A LOVELY SUNNY DAY

Hello everyone

What a gorgeous couple of days it has been - please Mr Weather Forecaster, don't suddenly change your mind and tell us rain is on the way?

Since my last blog, which was, embarrassingly, several weeks ago, I have completed my last craft event this side of summer.  I made the decision a couple of years ago not to hold events between late May and September; I found that people coming into the town centre were there mainly to quickly get their BBQ goodies and their week's shopping and either nip back home to their garden, off to the beach or to buy supplies for their holiday travel.  As both a stallholder and an event organiser, I know how disheartening it is when footfall is low.  However, that doesn't mean to say work has stopped for the summer in the A Fair to Remember office - requests to take part in the autumn and winter events are coming in every day and I am still on the lookout for venues I can use that are in a busy town centre or (impossible I know) guaranteed to attract a high footfall.

What else have I been doing?  Catching up with friends, lots of gardening, visiting Wisley to see their plans for improvements and changes, spending a day at the Chelsea Flower Show; not sure I agreed with the choice of Best in Show or the Peoples Choice Best in Show, but hey that's what Chelsea does, creates controversy and talking points and we wouldn't really want it any other way, would we?  Of course, almost needless to say, a big talking point was Diarmuid Gavin's garden with its spinning trees, roof rising up and down and flower beds spinning around the building - great fun and he can be relied on to do something very, very different.

I am still a one-day-a-week potter - I love the course, feel I sometimes move one or two steps forwards only to fall three steps back, but it is great fun. My fellow potters are friendly and some of them are incredibly talented and I am not too sure why they are not selling their work for hundreds (if not thousands) of pounds.  I still have the 'what I see in my mind's eye, doesn't match what I produce' problem, but I can't be talented at everything (as if), can I?

I am looking to take part in events (as a stallholder) in the winter months and prefer to do two or three day ones.  The first day is always hectic and it is great to be able to walk away at the end of the day and arrive the next day knowing all I need to do is uncover, tidy and begin selling.  The Farnham Maltings Christmas event is open for applications and I will have a go.  I was disappointed not to get in last year, but was very surprised that this year they are showing a video on their website from the 2014 event which has some of my work!

I am on a bit of a go-slow at the moment as I have damaged ligaments around my right knee.  I have dodgy knees and weak ankles so it doesn't take much to give me mobility issues.  However, I have no idea how I damaged the ligaments - I have racked my brains as to when and how it happened and I really don't know.  On anti-inflammatory medication and about to start physiotherapy, so hopefully it should soon be better - although one week on and it is still pretty painful.  It is easy for doctor's to say 'rest', but in real life that is almost impossible.

So embarrassing, I wrote this post and didn't publish it - er, not too sure why.  However, I think an update is needed.  I didn't get my application for the Farnham Maltings completed in time, so sadly I won't be taking part this year.  My knee is still giving me trouble - turned out to not be ligaments, but physio doesn't know exactly what it is so a return to the doc's this week is on my list of 'to-do's'.  My
pottery course has now finished until September - lots of plans on what to make next term, but I am possibly going to return to making my face pots, which I enjoy and they seem to work out fairly well.

Richard and I went to Jersey for a few days this week - the weather was a mix of cloudy and sunny.  We lovely Jersey and it was nice to go back to places we knew and also to stay in our favourite hotel.

More or less up-to-date - nearly forgot have just watched Andy Murray win Wimbledon.  A great match and a great player.

Have a great week everyone.  Now for my 100 lines: I must regularly update my blog, I must regularly update my blog.

Jill

NOW, WHERE WAS I?

Hello everyone

I love blogging, I really enjoy it as it is a great way to keep in touch with followers, visitors and friends and family who I may not see as often as I would like to.  Recently it seems to be getting harder and harder to blog regularly.  I feel guilty because there are the occasional (very, very rare) days when I look back and can't see what I have done - although I feel I am on the go all of the time.  I was chatting with a friend yesterday about this and we both agreed that despite having so many 'time-saving' gadgets, wonderful technology, etc there really is no time saved, just more time spent on pressing all of the buttons to make the gadgets work!

It is hard to believe that we are approaching the last Bank Holiday of the year before Christmas - frightening and judging by the weather and the state of the trees around here, autumn is well and truly here!  Friends of ours flew off to Australia a couple of weeks ago and are missing this wonderful wet weather - I am sure they are so disappointed.  However, looking at the forecast, I have sneaky feeling that they might just be lucky enough to experience some wet weather when they arrive back in September.

So what have I been doing recently?  Working on my events – lots to do and the first one is less than two months away.  I am still looking for Event Assistants.  I have one person signed up, but really want a team so that I have back-ups if someone is unwell on the day of an event.  I find it very hard to believe that nobody wants or needs work around here – no commitment, just one day (or event) at a time.  I know Surrey is an affluent area, but on social media sites there are people asking for work in this locality, just not interested in my work - perhaps because they have to be self-employed?  Oh well, perhpas nearer the time of the events, people will being to think some extra money would be welcome.

I recently helped my pottery tutor create her website and someone contacted her asking if they could be put in touch with the website designer (er, me?).  Could this be a whole new career?  I don’t think so, but it is proving interesting recommending/agreeing designs, photographs, etc, but not really something I would like to do on a permanent basis - adding another string to my already buckling bow is not on my To-Do list.

Not quite up-to-date in my blog-land, but sort of-ish.  Have a good Bank Holiday weekend everyone, fingers crossed the sun shines for some of the time.

Jill

MOVING FORWARD AND, YES, STILL CATCHING UP

Hell everyone

Hard to believe we are rushing towards another Bank Holiday weekend.  Although I no longer 'go out to work' (I work from home) I still look forward to weekends, and Bank Holiday ones are just as welcome as they were when I was a wage-slave.  Hope the weather is good as we are holding a birthday BBQ for a friend of ours - nipping in and out between rain showers to do the cooking is never that much fun (but I do seem to be able to delegate this job to Richard).  But then isn't that what Bank Holidays are for?  Dodging the rain, hoping for sun and getting a mix of both?

Earlier this year, I held a Vintage Bazaar in the Merrow Village Hall.  Vintage events are becoming more and more popular, but there do not seem to be many taking place around this area.  With that in mind and with bags of enthusiasm, Fee Fraser of Thimble & Thrift, and I have begun a joint-venture to create events for vintage enthusiasts (both stallholders and customers) and our new venture is called Village Vintage.  A new venture is always full of excitement as well as 'oh goodness me, will it work'.  I hope so, we both have lots of skills and experience to bring to the pot, so if you are around for our first event (19 September 2015) or you are interested in having a stall, do get in touch.

My moving forward and catching-up has involved lots of changes in my life; not all good ones.  My sister was diagnosed earlier this year with Parkinson's Disease - she is a very lively, fit and active person so this has come as a blow to her and our family.  Not long after this 'news', a good friend had a stroke - a minor one, but still life-changing.  It is hard when you really do not know what tomorrow will bring; we can plan as much as possible, but the future is definitely not in our own hands.

Because of the changes around me and changes in my life, I had to make decisions to give some things up.  Sadly, I decided I had to give up fostering kittens for Cats Protection.  It was a very hard and difficult decision and I really do miss having them here, but it became harder and harder to fit in the viewings, vet trips, the support they needed, and it also often felt unfair to my own furry gang.  I still support the Woking Branch in ways that I can, but I do miss those kittens.  I also had to give up managing the accounts of a friend's church - again a hard decision, but necessary.

Now I think I am bang up-to-date with life in Christmas Pie-land.  I am off to Chelsea tomorrow - really looking forward to it.  I go every year with a good friend who like me loves to garden and it is the highlight of our gardening year.  I get to meet my favourite Heuchera people again, Plantagogo, and this year I also want to check out Euphorbias - lovely structural plants.

Have a good week everyone, and enjoy the Bank Holiday no matter what the weather does.

Jill

NO MORE RAIN PLEASE!

Hi everyone

I know in this country we seem to be obsessed with the weather and can talk about it for hours without drawing breath, but I really do think we have had enough rain.  Yes, I know we need it, but this is June, supposedly summer, not spring, autumn or winter, so please renew the washer in the rain tap, because it is leaking!

This week has been rather like Mastermind (no, not incredibly brilliant and intelligent) but rather as in the phrase 'I've started so I'll finish' except mine has been 'I've started but I haven't finished'.  I suppose the 4-day Bank Holiday threw everything out of sync (although not being a wage slave means I don't get Bank Holidays as such, just keep on crafting), then the loss of my friend's 21-year old cat, Carmen, meant a break in the making routine ( it was a very sad time as we had only celebrated her 21st birthday last month).  I  just haven't been able to catch up this week at all.

I made the two rush birthday cards I had orders for and again forgot to photograph them.  I keep doing (or rather not doing) this and think I need to produce a check-list to follow when making things and add a photograph will be in capital letters near to the end of the list.

Thank you Jan of Handcrafted by Picto for being my latest guest blogger.  It is a great post and certainly has made me think about what  I could/need to do with my business.  I love the variety of blog posts I have on my Friday spot - lots of great ideas and lovely stories too.  

If you would like to be a guest blogger, please do get in touch: christmaspiecrafts@virginmedia.com.  Your post needs to be appx 600 - 800 words, lots of pictures and don't forget to include links to your blog, website,Twitter and Facebook addresses - and a link back to your post on here in your own blog would be lovely please.  I re-tweet the post on Fridays and Saturdays (sometimes on Sundays), and I have some lovely fellow tweeters who always RT my blog posts (thank you Dawn, Badger Boo and Lesley).

A thank you to all of my new blog followers - it's great to have you following and I love reading your blogs too.  Also thank you to everyone who comments on my posts - I love the fact that you spend time here and your comments are great, so please do carry on commenting (now, was that a film??).

My Handmade Monday makes this week are work-in-progress items.  The first two wreaths are almost complete, just needing the back to be finished off.  Before I add more to my 'forgotten' list, do nip over to Handmade Monday to read the other blog contributors posts and take a look at their lovely work.

Wreath made with red and white heart-patterned material, splashed in places with white sequin-decorated netting

Wreath made with pink and white gingham fabric

I made this wreath with red and white star-patterned paper napkins.  Some time ago I saw a blog post about it and thought it was a good idea - I am not completely convinced I like it, but it was worth a try 

Each week I try to make a few more mini-cards (they always sell well at events) and these are some I am working on at the moment.

When I met up with Caroline a few weeks ago, she told me about iZettle and as their website says: iZettle's first service includes a free iPhone and iPad app and a mini chip-card reader that lets anyone take secure card payments any time, anywhere.  I registered on the website and received my card-reader about 10 days ago.  I haven't tested it yet, but it will certainly be good to take to events.  I know that not everyone carries cash when they go out shopping and it is so easy to lose out on sales because of not having a card machine (which I can't really justify).  Many thanks for the info Caroline, I hadn't read about this so would have missed out.

My pottery tutor is taking part in the Open Studios Event and I am off to a private viewing with my fellow pottery course potters (that sounds so professional - I wish).  She has bought in one or two pieces she has made to demonstrate styles to us and I have to say they are fabulous and I know will take years for me to get anywhere near her expertise.  Still, I can hope.

Fingers crossed for some sunshine, enjoy this week everyone and I will be back on Wednesday with my mid-week musings.

Jill