Handmade Monday #122

Welcome to another week in my creative life. The plan is still working and doing well for me.

Monday

Some more dog cards this time Golden Retriever and Labradoodles.

Tuesday

Beagle and German Shepherd

Wednesday

Cocker and Springer Spaniel

Thursday

As only needed a small shop this week had to fit in a trip to Waitrose. 

As in the right , well a slight detour, direction the car took itself to the Avenue Nurseries in Lasham, lol. Well it is Spring and the garden needs some colour.

Friday

Another set of dog cards, almost at the end this time West Highland Terrier and Dachshunds

Saturday

Finally finished the dog cards Boxer and Schnauzer

That is it for me this week but have started some more knitting, more of a winter piece but can always put by for next year. Plus doing a stock take and ensuring every item has a price tag, is on the Paypal app, stock list. Then can sort what I am taking to the fair in May.

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Until next week

Handmade Monday #121

1st April and no jokes, think being a Monday a lot of people forgot about it. Popped out to drop of a parcel from a sale on Etsy, via the farm shop for some odds and ends. Coffee and then settled down to make 3 tote bags. Found this curtain fabric in my stash, not sure how long I have had it or what I bought it for. Now some handy tote bags in a rose or polka dot print. Fully lined with pink poly cotton.

Bags are so handy now and fabric so much better than plastic. On my Folksy shop priced at £7.50

Tuesday makes. Now I love buttons and vintage style. Again have had these buttons for some time and had to make into a pretty card. 

On my Folksy shop priced at £2.00

Wednesday Make. Pink Unicorn Girl's Skirt

Who does not love unicorn's?

On Folksy here

Keeping up the daily makes today (Thursday) an Alice tea bag sachet card, a different way to say thank you. Folksy shop

A quiet Friday apart from dog food delivery, almost need a fork lift truck for a month's supply, lol. Carrying on the theme of tea this time a cute tea bag gift holder, holds 2 tea bags.

Also cut a mount for a picture as a gift for DH and a bookmark cannot show before his Birthday, just in case he has a sneeky peek. Clue Game of Thrones.

Saturday? Doggy cards Yorkshire Terrier and King Charles Spaniels

Sunday more doggy cards Jack Russell and Highland Terrier

French Bulldog and Pug

Had a sale for a Jack Russell, Yorkshire Terrier and a Pug. As part of the same order a special design of a white/cream Cockapoo

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As you may have gathered form my daily posts, am trying to make something however small every day. The secret is in the planning or in my jumble of a brain. So far working not sure will keep up every day but makes me feel good to see progress.

I have also mentioned about closing my website and only using Folksy with the occasional posting to Etsy. I am loving the freedom found uploading stuff to the website so time consuming. Now can create, photograph, price and Folksy. So easy have more time to craft!!!!

As been busy this week and completed my tasks for each day. Giving myself Sunday afternoon off to watch Victoria on download.

See you next week

Books, books and more books my haven

I love books and can never get enough of them. Admit to not reading them all, at the moment but I will get through them gradually. I have a large library of craft books and having read an article in my favourite magazine 'Victoria' by Writer in Residence Carole Rizzoli on Sunday made me realise I am not alone. 

I do remember the first books I read, Briar Rose by James H Fassett. My Mother always read to me at night. One evening my Dad went past my bedroom and heard me reading, he called to Mum to come and watch. She noticed that yes I was reading word for word but had the book upside down! Over the years I this had become my favourite book and had managed to learn all the words by heart. Loved the Famous Five and Secret Seven, anything that had a bit of mystery.

This genre carried on with me until about 8 years ago when for some reason my reading changed, still love Agatha Christie's Miss Marple. Now love books that involve a business Vanessa Greene, Caroline Roberts and Jane Linfoot to name 3. Prefer something a bit more genteel not so vivid as a modern murder mystery. Also love Auto Biographies and over Christmas read Jo Malone.

Now going back to books, Craft books in particular. I have plenty do sort them sometimes and pass to the local Charity shop. Has to be a book. Something that you can open with the spines all crisp and intact. An iBook does not cut it and find this way of reading boring, whilst a book in an armchair with the fire alight, cup of coffee to hand is perfect.

Have most of the books published by the Stampington magazine 'Women In Business', see a trend here? Love to read about other craft women, see their studio's and the path they have followed. What inspires them and how against adversity carry on going.

Do you have books? or prefer and iPad or Kindle? Do you remember your first books?

Read Carole's article Here

Handmade Monday #120

What a beautiful week weather wise, okay was a bit nippy at times but when the sun came out quite hot. Spent most of the week helping DH in the garden, still a work in progress but certainly a lot tidier than it was. I hate it when a garden has been put to bed for the winter and always looks so sorry for itself coming into Spring.

Still a lot of work to do, need to find some small trees for the new grey pots down the side of the path. some spring and summer colour and the front needs some attending to. Will get there eventually then sit back in the summer with a glass of Pims and enjoy time in the garden.

Shiloh wanted to help with the weeding! sadly he cannot differentiate between a weed and a prized plant, so has to be kept behind bars until we can watch everything he is up to. He will be 8 in June not sure where these years have gone but he is still as mad as a box of frogs. Our vet reckons he may calm down by the time he is 10! Our last one was still bonkers at 15.5.

On the creating front, shut my website early as has not been showing all week due to an unsecure server. All loading onto Folksy gradually and had an Etsy sale the dragon reading pillow.

Have been knitting and sewing a pair of baby trousers made from a vintage hand embroidered table cloth. The leftovers made into lavender hearts.

Stitched up the colour panel cardigan.

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Have a wonderful week

Handmade Monday #119

Well the last week has zipped passed as usual, spent a boring 2 hours at the garage whilst the car had it's MOT, passed, yippee!

Not made as much this week been pattern drafting the results of which should appear within a couple of weeks. Plus gardening, jet hosing the patio and paths etc. DH has a long list of things to do and always seems to involve my input, purely on a supervisory level of course.

Makes for this week another random knit waistcoat this time in strawberry

Using up the left over wool a pom pom hat

Finally had a go at embroidery onto cards, the writing did not work as pulled and split the card but the design worked well.

Daisy

Baby Girl

Baby Boy

After some major problems the past 2 years with website hosting have decided to close my website at the end of June. Will load all my stock onto my Folksy shop. I know a lot of advice is to have your own website but tbh do better at face to face events and on Facebook. Think I have also got to the age when I want to downsize a lot of what I have and do more of the things I want to do. Retirement is to be embraced and enjoyed. Will still do my sewing and card making but not to the volume I have in the past.

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See you all next week

Handmade Monday #118

What a week, wind rain and Storm Gareth hoping for some dry weather with sun even if colder. Much prefer the cold weather and dry to wet and mild.

Not sure where this week has gone but looking back have managed to make quite a bit. My stall in May is going to be full.

Ladies Shrug

Took a while to get into this pattern but after a few rows quite happy. The hardest bit was the filly edges as had to use a circular needle. Never got on with these before but quite happy and would use again. The yarn has a gold thread with mini sequins running through it.

A baby jumper with buttons on the shoulder and broderie anglais trim added.

A baby waistcoat with cap sleeves in lilac random yarn with pom pom's on the ties

Not one to waste wool managed to make a tiny hat with pom pom with the leftovers

Finally some slumber party bags, ideal for a girls' sleepover.

Think going for a rest now. Have to clean the inside of the car of dog hairs on Monday ready for the MOT later in the week. Fingers crossed it passes.

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V & A Papercraft Magazine Review

Saw this magazine advertised and as love V & A and the Arts and Crafts Movement had to treat myself. £12.99 but as included stamps, die and papers happy with the cost, at the point of ordering.

Arrived and got all excited, then disappointed as the magazine is very flimsy and feels cheap. Used to the Hunkydory magazine which is glossy with beautiful papers etc. The papers themselves are double sided A3 sheets folded in half, so with the crease 2 of each in A4 size. Again these are matt and have a rough texture not what I would have expected from the V & A. Not sure if the choice of paper weight is theirs or the publishers.

The stamp and die set are perfect though so not all lost.

A lot of project ideas included in the magazine if you need inspiration.

Would I buy again? not at the current quality. Would be happy to pay more for a more polished set though