First make of the year

It was D's 5th birthday last friday, and remembering that I had made a cushion for her brother with an F on for his birthday, she had announced a little while ago that wanted one too for her bed. I of course left making this until the night before! But I did get it made and she was very pleased with it (check out the bedhair too, my children suffer from crazy hair in the morning!).

Little D.

However did our clever, gorgeous, girlie, determined, funny, stubborn, mature, hardworking, nutruing, caring, cuddly chatterbox become 5 already? (With a good helping of tantrums, crying, strops and fighting thrown in over those 5 years!).

D's cushion is the only make so far this year, but I have lots of plans over the next few weeks including 2 orders for boy baby quilts due at the beginning of February and some Valentine bits and pieces for Taking the Plunge I have also signed up for 2 more markets at the Horsebridge as the last one was so successful. I'll post with more details soon and hopefully lots of lovely new makes!



Just in case...

...the lady from the Horsebridge Christmas Market, (who wanted one of my black bird cushions but it had sold) happens to come on here...I  had just enough fabric to make one big cushion (and maybe one little cushion to come) and it is now in my Folksy shop.

Plus this little pram quilt is on there too..

Changing the subject completley - what with all the snow the UK has received over the last week, I had to take a pictute of the strange glow that snow gives off late at night. Looking out of our kitchen window normally, it is  pitch black and you can't see a thing but this picture was taken close to midnight on Saturday night and everything had a bluey/yellow twinge to it.

So very strange.

I know the snow has caused chaos and I have heard a lots of horror stories of people getting stuck out in the snow over the weekend but surely even Scrooge would be feeling a teeny bit of Christmas spirit now...It;s beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

A successful Christmas market

Well I made it through the weekend and am happy to report that I had a fantastic time at the Christmas Market at the Horsebridge in Whitstable on Saturday.

 

It was the best market/fair I have ever done. There was a constant stream of customers throughout the day - no doubt they were all going stir crazy at home after being snowed in for a couple of days! It certainly seemed like the whole of Whitstable came out for the day. I wasn't the only one who had a good day either, all the stallholders I spoke made brilliant sales all day.

I sold more than I ever have sold before, plus I got some orders. The cushions were really popular (luckily as I had loads!). I have to confess that I did have more stock than I have ever had before, so I guess a lot more choice for people means they are more likely to buy. I also got some orders, so the sewing machine is still going to be in constant use until chrismas whilst I make 7 mermaid dolls, baby quilts and bird cushions!

 

I thought a lot more about my stock this time and had quite a few smaller/cheaper items including lavender hearts, brooches and keyrings, which were all between £2 and £4 and these little things certainly add up if you sell lots of them plus I didn't have anything on the table that was over £25.

I've started to post some of the items left over from the fair on my Folksy shop and the some of the cushions can be found in Taking the Plunge (only in store, not available from their online shop).

I was seated at the fair next to the most fabulous facepainters I have ever seen. They were super speedy and so detailed and brilliant - they had a queue most of the day, including my only little D who wanted to be a witch. The red eyes only add to the image I think!

Let is snow, let it snow, let is snow....

Like much of the UK, Whitstable has had a lovely white blanket of snow for a few days now. It has meant 2 days off school for two excited children. Lots of time for the offical first viewings of the most Christmassy film ever - The Polar Express, playing and making snow angels!

It has turned a bit icy and slippery now, but this was the lovely soft, crunchy under foot stuff when it first fell. Simply lovely. It is impossible to not get into the spirit of Christmas when everything looks like this.

Oh and just another quick reminder about the Christmas Market I am taking part in at The Horsebridge Art & Community Centre in Whitstable tomorrow. It is open between 10am and 4pm and as well as 20 or so stalls bursting with crafty goodness, there will also be carol singing, mulled wine, mince pies and facepainting for the kids.

I took over the kitchen table earlier in an attempt to work out how the hell to display all the stuff that I FINALLY managed to make! Hmm, I threw it all on the table so it looks a right old jumble in the picture.

I will take a bit more time displaying it all tomorrow!

Wish me luck.

Christmas Market at the Horsebridge, Whitstable

Eeek! I've gone and signed myself up for a stall at the Christmas Market that The Horsebridge Arts & Community Centre in Whitstable are organising in December.
If you fancy coming along, it is taking place on Saturday 4th December, between 10am and 4pm.
There will also be live carol singers, face painting and yuletide treats and mulled wine from the cafe!

All I have so far to go on my stall is this pram quilt...

I think I am going to be glued to the sewing machine for the next few weeks!!

Cancelled

Excuse the picture it doesn't go with the post (it was taken at the Whitstable Craft Fair back in May), but I needed a nice smiley picture today as I am totally devasted as I have had to cancel the Christmas Crafty at the Coast.

I am so angry beyond belief as it is the hall where I hold them who have cancelled the event today.

To cut a very long story short they have basically double booked the hall with the Farmer's Market whilst the man who I normally book the hall with is off with a long term sickness. The Farmer's Market hold events at the hall every other saturday and I believe they must have changed their dates at some point in the year as I provisionally booked the hall for the 12th December back in January and all of their dates were already in the diary and the 12th was free!

My deposit had not been paid as during the time the man I deal with has been off sick it was sent back from the May fair and not carried over.  I still believed my booking would be safe as I had not had a phone call from anyone saying other wise, until I went to pay the deposit and found out that as my deposit cheque had not been paid in I have lost the hall, and don't appear to have a leg to stand on.

I am so fuming, upset, hurt and angry as I put so much of my heart, soul and time into organising the fairs, but most of all I am upset for those who were due to take part and had probably started working hard on items to sell and for the goodie bags. It just feels like a slap in the face. I confess I was not at my calmest when the man from the hall rang to tell me that I basically do not have a booking and I more or less told him I thought they were incapable and that I would not hold any other events there again.

I have organised five craft fairs now, the Christmas Crafty at the Coast would have been my 6th fair since 2007 and I have met such a great and talented group through them over the last couple of years, I am very sad.  I do feel they have taken so much time over the last few years even though I loved every minute, I don't think I will organise any others for a while! I might change my mind in a few months if I find another venue.

If anyone is organising a crafty type fair in the kent area, do let me know as I would still love to take part!

Crafty at the Coast

I haven't touched the sewing machine for a while so no pics of new makes, but we have been to the beach lots so that is all I seem to have pictures of lately!!!

I have been busy with other things too though. I decided the Craft fairs I organise in Whitstable needed a bit of an update rather than just Craft & Gift Fairs, so the new name I have come up with is.........Crafty at the Coast.

I am hoping this new name will make it a bit more exciting and more in keeping with the fantastic handmade stallholders who take part. The next fair being on 12th December will be Christmas Crafty at the Coast. I am working on a logo and a special Crafty at the Coast blog so all will be revealed soon (I hope!). I am also planning on doing goodie bags like Jenny did at the Makey do, as I think this really worked for her and I am hoping it will here too!!!

And I am very excited this evening as I just found out that I have won a giveaway by from all about eden's blog!!! It is a lovely mushroom brooch and green & black chocolate! I have never won anything since the barbie doll house I won in a drawing competition when I was about 8! So I am very excited! Thanks Sara!!!

A seaside fair - lots of pictures!

Well, the sun was shining and when the sun shines in Whitstable, it means our little town gets very busy indeed. And, thankfully, lots of the seaside visitors, and local folk decided to come along to the fair!

There were stalls a plenty, with so many different and beautiful goods for sale.

I mananged to take a few photos here and there, but not as many as I would have liked!

Many thanks to all the brilliant stallholders who made such an effort with their stalls and to all the lovely customers who came along for a browse and a shop. It was a very busy day and non-stop in the morning. Sales eased off a bit in the afternoon, as I think most people had disappeard to the beach! But we still had a steady stream of people.

Everyone said that they had a really good day, there was a lovely, friendly atmosphere in the hall and all of the stallholders were really busy and people were actually spending money! They all did really, really well.

Emily and Jacquie above sold lots of their spotty cushions. They had come all the way from Surrey, so I really appreciate you travelling so far and hope you had a good day.

It was so lovely to meet some new crafty people, especially Kirsty above (hiding!) from me plus molly who I have met through the blog! I hope you had fun too Kirsty, it was really nice to meet you and I am so glad you did really well.

My lovely mum was there with all her knitted baby things.

And this was my stall. I did really, really well at the fair. Not only did I really enjoy the day, make some new friends, but I also made more money than I have ever made at a fair before!

Thank you to all my very nice family and friends who made a real effort in coming along, and for buying lots of things too.

I also did a live interview on BBC Radio Kent, which was pretty scary but ok! I had to run and hide outside the hall so that nobody would see me blushing whilst I did it! I knew my nan, who couldn't come, was listening so I said hello to her on air which I think she really liked! It lasted about 3 minutes the interview and was fine once I got into it, not too bad.

Phew, it's all over now.

Time to start thinking about planning the next one on the 12th December now........................... well, maybe not just yet!

Boot fairs and pre-fair nerves!

I have finally found 5 minutes to do a very quick post!

I have been very busy the last week getting all the final bits and pieces sorted out for the fair on saturday...eeek! can't believe it is only a couple of days away now.

I managed to squeeze in a boot fair on sunday morning with my friend and next door neighbour Vicki - the lovely lady with the bump in the picture below! I know you look at my blog sometimes Vicki, so I had to put you on here! We didn't make very much, but got rid of some old bits and I did give out lots more craft fair flyers. I also caught the sun a bit too much as after the fair I went on a door-to-door flyer delivering mission!

I am just about there with all the organising now! Gradually I am crossing things off of my huge to do list! I have got some brilliant stallholders for this fair and I am very excited to see what everyone has made and how it all looks together. Kirsty from Me plus Molly will be there with her gorgeous textile pieces, I can't wait to see what she has made. Also taking part are Butterfly Cottage Ceramics, Jane Bourne from The Cloth Hall and Kerry Mayo with her beautiful photographic prints of Whitstable and the local area.

There are obviously lots of other talented people taking part, but they don't have blogs or websites to link to. If you have a look at this post, from the Christmas fair I organised last November, you can get a taste of what treats are in store! (Although not all of those pictured were able to come this time).

Organising fairs is always a bit of a panic, especially when you get a last minute cancellation! My poor friend who was making and running the cake stall has fallen down the stairs and hurt her back, I hope she is ok but sadly it means she has had to pull out today. I haven't been able to find another cake maker who can produce cakes quickly enough for the fair, which is a huge shame. Luckily, underneath the hall is a cafe with a lovely garden, so nobody will go hungry!

I am also going to have to do something on Saturday that I am petrified about! I have listed the fair on lots of websites, including the bbc kent one. I got a call yesterday from a lady at BBC Radio Kent asking if someone could call me on Saturday morning for a 1-2 minute chat about the fair - where it is, what time etc etc. Err, yes please - but oh my god I am scared!!! I am sure I will sound like a bumbling idiot, but I couldn't turn it down could I! Hopefully it will bring some more people along anyway.

Well fingers, legs, etc crossed that all goes well - I will post with some pictures next week!

At least we have the weather on our side on Saturday anyway!

Home....

... Is where the heart is.

Or in my case at the moment, home is where there are piles of WIP's, fabric, flyers, lists, table plans, labels etc etc as I am starting to put all the finishing touches together for the Craft Fair I am organising which is less than 2 weeks away now, eeek! Oh and I just managed to work out how to add the poster to the side of my blog....I am still wearing my blog 'L' plates and learning new things all the time! Better late than never.

At work yesterday I had the idea to make these patchwork hanging signs and after a couple of doodles I came up with these and decided to make some for the fair. Why do I always seem to come up with a new idea for something, when I have almost no time left to make them!
Also more dolls/mermaids and lots of t-shirts and baby vests made - still a few more to do though, better get back to my sewing machine...........

Dare to bare....

Prepare yourself to view the worst carpet in the world...ever!

Yuck! This brown monster of a carpet has been in our living room since we moved into our house 5 years ago. I have hated it and was so, so excited when this weekend we decided it was warm enough to finally pull it up!

Now bare floorboards might not be everybody's cup of tea but after staring at that awful carpet for 5 year, to me they look amazing!

We are not keeping them as they are for too long though as we are getting a lovely solid wood floor to go on top as the floorboards are not in good enough condition and just too cold! all those gaps! brrrh

On a less brown note, I have just finished and scanned in the posters for the craft fair I am organising in whitstable on Saturday 30th May. I have sent them out to all the stallholders and will be giving them out to shops soon to put up in their windows. So if anyone is reading this and fancies a trip to the seaside then pop in and see lots of crafty goodness!

New makes

I am organising another Craft Fair in Whitstable on 30th May which I am really looking forward too! As well as all the organising and sorting out, I am busy trying to make some stock for my stall!


Whitstable Mermaids and other girly things so far but I must keep making some more bits and pieces so my stall doesn't look empty!

Simply sketching....

I feel I have been very lazy of late. Spending far too much time watching rubbish on the TV, reading other peoples brilliant blogs - but not putting anything up on mine! and not doing very much sewing. I seem to have lost my sewing mojo a little bit. I have lots of ideas floating around my head, but haven't really done anything with them!

I have a craft fair coming up at the end of May in Whitstable that I am organising as well as having a stall at, so I need to get some stock made up for this. To help with my lack of motivation, I brought myself this gorgeous sketch book from Harbour Books in Whitstable - a bargain at £3.50.

It is made by this company and already I have been sketching and putting some of my ideas down.....who knows if I will keep it up though!

Wet Whitstable craft fair!

Well, the fair is over and despite a wet and windy Whitstable, we had lots and lots of people through the door!

Everybody seemed to think it went well, I was too much of a nervous wreck to enjoy it all until about lunchtime and then I had a great time. I was told by lots of the stallholders that they had a really good time and the atmosphere in the hall was lovely.

Here are few pictures to show you what you missed if you couldn't make it and a big thank you to everybody that did brave the rain and made it along! I forgot to take one of my stall!