’t have time for that but it has been mentally filed along with several other places as something to do next time we are there. I would happily make the trip a bi-annual event (hint hint Is!) – there is so much to do and see and depending on the time of year the landscape is ever changing – I never get tired of it!
We headed back to Stornoway and took a walk around the grounds of Lews Castle which has sadly fallen into a state of disrepair. I rather liked the coat of arms ‘Heart and Hand’ – it could be the crafters motto!! Maybe I will adopt it as my own!
A new addition is an enormous willow sculpture of a woman in the grounds – I know nothing about it but it looks great – as if she is watching over the harbour at Stornoway and keeping it safe.
Finally we had to wave a sad farewell and got on the ferry. The crossing was very smooth (no photos from me I’m afraid!) and it seemed like we reached Ullapool in no time. After a quick scout around we decided that we should round off the holiday with fresh fish and chips from ‘The Chippy’ – we sat and ate them with our fingers whilst looking over the harbour…….
It was without doubt the best Fish & chips I have had for years!!
Four and a half hours later I was dropping Isobel off at her lovely cottage – holiday over :(
Best start saving for the next trip!!
The following day dawned bright and sunny and we set out bright and early for Huisinis – the most westerly point of the Outer Hebrides. I had been there once before a few years ago when working on a student film, however when I had made the journey I had a massive hangover and was actually in the back of a small van so although I thought I knew the right road and that the place I remembered was Huisinis (there are only 4 or 5 roads in Harris anyway!) I wasn’t 100% sure as we turned off the main road down a single track ribbon of tarmac. I was even more anxious as I had seen a sign as we made the turning saying Huisinis 113 miles – I know I was hungover last time and it did seem a long way but even so………
After a 10 mins we passed the tennis courts (yes there are well maintained public tennis courts on the side of a cliff in the middle of nowhere) and I was relieved as I remembered them from the last time so at least we were on the right road. I then realised that we only had half a tank of petrol and started to fret about that (everything closes on the island around 1pm on a Saturday) If Huisinis was 113 miles away on single track would we make it there and back and then up to Stornoway to catch the ferry the next day on half a tank? Unlikely I thought so, after much discussion and a 20 point turn, we turned around and headed back to a small petrol station on the main road which took roughly 15mins. When I was paying for the fuel I remarked to the lady behind the counter (I think she was American) that it was a long way to Huisinis and she agreed! So we set off again – this time with a full tank. There was the sign again – Huisinis 113 miles. After driving along the precarious road for around 20 mins we stopped and looked at the map. According to the map we were 2 thirds of the way there! 10 mins later we were pulling into the small car park at the beach having reached our destination! It was then we realised that Huisinis was only 13 miles not 113 miles – someone had tampered with the sign! I was very relieved as I didn’t fancy 113 miles on that sort of road.
The beach at Huisinis was as lovely as I remembered and we spent some time walking around and taking photos before setting off over the Machair (wild grassland and flowers) to the cliffs. It’s a lovely walk with stunning views out to sea. We were a bit early in the season to enjoy it in its’ full glory – there were buds and shoots everywhere but it will not come into full bloom until June – but it was bright and sunny with a fresh breeze so we weren’t complaining!
Anyone can let their sheep and cattle graze on the Machair so as you walk around you will always encounter livestock. Unfortunately, although I was some distance away, one sheep took exception to me being there and whilst trying to skirt around me got perilously close the cliff edge and disappeared over the side with a startled “Baaa!” Luckily, it landed on a rocky outcrop about 3 foot down but it was wedged and couldn’t right itself. I had to slide down on my arse to where it was and grabbing its’ ample fleece I lifted it up onto its’ feet – it was surprisingly light – it then leapt (who knew sheep were so agile?) onto some other rocks before leaping back onto the grass at the top. After a few seconds it put its’ head down and started grazing as if nothing had happened! I think Isobel and I were more traumatised by the whole event – plus I had a very wet arse!!
Drama over we continued our walk but minutes later I slipped on a very boggy bit of peat and slid a few feet, covering myself from arse to ankle in smelly peat bog mud. I was also pretty close to the cliff edge and decided that walking so close to the edge was courting disaster and headed up to the top. By then the wind was up and with nothing to stop it before it hit our bit of the coast it was fierce. In fact it was hard at times to stand upright and holding a camera to take pictures was almost impossible, plus the glare of the sun meant that all I could see on the screen was my grimacing face! Its’ a wonder that I got any decent pictures at all. The wind did dry me out very quickly though which I was grateful for!
After a couple of hours we returned to the car to get out a picnic that Isobel had bought with her (very well prepared!) and despite the howling wind she insisted on putting it all out including the gingham cloth which we had to weight with stones! It was delicious and immensely enjoyable despite the dermabrasive effects of the wind whipping sand into our faces – we were covered in the stuff – but we are British and nothing stops us having a picnic on the beach! This is our picnic bench - what an idyllic spot. You can just make out Isobel on the beach in the distance!
The rest of the day was uneventful and we drove down to Leverburgh, visiting more beaches on the way back. We pottered about taking photos before heading back to the hotel – another perfect day!
After a hearty breakfast of bacon, egg, sausage and Stornoway black pudding we made a quick pit-stop at the tweed vendors before heading up the road to Lewis. Stornoway is roughly 50 minutes drive from Harris and in comparison to Tarbert is a teeming metropolis!
The day was rather misty and we encountered some thick fog as we got higher into the hills which cleared slightly as we made our way towards Stornoway......
stopping for a few photo opportunities on the way.
You can just see some wiley Harris sheep in the distance - livestock on the island roams free and they will not give way for anyone! Something to be mindful of when driving over there!
On arrival we made a beeline for An Lanntair, the local Arts Centre, for coffee and cake. Whilst there we were lucky enough to catch an exhibition of photography and mixed media and the shop was full of lovely locally produced crafts to enjoy.
Before heading off to our next destination, Port Ness, we bought the local butcher out of Stornoway black pudding to take back to Glasgow (we practically filled the car boot with the stuff!) – it is a great delicacy in these parts and the islanders are trying to give the locally produced pudding the same status as Harris Tweed as it is widely accepted to be the best black pudding in Scotland! I can vouch for its’ delicious tastiness!
Port Ness is the most northern point of the Isle of Lewis....
and has a lovely wee harbour and beach which were shrouded in mist when we were there.
It also has a cafe and a small gallery called the Harbour View Gallery. I was rather taken with this collection of buoys outside!
We had intended to go to the lighthouse on the Butt of Lewis but knowing the road to be rather narrow and on the cliff edge I decided that my nerves couldn’t stand the drive in the thick mist (we wouldn’t have been able to enjoy the views anyway) so we headed off to Carloway. I have been to the islands many times now and have seen more or less everything there is to see (several times - I never tire of it) but I have never managed to make it inside the Morven Gallery but this time we managed to blag our way in! They were not officially open but it was very busy as they were hanging the last few pieces of donated artwork for an auction that was to take place the following day in aid of the Linda Norgrove Foundation. They very kindly let us have a look around and I urge you to make time to visit this beautiful gallery if you are ever in the vicinity.
Isobel made a few purchases from the shop and we set off again – next stop the Blackhouse at Arnol. Until as recently as 1966 people were still living in this type of dwelling – hard to believe.
The house to the left is what people moved into from the Blackhouses and they are known as White Houses. You quite often get the remains of a blackhouse, a whitehouse and then finally a modern kit-house on the same family owned plot of land/croft. The previous dwellings are left to crumble away although now it is becoming obvious that there is money to be made from renovating and renting out these old dwellings as, next to weaving, tourism is the biggest source of revenue on the islands.
We also stopped at the Blackhouses at Carloway – this settlement is less of a museum but still shows how people lived.
The blackhouses here have been renovated to modern standards and are rented out as holiday lets. Tourists have free rein to roam between the hours of 9.30am and 5.30pm but after that the gate is closed and the holiday makers renting them can enjoy some privacy. Unfortunately as we arrived at 5.45 we could only take pictures from afar but you can get the general impression of the place.
The reason we were so late is that we stopped for a look and a chat at the studio of the lovely people at Rarebird who are making quite a name for themselves with their well designed quality Harris Tweed bags and accessories. In 4 years they have developed their business into something quite special – they deserve their success as the work they have put in and the detail in their lovely products is admirable. Plus they are just really nice people!
We ended our tour of Lewis at the stone circle at Callanish around 7pm – unfortunately there was a local photography club there trying to get some photos of the stones at sunset which made it quite difficult to get any good pictures without folk in bright red windcheaters wandering into the shot!
Also my battery had run down on my camera and I was only able to take a few pics with my iPhone.
By this time the visitor centre was closed and I was suffering from a severe lack of caffeine so I consoled myself by scoffing a few too many M&S chocolate mini-bites! (essential road trip fayre obviously) whilst enjoyin the view.
After dinner and a drink back at An Lanntair we headed home weary but happy – this sightseeing lark really takes it out of you – and it was home to bath and bed in readiness for the next days explorations. Yes, we really know how to live it up!
I notice that at the end of my last post I rather smugly wrote that I would be blogging from the Outer Hebrides – well, obviously that didn’t happen! Although there was Wifi in the hotel I couldn’t get the computer working and to be honest it was a relief because what I really needed was total rest and relaxation. Instead, I contented myself with long soaks in the bath with a good book at the end of the day – far better.
I am not good at photography and hardly ever take photographs that are not related to work in some way but for the first time in ages I took my camera with me (Isobel my travelling companion is an avid photographer so that had something to do with it) In the past when I have been travelling I have taken loads of photographs only to get home to find them really disappointing – they never really captured the beauty/grandeur/atmosphere of the places I have visited. Anyway, I did document this trip albeit in a rather patchy manner – Isobel took ten photographs to every one of mine so her blog about the trip will be far more in depth!
So the first leg of the trip was to drive from Glasgow to Uig on Skye to catch the ferry to Tarbert on the Isle of Harris. We were extremely lucky with the weather and although blowing a chill wind it was dry and bright. We stopped at the visitor centre at Glen Coe and then set off up to the Skye Bridge passing the beautiful and enigmatic looking Eilean Donan Castle on the way.
This is one of the most iconic Scottish images/buildings and has an amazing atmosphere…
We didn’t have time to really explore fully but next time will hopefully get a better look.
Miles and miles of driving through beautiful Scottish landscapes and we arrived at Portree, Skye for a quick bite to eat before hotfooting it over to the Uig Ferry…..
Again a woeful lack of documentation here no picture of the voyage over but Isobel and I both spotted this boat at Uig Harbour - New Venture!
A couple of hours later we arrived in Harris and went straight to the hotel where we booked into our gorgeous rooms! A glass of wine and plate of fish and chips later I was ready to hit the hay. Yeah, rock’n’roll baby!
I feel like I am riding the crest of a creative wave at the moment. I have so much energy and so many ideas swirling around that there don't seem to be enough hours in the day. Perhaps it is the new diet I am on. I have cut out almost all sugar and wheat and I feel amazing! My head is clearer than it has been for a long time and I have lost over a stone in weight which feels wonderful. However, all this creativity has resulted in a woeful lack of househould husbandry. Luckily, I have been forced to tidy up as I have had a friend to visit - even the kitchen floor got cleaned!
The workroom too has had a tidy....
I have been jumping from project to project with some minor tidying in between but some serious folding and putting away was required...
There, that's better. An oasis of peace and calm....
somewhere to kick back, relax and browse a few craft books and plan the next few projects...
Thought I would take a few pics as it will not stay like this for long! Finally, it slips seamlessly from workroom to cosy guest room.......
That bed looks inviting - maybe a wee snooze is in order before I start to make a wee list of things to do over the weekend. Now that all the tweed is tidied and folded I can assess what I am lacking in my stock and consider what purchases may be necessary, as next week I am off to the Outer Hebrides for a few days of R&R - I am so excited I can hardly contain myself! This time next week I will be blogging from the hotel in Harris hopefully (by that I mean most probably) with a G&T in hand!
I was fortunate enough to be commissioned to make a bag by a lovely lady (another stallholder) I met at the Spring Fling at the Creggans Inn recently. My being there was a complete fluke - the owner had bought a few items from me for a small shop they have in the hotel and whilst in conversation she asked if I would be interested in taking one of the 2 stalls left for the event which was happening the following week. I jumped at the chance, as did Isobel, so the next week found us driving up to Loch Fyne on a beautiful spring day - the drive alone was worth it!
I had last been to The Creggans about 14/15 years ago - it was the best hotel in the Argyll area and all the actors and the Director of a film I was working on stayed there (it was my first ever film job and it came with a hire car, was filming in the most beautiful locations in Scotland and was starring Colin Firth - I thought I had died and gone to heaven!) It was on this film that I first met Caireen (she was the Assistant Art Director and I a lowly art dept. runner) and we have been good friends ever since!
I was interested to see what, if anything, had changed and I was delighted to see how lovely the interiors are now. The hotel has had a complete overhaul and is both stylish and comfortable plus it has the most amazing views over Loch Fyne. The event itself was very jolly - the local community turned out in force - but sales were poor and I only sold a few things and all to other stallholders! However, it was not a complete bust as I delivered my order for the hotel and got paid and was asked by Fiona to make a bag. It was to be based on the leather bag that she had with her which was her ideal bag but with straps that were a touch too short. So I took some measurements and a couple of photo's, Fiona chose her tweed and, after several emails back and forth, the result was this...
I made the bag with a dark tweed on the bottom as I thought the light tweed would get dirty quicly.
and I lined the inside with a vibrant turquoise......
The handles were webbing which I ran a length of tweed up to te in with the bag which works well but if I make a bag like this again I would probably just use webbing as it works fine as it is....
It's a very simple bag but I am so chuffed with it! I had to figure it all out for myself - make the pattern and work out how to construct it with fabric stabiliser and interlining - I even did my first magnetic clasp! It looks like a proper thing! Best of all Fiona was delighted with it and that's what really counts - I was very nervous about showing it to her - it is very different making something specifically for someone rather than just making something on spec, hoping that someone will buy it.
Also from this one event, thanks to the generosity of some of the other crafters there, I have been invited to participate in two very interesting shows in that area. Both events are on consecutive weekends in May and I am very excited about taking part in them.
The first is a weekend event on the 14/15 May at Loch Fyne and the second is on the 22nd May at Benmore Botanic Gardens. Both events look to be really good fun and I can't wait. They are the sort of events that I would go to anyway as a punter so to be taking part in them is great. It has also given me something to focus on - a sort of deadline - which I sometimes need in order to get motivated and get making. I have a few ideas for some new-style bags (Fiona's bag has given me confidence to experiment more), camera cases and more besides!
When I was planning the ‘groupings’ of objects for my week of inspiration I managed to divide them into six distinct sections and I was wondering how to round off the week and it suddenly became clear to me that the only way I could round off this week was to pay tribute to the person who has been my biggest inspiration – my lovely Mum. I keep this picture in my workroom and although it is not the best picture I have of my Mum it is my favourite – taken circa 1971 whilst we were on a family holiday in Italy. I think she is looking at my brother David.
My sister and I always had the most lovely handmade clothes (not that we spoilt brats appreciated them at the time) made by Mum. I was always begging for clothes from Tammy Girl or various catalogues, anything rather than wear something handmade. I had no appreciation then of the time, effort and love Mum put into making things for us.
I learned to sew at my Mother’s knee – first on the old Singer that belonged to her Granny (known to us as Little Granny) which is now in the fireplace of my workroom…
And then, when deemed competent enough, on her electric sewing machine.
I use Mum’s sewing machine all the time despite having invested in an all singing, all dancing new machine 18 months ago. Mum's machine is like an old friend - solid, dependable, irreplacable.
I love it, it is the best machine ever (over 30 years old and still going strong!!) – and every time I use it it I think of my Mum and how happy she would be to see the way that sewing and making has once again become part of my life. We didn’t have a great deal in common, she never understood my career choice (probably worried about the instability of it all) but what we did bond over was sewing and making and the satisfaction gained from creating something and a job well done.
The month of March is always a strange one for me because it was a week before Mother’s Day 12 years ago that my Mum died unexpectedly whilst on holiday in Spain. I couldn’t tell you the exact date – it never really registered with me – but for me the whole month of March is a month of remembrance. Maybe subconsciously I planned it this way, who knows, but for me , paying tribute to my Mum and showing gratitude for the sewing skills she passed onto me is the only fitting way to round of this week of inspirational handmade loveliness.
So – in memory of Mum and just because I want to, I am doing a retrospective Giveaway. I custom made this heart shaped keyring/bag charm in 2 colours for a customer and this is the colour she didn’t choose!
It will be winging it’s way to NESS who's name was chosen at random from a hat from the few people who left comments on posts over the past Week of Inspiration. I would like to say to you all, thanks for reading and commenting – I appreciate it!
I have never been a girly girl and have always found dolls rather disturbing, but I did have a huge teddy bear collection and several pets – gerbils, guinea pigs dog etc and I quite like horses (have I mentioned that before?) - it seems old habits die hard because since I have started crafting I have become drawn towards what I can only describe as ‘art toys/dolls’ – one can only marvel at the skill involved in the making of these beautiful objects.
I was given this tiny patchwork tweed ‘Nelliphant’ by Caireen (he came pre-named Barry!) and I think it was one of the first Nelliphants that she made…….
He is quite good pals with the beautifully embroidered Matryoshka Doll by Ferragamo Studio (no longer in existence as far as I can tell)
I saw these tweed wool bunnies in Marjii’s shop on Etsy and fell in love with them…..
They are such simple shapes but the detail is incredible.
At the Green Gallery Xmas Fair there was a lady selling handmade felt scarves next to me, and she had been experimenting with needle felting. These two were some of her early attempts. She wasn’t really happy with them so she was selling them at a ridiculously low price so I snapped them up….
And they are now residing in the workroom. Just love those faces!
This sweet Poshyarns mouse in a pink linen dress is standing guard over the Selvedge magazine collection and casting a beady eye over my sewing station…
And this Wee Quilter bunny is warming herself by the fireplace.
It was with great excitement that I collected the latest of my purchases from the parcel office. You know it really is bad for the old Paypal balance to go looking at other peoples’ blogs and shops. You might be so smitten by what is on offer that you find yourself click click clicking all the money away!
When I saw this shop I knew that I would not be able to resist buying something – the hardest part was deciding what to buy but I am delighted with my choice ….
Bob a Wee Fox Terrier - he wants to join the circus –Sarah very kindly added the ruff at my request and I am so delighted with him! Isn’t he just the sweetest thing you have ever seen?
Finally…..this Wee Creature made by Woo…
I saw a picture of four creatures she had been working on, on her blog, and before I knew it had contacted her with a view to buying. Again the choice was incredibly hard but I absolutely love this. Just look at the detail in her face…
So beautiful. Everything about this is perfect and the clothes are just so sweet – I would love an outfit like that! She came beautifully packaged with her own serial number and wee tag saying ’I is a Creature’- really original, and a pleasure to receive. If you are lucky enough to live in the West Country, Woo will be selling her gorgeous wares at the Vintage & Handmade Fair – get yourself down there if you can and purchase your own little piece of loveliness!
Today’s offerings come under the banner ‘Hanging Decorations’ – I am rather partial to a hanging decoration and they can be picked up relatively inexpensively all over the place! Most of these have been bought at craft fairs directly from their makers – all except this which was bought on Folksy…
From Dottery Pottery (sorry about the rotten picture - low light!) I love the colour and texture and although I am not usually one for “sentiments” written on things I quite like this - and the colour looks great against the purple of the kitchen wall.
Textile decorations are great and I particularly like this one by Wooden Tree…
Made from recycled embroidered linen and stuffed with cloves – it smells good enough to eat. Her work is also available from Glasgow craft boutique The Maisonette. This star is made from Kimono silk ….
So delicate! The doll is one of mine - it is stuffed with lavender.
I love these glass baubles – I have them hanging in my workroom window.
The colours are based on the Scottish landscape and I got them in a swap with Meg McGregor – a glass artist who was opposite me at Edinburgh last year. She makes the most amazing glassware and is a lovely person to boot!
There is a new shop in Great Western Road called The Life Craft – they run workshops and sell yarn, fabric and a few handmade items – I bought this ceramic bird bauble just before Xmas.
I do like it but I mainly bought it as it is a new shop and I wanted to support it in some way – every little helps!
This is a recent acquisition – bought at the craft fair in Balfron last week. I love the colours and textures in this mosaic heart made from recycled china plates and cups…..
Jaine has just added these to her range and I thought it was beautiful – it is now adorning my workroom.
Last but not least is this gorgeous knitted horse –….
another fab gift from Caireen – she certainly knows what I like! Knitting, horses, hanging stuff and those gorgeous pinks and reds….all wrapped up in one neat package! Almost there – only 2 more days to go – I have to say posting every day is a big commitment and I will be glad to get back to my old slacker ways!
I made the decision a while ago that I would try to replace all the posters and reproduction prints on my walls with original artwork as and when I could afford to.
Alot of my friends are buyers of art and regularly purchase work from students at Glasgow School of Art degree exhibitions and WASP’s Studio’s open days. It is a cost effective way of getting an original piece of artwork at an affordable price and the money goes directly to the artist rather than to a gallery (not that I have anything against galleries!)
I am lucky enough to know many talented artists some of whom have made to commission or gifted their work to me – and some things I have purchased or swapped.
Caireen makes the most lovely patchwork pictures from old maps and this is one of the first pieces she made which I purchased a couple of years ago…….
It is made from an old road map of the Scottish highlands – I think that it is such a lovely idea – the marriage of recycling and patchworking skills to create something new. Caireen has developed this idea further still by making works that are particularly pertinent to the individuals life, so I was delighted when she presented me this large picture as a Xmas gift…
which is a patchwork of maps from all the places I have lived and depicts my creative journey….that’s my little creative bee heading for the Outer Hebrides!
I love it and it is the perfect piece for the blue wall in my workroom where I can look at it every day, enjoy it and be inspired. It also reminds me what a lovely, generous, creative friend Caireen is, to take the time to make me such a beautiful gift. The words THANK YOU hardly seem adequate.
This piece was a birthday gift from my friend Rhian (a graduate of Glasgow School of Art)…..
She made thousands of these hand folded butterflies out of old dictionaries for an installation she did a few years ago which was absolutely amazing – she got a deep frame from Ikea and filled it with just a few of them – perfect!
These were done by Kara who is also a Glasgow graduate …
We were working together on a job and she made some artwork for the walls of a set. I liked them so much I commissioned her to do some for me – a horse and a dog. They are made of 4mm plywood scraps and emulsion paint with the image scraped into the paint layers – she’s a very talented lady.
This was bought from my friend Bevis’s brother Matthew. He trained in Fine Art at Edinburgh College of Art but has given up painting in favour of being an organic farmer.
This is a painting of the family croft at Dykeside, near Elgin, in the snow. I think it is a lovely painting and enjoy it all the more for the fact that I know the family that live there and the person who created it.
This piece of embroidered art is by Moira Ann Dickson…
We met at Morningside Maker’s Market and did a swap – one of my wee hotties for this piece – a good deal.
I bought this at a craft fair a couple of years ago from Louise Scott…
A lovely hand tinted copperplate etching – I am a big fan of prints – more so than paintings. When I next get some money I am going to invest it in a piece by Helen Fay!
Finally, this piece of woven art is hanging over the cutting table in my workroom…
I love the colours, textures....just about everything really.
It is by Emma Jo Watson who is a very talented weaver that I first met at a craft fair at Invercottage a while ago. I give all my really small scraps of tweed to Emma who uses them in her brooches and scarves. When I went to a WASP’s open day just before Xmas I wandered into her studio not realizing it was her studio! I saw this piece and fell in love with it immediately – to date it is the most expensive piece I have bought but I had to have it. She very kindly gave me a discount on the original price as she has had so many scraps from me – how good is that!?
Doing craft fairs puts you in contact with a great many talented, creative people and you never know where those connections might lead – building connections and relationships with other crafters is always an enriching and positive thing. Long may it continue!
Today I am going to be talking about 3D art/sculptures. I always think of sculpture as being big, almost monumental, but I have a few pieces of 3D art that are pretty small but none the less sculptural. I have blogged about this horse before – it is the single most expensive thing I have ever bought – but as soon as I saw it at Potfest a few years ago I just knew that I had to have it…..
And I have never regretted buying it – I absolutely love it and am thrilled to bits to have one of my own! I bought it from this lovely lady but as I bought direct from her (I have seen her work in lots of galleries) I paid significantly less than the usual asking price (another good reason for buying direct from a maker)
Yet, another horse sculpture (notice a theme emerging?) bought at a WASP’s Studio’s Open Day about 6 years ago – I can’t remember who the artist was but I remember that me buying it made her day - she must have really needed the cash!
Again I really love this and enjoy it every day – I like the fact that it is on it’s own mini plinth like a monument in tiny scale. Alongside this is a teeny horse vessel by Song&Branch – I love how she has captures the essence of a horse on a tiny scale.
Yet more mini sculptures by PearsonMaron……
Bought at different times – I got the Cloud Factory first – I think they are beautiful, whimsical and totally original. I am now hankering after this and this but it will be some time before I have the money to buy - unless they can be classed as essential items?
Finally today are these lovely wood turned fruit….
The 2 at the front were bought from one of the crafters (to my shame I can’t remember the persons’ name) at The Creggan’s event a couple of weeks ago and the lighter, larger pear at the back was bought from a craft shop in Elgin last year – they make a lovely little grouping and none of them cost over £5 – I call that a bargain! They feel great when you handle them and the grain of the wood adds to their overall beauty – to think that someone has crafted these lovely things from a block of wood is quite amazing to me.
Today’s offerings are gathered together under the heading of ‘Around the House’ as they are just a few of the things that have escaped the workroom/studio (the place where most of my trinkets are squirreled away) and are more than pulling their weight, cheering up wee corners of the flat.
First up is this gorgeous willow tasker that sits on my kitchen table, making it all beautiful…..
by All About Willow. Catherine and Pascale were diagonally opposite me at Edinburgh last year and I was loving all their baskestry, so when Catherine suggested a swap I jumped at the chance. All their willow is organically grown on their croft on the Isle of Eigg, harvested by hand and then woven into baskets of all shapes and sizes, including caskets (by the way, they told me that most willow caskets sold by undertakers are imported from China so if you find yourself in need of one – go to a basket maker!) When I look at this, I don't just see a lovely piece of willow basketry, I see all the hard work, love and effort that Catherine and Pascale have put into following their passion and nurturing their business.
In the bathroom I have this wee pot by Julia Smith (a replacement for a large, ugly metal thing that I got from God knows where, that used to scratch the paintwork)….
and a lovely unglazed ceramic tile by Foto Ceramica – bought for me as a birthday gift by Caireen from Potfest a couple of years ago. They brighten up a wee corner of my bathroom!
Yet more Deepfired in the bedroom…
A replacement for an ugly glass bowl (where did it come from?) to hold all my bits and bobs. At the time I bought the bowl I bought 4 of the insect brooches as I had an idea to make a picture with them. I got the frame in a sale at TK Maxx and hot glued the brooches into it. I left the glass off as I like to be able to see the texture of the ceramic brooches properly – I really love it.
Last but not least are these woven cushions by Angharad McLaren…
I first saw her work at an open day at WASP’s Studios but as I had already spent too much money I was unable to purchase. When I finally got some money I Googled her and realised that her work is available at NOTHS so I bought 2 cushions to brighten up the bedroom. However, they didn’t look right and ended up on the sofa bed in the workroom where I think they look perfect! They go really well with my crocheted blanket and tweed cushions.
Changing a few small things really does make a difference - back tomorrow with some more precious things!
During this week I am going to do a post every day about the things that I have around me, either bought from or swapped with other crafters, that inspire me on a daily basis. I have collected the objects into rough groupings of items that are of a similar nature and today I am talking about ....sewing accoutrements!
I have made no secret of my admiration for the Daily Pincushions' lovely things and I have a little collection of my own....
The work in these is amazing - so neat! And such lovely designs! I love looking at them and get a great deal of pleasure from using them. Likewise these items .........
yet more pincushions (you can never have enough) and a sewing pouch - all of these are in constant use and again I love the look of them and am in awe of all the detail in the weaving! They are made from Wallace and Sewell woven fabric and are available exclusively from here - worth every penny in my opinion. What do you use on a daily basis that you love the look and feel of?
There used to be a handwritten sign on the roadside as you drove up the eastern side of Loch Lomond towards Oban that read ‘Toty Wee Tents Only’. Sadly it is no longer there - it made me smile every time I saw it - so when my friend presented me with quite a few of these…..
I knew that they were not just Wee Hotties but Toty Wee Hotties. In fact they are so ‘toty’ I was at a bit of a loss as to what to do with them! Looking around my workroom I saw a pile of felted wool jumpers (product of a brief flirtation with feltmaking and all things felty) and knew that the only thing I could do was make some pockets for the toty bottles and so the Toty Wee Hottie Pocket came about.
As I was making them I thought that it would make a good tutorial as they are so quick and easy to make – you don’t even have to have a machine, you could do all the sewing by hand if you wanted to and make it part of the design.
You can make these pockets out of anything really but recycled felted wool jumpers work really well, are relatively inexpensive and cut down on the amount of finishing you need to do. So without further ado here’s how to…..
MAKE A TOTY WEE HOTTIE POCKET
STEP 1
First of all you need to get your material sorted. It could be a felted scarf (works well especially ones with fringes on the end!), felted jumper or something like.
In order to get good felt you need 100% wool knit which you put in the washing machine (whole) at 60 degrees with some real soap flakes (be careful how much – read instructions!!) and something hard like some plastic flipflops, rubber ball or something similar to help agitate the fabric. The fabric should come out stiffer and will have shrunk quite a bit. You can reshape the fabric while it is still wet and hang to dry. Once dry, cut the garment along the seams and flatten out, iron it with a hot iron and you are ready to go. Before cutting out do a test on a small area – if it does not fray it is properly felted. If it starts to fray it will need to go through the wash again or may have some non-natural fibres in it which will stop it felting properly. ALWAYS CHECK THE LABELS ON THE ITEMS YOU INTEND TO BUY/USE FOR FELTING! They need to be 100% WOOL. Also try and get items that have an interesting texture and/or pattern which will look lovely when felted.
STEP 2
Make a pattern for the pocket including at least a 1cm seam allowance all round. The pattern I made was in 2 pieces – a front and a back – made to fit my toty bottles.
The back was 15cm wide x 33cms long (which included extra length for the flap to go over the top)
The front measured 15cms wide x 25cms long
Remember if you are using a particularly thick felt you might want to make the seam allowance a bit bigger to accommodate the extra bulk. I use drafting paper (tracing paper) to make patterns, as it is thick enough to stand some rough handling but thin enough to see the pattern of the fabric through the paper.
STEP 3
Place your pattern pieces on the fabric and cut out. If you are lucky you might be able to cut one continuous piece (just place the 2 pattern pieces end to end to get the right size) This works well with scarves as you can get up to 2 pockets from one scarf and the fringing makes a nice detail. If you place the back of the pattern with the flap end on the ribbing of a sleeve or back/front of jumper you will have an already finished edge for the flap……..
If your fabric isn’t big enough to get one continuous piece cut look at what you have and cut accordingly. Make the pattern work for you…
On this pocket I placed the paper-pattern on the fabric so that the pattern on the fabric would show when it was folded over to make the top flap. This piece was not long enough to make the pocket in one piece…..
so I placed the front of the paper-pattern on another piece of fabric so that the ribbing and coloured pattern on the fabric became part of the design too. On this one I had the pattern running different ways to optimize use of the available fabric……
STEP 4
Pin and sew the raw edge at the top of the piece of fabric for the front…..
Pin the edges together leaving space for the hottie….
I always pin in the direction I sew so that I can remove the pins as I go along. Turn right ways out and press. Roll the unfinished edge of the flap and hand sew….
put hottie inside and fasten with a kilt pin or similar et voila! One finished Toty Wee Hottie Pocket!
You can get kilt pins from any good haberdasher including John Lewis/Hobbycraft. You could also use an old brooch, adapt the kilt pin with some beads, use a button, poppers, tie with ribbon – in fact you can fasten in any way you like. They are also good gifts for guys if you choose the right fabric……..
Of course you can use any fabric you like or knit/crochet a piece of the right width and length and just sew up the seams. You can personalise with a motif, the first letter of the persons’ name who you are giving it to – anything you want really. I have my own labels that I put on everything I make but you can buy limited numbers of labels saying 'Handmade with Love' from some craft outlets to further personalise your gift.
Are you enthused? Wondering how you can get your hands on your own Toty Wee Hottie bottles? Well, wonder no more! I am planning to make a few of these......
maybe with some appliquéd designs in felt and tweed. However, I have quite a few rubber bottles, to say the least, and I would like to move some of them on to new homes! My felted jumper supplies are finite!
Is there anyone out there interested in buying some of the bottles (in their packets) from me for their own crafting purposes? They come in 4 colours and measure 12cms wide x 22cms long. I am not trying to make money on these - originally they cost £1 each but I am willing to sell 6 for £5 plus P&P (which will be approx £2 for UK residents) I am also happy to sell them individually plus P&P. They would make great handmade gifts and can be customized in any way that you like! You can contact me by email if you would like some and I will list them in my Folksy shop if you are paying by Paypal or UK residents could send a personal cheque. Hey - It’s never to early to plan for Xmas!! And nothing says "I Love You" like a Toty Wee Hottie Pocket - too much, have I gone too far?? Well you can't blame a girl for trying. Bottles available on a first come, first served basis and you would be doing me a huge favour – I can hardly move for Toty Hotties!!
I have almost finished this book and I cannot recommend it highly enough. It is packed full of useful information, some of which I have pretty much discovered for myself already and some of it a complete revelation.
One of the pieces of advice in the book is to create a nurturing space in which to create your work and to surround yourself with things that inspire you. I had already embraced this concept wholeheartedly a long time ago! How could I not? Over the past 3 years I have attended a lot of events and met a lot of talented crafters. And then there are Etsy and Folksy and all those fabulous blogs out there – huge resources of online craft inspiration. I have been buying from, and swapping with, other crafters for a long time and have amassed quite a collection of beautiful handmade objects which inspire me on a daily basis. In fact I have run out of space in my workroom and a few things have found their way into other rooms in the flat!
Next week I have designated as my week of inspiration. I will be posting about the objects (and their creators) that inspire me – one post a day for the whole of next week. I have tried to group similar things together as I have too many things to only do one object per day. I really hope that any readers of my blog will join in and maybe leave links to share anything that they find inspiring. Some of my favourite things have been found through other people or quite by accident!
It is lovely to have all these things as a source of inspiration but ask yourself ‘why stop there?’ There is a whole area of crafting out there that you can actually enjoy when you are out and about, away from your workroom. Yes, I am talking about wearable art. From handknits to handbags, jewellery, accessories and much much more.
A couple of years ago, at the Edinburgh Festival, I came across the work of Lindsay Grime. She had a few things on a stall which was a collection of items by assorted people under the banner of the Owl & Lion Gallery. There was a fantastic ceramic brooch that I was stalking for almost a week and when I finally decided to buy it…it had gone. As they say in Glasgow ‘if you’re not fast, you’re last!’
Driving along Argyle Street the other day I stopped at The Shop of Interest (great name) for a quick nosey. They had some great things, some of which I had seen at the Wasps Studio’s Open Day last year. They also had a small selection of Lyndsay Grime’s work. I couldn’t afford a plate but I could afford this……..
I love this brooch. It is similar to the one I saw at Edinburgh and now it is adorning a very sensible black jacket (lending it some much needed panache) and making me very happy!
Another accessory that is making me very happy (and has been for several months) is this gorgeous woven scarf by Wallace& Sewell…….
I had been visiting their online shop daily for some time, looking at their beautiful scarves and home accessories, when I saw that they had created some scarves (the one in the picture is the one I bought) for Anthropologie. In a couple of clicks the scarf was mine. There is no denying that it was expensive but in terms of price per wear it has been worth every penny. I have worn this constantly since the day it arrived – I even wear it in the house as a wrap on cold days. Everyone that sees it comments on its’ gorgeousness and it transforms the most mundane outfit. The scarf is a bit of an exception in that the majority of things I buy are pretty inexpensive, not necessarily useful but contribute greatly to my immediate environment. In addition to all this, I like to feel that I am doing my bit to support another person’s endeavours and by doing so, creating some sort of Crafty Karma for myself and for them.
The other day I was complaining to a friend of mine about the weather and the lack of good light to work by and to take pictures by. The next time I saw her she gave me this……
And it has been the best gift ever. My friend bought it for her gloomy kitchen but found the light too cold but for me it is perfect. I have put it in the wall mounted anglepoise in my workroom and it has made a hell of a difference to working and to taking photos on dark March days! They are pretty pricey but well worth the expense and you can get yours here.
I visited Caireen on Saturday, despite the swirling snow! (she had made the most delicious wheat/gluten free Blueberry muffins - thanks Caireen!) We had a really good chat about crafting, our reasons for creating and the sort of things that inspire us. I have been struggling with this question for a while and think that now I can be content with where I am at at the moment. I have found further clarity from reading this book……….
And these two articles in the latest edition of Selvedge also struck a chord……
I love making things and it is a privilege to work with the beautiful materials that I am lucky enough to work with. I can’t deny that I get a real buzz when I sell something that I have made but I have come to realise that when I deliberately started to make things to sell in quantities I stopped enjoying it. For me the way forward is to make as and when I feel like it on a small scale and, if I am lucky enough, to make to commission on one off projects. If the sale of my work covers the (rather expensive) costs of the materials I choose to work with, I will be a very happy crafter.
A new baby is the perfect excuse to indulge in a little retail therapy – especially when there are so many opportunities thrown in your path! The baby’s Mum is someone who really appreciates the handmade so I knew that I would be spoilt for choice as I had a couple of craft events to attend over the course of one weekend.
My first purchase was actually made at the Morningside Makers market at the Ghillie Dhu (sadly this event has been cancelled after only one market) where I found this lovely animal alphabet print by Emily MacKenzie….
The perfect decoration for a nursery and very smart in it’s Ikea frame…..
I made another two purchases at the Spring Fling at The Creggans Inn ( a very enjoyable event - lots of lovely crafters and beautiful loch views) from a lovely lady called Wendy Higgins aka The Wee Quilter. I bought this sweet quilt which will be great as a playmat or as a wall hanging/decoration…..
It has Noah’s Ark and a few animals on one side and on the reverse an assortment of wee animals.
I also bought this lovely wee Bunny……
Such an appealing wee face!
Again perfect for a nursery decoration and for her to play with when she is a lot older. In fact there were a few bunnies for sale and I couldn’t resist buying another. Whether it finds it’s way to another small child or stays with me is debatable!
Last but not least a lovely handmade card by Bella Bheag.........
I finally got off my backside this week and opened a Folksy Shop and on Saturday I had my first sale!! I have two shops on Etsy – one for tweed and one for everything else but the Folksy shop has a mixture of both including these Liberty fabric shower cap and bag sets – great for Mother’s Day.
I am struggling to find the Folksy widgit to link from my blog to the shop – any suggestions/help would be appreciated!
As a voracious reader I have thoroughly enjoyed the run up to World Book Day (March 3rd) and the fabulous programmes relating to it. I have particularly enjoyed ‘Faulks on Fiction’ and ‘My Life in Books’ in which 2 different celebrities chose 5 of their favourite books starting with favourite childhood book and finishing with ‘beach read’ or ‘guilty pleasure’. It was so interesting to see what people chose and what it revealed about them as people.
It got me thinking that it might be nice to do a ‘My Life in Books’ of my own so I started thinking back to the sort of books I enjoyed as a child and at key points in my life as I grew towards adulthood. I have been taken by surprise at the emotions that have been stirred on this trip down memory lane and I have found it impossible to narrow down to just a few books those which I hold most important. On reflection I shouldn’t have been too surprised as reading has always been a very emotional activity for me – a total immersion in another world.
Books were not that important in our house as I was growing up and I have no recollection of ever being read to as a small child but from about the age of 8 onwards I totally devoured books. My first memories of reading are of Enid Blyton – Famous Five, The Faraway Tree, The Secret Seven and Malory Towers (I was desperate to go to boarding school) – that was until I discovered the books of Pat Smythe, a famous showjumper turned author. I just loved the stories of girls riding ponies and getting into scrapes – the closest I ever got to that was a very tame ride around an indoor school once a week! However, my all time favourite books from this period have to the Silver Brumby series by Elyne Mitchell.
As I got older I moved on from horses and ponies to writers like Barry Hines. I remember reading ‘The Blinder’ over and over again I loved it so much – or rather I was a little in love with the main character Lenny Hawk! I think he was the first working class character that I had ever come across in a book - all my reading fodder until then had been about awfully nice posh children or talking horses! Suddenly here was someone speaking in a northern accent and dealing with normal stuff like school work and teachers.
At high school I studied English Lit at 'O' and 'A' levels and this opened up a whole new world of reading that I never knew existed. Along with Chaucer and Shakespeare we studied Thomas Hardy, Louis Mac Niece and Wilfred Owen among others – I still have the books!
Aged about 14 I started working in a shoe shop on a Saturday which happened to be opposite a small independent bookshop – in my lunch break I would go and scan the shelves and more often than not buy a paperback – in this way I managed to read the entire collections of Virginia Woolfe, Thomas Hardy, Henry James, Jane Austen and the Brontes, probably in a desperate attempt to escape the mundanity of life growing up in a seaside town with an average population age of 60. I still have these books although they are old and yellowing…..
I just can’t bear to part with them (Between the Acts disintigrated when I took it off the shelf!)
When I was 19 I went to Nottingham to study and there I discovered D.H Lawrence who I absolutely love…………..
I read every novel he wrote and again still have all the books! I also read a lot of Simone de Beauvoir, Collette, Alison Lurie, Anita Brookner and Iris Murdoch (looking back I was not entirely happy there I think)
After leaving college I lived and worked in London for a couple of years and had little or no time for reading. I didn’t seriously start again until I moved to Glasgow where I discovered the work of local writer James Kelman and canadian Robertson Davies who, luckily for me, was a prolific writer. Reading his entire body of work kept me going for quite some time!
I have noticed that my reading habits are a little OCD in that if I like an author I have to read every book they have written almost to the exclusion of any other author, only then can move on – a bit limiting at times but I am slowly breaking the habits of a lifetime (I blame Enid Blyton) This is getting easier as I am reading more and more modern fiction where the authors are still alive and writing!
More recently I have become addicted to Alexander MacCall Smith – The Isabel Dalhousie series, The 42 Scotland Street series and Corduroy Mansions series – hmmmmm still a bit OCD but when I am working long hours and I am really tired a few pages of this kind of writing is very soothing and easy – like a chat with an old friend. However I am managing to fit a few other authors in and around AMS, I now tend to read books that friends have given me or books that jump out at me in charity shops rather than buying from the bestsellers list at Waterstone’s. I have just finished the most amazingly moving book recently purchased at the local PDSA – ‘East of the Mountains’ by David Guterson. I read and loved ‘Snow Falling on Cedars’ a while back but this book is just beautiful – it made me cry big heaving sobs but despite this I wouldn’t say this was a sad book – just incredibly well written and life affirming.
Anyhoo, enough of this self indulgent rambling - this is my attempt to select a few of my all time favourite books - there is no way I can narrow it down to 5 but here it is:
Childhood Book: The Silver Brumby by Elyne Mitchell
Teenager: The Blinder by Barry Hines
Young Adult: To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolfe ; The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy;
Recent favourites:
A Thousand Acres – Jane Smiley
The Shipping News – E. Annie Proulx
The Secret History – Donna Tartt
The Quincunx – Charles Palliser
An Instance of the Fingerpost – Iain Pears (also like his Jonathan Argyle Series)
The Cornish Trilogy - Robertson Davies
42 Scotland Street (the first book in the series) – Alexander MacCall Smith
I could go on forever…….
Last but not least my guilty pleasure – anything by Joanna Trollope!
Of course no self respecting bibliophile woud be without some hand crafted reading accoutrements! I have bought several of these bookmarks....
both for myself and for friends - they make great gifts and are just lovely! Or you could make some of your own......
using recycled images stuck onto card - the ones above were made from a calender I had 2 years ago - so many lovely images! Frankly, you can never have enough bookmarks - I hate turning down the corners of pages - especially on craft books.
Anyone else want to share their favourite book/books? I’d love to hear!
In a previous post I discussed the need to develope your stall display each time you do a event or at least as you go along, to keep it interesting for both yourself and the customers.
Today I have a project to share which I have been meaning to do for some time. When I first started making shower hats I needed something to display and photograph them on so I picked up the cheapest polystyrene head I could. I got mine from Myers in Glasgow who represent Retif. (they also sell poly torso’s, hands etc for display)
This head was very cheap – and looks it. It is also a bit lightweight so easy to knock over, easy to dent and very smooth, so difficult to get the hats to stay on properly. I don’t know where I saw it but I saw a mannequin torso covered in different fabrics and thought that the same idea might be applied to my display head to make it more interesting. I had an old calendar (I usually make thank you cards and gift tags from my old calendars) that was perfect for the job so I got to work.
I tore the images into smallish strips of paper and got to sticking……..
It is best to put the PVA glue (any other type of glue will not work) onto the polystyrene neat and to have some glue in a pot slightly watered down (not too watered down or it will soak the paper and make it tear) to fix the paper. Also before you start sticking you should test the paper for colourfastness or it could get very messy. Then all you have to do is work your way around the head until it is covered and voila…..
one Brocante-style head! My head is now heavier, non-slip and less liable to denting. The paper and glue give a really nice finish and it is now easy to keep the hat on the head - it looks pretty too! All it cost was the price of the head (roughly £6) and £1.99 for a bottle of PVA. It is a great way of recycling bits of fabric, old magazines, maps, calendars etc and gives you something unique for your display.
After covering my head I still had some pages of the calendar left and as I already have loads of tags from last years calendar recycling I decided the images would make great mirrors – yes mirror mania strikes again!
Here are a selection that I made up…
I always have 2 calendars each year – one for social events and one for work so instead of making yet more gift tags from the second calendar I made some lovely abstract mirror sets.
Both these mirror sets and others are now available in my shop.
I did two events over the weekend and the mirrors were quite popular and a welcome addition to my product range. I think they will come into their own at xmas as they are ideal stocking fillers.
I am feeling very positive after 2 days of craft fairs that although not hugely lucrative were highly enjoyable. I met some more lovely crafters and bought some fab baby gifts for my friends' wee girl who I will be visiting for the first time this week! I have also been commissioned to make a handbag for one of the stallholders I met yesterday which I am looking forward to making. Blogs on both to follow this week!
I have decided to spread the mirror love and give these four sets of one mirror with six gift tags (image below) to the first four people who leave a comment on this post.
What the hell - It brightens up a dull March day!
I got me a new toy!
For some time now I have been considering investing in one of these gadgets….
They come in all shapes and sizes to suit all budgets. After a bit of research I plumped for this one. I bought it to make pocket mirrors as I thought that they would be a good tie in product for my make-up bags and handbags. I was also looking for an item to make that used up small scraps of fabric (I never throw anything away) that I couldn’t use for anything else and that were quick and easy to make. With this machine as well as making mirrors you can use it to make make button badges and fridge magnets. It also has the capacity to change dies so you can make different sizes if you want to. I bought the 58mm kit to see how I got on and I LOVE IT!! In fact I love it so much I have developed and RSI in my right shoulder from going crazy with the mirror making.
First I started with the Liberty and Echino fabrics………….
And then progressed to Harris Tweed……..
The tweed is harder to cut and moves around so you have to be careful when cutting otherwise the piece you cut is misshapen and useless. There is also a knack to mirror making and as soon as you stop concentrating you make a mess of it! I have spoiled several units but I think I have got it figured out now. There is something so satisfying about the finished product – they have gone down a storm amongst my friends – now I need to sell a few. They are available to buy here and here!
I am very interested to see what kind of response I get to the mirrors at the 2 events this weekend – they are very different events with a different type of visitor at each – fingers crossed they are well received!
Sorry to disappoint anyone expecting something truely theatrical! I am just trying to make myself sound more interesting than I actually am.
The past 2 weeks has been taken up with making costumes (really more like adapting existing stuff) and painting furniture for a show I designed for a friend of mine. It was very low budget and only on for two nights last week at Oran Mhor. You can see the costumes on stage and read all about it in detail on my other blog if you are interested.
These are just a few very blurry pics (when are we going to get some sunshine?) of the costumes in my house that I took as I was working on them.
This is a lace dress which I repaired and added some embellishments to a la Gok. The slip is a nightie from BHS with a frill added to it.
This hat was bought on eBay for a tenner including post. I cut off the crown and added a feather boa bought for £1 from a charity shop to get the desired look...
This dress was bought 2nd hand and after altering to fit the actress I added fur trim - I have never stabbed myself with pins so much in my life - fur is terrible to work with and I broke 3 needles on the beaded fabric!!
The headdress was made from a variety of leftover bits and bobs and some feathers - cheap and easy to make but does the trick...
Along with this I have been buying props, painting and covering furniture and generally running about like a blue arsed fly - I have loved every minute of it!!
This week has been great so far - I am making like a demon in preparation for two events this weekend. It feels like a luxury to have so much time to devote to making and also to be enjoying it so much! Looking forward to the weekend - in hope rather than anticipation!
2010 was the year that I decided to explore the possibility of taking my crafting to the next level by participating in considerably more, and larger craft events. Unfortunately 2010 turned out to be the year that most people decided that buying handmade crafts was not top of their list of priorities!
After investing a huge amount of time, effort and money in the many events I attended over the summer I just about broke even, but was left exhausted and without stock for the upcoming winter events that I had committed to, wondering what the hell was I doing with my life? I know from reading other blogs that this has been the case for very many crafters. Disappointing as the financial rewards were I feel enriched by the experiences I have had and by the many wonderful crafters I met in the process - Karen, Catherine and Meg to name but a few. It has also made it clear to me that the way forward for me, at this point in time at least, is to go back to doing a few select events that do not involve a huge financial outlay, at the time of year when my work sells best i.e the Winter months on the lead up to Xmas. Luckily I attended a couple of cracking events at the end of the year that made up for previous disappointments and boosted my confidence enough to encourage me to continue.
This year I have snuck a couple of early March events to maybe catch some Mother's Day purchasers and one in June as it is local to me and part of the West End Festival but apart from that I am concentrating all my efforts into building up my stock for the end of the year. Having made this decision I feel as though a weight has lifted from my shoulders. I now have the time to do other things that I enjoy doing - this year is going to be the year of travelling for me. Not some Elizabeth Gilbert style life changing trek across several continents but a few short breaks going to places I always wanted to go and generally just enjoying myself!
I haven't done too badly so far this year. I have already spent a week in East Sussex visiting family and enjoying the cafes and galleries in Rye and Lewes, walks on Camber Sands...
and a couple of days in London where I managed to catch the last day of the Diaghilev and the Ballets Russe exhibition among other things!
I also managed a short break to Bruges (my first encounter with Eurostar - brilliant - V. civilised!) which is a place that I have always wanted to visit. It is great for a cultural break with it's great architecture, galleries and restaurants. Great shops too. And chocolate! We even managed to see a fantastic piece of performance art/dance.
I have also booked a short break to the Outer Hebrides in April...
a chance to check out the tweed mill and get some good walking in! And another road trip to visit my sister in Cornwall is on the cards! Throw in a couple of weekend trips - The International Quilt Fair in Birmingham, Country Living, Knitting and Stitching Show etc and the year is shaping up pretty well.
So all in all, despite a slightly disappointing 2010 I am filled with optimism for 2011 and I would just like to share a few thoughts with you based on my experiences. They are mostly common sense but.......
1. Price your work realistically and STICK TO IT. Don't be persuaded to undervalue what you do.
2. Know your market - who is your work aimed at - try to find events that attract your target group or that at least have a good chance of attracting at least some!
3. Don't take it personally if you don't sell alot (or in my case at a couple of day- long events only ONE item!!) and don't let it dishearten you (difficult I know) It is NOT a reflection on you or the quality of your work. Use the time to learn what it is that customers are looking for and what they like about your work or just chalk it down to experience and don't book for that event again!
4. Talk to your fellow crafters and try to learn from their experiences - most people are more than happy to share information about events etc. but remember that everybody has a different experience depending on what they are selling and their expectations of what a 'good' day's takings are.
5. Try to test drive at least one or two new products a year - craft fairs are a great way of getting lots feedback about your products. This is especially important if you are attending several events in the same place or area over the year - people like variety and existing customers need encouragment to buy yet more of your fabulous products!
6. Talk enthusiatically to your potential customers about your work - it is amazing how few people will realize that YOU have actually physically made it! Plus people are more likely to buy from you if you engage with them. Promote any other events that you are taking part in and maybe have a small handout/flyer with a bit about you and your craft credentials.
7. Use each event as an opportunity to refine and perfect your stall display - don't rest on your laurels - make an effort to be creative - you don't need to spend alot of money. My favourite addition to my display this year is a twig that my friend Laurence picked up for me in Pollock Park and some battery operated lights from Ikea. Also, move things around on your display - especially if you are somewhere for more than a day.
8. Enjoy yourself! Be prepared and take something to work on if you are not overun with customers, some nice food and a flask of good coffee/tea. I don't know about you but I get very grumpy if I don't get something nice to eat. Some events are woefully lacking in the refreshments dept.!
9. If you are taking part in a large event have a range of items with prices to suit all budgets - sometimes it is the cheaper 'bread and butter' items that make an event successful financially. If you can find that 'magic' item that is quick and inexpensive to produce but highly desirable you are onto a winner!
10. As my pal Isobel always says - Go in HOPE rather than in EXPECTATION.
If anybody has any thoughts or observations to add to this please feel free to comment - I would be really interested to hear about your experiences. Until next time....Happy Crafting!xx
Recent Comments