November Handmade & Vintage Fair, Bishopsteignton

OK so I really am a rubbish blogger.  There are just so many other things to do in life that get in the way, and how do those successful bloggers manage to do everything else as well as blog?!
It's embarrassing to see that my last blog was in July, but maybe I should just resign myself to the fact that I am just an occasional blogger....
Anyway, since the last blog there has been another Vintage Fair..another lovely day with lovely people, and over £100 raised for the Children's Hospice by selling tea and yummy cakes.  Thanks to my lovely daughter Bryony for doing a wonderful job serving all the teas and cakes.

July already.

Well so much for my good intentions of regular blogging....unfortunately I've not been very well lately and sadly had to cancel my trip to Canada...huge apologies to all those lovely people I was to have worked with ...I feel very disappointed and hope to replan my trip as soon as possible.
In the meantime June shot by as a bit of blur and I'm now feeling a lot better, rested and almost ready for Art in Action in 2 weeks.
I now have loads of  admin and paperwork to catch up tht's built up  over the past few weeks including all the photos of the wonderful Handmade, Vintage & Textiles Fair we held in my local village, Bishopsteignton on May 27th.   It was a lovely day for all (despite the weather..) and we had loads of visitors, lots of lovely stalls selling all types of handmade and vintage goodies...

Luckily for us the Hall was already decked up with Union Jack bunting for the Jubilee celebrations!

One of Martine Colombes beatiful felt hats

Maggie Whiteman busy doing something...

Leigh & Stacey from BB Vintage, amazing outfit Stacey!

Kerensa and her Mum came all the way from St Ives

Lovely Sue Dove looking like a gypsy queen....

Marcia and her daughter with their beautiful work

Ruth's winning smile and lovely work

Melanie Cowlan's felted soaps

Petra Turners fabric collage

And another of Petra's marine inspired collages

Petra and her table

 

Yummy cupcakes

and more cupcakes...

Oh no, not soda syphons...

Sue Dove's quirky brooches

and lastly..Jenny Thirtle's beautiful ceramics and felt

It was such a great day, we all had such fun.  Looking forward to the next fair - the Handmade and Vintage Christmas Fair, on Saturday November 10th, again at Bishopsteignton Village Hall, nr Teignmouth, which will be even bigger and better!!  Look forward to seeing you there.   Oh and a huge thank you to my daughter Bryony who came and ran the Tea Room for us so brilliantly.  Can't believe we didn't have a photo of her....

Yesterday I taught a small beginners class at Orchard Studios, Kingswood, Bristol.   These Studios are part of the Kingswood Foundation and is a little gem of a place tucked away in the north of Bristol.   All sorts of things go on here including art and craft workshops, dance, theatre and circus workshops and a whole load more stuff, all year round and throughout the holidays.
Take a look at the websites, its an amazing place - 

orchardworkshop.co.uk/

www.creativeyouthnetwork.org.uk/


I had 7 lovely ladies, all new to feltmaking and they worked really hard and produced some lovely work.  
Unfortunately I forgot my camera..so no pics....sorry...looking forward to working there again later this year.
Now I'm getting down to work setting out a floor plan for next Sunday's Fair...so watch this space...

Relaunching my blog

So here I am,  many months later, actually getting down to it at last...writing my blog that is..
How many times have I told myself to start writing  again...it's just something I keep putting off and off.  I love reading other people's blogs, but every day I find a really good excuse not to write my own.. usually just because I'm too busy.   Or tired.    Or I just run out of time.

It's an exciting time for me.   I got married in January  - sooo romantic, barefoot on the beach in Antigua...the things dreams are made of.

Then came home to a new house that needs EVERYTHING doing to it, and to the English weather, which will never, ever resemble Caribbean weather, more's the pity.   So, now I have this new life, (I am actually now Mrs Sumner, although it's just too difficult to change my name at the moment, too much paperwork) and I live in South Devon, in a little village near Teignmouth called Bishopsteignton, with my new husband, my dog, 2 full-time cats, and another cat that lives with us part-time.  (Long story..)

The tabby is Mr Pickles, the black and white one is Nutella.  They are very, very hairy, and as my dog is a Springer Spaniel, these animals ensure I spend a lot of time vacuuming up hair.....but they are all very cute.  They used to belong to my son, but now they live with me.  In London they were house cats, now they get to have a wonderful life roaming around outside in our garden and the fields around us.















The first thing I realised after moving in with someone else after living on my own for so long was that, like all textile people, I have far too much stuff, and some of it has to go!    Easy, I thought, I'll hold a table-top type sale in the village, invite people to join in, get rid of some stuff and make a bit of money for charity.  Perfect.  Thus was born the idea of the Handmade, Vintage & Textiles Fair, which will happen on Sunday 27th May at Bishopsteignton Village Hall.   I have quite a few people coming to sell their wares, but hadn't realised quite how difficult it would be to arrange something like this in a completely new area where I know no-one!  But in for a penny, in for a pound and I've just done as much advertising as possible locally.   Keeping my fingers crossed we get lots of visitors....  Take a look at the Facebook page....
https://www.facebook.com/events/341958452524634/
Can't quite believe I've actually got around to writing this blog again, tomorrow I hope to list some of the people who are coming to take part in the Fair next week...so watch this space and I hope it's not another 18 months before I write something else....

Knitting & Stitching Show London

This is just the busiest textile show ever I think. I bumped into several people I know who were "first=timers" and after wandering around for a couple of hours had the usual kind of glazed look on their faces, suffering from textile and sensory overload. The more times you attend, the easier it gets to find your way around. At about 3o'clock I spoke to a group of shell-shocked looking A level students who had come on a bus from Cirencester, and when I asked them what they thought of the show, their rather tired and weak answer was, after a little consideration....just one word....BIG !!!

I was planning to take some photos today, but forgot my camera, so they will have to wait for tomororow.

There is, as usual, a combination of stunning exhibitions, wonderful work from Designer Makers, far too many trading stands, awful food and extortionate coffee.

My main achievement of the day was to secure a venue for a workshop next month to teach the techniques I employ in my Patchwork Nuno Scarves & Wraps. This will take place on Sunday Nov 21st at Nest. Nest is a delightful new shop opening later this month in Crouch End, and will sell knitting wool, felting supplies, gifts and other yummy bits and pieces, and is the brainchild of Amy and her Mum Rose. There are only 8 places on this course and booking is essential. Either phone me or Nest for details or to book a place.

Crafts For All Bristol

So my first entry on my blog after a scintillating weekend at a Craft Exhibition at UWE in Bristol.... Unfortunately it wasn't very well advertised, so consequently it was quite poorly attended and today was very quiet. However I met lots of lovely people and as a result am planning to arrange some workshops in the Bristol area for Spring 2011. Hopefully the organisers of the Show will get their act together for their next show and it will be a busier, more worthwhile event.

I ended up spending loads of money as my lovely granddaughter Azaria came along to be my trusty assistant and kept finding "must have" things on the other stands! Then Vicky arrived with the other 4 and it got even more expensive! The moral of the story is don't take small girls to exhibitions where there are endless amounts of pretty and interesting things to entice them...

My car is now bursting at the seams packed up with all the stuff to take straight on up to London for the Knitting & Stitching Show later this week at Alexandra Palace. Crumbs what a busy week...

Oh the photos are details of some of my latest pieces of work. Nuno felt using all recycled fabrics. I've made several new pieces of wearable art which will all be on show in London later this week.