Valentines made simple.

 I am quite possibly the least romantic girl you are ever likely to meet. 

I find all the hearts and flowers stuff  a bit cringy. 

(bit like xfactor or stripograms) 

Public displays of affection are not what I do, in many respects I'm a bit of a bloke. 

So I'm probably the least likely person to do a list for valentines, but I'm going to anyway.

 Here are a few of my favourite things....

Now gentlemen listen up!
 There is nothing in these pile of lovelies that would break the bank.
I will not spoil you with  tales of the sentimenalt attachment I have to each piece.
I will simply give you this list of links to  some of the most desirable ranges that money can buy.
 Ive added a brief description of why I like them, just to make it even more simple to match the gift to the lady.

Quirky, fun & striking
Made By Lolly 

Elegant understated & beautiful
Leigh Shepherd Designs

Fantastic Tits
Dear Emma

 Stunning, unpretentious & unique
Sabine Little

Finding pleasure in leather
Chic-ycows

  Gothic romance with a pre--Raphaelite twist
Wychbury

Contempory down to earth beauty
Magic in the grass

Painter of my fabulous big black cock
Amy Jones Fine Artist

You can thank me on Valentines Day when your lady love swoons at your thoughtfulness .

Lisa x

Happy New Year!

Belated I know, but have a lovely fun filled fantastic year full of love and surprises!

That said. I hate January.

I’m getting better at it, but I would still rather hibernate till mid May, unfortunately I’m not allowed so instead I’m throwing myself into de cluttering, organizing & planning.

I’ve made a start on remodelling the office into a more viable work space so that I don’t have to keep spreading throughout the rest of the house & I’m hoping this will lead to a happier work/life balance. I know that this is unlikely, cos what they don’t tell you when you decide to live the dream and work for yourself is that the boss is generally a bitch.

( I know, I couldn’t believe it either, but she is. Other bosses are generally only around 9 till 5 but not mine. No.  She nags me to just do that one last job before I call it a day and before I know it its gone midnight. She also makes me eat an inhuman amount of chocolate, then tells me I’m fat, what a cow!)

As you can see it was desperate in there!

Anyway I’m hoping that if I can get a workspace that works for me then I will be able to close the door on it at a reasonable hour and work smarter and harder while I’m in there.  I can dream can’t I?

The hardest thing is throwing stuff out, I’m a natural hoarder but when it comes to crafty bits I’m a nightmare, I can think of a use for everything. It’s a blessing and a curse! But I’m being very strict and have bagged and boxed loads of treasures for the charity shop and dump.  I’ve stripped down the shelves and planned a rough layout of what’s going where and I’m feeling cautiously optimistic that its going to be as fabulous as a 10ft square room can be. 

Wish me luck!

Lisa x

Let the Festivities begin!

Last week at scrabble, (yes, that's how rock n roll I am) I was asked if I'd given the Christmas table any thought, which to be honest I hadn't but I really should have done.
You see, it has become my thing, it ensures that I am never asked to cook the dinner, that's Mum & Jill's thing, or wash the pots, that's a magic thing, apparently....

I'm also aware that many people will not take it as seriously as I do.

I've heard stories of people having their Christmas feast on a tray in front of the TV (...reaches for paper bag...takes deep breaths...) 

NOT ON MY WATCH!

 Over the years we've done many themes, so  this year I'm  thinking of something a bit different but truly festive. In my heart of hearts I want to do a natural wood & stone affair but I could see their faces when I suggested this, its taken me several years to get them to come round to the idea of more than two colours!

Last years brief was "Three Kings" so I was able to  go mad with lots of coloured silks, an abundance of candles, piles of fruit & nuts & ancient scroll menus tied with purple silk & gold ribbon.

One year we had Santas train running around the centre of the table, which was nice!

Thats the fun bit, logistically its a bit of a nightmare as we have to seat as many as twenty two people (Now you see why I dont offer to cook!) This means dressing the whole of my sisters double garage, floors walls and ceiling with sheets and dust covers and assembling a selection of mismatched furniture into one level feasting table...usually takes about six of us a day to get it looking sufficiently Christmassy.

You wouldnt believe there's a stack of bicycles, paint pots and toolboxes behind that curtain now would you?

Place settings are important, I urge you to take control and tell your guests exactly where you want them to sit, Jill and I normally go through at least half a bottle of baileys while drawing up our seating plan. (Even tho its basically pretty much the same every year...)

And I always do something a bit special for the children...

All in all I would encourage anyone who doesnt like cooking to throw themselves at the table in a bid to make it so special, that it too, will become "your thing", it works for me, I get to tuck into this guilt free on Christmas Day,

Happy Christmas
Lisa x

A Breath of Saltaire

Ok so firstly, sorry its been so long, I promise I will try harder from now on, but life gets in the way and it feels like both a luxury and a chore to sit down and actually blog, but today was so inspiring I had to share...

Today we took a train to Saltaire to visit the Makers Fair and to explore the arts trail,  usually we’re busy selling our wares somewhere or other on a bank holiday weekend and so it’s a real treat to be able to be on the other side of the table, so to speak.

Anyway I digress...We stepped off the train and agreed as we generally do that we would grab a cuppa somewhere and plan our day, with four children in tow it’s a prerequisite they are fed and watered at regular intervals and bribed as  and when necessary. However straight out of the station we stumbled upon Number 11 William Henry Street.  Invited inside we were a little nervous to say the least, it seems odd to go into someone’s private house and even stranger when it is strewn with tea of every kind, teabags on the floor and wall, teapots and cups and saucers on every surface and a lady asking if you’d prefer earl grey or “ordinary” tea.

We had one of each out of big china cups and watched the performers a little in awe and a little apprehensive as to how involved we should actually be, (Isabelle & Eliza offered to help out & wash up our cups). We left as a lady in nothing but a bath towel tidied around us...bizarre but brilliant.

We continued visiting  the different houses along the trail holding a variety of artists,  our previous inhibitions gone, not only marvelling at the work on display but the houses themselves, the fire places, the architecture, everything, it was ace! (I am now officially saving up for a Kate Lycett print)

After twelve houses the kids were starving so we stopped for lunch before heading to the Makers Fair at Victoria Hall. I actually felt pretty nervous about this, as I tweet and chat on facebook to a lot of the stallholders exhibiting there through Craft Soup & Yorkshire Made but had never  actually met them in person, I needn’t have they’re all as lovely in real life as they are in cyberspace! I spent almost three hours wandering around wishing I had money to spend, Sally bought a hat, Isabelle & Kathryn bought rag rug kits from The Yorkshire Craft Company and I treated myself to a Dear Emma Blue tit brooch because I would have kicked myself if I’d have gone home without it.

 The quality of the exhibitors was outstanding, it’s so inspiring to see such a high standard maintained throughout the entire fair, and the whole atmosphere is upbeat and friendly, we came away so impressed with what we’d seen and more than a little envious that we ourselves weren’t there with our own stall. (Needless to say we will be applying next year!) To be perfectly honest I could have gone round again, I know I missed a lot as it was so busy, but it was lovely to put faces to  artists and crafters whose works I've admired on the internet, unfortunatley the gang were growing restless and we were running short on time. Apparently Sally and I took so long gossiping that  Jill took it upon herself to make a bivouac with the girls in case we missed the last train home!

At this point we were asked to answer a few questions about Saltaire Arts Trail by a lovely girl and a man with a camera for the website, needless to say I think we will be on the cutting room floor as we went from waxing lyrical to speechless in a heartbeat once we realised they were filming...Obviously we had to run away! Quickly deciding you can’t go to Saltaire without having a bit of Hockney  & making our escape down to the Salts to wander through the galleries before heading for icecream & donuts off the barge & a lovely pint at the pub by the river, a perfect finish to a perfect day.

 Lisa x

Lest We forget

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

You may or may not know that this poem by John Macrae  written in 1915 inspired the Royal British Legions Poppy Appeal that has become a  proud part of our calendar since the first one on November 11th 1921.
 Millions of pounds are raised each year to help and support servicemen and women and their families, not just veterans from the First World War but every conflict since and ongoing now.
The poppy even with its sad significance has always been my favourite flower and so the idea of making our own version to raise funds for the British Legion was a bit of a no brainer, for every one we sell £1 is donated to the Poppy Appeal.

But we're not the only ones if ours isn't your cup of tea then check out these lovely creations by some other handmade crafters who are doing the same!

Donations vary, click on the picks to find out more.
Lisa x

Farewell my summer love

So summers over and Autumn is officially here, and yet weather wise it’s the nicest it’s been in ages. I have spent more time outside this weekend than I have for most of August, and  my usual post summer blues seem to be somewhat belated....maybe they won’t come at all if this softly softly approach to the darker months continues. Woo hoo!

Despite this gentle decent into fall I have not forgotten that Christmas is not that far away and have already started thinking about what gifts I can make this year. I would absolutely love to do a completely handmade Christmas, kids included, but it’s not easy when every TV show has its own line of branded and expertly marketed toys & games to compete with. (That said I know from bitter experience that they are in most cases over priced tat, all fur coat and no knickers so to speak)

 Last year I made a tepee for the girls and it was a major hit, I can say with confidence that it has trounced the Nintendo DS into the ground which fell out of favour about mid March, the tepee however was out at the weekend as it is most weeks, it has been a secret den, a tardis, a dolly hospital, a magic cave, a fairy trap and a vampires lair amongst other ingenious imaginings.  How I will top that I don’t know but I am determined to try and am in the process of looking for ideas & inspiration.

At the moment I am torn between doing a fairytale puppet theatre with a set of hand-puppets, or a Tardis like play house, as they are both huge Dr Who fans, only time will tell which design wins as they are both in their early stages and I can’t afford to do both, in the meantime I shall tempt you into your own handmade Christmas with some of these wonderful stocking fillers.

http://www.folksy.com/shops/Dougy74

 http://www.folksy.com/shops/StitchArt 

http://www.folksy.com/shops/Fluffsstuffs

http://www.butterstings.com/

http://www.folksy.com/shops/DarcysDolls





I know its a bit early for the C word but the thing about a handmade Christmas is you have to start early, to make sure you're not still sewing on toggles on tepees on Christmas Eve, trust me I know...
Lisa x

I am not a robot

I have to confess as I write this first post I have little idea where it’s going, which is a great reflection on how I run my life. I am possibly the most unorganised person EVER! For instance now I should really be getting in to the bath I have just run before it goes cold...You see I have plans lots of plans and they overlap and conspire and combine and breed ideas and make more plans and then mate with the original plans and get in the way of the first plan that was probably a good plan before it got shagged senseless by the sexy idea groupies and Ta Dah! Before you know it the bath is cold and I've started on plan B, and so on and so forth... I have a lot of cold baths.

It’s my own fault I’m one of those annoying people that only read instructions as a last resort. This, I know can drive the most reasonable people over the edge, but the thought of trying to digest pages of irrelevant information when its 90% common sense anyway is beyond me. I believe this casual attitude to problem solving has served me well, it’s made me see solutions where others see setbacks, I think of putting together a flat pack set of drawers as a sort of practical cryptic crossword and yes more often than not I will cheat and see where that last screw should go but what the hell, I’ve learnt a whole lot more by determining how and why everything fits together myself.

I justify a lot of this with the age old excuse of being a "creative" and its true I can honestly say I am, but on deeper scrutiny I have to wonder if the reason I am happiest making and designing is because there are no instructions to follow, no wrong way, no right way, no major disasters just happy accidents, that like sparks ignite more ideas and no rules...gosh perhaps I’m a rebel as well!

This is not to say that I don’t have pockets of order in my chaotic approach. Putting chocolate in the fridge is just wrong, a G&T without ice and a slice, criminal, and my cutlery drawer is a shrine to the obsessive compulsive disorder in me, you put a fork in the spoon section and I will rip you a new arsehole!
So how do I get anything proper done? Simple, I am an avid lister, admittedly they too can be a bit creative and I have to reign myself in a bit, but for example today’s list went like this...

1.Get Guttermans 829 thread to Sally.
2.Go be a dinner lady at school.
3.Go to meet Kathryn at Swinton Lock.
4.Have a cup of tea with Mum & try and talk Dad into going to doctors before his leg falls off.
5.Have another play with Janice the over locker, (remember she’s just as scared of me as I am of her)
6.Clean top conservatory and put kids summer toys in garage, (Summers over, try not to cry Autumn is a nice season too, it’s very pretty and you get to wear your wellies.)
7.Take Tabby to park and play proper even if my back hurts.
8.Change kids bedding.
9.Cut out handbag doorstops.
10.Buy sand for doorstops & white paint for garden markers.
11.Stand and look disappointedly at broken tumble dryer for a bit, then marvel at how green and eco friendly line drying is and how everything smells fresher.
12.Write first blog post.

 And I managed 7 out of 12 which for me is a minor miracle, the remaining 5 will simply move onto tomorrows list. I used to be a slave to my lists, feeling like a failure if I didn't cross everything off in order but now I've accepted that I am not a robot and use them as a guide rather than a whipping post. My top tip is, don’t have more than a dozen things on one list, it’s just discouraging, and don't forget to congratulate yourself for all the other things you achieved that weren't even on your list, perhaps with a chilled glass of wine if the suns past the yard arm.

You see I have discovered I can struggle to fit in to the frightening, regimented well-ordered world that everyone else seems to cope with, or worry no more, throw the instruction book away, find my own way and start celebrating the spontaneous, which can lead to some fabulous things...

Well it seems this first blog post has gone down the self analysis route, I accept I will never be the ordered methodical type and I apologise if I’ve wasted 5 minutes of your life ranting about such, but to be fair I promised nothing more... whether or not I will keep up with this blogging thing remains to be seen but right now I do feel a whole lot better about spending tomorrow morning knee deep in fabric, music blaring and sewing machine humming and a dishwasher full of dirty pots because I forgot to press the ON button again.

Lisa