Busy, busy

I've been busy with custom orders this week. They came from my Italian friend who is off to Italy to visit her father's family. She wanted two Queen Anne's lace scarves in different pinks.

I love the little popcorn flowers I used to decorate the boxes so that they don't get mixed up. If you love them too you'll find a great tutorial by Marilyn at Room on the left where inspiration doesn't turn to chaos but to gorgeousness. (Is that even a word?)

You know what I mean. Have a great weekend everyone.

Workroom

I've been painting. I've nearly finished painting. I've chosen this,

cornflower white.

It's bland, unassuming, inoffensive, and above all, easy to work with. How I wish there was more of it around!

I'm not the most organised person. Neither am I a stylist, photographer, interior designer or any of those things that would help me develop my space. But when I want to be I can be ruthless. I've thrown and recycled and thrifted like a good one. Nothing gets into my room now unless it's earned its place. It's getting there.

Little corners of my workroom.

My organic scraps and embroidery scraps.

My non-organic scraps and a lovely reel of vintage thread.

You can see which threads I use the most.

Knitting needles on the go.

Because I always lose my best needles

My favourite chocolates might have gone but these lovely boxes are so useful and because I didn't say  no pink at all. A special corner for Elizabeth!

These beautiful orchids because on a thundery, wet afternoon in August they make me happy!

Have a lovely weekend. To my friends on the east coast - stay safe. Keep away from that nasty Irene!



Take one a day

Day 30

My mother used to say, among a lot of other nonsense - sorry Mum! (it's true),
"A bad workman always blames his tools."

I believed this until I read  here that 'some people will blame their failings wherever they can but anyone who does practical work will soon discover the importance of good, well maintained tools. So a saying such as "a good workman is highly critical of the state of his tools and makes sure he has the best" would be quite appropriate! A good workman with bad tools will struggle to do a good job; a bad workman will do a bad job. '

So I'm not blaming tools, materials or Elizabeth's tutorial. I had promised myself that I would go through this month without buying resources. A glue gun would have been handy today and so would access to Photoshop. I used the ever so useless double sticky backed plastic and Word.

Someone has the software for my banner. Well, the person who made it has the software. I've got a copy saved. I used the copy and cropped and copied and pasted to make this.

It's a very handy, padded envelope and you'll find the tutorial on the Etsian Artists blog. It a great idea for making your packages more interesting

Thank you, Elizabeth. It was easy to follow - if you have the right equipment and don't rely on Sellotape. Check out her shop Oddball Art Co on Etsy.

It doesn't seem like a big project and in fact once I had the paper printed I did it in no time. What held me up was changing the photo into something Word liked. Even though I did print preview it still came out with extra line of smaller houses.  I'm thinking of it as two projects!

My listing today is a pair of crochet bookmarks. They are on Folksy and Etsy. Again they are organic cotton and the Queen Anne's lace motif. I've tried to describe the natural dye colours as best I could. The manufacturer calls them rhubarb and oak bark. I'm calling them chartreuse and silver brown.

While I was doing a search for colours I found this great site called Perbang. It's fantastic for all sorts of things, Pantone shades, colour blends, colour charts. It's part of the reason I've achieved so little. I've been playing around with it.

We're on a bit of a repeating pattern theme and today's Folksy July Jewel is one that I could have chosen every day. Today's work fits nicely on the post. These delightful framed hearts are from Clarkie Designs.

Can't you just see this on a wall in a little girl's room? The perfect, little hearts are made from vintage paper and can be personalised. After my encounters with paper this week I'm really impressed by this.

Take one a day

Day 28

It's a short one today. I've been on a fruitless task for most of  the day. The search for large sheets of tissue paper was just too much so I settled for smaller sheets from The Works. Why?

Last Christmas shopping with Rolla in London I was smitten with the huge, white paper decorations in some of the shops. I mean huge! Imagine how thrilled I was when I did a search for pompoms yesterday and these showed up.

These are from Martha Stewart.

Of course I didn't have any tissue paper, florist wire..... but now I have. Not the right size or colour but here they are. Very rough and ready but I gave it a go.

Whatch ya doin?

Not my garden. This is my garden. With another pompom completed with the right size but not enough sheets. It's much easier trying to separate larger sheets.



The moral is... always follow instructions. If anyone knows where I can find white tissue sheets 20"x30" please let me know.

My listing today is on Folksy and Etsy. It's a pair of Queen Anne's lace crochet bookmarks. They're made from organic cotton.

Two Folksy July Jewels today because I've got a soft spot for little houses.

First it's an ACEO by Cherry Tree Handmades. Chosen because it reminds me of all those little Welsh terraces clinging to valleys. This little row of cottages is only 2.5"x3.5". Incredible!

Here we have a pretty pincushion by Pants and Paper. It's made from a linen mix with a fabric collage.

Today's choices are for all of you with cottage industries!!

Take one a day

Day 24

It was back to the crochet hook for me today. This is what I've listed.

The African flower motif has been given a scalloped edge. I've used my favourite organic cotton again. It reminds me of bubblegum. The sort that you can blow huge bubbles with. They're listed here on Folksy and Etsy.

You see the other round coaster with the cream edge? Well, that was going to be a cushion cover. I've used
a great tutorial for an African flower mandala from Crochet with Raymond. I was going great guns. I stopped to have a coffee and thought that while I was taking a break I'd pop out of town to buy a round cushion pad. Guess what? Discontinued. Grrr

Never to be discouraged I went to a shopping outlet on the other side of town. The trusty, all purpose homeware shop has ... closed down!

I had no alternative but to go to the supermarket, buy a bottle of wine and a cream cake! While I was there I did have a quick look in their homeware section but no cushion pads. However, they did have lots of pillows on special offer. If I can't get a round cushion pad I'll make a casing and buy some pillows and use the hollow fill as stuffing.

This is by way of explaining the glass in the last photo. This is how far I've gone with today's project.

It will get done but I need to work to a size. Of course, I could keep going and make it into a blanket as I usually do!

As I'm having a pink and flowery day I thought I'd pick some Jewels in the same tone.

The first is a handmade Kanzashi flower brooch/corsage from Court and Spark.

The next is another pretty pink corsage from jewellfelt

Have a great what's left of the weekend!

Take one a day

Day 13

I love Flickr. There's a whole world out there full of wonderfully creative people who are willing to share their work, lives, thoughts with you. I just love clicking my way through Explore. It can get mesmeric. You never know what will turn up with the next refresh.

My contacts are people with the same interests or are friends, relatives and people who, quite frankly, have a weird take on life. My favourites are special to me. This is why I don't understand it when you get your favourites favourited en masse by somebody you don't know and has nothing to give you back.

'Block them!' I hear you shout and I just might.

This is a very roundabout way to tell you about today's project. It's back to crochet for me. The other day one of me contacts Knitter gal posted a photo of an African flower hotpad. I'd always wanted to try this particular motif. These are my attempts. In order, starting with the first.

 





Those of you who have read my blog before will know that I suffer from crochet motif addiction. This is one that I will indulge in after this month is over. If I keep going I might perfect it.

Note to self - organic cotton is great but for this try something with really vibrant colours.

Today I've listed a little blue gingham house on Folksy. It can be used as a door hanger or as a wall decoration. The little red heart has been left open at the top. I use mine to post messages in.

Today's Folsky July Jewel is Lampwork Beads by Jo

I love these yummy red beads. I can think of a few things in my wardrobe that they would look great with.

A yarn

The yarn of the ever increasing cushion cover

Always willing to try something new I thought I'd try to crochet some starbursts. So with my 4.00 hook and Twilleys Freedom Sincere organic cotton I set off with the intention of making a cushion cover. First there were five, then twenty and then thirty. I wanted to finish them with cream and so chose Sublime's onion shade because the buttery cream gave the squares real warmth.

Nobody ever warns you about how addictive crochet can be. And that's where my troubles started. I got carried away and decided to make a blanket.


The Sublime organic cotton soon ran out. Originally bought during a sale at John Lewis I thought it would be a simple task of ordering more. I phoned up my local John Lewis - all sold and and no they couldn't order any because it had been discontinued. After two days scouring the Internet I finally gave up. Out of all the sites Knit and Sew had been fantastic and so had Bobby Davidson. Neither of them had it in stock but checked and doubled checked to make sure. 

Then in desperation I phoned Sublime. Yes, the shade had been discontinued but have I tried English Yarns? I phoned them up and, oh deep joy, they had it in stock. I ordered four, enough to finish the blanket.

After sewing it up I decided the blanket needed a border but dare I risk it? I put another order in and it arrived the following day.

                                                   And here's the finished blanket,

The moral of the story - be prepared! Don't ever start anything if you haven't got enough material.

Now I've got so much Sublime left over that I might just make a cushion cover after all.

Mahatma Gandi

It's not every day I find myself quoting Gandi but, as it's Friday, here goes,

"There is no beauty in the finest cloth if it makes hunger and unhappiness."

Good isn't it? I wish I'd said it. Even if I had nobody would be quoting me. I came across it the other day here;

It was in a sample pack of organic wadding.

I've searched for organic wadding for a long time. It's about, but at ridiculous prices in the UK. American firms stock it but the cost of shipping pushes the price up to UK levels. Not much use if you're trying to get a business off the ground. I'd almost given up when I did one last search and, thank you Google, I found it.

Not in America or some exclusive, expensive, supplier in the UK. No. In Wales, of all places. Machynlleth. Known to the locals as Mach. Somewhere I used to drive through frequently in my previous life.

I sent them an email. They sent me a sample - perfect. I ordered a roll and it came the next day. Efficiency!

I've been so caught up with the fruitless demands of Etsy that I hadn't opened it. To tell you the truth I've been I little bit scared of it.

The other night I left a comment on Arcady's site. In the comment was a slightly, disparaging remark about her corn snake. I don't really like snakes. That night I had a dream. I dreamt I was opening up my lovely organic wadding and there was a snake inside it. My own fault,

1)  I should have opened up my parcel way before now. Procrastinating again.

2) I should have been nicer about Arcady's snake. I'm sure she loves it.

3) Get treatment for my phobia!

Today has been fine and dry and I felt brave. A good day for opening up a parcel outside. I couldn't do it inside - the snake might escape!

Armed with a pair of scissors and two trusty cats I opened it up. Guess what? No snake. Just a roll of lovely sumptuous organic wadding wrapped up in parchment paper. Parchment paper. Not plastic. How cool is that? Mahatma would be proud.

It also came with its own certification which is something you need if you want Soil Association registration.

Thank you Phil and everybody at Organic Cotton . They're lovely people who send you lovely things. But not snakes!

(Personally I blame Arcady)

Picnic basket

I wanted to share with you some of the scenery of the Brecon Beacons National Park. This is what I had to drive through on my way home from Wonderwool. It's a hard life!

The road from Builth Wells runs alongside the River Usk. Two years ago after a day at the Royal Welsh Show I had my car towed out of one of the fields by a tractor. The rain during summer of that year had been horrendous. I also spent three days in wellies during the National Eisteddfod but that's another story

From the road between Brecon and Storey Arms.

and from Storey Arms to Cefn Coed. It was just further down from here that I had to pull off the road to take this.

With such delightful company I switched off the engine and opened my picnic basket. No food - already eaten but some things to keep me occupied.

My knitting on the go - fish. Or what do you call a fish with no eye? fsh

Rhod Gilbert's "The Cat That Looked Like Nicholas Lyndhurst" CD - because in these mountains there is no radio reception and because his anger management issues make my road rage disappear.

Beth's biscuits - squirrels this time as I have no heart cake left.

4711 body spray - rediscovered. I needed it after spending time with all those sheep plus I've found out accidentally that it's perfect for getting rid of the summer windscreen film. It's truly vintage with a fascinating history. Check it out here

Bowie Style, "Print and Pattern" for inspiration.