MOTIVATING SUNSHINE

Hello everyone

Long lovely sunny and warm days are very motivating - but often in the wrong direction.  When you work for your self you know how easy it is to make excuses not to do something.  Mine seems to be 'I can do that this evening' or 'I will definitely do that tomorrow'.  The warm sunny days make me want to be outside working in the garden - I think because it is so rare to have weather like this in March, that I want to make the most of it in case we have snow, rain, wind and frost!  We have experienced this in April before now, so perhaps I will carry on gardening just in case the weather changes (see, yet another excuse).

Whether it is the experience of being a stallholder on many occasions or the prospect of being on the other end of the event stick, I am not sure, but I have spent more time this week trying to think of ideas to increase footfall, awareness and popularity of the Godalming Independent Markets.  Sadly, I have abandoned the Easter Bunny and as the Stilt-Walker was too expensive, that has also gone by the wayside.  However, in addition to the face-painter and balloon modeller, the Mayor and Mayoress of Godalming will attending the event on Saturday.  Apart from being something of local interest to event, it will also bring publicity for the stallholders as the local newspaper will be there taking photographs.

I nipped into Godalming bright and early this morning (well as bright and early that losing an hour could make me) and fixed my banner to the front of the Godalming Borough Hall.  Hirers are allowed to do this for the week prior to their event and as it is opposite Waitrose I am hoping that it will draw lots of attention and encourage people to visit us.  Here it is:

My pottery course finished this week - we have a long wait until the next term begins on 1 May.  I have been making figures recently and this is one of my most recent ones.  His (or her?) eyes are hidden by a rather large hat:

He stands about 9" tall and the top part of his hat is empty - I could either use him for a very small pot plant or place a tea light in his hat.  My plan is to make a much larger one next time that I can use as an outside planter.  There are two previous figures that I left for glazing over the break - one has three eyes.  The reason for this?  Because I couldn't get two eyes lined up so I just added a third for interest!

My floor plan is calling - it's almost complete and as with all of us who have taken part in a fair, the concern is will I (or in this case, they) like where I have been put.  I will let you know next week when I do a post-event blog.

Have a great week everyone, I  hope you have lots of sunshine but don't forget to have a break from all that relaxing in the sun and drop in on the Handmade Monday bloggers.

See you next week

Jill

MILLY'S DIARY

Hello everyone

Well, what happened to last week's diary post?  I have to put it down to there being so much sunshine that I that I just ran out of time - sorry about that, but I do love sunshine.  I was born in August, so that explains it really.

We are foster-kitten-less at the moment - although I am still really a kitten.  Primrose and Jasmine went to their new homes last week and have settled in very well.  Jill donned her blue Cats Protection fleece last Friday morning for some fund-raising at Byfleet's Pets at Home - she bought us some new catnip twists.  One was very, very strong and I feel asleep in a basket after playing with it!

Richard has been dismantling the shed and we have been helping him.  Coco jumped out of a tree where he was working and frightened the life out of him.  Every time he moves a piece of wood we all take turns at jumping into the space he has created.  I don't think he is very impressed with our efforts to help him though.
It's quick post from me today, or rather tonight, because it really is my bed time - lots to do tomorrow if the sun shines.  Have a great week - see you soon.

Milly

THE UNTITLED BLOG POST

Hello everyone

It is often hard to come up with a witty, snappy blog post title isn't it?  This week I couldn’t come up with a witty, snappy title so went with the one I have - not inspiring but, hey, it's a title.

How are you?  It seems we are about to drop into some freezing winter weather - apparently this is what we have missed over the last few weeks.  Just when the Camelias are flowering the Magnolias thinking about flowering and certain other plants that normally hate frost are peeping, the weather will be against them.

In between event organising and make cards and decorating bags, I have managed to spend time in the garden this week.  Apart from weeding (do weeds ever stop growing?) I sowed my tomato seeds and decided to give gherkins a try.  The problem is I may forget the gherkins and will end up with courgettes, possibly marrows!  Not too bad really as we like all of them.

I haven't found the Easter Bunny for my event and discovered that a Stilts-Walker would cost a frightening - amount but could I do it?  No way.  However, I have booked a lovely face-painter, Artyfacial, and also Mr Magic who will be doing balloon modelling.  Less than two weeks to go and, boy, am I getting nervous!  I am still up to my eyes in flyer and posting delivering and posting and the crazy thing is this is only one of six events this year!   By the end of this year I should be stick-thin - wishful thinking.

I took part in the Play Kenya Craft Fair yesterday - this is an event that runs twice each year and I have been part of if for the last two years  It is well organised, very well supported and attracts a great range of sellers of handmade goodies.  Next door to me was one of the stall holders taking part in my 5 April event - really nice to meet Jill Stobbart of the Gilded Raven.

My stall had my new range of cards using the gorgeous hats, boots and flowers I have placed on here over recent weeks as well as my Easter-themed jute bags - these included three new ones in the ever popular cat range:

I did a bit of Godalming Independent Market promotion while I was at the event.  Lots of interest and one lady has already contacted me.  However, I was very surprised when one stallholder said 'if I have to buy insurance I am not interested'.  I pointed out that apart from it being a requirement of my event insurance, it was in her own best interest.  Her response was that her work would not harm anyone - I said how about your table set up, table cloth, boxes?  I said I would forward details of my PLI so that she could see it was not as expensive as she assumed.   Surely it is better to be safe than sorry – it is also much, much cheaper. 

The hailstones have stopped, so I think I can just get some more pesky weeds pulled up before it gets too cold and frosty.  Have a great week everyone, thank you for your comments on my blog post of last week and don’t forget to join in and visit this week's Handmade Monday blog party.

Jill

CRAFTING AND CLOWNING AROUND

Hello everyone

What a fabulous weekend, lots of gorgeous warm, sunny sunshine - long may it last.

Firstly my apologies for not commenting on any of my fellow Handmade Monday blogs last week - I will try to do a double whammy this week, I promise.

This sunshine is very motivating and I have been working on making stock for two events I have coming up in the next three weeks - one I am 'just a stallholder' in, the other is the first one I am organising.  Many years ago I disliked decoupage - I think mainly because I am a pretty impatient crafter and the fact that it took a long while to build up a picture meant frustration at not having something made more or less immediately.  Things change and I love decoupage now, I like the fact that it takes a while to build up a picture and also that I can change how it likes by adding extra bits in or leaving bits out.  This week, as well as two decorated jute bags, I have been busy on the decoupage front and here are pics of some of my work:

The cat bride and groom - couldn't resist this one

Beautiful dark red lilies

Gorgeous red poppies

The Easter bonnet bag

The Easter bunny bag

The title of today's post doesn't mean that I have been clowning around this week, but I have been looking for a clown.  I want something to attract visitors to my first event and thought a clown, a magician or something similar would be good fun.  Easier said than done apparently - I have contacted a few and hardly any have replied.  Apart from the fact that I think it is very unprofessional not to reply, it is also very time-wasting - my time that is.  How long does it take to say 'no, we don't do that' or something along those lines.  It has been back to the Internet today looking for potential entertainers - I have asked a few friends if they fancy dressing up as the Easter Bunny!  I am sure you can imagine the replies.

Time to do some pruning while the sun is still shining; it would be lovely to get the grass cut, but unfortunately, our garden is still very soggy.  A couple more weeks of this lovely warm sunshine would help though.  

Have a great week and hopefully this time next week I will be able to tell you that I have tracked down the Easter Bunny!  Even better that I have tracked down the REAL Easter Bunny.  Don't forget to visit Handmade Monday - top of my list of blogs to visit this evening.

See you next week

Jill

MILLY'S DIARY

Hello everyone

Just woken up from an early morning snooze - well I have been up and about very early today.  Jill said something about the dawn chorus, not sure what that is but it did wake me up.

Our foster kittens, Primrose and Jasmine, are going to their new homes next week.  I am sure they will be very happy and a big thank you to Woking Cats Protection - without them I wouldn't be living here.  there are still lots of lovely kittens and cats looking for new homes, so don't forget to check out the CP website.

While I was out this morning got together my collection of stuff that I had found on my travels.  I brought home a large bone - Jill said it could be chicken - and yet another feather.  I still cannot understand why Jill isn't pleased with the presents I bring in for her.  On Monday I brought a frog in for her - it was alive and jumping around, so what's wrong with that?  I am one confused kitten.

What else have I been doing since my last post?  Chasing creatures in the field at the bottom of my garden, climbing trees, playing with Poppy (who follows me everywhere), chasing Coco.  I have given up chasing Jazz and Daisy - they are so much older than I am and like to snooze a lot.  I think Jill said they are six years old.  Ancient!

That's me blogged out for this week - time to play.

Have a good week everyone - I will be back next week.

Milly

SUNSHINE SUNDAY (AND SATURDAY)

Hello everyone

Sunshine!  What more can I say?

Many thanks for the lovely comments on my blog post of last week - always appreciated and it is so nice to have feedback.

A busy week  and as I sit here tyring to remember what I have done, I can't, although I know it was a busy week.  A friend of mine writes a Done list every day rather than a To-Do list - makes more sense really as you can then recall what you have done and been proud of it.

I took part in a wedding fayre at the Frensham Pond Hotel today.  It was fairly quiet but I took definite order details from three people, so fingers crossed more may follow.  There were less stands there than at previous events and we were wondering why.  Those people taking part at today's events were regulars and those that weren't (from memory) were ones that we could not recall from previous events.  It is such a lovely venue.  I don't know if you know Frensham Ponds in Surrey?  It is rather like having the seaside on your doorstep.  Here are pics of some of my today's display:

This proved to be a very popular range and although the ivory ribbon and pink butterfly looked pretty, several colour ranges are available.

This week is a mix of preparing a set of accounts for a friend's church which I then have to present at the parish meeting on Wednesday evening, yet more event work, card-making, getting ready for an other wedding fayre next Sunday, making stock for an event I am taking part in on 22 March and trying to sort out the website I have set up for the event part of my 'hat' collection.  How I managed to book two wedding fayres so close together I don't know.

A fairly brief post for me this week - before the sun completely disappears I am going to take a nice cold glass of wine into the garden.  Don't forget to visit the Handmade Monday bloggers and and catch up with their makes.  I will be back next week and in the meantime have lots of sunny fun.

Jill

MILLY'S DIARY

Hello everyone

A day late!  Tut tut!  It was such a lovely sunny day yesterday that I spent lots of time outside.  I did remember to bring home a present for Jill though - a rather large bone!  Almost needless to say, she was very ungrateful!  What is it with humans?

We have two new foster kittens - Jill got to name these two and she has called them Jasmine and Primrose.  They are 14-week old sisters with very shiny black fur and they already have someone coming to view them early next week.  So by this time next week, they may already be in their new home and I could be writing about some new foster kittens.

Jill's friend Jackie came to pick her up yesterday evening as they were going to the ballet: Romeo and Juliet.  I haven't met Romeo and Juliet so I am guessing they must live somewhere outside of Christmas Pie.  Actually, apart from not knowing them I have no idea what ballet is either.  Jackie bought some treats for us - thank you Jackie, you can definitely come again, and again and again.

That's my blog for this week - just time for me to have a run around the garden before tea time.  Have a good week everyone - see you next week.

Milly

SPRING IS ON THE WAY

Hello everyone

Lots of lovely sunshine during the last week, unfortunately interspersed with not so lovely rain!  Hey ho, it's that time of year really - sun, rain and hail stones the size of well, not quite golf balls, but they were pretty big.

I went to the Make-It show on Friday and bought lots of lovely card-making things.  I came across a range of gorgeous decoupage that featured hats, shoes and dresses and I couldn't resist buying several sheets and think they will be ideal for Mother's Day cards.  Following last week's Handmade Monday, I bought a download from Wendy's Handmade Harbour website of her gorgeous red and cream background sheets - a pure stroke of luck as they compliment the decoupage I bought at the show beautifully.  Here are three I made up today and I am really pleased with how they have turned out:

I will work on the dress and shoes decoupage sheets during this coming week and am sure they will suit the other background sheets from Wendy's lady bird pack.  I am so pleased with the backgrounds that I might tempt myself to buy the other set Wendy has to download - lovely colours and the patterns are really nice.

It's been the usual busy week here at Christmas Pie Crafts; a mix of event organisation, card-making workshop, kitten homing and numerous other things that were not on my written or on my 'in my mind' To Do list.  The card-making workshops have finished for a while - my next one is an Easter special in early April.  In a way I am glad, because it takes a lot of planning and preparation for a two-hour workshop, although I do enjoy them.

It's raining and getting dark, but I am sure spring is on the way.  Have a great week everyone and don't forget to visit this week's Handmade Monday bloggers.

'See' you next week.

Jill