Happy New Year !

Yes, I know it is the middle of January but it is my first post of the year.

We had a fab Crimbletide with Son-of-mine, his partner and my lovely monster of a grand-daughter coming round to us. Lots of good food, a little drinkies and lots of fun and laughter. All of us together - and not a fall out to be had! Has to be some sort of miracle...


The thing is, this isn't the post I intended to write. I have some pics to put up sorta showing the process of my rug making. From the whole garment, to strips then to clippings in their box and then showing a finished rug. But I got a new phone for crimbo and the Blogger app reliably informs me that it cannot find the pics I know I took this afternoon and can see in my gallery!

So I cannot upload them. Bugger!

What I can still explain to you is how long these proddy rugs actually take to make. From starting with the jacket or blanket, then stripping it down to its pieces and cutting all the hems off to cutting those bits into thin strips about 1/2 an inch wide and snipping the strips into 3 inch long pieces and boxing them up. Then you do that all again for each colour you need ( one coat can take upwards of 5 hours to deconstruct). Then you have to design and draw a pattern on the hessian and start prodding.

Each rug takes an average of 2 - 3 months to make.

And then folks grumble about the price! I charge between £40 and £80 for a handmade unique item. For the work that goes into one, I don't really think that is a lot, is it?

Taking the plunge......

Well, it has been a while - again!

A lot has changed in the last couple of months though. I have had my op and am recovering well. I have been a (reasonably) good girl and have rested (sorta.....).

I did have a little set back and ended up back in hospital for a few days but that meant that unfortunately I couldn't attend the Clog Market last month.

But I have not been idle - I made Bears! Snuggly, cuddly, huggable Lavender filled bears. And. even if I do say so myself, the are gorgeous! I only stopped making them because I ran out of stuffing.

I did manage to make it to this months market and it was a pretty good one. I actually sold a blanket! I nearly had to sit down with shock! first one I have managed to sell at a fair. And I managed to sell a couple of bears too and a few other bits and bobs. So it was worthwhile this month.

We had just come back from our annual family holibobs in loverly Cornwall and I was shattered, so how I managed to stay awake and polite all day I have no idea but I did.

After spending so long off work and now getting the all clear from the dreaded 'C', I have made the decision to leave the security of my job and follow my dream and run my business and be a 'stay at home mum'. Life is too short to say 'if only'. It may work out or it may not but if I don't give it a try I will never know, will I ?

You never know whats round the corner.....

It has been a funny old couple of months. Life never seems to go as you plan - at least mine doesn't seem to. I got invited to take a stall at a brand new Craft and Vintage market that has started up in the local town and I accepted. It's always best to get in when something is new and you can grow along with the market. I started to prep a few new items then get diagnosed with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - so crafting has to be put to one side and I make do with what I have (which is rather a lot!)

 

 

 

Also, in the meantime, I am having 'middle aged lady problems'. I won't go into detail as you may be a bit squeamish but suffice to say I am going into hospital next week for major surgery with a recovery time of 6-8 weeks.  My sprog-producing days are over so this is not a problem for me. It is the only way that the Docs can see if there is something there that shouldn't be. That's the thing that scares me as it was ' the C word' that got my mum - in the same area.

The next market is the sunday after I have my surgery. Even though I will be expected to rest, I don't want to miss this market so I am going to try to attend with the help of my wonderful hubby and my able assistant of Daughter of mine the elder. That girl can charm the birds and could sell coal to Newcastle (as the saying goes!)

 

I am realising that life is far too short and you never know what is round the next corner, so I am taking life by the short and curlies and doing what makes me happy - spending time with family and crafting.

 

 

 

Craft Fair Shenanigans

It's been a very busy and exciting few weeks.

I decided to take a stall at a local craft fair. It's one that I've done previously and knew it would be a good one. But, when I said I would do it, I only had six weeks to get prepped. It may sound a long time but working part time and caring for the family sometimes doesn't leave you with many hours left in a day.

I had to make quite a bit of stuff and finish off a lot of blankets. I also had to sew business name labels onto all the blankets as well. In all this, I thought it was a great idea to develop a few new products! As if I didn't have enough to do!

The week before, I finally got round to pulling my 'brand' together, and I designed a new logo and price labels for all the things I make and sell. Got the card, all ready to print ........ and find that the card is just that teeny bit too thick to go through our printer! Cue major meltdown at 11.30pm one night.

My wonderful hubby was trying to sort everything for me even though he had things he needed to do. He took the card into work for me and printed them all there x 

I had a meltdown because I was very tired. The week before I had been diagnosed with Hypothyroidism (I will write more on this another time) and also just found another job, so dealing with interviews and all the associated paperwork that goes with a new job and saying I was exhausted was rather an understatement.

Anyway, back to the craft fair.

It happened this weekend and was rather fantastic! I sold well, made a few new contacts and have provisionally booked to do a fair in May with a local charity. At least this time I have a few months notice to get sorted!

New Start?

Things have been rather hectic round here. I have started another job. I still have the school job as well so I have been a bit exhausted! I am  Janitor at a local supermarket. (Four letters, starts with 'A' and has a green logo - you know the one!)

So, working two jobs and still trying to keep things organised at home is testing my sanity a little.The kids are doing little bits to help - but only when I get a little frazzled and grotty! The new job is hard work, always on the go, but I am enjoying it. I've been there about two months now and I think I'm getting the hang of it. Still lots to learn - it's not the brainless job that most people will assume it to be.


I am still finding time to make things and have learned to follow a proper crochet pattern and have managed to spend time in the studio as well.

I need to get my stock built back up as I may possibly have found a friend to share the shop with. She is a fellow crafter and has a small business that she runs from home and has had the same idea as me. She wanted a shop to sell direct but couldn't afford it on her own. So we thought about teaming up and sharing the costs. She has many other plans and we will have to sit down and put it all down on paper to see if it will work out for us.  Fingers crossed !!!!!!

So, I will really have to pull my finger out and actually get something done instead of 'researching ideas' on Pinterest and complaining that my studio is too small to work in!!



Back soon xx

Utter Madness!

I think I must be going a little potty. I have been to view a local empty shop today.

 It has everything I'm looking for in a place to make and sell my things. My (shed) studio is too small and cold to want to spend any length of time in. It will cost me more than at the moment obviously, but it will allow me to have the room to grow.

People will be able to see the things I make if they get displayed in the window and that will let them think about buying items at a time that suits them, not just when I happen to be at a craft fair. They would be able to save and come back later.

There is nothing else like 'My' shop in the local area so my hope is that it will get noticed.

It will be a struggle at first, financially, but I hope to get at least some money back. If I can break even each week at first, I will be happy.

I have to work out all the figures first and Husband-of-mine is behind me 100%  Online promotion will still be important to get the word out there about my creations so I must keep up with my Facebook page and this blog.

I have felt for a while that I am capable of much, much more and that I have been letting life pass me by.

 I have realised that life is too short for 'what if's'.

Decisions, decisions.

 HAPPY NEW YEAR xx

  I know it's been a while since I was here - again!- but I have been busy. A couple of Craft Fairs done (one was actually profitable! first one where I have made my stall money back!) and a bit of a studio redo.

I've also been doing a bit of thinking. I'm not really sure that my heart is in the craft fair business. Don't get me wrong, I love to make things. I really enjoy making my big blankies and all the crochet purses and the fabric brooches and the teddy bears and all the other things I make.
The problem is that it is absolutely soul destroying to stand behind a stall all day, having to smile and be polite and friendly just to have people say that your stuff is too expensive and walk on by then watch them buy something similar to yours from another stall.

My real passion is my Art. My jewellery style has evolved to more of a mixed media style and I love it much more. I'm hoping that it will sell better. My other love is Art Journaling. I have started up with it again today. Even though it is something I love to do, it's not something I find comes easily. Before I ever put paint/cutting to journal I spent a couple of years researching it all because I was afraid to get it wrong. After a few months of sticking and paint slapping, I stopped because I found it stressful. Pages just didn't look like I wanted them to. I just couldn't be relaxed enough with my style. It was difficult to work with no rules.

So today, I got out some old tubes of paint and some cuttings and printed images that I had already laying on my desk from the studio reshuffle. And I did just literally tear, slap and stick with not much thought to what I was putting where on the pages. It felt good. I have had a very relaxing afternoon.

 

 

It felt good to get my hands covered in paint too.

And now that I've worked out how to add photo's taken on my phone, I hope I will be able to drag myself here a bit more often!

 

Spreading the word

I have been making things for a few years now. It started with handmade cards and progressed through to basic Jewellry making - bracelets and earrings. Always out of re-purposed materials. Long before it became 'the in thing'.

Then I got into cross stitching through a friend of mine that got herself featured in CrossStitcher mag with her own designs. There was a free kit on the front so I thought I may as well give it a go - and I loved it! So for years thats the only craft I did. Stitching till the wee small hours.

A few years ago, I re-discovered card and jewellry making and managed to get them up for sale in a local shop. I did sell a few things but then there was a change in management and my things were no longer wanted. Ah, well........


Then I started doing the Xmas fairs at the kids school and local church because I had so much made that I had to find a home for. Sold a few things, not much, but it got word around that I made things. About 2 years ago, I discovered Etsy and Folksy and opened a shop on Folksy. I have never plucked up the courage to fill my shop yet. I don't really know why.

I also noticed that other folk were showing their makes on Facebook, so last year I started my own page to tell the world about my things. So far I have had one sale - a pair of earrings. Its a start, I suppose! I have found and joined some Crafty Networking Communities on there. It's fun but for someone like me, who is not very computer savvy, it is hard work and takes me a long time. Learned how to tag but still can't do simple things like links. I am learning - very slowly.

I still love to be able to re-purpose things. It's satisfying to make something useful out of something that would otherwise be thrown away. For example, crochet Doormats out of old denim jeans and old duvet covers. Blankets out of 'unloved' wool.  So, still making and will continue to do so because I love it - and thats what counts!!