Monday blues...

I've been feeling a bit down today. Karl has had to go away for work this week so am home alone. I do usually spend a lot of time by myself and normally I'm pretty good with my own company but somehow it's different when you know that there is no one coming home at the end of the day!

Anyway, I wanted to get out and get a bit of fresh air this morning so got bundled up in my winter coat and gloves (it's got really cold!) and took a little walk to town with my weekend orders, passing Bruton's one little charity shop on the High street as I went. I had a little glance in the window as I always do and what did I see looking back at me... a lovely retro looking enamel bread bin... oooh I thought, that's nice! Not that I need another bread bin, I have a perfectly lovely one already... I couldn't see the price tag through the window but I knew it would probably be expensive. So off to the post office I went, but on my way back, I just couldn't resist popping in to check the price. I told myself that if it was anymore than £10, it wasn't meant to be. It was £12.00. I picked it up, walked about with it a bit, put it down again, picked it back up...

I think it was the mood I was in but I found myself reasoning with myself as to why I deserved a little treat in the shape of an enamel vintage looking bread bin! I knew that it was one of those things that if I walked away it would be gone tomorrow. The little tag on it said it had only been put out today and since it was only just gone 10, then it can't have been there very long. Also, there is a very nice antique/junk/vintage shop right opposite and I know the ladies who run that would have snapped it up in an instant if they had seen it first. I didn't want to regret it if I had gone home without it, so home with me it came :)

 

Now that I have it home, I'm not entirely sure if I will use it for bread or not! As I said already, I have a perfectly good bread bin, which also matches some of my other kitchen tins so I don't want to replace that one. And our work surface isn't really big enough to have it on display. It was 100% an impulse purchase, (most unlike me, I am normally super careful with money!)... BUT I am sure it will come in handy, and in the meantime, it is looking nice on top of the fridge! It is a really good size and a really good heavy weight too. Actually, it also has this on the bottom...

So I assume it can be used for cooking bread too?? Does anybody know anything about making bread in something like this? My breadmaker and I aren't really the best of friends, and I can usually never be bothered to make it by hand so I don't tend to bake bread much anymore. But I do love bread, so it might be worth an experimental go if anyone has any advice or knowledge on the subject? :)

Anyway, enough on the bread bin for now! As I knew Karl was going to be away this week, I told myself that I really shouldn't spend the weekend working away upstairs in my studio but instead, should spend it lazily on the sofa working on my new blanket! This was a good plan in theory, and we did have a really nice weekend, but I did also feel horribly guilty at times for spending so long on it. I'm not very good at taking time off from thinking about my work and commissions (though I am getting better). As my 'work' is essentially my hobby too, if I don't have another project to concentrate on, I do tend to be thinking about it and working on things all the time. Because I work from home, 'work' life and 'home' life aren't really separated for me as they are for a lot of people with normal 9-5 jobs. It does have a lot of bonuses too, but I am trying to keep them a little more separate at the moment and have proper time off in the evenings and weekends, to relax and work on projects just for me....

Anyway so back to the blanket, it is growing so fast I can hardly believe it!! So many stripes... but I can't tell you how much I am enjoying this one. I originally was going to make it the same size as my other one (approx 100cm x 150cm), but now I think it is going to be slightly larger, one for snuggling in bed! It isn't quite big enough to go over the whole bed, as since I planned for it to be smaller, my initial chain wasn't really long enough - but this is probably OK... I am the only one who really gets cold in bed, so it will be fine for just covering my side!

 Isn't it pretty?

Ahhhhhh.... it does make me happy to see it all lovely and colourful laid out like that. Every time I catch a glimpse of it, it makes me smile! I like the fact that it's bright but not garish, just nice and rich and warm and cosy. Though it kind of reminds me of the seaside for some reason - think I am thinking of sticks of rock! I am quite relieved actually that I've decided to make it bigger than originally planned, as I really don't want to finish it! As I've worked on it pretty much solidly for two whole weekends now, it has really grown, and I need to eek it out a bit more I think! I think from looking at it, I must be a third of the way there though on the stripe front. I must order some more yarn soon!

On a different note, earlier in the week, before my blanket become all consuming, my new Christmas fabrics eventually arrived, so I did a little more festive mirror making!

I also completed a new magazine commission and did some Thanksgiving  invitation Pingg designs too (see I do actually do some work, I don't just crochet all the time, though it may seem like that if you read my blog!)

I found these Thanksgiving designs quite challenging actually. Maybe it's because we don't celebrate it over here, and also the Autumnal colourway is really not my cup of tea. I just found it hard to come up with ideas, and equally hard to execute them, but in the end I am happy with the few designs I did manage to do! 

Anyway, so that was pretty much my week! Oh, I also reached 1000 likers on my facebook page over the weekend... a good reason for a giveaway I think!! Actually I've been promising a giveaway since I reached 300 blog followers a while ago too, so hopefully I will get myself organised this week and there will be a giveaway post coming shortly!

Thanks for popping into my little bit of blog space as always, I love reading all your comments, they really do cheer me up if I am feeling a little low! Back soon xxx

Halloween Invites

I haven't been doing much sewing since I've been back. In fact, last week I spent much of it doing some new Pingg designs. My collection for them has been a bit neglected over the summer but as we get towards the busiest time of year (invite sending wise) I wanted to get some more designs ready, starting with some Halloween ones...

Not sure what it is since I've come back from my holidays but I'm not feeling the joy for the sewing parts of my work as much as I sometimes do. Instead I've loved doing these designs which are entirely done on the computer. I think partly it's just because I've had loads of ideas for them. You know sometimes inspiration is nowhere to be found and then other times you have ideas brimming over and you can't wait to get them all down on paper so to speak... well this was one of those times.

They are obviously a little different to my usual style, although they seem to have come just as naturally. Maybe it is the use of silhouette and the subject matter (I'm not often to be found stitching skeletons and witches) that makes it feel so different. If you had seen these designs out of the blue, I wonder whether you would have realised they were mine?? I doubt it somehow! But then that is maybe a good thing. Things can sometimes get a little samey and to be honest it's been nice to work with ideas other than cupcakes and flowers!

There are still some more ideas that I would like to do, but other work is calling me and I can't put it off any longer. Plus we do still have quite a bit of time before Halloween but it is good to have the designs ready for when people start planning their parties and events. You can see the rest of my collection here if you are interested...

Anyway it has also made me start thinking (albeit reluctantly) about Autumn, and Halloween itself. I kind of wish we British made more of a thing about Halloween like the Americans do. I started a Halloween pinterest board at the weekend and some of the images and ideas are great! For instance I would love to make some of these cute little jam jar lanterns but fear they would just sit looking forlorn and a bit lost in our house with no other Halloween decorations. 

 Source

I need a house like this for them to look at home!

Source

How fun would it be to decorate your porch like this?? Amazing.

Anyway, let's not wish the months away, we still have nearly two whole ones before Halloween so I shall try and enjoy September first! Hope you're having a good week, thanks for popping into see me as always, I'm off to sew some butterfly badges! xxx

Star spangled!

I realised yesterday that I haven't posted much about my work in a while (too much crocheting going on to fill my posts instead!) Have been making up stock as and when it's been needed for orders, but a lot of my time over the last few weeks has been taken up with a few new commissions. I've also been adding to my Pingg collection over the last month or two. Pingg is based in the US, so there will be lots of 4th July parties and events being planned in the next couple of weeks...

By the way if you are wondering what Pingg is, as I've explained in some of my previous posts, it is an online invitation and e-card service, which people use when they want to plan parties and events such as weddings, baby showers, birthday parties...etc. I am part of the Pingg Plus scheme, so I have designed a range of invitations for them, and if people want to use them for their event(s), they pay a small fee for each use, of which I then get a share. It's basically a great way of supporting artists and designers, as well as making sure the designs they are offering are of a really high standard. They are always on the lookout for new designers, so if you are interested, you should take a look here...

Anyway, as I was saying, my red, white and blue designs have been really popular over the last few weeks. It is kind of weird designing for the American market, as obviously our national holidays vary quite a bit and it is easy to overlook certain key dates and events over there. (Last year I did absolutely no thanksgiving designs whatsoever, which I know I missed out on - though in my defence this was mainly as I was so busy on the run up to Christmas I didn't have time to do any!)

Other recent designs include...

... beach hut and bunting - for all those beach parties being planned!

...cupcakes - which can be used for all sorts of occasions and events!

...and a few 'Save the Date' wedding-y ones too!

I am always adding to them when I get the time... click here if you would like to see the rest of my collection.

Also, I've been meaning to mention for the last month or so a fab new craft e-magazine called The Craft Tonic. If you haven't heard of it yet, it really is beautifully put together with gorgeous styling - and I am honoured to be featured in the second issue.

If you want to read this interview I did for them, if you click on the pictures they should enlarge enough for you to read the text. Otherwise do go and have a browse through the whole magazine - it's completely free - (all you need to do is create a log-in username etc) and it has some really wonderful articles and features in. This second issue has been out a while though so be quick if you want to catch it, I think issue 3 will be on the way shortly!

Anyway, hope you all enjoyed the sunshine this weekend - it has been a mixed blessing for me as it's meant my hayfever's  flared up again which is really very annoying! Has been very nice to do a little pottering in the garden though and actually be too hot for a change! (Last night was one of only nights this year that my hot water bottle did not make an appearance - it was 26 degrees in the house as we were going to bed so I thought on balance I probably didn't need it!)

Have a great week xxx

Sunshine and Daffodils

Seems like ages since I last wrote on here - oops! Have had a busy couple of weeks making lots of badges but have also been relishing the spring sunshine which has been streaming in through the windows this past week. It makes such a difference to be working in a lovely bright room after such a long dismal winter! In an effort to bring a litle more sunshine into the house, bought some lovely daffodils too, which bloomed magnificently making me smile every time I walked past them.

Have also been enjoying my morning walk to the post office every day. Only takes 10 minutes, and it is a lovely walk through the flower-y park and up the steep barton (narrow alley) to town. The daffodils look so pretty in the sunshine - trust the only day this week I have actually remembered my camera is the only day it's been cloudy! Typical... 

Orders have slowed this week and I've had a chance to do a little of my other design work too. I think the sunshine has influenced me - my recent work has had a distinctly summery vibe! Here are a couple of the new designs I've been working on for my Pingg collection. 

These designs have been done entirely on the computer, something which I very rarely do, since my sewing machine usually always has a part to play in some way. Really enjoyed doing these though - It's nice to do something a little different once in a while and it keeps things fresh which can only be a good thing!

Anyway, let's hope the sunshine returns soon, can't wait to get out in the garden and do a little planting. Hope you are all having a good week too...

P.s Hello to all my new followers, lovely to see you here, thank you for visiting :) I've been a bit rubbish this last couple of weeks, have quite a bit of blog reading to catch up on when I get a minute, so I will hopefully pop in on you all soon x

New Pingg Designs

Hello my lovelies, hope you are all ok:) Wow, this is the third post I've done this week - unusual for me! Things are good here, though I've been working on something a bit different in the past couple of days, adding some more invitation designs to my Pingg collection.

I know I've blogged about it in the past, but for those of you that haven't heard of it, Pingg is based in New York, and is an online invitation service where you can find unique artist designed invitations, e-cards and save-the-dates for any social or business event you may be holding. All designs can be personalised with your event/party details, and there are a host of other features that come with the service too.

Anyway, I am one of their designers, and hosts can use my designs for their parties and events. As I am part of the 'Pingg Plus' program, to use my designs, hosts pay $10, of which I then receive a percentage per usage.This is a relatively new scheme, but it is working out really well for me so far.  

I really enjoy working on these more digital based designs, it's just I never seem to have much spare time to work on them as I always have  so much to do for my own business. It still involves quite a bit of sewing but a lot of the work is also done on the computer, so it is quite different to what I normally do... It's nice have a little variety!

If you are interested you can take a look at the rest of my designs here. Have a happy Wednesday x