September sometimes has the most beautiful weather and we are blessed in this corner of the planet with a fantastic morning.
here is the sun rising on my little shed at about 6 o'clock this morning.
'Porridge is ready!'
so come back Poppy, breakfast!
It's that time of year again, the open studio event in Northumberland. I have been making and tidying for quite a while now and getting myself geared up for visitors. Because my shed is so little, I really do need to have decent weather, and it really couldn't have been more perfect. The new garden seat was a big hit with everyone - it is so comfortable!
The inside of the shed is the tidiest it has ever been with some of my recycled goodness on show and for sale
Here you see some glittery shooting stars, Mexican inspired display boxes, letter writing kits and envelopes and some patchy baggy things.
jars full of tiddly bits and pieces for the magpie minded
and here is the cover of one of my notebooks - a few of which are still in the Folksy shop (up there on the right) This one is the anatomy of the hand from an amazing book from the 1800's!
I sold this one and got a hasty picture before it left, hanging on my shed wall!
These were fun to make. I stuck them on a thin plastic knitting needle. (I can't remember where I first saw these? if you recognise yourself let me know and I'll acknowledge you)
Geoff was open at his workshop too and after a full weekend of talking, came home and did this
ahhh......
we are both open for the next three Sundays. if you are anywhere near and you fancy a sit in my bath or a chat about my work you would be very welcome. The lovely Gloria is holding the whole show together and keeping me from falling off my perch - and as a mark of my great affection and respect for her I will not post the picture of her wearing a fairy skirt (even though it is magnificent) but I will leave you with this picture of a satisfied customer with his new apron
and put the picture of Gloria on Flickr for friends only for the next 24 hours)
ha!
The camera is away getting repaired so here is a chance to browse through a whole lot of old photos that no-one ever sees this was a charity shop find last year, in need of repair, sensational fabrics all lovingly sewn together
faded and worn - I think I might use it in the treehouse?
Now that Art Tour Open Studios is fast approaching I am thinking of making some of these - this was Cala's birthday present - I know she looks a little wild, but I had such fun making her and all her kit. she has silk knickers too, and chocolate in her bag! Geoff says she looks like she's sucking on a large sweet - I say .. wonky is good.
But so time consuming! (do you love her leopard skin leggins!?)
I may have to concentrate on finishing some of the half made things I have lying around this felt is destined to be the cover of a journal or maybe not?
other things I can think of
this was rather fun to make, but impossible to have in stock! Orders?
Also, I am loving my paper projects at present there are some Magpie Jars waiting to be filled, some kits for small people to put together and all those other things that are sitting in piles waiting for attention.
AND AS IF THAT WASN'T ENOUGH
the garden is growing like crazy and we haven't even got our potatoes in yet!
SO what am I doing sitting here at the computer?
see you later
I have a new fence! Jody made this one for me though it is not quite finished - there is a bit of decoration to come it seems. But the old fence - eyesore - has come down and Poppy is confused.
from the other side - yes - that is an upturned bath in the middle of the grass - hopefully all will be revealed in the fullness of time.
Art Tour starts in June, 13th to be precise, so I am getting my shed and bit of garden looking welcoming and making more of the strange things I like so much. We are supposed to be having a warm dry summer or so I've heard - oh I really hope so!
Hoping its not to late to plant a couple of trees, as this all looks a bit bare!
My Mum collects fabric and so do I. Sometimes we swap a bit, but I mostly come off best! The latest carrier bag was full of scraps of Liberty print fabrics, too thin for Mum to incorporate into her quilts, but mouthwateringly wonderful for me to experiment with. Lovely colours. I had a think about them for a while and then these emerged
a mis-matched riot of colour
Don't worry about the wonky stitching - I'm not - I could say that I did it like that on purpose, and I suppose I did and I have some fabric left. Who knows what I may do next?
Thanks Mum!
And here is something else under construction - more soon
Owen helped me. I couldn't have managed it on my own!
For ages now I have been bothered about Etsy - only because it's listed in dollars and I don't understand dollars as much as I do sterling. £££££ instead of $$$$$
So with apologies to everyone who likes buying on Etsy, (you still can if you like - go to the link up there that says 'OPEN'), but now there are Delights from the Shed on Folksy, and more of them.
Have a little look if you like.
Cutting the ribbon now.
Hooray!
Welcome to you all.
What a glorious day. The sun shone, the people came, the shed looked magnificent and Annie and I had a very lovely day. The shed is my haven of creativity and a place to escape from the everyday world. It was so lovely to be able to share it with some like minded people.
some of today's images were taken by professional photographer Paul Harris during a visit to my shed for Art tour publicity - this is one of them - this is another
Here is the popular line - 'A Bag a Book and a Bar' which is fairly descriptive of what you get. A bag (made out of an old bit of curtain) a book that I have enjoyed - registered on Book Crossing and a bar of Fair Trade chocolate. The perfect treat!
Something for everyone - well - except some less textile inclined men - but for them - there is Geoff's workshop, so there really is something for everyone!
If you are in the area, please call by - the Village Hall is hosting three very talented artists - Mandy, Mike and Jill and of course - The ever popular Garden Station, who ran out of cake yesterday because they were so busy! You can be certain that won't happen again!
Now I have to work out how to do the sizing of these photos on the new Typepad template - these look all over the place - but it is sunny and there is a rabbit getting into the vegetable garden - so finding the hole in the fence is priority!
Enjoy your week!
My neighbour Jane runs the Garden Station and for Art Tour this year, she commissioned an exhibition called 'In Praise of Sheds'. Seems like everyone has a shed these days, to use as a traditional depository for the lawn mower and old plant pots or some, like mine as their own unique work space. Lots of local artists rose to the challenge and the results make an impressive display at the Station. Rosie Villiers Stuart is a wonderful artist and dear friend of mine. She decided to paint ME in MY SHED!
This photo does not in any way do the finished picture any justice at all as it is merely a photo of the framed picture, but you get the idea
no - you really have to see the original.
look at the detail
my coffee pot and little milk jug
amazing knitting needle shelf!!
Geoff says that Rosie has captured the way i sit at an angle like that perfectly. Also, Poppy looks a bit coy because she knows she is not allowed on the sofa!!
I have never been painted before and I was full of trepidation about how it would be. If you look at the link to Rosie you can see that she mostly paints birds and landscapes and hardly ever uses this much pink!
So - how wonderful to have a shed and be in an exhibition and be doing Art Tour! As if all that wasn't enough, BBC R4 Women's Hour will be doing a feature on the exhibition soon and a lovely reporter came to interview me in my shed, so I have that to look forward to. An ambition realised - always wanted to be on Woman's Hour. (That's one I forgot to tell you about M&D - I'll give you notice when its on)
I am overcome!
A blissful day in the shed today, finishing more things to take to this little craft fair next weekend - my first outing as a maker of things. Today I made little drawstring bags for the sets of juggling balls I made last week. Each ball is felted around a golf ball for weight, then tied into a pair of old tights and washed in the machine with the jeans. The golf ball gives them a good shape and they feel nice and heavy to juggle with - only wish I could juggle!
thoughts please?
I seem to have settled into a once weekly post, and that sometimes means there are lots of things to show you, and sometimes, not very much at all! But I have had a busy time in the shed lately, so here is the result.
It is my little friends Cala's 2nd birthday soon. I'm sure her Mum doesn't check this blog, so here are the birthday girl's new trousers
Mum gave me a whole stack of upholstery weight fabric ages ago and it's been sitting in a heap waiting for me to do something with it. I like how these turned out - -they are lined with an old green silk blouse I picked up in a jumble sale. I made her a little bag too -
and I liked it so much that I made four more! Rosie who is part of this great place, has asked if I would sell some of my things at a Christmas Craft Fair on November 11th, so I'm making more things like these.
And another project for Cala's Mum is a blank book for her to use as a diary, especially for this latest pregnancy! (exciting!)
Here is an amazing book that I rescued from work just before they threw it away. It has such great pages and wonderful marbling on the ends, the idea was to use it as a photograph album, but that never happened. Now I think I'll use the pages to make blank books like the one I started today.
I spent a term doing a book making course every tuesday morning, but we didn't really make books - more pop up cards and boxes and things. It was a bit disappointing as I was really interested to know some book binding techniques, but I got some tips and clues and have invented my own style. Also - I find lots of inspiration on this wonderful webby place.
I am sewing the pages onto stiff paper spines - also from books - like this.....
(don't panic Mum - I will change the needle after this terrible use of my machine!)
Then I've hand stitched them together down the middle - next I'll make the cover - still puzzling that one out - but it's taking shape in my head! I'll let you see how it ends up! And more importantly, whether Lara likes it!
Next - I've liked old Yarnstorms tea cosies for ages now and had to make my own for my Rooibosh tea times. This is rooster wool but it will never have a companion because I really disliked knitting it, even though I love the result - and had to go and find a teapot to match!
What else? Oh yes - I got some silk yarn from Hip Knits and I love it!
These are very small amounts and will be little flowers for the 'wacky' workshop I'm doing Very Soon!! And this ...
no idea? but I'm sure something will occur.
And that will do - another week flies by, the woods are turning golden and beautiful. Poppy and I love to walk here as often as we can.
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