Folksy Friday - Organisation

I have a day off today and had arranged for someone to come around at 7.00 to bring me into the 21st century and get me set up on wi-fi. So there I was, up at the ungodly hour of 6.30 when I was desperate for a lie-in, and guess what? He didn't turn up!! He was VERY apologetic when I called him and said he didn't have me on his calendar. He's now coming on Tuesday evening (I hope!!) So my Folksy Friday theme this week is organisation!

Please click on the pictures to view the lovely items on Folksy

Our Day at the Craft Fair

After all the preparation the week before, I felt very calm as I  headed off for the Contemporary Arts & Craft Fair in Upminster.  Luckily its only 20 minutes away, so I didn't have to go too early.  When I got there, there were a lot of people already set up and for some strange reason that set me off into a bit of a panic!  Anyway, it all came together nicely once I got started, and then Layla arrived with her accessories, so the extra pair of hands were very useful! 

Layla's not that short - honest!

As the fair was quite local to both of us, we had quite a bit of custom from friends and family and also from a couple of fellow Folksters (more about them shortly!) which was great as without them, it wouldn't have been a particularly successful day.  Thank you to you all!

So, onto other folksters - it was great to meet Lisa Hafey from Lemonade & Lamingtons who was there with her daughter Eilis. Proceeds from Lisa's sales will be funding Eilis's trip to the 22nd World Scouting Jamboree in Sweden next year - here they are with their lovely crocheted mug warmers and bags made from recycled T-shirts, among many other goodies:

And between us and Lisa was Sheila from Green Frog Cards I bought a couple of cards from her and they are gorgeous! Here she is with her table crammed full of lovelies:

And to keep us going in the afternoon, we had the MOST amazing chocolate cupcake made by a lady called Beckie from Angel Cakes.  I was so impressed I'm hoping she's going to make my cake for a rather large birthday that I have coming up in early 2012!

Final verdict?  A great day!!

Preparing for my next Craft Fair

I'm going to be selling at the Contemporary Art & Craft Fair in Upminster, Essex next Saturday (4th September) so I thought I would make the most of a chilly Bank Holiday and get myself prepared.  You only get at an hour to set up, and in my (limited!) experience, that hour just flies by, so I thought I'd give myself a head start.

I've got all my earrings hanging from a picture frame covered in tulle, and nicely secured with cling film, I've got necklaces in boxes all ready to open and lay out on the table, and I've decided which necklaces and earrings I'm going to put on my new display stands and they're all nicely packed away together.  Everything has a price tag on it, and I've put any extras, where I have more than one design, in a separate box - means less to unpack when I get there. 

I'm now worried that I'm being too organised!!!  I'll update you with how the fair goes, and some photos next week - wish me luck!!!

Folksy Friday - the Moon!

I've just bought a new car and I've called her Moonie (because she's Moondust Silver, in case you were wondering!) so this weeks Folksy Friday theme is the Moon :o)

Please click on the pictures for more details.

For all you stitchy people!

Well it's been a while since I last blogged, as I've been on holiday to the far east.  We spent 4 days in Vietnam in the capital, Hanoi.  Our hotel was in the old quarter, where many of the streets are named after the products that used to be sold there, for example, Hang Bac translates as Silversmiths Street.  One which I thought would be of interest to you Folksy sewers was Hang Bo, which was originally 'Bamboo Basket Street' but is now Haberdasher's Street.  The shops are filled to bursting point with all sorts of lovely goodies such as buttons, ribbon, thread, zips etc as you can see from the photos.  I did manage to find some beads, but sadly the quality wasn't very good, so my Vietnamese Dong remained unspent!

Friends & Flowers

I had the pleasure of visiting some really good friends this weekend.  They're always such great company, and have the added bonus of having the most gorgeous garden ;o)  Unfortunately the weather was a bit too chilly for us to sit out and enjoy it, but we had a wander round out there and I took some photos to share:

We also had a long walk after lunch, to Coombe Wood near Croydon - a beautiful oasis of peace and colour:

And they've also got a lovely cafe with a pretty outdoor seating area, where needless to say we stopped for a cuppa!

Folksy Summer Swap

At last I've found the time to blog about the goodies I received in the Folksy Summer Swap, kindly organised by Zoe of The Jewelbox  This was the first swap I'd taken part in, and its great to get that lovely handmade surprise in the post, as well as to be able to show off something you've made to your 'swapee'!

My goodies were sent to me from Connie of Konnie Kapow!  As you can see from the photo, I got a great Owlvis card, a knitted brooch and a Konnie Kapow! badge :o)  Thanks to both Zoe and Connie.

Folksy Friday!

Some of my favourite things from some of my favourite shops this week. Please click on the pictures for more information.

A New Page!

After asking for a critique of my blog on the Craft Blog UK Forum, I have now put Haptree's suggestions into practice, and I've added a Twitter widget and a new page to talk about some of my jewellery that you won't see on Folksy, and what inspired me to make it.

The link to my new page is at the top or you can click on this link here

Please feel free to leave a comment!!

Folksy Friday!

Although its over 18 months away, I've started to think about the party I'm hoping to have to celebrate my next big (too big!) birthday, and I'm looking at a venue on Sunday. So this week's theme is PARTY!!!!
Please click on the pictures for more information.

I'm in Stitches!

It's been a funny old week! I had a small op in my mouth on Wednesday which left me with 3 stitches, and means that I'm having trouble talking and eating (thank goodness for smoothies and ice cream!)

The surgeon was great and he made me laugh, as when it was all over (it only took 10 minutes) he looked me straight in the eye and said 'its OK, you can stop shaking now'. I felt such a wuss - I didn't know I WAS shaking.

Also on Monday, my good friend Layla who works with me (she's also the other half of Sorcery & Sparkle) will be starting a new permanent job in another company. I'm really pleased for her as its a great opportunity, but really sad for me as I'll miss her loads. She's got a huge personality, and the office will be a much quieter place without her :o(

Anyway, now I'm enjoying a weekend having a rest from talking (but definitely not from eating!) The miserable weather (again) means that I won't feel guilty about staying indoors creating some new pieces of jewellery, rather than being outside tidying up my much-neglected garden.

Hope you're all having a great weekend!

Folksy Friday!

I have a day off today, and plan to get out in the garden to get it nice & tidy (as long as it stays dry!), so I have a gardening theme this week.  Click on the pictures for more information.

The London Marathon

What a fantastic day I've had, supporting my friend Christina, who has just run the London Marathon in 4 hours and 45 minutes.  She ran for Great Ormond Street Hospital, in memory of her granddaughter Kacie, who would have been 10 this year - you can find out more on her fundraising page  I was supporting her along with her daughter Jodie, as part of the official GOSH team.  It was such a brilliant day, cheering on all the runners, and making sure anyone with a GOSH vest got an extra loud cheer!  I just don't know how the runners find not only the physical, but the mental strength to run that distance - I'm in awe of every single one of them!

The GOSH Cheering Post

Amazing!

Christina at 17 miles - stopping for jelly babies and a hug from Jodie!

Christina and Jodie