A fab week.

I put all my buttons out in the shop last week, to make jewellery and button hearts and to demonstrate how to make them. Customers could also have a go and make a button heart for £5.00, which proved really popular.
I poured out my jar of Mother of Pearl buttons (for me and not to share ;) I made two necklaces that I really like, inspired by the sea. I am going to do a beach window and these will look perfect alongside a couple of my beach paintings and a window full of pebbles.
I also made some tiny mother of pearl hearts also for the window, I sold a couple on Sunday so will have to make some more :) I will be leaving the buttons out this week and adding a few big beads and some hemp to make crochet necklaces.
In Wincanton we are very lucky to have Jenny who runs Divine Wines, not only does she have excellent taste in wine but is also an amazing cook. Part of the Wine shop is a cafe and outside is beautiful..if you like to get that 'holiday moment' this is the place to visit.
On Friday night Jenny ran a Greek evening, a five course delicious meal, (I could hardly move afterwards!) everyone sat on the long tables and though we didn't know anyone to start with we soon relaxed and enjoyed the company around us. It was an amazing evening and we could walk home ya! The wall art was gorgeous and I'm sorry to say I have forgotton the artists name, the picture are weather proof, a brilliant idea for the winter.
On Sunday I did the monthly Artisan Market at Catherine hill in Frome, I did not have any help so didn't get much chance to go around the market, I managed to take a couple of pictures of the fab shops that can be found on Catherines Hill.
and this stall of Sunflowers from a farm in Codford (which I would like to get to before the seasons out), they sold out in a few hours.
I was in my usual place at the bottom of the hill, I couldn't believe how much stock I had made over the last month, which means being in the new shop is starting to work. My next job will be to find some galleries and shops to supply with my scumble collection and brooches.
I loved Laura Merritt's work, unfortunatly I could only afford a couple of her cards but would really like one of her embroidered fabric canvases for my kitchen.
Monday we went for a picnic to Stourhead.
With My Mum and Sister in Law, was great to get the cousins together.
A really relaxed picnic in an amazing spot, probably spoiled a few photographs lol

Think Mum was pleased to see us altogether, Arthur actually took this pic with my camera with the zoom lens attached.
I have also been enjoying flowers from my garden, it has been great to walk down the garden and come back armed with beautiful flowers to brighten up the house :)
Hope you all have a fab week x

The Dairy House and The Artisan Market

This is the Liz's (washerwoman) little corner..and behind me is all her gorgeous vintage clothes and lots more fabric I only managed to get this pic before she got lost under a sea of fabric, her space was packed all morning, was amazing how she kept going!

I have been out and about since my last blog. On Sunday I was lucky enough to be at the first Dairy House Vintage Costume and Textile Fair.
Just as everyone had finished setting up the crowds poured in! The picture above was taken just before 10 after that you could not see the stalls for the rest of the morning.
This is the lovely Donna Flower's stall she has the most amazing vintage fabrics from 19th century to 80's and beyond. I loved the childrens vintage fabrics made me go all nostalgic.
These pics are a little glimpse of what was there, apart from the stalls outside the Dairyhouse is packed with little collections from a variety of dealers..vintage heaven!
Above is Sue's corner as you go in the door there are drawers to search through full of buttons and fabrics along with haberdashery and lace..some of my friends have been known to go missing in there for hours! I loved the Mannequins that Sue has covered with vintage fabrics, excellent way of showing off her crocheted button necklaces and lace :)
More glimpses of little corners..
This was my little corner I took this pic at the end of the day, the display had been a bit destroyed ;) I had a great day sitting making button necklaces and actually sold one of the pearl button ones before I had finished it. People could sit down and learn how to make brooches and necklaces from buttons. I am very grateful to Sue for inviting me to be part of the Fair. I had a fab day and feel really inspired to carry on making and teaching :)
The Dairy House is also packed with some lovely furniture..think the above would look great on our patio..
Last Sunday we went to the Artisan Market in Catherine Hill Frome. I am hoping to do the next one and wanted to see how everyone balanced on the Hill and get an idea of how I would set my stand up. It is full of designers and makers a fab atmosphere and some delicous cakes..which kept Arthur happy :)
The shops on the Hill are all open as well, great if you also like making Millie Moon stocked with scrumptious fabrics and yummy coloured buttons. Make Do and Mend full of Vintage bits.
It felt a bit like Portabella Market, I am looking forward to being part of it :)
The shops are all independents so if you like a bit of individuality its well worth a visit :)

Reading through I notice I have missed a lovely pic of the Washer womans stall I will add it later as Arthur is demanding breakfast!

Blog Awards

Ya, I have been given 2 blog awards one of which was a little while ago and i hadn't noticed.

The first one is from Woolyholic (and she lives up to her name. ) Her crochet skills are amazing, and make you wish you were part of the Granny Square swap..take a looksee :)

                                              

Thankyou Woolyholic :) 

My second award was from the lovely Mollimoo her blog is full of loveliness and sharing as well as the crafty things she makes for her Folksy and Etsy shop, she is also a bit of a buttonholic so when she pops into my shop for a visit we don't stop talking!

                                       

For this I must make an acceptance speech..so here goes.

I would like to say a huge thankyou to all you bloggers who pop in to read my little blog and leave comments.  It is a great comfort to know there are so many crafty folks out there and I am often inspired by all of your blogs and creations.

*tears welling up*  stumbles off stage.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I will pass these on my next post, which will also include the fun i had at the Fibre Fest in Devon.

Tamsyn G on The road.

This is some of the Fabrics I was sorting to take to The Anonymous Travelling Market at Pyt House, actually these were the bits I didn't want to share :) Some lovely vintage fabrics that I will save for a day when the sewing machine comes out.  I sorted lots of other bits (two big boxes full!) into fat quarters and also sorted through my button stash and bagged up lots of buttons.

I was making things all week, lots more cupcake brooches and button bracelets., little heart brooches and mobile phone socks. So it was a bit of a manic week.
The Gazebo arrived on Thursday and i thought I would test setting it up.  Arthur came back from nursery and decided it should be a fruit stall, so out came his till all the fruit and george to be his customer.
It was great to be out on the road again, but I had really forgotton how much time you need to setup! we were right at the bottom of the garden, and I had loaded the van with hings in baskets and bags so that they could be put straight out.  This was not a good plan, and 2 hours later i was still trundling things down the garden using a borrowed wheelbarrow.  Then was asked to move the vehicles and that there was just 20 minutes left..which sent me into a panic attack, I  just felt like sitting on the floor saying ' I can't do it' and 'there's no way i will be ready' as people started to come in, (actually that is what i did in the end, then recovered quickly as people started shopping).  The next thing I knew it was 3 oclock  and I had not spoken to Kate (who was next to me selling lovely vintage bits) once, nor eaten and only managed to have one cup of coffee that a lovely friend got for me.

By the time we stopped all the food had sold out and people were packing up.  Though quite hungry i'd say that was the best result we could have hoped for.

The next time I go to a show the stock will be neatly stocked in 3 big boxes that fit on my sack trucks and I will have some sort of plan as to how the  stall will look.

Abbey Hill Steam Fair.

Arthur had such a fab weekend, on Saturday there was a celebration of the railway station in Gillingham being open for 1oo years, with steam engines trundling down the high street and lots of model railways to look at.  Tony took Arthur out for the whole morning, then to a indoor play centre in the afternoon. (so I had a lovely peaceful Saturday.)
On Sunday we went to Abbey Hill Steam Rally, which was a great day out, its such a laid back little show with a friendly atmosphere and not too busy. Arthur is looking out of the trailer above which is towed by a steam roller...out onto the main road all around the showground and back in through another gate.  Arthur just went really really quiet but loved every minute.

Me and Arthur went off around the stalls while Tony looked at bikes,
'mmm should I get one like that next?'
'mmm or one like that'..this went on for an hour.

 while I managed to add to my button collection, finding two jars of buttons at 1.00 each ya!
Which are still unopened, I am saving them for when I need a bit of button therapy ;) 
Arthur added to his car collection (which is nearly as bad as my buttons). So every one was happy!  Tony then took Harry and Arthur to watch the stockcar racing on Monday, so I had a very peaceful weekend.....think Tony is still recovering from all that running around though :)

Today I am going to do some photographs,  in order to update folksy, etsy and my website.   

Banished to the dining room.

Last night I was banished from our sitting room, as tony and harry were taking it over.  They were going through rugby dvd's of the under 15's North dorset Teams season...which I must say has been a good one winners of the County Cup 3 years running, infact i think they only lost one match in the whole season and that was to come second out of 8 teams.  any way tony is putting together the end of year dvd where it shows highlights from each player.  So they annoyingly have to watch all the matches , they watch a bit discuss it, pause rewind watch it again discuss, write down the number so they can go back to it..this goes on for hours! Now i don't mind watching Harry play rugby a bit, but i get bored after....10 minutes and moan so much that they have had to banish me, and warned me in advance.

Well I do have a lot of toys to play with (of the crafting kind!) so I decide to get out the embellisher which I have not really tested out properly since I got it at xmas.

The skirt on the table i started to embellish at the last Make do and Mend workshop, and just need to add one more heart and possibly some fabric to the bottom, to make it longer. I have this great wool that looks like it has been sewn all down the middle of it, I have embellished onto the skirt and used it to make some cup warmers (will finish them and post a pic tommorow). It is great for edging and looks as though I have sewn it on.

I have been collecting lots of denim skirts and jackets to upcycle, so at least I got going on that.

I also used the embellisher to fray the edges around fabric hearts which I anm adding to old pillow cases and turning them into laundry bags. So I had a lot of fun.
I had a brill day yesterday, starting with a carboot in the morning, me and arthur left the house quite early to get there before the other buyers, it was lovely and peaceful for the first half an hour and we managed to get quite a lot of good stuff, I got some fabric, needles and assorted knitting bits, as well as an old wooden sewing box with a lovely needle holder full of really old needles (twice as thick as the modern day ones) and two skirts to upcycle.  

 Arthur got a fab spider man suit (which he has not taken off since it came out of the washing machine. I did make him leave it at the end of his bed explaining how hot he may get if he left it on! (not great to sleep in nylon!) he also got a whole load of army vehicles for a 1.00 so was very pleased.  
When we got back Arthur played with his new toys and I was able to do some spinning in the garden yay!  Alice aka Ladypole gave me some of her gorgeous carded wool to spin a few weeks ago, so it was great to see it turned into yarn. A wee bit over spun but i am just learning :)
Saturday i spent cutting some of my fabric mountain to put in the shop as fat quarters.  I have a huge delivery of fabric arriving tommorow, which i am a little apprehensive about as no one really knows i have started doing fabric...ah they will tommorow ,it is gorgeous linens from japan, some cupcake ones, some vintagey looking and some russian dolls with the most amazing ribbon.
These are button hearts i have been making to show people how they can use up there buttons.

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:)