New Year, happy may it be!

Since my last post, which spelled a disaster for my camera, I have managed to find out how to link my Instagram photos to my computer. Which was just as well because I dropped my camera and broke the lens.

I also messed up my sewing machine sewing a sequin dress. Now I have a sparkly, new sewing machine too. A new year and a new me with new gadgets!

I've reopened both my Etsy store and Folksy shop and am starting to fill them up with winter warmers in the shape of shawl, cowls and scarves. As a preview of things to come here are a few of my favourite things.

I love triangle shawls and these are in both Etsy and Folksy

 

I've also knitted my favourite feather and fan stitch to make a few adjustable cowls. As you can see I've got a thing about mustard and cream right now.

Double century

Thanks to the lovely people at Folksy I've reached 100 followers in my 100th post. Special thanks to Hippywitch, Ritzy Swish and Charlotte from Orange Blossom Felt.

Charlotte is in Spain teaching English at the moment. I'll feature her shop in the new year. Let's look at the other lovely ladies in the meantime.

Lorraine, from Hippywitch, loves to make things. She can sew, crochet, knit. Her cross stitch pieces are lovely. If you're still stuck for that certain individual Christmas decoration you'll find lots to chose from. You can see more of Lorraine's work on Hippywitch Crafts blog and at her Etsy shop.

I love this little mushroom house.
The sunny yellow door and turquoise curtains are appliqued to the house and then all the detail is carefully stitched. The fairy lights are lit around the roof too!








This pretty double heart hanging has cross stitch hearts in red on a white aida fabric for a two tone finish.





Ritzy Swish's work spans the realms of textiles products, textiles art and mixed media. She's environmentally conscious and has expanded into recycled fabrics. Check out her great blog

I love this circular drawstring wash bag. Made from turquoise cotton, with red and white feature fabric with coordinating red lining. It has four internal compartments to stand bottles.

 

In this piece an Indian silk panel has been combined with indigo denim. Pieces of patterned Indian silk have been appliquéd by free machining to form the decorative panel.

Have a great weekend!

My week

consisted of a wheelie bin, a traffic cone, L plates and dumbbells. Plus Dizzy and a polar bear. Yes, a polar bear.

Oh and a few penguins! You'll have to wait to see just how these are connected.

It also saw a raging battle between me, Google Analytics and a certain online shopping site. I refused to surrender. After downloading new browers, adding codes, changing codes, entering new codes, deleting sites and a lot of swearing I think I've won.

It helped that I had the massed weight of the Folksy forum on my side. Thanks go to Mary from Polkadots and Posies and Dave from Gelert Design for their help with Google Analytics. If you are using Internet Explorer and click on their link try Chrome or Firefox. It will look much better.

Remember my list one a day pledge? You won't be surprised to find out that I haven't kept it. That's where the wheelie bin et al come in. I have, thanks to Folksy bootcamp, kept pinning, tweeting and stumbling. Still no Facebook but why rush things? As I'm in the mood, special thanks to Natalie from Nofkants Curios for oragnising and keeping tabs for November Nexus. Also to Mairi from Maram Jewellery from running bootcamp.

Now for some lovely gift ideas. All available from those lovely sellers on Folksy.

This week I have been ...

all yoyoed out!

suffering from RSI after making 648 said yoyos

really not wanting to look at a crochet hook for a while

busy cleaning (yuck)

getting to grips with social networking
(you're impressed now!)

I have signed up to the Folksy bootcamp. It's a lot less threatening than the Etsy version.

On Monday I grappled with Stumbled Upon.

On Tuesday I tweeted at Twitter.

On Wednesday I pinned at Pinterest.

Today I'm reinforcing my learning by doing all three but not all at the same time because that's just plain dangerous. I've also added the little buttons on my sidebar. Have a go. See where they take you!


I don't really get Stumbled Upon. I quite like tweeting. It helps if you follow people like Alan Carr. I'm addicted to Pinterest.

I've also stuck to my promise to list an item a day. I did have a slight wobble on Saturday. I got home late and Dizzy had been left out in the dark. Bonfire Night and cats are not a happy coupling. She was terrified and I spent the night with her in my arms like the baby she is. I was forced to watch Strictly, X Factor, X Factor Extra and series 6 of my Sopranos boxed set.

These are just some of the items I've listed

I know I've gone for Christmas overload but this is the first Christmas that I've not worked and I'm getting really excited. It's made me realise that all those year in education ruined Christmas for me. But not this year!

The little crochet hoop at the bottom has been chosen as a potential entry into the spring lookbook for Etsy Europe. I'll have to get more photos done.

I'll be back tomorrow with my favourites of the week. Have a great 10th!

Hello, October

I knew if I waited long enough September wouldn't disappoint. Three days of blazing sunshine more than made up for hurricane Katya. October has started off at its most brilliant if not a little bizarre. Crochet in the garden with the leaves falling around me, primroses flowering and sycamore helicopters whirling around. It's almost a scene from a good, old fashioned Disney film. The seasons have mixed and blurred and that's a good thing.

A ladybird is the only thing that ruins my day. It lands and is blown away home. It comes back and is blown away home. It became irritating. I had a break and reached for my camera. I stalked it until it landed and then snap!

Can you see it tucked up in the rose? Mmm, I don't think it's a 'normal' ladybird I think it might be a harlequin ladybird. These are native to Asia, and were introduced to North America and continental Europe as a biological control agent because it eats more pest insects than any other ladybirds. Sadly, harlequins will also eat the larvae of other ladybirds and the eggs and larva of butterflies and moths. We have 45 species of native ladybird in Britain and they play a key role in our ecosystem, but the harlequin has the potential to ruin this.

I didn't realise what it was until I downloaded the photos last night. I've sent the photo to the survey website. Perhaps it's an innocent native and not a nasty foreign invader.

On the work front I've joined the Folksy daily listing club, October Owls. I won't be posting everyday as I did in July but I'll give you a taste of my listings.

Those of you who remember Bill the burglar will be pleased to know that he's still living in London with Edward. I've listed two of Bill's friends, Maudie and  Reginald. They're cwtched up in their favourite blankets.

They're also available on Etsy here and here.

Have a good week!

Pantone Colours

Cedar

While we still have leaves on the trees I thought it was fitting to look at cedar. Pantone describes it as,

'evoking the freshness of a cool mist in a dark forest. Cedar is a versatile, mid-tone neutral green.'

At one time I had a few things in my wardrobe that were a sludgy, olive green but I haven't bought this colour in a while. Mainly because for a few seasons we've seldom seen it. For me at the time it was a safe bet. It was smart enough to look professional and it wasn't black.

I wasn't going to focus on cedar this week. That was before Cat House Prints won last week's Etsian Artists treasury challenge. This week's challenge had to include an item from Cat House's shop and the challenge word was Scream. While the treasury might not be strictly cedar there are some lovely earthy greens in the collection. In all honesty I've found this colour to be the most difficult one to match so far but here are some great items I'd like to share.

Cedar is in evidence at Folksy too.





I know Audrey's Cat's little mouse isn't strictly cedar but I couldn't resist another visit from him!

Pantone Colours

Deep Teal
Pantone 19-4914

I'm going to indulge myself with this one. I love teal. As it's one of Pantone's colours for autumn/winter 2011 I hope there's going to be a lot of it around.

Pantone describes it as a strong, blue-toned green, suggests ocean depths and the color of the sky as daylight descends into darkness.

I put out a request for teal items and it seems as if there's quite a debate about teal. I think of it as a blue, black with a touch of deep green. I've picked out a few of my favourites.

From Folksy we have,








and from Etsy. You can also find this on Etsy Treasury Hunters



Have a great weekend.

Take one a day

Day 31

Yes, I've made it!! Back at the beginning of last week I had wondered if I could keep listing, making, sharing, blogging every day but I've done it.

Quite a few people have asked if I'm going to carry on. Probably not at this frantic pace but I will keep blogging and sharing. I'll be making too but I have missed producing larger pieces. Crochet is so time consuming. It's also motivated me into having a set routine.

People have been so supportive. The daily comments have been great to read and I apologise for not replying. There have not been enough hours in the day.

My next project has got to be centred on my workspace. I've already chosen artwork so keep watching this space. But back to July.

Today's project is this,

It's on loan from my OH. I've got to be careful with it. Don't drop it. Make sure I put the lens cap back on properly. Switch it off when I've finished with it ..........

It's been a long time since I was eight!

By the time I'd recharged the batteries, found the right lead the best of the weather was starting to go. I thought I'd do an appraisal of my own, a round up of this month's work. I got everything out and started to take photos, some on my old camera and some on the new (to me) camera.

What do you think? New one first.

I think the new one is sharper. Neither of them have been adjusted so the light is better too. It's no contest with close work.

Again untouched. New first.

As soon as I'd taken everything outside it came to rain. The wind had picked up so the photos have been rushed because things kept flying off the table. They're almost action shots!

Remember these?

Just a few of the things I've finished this month. Phew!

I'll still need to play around with focus and stuff but it's a start and an improvement.

The listing today (taken with the old camera) is a lovely coral pink scarf made from an Amy Butler organic wool and cotton blend. It's a lovely yarn. I really like this scarf. I might keep it if it doesn't sell before relisting time. It's on Folksy and Etsy

It's been very quiet on Folksy but I've chosen two July Jewels. Their work hasn't been listed today but these are for all my followers.

The first is from Aunty Joan. Her cards are great. You should see her pirate cards! This one is for the party I feel like throwing.

The next one is from Ello Design. I think this pretty card speaks for itself!

As you can't have cards without flowers I'd just like to leave you with a little something.

Oops!! Wait while I just pick the camera off the floor. Is it meant to rattle like that? Where did I put that lens cap? Which is the off switch?

Oh dear!