Hello. These are some lovely things sent to me by a lovely lady called Carla who reads my blog, sent to me all the way from Tennessee.
Carla emailed me and said she'd like to mail me 'a little happy'. These beautiful things certainly did make me happy, but it was less the things and more the kindness and thoughtfulness of the person who sent them that generated the happiness. Thank you again Carla, I hope you're having a lovely day.
Hello again, sorry for disappearing for so long (is anybody still out there?) - I just needed to be in my shell for a while. I'm struggling to come out of it at the moment - moving took more out of us than we thought it would, as have some difficulties we've been dealing with lately. But on the positive side of things, we're all moved now and getting used to being here. It is very peaceful where we are and lovely to be so near to nature. Sparky is having some nice long walks in fields and getting used to seeing so many sheep and rabbits and hearing the geese honking in the field behind us! We have a lovely big garden, which is a bit neglected at the moment and I'm looking forward to spending some time planting and growing - I've never really done much gardening before and don't really know much about it, but I've been doing some reading and I'm excited about having a go at it - I'd love to grow some vegetables and herbs.
We've been doing a bit of decorating too - the last flat we lived in we couldn't paint the walls or even put pictures up and here we can, so I'm really looking forward to living somewhere where we can express ourselves a bit more (the trouble is I'm so impatient I just want it all done!).
My work room is still packed with boxes and all the other crap we can't find room for at the moment - so that is curtailing my creativity a bit as a lot of my materials are still packed away - but Iain's set up a work table in the living room for me for now so I'm making some small things just to keep myself going, like these tags.
Just wanted to say thanks for the comments and emails wishing me well for the move and hoping I was ok as I hadn't blogged for a while - as always, they were much appreciated.xx
Hello there. We're moving house - and to another place - the countryside! Not to the home pictured above, that's a room in my (unfinished) dolls house (although where we're moving too isn't much bigger!) - no, we're moving to a cottage in Shropshire.
It's a time of big change for us - which is why I haven't blogged much recently (not that I'm a very regular blogger) but my posts might be even more sporadic in the weeks to come as we will be busy packing, selling (ebay and car boot sales) and throwing things away as we've got to do some serious downsizing to fit into where we're moving to. There probably isn't going to be much crafting going on - although I have got some valentines cards to make, but I thought I'd try to take some photos of some of my treasures as I pack them away for you to see.
It's also going to mean a change of jobs for me - well, I've actually applied for a job (and got an interview) within the same organisation I work for already (so its more or less the same job) but in Shropshire, and its part-time. If we can make it work financially it will be amazing for me to have more time to spend on my creative work and perhaps even look into selling in some form or other - and of course spend more time on this blog! I have such a lot of creative ideas and projects I want to do and also just things like getting round to putting all of my photos on flickr - and anwser peoples emails and comments! (p.s. thanks for all your lovely comments about the doll - yes Hazel - I did use make-up for her cheeks - just my own blusher).
This move is very important to Iain and I for lots of reasons I won't go into here, but living a simpler life, enjoying nature and making time for our creativity would be like a dream come true for us, and this is what this move represents. I'm not very good at getting excited about things - I'm a bit superstitious like that, but I have to say this feels right - perhaps my wish jar is working after all.
Hello there. These are 19th Century glass buttons, aren't they pretty? They are resting on a lovely drawn threadwork cloth in just the shade of green that I love..
..you can see a bit more of it here and the corner of a lovely piece of lace - its actually a collar/dressfront which I can't wait to use on something. Here, also, is a lovely old tin of buttons...
..these lovely things were my christmas present from my friend Jo, and one of my most favourite christmas presents ever. It's such a thoughtful present, but also it just feels a bit less cynical, or wasteful a present, at a time of year when it can feel a bit like that when buying gifts, especially when you leave it until the last minute and panic buy! I suppose I like it because the things are vintage and 'recycled' if you like (not that I don't appreciate the other 'bought' presents I recieved), and I'll be 'recycling' them into something else as well and that feels positive and creative. I'd love to buy everyone vintage gifts - but I don't think they'd all appreciate it! Without wanting to sound like a really sad person, I don't have a great deal of friends, and Jo is my only really close friend - because it's important to me that a close friend really understands me, and Jo does, which makes this gift all the more touching.
Hello there. Sorry I disappeared for a while. Iain and Sparky and me spent Christmas here at Ty Capel.
Its a converted chapel in the middle of a valley in Wales and it was lovely and peaceful. We stayed here last Christmas too. Its one of a number of amazing holiday properties you can rent from The Landmark Trust. We've stayed in a few, but this is one of our favourites (and one of the few you are allowed to take dogs to). This picture was taken on Christmas day, which was lovely and sunny, but most of the rest of the time it was horizontal rain and wind! - but that made it nice to cosy up next to the open fire!
This was our Christmas branch found on one of our walks..
with decorations made from vintage bits and bobs...
..someone was very lucky on the present front..
..I think that's fluff round his mouth from some latest toy he'd just ripped apart!
Thank you for your Christmas wishes - I hope you all had lovely Christmas's too, and thanks for stopping by my blog.
Wishing you a Happy New Year !
Hello there. I seem to have inadvertently had a little blog holiday - I wasn't intending to, but time has got the the better of me. I have been struggling with winter evenings at the moment, when I get home from work I just want to go to bed (thats something to do with winter, and something to do with my work!) - and evenings and weekends are my only time for crafting really. I've been busy on Saturdays the last few weeks, attending a course for work but thats over now, thank goodness. We also had a bit of an internet problem - but thats sorted now too. Is that enough excuses?!
I have managed to make a few things though, this necklace from a vintage collar...
and this knitted bracelet...
I also went to the Knitting and Stitching Show in Harrogate with Jo. I loved it. I didn't manage to go last year so I was really looking forward to it, especially as Julie Arkell was there (if you been reading this blog for a while, you'll know I love Julie's work). I did buy a few little things too (despite my dire finances) I'll show you them too when I take a photo of them. The best thing about the day though, was seeing this persons work...
I bought this book from the Crafts Council shop in London a few years ago, because I loved it, but I'd never seen any of her work 'in the flesh' so to speak. Then I saw a couple of her pieces at the K & S Show the year before last (I think) which were part of an exhibition of a number of different artists work. At this years Show, Primmy Chorley and her daughter Jessie Chorley had an exhibition of their own. Primmy's pieces are beautiful, apart from the wonderful texture of the pieces and the lovely stitching, they are obviously made with love, and imbued with her heart and soul. I found them incredibly moving and I was inspired to read about her life and her creative process, and the fact that she creates for herself, not to sell, and her pieces are the legacy she leaves for her family.
Hello there. I started this blog to focus on the positive things in my life, the little joys, but most of all to celebrate my creativity, the thing that feeds me and keeps me sane. Because of various things in my life at the moment, which have made it hard for me to focus on the positive, and the lack of time for creativity, I've found it hard to post to the blog, because I didn't want to put anything negative here, or let the cracks show.... but, the cracks are there, so I either let them show or I'm not honest here or I don't post, I know what I'd much rather do.
{Just to share with you something that really helped me recently, a post here from the 17th September (I'll give the date as I don't know how to directly link to it)...this bit in particular...'because everyone else is messy too and has dust bunnies in the corners of their rooms. some just hide it better than others'}
Thank you for the good luck wishes for my revision and exam that you sent me in your comments on my last post, but I've decided not to do my exam, not so much a decision really, more of a neccessity. I know if I push myself to do it at the moment, it'll just make me ill, so I'm hoping I will be able to take the exam next year in April. There's a chance they (the OU) won't let me re-take the exam, which would mean I'd fail the course, which is a bit of a shame after 9 months work and really good grades in my assignments, but there you go. I've really begun to question why I'm studying anyway - I wanted to try and work towards a 'proper' career I think - but really all I want to do is make things! What I haven't worked out yet is if and how I can make a living out of that, I know some people do, I just don't believe I can, and I worry that if I try to do that I won't enjoy my creativity as much, and there's always the fact that I don't like making something more than once - I've already moved on to the next thing! Anyway I'm sure this conversation could take up a whole other post.....
Something else I wanted to say is that I appreciate all your comments, I'm not sure of blogging etiquette and am worrying that I should be emailing everyone back who comments? - I don't generally do this but it doesn't mean I don't appreciate what you all have to say. Hazel, you are clever to know what the dried flowers were in the picture in the last post (dried aquilegias) - I picked them on Sparky's walk and didn't know what they were. For those who asked what the wool for the scarf is, its Rowan Tapestry in shade 175 - the pattern is from a Rowan book but I only have a photocopy of it - but I'll be happy to copy and send it to anyone who wants it if you drop me an email. And for Stephne, who says she likes some of the work I do using old book pages etc., I'm working on some things at the moment, and hope to have something to show you soon...but to keep you going, here's a sneak peek of a dolls house I'm working on...
Anyway, on to something nicer now I've got all of that out of my system, the text above is from the cover of this altered book I made...
I have a week off work this week so I've been making some cards for a gallery that a sell a few things of mine...
I'll hopefully put some pictures on flickr at some point - when I've time and can work out how to use it! (any flickr tips would be gratefully recieved!) I'm also working on some wall plaques they've asked me for - I'll let you have a look at those when I'm done. That's all for now - I'm off surround myself with inspiring things (see below!)..
..and create.
Hello there. Not much crafting being done at the moment as I'm supposed to be revising - I say 'supposed to be' as I don't seem to be getting much done - mainly because I am panicking!(my exam is in less than 3 weeks) That's also why there hasn't been much posting action around here lately. I'm so frustrated that I can't do anything creative at the moment - so I wander round my workroom looking forlornly at stuff that inspires me - so I thought I may as well take some pictures of it for you. This is a scarf I started knitting last year - and is one of many unfinished knitting projects which are taunting me at the moment! - I got it out and knitted two lines and then realised the wool looked lovely with these dried seed pods so took a picture of it for you. It's a lovely textured pattern - you kind of drop the stitches down to make a ladder (forgive the technical terms!).
There is an upside to this enforced creative celibacy though, I am having lots and lots of ideas of things to make and do - I keep having to remember to write them down. Like doing something with these..
old letters that Iain bought off ebay for himself to do something with and I finally persuaded him to give them to me! More inspiring stuff, an old ledger (pages to be ripped out and used!)...
..some pages from my scrap books..
..vintage trimmings..
..back to the revision.sigh.
Hello. Friday (21st) was Iain and I's tenth wedding anniversary. We thought it would be a nice time to get out our wedding suitcase (where we've kept all our cards and memento's) and photographs and have a trip down memory lane. If you've been here before (that is, if you've read this post) you'll know that we got married on an island in Scotland, called Sanda. It was where Iain proposed to me the year before, and we decided to go back there and get married. The lavender heart above was one of many I made as place settings, the fabric in the background is the stole that went with my dress..
..here it is carefully wrapped. My dress was actually an evening dress (and very reasonably priced for a wedding dress) - the stole was originally backed in black velvet but I had it re-done in cream velved and hand beaded some tassels to go on it. It was the only dress I tried on but I knew it was perfect.
I also made the beaded tiara I wore..
Here we are...
This isn't our dog - he belonged to Dick Gannon, the owner of the island and the skipper of the boat that brought us and our guests (and everything else!) across to the island - over 3 trips. We all stayed on the island in the cottages and old lighthouse. Dick's daughter did all of the food for the wedding and it was wonderful - the whole day was wonderful - it's nice to remember that after all this time.
Cutting the cake. Back to the present..
..this years anniversary card from Iain...
..and flowers, and out for a lovely meal.
Happy Anniversary.
Hello. Better late than never ...I did say I'd show you a sample of my vintage bag collection. I've always liked sparkly things, so collecting these is the perfect indulgence..
...this one is from ebay....
..this one Iain bought for me...
one of these purses was given to me by my mum and one was from an antique fair, but the next one is my favourite..
..because I used it on my wedding day.
Hello there. More treasures. I don't think this mother of pearl brooch is that old at all, but it looks vintage. I found these things a few weekends ago when I was antique shopping with a friend.
Vintage linens and lace...and a vintage slip
Hello there. Sorry not posted much lately. I've been to stay with my mum for a few days (lots of eating and shopping), been doing a bit of studying, and moving furniture (and books and fabric and lots of other stuff) around. I've moved my workroom from one room to another (bigger and lighter) room in our flat. It's a lovely room, I'll enjoy creating in there, it needs a few shelves and cupboards painting and stuff putting away but it's getting there. I've decided though, that I can't do everything at once and for the moment I need to concentrate on my studying, at least until after my exam in October, so the creating and the painting shelves etc, will have to wait for a bit. Consequently, I might not have much crafty to show you (though I'm sure I'll have time to make small things), but I'm sure I'll find other stuff to show you...like vintage dresses and other finds....and sparky dog.
The title of this post is to do with this wonderful book I recently read. You can read about the book here, and also find lots of inspiration in how the author talks about the process of writing, and why she does it. I heard the author on Radio 4 and had to buy the book. It really is beautiful, it's sad and wise and inspiring and simple and full of space, and I loved it. I loved it so much, I just read another book of hers, Safekeeping, and I loved that too.
I only have one sweet and gentle dog in my life, and he's more than enough.
Hello.
love is....
the flowers that Iain bought me (to cheer me up, and for me to look at while I write an essay when I'd rather be sewing something - but I also want to do my studies too - makes no sense I know)
the friend who brings me homemade flapjack, camomile tea and inspirational books after a telephone conversation where I'm feeling down and stressed (thankyou Jo xxx)
the sister who rings to see how I am, and keeps ringing even when I don't ring back
the mum who looks out for things she knows I'd like in the charity shop where she works and keeps these treasures in a drawer for me
the doggy who wags his tail like crazy when I get home from work
Hello. This is a little good luck critter I made for Iain before he recorded an album 2 years ago. It's a kind of personal little thing and I hesitated to share it with you...which brings me to the subject of my recent 'tagging'. It's something I've been dreading a little bit since I started blogging, it makes me come over all woodyallenish ( you know, ok, so...random things, I can't think of any random things, what would you class as 'random' anyway, do I talk about what I had for breakfast, or something life changing, what if my random things are really boring and no-one is interested, what if I give too much of myself away, what things do I select about me, what if the things I choose make people think I'm something I'm not ...blah, blah, blah - I should definately give up studying psychology, it makes me think too much). Anyway, I'm kind of a private sort of person, but conversely, given the chance, with someone I trust, I will spill my guts (you know what I mean, Jo) but blogging is a tricky one for me and I want to get the balance right, where I feel comfortable with it ( I mean sharing bits about myself), but that I do share something with you 'out there' who take the time to come and read and leave lovely and encouraging comments, and even though the tagging is about random things, the things that immediately come to mind tend to be things that are important to me. Anyway, here are my 8 random things, some are trivial, some aren't at all...I suppose I should just shut up and get on with it..here goes...
1)I got married on an island. Iain and I married 10 years ago this year (we've been together for 15 years). We went on holiday here, and decided to get married there. It was hellish to organise, and the weather was against us all the way(to the extent where we didn't think we'd be able to get across to the island) but it was an amazing, and beautifully sunny day.
2) I am deaf in one ear,my right one, not from birth but from when I had mumps when I was little. It doesn't affect me all that much except when there is a lot a background noise, but I alway try have people on my left side in conversation, especially when walking along. I used to think it made me a bit unusual but I've met loads of people who are also deaf in one ear, so I think it's quite common now. I tend to tell new people I meet so they don't think I'm a bit mad when I keep scooting behind them to get on the 'right side' of them so I can hear them...
3) I've always had long hair, except when I had it cut short when I was about 10 or so and I hated it, I was scared people would think I was a boy, and I've kept it long ever since.
4) I only took (and passed) my driving test in May this year (at the ripe old age of 37)after putting off having lessons for years) Lesley asked in a comment on my post about my new car, what is it like to drive? the answer is I don't know as I haven't driven it yet, as I'm too scared.
5) My car does have a name - he's called Mr Hat (because he's shaped a bit like a hat - kind of).
6)I miss my dad..
..he died in 2000 the year I turned 30 and he turned 60, I still can't really believe he's not here anymore. He was the most wonderfully kind, gentle, loving, wise and generous man, he made me laugh, and he made me feel safe, I miss that most of all. I strive to be something like him.
7) I have two brothers and a sister, all older than me.
8) I like to shop ....too much.
Ok, thats it.
Just to answer a few recent questions...
1) I will sell the notebooks complete, Ginny.
2) The butterfly picture in my post about neutrals is mine, I didn't make it to make it into anything, I'll probably get round to putting it in a box frame at some stage.
3) Rachel and Marie asked about how I did the hair on the 'Margaret Beckett' doll - I've scanned a few pages (below from 'Dollmaking' by E.J. Taylor - which I can't find on Amazon as I think its out of print) with the instructions - I'm sure this is highly illegal - but hope it helps - its a great book...
Hello. I think the only way I'm going to get anything creative done at the moment is to burn some midnight oil, but frankly, I'm far too tired! I'm finding it difficult to fit in a full time job and studying for a degree, and having a creative life, but I'm sure there's a way, there has to be, otherwise I'm going to be miserable...I just need a bit more energy...or some solid time management...or not to have any clean clothes or a clean house.....any other suggestions? No, I'm being negative, I just don't I have my routine sorted out, or maybe I have to accept I can't do everything, all of the time, why is that so difficult? Anyway, the two pictures above are a glimpse of what I've been working on - when I get a spare moment, and thought you might like to see the tag below. This was posted out with my very first etsy sale!
Hello again. I know everyone else in the world has already made a crochet granny square/afghan blanket thing, and I wasn't really that fussed about making one, then I caught sight of these...
...on my windowsill, they're bakelite wool holders that e bought me off ebay, he's got a thing for bakelite and I love the colours, especially the green. The thing that's always put me off granny square blankets is the multi-colouredness of them (I have a bit of a thing about matching colours, especially with clothes and shoes and I also don't cope very well with patterns, except perhaps in wallpaper or wrapping paper......) anyway, then I saw these, and I thought they looked really nice together, and maybe it could be my colourscheme (I hate that word, if it is a word) for my blanket ( I suppose the word granny also put me off). What do you think?
I know I'm supposed to be knitting a skirt (don't remind me), but I thought this would be the perfect thing for my short knitting attention span, because I could just pick it up and do the odd bit here and there, still, I'll probably get fed up after one square because it won't be growing fast enough.....could always be a placemat or something. If I do finish it, I know where it's going to go. I've got an old day bed (languishing in the garage) which I bought a few years ago, very cheap, because its knackered really. It's one of those wrought iron ones, you know, with one side that comes down? The ones you always see in interiors magazines or reproduced for Laura Ashley. It's supposed to be painted white, but it's very rusty and a bit broken, it needs fixing up, but it will be, one day, and the blanket will go on it...when I have my large airy white(ish - as one wall might have wallpaper on, maybe niesha crosland...) studio workroom, with big windows out into the garden, full of trees and birds singing...this blanket will be on the day bed in the corner of the room, along with my collection of vintage durham quilts (not yet aquired).......you have to dream don't you? I haven't decided what type of square to do yet but I thought I'd have the colours in the middle of the squares and mix in a bit of those neutrals I've already talked about. I'm also going to mix in some of these....
...well it wouldn't be worth making without a bit of tedious work.xx
Hello everyone! What can I say? Thank you, for starters, for your kind, supportive, positive, complimentary and encouraging comments and emails, I'm very grateful. Because much of what I make is for myself, and because I've never really studied art or craft, I've never really been around other creative people who like to make things too. My making has always been a bit solitary. I haven't really shown things to other people much, as I sometimes feel they don't really 'get' it (not in an artistic way, more like why would I bother to make it!) or at least they don't get how important it is for me to make things, what it means to me. Thats why I started this blog, I wanted to show other creative people the things I make, people who would get it. I haven't been disappointed. I'm touched and want you to know I appreciate every one of your comments and emails. I wanted to do something to show my appreciation. I'd like to send you all a little friend with love and to say thanks, but I only have one little friend who needs a home....
...so I put all of your names (from yesterdays comments and emails) into a hat and pulled one out....Hazel, from Hazeljoy, I'll be sending this little critter to you.
I managed to take advantage of about half an hour of semi-decent light yesterday, while the sun was out, to take some photos (mostly of dolls, some I realised I made 10 year ago! - that made me feel old) so I'll be sharing those with you this week. Don't go away.
Hello...a few snippets of my workroom, my favourite place to be. It's quite a dark room, so it's hard to get any good photos in there, but on a sunny day at about half past five in the afternoon, the sun shines right in, I love that time. Even when Iife is getting in the way of my creativity, I just go in there for a minute, have a cup of tea and look at the garden through my window, the trees and the squirrels and the birds....
....fabric, fabric, fabric...
...this bag I made ages ago from bits of embroidered tablecloths, now holding one (of many) unfinished knitting projects - I love to knit but find it difficult to sit still long enough to do it....
....a peek at my shelves....welcome to my world, its very special to me.
Hello....I was in heaven when I discovered Julie Arkell's creatures and now I'm lucky enough to own a few of them.. this is my bunny girl.
and here's her friends...
I bought the jar creature the first time I went to Julie's 'Home' exhibition (he's pictured on the inside pages of Julie's book - see the link on my sidebar - haven't worked out how to do links in posts yet) and the large bunny doll the second time I went to see it....I wanted to stay there all day. Last year for my birthday I went to a workshop with Julie at Loop (think I may have worked out how to do links!) where we were given our own bunny to dress, add ears to, etc. I had a really nice time, so embroidered this on her pinny (apron), if you can just make out my crappy stitches - I was rushing to finish!
This was the first picture I ever saw of Julie's work, advertising her exhibition in Crafts magazine...
I fell in love with him on his little bed - I so wanted him, I made my version of him for a birthday present (just an excuse really). We call him Jim Crofts - a name found on a scrap of a book page that makes up his bed.
One of the wonderful things about Julie's creatures are the words she embroiders onto them, which gives them a wistfulness which I love. I made another bed creature and he's called 'allright' as I was feeling quite worried when I made him, he's become a little angel, to make it all right. Now, 'allright' has some angel friends...
All of the angels have their own stories.....perhaps I'll tell you them sometime.
Thought I'd introduce you to Sparky, the sweetest and most long awaited doggie in the world. He's likely to put in an appearance here now and then, as he's never more than a few feet away from me (just on the offchance there might be some food preparation going on). He likes to get involved in the creative process, here he is admiring some of my cards...
