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?

WARNING - CLEAN UP IN PROGRESS!

Well, I have made a start on the mess that surrounds me.

It is one and a bit weeks till Crimbo-tide  and I have made a start.

I spent a full week emptying a shed and greenhouse and dismantling both with the help of son of mine and his partner. I have also made a start in the house and have filled a few large bin bags with crap and sent several boxes and bags to a few of the local charity shops. I realised that I was one bag away from being featured on Hoarders.

I have had to decide whether I get sucked down into that quicksand and drown or scream at the top of my lungs and be rescued. I chose the latter. I do not want those ba*****ds to beat me. The farmer and the neighbours can 'go do one'.

I am being the best person I can be right now.

One of the things that made me get started was the fact that Son of mine, his lovely partner and my granddaughter are all coming over for crimbo-tide day, so I have to clean up so there is room for everyone to sit and play in comfort. It has given me a focus.

I'm not intending to get a spotless house in less than two weeks but I will do my best. I started in our bedroom, which has become the dumping ground for everyones stuff 'don't know where to put it? put it in mums room!'. If I can clear out in there, I can put all the other stuff up there out of the way till January, then take my time and clear through all the boxes and bags. That is next years goal - to get the house as clutter free as I can.

Lets leave it there and see what happens........

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.

 

 

 

Is it just me?

Blogger is trying my patience today!

It has taken me nearly an hour to get logged in because it kept telling me that my account didn't exist! So I must have imagined writing a post here yesterday then....

Anyway, I'm in now, best make a post then.

I havn't had chance to do any art today as  Daughter-of-mine 1 had an Athletics Training session at Sportcity in Manchester. Husband-of-mine stayed with her while I took D-of-mine 2 into the city centre on the new tram route. It's still sale time so we managed to pick up a few arty bargains. D-of mine-2 loves her Art as well. She has taken to Art Journaling really well and has an Art corner in her room where she sits and creates for hours at a time. It's wonderful to know at least one of my kidlets has a passion for Art.


So, as I havn't made anything new today, here's some pics of some of my past pages. These were planned a bit more than the ones I showed yesterday.

There SHOULD be three, but only this one seems to have uploaded from my phone - 3 TIMES!!!!! Technology really is out to get me at the moment it seems.


Lets just hope I can get back in here tomorrow so I can try again........

Busy, busy, busy!

It has been a while since my last post but it has been busy around here lately.

It isn't always doom and gloom at Nelliebrations Towers you know. I'm back to crafting because I was bored and my wrist recovered after a rest. And we got ourselves a Doggy! a big, black wrinkly, smelly, trumpy doggy!! His name is CJ and he is a rescue dog. We adopted him from Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary in Edenfield and he is the best thing ever! He is very licky and loving and absolutely adores the kids.

 

 

And also, Son of mine is moving out and setting up his own household with his lovely partner. They are expecting their own family soon! Yes, I am joining the Grandma Club! It is making me feel a lot older than I actually am. So, it's busy busy with the baby and housey 'stuff'!!

 

Watch this space!!

More sadness......

As usual, about 6 months has gone by since I last posted here.(I would have been here sooner but blogger has been a pain!) And what a 6 months it's been.

Sadly, I have lost another close family member to the dreaded Cancer. My Auntie died in February after she had been diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer. It was rather sudden really. She had all the symptoms last year when we were moving my Dad down here to us, but she thought it was just the stress of my Dad being ill. It never got better so she finally got herself to the doctors. She had one treatment of chemo, had a really bad reaction to it, and ended up in Hospital. She never came out.


My Auntie was a pain in the bum sometimes but she was always there for me - no matter what. We did sometimes have our disagreements but I loved her dearly. She was my substitute mum. When the rest of the family had a falling out (as often happened!)we always seemed to stick together and look after each other. I was always taken on holiday with them, me and her had some good day trips out too. The best trip we had was to London. She wanted to go to see the Horse of the year show and wanted company so she paid for me to go with her - and it was one of the best weekends away that I've ever had. We had so much fun!

I will miss her so much.