CRAFTing extravaganza...

SO... the child is away at Grandmas for one night only... this means that i have a period of 24 hours in which i *must* sew! CRAFTing extravaganza sounds much more glamourous than it ever ever is... basically, i turn into a factory and it all gets a bit crazy. Get me... 'vogue-ing' in my new spotty dotty necklace, sent by my lovely friend BOMBUS x x x it was a great way to start the 24 hour sweatshop experience. It made me feel all positive :)

The car was dropped off for it's annual MOT. The insurance renewed. The tax is due next week... there's nothing like the *need* for money to spur the Fish on in her Crafty-ness.

Oh good grief, i am about 2 hours into the sew-a-thon here and i already feel like taking my own life! What am i doing? Why don't i just sell buttons and felt, leave it that???

I can't, i love the world of HANDMADE! i am proud when i sell my creations.

Some of the first batch.... looking all felty and festive, ready for the hand-finished elements.

There are a many more million to make from here... and, can you believe, i am still not fed up of Christmas!!

I am not complaining, far from it. I love my work and i would rather be boss of my own routine than have to travel to work elsewhere.

I have been told on a couple of occasions how "lucky i am "... "i'd love to sit at home, sew a few decorations and get paid" - i am just sharing the fact that, when THIS work is One's wage - there is no "sewing a few decorations" and indeed no guarantee you'll get any payment!

I am really looking forward to the Christmas Craft Fairs this year - they are always full of fun. SO, if there is a craft fair near you, from here on til December... go see! you might find something quite wonderful x x x

Weekend Thrift-a-rama....

A typically English afternoon - bar one thing... it was sunny!! So, off to the local "Bric-a-Brac" sale in Dodford.
Cute Summer dress = check
Sunnies = check
Rogue Trader style 4x4 truck = check Super sweet vintage style bag = check
SmallFish...... = check... but WAIT a minute!!

Somebody wasn't too keen on a trip out thrifty hunting... "What's up PongoFish?"

"Mama, you forgot my purse and now i can't buy anything"....

Run back inside for the Little Hello Kitty purse = check!

She soon cheered up as we entered the Village Green - they had a full on BAND playing!! Cool! and oh so English. It was dreamy :)

So dreamy, i did forget to photograph all my purchases for you to share.... Herbs, a rug, some books, .... SmallFish's plastic turtle and 'Tigger' Cocktail stirrer....

Tea from a true Utility Wear 'Village Hall' cup and saucer (i wanted a second cup but they didn't sell their tea by the pot, mores the pity)

Dreamy dreamy cake... Victoria Sponge with real strawberries. OH be still my fluttering heart... this cake will make it to the Food Blog sometime, it was delicious.

The Plant Stall with Parasol - this thrift sale spilled out of the Village Hall, over the Village Green and away up the winding village road.

I sat in the sunshine, enjoying the band and swatting the wasps off my cake with this *new* old book (all about English gramar and punctuation - i could do with the tuition)

Oh English-ness, i did enjoy a warm slice of your pomp and circumstance this weekend. Thankyou for your eccentricity and love of Tea, Cake and thriftiness x x x

That's a good idea....
I'm not sure what they're actually doing. Something with paint / water / washing-up liquid. Blowing the bubbles and putting paper over the top to form bubbly pictures.
I think there is ONE rule only to this - BLOW do not suck!
(i love LittleFish's sideways glance here, checking out what daddy is doing)


yippee for bubble pictures!

not recommended for very small children - for obvious soap filled mouth reasons....

Dear Crafty Friends....

I thank you all for a wonderful weekend! Crafting day and night in a 'Girls School' in York...
This is BOMB x Preggers... On the phone to her broker sorting Stocks and Shares.

Sorry for the poor photo Sally - but this epitomises the weekend for me "Me and my Brew"

'My Girls' soaking up a few sunshiny minutes in a long crafting extravaganza of a weekend... Bomb, Fallulah and Lady....

Everybodys *new* bestest chum - Victoria Duck. We owe so many thanks to you and your infinite patience and skills that you shared! x x x

Mad Kat and Feltmeup!! Doing their bestest Harry Potter scene reinactments in *stolen* School Uniform Capes...

ME!! making a new Tea Cup Tote bag, mmmmm - it's not finished yet so i can't share it with you all yet x

There were more photos and more memories but this is what i'm sharing!

"What goes on retreat - Stays on Retreat" x x x

See you in York Gals x

Whoooooop - i am more excited than i look in this picture!
I am going away for the weekend x x x A long 3 day weekend CRAFTING in York with a bunch of beautiful crafty ladies.
Oh Etsy - you changed my life!! see ya next week....

What's in your pocket?

Oooh, Hello Nibbles... are you coming out for a bit? ....Just thought you'd sniff about? see what's going on?

I wouldn't bother my little furry friend - it's raining outside........

.... again.

And the winner is....

Oh you all KNOW that i would love to send everybody something?!
I can't x but it's fun to put ourselves forward for stuff? "it could be me...." :) So, there are 3 winners of the GOODIE SURPRISE BAGS! don't worry, i'm going to make up 3 bags - you won't have to share 1 between you all x

ANNA - i left a note on your blog, did ya get it??

MENOPAUSAL MUSING - your blog wouldn't let me leave a comment so i'll try again

RHIANNON - i left you a blog note too

please let me know your postal address' kirstyfish@googlemail.com

(don't worry, i won't send anything sinister mwaahhaa OR sell your details to the mafia)

So congrats to you my sweets, leaving me lovely comments!

And a genuine THANKYOU to old blog readers and new! xxx i've found some good new reads too x

Party 'Going Home' bags...

I don't know what happens in other countries...? but in the UK it is traditional to be sent home from a Childs Birthday Party with a 'Going Home Bag'...
Inside is often a slice of the Birthday Cake (wrapped accordingly) and a few gifts to play with on the E-high trip home. A regular, local customer asked me if i could make her some fabric 'Party Bags' for her daughters birthday and i said 'yes' - inwardly panicking!! WHAT OUT OF? Do i have time....??

Yum Yum - i had to share the finished result with you all. WHAT do you make Party Bags out of when your home is FULL of felt? sat next to a bolt of beautiful Matroyshka fabric...

So i made her 10 different coloured bags with different coloured handles and dolls on the front. They are actually much BRIGHTER than these photos suggest but hey! guess what? it rained again today...

And i knew that you'd all appreciate their colour, sense of fun, frivolity - i had to take a million photos of them in different layouts.

Now i want to make loads of them, and for boys too and sell them in the shop... "Kirsty - you do not have any spare minute left in your days..." - "But they're soooo pretty"

Awwww, makes me think i might make a few for a certain little Nephews Birthday though....

A SURPISE bag!! freebie giveaway...

I've got plans.....
I'm feeling fractious....
There are plans afoot....
Sometimes i need to rid myself of excess energies and excitements... SO my blog reading, craft loving friends: A GIVEAWAY! Yes, a surprise bag of goodies that will be an assortment of wonderful items in the brighest of rainbow colours and fun designs...

Tell your friends, tell your bloggy chums, i might even give away more than ONE! I know, what's come over me? The sun is out this morning and i am having a big tidy up so who knows what will happen?

Leave me a comment :) leave some sort of email contact or blog link and i will let you know x

Why do i look depressed in that last photo? I'm not - that's me looking at the Laptop screen waiting for you to say "helllloooo KirstyFish".... deadline? ummmm, maybe Friday? x x x

Beep beep, beep beep, yeh....

There is a song somewhere, sometime... it has that line in it "Baby you can drive my car, ta da da"... New tiny tiny buttons called "Beep Beep Buttons"! The tiny button that make a BIG NOISE..... Another new collection - Limited Edition - 9 bags (no make that 8, i sold a pack last night) of, what i call: LIQUORICE ALLSORTED - you get why huh?

Then a few new mixes / combinations just to inspire people and give a bit of variety / choice to you button bags.... MAMA LOVES DISCO (miaaooww pussycat)

CHERRY PIE... mmm, a good mix of boutons, makes me want to eat PIE!

TICKLED PINK - my favourite of the new mixes. If 50g of each pinkish shade is too much for some customers, you can have a 100g mixed bag of the 3 pinky shades i have on offer.

These are only in BigFish.etsy.com at the moment but i hope to put them on Folksy too :)

Don't fear - that hasn't turned into a complete button blog! I am just in button mode right now... it'll soon be some other mental obsession.... x