A Sweet Treat

Mad rushing, lots of busyness, bombing here and there to get it all done in time and then suddenly it was time for the Christmas Pick 'n' Mix. A hall filled with my vision of what a truly fabulous makers market should be. Colour, joy, passion, creativity, oodles of talent, wonderful people and lots of laughter. Some supplied by the forever smiling Gabriella of Moobaacluck.

image from Planet Penny

Instructions from Roberta of Ripping Yarns to laugh in the face of our easterly winds when wearing her stunning fairisle berets.

image from Purple Podded Peas

My always happy, ever smiley gorgeous friend Ruth of Glory Days brought her joyful makes to town for the day. As the only stockist of Acorn and Will in Norwich means that even when the lovely Daniella can't make it at least she's there in spirit.

I forgot to buy Alfie a pressie and have been told off by the Bun's ever since, so I must remember over our next G & T evening to get his doggie treat bag sorted.

I've also got a phone call to make to see if the wee kitten in a basket is still needing a home from the superbly talented toymaker extraordinaire. Hint hint Sasha when you read this, could you please hold on to it for Little Bun.

Amongst all the pops of colour and noise Emma of Silverpebble found a moment to work away on a design. She's one talented lady whose design career is just flying. It's a fine balancing act between being a mummy and being the artisan she is. If you're about in the next couple of weeks then you'll be able to catch her at the Selvedge Christmas Fair on 10th December.

I was really pleased with my stall this time round. I decided to put less out and not be so cluttered this time. I sat next to the lovely Sam of Mamphii Button who was great to meet at last. Really it's like organising a party filled with a darned good selection of folks. 

Friends popped up to say hello which was really appreciated and there were many familiar faces from previous Pick 'n' Mix's who had such lovely things to say. Having such a great day and knowing a lot of people want markets like this makes all the hard work worth it.

There are far too many wonderful people to mention and show you here. I'll post over at the Pick 'n' Mix blog later this week once work and the PTA meeting is done. School's xmas fayre is this weekend and I haven't a clue what I said I'd do? So I guess that means I haven't done it yet! If you want to see more then pop on over to Planet Penny and Celia at Purple Podded Peas who've both written up lovely posts of the day.

The day after Pick 'n' Mix Mr Bun ran his first ever half marathon with a bunch of friends. It was all in aid of Macmillan which is a truly fine cause to be running for, especially when the memory of so many loved ones come with you. Somehow I don't think this will be the last long run he'll be doing.

This 'n' That

After generating tons of paperwork for the Ofsted inspection I'm now trying to build up a few more colourful piles of happy things for this Saturday's Pick 'n' Mix Makers Market in Holt.

As always there's loads in my head that I doubt I'll get round to starting or even finishing. I feel really calm and unstressed about everything so my body's decided to let me know it feels pretty stressed by seizing my neck up. I much prefer that to feeling like a manic headless chicken though.

To relax a bit I treated myself to a few hours at a fairisle knitting workshop last Saturday. In a couple of hours I reckon I cracked it, so now lots of practice for me and then I can have a go at all the fairisly things I fancy making. 

Sunday saw us whipping along to Holt to put up posters and a big hedge banner to let everyone know the fabulous makers will be rolling into town. Both Buns and Alfie Blue were with the grandparents so a quick half in the pub and then a mooch around a warren of rooms in the Emporium. The word emporium promises so much magic to me and thankfully we weren't disappointed.

I fell in love with this tin, but we'd drunk our pennies so didn't have enough left. Fingers crossed he'll be waiting for me on Saturday. I've been a tragic addict to tins since I was small and I can't see a cure coming.

I did have enough pennies for this wee fellow though, so it was a toss up between the kitsch kitten tray and him. Mr Bun's no help in deciding as he loves it all too.

The drive home was a bit hairy with thick fog all around. Nearly home and it started to disappear.

 

Right I'd better disappear too and get on with some makings. See you all properly for a visit once this manic weeks out of the way. 

Getting ready to Sparkle

I've so many more words than pictures today and that's not the way I really like to do it. Mind you the words aren't going where they should be at the moment and that's on the huge mountain of paperwork I'm trying to create. Dear OFSTED called to say they'd pop by for a visit and check out our teaching the week leading up to Pick 'n' Mix Makers Market. Buggery bugger is all I can say, what a week to pick. All I want is to focus on making lovely things and get on with the arrangements of the market. Mind you by Saturday 26th they'll have been and gone and then my mind can turn to all things sparkly.

I've found a few moments around stuff to try and make a bit of new stock. A small pile of Mistletoe Kisses brooches has been growing, but that was put on hold by a hugely exciting day off work at driver punishment camp listening to a very dull man talk about road signs for four hours.

This week also had the sadness of losing another old friend. Little Dotty was our last Guinea Pig, the daughter of sweet Bluebell, who lived with Pixie our last rabbit. She was quite poorly one night so we made her a box indoors and tried to keep her warm. The next night, while Little Bun cuddled her, she died peacefully. Now poor Pixie looks so lost without her wee friend to groom and snuggle with that I think we'll be getting another Guinea Pig pretty soonish.

My head, however, is clearly focused two weeks hence on a hall in Holt where I'll be meeting up with this lovely lady and so many more wonderful makers that are a joy and inspiration to be around.

If you fancy finding out more about Pick 'n' Mix Makers Market then please pop on over to take a peek.

Waving Goodbye to Alan

Time seems to be racing ahead and I've gone into slow mode. I'm having a go at doing everything at once and hardly getting anything done at all. This always happens when life gets a bit mad. Your well wishes about my dad were just the right bit of medicine, so thank you all. He's finally off the Acute ward and now he's having fun watching the world go by on a normal ward.

I made sure I had some time for planning and thinking today. I got out a selection of books with pictures that inspire me, plopped a few piles of fabric on the table and thought about all the things I could start making.

Somehow I just never got past the thinking stage. Today I lacked the energy. I have plans for that soft fleecy tartan to become a tunic for Eldest; I've squares I need to cut to become purses and pencil cases; there's an idea involving toadstools and all sorts of bits knitted and hooked that are waiting to be sewn into brooches. Ho hum, they'll just have to wait for another day.

Somehow I did pull my finger out to do something with the ripple blanket that got given up on. I started rippling away two summers ago, but stopped a long time ago as the colours stopped exciting me. Today I got out the scissors, chopped through it and the blanket became a cushion.

Now I've left introducing Alan until last as he's a bit of a freaky lad.

Left in my hands the Penny for the Guy was more the Invisible Man in his prison gear. The wig had to go as Mr Bun wanted it back for next Halloween.

By the next night, Alan had been born minus the lemon yellow hair and woolly hat I gave him later on. Alfie Blue found a new friend and snuggled up on Alan all night. I think he'd curl up on a burglars lap that daft dog.

There were some amazing Guys for the competition at school. Ours perked up after a can of Thunderbird, but he didn't win. On Saturday they were all in the village hall to meet the locals before the fireworks began and now ours wants to come home as some small bright sparks got upset at the thought of Alan being burnt. I think I might leave him peeking over the hedge.

Wednesday Treasure

Today I needed to blow the cobwebs away and get distracted by stuff so I headed off to a field full of potential car boot treasure. Yesterday my dad was rushed into hospital with pneumonia so it was a worrying day for us all. I was good for no one at work so I rushed to the hospital to be with my folks. Today we know he's stable and pumped full of medicine which should help clear up the infection. As he's in his 80's and already has chronic lung disease he's doing amazingly well.

Today cleared my head in lots of ways. Something just right about looking for treasure and bumping into good people I've not seen for a while.

This Battle of the Flowers brooch was a bit pricy, but how could I resist a wee gnome pushing his wheelbarrow. I've a friend with a wee baby boy who I know will ooh and aahh over this too.

I spied yet another dog with a mournful face and so into my bag he went aswell. 

Last bit of fabulous treasure I found was a pile of fabric samples from a company called Rosebank. They were all sewn together so I've unstitched them and laid out my favourites to ponder over. Perhaps they might become small lavenderbags as I bought a pile of dried lavender too.

Before I head off to help the Bun's finish stuffing the Penny for the Guy I want to show you something I actually finished on Monday. I started making this pink elephant in March for Eldest, so it's been a hell of long time in the making. I made all the bits and then just couldn't be bothered stitching them all together as I'd already got distracted by too many other things.

That's me at the moment. I hop from one thing to the other, not doing any really as well as I'd like. I guess I've taken on a bit too much and then struggle to get the balance right of family, sleep, work, fun and all that. I find time to write a blog post, but never seem to have time to visit all the blogs I love to read. I'm sorry if I seem rude as I always mean to come by, especially when people have bothered to stop by and say hello to me. Tonight's joys are filling in teaching paperwork, planning tommorow's lessons, writing the PTFA agenda for tommorow nights meeting and all I want to do is drink wine and knit. Wonder if I'll say sod it and just do what I want instead of what I should be doing. By the way I'm not moaning or saying poor old me, just trying to explain my lack of visits lately. Hope to see you soon.