Procrastinating..............???

Oooh ... It's not long now.

I think I discovered a new synonym today (just checked the dictionary to be sure that really means what I think it means. My English teacher would be proud of me)

I took some perfectly suitable posters for POS

Plugged in the laminator

...... and laminated them.

Dictionary entry for the day then is...

procrastinate - verb - to put off (an action) until later

see also.. laminate, crochet

And this is how I procrastinate over the last couple of days.

To be honest, the shop is looking really good.

Stocked full of handcrafted loveliness.

There are still a couple of little projects that I would like to finish off but I'm all ready for the big week and looking forward to meeting lots of new customers.

Eight days to go...

..... till the start of PERTHSHIRE OPEN STUDIOS

You know that feeling when you know that you are well organised ?

It's not a feeling that I often relate to but for once I am well prepared. One of the best bits about POS is that visitors and customers are going to be expecting to see me working in my space, so even if we are mega busy over the first few days I can replenish my stock and call it "in house entertainment." 

Since it's Thursday today it's time to show what I've been doing in My Creative Space.

But first I have a small confession to make..... I went to the Scottish Bead Fair in Perth last Sunday and spent a small fortune on stuff I don't really need but just couldn't resist.... Hopefully I'll be so busy over the open studios week that I will find that I really do need all the gorgeous beads that I bought.

You may remember that I dabbled with Chain Maille earlier this year. A lovely blogger called Ady told me about a great web site called Bead Sisters who supply all sorts of funky coloured jump rings and rubber 'O' rings for chain maille. I resisted the temptation to order anything from them despite being sorely tempted.

Now guess which supplier I spotted the minute I walked into the hall on Sunday.  Oh yes... Bead Sisters were right there in front of me.

So.. this week I have been trying out new chain maille patterns. What do you think ?

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My Creative Space

Today is the day to share my creative space with other crafty and talented bloggers.

Now the question is... what have I been doing in my space today ?

I finished off this teeny tiny newborn baby hat. I was at a little craft fair on Saturday where I had a selection of hats for adults and children and was asked if I would make a little blue one for a new baby boy who is due very soon. Do you ever feel the urge to say " No, I'd rather sell the ones I've already made. "

I actually know someone who regularly says that to her customers and surprisingly they seem happy to accept her terms. I don't think I'm bold enough to do that though.

I've nearly finished my first crocheted rattle and just have to secure some loose ends. This is a really clever idea which I found in a recent crochet magazine. The rattle bit is made by putting a few beads into a little  sealable pot. I used a plastic egg which I had left over from Easter, surrounded it with toy stuffing and stitched in the loose ends. Now all I have to do is make a matching blanket and it will be ready for the baby gift corner.

I could have finished the rattle properly if only I could stick to one job at a time. I was easily distracted by some shiny buttons after lunch and decided to replenish my stock of button necklaces and bracelets. What had been a fairly healthy display of button jewellery, was looking a wee bit depleted after some recent sales. By this time tomorrow I'll be fully stocked again, unless, of course, I get distracted again.

Meanwhile, the idea of showing my Perthshire Open Studios brochures in the window along with Andy's rocking horse is proving to be a bit of a crowd puller and I've had lots of people popping in to get more info about the event. Oh, and I even remembered to send some copy to the local paper to promote the Open Studios week.

I think that's enough work for one day and it's now a good time to visit ourcreativespaces

Join in by clicking the link.



A fond farewell.

The problem with making something that you really really like, when you are making it to sell, is that you kind of hope that no one will want to buy it. I made this quite a few months ago and was particularly pleased with the hairy texture. It was the first time I had used my new texturing hammer. I was starting to think that maybe I could keep him....

Then.... I had a lovely new customer today who took one look at my little Scottie Dog necklace and decided to treat herself. I'm sure he will be really happy with his new owner but I did feel a little bit sad to see him go.

Of course it's possible that I could make another one for myself but then it wouldn't be unique.

Is it sad that I went looking for photos of him on the computer...?

Anyway, the only one I seem to have saved was taken before he was polished. How sad am I.. Maybe I should print this one off,  frame it, and keep it where sane people keep photos of their children.

Just kidding ( really...)

Too busy to blog ???

Well no.. Not to busy to blog but it seems too busy to take photos to show what I've been busy with. To be perfectly honest I was waiting till I got some photos but it seems that facebook isn't working this lunch time so I've popped over to blog instead.

It's been a busy couple of weeks with lots of prep for a couple of events coming up. There's a wee craft sale on this Saturday at Airlie Village Hall from 10am till 2pm with soup and rolls for lunch and teas, coffees and cakes for anytime at all. I've been getting some new jewellery together for the day and since Airlie is just 10 minutes along the road I'm hoping to meet lots of future Buy Design customers and introduce them to the wonders of my little shop.

Then it's just a few weeks till the start of perthshire open studios and I'm busily trying to stock up and freshen the look of the shop for a busy week. Did a major turn around in the window this morning and have been getting lots of great compliments already. I'll tell you more about the open studios in the next week or so.

And as if that wasn't enough to be going on with I have just signed up to start and Open University course starting in October. I'm really excited, and just a little bit nervous about returning to study but life is all about new challenges and this will certainly be a new challenge.

Oh, and my husband has just graduated, having studied for a BSc with the OU over the last four years. We've had a couple of celebrations for him. One with the kids then one on our own. We went off for a sleepover in Blairgowrie. Yes Blairgowrie is only five miles away but it was lovely to go out for dinner and not have to come home till the next day. We had a very relaxing evening at the Altamount House Hotel. Dinner was delicious, our room was very pretty, we had a lovely walk in the grounds after dinner and breakfast was fab. 

The challenge has now been set and my man keeps telling me that I'm going to get the study bug myself. Meanwhile I keep saying that I'm only doing one course and that doesn't mean that I'm going to be studying for a degree. Mmmm we'll see. Obviously, if he can do it whilst working full time then so can I. But I'm definately not committing myself just yet.

To match or not to match.....

I thought it was time to get back into some jewellery making today and played with some dinky little charms that I  found in my favourite bead shop. Now a normal person would have used two matching charms but that would be predictable wouldn't it ? Instead I thought it would be nice to combine two of my favourite things.... tea and cake.

I did carry on and make several other pairs of earings which actually match but for some quirky reason these are my favourites of the day.

There is an Exhibition and Sale of Work on this Saturday at Airlie Village Hall from 10am till 2pm which I have been invited to. I'm trying to decide what to take with me and am currently thinking that a combination of jewellery and hats and scarfs would work well. Woolies and Jewellies...

I got these cute little dice beads a couple of weeks ago and couldn't decide what to do with them until this afternoon when they seemed to calling out to be made into little girls bracelets.

I've finished up with a dozen different colour combinations and sizes.

I even sold one in the shop this afternoon to a lady with little wrists who said they were far too nice for kids and wanted one for herself. It is very satisfying when that happens and kind of confirms that I'm on the right track.

I rather like the lilac and purple one myself and I do have skinny little wrists..