CATCHING-UP WITH EVERYTHING - ALMOST

Hi everyone

Another sunny day in Christmas Pie.  We have had some rain this week, but the ground is still very dry - I think it is so hard the rain is just bouncing off of it.  We spend so much time chatting about the weather in this country, but it does control so much of what we do or want to do.  For crafters it affects the number of visitors to an event, can I put my gazebo up in gale-force winds, is it too hot to attract visitors?  When we are not crafting, we want it to be dry and sunny for either sitting or working in the garden, or visiting friends and family or strolling in the countryside.  Do we ever achieve a happy medium?

It has been a week of catching up - with work and with friends I haven't seen for a while.  One friend has commissioned a wedding card from me (she wants it to match the papers/card used for a gift envelope she bought from someone else and this is going to be very hard).  Another friend has asked me to repair a necklace of hers - the end piece has broken and I feel it may benefit from a compete re-string rather than repair.

Plans were also discussed and agreed with my fellow Christmas shop friend - the one who makes gorgeous cakes.  We are sharing some events around Christmas and have decided we are going to have a particular themed range of handmade items.  We have moved a few steps further towards this and have decided what we want to sell - we now just have to make it all!

As usual I forgot to photograph the card orders I have completed this week - I think a possible reason is that because (like all workers in the handmade industry) I am working to very tight deadlines and once completed, I want to ensure my customer has their order as soon as possible.  An excuse?  Yes, it is - I am sorry.

However, I do have two photographs of my last pottery class make: a wrap-around jug.  I collected this from the centre this week because I had hoped to continue working on it during the summer break and as the pottery room is being re-fitted, I didn't want to risk it being damaged.  My pottery tutor had warned me that it might have dried out because of the very high temperatures over the last few weeks - sadly it had, so no further decorating, but as I had already added a pattern to it (I rolled it out on wallpaper), I am not too disappointed.  Next term I will biscuit fire it, glaze it and then fire it at 1250 degrees - it is porcelain so it already has a good base colour.  My project next term is to attempt another jug, but in an Art Deco style.

It's a little wonky in places, but hey, I am pleased with it.  I don't want to wish the summer away, but I am looking forward to next term - hope to be making some Christmas tree ornaments as well as my Art Deco jug.

This month's issue of the Craft Focus magazine arrived this week.  I do like this magazine, lots of 'what's happening' news and this issue is mainly concentrating on Christmas.  One thing that really caught my eye was an article about a business for sale in Cornwall as the current owner of Make Do and Mend is retiring.  The sale includes a listed Georgian four-bedroom property and shop, as well as a workshop.  It sounds so lovely and I day-dreamed about how lovely it would be to say 'I am going to go for this because the time is right'.  Good luck to whoever buys it, it sounds wonderful.

Back to reality, card-making, wedding card problem solving and everything else that needs to be done.  Thank you for visiting my blog and leaving great feedback/comments - all very much appreciated.  I hope you all have a lovely week and don't forget to call in on the crafting bloggers taking part in this week's Handmade Monday - lots of great makes, posts and and pics to see.

See you all next Sunday

Jill