Winter bug, Film fest, stitching overdose

I have been messing around with my photos for etsy this week. I was trying to find a more interesting way of displaying my stock. These two are quite simple but effective I think. I need to update my IT knowledge so this is a good way to start. I have run into IT issues with my book and with Photoshop now so next year I pledge to become a computer wizz and wow my husband (who is very IT geek) with my new knowledge (well that's the plan). I also made this doll for a friends little girl. I altered a pattern from a favourite book Wee Wonderfuls by Hillary Lang. I added a chicken and an apron to the design and made the doll a tad larger and gave her a slightly bigger heart head.

I forgot to post this little giraffe last time too. she is very sweet, but to my daughters dispare, she sold at my Christmas stall. I had said that if she didn't sell Merryn could have her. I will have to make another one now ,I know it. Merryn will not stop reminding me about the giraffe (Pester power is my greatest weakness with the kids) I'm too soft but they know just how to turn on the sad/cute faces at the right times.

Finally I have been going cuckoo this past few weeks. The winter bugs have hit our house hold, and with my back playing up, me and the kids have been stuck round the house. Poor fin was worst hit with a bad cold and was sofa bound for the last few days. He missed his school disco and Merryn looks like she may miss her Christmas party too. What with my back being how it is, I have had to resort to some cross stitch on the sofa and a Christmas/Disney film fest. Several days of sewing has produced a few Christmas bits and the fabric reefs I made for the Craft tent have found root in the house. Hopefully if my brain hasn't melted away by next year with sick kid and Film overdose I will try to post one last time before New year. If not have a merry one and enjoy the Friends and family around you (and the booze, chocs and cheese).

Happy Christmas and New Year x x x

Saltash craft fair photos

Few...... what a relief that is over. I have suffered many long and late nights on this venture. Me and the Frost team pulled it off though and with a few hick ups the whole event went really well. The Craft tent ( Were I came in ) was also a great success with a few lessons learnt along the way and the realisation that it is actually very very very cold and muddy and to spend a whole day 9-7 out in a tent is not a great joy unless you have wellys and a flask of hot tea ( off which I had neither ) First lesson learnt........ If you want to see more photos follow this link to the Cornwall photo gallery www.cornwallphotogallery.co.uk were Wayne and Jo Warburton did an amazing job of capturing the whole event in glorious and beautiful photography..... they are very talented and very friendly people and cant thank them enough for there pics.

Winter Sun

OMG how can one tiny badge have made sooooooooooooo much mess. Thank goodness I work from home. I would be the worst person to have a desk next too in an office. Well as you can see I am sometimes not so productive at making stock but more so at creating chaos. ...........Nevermind......... On the plus side I have just had the best weekend hopefully the feeling is shared among the rest of you. I spent both days down on the beach at Watergate bay down in the depths of Cornwall. What a great patch of winter sun we had. I put the pop up tent up, took some stew, some surf boards two kids and a guitar. One of the best combinations (other than chocolate and coffee that is)

Origami Street art.

Finished a few more toys last night. I'm slowly getting through my stall stock whilst doing other sewing work. I seem to have lots of orders to get through at the worst time. There are rolls of fabric in my bedroom now as I am out of space in the sewing room. Its great being busy with work but the timing is bad. I have to learn to say no to things. I think that word has been over used with the kids lately and under used with my work life, the balance is all off........ I have also realised that I am becoming a bit obsessed with origami. I finished a cushion for my room and put my painting up today. I think this is the root of my current issue. Although origami infuriates me when I cant figure out the next part of a fold from a diagram (I often loose sleep over it when this happens),it is so fascinating to me and I really want to do a project with it. What I'm not sure yet...

However,whilst skiving from my house duties I also came across this brilliant street artist. Also a bit obsessed with origami.

I did a guerilla street art attack last summer. I put a fabric flock of birds in a tree at the local park. Its funny sitting on a bench near the scene and watching the reactions from passers by. I might try an origami something next to brighten up the winter months. I'll let you know if the idea goes anywhere.

Well I better stop blogging and actually get on with something now.... a cup of tea is in order I think, happy fireworks night, hope you all have a safe loud and fun fireworks display to go to, bye for now x

Always pack chocolate !

Not been doing much crafting these last few weeks. I had some less glamorous work in the form of curtains and Roman blind orders for a customer. Along with this boring sewing task I also had a disaster of a weekend.I had to rush home to see my poor mum who had ended up in hospital after a black out and fall. Whilst on route, I ended up on a train, stuck on the track, dead still for two hours whilst police buzzed around the line with ambulance men. Someone had fell on the track, in front of my train. Terrible I know..... worst thing was the train was overloaded as a London train had been cancelled and all I could think about was getting to my mum. not the poor person on the track. (how terrible am I). public transport is not what it used to be. gone are the days off a nice window and table seat when you can grab a few peaceful hours of book reading. Disaster Disaster Disaster............... Well luckily my mum is on the mend but the poor person under my train was not so fortunate. (makes me feel even worse for cursing them for being so clumsy while I was just glad I had packed some chocolate....) On the up side I finished a couple of reindeer and Betty. they have been half finished on my sewing pile for yonks and after the stress of the weekend I thought some sewing therapy was in order and these three characters came to light. Fingers crossed for a better half term week with the kids. looking forward to embrace the chaos they bring, and fun filled days.

Geometric art

I thought I would bring out my paints this week. It has been a while and if it hadn't been for my new bedroom to decorate they probably would have remained collecting dust and drying up in there tubes. I also made some broaches with that shrink dink plastic stuff. I love watching them shrink up in the over. It reminds me of my school days melting crisp packets in the oven. Hoping they would shrink evenly to make into keyrings, but often just making a mess of my mums oven and then hiding the evidence, oops sorry mum.

I have been having a laugh with merryn and fin too with these 3d glasses (that don't actually work by the way) they just make you look daft and the book that they are ment to work on never even got read . Im sure my bed times were never as much fun. maybe that's why I actually did sleep and my kids actually don't.

Back on my book this week

I have finally had a chance to do a few more pages for my book this week, my dead line is out the window though at this point. I hadn't realised how busy I was going to be this winter. Fin and Merryn were happy to see themselves appear on a few pages and there art work. The Saltash Hub plans are thankfully progressing and my own Christmas stall events ( still 2 to make stock for )are fast approaching and I am helping organise the Saltash Christmas event of which I am in charge of the Art and Craft tents. Thankfully they are all running to plan but I cant squeeze another thing in. Why do I do these crazy things. What a pratt, I will be needing lots of mulled wine to get me through the festivities this year and its only October.