CHILLY NIGHTS, FROSTY MORNINGS, BUT GORGEOUS SUNSHINE IN THE DAY

Hello everyone

It's a little bit nippy now (sounds very similar to the opening words of an Elton John song) - the sunshine is very welcome, but the cold isn't and this is just the start of the chilly season.  The good thing about this time of year, rather like spring, is that the colours in the garden are beautiful.  Reds, browns, bronzes - quite spectacular and the complete opposite of spring with its yellows and whites.  I have a lot of bulbs still to plant - got behind with them - and have some big pots I want to put them in today so a few hours in the sunshine beckons.

The crafting flip-side of me

I am hoping that by now the winners of my World Card-Making Day competition have received their prizes - I know one has.  I hope you are all pleased with them.  Again, a big thank you to everyone who took part, whether as a maker or a voter and thank you to Make and Craft for sponsoring the competition - I hope your launch day was a great success.  My digital copy of the magazine is excellent and has lots of lovely things to make.  I have had two suggestions for the next competition: 'anything but cards' and, of course, cats.  Any other ideas?  I will put the suggestions into a hat and let one of my cats choose the theme.

Still on the subject of cards, did you read Ally's guest blog post on Friday?  Ally's cards are beautiful and make me realise that I must get into stamping - I have loads of stamps and as with lots of my craft 'things' they are in a box waiting to be used.  I think that in my stack of craft materials there is a 'I must do this' list.  If you would like to join Ally and everyone else who has been a guest blogger, it would be lovely to have you  on board.  Please get in touch: christmaspiecrafts@virginmedia.com.

My photographed 'makes' for this week's post are not for my business, but for me from my pottery course.  The first photograph is of the pendant and earrings I made last term, glazed this term and fired last week.  The pendant has a loop at the back and I may just add ribbon or a chain, not sure yet.  The earrings are ready to have hooks added.  I am pleased with the effect the wallpaper and rubbing off some of the glaze has created and glad they are not too heavy.

The second photograph is of one of this term's main projects - a mask.  I haven't yet decided whether to blend the features into the mask, but I am pleased with the nose which I learnt how to create last week.  The lips presented a problem in that I just couldn't get a good shape to them and they still do not match what my mind's eye wants.  I am going to add hair and ears to the mask, so there may be more photographs on the way.

In between various other things this week, I have been busy making stock for my events - mainly concentrating on two ranges of mini-cards.  They sell well and although I have two weeks between the first and second event, the second event is a three-day outing and is followed closely by my last event of the year and I want to have plenty to be able to ring the changes, particular for the three-day event.  I also need to make stock for my wall at Bourne Mill which, despite the high street shops already having them, doesn't have any of my Christmas range for sale yet.  I have to say that I am beginning to be rather concerned at how little time I have left and how very far behind I am.

don;t forget to checkout the other blogs taking part in this week's Handmade Monday.  Always lots of beautiful makes to see and great blog posts to read.  

I had a card order to make for a birthday at the end of this month.  The brief was the recipient likes pink, purple, spiritual things and cats.  I love these challenges, made the card and forgot to photograph it - again!  My customer was very pleased with it, so hard though it was to match the brief it was a success.

The other flip-side of me

I have two new residents who arrived yesterday morning - Monkey (how can you call a kitten that?) and Damon (equally poorly named).  They are ten weeks old; Damon is the little black kitten and Monkey is the grey one.  almost needless to say they are gorgeous, very playful and friendly and purr at the drop of a whisker.  I am not to sure how long they will be with me - they haven't yet been homed but there is a possibility that someone is interested in them.  As you can see, they are quite happy to have their picture taken - or probably fascinated by the camera.

Jazz is fascinated by them, Daisy definitely isn't.  She is not a very sociable cat; loves her home and us and Jazz (most of the time), and that it all she needs in her life - as well as food of course.  Everyone who enters our home (two-legged or four-legged) is a potential friend for Jazz - he bounces up to them and wants to be their best friend.  He is, however, a little concerned by Damon (black kitten) - we feel that he looks at him and thinks he could be a miniature Shadow (the cat who frightens him).  The joys of cat-owning and kitten-fostering are great fun - and exhausting.

I am thinking of adding another mini blog post on Thursdays, specifically in support of Woking Cats Protection.  I plan to feature one (or a pair if they are to be homed in pairs) kittens each week, so watch this space.  I hope you read my post last Wednesday about the gorgeous Simba?

On Friday I went with a couple of friends for my second day trip this year to the Isle of Wight.  The weather was gorgeous - sunny all day (despite the forecast), slightly chilly wind, but a great day.  We did a walking tour of Bembridge - started in the main street and made our way  down various side roads to the beach, then all they way along the beach (great big pebbles, stones and rocks everywhere - so hard going) and then back up some steep steps (no exaggeration here) which came out just to where we had left the car (thank goodness as my legs felt in need of a rest).  We then went off to Old Shanklin for a late lunch (gorgeous crab salad), wandered around the village and then slowly made our way back to the ferry, via Ventnor for a brief look around.  Everywhere was very quiet, which was nice - the ferry crossing was also quiet both ways, which meant speedy loading and unloading.  We are now planning our next trip and considering a Christmas market in Bruges.

I am helping a friend with her spreadsheets tomorrow.  She is not a great computer fan to say the least, and starting spreadsheets from scratch is daunting for her.  Lunch is included, so how could I refuse?  Yes, I know I should be stock making, but..............

I am off  now to work in the garden as this gorgeous weather is too good to miss and my daffodil bulbs are crying out to be planted.  I also have some pansies and polyanthus plants to go in - so may top the daffodil pots off with them - a nice display for most of the winter with the pansies.  I had meant to pot them on, but didn't get around to it, so think it is straight into their final growing place today.

I hope you all have a great day, don't forget to come back on Wednesday for my mid-week post and also on Friday for another great guest blog post.

And finally a couple of gems from this week's searches stats (apart from being intrigued as to how they landed on my blog, I am so curious as to what they were originally looking for):

crafts with bricks and toilet rolls crafts

Jill