Its all going crazy!

Well its almost upon us, its the time of year when we makers, designers & crafters set up stalls in community centres, marketplaces & village halls across the length and breadth of the UK in an attempt to provide one off unique gifts for members of the unsuspecting public.

Heres a few pictures of my shinnanigans this month, out and about meeting the lovely people of Yorkshire, its what its all about!

This weekend was Barnsley`s Christkindlemarkt a 4 day event, 

I am so weary it felt like Groundhog Day  

  Check out our wonderful marquee supplied by Barnsley Markets, talk about spoiled! its got a floor - unheard of for an outdoor market! It held down so well in the gusty winds this weekend. They did us proud!

You can just about about see a glimpse of local talents Mr Monocle, Cottonarts Bags , Emily Sharp clothing and Cherryamour

..and here`s little old me...

Networking or just sharing a bit of gossip - You decide! It was great to spend time with my crafty buddies , they`re just fab!

Emily having 5 minutes off her feet

Introducing Kyle, one half of  `Mr Monocle` who design limited edition screen printed T-shirts, I bought myself & my OH one to send to Santa, only 5 of each size printed in each design, Too cool for school!

  Here`s me in all my Glory, my recycled jacket handbags went down well with the good people of Barnsley, as did the mittens and headbands, it looks like it was a lovely summers day but the wind was fierce and really cold.

 The roasted chestnuts were a great winter warmer on a cold day and just look at his quirky set up. 

He is a real  character, he was playing Tamla Motown songs every time I passed....what more can you ask for..warming your soul and listening to it too

....and finally these guys made it a special day for us all, our very own Frumptarn Guggenband brilliant!

xXx

Fame at last!

Well the rumble of Christmas can be heard in the distance, I can`t believe that its come around so quickly AGAIN! Images it is then for this post A picture tells a thousand words....

Look what I found in the fridge the other morning its actually 

cake on a lolly stick

hmmm thats why there were strange noises coming from the kitchen late at night, it was the baking fairy aka my daughter Katie... all 4 of them I tried were gorgeous! 

May I introduce you to some lovely ladies that I met last week -

`The Angel People` in the guise little of old ladies with wings, sent here to Earth to help us out do good stuff aren`t they brilliant! 

I have put my order in! 

Touchy Feely Textile Journals and diaries all ready to send out to `Adore` gift shop in Penistone Barnsley

 I made these for a fundraiser called `A Helping Hand for Needy Paws` 

Who are planning on having a Victorian Twilight Xmas market 

in Locke Park Barnsley probably on the 2nd or 3rd December, It should be good fun and its for a great cause! If your at a loose end why not pop along!

My claim to fame! 

A lovely article ran in Novembers edition of `Yorkshire Life Magazine`

 Its a bit scary when your huge face is spread across a magazine for EVERYONE & ANYONE to take a look at, 

I think they did a  fantastic job (I am so proud) its a great Magazine too all about us up North, where to go what there is to see on our own doorstep 

and of course how fabulous we all are!

Pop over and check it out!

Yorkshire Life magazine

And last but certainly not least

Here`s my `proud Grandma` photo... Caden my grandson  received his 1st special award for his school work... he`s just AWESOME! 

xXx

  

Almost the end of October already?

It never ceases to amaze me where the time goes, the months seem to be speeding by and here we are once again it`s almost Halloween!

The summer has been filled with lots of adventures craft fairs, markets  and country shows from Sheffield to Saltaire, meeting so many talented makers and lovely people & loving every minute of it!

The build up to each event is the same worrying whether you have made enough stock to put on a good display and  also hoping you are given a good spot on the day

Emley Show

The lovely `bumble bee` Meningitis trust fund raisers on Devonshire Green market in Sheffield back in May.

Wristlet key fobs

All set up and ready for business

 I have found a new stockist for my journals & purses in a lovely gift shop on the High street in Penistone Barnsley called `Adore`and have been trying to add some diaries and sketchbooks to my collection

Lots of lovely fabrics make up the spines of my fabric covered books

`Dogs are my favourite People`

Key fobs on their way to Churchfield vets to help with their fundraising

 Recycle Reuse Reduce

One of the highlights of my week this week was running a Textile workshop day in Carlton Community College with year 7 students. 

During the day pupils were able to attend a choice of 4 sessions during the day, all activities were based around recycling. 

• They were able to  make clothing out of plastic bags. There were some amazing outcomes including a wedding dress & grooms outfit!
• They had a Trash Band and made music out of glass & plastic bottles and you should hear the BOOM that comes from a wheelie bin when its it struck with a big bass drum stick, they rhythm kept going by banging the lid!
• `Hot Stuff` was where kids were shown how to use the heat of an iron heat to fuse plastic bags and create their own materials. They made handbags, ties, bibs etc
• In the Textile Workshop we recycled clothing into a huge banner to get across the Recycling message. Jeans, pillow cases and children`s dresses  were cut up and stripped of buttons etc and the outcome was impressive to say the least I was so proud of the kids they were stars.....well most of them !

This was the finished article, it was a great day and very much in keeping with how I like to work, recycled textiles are a great source of materials.


Check out my own recycling which are 
recycled bags 
Made from jackets, trousers and skirts




 and finally one of my other recycled favourites

Utterly Unique  jewellery & beads made from recycled paper. 
This necklace is made from a copy of Viz!

Where did the summer go?

This summer has been like a whirlwind what with one thing and another, cold days are on the horizon ...

  Mittens 
made from pre-loved recycled jumpers

That`s fingers taken care of, so what about keeping those ears warm... 
thermal fleece lined 100% wool headband ear warmers are the answer warm and funky!

Busy busy weekend

Wow my feet didn`t touch the ground this weeknd - all week infact!
All week I have been sorting and sewing and stashing, mostly in preparation for my daughter returning home from University in Leeds and shes finally here YAY!
A long hot trip down to London in a dodgy white van and umpteen boxes carried  down from 6 flights of stairs did the trick. A car boot sale is now imminent to get rid of surplus stuff - both hers and mine!

A whole day on Saturday was spent displaying and selling my wares at The Waterfront Festival in Leeds with Artsmix.  There was a Dragon boat spectacle, lots of lovely food and music and to top it all the sun shone for us all.

I have big news of a new stockist, a lovely new shop called  Nouveau Leeds at Bird’s Yard, Leeds, are going to be stocking lots of my stuff. From quote cushions & key rings to fabric covered journals & egg cosies Its all down there! 




83 Kirkgate. Leeds LS2 7DJ



Bird’s Yard, is behind the Leeds Corn Exchange and offers an eclectic mix of independent designers and makers. It’s got three floors of independent shops and is chocca block with gorgeous handmade, vintage and quirky things. Its great to be involved with like minded souls - Pop down and say hello!

This week has been a good week!

The thing about being a self employed designer maker is that some weeks go by and all it is is sew, sew, sew however some weeks go by and you cant seem to get near to the sewing machine for love nor money as there is so much of everything else to sort out!


This week has been a lovely balance of sewing, cutting out, teaching and scavenging for supplies ....and that my friend is my favourite part. Fabric shops, car boot sales, haberdashery shops- don't even get me started... and then there`s eBay I can even source goodies in my nightie. Let me tell you its dangerous!

I have my daughter arriving home this month after 3 years at university in London and I cant wait, although there is one problem with that and that is where the hell am I going to put her? I seem to have spread from my appointed sewing room and taken roost in her room too. When I say taken roost its like ...`OK ,wheres the bed gone` So this week I have been shoving things in the loft, I have been re arranging cupboards and drawers to disappear things. I filled a few charity bags and I even threw some stuff out and I found it! there`s the bed, it was there all the time but obscured from view with a huge bag of woolly jumpers ready to upcycle into mittens for my winter fairs.



Mittens recycled from a Next jumper

52 pairs of mittens all cut out and ready to sew

So the huge bag of woollens is now half empty because I actually got round to doing some cutting out and managed to cut out 52 pairs of mittens all ready to sew up for the winter.
Hmmm glorious outside and I am cutting out mittens sweating like a good `un

This week I also found a fabulous recycling place where they sell the most amazing range  of stuff. Its all the things that would otherwise end up in landfill,  much of it from industry,
Scrap Creative are well worth a visit if you get chance! I have always felt that other peoples rubbish can be my treasure and this place just proves that its not just me.

Heres one thing I bought any idea what it might be?

Each hole is about as big as a pound coin

Answers on a postcard please :)

Its the most beautiful quality  double thickness felt. Not quite sure why I bought it apart from the fact that I love the colour, neither do I know what it will end up becoming. If I have things around me for a while they usually speak to me. All I can say is watch this space

While I was trying to unearth my daughters bed I found some other stuff dying to be re-born into something beautiful. check out this bag I made from a mans checked jacket. It makes me smile each time I look at it



The underside of the front flap. All you need is love don't you know!



The back using the existing pocket from the jacket

The front view using the lapel of the jacket

A flowery inside pocket

Back to school tomorrow for a day to educate young minds about the glory of shading and tone and how to stay in their seats and listen for more than 2 minutes at a time and then I have a stall at Notton Gala on Sunday. Oh please don't let it rain between 1pm and 5.

Fascinators & Brooches Workshop

Well! I have been getting excited  all week about my first ever Touchy Feely Textile Fascinators workshop @ the Barnsley Civic.
My lovely ladies were eager to get started and after some basic making of flower shapes the magic began to happen as they began to get inventive with all the fabrics, feathers, net and buttons. The people who come to my workshop never cease to amaze me with what they make during the day.

Take a look what we got up to!




Fascinator Overkill

Organza, ribbon & ladybirds

Keeping it simple

And to finish off have a guess what these might be for.....