Holiday?

Where did my holiday go? 4 weeks and 1 day til I move back to sunny Preston.

I got a confirmation of my place on the textiles course this year (yay!) and in the envelope was also my holiday project....(grrrr, how could you, UCLan?)...and a letter saying that the uni are running a trip to New York in February/March next year! Better get saving, since it's £600!! Very exciting, I've never been abroad! :D

Going for lunch at my brother's new house with the parents tomorrow, then a friend's birthday party in the evening, then to a festival in Bedfordshire next weekend - hopefully it won't be this rainy! Busy busy busy! My knitting is progressing very slowly.


The holiday project is fairly naff, though...we have to collect things that reflect our personal interests and experience of Summer, put them in a bottle, then do a sketchbook based on the objects. I was thinking of holding it outside in the rain. But that doesn't really reflect my interests... and wouldn't be very fun to draw.

Here are a few bits and pieces I've done so far -

Print blocks

Prints


Ink and Glue

Waiting

Sat watching Bargain Hunt and knitting (what has my life come to!?) waiting for my brother to come back. I've agreed to stop in his new house in Derbyshire tonight so I can be there to take delivery of a mattress for him tomorrow morning while he's to-ing and fro-ing moving stuff in.

Learning to knit...badly.

I have never quite managed to grasp knitting very well, and since I have a fair bit of time on my hands, and a children's knitting book, I thought I'd give it a go... again.

When our elderly next door neighbour died, her family kindly gave me a huge bag of mixed yarns to use, so I'm aiming to make a knitted paperchain for my uni room this year, to make it a bit less grim!


Next project (eventually) will be a teacosy for an ace 70's brown teapot my mum found for me. :)


Finally some of my new cake brooches are available on Folksy, also in the lovely Queenies Cupcakery in Ironbridge. More will be listed online in the next few days, along with some of my recycled plastic heart brooches.

Productive week!

I've felt very lazy since finishing uni for the Summer, so I gathered up everything I've made in the last few weeks, put it all together and was surprised by how much of it there was!! So feeling a lot better about myself now! All the cakes, tea cup and pot were made in the past week.


Spent a fair while making toys for April - little folded stars on card streamers to hang from the roof of her cage - they should keep her busy for a matter of seconds.....mad little creature.


One night of before bed reading and half the book is gone...Eeek!


Went to Wenlock today, looked in the bookshop, the little antiques-y place and twenty twenty gallery, and stumbled across Ippikin, which is one of the best shops I have even seen. Knitted sheep tea cosies, yarn, hand knitted clothes, all kinds of beautiful textiley things.


Must go back with money!

Sneak Peek

I've been working on some new brooches over the past couple of days, there are 17 of them now! Here's a sneaky peek at them... proper photos and listings soon!



This is my Summer reading pile. Good reading makes for a happy Mrs Toad!

Curls

In an effort to turn my impossibly frizzy hair into sensible, nice curls, I have temporarily turned into Dilys Price from Fireman Sam.


My hair currently exactly resembles hers. I also have the old Fireman Sam theme tune stuck in my head.

Decisions

What to do with my spending money?

Keep - I have extra funds for the rest of the Summer.

Spend - I buy this book, which I have been wanting for at least a year now.


Use - I get some greetings cards printed of my Snow Queen series of illustrations, and possibly approach a local bookshop to stock them.

Tricky.

Also, as of yesterday, some of my brooches are being stocked by the lovely Queenies Cupcakery in Ironbridge! Very excited about that, as it is the most gorgeous shop, selling the loveliest cakes and other treats as well as tea and milkshakes. Well worth a visit if ever you're in the Ironbridge Gorge.

Hand Painted Loveliness

I listed three new items today - hand painted faux leather and felt brooches - made from this.




Available in my Folksy shop now, they are £5.00 each.

Oh dear.

I fell off the internet for a while - we had a lot of power cuts one weekend, and then I had to get sorted for a craft market (at which I sold a grand total of three items - never again). But now I'm back blogging. Feeling very bad about dropping out of July Jesters. Also terrible about missing my brother's graduation today - but I didn't feel like wandering around his city all day on my own - he could only get 2 tickets for the actual ceremony.

Very sorry to all the Jesters!

Thinking of housewarming presents for various people, and also baby presents. Any advice (especially on the latter!) would be much appreciated!


I finally got a (pretty naff..) snap of my illustration piece that's in the Young People's Open Exhibition at The Place in Oakengates, it's on display with the other 39 pieces of brilliant artwork - the winner of the youngest age group is amazing - a furry collaged Gruffalo - my favourite from the whole exhibition. If you're in Telford anytime before 12th September, it's well worth a visit.

Folksy swaps are lovely.

I've never done a Folksy swap before, but I'm so glad I did this one!

I got a sweet little parcel in the post this morning, opened it, and found the most gorgeous bracelet from Mirribeads inside!


Beautifully packaged too! My photo doesn't do it justice - the beads are so jewel-y and lovely! Like fairytale fruit drops. It even has a bell, 'so I won't get lost'! :)
I am actually never going to take this off, it's so pretty!

Sweet Strawberries

They're one of my favourite fruits, and today I listed a pretty strawberry hair clip set. It's available in my Folksy shop now!


I went on a bit of a charity shop crawl in Wellington today, sadly nothing very amazing to be found. There were a few bits and pieces of china - some really cute Meakin bowls, and some survivors of a Grindley's tea service in the Cancer Research shop, but they were all in fairly good condition, but I didn't buy them. I'll probably go back later in the week and not be so restrained!
Took an obligatory trip to the sweet shop and bought £1's worth of toffee bon-bons... terrible for teeth, but so good.

Day 7, July Jesters

Today, three more great sellers from Folksy - Fairly Girly, Mirribeads and Silvessence.

Firstly, Fairly Girly - beautiful handmade jewellery - the focal bead on this Seashell Lampwork Necklace is really lovely.



Next, Mirribeads, who gives new life to vintage beads and components in quirky new designs.
This Nautical Weave Necklace is great.



Last for today's post - Silvessence, with unique handcrafted silver jewellery. These delicate Fine Silver Flower Earrings are my favourites.

July Jesters - 5 & 6

Today I'm playing catch-up, had a rather surreal evening yesterday, so didn't get chance to blog! Six Folksy sellers this time - Jentwinkle, Mi Mi B, The Knitting Ninja, Whimsical Wren Jewellery, JAustenJewelleryDesign and Cheerymishmash.

Jentwinkle is a shop filled with great bags and accessories, like this Vintage Dresses Toiletry Bag.


Next, Mi Mi B and gorgeous handcrafted jewellery. I love the colour of this Heart of Glass Pendant.



The Knitting Ninja creates brilliant, quirky woollen accessories. This chain scarf is completely awesome!!



Whimsical Wren Jewellery stocks lovely vintage style jewellery. These opalescent glass drop earrings are my favourites.



JAustenJewelleryDesign stocks a wide range of pretty jewellery. This ring is beautiful.



I love all the items from Cheerymishmash - these colourful cushions would brighten up any room.

Day 4 of July Jesters

Today's featured Folksy shops are Cwtch, Mary Elliott Jewellery and PyroAngel's Sweet Trinkets.


Cwtch is a shop full of pretty textile items, ranging from toys to needlework accessories. I love the range of colourful cushions, like this Liberty print applique one.



Mary Elliott Jewellery has a wide range of lovely vintage style jewellery - necklaces, earrings and rings. My favourite is this pretty floral locket - very Summery!



PyroAngel's Sweet Trinkets stocks fun, kitsch jewellery, including bracelets, necklaces and earrings, like these great Rainbow Cascade Earrings.

Primark bags

I bought a cheap little satchel-ish bag from Primark (yes, I know, but there's no point having an expensive bag when it's only going to get covered in paint or glue) a little while ago, and the other day caught the strap on a door handle. Massive un-stitchable rip. :(


Cut it up, and working on some new designs including the fabric from it.



Also going to use the lining as a sketchbook cover, as it's got a zipped pocket stitched in. Discovered whilst disassembling the bag that a hair pin works as a great quick-unpick!


Always better to reuse things, if you can't repair them, eh? :)

Jesters - Day 3!

This time the Folksy July Jesters I've chosen to feature are Maxine Veronica, Polka Dots and Posies and Buttons and Beads Gifts.


Maxine Veronica's shop is full of beautiful earrings, bracelets and necklaces. This metal-free nautical necklace is one of my favourites from her shop, as it can be worn either as a necklace or a bracelet.



Polka Dots and Posies stocks cute brooches, cushions, children's clothing and various other pretty textile items. This floral bunting would brighten up any space.



Buttons and Beads Gifts is full of an eclectic mix of items handmade by Angela. Bright bracelets, necklaces, wine glass charms and many other items are available - I really like these endearing owl gift tags!