Calling Time...

Yesterday I finally made a decision.

Rather than feeling sad, disappointed or anxious about having made it and publically declaring it to friends, loved ones and on Facebook (ah, the joys of social media outings) I am actually feeling a sense of relief and just a smidge of proudness that I finally made the leap.

So, in a nutshell I am calling time on Mason Bee, well the side that I attempt to make something that someone else might want to buy side of Mason Bee. I can't exactly cut out that part of me that makes or designs that is, after all, a rather big chunk of who I am. I am just done with dealing with the stress of not having made anything for an age, that my social media platforms (aside from Instagram) are gathering virtual dust because I have zero motivation or inspiration to post. I am tired of beating myself up over something that....I just don't think I am ever going to push to the next level. Not out of fear, but more that the passion for making is diminishing.

That's not right, not for me.

I don't appear to be doodling like I used to, excited about being surrounded by wonderful things in my study, even being in my cozy study doesn't interest me any more. Because every time I am in it, I sense of guilt would set in as my desire to make along with my interest has gone.

I want the interest to come back, and I know it will, but I have really got to cut out the side of things that no longer feel me with joy.

So, here goes it...

• Facebook 'company' page will be closing by the end of the month
• All my remaining made items will go back on sale, again, in my Etsy store till either they sell or the listings expire (whatever comes first) and then the store will close.
• My Twitter and Instagram accounts will remain but the focus will switch to my lifestyle, and personal interests.
• Website will be closing soon.
• As for my blog well its between changing direction slightly, to closing but I'll keep you posted on that.

Seems like such a small list of things but they meant a lot to me at one stage or another, but as they say all good things must come to an end, and I'd much rather do it with conviction rather than letting all simply fall by the wayside which is where it was heading.

Needless to say, a little weight has been lifted from my shoulders.

Thank you to all that have followed me on my strange little journey either from the beginnings as LAMdesigns through to Mason Bee as it stands today. It's been fun, but let's do this again some other time.

xxx

Edit: Facebook and website has now been deleted.

Goldwork A Look Back

Getting back into the rhythm of things of late sees me first taking a look back at past projects. Seemingly have a raft of work in progress or completely abandoned pieces of work. Recently whilst having a check at what pieces I have that I want to sell, I came across this piece of gold work, (see above) a Tudor Rose sampler, stitched in the first year of my apprenticeship at the Royal School of Needlework (sadly, they dropped the apprenticeship in favour of going the University route). 

To be honest it slipped my mind that I had even done it. To be fair it was 12/13 years ago. I do recall the first year being a bit tricky for me, the whole doing pre-scripted designs didn't really appeal to me. Still I did each of the projects. 

If you wondering it's purposely left unfinished, some in my year did go on to finish it but I quite liked the fact you can see the layers, which was the purpose of the piece. Goldwork looks really tricky but with practice you can get the basics down pretty quickly. Most of  the problems come from when you don't do the prep work properly, from the padding layers to working out the order of work. For instance you wouldn't necessarily start with the gold that is more delicate and liable to crack (i.e. in the case of the image above, the stem which is cut work), in an area that you also need to do a lot of other embroidery. Also simply taking your time with it.

It's been nice to look back at this piece, and perhaps it's about time I got it framed. For the time being though its time to look ahead.

Too the next post. 

Summer Holiday Unwind

Cor, blimey. 

It's been a while since I posted!

I am very much here, and stitching but the blog is pretty much in its summer hibernation mode as is my website and Etsy store. That being said I thought I would give an update...

I've working on the new quilt project, called 'Gossip in the Garden' it's by Hatched & Patched. It was tea related and had bees on it, so I had to do it. This weekend I managed to get all the appliqué completed for block A, I just need to finish the small patchwork block detailing before I move onto the next block. 

What's been nice about this project is the opportunity to use up scraps, and that it's forcing me to start making some sort of dent into the rest of my fabric stash. It's also been nice to do as it's making me stop and think about colour and print combinations too. Getting the old noggin working!

Lots of fiddly needle turned appliqué. 

When I haven't been playing with fabric, I've also been making a bit of a dent on my jewellery making stash. It was high-time I broke out the Swarovski Crystals. A made a rainbow inspired bracelet, see below, a long chain necklace and updated another long chain I picked up recently in the summer sales. 

Also celebrated Hamish the Hamster's 2nd Birthday. Still going strong my little ginger furball. He's currently on vacation with my Best Friend. 

And I've taken a small break from eyelets but it's coming along rather nicely. I can't quite decide whether to go all the way round or keep it to one side of the oval shape, a crescent of eyelets. But post my break I'm sure I'd have made my decision. 

And that my friends, is where I am currently at. I'll be back in proper blogging mode in September!

A momentary Sunday Pause

My mind has been a bit befuddled this weekend. I had planned to write a small post on my visit to the Royal Academy on Friday, but instead I am going to mull on that a bit more, in order to do it some justice, and write it up during the week.

For now I need tea, shortbread and a return to a bit of bright stitching.

Just a small reminder, there are only a few more days left to enter my mini competition.

Wishing everyone a lovely weekend.

A for Alphabet, B for Birthday....

C for Certainly been a full on fortnight between birthday, now Easter and projects. So here is a little round up of what I've been up too. 

• You know my sneaky shots from my last blog post, well heck I finished it! I am so super happy with how this Alphabet display piece turned out. 26 individually stitched letters. Yes, in my favourite trailing stitch, think I need treatment for this addiction. Loved making it so much so that I want to do another one, and I will because I've already purchased another display rack. Thinking a different colour way and different stitch. Interested in purchasing, head over to Etsy. 

Q for...uhm...Queue? Qwerty...

Now you know your A, B, C's...next time...

• Who knew about laminating fabric could be so much fun...now have a fab new mousemat! Go on, crack out that laminator.

• What did I do for my birthday? Lots of hanging out with my family, yay! And double yay, as I went to the freakin' Harry Potter Studio. Cue feeling like a massive kid, and I was, so many small people...still it was so much fun. And totally worth the ticket price. Totally rode a broom, wore a Slytherin cloak, and bought a chocolate frog.

Sort of loving the pink ombre tiles...

Squee, Dumbledore's Office...

• Enjoying the Easter break! Not one to like keep still or anything, I've been flicking between decorating my bathroom, which I can now say is finally complete! Huzzah. I do not want to see a paintbrush for a while. Eating chocolate has been the order of the day, as has drinking copious amounts of tea (duh), and stitching. Just flitting about playing about with things half finished. Like rather large 1 1/2 inch hexie's I had the fabric cut out for an age, and I really couldn't remember what the plan was, but heck I thought do something or put it away. So out came the lovely rainbow coloured threads again. When it's spring time, you just need to bust out the colours even when it's a grey, April day. Tomorrow there will be more working on this random project, and if it looks good I'll give you more of a heads up on how you can make a totally random hexi thing too! 

• Think also get the Wonderland piece back out to see about getting that a little closer to finishing.  
• Oh! I managed to give my website a little bit of love. Updated pictures, and tweaked the little store that's on that site too.

For now my dearies, I need tea and some more chocolate! Happy Easter xx

Trailing, Trailing, Trailing...

...Rawhide!

It's been in my head all week that line, as I crack on with yet another craft project, Wonderland is on hold at the moment as the sudden urge to stitch on the commute to work has overtaken it for the time being. Will be back on it very soon!

So what's up this week...

• The closest I got to the eclipse was via the computer. I have to say, that the coverage was pretty good on the BBC website. 

• Taken to stitching on the train once more as I've got a project, yes I've started another one, that I can carry about with me. I am not going to go into too much detail on it but you can see a few sneaky shots, and I am sure you can at least gather that the alphabet is involved. Or it's a name with an interesting spelling...Oh, and yes it's trailing. Okay, can't help it! Threads, in case you were interested are DMC white for the core thread, and over the top I am presently using cotton hand-dyed threads by Zoe Acketts, and also one colour is using vintage silk floss, brand unknown.

• Got a little fidgety the other week, Sunday night wobbles, and so I found myself knocking up a little floating cloud with crystal raindrops, just to keep my hands busy. For once, the inspiration /mood board in my study/guest room came in handy. Wish I could tell you who to credit, but all I can say the instructions were in issue #32 of Mollie Makes, on page 62. That's it, as I ripped it out when I was having a clear out of old magazines. In those instructions they make it into a super cute mobile, but for me I just went for the one solitary cloud in uber wicked liberty print. Finally starting to cut into the Tana Lawn stash again.

• It's my birthday next week, and whilst I run about the Harry Potter Studios, like a loon, I've decided to offer 31% off everything in my Etsy store. Simply use the following discount code: 31ROCKS.

Hope everyone is having a fab March. 

Biscuits, Quilts and Tea

Another week has flown by, I was rather caught up with last minute decorating ahead of my carpet being fitted, more on that later. Feeling a little bit crook but at the same time determined to finish a longstanding project. I feel more energized of late to stitch and well do things. 

Get things done! 

• The sheer relief of finishing a quilting project! Having started it, or at least gathered together all the fabric back in 2013, the quilt for my bedroom was completed last week. Can't say how bloody awesome it is to actually finish such a long project. The hand sewing the binding certainly took a lot of patience, as I was so ready for it to be done. And can I say why did I not get the Clover Wonder Clips sooner! But it is, at long last now adorning my bed. Which means I'll be getting ready soon to getting that room decorated. Speaking of decorating....

I love my little red and clear wonder clips, they are so freakin awesome and totally limit the amount of times I am normally stabbed with pins whilst sewing on bias binding!

Bob, I can see you.

• My hallway is finally finished! Talk about a relief. The carpet was fitted, along with the laminate in the bathroom, yesterday morning. Knowing that one room(ish) is complete, and that I am now keen to crack on with the next project, which will be the bathroom is really great, and I think I have to say the spring sunshine is certainly helping with the motivation to get on. 

• Other decorating based news. My biscuit collection is ever growing, the lovely designing talents of Nikki McWilliams has extended to these lovely range of foil letterpress designs, Jammie Dodger, Custard Cream and recently a copper Bourbon biscuit. Hard to resist. These will eventually be framed and will go on display in the livingroom. Hoping that there will be a party ring on the horizon. 

• Watch the process of handcrafted quilts. Simply stunning.

• Got the idea for my next embroidery project, follows on from a mini quilt/patchwork which I am going to post about during the week, once I've properly completed (nearly there!). Let's just say, tea is featured. 

• Things I am thinking about a lot lately: changing direction, closing Etsy store, getting rid of Facebook (company page) love Instagram more, focusing on making things for me but perhaps looking in more detail about what is I am making, and how I do it. Essentially, figuring out do I want to make to sell or simply just make? Perhaps the sunshine had woken up long dusty brain cells. What are you thinking about at the moment?

Revisiting a List

I've been in a bit of a cleansing mode of late. Nothing has been spared my ruthless need to clean out and throw out, from kitchen cupboards to my embroidery supplies. Even my blog has undergone the same need to start a fresh and uncluttered, I've started going back through the really old posts and either editing or deleting posts that have little content, broken image links and so forth. 

As I was doing this I came a cross a list of things I wanted to do, or see and after six years I wanted to see how far I got with crossing things off, and I've managed to complete the following:

1. Return to Washington, and finally visit the Smithsonian - Totally did this and more, over a week navigating about the capital on my own! Best decision ever.

3. Watch Fight Club - I did finally watch, can't remember when but I did buy it and watched it.

5. Use all of my Swarovski hot fix crystals and make a blinging bag - I put this on a list?? lol

7. Re-read the chronicles of Narnia - I did

9. Go dancing - I really wasn't very specific on this one...

13. Move out - I did!! Technically, I did this twice...Guildford, then home briefly before moving to Farnham

14. Live or work in London - I currently work in London

15. Learn how to walk in high heels - Nope, flats all the way!

16. Enter a piece of my embroidery into a competition - Pretty sure I entered something into a competition for Liberty's?

18. Travel anywhere abroad on my own - I did!! See point #1

20. Own a house - I own a flat

21. Learn to drive - I am currently learning

22. Submit an article on anything to a magazine - submitted several articles into Crafty Magazine, and one in Hoop-la

23. Learn to conquer my fear of glass floors and floor to ceiling windows, i.e visit the Grand Canyon - THIS IS NEVER, EVER HAPPENING

25. Go to Goodwood festival of speed - I did go to Goodwood Revival?

28. Learn to say no - try to

29. Get a tattoo of a daisy - NEVER

30. Buy emo style glasses - TOTALLY GOT SOME

34. Go on a weekend to Edinburgh - 30TH BIRTHDAY

So I think we can safely say that I've managed a fair few things on the list but byjove it was a random! Think in the New Year I'll try and think up some new ones, as there are clearly a few that I don't think I will ever make myself do...i.e. glass floors, and tattoos. I don't do new year's resolutions but I can get more on board with things to do rather than trying to break old habits. 

This is a departure from blogging about projects I am working on, and I have been awfully quiet about that for the last couple of months but I am feeling fidgety and my noggin is already fizzing with ideas just need a bit more time to work out what they will actually translate into. In the meantime there will be a sale over on my Etsy Store, and the blog spring clean will continue.

I hope everyone has or is still having a lovely Christmas break!

Studio Tuesday at Cowdray Park

I am really, really proud to do a spot of PR for my mum. I've been oodles quiet owing to just getting on making stock for the craft show, sorting out a few custom orders, and catching the winter lurgy. But, I now have something exciting to share, my mum and her studio buddy (Studio Tuesday) are running a pop-up gallery at the Bike Shed, Cowdray Park Farm Shop. 

So if you're in the area, why not pop in and meet the lovely ladies, and see their and other local artists amazing work. Great opportunity to purchase some unique Christmas presents and also help them to raise raise monies for the charity Dreams Come True Xmas Appeal.

Fairs and a Christmas Bee

So last week I mentioned last week that I had an opportunity to go to the Handmade Fair at Hampton Court, courtesy of the lovely gang over at We Make. I am hope wining tickets to the fair might mean I would win the lottery. But you know to do that you have to first buy tickets....

It was surprisingly, and perhaps a somewhat unfair comment to make, that the fair was rather good. Now I did only go for just over an hour and half which might not seem a long time but it was a bit of an early start on a Sunday to make sure I got there early enough. I like to get to show's early, not a big fan of crowds, and when you have tents...the heat. Now a lot of it was geared towards classes, and talks which I wasn't there for as my ticket didn't allow me to do any, and honestly not sure I would have wanted to. There was, however, a nice mix of craft folk and suppliers. Though it would be nicer to see if they do it again next year they could attract more independent suppliers, the niche stuff that you nine times out of ten have to order on line to see it. And it was some what of a surprise that the RSN didn't take a stand, would have been worth the outlay which I know was fairly substantial, or even have the workrooms open for the day. 

Fabric a gift from my best mate, she knows me so well, some uber cute Christmas Decorations and yes might have picked up some more papercraft stuff. It's an addiction...

Anyway, I picked up a few bits, was being good given I had just come back from the States with a bucket load of supplies, and I knew that the following week I would be off to Threads....

Which like the Handmade fair is still in its infancy. 

For those crazy long term followers of the blog, god love you all, I talked about it's inaugural show last year. Which was a little bit...well I wasn't sure what to make of it, and I am still not sure it's got the mix right. Like with the Handmade fair, I would have loved to have seen more niche suppliers of kits and materials. Not sure it's the fair for purchasing finished products. Especially in a few weeks time is the Malting's big Festival of Crafts. It was also I think a little smaller than last year, or that could have been my imagination. Still it was a good couple of hours of wandering around with the lovely Laura Howard aka Bugs and Fishes wandering about and talking to the stall holders. 

Of course I did buy a few bits...

So much pink...

Such as more wonderful threads from Zoe Acketts, who I have spoken about before, and now has the most delicious range of silk threads to compliment her cotton threads. All hand dyed and produced by her. In due course she'll have a website to sell the threads from which I can't wait for. Really was great to see her again. 

I also got the chance to meet Sophie Simpson of What Delilah Did, so great to put a name to a face. And seeing her new book, which I have to say you have to get because it's so darn cute, Stitch the Halls. Prompted me to purchase the skein of hot pink cotton thread from Zoe, so I can stitch the bunting design featured in the book, which is of winter animals, polar bears and so forth. Sure I have enough to be doing at the moment but a little project for the train can't hurt...

Well, I'll squeeze in around all the other oodles of sewing I've started to get into doing. In particular I mentioned as well last week that I was designing this year's Christmas bee bauble design....well here it is. Well, in it's near finished state:

Bzzzz

Yes, the little Merry Bee is back, in miniature size sporting a Swarovski crystal nose. Bling for bees. I have to admit it did take a couple of attempts to get back into how to stitch the bees, nothing like brain freeze but having just stitched another one think I am getting back into the zone. Just have one more to stitch up and then I can get them turned into baubles, so hopefully by next week I can start looking at getting them listed. Might try out having them just on my website. I'll keep you posted. 

My tea has now been drunk, and so that means time to step away from the computer. Hope you lovely lot are well, and that you have had a nice weekend.

Post Holiday Clarity

It’s been over a month since I last sat down with a huge of mug of tea and wrote a decent blog post. A lot has gone on over the last month from a special family wedding to a long, overdue holiday. And as mentioned in my posts from late July and early August, I’ve been in a bit of a funny place when it came to my motivation and inspiration to stitch, which meant blogging wasn’t so easy for me.

I have to be honest it still isn’t. Can’t tell you how many attempts it’s taken this morning to write this post. I realised whilst I was away, doing absolutely nothing for over 8 days, that it’s time I focused on what makes me happy and to go easy on myself. So if one week I can’t write a full post then I’ll just share a picture with you, and if I want to share a pattern with you…then it will be no more building up to it or scheduling it as a fixed date. I’ll do it when I am ready. Sure I work well with deadlines but I have plenty of those at work, so I think I can cut myself a little bit of slack when I am at home.

Because everything I stitch, design or make, I do it because I love it not because I hope to garner fame and money (though the latter would be nice to feed my addiction to quilting fabric..) which is probably why I will never earn oodles though my online shop, and you know what I don’t mind. Really, don’t mind.

Yeah, I know something I should have perhaps realised many moons ago, but it does take having a proper time out to make you have that moment of clarity.

So folks, I am back and I am starting to feel that I am in a good place again. I have lots to share with you over the coming weeks and months, so I hope you will enjoy my somewhat meandering path. 

In the Mood for a Mood Board

During this somewhat 'blah' stage of embroidery I currently find myself in, I have been playing about with various things to just to keep my hand in stitching and crafting in general. Not to do anything would not for me feel entirely right. 

This relaxed attitude is helping, and I do feel relatively calm about the situation I find myself in, and this weekend in particular I've been feeling pretty darn relaxed. The somewhat forced resting of my feet having had some dealing with this as originally I had hoped to get over to the Farnham Malting's monthly craft market, which has been on my list of things to do since I moved here. But my feet have been awfully swollen lately, think balloon animals and you get the picture. So lots of elevating (except now, where I appear to be sitting cross legged...oops) my legs have been the order of the day.

Bringing this eventually round to my opening title about being in the mood for a mood board.

Earlier this week, in the evenings, I had the sudden urge to rip through all the countless craft magazines I’ve collected that in reality I have either never looked back at since purchasing (sorry Mollie Makes) or have had for a while (Selvedge, Embroidery, Pretty Nostalgic). Where I have been buying lots of quilting magazines, I’ve had to make room for them, and anyway it’s good to have a clear out. I didn’t want to just sling them out, I went through them with the goal in mind to take out projects that I or my friends might want to have a go at, things that I inspired me or loved, and what might be nice to get for the flat. If anything didn’t fall into those three piles, it was to be recycled.

But then what to do with them? It would be easy to file them away for another day, but if I did that I'll just end up forgetting and just slinging them out. 

Well a nice little pile will eventually be winging its way to someone I know will appreciate the patterns, and the rest were mood board and or sketchbook material. In my study /guest bedroom I have two noticeboards one tiny and the other A1 sized. Mostly used at that the time as a bit of a dumping ground of random stuff. Things that I liked to photographs and notes. But never really referenced and rarely changed. 

So yesterday I sat on my floor, cut out the images neatly (stickler for straight lines), I placed, pinned and stuck the images onto the boards. I was focused on colour grouping, and textures..to themes. 

The smaller of the two noticeboards is by my computer, and if I flick to my immediate right I can see it. It has on it things that really in my mind at the moment, maps, quilts, bugs, flowers. Things that I feel are going to come back into my work again...not sure how or where but can feel an inkling. 

Then my massive board, which is just behind me, has larger images, work that I love, styles, finishes and techniques. 

I'm looking forward to adding to it as I go, and hopefully add things that aren't postcards and magazine images to it. Bit of real texture is what it needs. 

Now I know there are numerous ways in which you can create your own mood board, from pocket sized (sketchbooks) to digital (pinterest). Whilst I am a lover of things digital because the things you can find in mere seconds are utterly amazing, I still like immediate visual. I love coming across things either in print, stuff I've doodled and found objects. It's easy, way to easy to get overwhelmed with Pinterest, sometimes I think there is such as a thing as too much inspiration. It's time I think to get back to the basics, stumbling across one thing or a collection, that makes you mind focus. Yes, there are lots of little images on my boards, and yes I have two, but they are in away they have a connection to one another. A central theme, and even colour. 

So now that I have these boards doing what I wanted them when I first got them, I have to wonder why it took me so long to get them like they are now. 

I love them now, love looking at them.

So my questions to you are this; do you have a mood board or whatever you like to call it, what medium do you use to create it, and do you think it helps or hinders you creatively?

Woodstock Crafting and Life Musings

I started this blog entry about a week ago, and still hadn't quite gotten round to finishing it, and even today I nearly didn't. Like a lot of things at the moment I appear to be decidedly distracted, unmotivated and generally just feeling a little out of spirits. I keep thinking I am focused enough to work on a project but I'm not exactly feeling everything that I am doing. So you can say I've hit a creative block, but not at the same time. 

I say it's not a complete block as I have been crafting over the past fortnight to sort out my outfit for a friend's 30th birthday, which had the fab theme of Woodstock. Somewhat before my time but nothing like a fancy dress party. 

I ended up doing a combination of buying a few odds and sods, and upcycling a few others to put together a fairly reasonable attempt at looking like I belonged in 1969. Part of my attire came in the form of a lot of friendship bracelets, bright colours, beads and flares. 

I'm not sure how, as a kid, I managed to make loads of these and not feel the urge to fling them out of the window.....

Fabric looks familiar? Why, yes it is. It's the very same one I used for the Frida Cushion.

I have been trying to make myself work on my dragon stumpwork piece. I was so utterly thrilled to design, and even to start it but as the weeks have worn on, the progress has slowed and the feeling of not quite being in the zone is starting to feel a little overwhelming to the point today I realised my heart just isn't in it. So I finished off what I had started at the weekend, stitching stretched pleated organza over the felt that made up the padding for the body and packed it away. I will return to it, I hate having unfinished wips, especially ones of this detail. But at the moment I'm not sure when.

I think it does really stem down to not knowing what direction I want to go in, what would ultimately make me happy is really starting to effect everything I do. I'm not disappearing, I'll still be blogging and making, but if things over the coming weeks go in strange directions, I hope you can bear with me, till I find my way. Perhaps I'll sign up to one of those month long challenges, get back to painting or...well I don't know. 

This isn't the first nor will it be the last time I've hit one of these barriers, and I know I am not alone in even hitting them. Tomorrow might suddenly be that lightbulb moment and everything clicks into place.

Happy Bee and Milestone Beacons

It has been awfully quiet on the stitching front for me at the moment, mind has been wandering to other things and life has gotten a little bit busier. Especially since I decided that it was about time that I learned to drive, have started the process of decorating the hallway and have been planning multiple celebrations for my pending 30th birthday. 

So today was probably my first full afternoon of doing nothing but stitching in over a fortnight. Last weekend was a bit of a wash out as I was still getting over a cold and my mind just wasn't willing to crack on with the projects I wanted to do, so spent most of last Sunday filling in holes in the hallway. 

The weekend before that I was down in Kent helping my Aunt, who was working on some costumes for a film. On the Sunday, I got to meet Michele Carragher, if your not familiar with the name you might know her work, especially if your a Game of Thrones fan. She's the very talented lady who does the embroidery for the costumes. She came to my Aunts to work on the dresses my aunt was making, it was so fascinating watching her work and to talk to her. She's really lovely!

Back to the present, today I've been stitching the sample for the Happy Bee embroidery pattern. In fact I've actually done all the stitching so what remains for me to do is to write the instructions and put the pattern together. 

Which needless to say isn't my favourite thing to do mainly because sometimes writing how to stitch a detail, makes my brain implode but thankfully with this design it shouldn't present too much of a headache. The pattern, if your interested, will be available to purchase in April.

It would have been sooner than that but I have two weekends of birthday celebrations coming up. Starting with next weekend, which will see and my family in bonnie Scotland, Edinburgh to be specific, somewhere I've been wanting to go for a long time. Then the week after that I'll be having a long weekend with my old school chums. 

Oh and slotting in the odd driving lesson around that too....

I hope everyone is enjoying the springtime sunshine, depending where you are in the world!

Thrifting, Stitching and Printing

It has been somewhat of a mixed bag this weekend, plans that I had in mind were mostly stuck to but there was times where I was very much distracted. Nicely distracted I should say.

The distraction was mainly a second hand / antiques / thrift market...Aladdin's cave, call it what you will. Its near to the flat, walked past it a few times since I moved to Farnham but never popped in, until I was somewhat full of curiosity (I blame the sunshine) yesterday that I went in on my way to get food shopping. 

Its' totally bonkers place, multiple floors, nooks and crannies, stairs leading to floors and rooms leading this way and that. It's one of those places that the first time you go in your utterly overwhelmed. Which is why by the third trip this morning, it feels so much easier to navigate and to get a grip of the layout, sort of. It is also one of those places that having an idea of what your after is rather handy.

 In my case, at the back of mind was that I was after a small console table for the hallway. It needed to be skinny, practical and perhaps as an added bonus something I could put my own mark on it. So whilst stumbling about Bourne Mill Antiques I came across many items that would have fitted the bill but I was drawn to this little beauty, only £24! Bargain! 

Needs a damn good sand down and some attention as there are a few knocks but when the weather warms up I'll take it down to my folks to sand it down out in the garden, and gloss it...what colour you ask...hot pink. A major pop of colour in a somewhat darkish hallway.

Popping back this morning with my mum, who I knew would love the place too, saw me pick up a little glass jam pot and spoon...like you do. Goes with some other glass pieces I picked up in Boston. Oh and also my gloves, because apparently I had left those behind when nipping back for the second trip to pick up the table. I thought I was going nuts this morning trying to find my gloves.

This has got my teeth gnashing to get on with the hallway, I've had a good few months to deliberate and I think I am on the cusp of knowing what I want. Electrics are set to be sorted soon, just need to make final decision on the wall colour and gloss, then it will be the carpet. Can't wait! Determined to get all done by the Summer. 

Phew, anyway, flat bits aside I have actually been doing other things. Such as designing and making an ATC card for a swap group I joined this month. Once my swap partner receives it I will post a picture here.

I've nearly finished my placements, just finished cutting out the bias binding so now it's just a matter of sewing that on, then at last I can put away the winter themed table mat and use them, hello spring.

Oh, I nearly forgot to say that earlier this week I nipped over to the Boxpark, a pop up mall in Shoreditch, which is near to work to pick up an order from Moo.com's little store. The order was a small print run of postcards to see what the pictures of my embroidered quotes will look like in the flesh. They've not come out all too bad but a little dark, so a reprint is on order. I'm not the world's greatest photographer and sadly I just don't have the kit. 

Depending on the reprint I'll make a final call on what I will want to have printed on greetings and postcards. Which would be one of the things I wanted to get done this year, nice that I've been sticking to my plans.

That's about it really, slightly bushwhacked this week, and it will be same again this coming week. On the newsletter I mentioned the release of a new pattern on the 1st March, and I am determined to stick to the date!

Pre Break Ramblings

Days are really starting to fly by at a rate of knots, which whilst a little daunting when you still have so much to get done before Christmas, there is a flip side because it means it's nearly here! And that also means it's closer to my rather overdue holiday. Having moved house and dealt with so much this year it's rather needed. 

At the weekend I wrote and sent out my last newsletter for 2013, it was a brief little nugget of news informing that I am winding down for the impending break, my store on Etsy will be closing for the holidays this coming Sunday evening. 

Which on a side note if you do wish to grab a quick present then do nip along. If your in the UK I'll even throw in free shipping, 2nd class, if you use the following code UKLUVXMAS.

I also mentioned my desire to do an early spring clean of the website, start tinkering with designs I want to work on, and in some instances start them. 

I did mention last week that I was going to talk about these plans, and having spent some of yesterday in the company of a very good friend, Laura Howard of Bugsandfishes, it made me think that for me personally that I am better of remaining flexible with my 'goals', have them but not to become too fixated by them, accept that sometimes things don't work out the way you want them too. I admit it nearly crushed me over the summer that I wasn't doing half of what I had planned, and that it was likely I wasn't going to do any fairs this year either...eventually I got over that and the lack of stress was a relief. 

So back to what I have already began to plan to do:

1. Working on the website and getting that tidy is likely to be one that I achieve before I head back to work mid-January. I'll be condensing the gallery, press section, updating about me and making the site a little more user friendly, and I'll be looking closely at making more use of the shop function on the site. 
2. Getting out and meeting/networking with the folks that I have come to talk to rather regularly on Twitter etc, crafty folks. And it's something I am working on with Laura Howard, and hopefully dragging along other waifs and strays we know to pull ourselves out of our little comfort zones. It also gives a great excuse for eating cake.
3. Typography is really going to feature in my designs, and they will be intricate designs that I love to do, think Paradise Bird but lettering instead of feathers. I have the design already in progress for the first piece and will be starting before the year is out. I hope that I will be able to start doing a WIP blog posts about this very, very soon!

For a start of a plan that's not all that bad, what about you guys are you thinking about what you want to do, achieve next year? Or are you going with the flow? 

I promised you also what I thought of Bust Craftacular, where I met up with Laura. Out of the three fairs I've been to over the past couple of months it was the more promising. Quite tiny in comparison to the others but at least I felt like I want to buy, and I did. Admittedly I had gone with the attention to buy the remaining christmas gifts for family and whilst I did buy one gift...I also brought a picture for the flat. In my defense it had a hamster on it and it's for the Hallway which I am going to be decorating in the New Year. 

 

Isn't he smashing?! He's by Jimbob Art, Christmas Fox. I'm going to get him framed professionally, thinking a double mount, one crisp white the other rich red, framed by ebony/black wood. I know the exact spot to put it in too. Can't wait! 

I suppose I should add that goal number 5 should be to get out to more shows, I really would love to go to one of the Cockpit Art open studio days, and Renegade by all accounts was brilliant. I also want to go back to the Knitting & Stitching show in London to find some new suppliers and catch up with folks I know that either exhibit there or attend.

Cor I hadn't really set out to write such a long blog post, I hoped to have pictures to show you of pieces I've been up too...but I didn't actually get up to much stitching this weekend, just lots of tidying up loose ends and doodling. I have a crafting day with my best friend on Saturday so that means there will be more pictures on Sunday!