Show &Tell - Woolfest

I do love a day trip.  I am not a good traveller on a coach but make an exception as The Knit Studio in Newcastle organises a visit to Woolfest in Cumbria.  It is held in an auction mart in Cockermouth and it really is all about fibres.  Animals such as rare breed sheep, alpacas, angora rabbits rub shoulders with stall holders, designer makers, spinners and weavers all sharing a love of creating. Gill P, Gill W, Anne, Wendy and I all spent a lovely day meandering through all the stalls.  I always buy lots of bits and pieces to use in my work and yesterday was no exception.  My first purchase was wool tops in two lovely colours.

wool tops for felt making

 

 

a dinky jar of my favourite mother-of-pearl buttons

 

Gill W and I spent a happy half hour on the coach on the way home examining each and every button, there were an awful lot in such a tiny jar!  A few gems included - a couple of hand carved tiny buttons, some smoke mother-of-pearl and a few very large buttons.  

 

 

I do love a button

 

 

silk carrier rods for dyeing

 

 

hand dyed silk fibres from Oliver Twists

 

 

a lovely old tattered table runner

 

All in all a very enjoyable but tiring day spent with friends.  The carrier rods and tattered runner are in the dye pot as we speak.  I am going to try out my new fibres tomorrow.  Until next time.....

Jayne x

New Ventures........

After much deliberation and advice from my lovely blogging and facebook friends, I have done it!  What may you ask - well, opened an Etsy shop.  It is something I have thought about for a long while.  I am a ditherer as you may have gleaned from my blog posts.  If something can be put off, I am your man (woman) so to speak.  Procrastination should be my middle name.  I gave myself a good talking to and got to grips with listing, taking photographs, describing, measuring etc etc, oh and then there was how much should an item be!!!

Bespoke Vintage Lace Corsage

 

I have been making lots of accessories with a view to opening a shop online.  I took a lot of images of my work and listed away, until my friend Gill told me about online photo editing!  Back to the beginning and enhancing each and every image and re listing them.

 

 

Vintage crochet duck egg blue neckpiece

 

 

detail of corsage



A few wrist cuffs were listed to complete a small selection of work for sale. So after much tweaking the shop is now open. 

 

pale grey and pink on linen

 

 

It is so lovely to see the sun is shining, and summer has finally arrived.  Until next time......





 

 



 



 







 

 

Back to normal...

After all the excitement of the last few weeks things were settling down and getting back to normal and then out of the blue a tummy bug hit.  The best laid plans etc, out of the window.  However, a week on and I am raring to go (well almost)!  Inspiration packs have been selling like hot cakes and Etsy shop opening preparations going well. 

Raspberry Crush

 

Gill P and I are having one of our 'making days' tomorrow to fine tune my Etsy shop.  Chorizo, squash and pasta dish prepared, strawberries washed and hulled, teapot rinsed and at the ready!  Hopefully it will be ready to open by the end of the week. 

 

At Tynemouth flea market yesterday a lady was selling tiny doillies, something I always look out for to use in my work.  I bought twenty five lovely pieces....

 

 some unusual shapes and sizes

 

 

Today some of them ended up in a teal/grey pale dye bath, they have been soaking all day, I am really pleased with the result a very antique looking grey shade.....

 

 

shades of grey in the making

 

 

A fantastic purchase today from my favourite charity shop as it was closing - just in the nick of time to find this box.......

 

 

as you know, I have a bit of a weakness for a battered box, what would this contain I wonder?

 

 

a bolster pillowcase

 

 

pure Irish linen double sheets and pillowcases

 

I own one vintage pure linen sheet which I inherited from my grandmother, and have been looking for another for quite a while.  Imagine my excitement when I realised that this was an unused set, scalloped edged and a little drawn thread work.  The only fly in the ointment is that they are very grubby so will probably require a lot of tender loving care to restore them to their former glory.  I am wondering if they were a unused wedding present.

 

Until next time, so lovely to see the sunshine, Jayne x

 

 



 









Dipping my toe into the water - again.......

After the excitement of the last few weeks, it is time to return to the task in hand.  To sell online or not to sell online!  A dilemma which has caused me many a sleepless night. I decided to ask my new blog and facebook friends their opinion.  I do not know what is making me hesitate, the world of the internet seems to unnerve me a little, I am sure it is an age thing!  I have had a few sales through my blog (thank you, you know who you are).  I am going to do what I have seen other people do which is link their blog and facebook page and post about their work for sale.  Here goes!!

 new - inspiration packs

 

 

 shades of grey

 

 

 my favourite ashes of roses and grey

 

 

rose & wine

 

 

I have been dyeing lots of lace, linens, silks, organza, crochet trims, old curtain tape and ribbons to create little packs of inspiration for embellishment, scrapbooking, applique etc.  It has actually taken me quite a while to sort, iron (I know I don't 'do' ironing normally) arrange a complimentary colour palette that I am happy with for each little collection of fragments.  I have been working on a range of necklaces, dip dyed and very delicate - sneak preview below.....

 

 

faded pinks, browns and greys (yes I know it's those colours again)

 

Next task is a trip to the post office with a mock up pack to get it weighed.  I got a template from the post office which has the appropriate slots to identify the method you can send your parcel depending upon the size and wouldn't you know it - the pack will not fit through the letter slot (you would be hard pushed to get a thick piece of paper through this).  So as not to overcharge folks, I am doing a dummy run with said finished pack, oh and then there is sending abroad!!!!!!!

 

 

I look forward to your comments.... until next time I will leave you with a little updated picture of our little treasure Thomas...

 





 

 



Introducing Thomas......

Thomas was born on Sunday 21st April, at four minutes past five by caesarean section.

 

Emily is doing really well and Thomas is a very contented baby.  We are so delighted to be grandparents for the first time.  We are totally smitten!!!

 

 one day old

 

 

babysitting little Thomas for the first time

 

 

Happy, happy days........ until next time Jayne xxx

 



Lady in Waiting.......

I have been neglectful of my blog over the last few weeks.  My excuse is helping my daughter Emily to prepare for the birth of her baby boy.  He is now overdue so we are all on tenterhooks awaiting his arrival. 

Funny how sorting and organising is contagious, I have been delving into cupboards, drawers, stacking boxes - making a complete mess into the bargain.  I have unearthed some real treasures in the process which I am delighted about.

I found all my College work, spent a little time with a cuppa perusing the pages of my sketchbooks - anyone who knows me, knows I do love a sketchbook, oooh and a mood board, and a concept board which is why I have a lot of them  It was so nice to revisit the process in which I created the work I made at Cleveland College.  Very happy days, it has made me think about starting a new book, it always creates inspiration as a starting point for new work.  It is increasingly hard when you are out of your creative environment to keep the momentum going!

I digress, (well it is called the ramblings of.....) I also found some newer pieces I created which I had not managed to photograph as the light has been so poor of late.  A sunny day spurred me on to take images on my favourite prop the lovely old book.  Here are a few of the pieces, definitely still in my grey phase....

 teeny tiny felt, lace & crochet corsages

 

 

 Slate grey corsage

 

 

 muted tones embellished with vintage tiny button

 

 

 my favourite linen button centre

 

 

 shades of grey, accents of duck-egg blue, crochet, lace, tatting embellished with crochet pansy

 

 

natural merino wool hand-made felt with tiny mother of pearl button centres

 

I am working on some necklaces using vintage crochet and lace, dip dyed and embellished with trims, lace and of course mother of pearl buttons....

 

Until next time....... Jayne x

The story of the battered and tattered tin.......

Just a quick post to tell you about my latest charity shop purchase.  I do love it when you buy something that you feel is a little special.  I spotted said item on the floor in a corner of my local Age U.K. shop and commented to Maggie, the Manager what a lovely tin it was.....

maybe a cake tin in a former life?

 

Thinking of how many 'props' as I like to call them I already own, I was hesitating when Maggie said it was a button tin!  Well, as you know I do love a button - especially on a card, or an old linen or mother-of-pearl one.  So what is a girl to do when faced with such a dilema?

 

take a peek inside of course!

 

 

oooh looking interesting!!!!

 

 

a box within a tin - short whites no less!!!

 



a selection of caramel, cream and chestnut vintage buttons

 

 

a tin full of possibilities.....

 

I fell in love with the tin, the contents were an added bonus, so yes, it came home with me and what else do you do on a winter's Saturday night, yes, you sort your buttons out!  There are a lot of gems and a lot of ordinary buttons but that is part of the fun.  My mother, in her words, 'wouldn't have given the tin house room'.  I told her this afternoon about my buttons and the lovely old tin, she just shook her head!

 

I have been working on painting a little wall cupboard.....

 

gorgeous decorative hinges and ceramic handles

 

 

handy couple of shelves

 

 

preparation done (yes me being a slap dash kinda girl decided to do it properly)

 

first coat of  'Flintstone'

 

a work in progress.......

 

Until next time............. Jayne x