Crochet and Crowds

I wouldn't really describe myself as an extrovert but I have been learning this week that I am  bit of a show off at heart.

We are now half way through Perthshire Open Studios and I'm having  a ball. It's so nice to have so many visitors to the shop who are genuinely interested in what I make, how I make it and where I get my ideas from.

I've been trying to have little projects on the go all week so that I can have something to demonstrate for my visitors. Crocheting bracelets has proved to be a crowd pleaser. Of course you can't keep doing the same thing over and over without getting just a little bit bored so I looked out a crochet book with a section on edging patterns and came across this one. It looks rather nice in gold and silver coloured wires with little glass pearls. I may be biased.... but I do rather like this one.

There are loads of creative people showing off all over Perthshire. Just look HERE and see.

And for the rest of the world just look HERE and visit Our Creative Spaces

Hats hats hats

The problem with telling your friends that you have a blog is that they tend to hide when you produce a camera. Calls of  'that better not be going on the blog' are accompanied with silly faces and (sometimes) rude gestures. Well sorry girls but it has to be done....

Here are Elaine and Mel wearing their Easter Bonnets. We were at a Legs ( League of Extraordinary Gentlewomen) get together in one of Mels holiday cottages.

Mel also modelled my crocheted bonnet. Mainly because I was the one with camera but also because I have one of those heads...... I love hats and spend ages looking for just one that actually suits. There is sure to be a hat somewhere that doesn't make me look like a muppet but I have yet to find it.

Sadly, only 3 entries to this months' competition so we were 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. I fear that had there been more entries then we wouldn't have been so lucky but it was good fun.

The evening progressed with me giving a bit of a jewellery making demonstration. This was good practice for me really as I get invited to demonstrate 2 or 3 times a year and I usually get myself into an awful fluster beforehand. Good natured heckling from my friends will surely make a civilised audience a lot less intimidating in the future. My friend Val proved herself 'a natural' at crocheting with wire. I may have found myself an assistant there.

Now here is my latest crochet project. Great fun to do and part of a bigger project, but I think I can safely show him without giving away the Top Secret project that he is part of.

He is quite a cutie I think. I still need to embroider a little mouth for him but keep putting it off as I'm not sure how to do it yet.

Rural Demonstration.

Well, it's that time again. I'm off tonight to do a jewellery making demonstration and I am having those last minute nerves again. Actually this should be quite a good one as it is a small group and it will be much easier to get everyone involved. It's in a place called Tannadice that I haven't been to before so I will be relying on my trusty sat-nav to get me there on time.
Last night we had our first flurry of snow but thankfully it didn't settle.
Just got to pack up supplies and load the car up now.
Wish me luck. Fiona

Panic Over

After all my worrying my demo last night went really well. Have had a few visitors to the shop today who were there last night. It's always nice to meet new customers, and they seemed to have had a good time.
Will I still get into a panic before the next demo?
Oh yes!

Public Speaking

Tonight I am off to do a demo at the Alyth over 50's club and I am still hoping for inspiration to strike. I have done a couple of these things before, and despite days of panic beforehand, they have turned out just fine. The problem here is that I am not sure how many people I will be talking to. There could be between 40 to 50, male and female, and a whole range of ages and interests. However, The Choral Union is having a fashion show tonight, there is a lot of flu about, and the weather has been terrible this week, so there may only be a dozen or so hardy members around. Then again, I did a talk for the guild earlier this year and I might have used up all my good stories.
Well this is getting me nowhere so I am off to organise my display for tonight and to put some tools and supplies together.
Wish me luck
Fiona