7 things about me

...so another 512 years later I'm back with a post.  Well done granplumley for nominating me for the versatile blogger award (although I think it was just an attempt to get me to actually post something!)

I need to reveal 7 things about myself and then pass it on - here goes

Number 1 - I love lists  which is why I couldn't turn down the opportunity to make one here!  I am a bit obsessive about it and will type them up, put them in a spreadsheet, make a new neat version, write things on just so I can cross them off.  At work the people sitting next to me chant "listy listy" at me as I get out the pen and paper

Number 2 - I'm rubbish with left and right  I know which is my left hand and which is my right without having to think about it (too much) but am stumped otherwise.  If I'm asked for directions it is rather embarrassing to have to admit my deficiency,  I can't get my child's shoes on the right feet and  have no idea what you mean when you say the door on the left! Who's left mine or yours or the object in question???

Number 3 - Slip Road Terror I hate them. I will drive out of my way to avoid them. I do not like driving when coming off them. I do not like being a passenger when coming off them.  I do not like needing to changes lanes to let others off them.  They make me sweat and my heart rate rise.  I know it is ridiculous - good job I live in Norfolk land of no motorways!

Number 4 - Obsessive Reader  I always have at least one book on the go and often more.  For 3 years I wrote a list of every book I read - I have no idea why but once I started I found it difficult to stop!  I averaged 100 a year.  I very often re-read a book as I buy it not realising I've already read it or because I loved it the first time and have forgotten it enough.  I have a few books that I read every few years.  However I can't remember what happened pretty much as soon as I put it down and hate to talk about them - hence the reason I only do a book group where you don't have to talk about the book and can just drink alcobooze!

Number 5 - I don't want to talk about it  I don't know why but I feel really awkward about discussing a film/gig/show/play on the way out when there are other audience members about.  They aren't  listening to me and they don't care what I think but I would rather wait to offer my opinion thanks!

Number 6 - Bad accents I have a horrible habit which I don't seem to have any control over of taking on a bit of the person I am talking with's accent.  I think it comes from having a nicely spoken mum, a London dad and going to primary school with strong Norfolk accented people who took the mickey as I was different.  I notice it most when I switch between quite posh with some people and quite Norfolk with others but I think it extends across the country/world of accents!  I'm not good at them either so probably sound ridiculous - also not sure how much of it is in my head and how much comes out my mouth.  Sorry!

Number 7 - Split Personality  I am a clean person in a dirty persons body, a messy person in a tidy persons body.  I sometimes wish for a little bit of OCD so I could just keep the house nice!  (or an extra 5 or so hours a day for cleaning and blog updating purposes)

Big 'ole biccy

The small boy loves a long shut biscuit (AKA a bourbon!) so today I decided to make a massive long shut biscuit with him.  Being the boy he is he mostly ate the butter while I did the rest!  I looked at some recipes for homemade bourbons and also checked out pimpthatsnack.com to get ideas then using a our gingerbread man recipe (taking out the spices and adding loads of cocoa) multiplied we got to work.  All ready to bake - the big biscuits measured about 22cm by 11cm

Halfway through cooking I followed the advice on pimp that snack and took them out to add the holes and writing - chopstick was a great hole making tool (and also a wonderful drum for small boy)

Back in to the oven and I started on the icing - again using the ideas from pimped snacks - I made a choc butter icing but added  loads of melted dark chocolate to thicken it up and make it even more chocolatey

Spread it on...

The finished biccy alongside it's tiny little friend

My picky little small boy decided he didn't want a big long biscuit and was only interested in small ones so Mr Wix got stuck in!

Yum yum!  Sliced up nicely and tasted remarkable similar to the real thing....  What shall we pimp next???

Today I have mostly been....sorting and tidying and making it nice

After recent home improvements I am now the proud owner of my very own craft room (well it's the utility room but I've claimed it for my own in exchange for Mr W and the teen having XBox and guitaring privileges elsewhere!)  After months of having all the decorating, DIY stuff taking over and crafty stuff slowly making it's way in it had become a disgusting mess of boxes, empty cupboards and bags of bits everywhere - eek...

But after much sorting fun it is now clear and tidy and ready for action...

Just need the sewing machine to come back from it's holiday with Mummy Barns and I'll be good to go.

Someone was pleased that the paints were back in action and very carefully applied red and gold to his face as well as the paper!

Cluttering up the City...

Saturday's craft fair at Clutter City was grand - we didn't realise quite how much stuff we had made til we tried to fit it all on our tiny table...

Lots of friends popped in to see us so we had a lovely day chatting and selling - the addition of an 8 week old to our staff wasn't the best of plans as demanded food whilst setting up and cuddles whilst packing away!

...after the frantic preparations it now feels very strange to sit down and relax whilst eating meals, have time to clean, wash, cook, breathe...but mind working already on what to do for the next stall and plans afoot to find more places we can try to sell at...

back with reinforcements

...well only 8 months later I post again!  I have excuses

• EXCUSE NUMBER 1 - I was pregnant - know that doesn't stop one from using the computer, typing, thinking but I was the grumpiest pregnant woman in the world ever so couldn't be bothered with anything
• EXCUSE NUMBER 2 - Had the builders in - again I was perfectly capable of using the internet to buy many objects from ebay etc but I'm going to justify my blogging laziness with it if I want to
• EXCUSE NUMBER 3 - I'd no followers so not like I was letting any one other than myself down right
• EXCUSE NUMBER 4 - My first and now second Clutter Citys - far too busy making things to write about making things!

So Clutter City - didn't get a stall the first time, tried again and we actually got a one for the Christmas market - we were soooooo excited and nervous and happy and worried and thankful and scared and joyful and triumphant - all at the same time in a great big pot of mixed emotions! And then we got to work and made loads of goodies and went and sold loads of stuff, YES PEOPLE ACTUALLY REALLY PAID WITH THEIR MONEY FOR THINGS THAT WE HAD MADE - Wahhhheeeyyyyy. yiiipppppeeee etc etc

And now today is 3 days before our next stall and the only reason I have finally got round to posting is because my poor overworked sewing machine is broken - AAARRRRGGGGGHHHHHLLLLEE - spent ages trying to mend it, shed an ickle tear (but not while the health visitor was here in case she thought I was post natally depressed!) and then got on with something else.  Borrowing one for tomorrow so hoping many tiny adorable reversible baby shoes get made in time and that the tiny one is as lovely and well behaved as she is today - currently sitting in new bouncy chair happily looking around the room then having the odd doze - what a cutie!

Will add photos later but not only has my sewing machine gone kaput put the computer mouse has too so doing this on dodgy laptop with no photo uploading capabilities - really must post again sooner than 8 months this time!!!

Superfluity - photos

The Superfluity exhibition went really well and we sold stuff! We found that it was mainly the cheaper more crafty things that we sold (e.g. I sold loads of greetings cards, completely selling out of one design)  We are hoping to get together to start going to craft fairs and sales as a group - I have already applied for a stall at clutter city at Norwich Arts Centre so hope to hear back about that soon.

Here are some photos of the exhibition...

The back wall of the barn - showing Suzi's mosaics, Kim's sculptures and my bunting!

Some of Suzi's beautiful mosaics - I particularly love the tree and am thinking of asking her to make me one as she swapped this one for one of Charlie's bubble bowls

Mark's pots and paintings.  He sold his little bird...  the telegraph pole painting as used in our poster.  His ceramics are beautiful and very tactile - and can be used outside.

Kim's lurcher - almost impossible to believe that this is made from wire and modrock!  I'm very glad as my lurcher loving (and very discerning) parents bought this so I will get to see it every time I visit them. Below is Kim's hare again made from modrock on a wire skeleton - they look like bronze casts even close up...

Charlie's jewellery that she has been making with Tuesday Club (a group of her friends from art school) They are really lovely and Charlie is starting to make her own designs to complement the range they have.  She has also made these lovely bubble bowls using a technique that she has perfected over time.

My main table with my Joy pictures and cards (plus a few baby blankets at the bottom!)

A selection of my cards - I sold loads and now need to get them on to Folksy and maybe find out if anywhere in the city would be interested in selling them for me.

Some of my textiley bits - some bunting that I made - in the future I want to make themed bunting e.g pirate.  I am also going to steal (borrow) Charlie's idea for her wedding bunting and make some outdoor stuff using the plasticy table covering vinyl stuff (not sure what it is called!)  Also my little felt strawberry brooches - I think these are more suitable for children and have some other ideas for children's felt badges.  But have also started a range of my adult jewellery using reclaimed (i.e. scraps I have in my fabric drawer) fabric to make corsages.

...and finally proof it wasn't just us - some customers

Folksy

I have just set up my online shop on folksy




or go directly to my shop rachalulabelle on folksy

I have put on some of my Joy prints and a few textiles but plan to add more soon.