Well..

It's been an embarrassingly long time since my last post, hasn't it? Sorry to anyone who actually read my blog!! I've been infinitely busy with uni and all the things that go with it... such a lot of fun!

I finished my first project last week, based on the Harris, and got 69% for it (a 2:1, 1% off a first) and was so chuffed!! Will get a picture soon. Feeling a little under the weather today, and just waiting for a friend to pop round for a brew, so I can go do my laundry and have someone to talk to while I'm waiting for the washer :)

More interesting artier posts to follow soon, I hope...

First day off

since Sunday! I'm completely shattered!! Just my luck that my course started this week too (a week earlier than all my flatmates :( ) so I'm currently getting back into drawing and spending days here -

- since I picked it to study for our first project.. (it's the Harris Museum and Art Gallery in Preston).

Also, you might have noticed some new brooches in my various shops, this is them in progress a couple of weeks ago, not looking too promising...

..but now look! Magically transformed into lovely, frosty, metallic leaves! :D

Large Silver Oak Fallen Leaf Brooch - $19.00/£11.00
Available on Folksy, Etsy and Coriandr

All packed up & ready to go

Really should be sleeping now, as I'll have to get up at about half 5 tomorrow to be in Preston for 9 to collect my keys... scary stuff!!! Have so many photos from Staffs and a little trip to Lake Vyrnwy in Wales, will post some up here soon, just haven't had the time! Been packing and tidying since goodness knows when! Anywho, I probably won't be posting for a little while, and won't be adding anything new to my shop for a bit either, since I can't fit my masses of felt, threads and other things in my little student room, I don't think..

Bye bye Shropshire, bye bye Bun, bye bye April & Chin :(

Getting away

From this (rather dreary) town for a little bit should be nice - going to stay with my Nanna in Staffordshire tomorrow for 3 days. Hopefully it won't rain so we can have our traditional visit to Dovedale in the Peak District, and do some work on the farm - mow the lawns, cut the hedges, mulch all the flower beds, and any other little jobs that need doing - normally bonfires are heavily involved! The forecast isn't amazing though, so I'll be taking some felt and sewing supplies with me in case of downpours!!
Then it'll be a busy weekend when we get back, craft market (aaah!!!!) on Saturday, and a kind of 'leaving party' type thing in the pub that night for all of us leaving here to go to uni - will be nice to see everyone, but terribly sad as well, since many of them I won't see again for quite some time, if ever in the case of some people. :(

Last week Katrina of Tomato Tea blogged about a yarn making mishap, and I rather cheekily asked if I could buy some of the resulting fibre... Katrina was lovely and wouldn't take money for it, but we agreed on a trade, and I made her a custom wool brooch in return for this absolutely amazing green fibre! :)


It's (well, some of it is) currently waiting to be incorporated into a textile piece similar to the garden-y one in the first picture in this post.

When someone's 'mishaps' are this lovely, you can't possibly go wrong with their actual items! Check out Katrina's shop for beautiful hand spun yarn, hand dyed yarn and ace accessories!

"Congratulations! ...

... Your place at University of Central Lancashire (C30) to study Art & Design (Foundation entry) (WW12) has been confirmed."

Thanks for that, UCAS. Now onto the slightly worse bit...


C E E B B - sort of my initials, haha! But all passes so I'm pretty happy :)

A completely undeserved C in AS Fine Art (really did not put enough work in to get that mark.), a high-ish B in Textiles (a bit gutted about how they marked my personal study, I thought it was my best unit, oh well - got an A for my Snow Queen illustrations!! :D ). Got an E in A2 Physics - I couldn't have expected anything more really, and the same for A2 Maths. Got a high B in AS Maths though, which I am extraordinarily chuffed about, since last year I got a low E!


Off to Preston in 3 weeks and 2 days. Eeeeeeek!

Fear

I have so much to do this week, but can't concentrate on any of it because the much dreaded and awaited a level results are looming tomorrow. I'm really not expecting good or even half acceptable grades, last year was a bad year. I just want to get it over with! So glad I had an unconditional offer from UCLan, one less thing to worry about!

I've also booked a table for a craft fair on the 5th September - the week before I have to leave this town, and the day of Catton Hall Festival of Fireworks in Derbyshire, which is usually a nice night out, especially since we got some free tickets - am a big lover of fireworks. :) Going to be a busy week!
The table at this craft fair's massive compared to any I've had before - 6' by 2'6" or something along those lines - I'm sure most people wouldn't be phased by it, but I'm a bit worried about how best to display my brooches and jewellery... any tips anyone has would be lovely!

Baking has featured in a fairly large way this week - mainly cookies. The sort that morph into odd shapes when baking -


Was digging around in the harddrive of my laptop earlier and found this picture I took for the compostion of one of my final paintings for art, had forgotten how much I liked it until now.

Two New Items Today!

Today there are two new items in my online shops, the Geranium Brooch...


And a one of a kind Vintage Buttons and Pearls Charm Bracelet...


They are already listed in my Coriandr shop, and will soon be up on Etsy and Folksy, too!

A bad blogger

I have been, indeed. So, so busy lately with sorting out my room so it'll be in a fit state before I leave, organising all my crafty stuff so I can take it with me, sorting out all my A level work from textiles and having failed trips to the cinema with friends.

Proper post soon, I promise.

A good weekend...

...was had - apart from the weather being completely freezing! Was a friend's 18th on Saturday, so an interesting time was had by all, sadly v. expensive though, silly pub!

Wildflowers

I've been working on a new range of wildflower brooches over the last few days, the first three designs (Primrose, improved Forget-Me-Not, and Pimpernel) are ready and will be listed in the next couple of days - the new style of Forget-Me-Not brooch is already available! I've designed some new packaging for them too, what do you think?

Scary Stuff

This is where I'm going to be living in 7 weeks and 1 day's time.

It is MASSIVE.

I think there are 11 blocks. Needless to say, I'm petrified. :)

Tomato Tea

The last seller on the Coriandr Express is Katrina of Tomato Tea, who loves to "to dabble in all things textiles. hand knitting, crochet, sewing and spinning to name a few!" - I think you'll all agree that this is a whole new world of 'dabbling', Katrina creates so many skillfully made items, and amazing hand spun yarns!

**Coriandr Express Special Offer**
*All yarn has been reduced by 10% until the end of July 31st 2009!*

Tomato Tea's hand spun yarns (many of which are hand dyed by Katrina, too) are gorgeous, the colour variations in the Spicy Mustard yarn are exquisite


And the Pink Lemonade yarn is so lovely & gentle - really makes me wish I weren't such a hopeless knitter!


Katrina also makes crocheted items - like these sweet Little Birdie Keyrings - as well as sewn and crochet purses


You can see more from Tomato Tea in Katrina's Coriandr shop, follow her blog here, and catch up with her on Twitter.

Ruby Spirit Designs

Today's Coriandr Express VIP is the lovely Ruby Spirit Designs -

"I live in Yorkshire with my husband and my two gorgeous boys, currently spending every spare minute (of which there aren't many) in my workshop, aka the spare room! But I have big plans for the garden shed...! I have always had a passion for creating jewellery for myself and friends. I love to work with broken or forgotten vintage items, designing something beautiful in the process. It's just another kind of recycling! Many of my creations are unique and one of a kind due to the vintage elements involved."

**Coriandr Express special offer! 10% off all items for the rest of July!**
*Visit Ruby Spirit Designs for more details.*

Ruby Spirit Designs' Coriandr shop is jam-packed with beautiful handcrafted jewellery, like the unique Brass Dragonfly Necklace - such an inventive use for a vintage dress buckle - I have a couple of them in my button box and can never think what to do with them!


Also really like this Vintage Leaf Necklace - very pretty


The Summer Pudding Bracelet is really beautiful - just so many gorgeous beads and charms!

I adore Ruby Spirit Designs' new range of Vintage Button Rings, especially this one


You can see more lovely jewellery from Ruby Spirit Designs here on Coriandr, catch up with her on Twitter, and follow her blog here.

Heart and Soil Baskets

This time on the Coriandr Express, we have Heart and Soil Baskets

"My name is hen and I craft baskets and small hurdles from Somerset willow and materials foraged from the hedgerows of the Cotswolds. The name Heart and Soil comes from my passion for the sustainable management of our countryside.
Our ancient oak woodland, hidden away in a wild valley in Exmoor, offers me the opportunity to hone my carving skills. As and when I have any wood products for sale I'll pop them in the shop!"

Hen's shop is full of absolutely gorgeous baskets - this Willow Shopping Basket is probably my favourite - but it is very difficult to choose!



This Fruit and Veg Basket is beautiful too - I really admire Hen's skill



The Little Flower Girl's Baskets are very sweet - I think I'm going to have to start saving for one of Hen's amazing creations!



You can see more beautiful baskets in Hen's Coriandr shop, catch up with her on Twitter, and follow her blog here.

The Real One

While having a clear out of my room, I found the contents of the doll's house I had when I was little stashed in a box - all the furniture, pretend food I'd made from salt dough, everything! Including the little family of fabric toads I made because I didn't want dolls living there - Mrs Toad, Mr Toad and the Young'ns. When I was small I used to invent businesses that the Toad family ran together (bit odd, eh?) - the Toad House Hotel, and I believe Mrs Toad had her own range of jams and other foodstuffs at one point! All in all, a very enterprising amphibian.

Pepper's Discovery

Today, Pepper was working on her trench in the garden, when she dug up an unusual object. She realised at once that this was an extremely important archaeological find, and made as much fuss as possible. I went over to investigate, and saw this -


Approaching the object with caution, wearing her best 'Sprouts' face


Once Pep deemed the object safe, she went over and snootled at it, discovering, upon closer inspection, that it was in fact just an ancient Fairy Liquid bottle cap. Poor bunny had expected age-old carrot growing tips concealed in a priceless canister, at least!

Saddened by this awful revelation (and the rain, which was just starting to fall), Peps retreated to her 'secret burrow' - actually an assortment of cardboard boxes, but she likes them all the same - to do some solitary thinking about whether archaeology was the right career choice for her.....and do some private face washing (clearly the two activities go hand in hand?!)
The rain became torrential, so we went inside..
..the perfect opportunity for Pepper to get some important sitting about done in her new favourite place; under the sofa.

Sitting soon turned into snoozing, and a chance to get a pic of her dear pink nose without her thinking it a good idea to bunt the camera!
Sorry everyone for a rather boring rabbitty post!!

A Sweet Treat

Today on the Coriandr Express is Debbie, of Sweet Treat - a shop with a real vintage feel, full of beautiful handcrafted jewellery.

"My name is Debbie and I use what spare time I have to chill out with my vintage and new beads to create...my "me" time. Im an old fashioned girl really and love vintage jewellery. I have a very girly daughter who keeps me up to date so I still keep a modern twist on my work! I also enjoy sewing so hope to be able to expand my little Coriandr shop to include handmade items that I produce. Again my daughter has input here as I enjoy keeping up with her demands for new tutus and unique clothing!. I hope you enjoy browsing my store as much as I have enjoyed being part of the wonderful Coriandr community."
These Dottie Earrings are simple, but very pretty and elegant.



The New Beginnings Necklace (and earrings, come to think of it...) are my favourite items in Debbie's shop - just so gorgeous and original!



I really like these Abbigail Earrings - they would catch the light brilliantly and look lovely when worn.

You can see more Sweet Treats in Debbie's Coriandr shop, read her blog here, and catch up with her on Twitter.

Tiny Pretty Things

On the Coriandr Express today is Molly, and her very aptly named shop Tiny Pretty Things

"Molly McCausland is a fine art student by day, illustrator and cartoonist by night. She uses both digital and traditional means to create strange but cute characters that charm everyone. Tiny Pretty Things also contains Mini Art, the eco friendly tiny drawings on recycled and reclaimed packing card, so that you can boost your eco ego as well as indulging in something beautiful."

Molly's art is exactly what it says on the tin - tiny and pretty! The Gentleman here is no exception - he may be not conventionally pretty, but he is very, very endearing!



And at no extra cost, Molly will mount up her tiny drawings on greetings cards - just specify when you buy - this Cake of Glory would make a great birthday card



Molly also creates tiny original paintings, like Butterfly Kisses (below) and Blossom in Blue



You can see more Tiny Pretty Things in Molly's Coriandr shop, become a fan on Facebook, read her blog here, and catch up with her on Twitter

Love, Light and Peas

Next up on the Coriandr Express is Lottie, of Love, Light and Peas.

"Hi, I'm Lottie! I'm 22, I live in South Wales. I have CFS, so I fill my days with knitting and playing with reclaimed crafty materials. I particularly like recycling books, and I'm experimenting with selling knitting patterns."

Lottie's Coriandr shop is full of lovely upcycled stationary sets, I particularly like the Dictionary Set

The World Records Set is great too!


Lottie also sells Custom Knitting - brilliant if, like me, you can't knit yourself, but love knitted creations!


You can see more beautiful items from Love, Light and Peas in Lottie's Coriandr shop, read her blog here, and catch up with her on Twitter.

Sadness

The past week has been pretty miserable for our family - last Thursday, we had to have one of my chinchillas - dear little Chilli - put to sleep, as she'd had a stroke that had paralysed her lower body and tail.

We brought her home from the vets (how could we have left her there?) and filled her nesting box with flowers, laid her in it (she loved her box and always felt safe in it), then filled it to the top with more blooms. We buried her in the garden, next to Will (Willow) my tortoiseshell dutch rabbit who died 5 years ago, and George the fish.

My brother chainsaw-carved a lizard out of a poplar log earlier that day, and we've put that on Chilli's grave until we can plant something pretty there. My room feels very empty without Chilli's cage in it, even though I still have April (a violet chinchilla, who is rather less good natured than Chilli was).


Yesterday I found out that one of my younger cousin's little cats (rather unfortunately named Ne-Yo I believe) had been run over outside their home - very very sad for them and the cat's sister, who will now be very lonely.

Rest in peace little creatures :(


If anyone wants, or knows anyone who wants, a chinchilla cage, please leave a comment here or email me.
Chilli's cage measures 70cm(h)*65cm(w)*45cm(d), has a plastic base and removable shelves (you could add your own wooden ones). We only bought it for her last year, and there is no risk of infection as we scrubbed the cage thoroughly with bleach, and Chilli was not ill with anything contagious.