getting crafty...

oh I do love magazines...they offer such inspiration when you live in a rural place where the only things passing the door are chickens and sheep...I love where I live but it is great to connect with the world out there...

this Prima special really appealed to me on the newstand as I browsed...somehow the colours and the ideas of spring led me astray...but it has some great ideas inside for all sorts of tastes and abilities...

 

mmm... all round yumminess! 

this weekend I had a small local craft fair...and despite the pouring rain we had a lovely day...here's a peek at my new needlecases which I loved making, the upcycled felted blankets were so soft and tactile to work with...and I was pleased with the finished stitchy result...
 

 
Sunday was a BIG day out with a friend and fellow artist travelling to Yorkshire and back, leaving home at a very uncivilised hour...to go on an inspiring course where I learnt about how to present your work at a show, and how to define and refine what you do...I met some other wonderful artists and it was led by Victoria and Emily from The Art Market... fantastic art and craft shows in Holmfirth, Yorkshire...do take a look here... and go if you can! 

and isn't life amazing...I sat next to a lady and we chatted and it turned out she writes Hippystitch...a lovely crafty blog you can take a peek at here...the latset post is some fantastic community yarnbombing!

so back at home now with a poorly daughter exhausted after walking in pouring rain with a heavy rucksack for hours on her weekend DofE expedition practice...

it's pottering for me too after a mega busy week...perhaps a little house loving wouldn't come amiss after several weeks,ahem, months of neglect...

wishing you a lovely week...hope it's really crafty!Emmaxx

a taste of vintage...

take a village hall...fill with all kinds of tempting vintage and craft goodies with tea and scrummy homemade cakes served on delightful mismatched china...add enthusiasic stall holders with some wonderful clothes, books, china .and who could ask for more on a rainy Sunday in Arnside?

I left home early and drove down through the beautiful rainy Lake District... through Ambleside...past Kendal and on to the small seaside town of Arnside...a childhood haunt as we spent many holidays near here with my grandparents in their caravan at Silverdale...happy days with Granny's three sisters, the 'great' aunts living nearby...making us magnificent teas in a Famous Five fashion...

so here we are at the WI hall...in we go to the treasure trove of vintage wares...

beautiful shoes...

 gloves...

handbags...

 

china and all kinds of knicknackery...



and then the cakes...mm!






  teacups and teapots awaiting customers...





bunting galore and a great atmosphere...



so hands up who remembers a phone like this??

be a modern domestic goddess...with one of these gorgeous handmade aprons by artist and designer Jan Huntley-Peace

 

or try a delightful upcycled felted bag or teacosy by...you know who!

 and here's Graceleaanne and her fun stall...

I loved her book on how to do it right...must take notes!

and Tricia (perfect hat!!)and Sandra with more handmade goodies ...lovely baby jackets and bags..and dainty china...you can see their Milla Rae etsy shop here...

I was soo tempted by these tiny cups...aren't they exquisite?

Juliet's lovely stall...tempted me to buy a book and a beautiful Otterburn Mill baby blanket...don't you love her spotty apron! I forgot to ask if she made it herself!
 

Karen and Margaret had such a beautifully laid-out stall, all 

carefully written brown labels and colour co-ordinated...

and me... well it was a quiet day so I got on with my knitting which felt the perfect thing to do at such a vintage event surrounded by nostalia for simpler times and for handmade...I may not have made my fortune today but I met some wonderful people and had very enjoyable day...

I do soo love running workshops...

a chance to meet other textile enthusiasts and to enjoy time together sharing my knowledge and seeing how they take the techniques and make them their own... they learn and I learn too...and we have a fun day in the studio playing with stitch and fabric and embroidery and buttons... and did I mention the momemade cake?? thanks to my recent group of lovely ladies here stitching away...

 

so here without more ado...a quick trumpet for this term's workshops..autumn is upon us and cosy times indoors beckon... what better time to get making?

By the way...I am thinking of adding in a hatmaking workshop as I had a request at Woolfest but not sure how popular it would be ..if you fancy one let me know! I do like the idea of it...but if it included machine embroidery it would have to be a two day-er...

more workshop details here...

by the way bit apologies for the random posting of late...C-art Open Studios was such a huge success with over 170 people finding their way to our studio...and we even had a preview party and an artist's party ...but it is very tiring and now the house is a complete tip and the studio needs sorting and I've a craft fair next week...and to top it off we are currently having a new septic tank fitted (living in the country sn't all flowers and romance!) so outside down there is like WW1 trenches at the moment and there's a digger parked outside the studio and a lorry outside the house! 

  mm mud mud mud!

Is that enough excuses?? (not that I would change a thing as I'm loving this artist life!)

no, seriously I have missed my regular blogging so I will be back properly as soon as I've had a lie down...here's a little taste of autumn inspiration... I spotted this gorgeous book in Mollie Makes and well...now it's in my studio inspiring me...

it's wee Friday today as they say in Scotland...so have an inspiring  weekend and see you soon xx

summer...vintage crafts...lakes

Saturday...hot...summer...sun...a trip to Penrith in summery clothes...where in the Evergreen Hall we found Nostalgia Meets Design... beautiful vintage craft fair...and daughter mine and I made a few lovely purchases...could have bought everything! note to self...next time prepare mentally for such deliciousness...need to follow intensive training programme by going to many more such delightful crafty affairs!!

 

I have wanted a Priscilla Jones piece for ages...and I finally treated myself...isn't it beautiful...

 

and a wee delicate teacup and saucer...just to look at...

and now we're ready for the Jubilee thanks to Cool Crafting...who also do fab crafty workshops

then for a good rummage in all the local charity shops...picked up a yummy picnic lunch (have you tried Five the wholefood cafe run by Mind in Penrith?)and then drove to Ullswater...found a little private spot and lazed and ate...daughter mine is sooo brave, wetsuit on and into the water with many shrieks about how cold it was! a tranquil afternoon, hot with a breeze...could have just done with a hammock....note to self..always carry a hammock in the car in case of opportunity...

a small boat and the steamer...a gentle hint of Swallows and Amazons...


 
cold (very!) water on a hot hot day...

perfect picnic spot by cool lapping water...

tall trees and dappled shade...

and wildlife...can you spot the woodpecker?

a mermaid on the rock...and a little extreme crocheting?...well al fresco...happiness is making wherever you are...

hope it's still summery where you are..even if it's just in your head!xx