So excited!

I was experimenting with photos for an advert going in a little mag to celebrate the Gillingham train station being 100 years old.  I thought a vintage style ad would look good.  In the end I used my previous pic with the old patterns behind (posted in a previous post).  Tony did a fantastic job and the advert looks great. The above pictures do show a little bit of how the shop is changing though, really taking 'make do and mend on board! :)
What i am excited about though is not boring adverts, but this amazing box of buttons one of my lovely customers brought in for me...
How lucky am I, of course I gave her a great big hug.  
My evening is going to be spent sorting buttons, great fun and very exciting..well to me any way:)

Spring Time ha ra!

I have been adding more yarn to my website, I love the colours of the Gedifra cotton and can't wait to crochet some flowers and bags using it.  I have as usual got too many projects on the go!

In between masses of stock has been arriving which seems to take days to sort and then I change the whole shop around to fit it in.  This is great fun but does mean theres a lot less time to make.  Which is why I like the classes on Saturday mornings because it means I get to play too :)
The yarn above is just like ribbon, I think it would be great embellished onto things and used in Jewellery making. I made a crochet necklace using it which I hope to finish soon and I will post up.
It was so lovely to be out in the sun last Monday (the weeks seem to be going by to fast!) I met a friend at Pythouse and we had a delicious lunch.  Then walked round the garden and played hide and seek with Arthur.
So nice to see the daffodils out in the sunshine and know that spring is well on its way.
I will be glad when the clocks go forward this weekend, Arthur has been waking at 6 o Clock for the last three weeks but still goes to bed at the same time, at least then we can go to bed an hour earlier and when we wake it will be a more sensible time.

Finishing off.

This should have appeared at the bottom, I am still not getting the hang of this, I am off to get the table ready for knit an natter, I have to go to Georges school at 5 for parents evening (not a good night!) and take Arthur. So by 5 Arthur needs to be fed the table needs to be ready with 20 chairs and cups and saucers out, then straight back from the school to get Arthur ready for bed before everyone arrives. Tony is taking harry to singing lesson then on to rugby..so a slightly busy night.  I have said everyone will have to get there own tea! (thats food not cups of, incase any knitting ladies read this!)
I love these jars, I got the bigger ones at a jumble sale on saturday and decided to organise some of my collection of beads,buttons and ribbons. I can now see all the lovely things I need to turn into works of art for my shop mmm.. if the days were just a bit longer or if I could stay awake to make them longer!
I have been trying really hard to get these brooches finished and off to Galleries..nearly there!
I was taking pictures of the yarn for my website using this wrapping paper as backing, and loved the way the cupcakes are slightly camoflagued (I know, I am useless at spelling, that part of my brain seems to have shut down.) The otherside of this paper is also patterned. I think its the nicest wrapping paper i've seen for ages, but of course i am slightly biased as it is for sale in my shop.

Surrounded by Angels!

I am surrounded by angels! It amazes me how generous people can be.  last week nearly every day somebody brought me something for my shop. These buttons were donated in a great big sweety jar! You should have seen my face :0 such a great big grin! 

I love sorting through buttons and discovering the history behind them. Tony also joins in when I have put together some treasure.  He is very good at telling what materials and machinery has been used, so being able to date them.  Some of the ones in the photo above we believe to be very old.  
I will use a lot of these in my jewellery and as embellishments on my brooches, but I am a little bit more careful about which ones should not be used.  I have a few tins of 'treasure'.
The buttons below were brought in today, the lady that gave them to me knits for charity, so when I have spare wool I pass on some to her and so the love goes round!
I really feel at the moment I am in the right place at the right time..for once! 

I have also had help from little angels with some of my sewing..of labels and a bit of beading on some of my brooches....because I am not really being very productive at the moment, absolutly full of ideas and inspiration but lacking in time.  Mainly because I keep being distracted by buttons! :)

The button workshop.

All set for the button workshop on Saturday. I had great fun pouring all the lovely buttons into the coloured bowls.
I put out some large vintage buttons to be the bases of the button brooches. This was my first button workshop so I had not promoted it too much as I like small groups to start with.
Vintage buttons and beads were put at the end of the table, I put out everything I think people will need, show how to make a few things and get every one inspired and basically let them make whatever they like.  It is very free and easy. Every body said what a lovely relaxing morning they had. It is great that people have the opportunity to test out the techniques with out any of the outlay.
Everyone went home with ideas on how to use up there button stash.
These are some of the hearts that were made. I love the colours of the one above...it makes me want to make more.
I also get lots of inspiration from every one that comes on the workshop.
Chloe came with her Mum Jill and produced two beautiful necklaces .

I am looking forward to the next workshop and really must get on and add the new dates for April and may. Some of the people who have already done two or three have asked whats next! So I need to come up with some new ideas.  It is a great way to spend a Saturday morning and at only £15 I think everyone definitely gets there moneys worth :)

I have been busy changing the shop around and fitting in all my new finds and lots of new stock.
I am really starting to mix old with new, and am becoming a little bit addicted to finding vintage buttons and tins, my Sundays are now spent at carboots or antique fairs..well it gets me out of the shop.  Arthur enjoys it too as he can always find a new old car, he loves to rummage and find the perfect car or lorry.  The bluebird tin (which i think is gorgeous) sold with in two days of having it in the shop!  It looked so nice with my buttons in :(.  I must learn to share and not keep it all for myself!
This is some of the lovely new yarns by Gedifra and Adriafil...I am going for the colourfull and glitzy yarns. If That way if no one buys them I turn them all into lovely flowers and little bags (may take a while but it will be fun!)..
Lots of new stock I will try and get some online, by wednesday next week..if it hasn't all gone by then...always the optimist!
I can't believe a week has gone by and I am getting ready for tommorows workshop, which is a Button workshop..so I can share out a little of my button stash, mmm and then go and buy some more ;)

Last saturday was needlefelting, above is Alice's (aka Ladypole on Ravelry) felted bits..I have actually pinched the squiggly yarn idea on the heart, quite useful doing these workshops..every one is so inspiring!
Jane brought her three daughters, which I was slightly worried about, as the needles are very sharp! They were all amazing though and really enjoyed the morning.  I love the octopus necklace and Jane's flag brooch. Very clever.

Concentrating very hard!
They were all very industrious!
Above is Elizabeth's work,  I can see the half flower as a hair decoration. ("fascinator"). Elizabeth brought in some of her own equipment one of which was a needle holder with four needles in, much quicker to work with..and every body borrowed it.  I will need to get some of these in for the next one. 

 First I need to put in some new dates for workshops as March is just going so fast.

Well back to my buttons ..it is my first button workshop so I am a little nervous, I never know how it's going to go. It will be lots of fun and I'm sure everyone will have fun picking out the buttons they are going to use, and I'm sure they will go home with lots of goodies!

Ha ra I'm spinning..sort of!

Above is what I should be doing. I have lots of orders for my Cup Cake brooches and new Spring Flower ones..I am just getting to the beading stage so nearly there.
These pictures always seem to go the wrong way up, I need to take note next time I do this so that I can get them in the right order!  This is my super wash merino purchased from http://Fluffnstuff.misi.me.uk .  A little bit over spun, but it is getting there.
Tony bought me this lovely old wheel for valentines (How lucky am I !) and I have been trying to get it to work with not much prior knowledge of spinning.  Alice (aka Ladypole on Ravelry) had brought her spinning wheel to knit and natter and I had a little try, though mainly managed to make the wheel go backwards!  I practised spinning mine with out wool on to start with, just so I could get the leg-hand co-ordination.  It did need taking apart and oiling, and the tension still needs a bit of work, I can't imagine ever producing something even all the way through, like the beautiful yarns on Ravelry.  I like the lumps and bumps in the yarn and fancy making some Art Yarn adding little bits of mixed fibres and of course loads of different colours!
Arthur likes to spin the wheel and let me just do the yarn. Or he sits on my lap and lets the yarn travel through his fingers on its way to the bobbin....maybe if I teach him now he may be producing yarn for me by the time he's 4?

Have just had a Rowan delivery so I better get pricing that and working out where it is going to go?...and then photograph it to go on line. Sooo beading will have to wait.