Hearts 'n' Fishes Workshop.....

Hello Lovely bloggy readers, well a bit later than anticipated I thought I would post a few pics of my workshop the other week.
My garland one didn't run as not enough bods but my hearts and fishes did! Although it was entitled 'Hearts & Fishes" everyone during the workshop decided to make a fish, which was lovely, as my sample was the first fish I had made as well and so it was good to see them inspired enough by my wee fish to make one themselves!




With these taster workshops all materials are supplied by the workshop leader (ie moi) and so you can just roll up and create away without the hassle of trying to remember to get things and then to bring them! All I ask is for people to just bring yourself and your creative spirit along.

So my 'creative mess' laid out to inspire with all its colour and texture.



Fishy shapes cut ready for the choosing and a'making



And so below to fish shapes stitched up and stuffed with the beginnings of decoration....

Rich red with lovey blanket stitching around the edges



The planning of shimmery gorgeous scales






And some nearly finished and finished fishes, just how lovely did they turn out!??




These are two different fish, not the two sides to one by the way! it's just that the same fabric had been chosen, their scales are lovely, much nicer in the flesh or should that be fabric?!



Again I would just like to say a BIG THANKS to the lovely ladies that came along to the workshop, what a lovely group they were. Thank you all for being so inspired and enjoying the workshop. I'm also glad to say that they took bits and pieces home with them to make more fishes and hearts too. I hope you ladies have continued with the creativity! If you have any photos of work finished since then, I'd love to see it, so send me an email!!

I would also like to take the opportunity to say THANK YOU to a list of lovely bloggers for including various items of mine in posts on their blogs. I cannot tell you all how pleased I am to be included in your posts! So lovely of you all, so Thank You! ;0 X

So my Thank You Roll Call to:

Helen from handmade by helen
Val from Blackrose
Alex from FoundonFolksy
Amanda from Etsymetal
Liana from Mixedplate

Phew! well I better get back to creating. I have a couple of orders to package up and am still making for the upcoming fair and Brighton Open House. Yep!!! that's right Brighton Open Houses, little ol' me is taking part for the first time in them, in the Christmas ones. Will let you know more v soon. I'll be down there taking pics so you can see.

Hope you've all had a good weekend, I'm typing wrapped up with layers of cardi's and a big chunky scarf if that makes you feel any better??!! just need some fingerless gloves now, always get cold hands when typing. Honestly I'm not tucked away up in a garret with half moon specs really, it just seems like it! ;0 X

Calling all crafty and arty types in Kent!!!

Well hello there lovely bloggy peeps, just a short an' sweet post this eve, more to follow shortly, just waiting to take some pics!

First off a 'Call Out' to all those crafty arty creative types in Kent, I've met another lovely creative lady recently on my print course (more about that another time!) who is organising a Craft Fair and looking for stall holders.
Here's the info:
The Craft and Gift Fair will be on Saturday 28th November at Beltinge Village Hall, Herne Bay, Kent.
It will be from 10am to 4pm.
A pitch will cost £10 per person.
No need to bring tables, as they are already in the hall with chairs.
Obviously bring what you will to cover your table and for displaying your work.
If you are interested in taking part and for any further information contact Tania via her email at tan_93(at)hotmail.com.

And also my final call for next weeks workshop too, there are still some places left to come and create hearts and fishes, so if you'd like to book make sure to visit the create in whitstable website to do so.
Don't let the fishy pass you by! ;0



Last but not least, crossing fingers that I get some good shots taken at the weekend, I shall be back with words and pics about new bits and pieces that I've been up to, and yes what's that? a jingle I hear?........is that...................surely not...................Ssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhh not something of the festive variety??? I know it's already sprouting up everywhere, but it's far too early for me, blame it on way too many years spent working in retail!! I'm not grinchy for nothing you know!!! ;0 x

Escape to 'Create in Whitstable' Part 2..........

-->

Hello lovely peeps!

I'm posting to let you know about the workshops I'm involved in this month, a bit short notice perhaps, but there's nothing like living life on the edge, hey??!! So here follows my blatant plug for them and the whole creative week, because I can! ;0

escape to create in whitstable

Saturday 24th October to Sunday 1st November 2009

I will be running workshops on Saturday 24th and Wednesday 28th October as part of 'Escape to Create in Whitstable' a week long event in this lovely seaside town. The aim of the initiative is to encourage people to escape from their usual routine for a few hours or longer to taste a new creative pursuit. It will all be happening at (or near!) the Horsebridge Centre in Whitstable.

If you'd like to book on one of my workshops (I'd love to see you!) each workshop costs £22 per person.

To book on my workshop and to find out more about the other workshops taking place during the week, visit here - 'Create in Whitstable'.

'Shabby chic' Garlands Saturday 24th October



Hearts & Fishes Wednesday 28th October



Come an create, you know you want to!! Well that's my blatant plug over, be back soon with more creativeness! ;0 X

Shabby Chic Workshop.............

Well I managed to take a few snaps of my workshop to share with you.
And what a productive 'taster' session we had!

My workshop was entitled - 'Shabby Chic Hearts & Birds'
In it I was hoping to get those attending to stitch and decorate a bird or a heart, or both if they were quick stitchers(!) To create a unique shabby chic decoration to adorn their homes. Something that was personal to them - their tastes, their colours, a decoration individual to them. I think it is wonderful to create something especially from remnants (which might otherwise have been discarded) with the addition of stitch, fabric fragments and buttons. The act of purely creating something from nothing as it were I feel is v rewarding.

Below are the samples I made by hand - not a machine stitch in sight for a change! - I had a heart and a bird sample and then a larger hanging to show what you could go on to do.




So here was my workshop............................... my bits all packed ready to take to the workshop, it doesn't look a lot but it was more than enough for some lovely creating



the workshop table in all its colourful glory!



and more!.......



And now for some 'action' shots of my workshoppers creating! I apologise for the quality of some of these photos, some are a bit blurry - due to the flurry of stitches and hand movement that was happening! so here are a few shots of the 'shabby chic' items that were being created

A beautiful bird having some wee wings added



A sweet finished heart from someone who said they had v basic sewing skills - (you know who you are!) how fab is it?!!



Another sweet heart in the making, which when finished had some beautiful pieces of contrasting ribbon hanging from it too



another little heart which had had the flower shape cut out and appliqued to the front, lovely



Another gorgeous bird with a scrummy fabric fragment being stitched on for a wing



The 2 hours went so quickly I felt like I'd no sooner got there than I was off again!

I would just like to say THANK YOU so much to Catriona for organising the 'taster' workshops with the Horsebridge Centre. It was a great experience and one I would definitely do again. I hope all the lovely ladies that came to the workshop have now found my blog??!! as I would just like to say a big THANK YOU to you all for attending and being so lovely to work with. I am so glad from your chat and comments during the workshop that you enjoyed taking part and was thrilled that many of you took bits home to continue making another shabby chic heart or bird!

So here's hoping to more stitching and workshops! you just never know what will be happening in the future...................!

Till then here's my shabby chic heart, both sides with 'love' from me to you............. X hope everyone is enjoying the sun this weekend ;0

Busy, bizzy, buzzy..........

Well its that Friday feeling for most I am sure, where the weekend is barely the blink of an eye away!
I said I would be back this week with another post and piccies of what I've been a'creating and making, so here we go......

First of all I'd just like to say I'm v annoyed(!) with myself for forgetting to take photos of another batch of petite purses, that made their merry way up to The Bowery again the other week. I was so intent on getting the work finished and packaged up that I was down the road to the post office when I suddenly remembered that I hadn't taken any pics, rubbish!!! anyhow I'm v pleased The Bowery wanted more stock, am crossing fingers that peeps are liking the work and skipping away with their purchases!

So to other work, and a few pics. Being a visual person I love posts on blogs where there are pics to look at! Don't get me wrong I love a good read but I love a good arty crafty colourful pic too.

Below are a few of the simple totes for the 'Makey Do'. Keeping them fresh, clean and simple.



Wee purses in the making to compliment the simple totes.



More petite purses in the making, these with my workings of fabric fragments, my sketchy images, hand-stitching and buttons. I'll be posting pics of these when they're finished as well.



Getting in for a close up to show the detail of my hydrangea sketch, transfer printed on to the purse. All v wispy and dreamy!



My A1 piece for the A1 Exhibition in Whitstable. Just a few more bits of stitching to do now........then I need to put a title to the piece and a price (!)



Some scrummy lavender hearts, I'll be taking these to the 'Do' with me as well, give them a scrunchy squeeze, can you smell the lavender?? mmmmmm....... lovely



A wee handstitched heart, getting ready my samples for my wee workshop taster. Timing myself to see how to break down the time for the workshop, step by step, where to be with our creations by what time etc, so everyone attending can leave with a finished item! I really want people to enjoy the taster and would also love them to leave with something finished, as I've always liked to come away with a finished piece when attending workshops myself.



Well I must away my bloggy cohorts! and get a-stitching to get all these bits and pieces done. There's nothing like having several things on the go at the same time , hey?!??? Enjoy your weekends! ;0 x

Just a few words today......

Well just a few words today and then I'll be back soon with more pics and some creativity!

First I just want to say a BIG thank you to each and every one of you that visits my blog, has a read or/and leaves a comment. It means a lot, so Thank You!! x

I do try and visit every one's blog that leaves me a comment to leave one in reply, however if I haven't left you a message it's because I haven't worked out how I can!! some blogs have been set up with just a box to leave a message in, and then you are supposed to choose from a small drop down menu as to your ID, I do all this and then click the post button and it just doesn't work, nothing..... I've tried this on a few blogs and nothing happening, so if anyone can enlighten me as to what I'm doing wrong or not doing??? muchly appreciated!

I'd like to thank Theresia of Minori Design for awarding me a 'Lovely Blog Award' I'm v flattered and its my first ever award too! The only prob is I can't work out how to get the image to put it in my post ;( ah well there's my lack of technological know-how then! not doing great with the ol' technology this week, obviously!

And so to work, I have quite a number of things to get on with at the mo, which is good

First I need to get on creating and making for the 'Makey Do' next month in Sandwich, nip on over to Jenny Flowers 'Makey Do' blog for more info.

I've entered myself in the 'A1 Exhibition' happening next month at The Horsebridge Centre Whitstable.

I'm also running a 'Taster' workshop next month which is taking part during Whitstable Oyster Festival. The Create in Whistable site has more info on all the workshops taking place, so if you live down that way or are visiting there are a good choice of interesting tasters to take part in, get yourself signed up!

Mine is the 'Shabby chic Hearts & Birds'!!


I'm also taking part in a seaside swap on Rachel's blog.
And I also have a couple of other things I'm taking part in too! Phew! I'll post about them at a later date.

So instead of tip tap typing away I'd better get on!!!
Enjoy your week, I'm sure the Sun will be back soon!?? ;0