What Katie Did

New beginnings

'Everything changes and everything stays the same'

Who was it said that? While this blog has remained silent, much has been going on behind the scenes, and after a year of profound changes, it is time to bid farewell to Katie and what she 'did' and look ahead to what she is going to DO! I have moved my shop in the real world and now I'm am moving in the virtual one too. You can follow all the new adventures....

HERE AT MY LOVELY NEW BLOG

and I hope to see all my wonderful loyal followers over there! Thanks old blog, we had some good times. Now we are going to have many more new ones!

And so the story ends...

at last, the film we have been waiting for ... well I have anyway

how does it end?

(surely you guessed?)

My boys took me to see it on release night - what a great film! How dedicated of Ralph Fiennes to have his nose removed like that.

As I write, there is rain pouring from the sky

like this

and tomorrow I am going here for a few days

and you have to agree that one would be better without the other (it's Embleton on the Northumberland coast)

when I get back there is a really interesting programme of courses for children and adults here

so I am off to charge up my batteries - like this

ps if you subscribe to the mailing list (and why wouldn't you) and you can spot ALL the spelling mistakes, you may win a prize - for sure - sorry

 

 

Midsummer Round Up

Gardening weather - that's what this is - lots of rain, LOTS of rain and some sun and long long days of light - the weeds have got the idea, just waiting for my veg to catch on.

Workshops and parties continue at MAKE regardless of the weather. When Alex decided that she wanted to spend her birthday with her friends I was really pleased because this is what she did last year too! Must be doing something right!

Still enjoying making Ann Wood's horses.

Here is the birthday girl's horse

Then Andrea's friends suprised her with a day of wedding preparation. She was not quite sure what to make of the mystery tour that ended at Allen Mill, upstairs in my messy workshop! But we very quickly got a production line going and made one of these for every guest ( I found these somewhere on this Wonderful Webby Place - do you recognise yourself? let me know and I'll add the link)

to be put onto little green garden canes

and some paper packets to be filled with treats for party favours. I posted these here on the blog way back when.

Then another felt workshop yesterday

with some lovely results - the fuel for this one ... proper coffee, seriously rich chocolate brownies and good company

Jan made this one, and Jane this one

Lucky that this course was the same weekend as Woolfest so I could stock up on fibre and catch up with old friends too!

Finally, here are some more old (and young) friends spotted on my way to work the  other day  

dodging the showers.

Easy to resist!

Yesterday at MAKE we had a morning of colour and friendliness - I am in love with colour combinations!!

Jo laid this out for her bag, it actually makes my mouth water!!!!

We were learning how to make a seamless bag using a process called 'resist felting' hence the title of this post.

Blue was a popular choice

Jan selected a mixture of silk fibre, bits of this and that to incorperate into her design and Christine...

...more blues and bits of Wenslydale curly bits

Liz went for bootees, no photos sorry, and I chose some of my favourite purples and pinks to demonstrate.

Usually when I take a session like this one I don't complete anything for myself, it's more a question of demonstrating, but this time I managed to make this, I added the beads while it was still wet - I am so impatient!

I really am impatient - message to self - slow down a bit and enjoy the ride

This is the perfect size to hold my phone and glasses when I haven't got a pocket, though I have a feeling there are a lot more beads and sequins required.

Long Time No See

Forgive the silence and the lack of India postings.

It's been a long time hasn't it? Time to get back on the horse and start again.

India will have to wait. There are some interesting things to tell you about what Martha and I did there, but today it is May 22nd, the sun is shining, the swallows are nesting, there are baby ducklings on the lake and the sky is full of the sort of clouds I love - big white fluffy clouds in a blue blue sky. The blossom is fading on the apple trees. The evenings are light until bedtime and there is so much green outside. 

Today there was a workshop at MAKE with Mandy Pattullo and eight talented women, all inspired by Mandy's simple techniques to make their own Precious Memories. A wonderful day

great teaching

lunch at the Allendale Bakery next door, afternoon tea too

and some lovely women making wonderful unique pieces.

Thank you Mandy!

Many more things to tell, many. Not going to leave it so long to tell them though.

 

How many shopping days till Christmas?

Colder, darker, wetter, winter. That's where we are heading. With power cuts at the shop and quiet days to ponder on, it's good to be with friends. The workshops at MAKE are coming to an end for this year with just one felt workshop to go and a session making Nice Stuff from Junk. The productivity has been just great.

Soap in large quantities

We had such a great time, and everyone made so much soap with the lovely Bernice. We will definitely be doing this one again in 2011. 

Felt next with the four week course up to the third week - things to do with fleece that does not involve water!

peg loom weaving - wooly heaven!

That big table in the workshop is certainly seeing some action.  Book making next and last week we made some seriously lovely books 

using all sorts of recycled bits and pieces everyone made at least three books each to be proud of. 

And as we head towards the darker days of the year, I am contemplating a real change in January when I shut up shop for a few weeks and head off for a jaunt with Martha. More of that soon, but as I started with friends, I will leave you with this - my oldest friend, found in a recent clear up of my stuff

Made for me by my Nana, my Dad's Mum, when I was born. Do you remember how many times he has been mended Mum? I know he looks like a piglet, but he has always been called 'Peter Rabbit'  why was that I wonder? He doesn't look anything like a rabbit. But he has a lot of memories stuffed into that little body and could tell quite a tale

a friend indeed

 

October Sun (and link heavy post)

I can't quite believe the wonderful October weather we are having, days of sunshine, albeit cold and crisp, such a treat to enjoy these days filled with light. As the light fades from the year and the nights become darker earlier, the energy seems to disappear too, but these October days are a gift!

 
And with the autumn - come the courses at MAKE.

So far, we have had a wonderful time with Rachel's mat course

 and another lovely day with Ellie and the felt makers - (still a couple of places on the later dates for the Master Class)

The half term holiday is nearly upon us and if you want to spend some time making fun stuff and you are over 7, check out the three kids sessions on offer at the workshop - weaving, paper mache treasure boxes and mask making - all good fun!

This next one is inspired by Maria

(thank you Google Images)

...we will be making kids clothes from old curtains and duvet covers - sunday afternoons, with chocolate flapjacks. Oooh! (who isn't 'singing the hills are alive' in their head right now? lonely goatherd? I have confidence? oh - just me then)  

There is so much happening at that little shop! Want to make soap? We're doing that too!

Don't forget to look up on these amazing sunny days - such clouds!

I am planning a little giveaway with a cloud theme very soon - its about time! 

Whatever you are doing today, enjoy it with all your heart! 

Autumn Equinox

It's official, the nights are drawing in! The dark now lasts longer than the light and will do until March 21st. What a thought.

But are we downhearted? Yes. BUT! Help is at hand . . . .literally - MAKE something and feel instantly better! 

This summer I have been making things for myself

 
and making things with other people

Look at all these silly girls! - made by 5, 6 and 7 year olds!

I think the children's courses went down well

(not the feedback form from workshops at MAKE, but a lovely group at Bellingham where I did a guest workshop)

Thinking of sorting out this blog and making it more like what I'm up to these days, its been the same for YEARS, so maybe we could have a new look

watch this space

 

This has been a good week so far

When I set up this little workshop of mine one of the priorities was to MAKE more stuff and see more people. My shed was fantastic - it still is a lovely little place - 
but I simply never saw anyone! 

Now I have friendly days full of interested customers who seem to like the mix of things I have accumulated in the shop 

....and some who are positively blown away by the workroom upstairs .. full to the brim with fabric, ribbon, braid, buttons, books, boxes overflowing with velvet, lace, old jumble sale finds, generously given scraps that really will come in useful one day soon. 

This week I have seen these lovely people too

My Mum and Dad - a good way to spend my day off!

and spent some happy productive time with Dorothy, Catherine, Hellie, Janet, Ellie, Julie, Camilla, Val, Pauline, Susie, Rebecca, Jill, Carrie, Christina (age 6), Annie ..... the list goes on and on. Not possible to fit all these people in the shed, not all at the same time! Such a joy!

Grateful.

The productivity has resulted in some peg doll kits ready to go, lavender bag kits likewise, some wonderful packs of cloud gift cards - so many clouds all in one little pack! Some patchwork scraps rolled and looking good and some interesting sewing kits including needle cases and pin cushions made by my Mum. 

Where is the photographic evidence of all this activity? Too busy doing it to photograph it - but I will remedy that and list all of these things in the shop soon.

And after yesterdays Open Workshop Thursday i have a new project on the go - such a wonderful new project thanks to Val and Camilla's enthusiasm...... photos I promise!

 

For now, here is a gratuitous picture of something from the archive

oh what a surprise!  

Here comes summer!

Only one more day of school left in England, so of course the rain is falling from the sky because the HOLIDAYS are about to start! Does this happen every year? Maybe not?

I have been busy putting some crafty kits together to help fill those long summer days when the words 'I'm bored' and 'there's nothing to do' might just fall from the lips of those little darlings..... 

Take a look at these girls

Josephine and the Pink Princess stared out as a humble peg and are now available in kit form from MAKE

And how about these

the Write It Send It pack - everything you need to write to seven people! Real writing on paper and card with stamps and stickers and all the rest.

More - and more and more arriving every day.

Crafty workshops too - oh my - we are going to be busy!

Welcome to everyone who has arrived here via Pauline's blog - she is a very good teacher! We had fun!

So when it is raining outside and the days all look the same and the holidays look like stretching out for an eternity .... MAKE something! It is such fun!