The Christmas countdown!!!!!!!

Hi All,

Firstly the same old sorry for not being around too much,this blog is not very regular and for that i apologise...lol.....ok,that's enough creeping...lol.

Well then,what's been happening with me,i have finished all my orders for the yeah....phew....lol...i have found the pressure of getting things done to a strict deadline [xmas] a lot to deal with.I have enjoyed every minute though and i have to admit am at a loose end now with no orders to get done!
I do still have a waiting list to start in January but no matter how hard i try i can't seem to get started on them....lol....I think i am preoccupied with Christmas which is my most favourite time of year.
Saturday brings the first of December and in my house means putting up the decorations.....eeeeeek......i can't wait.My house is usually clutter free,i'm not too into nic naks but that is not because i don't see the beauty but more the fact i hate dusting...lol. Anyway,my house is transformed at xmas time.....all the sides are covered in christmassy magic and i love it so much.This year is going to be so much better as i now have a wonderful addition to the living room,a stunning multi fuel burner.....its wonderful and makes the room feel so cosy.

How are you all managing with the Christmas count down?are all you gifts bought or made ready yet? I have to say most of mine are now done,a few little bits and pieces will be bought in  the mad last week,maybe even christmas eve...lol....i love it all,as for crafting gifts this year i haven't done any :( This has saddened me a little but i just didnt want to put anymore pressure on myself and run the risk of not being able to enjoy the season! I am knitting a jumper for hubby but i doubt it will be an xmas gift...just something to keep my hands from idling.

Anyway,not much else to say really....lol....thats not like me at all,

love to you all

speak soon xxx

summer has gone...welcome wintry crafting nights

Well,it looks like summer has gone here in the Shetland Isles.Although i love some nice weather and enjoy and pray for calm days so we can get out and play with the horses what i like the most is the wintry days were you have no choice but to sit inside and stay warm.

We talk about spring cleaning but i never get that urge...lol....i want to be outside enjoying the freshness of spring.When the weather turns to cold and chilly i love to clean and get ready for the winter inside.......nothing beats a clean,tidy,well organized house to cosy up in and craft the hours away.I wonder how many of you like the winter....i'm guessing most of you will be in favour of summer...ah well,we can't all be the same.

Today i am working on my craft commissions......i have to say,i am getting a little bit overwhelmed by it all......i know i have to produce these pieces of art by November to get them posted but eeeeeek.....i hate pressure and deadlines but i so want to do these pieces...i really enjoy it...........and i wouldn't want my customers to feel they are making things hard for me because they are not at all....its my pleasure to do these things for them and it helps keep me in craft supplies....lol....i am working on Santa for someone today but so far he is looking like a woman ...lol....i hope by today he will have a lot of beard and start being more manly....haha

Anyway,thats enough rambling on for me for one day

Speak soon and happy crafting all xxx

messy crafting fun

Hi all,

A question......how many of us live in a craft mess?My world at the moment is taken up with crafting which i love of course but oh my goodness what a mess.I am the sort of person that doesn't like too much clutter and always feels so much better when things are organized.....so much so that my food cupboard looks like its straight out of the sleeping with the enemy movie[if you haven't ever seen it......you need to]Anyway,for those of us that are trying to make a few pennies out of our crafts to continue to buy supplies[my guilty not so secret secret]how long each week do you spend sorting through things?For me its hardly ever but i got to the stage where i had to clean and clear my space,so far its a 2 day job but i am sure it will be finished today.I know i will feel so much better for it but all i really want to do is craft.

I am sure my friends think i sit all day playing at making things but the reality is that to be a crafter who sells you have to do all sorts of time sucking things to enable to to craft and sell.I am hopeless at selling,trying to find the buyers and then setting a price ,finding stock at a good price.....the list goes on and on....not to mention the time spent chatting online to crafty friends...lol....the whole day can be taken up doing that..haha.

Somehow though i will get myself jump started again....i need a wall planner to block out time per commission etc and a schedule of work....sigh......not very inspiring i know but hey,that's life some times.

Right back to the de cluttering.....speak soon xxx

O.K so yesterday the dreading food shop came to bite me on my bum again.I am guessing for most of you a 'big' food shopping trip would take you 2 hrs at tops....sigh.....i wish!!

My trip to the 'local' tesco's takes hrs due to the fact i have to get a ferry[half an hr]across the sound to get to mainland Shetland and then nearly an hrs drive to the shops!

Now on good days i love it,the ferry calms me and i can have some time where i can do nothing but sit and think watching the calm sea's.On wintry windy days this ferry crossing is more like a roller-coaster ride....now i do love a good roller-coaster when you are strapped in but when you have to wedge yourself wit your legs and arms in your car to stay in the seat...lol....it can be a white knuckle ride in the worse way!!

Yesterday wasn't so bad but because there were so many different cars etc going across we were so tightly packed that there was no chance of going to the lounge and having a cuppa.....leaving the view somewhat un-inspiring!

I thought you would like to see some of the views i see just going to the shops ....i apologise now for the bad quality of the photo's as we were taken out of a moving car...lol....no i wasn't driving..hehe.

Oh how i would love internet food shopping to come to Shetland....it really would save a long journey and sometimes 'sickly' sailings.

Anyway.....today is a organizing day so no crafting for me again :(.....speak soon all xxx

Sleepy Sunday

Hi All,

Today is a sleepy Sunday....the sun is shining but i can get motivated to get anything done.What do you guys do to get yourself going?i Will have to move soon as my daughters are off to ride their pony and have a lesson or two.I am their unpaid groom...lol....i do love it though.

I have some felty work to be getting on with but my hands are telling me they want to knit...lol.

I am also being drawn to crochet too.....i really want to make a granny square blanket...lol....i guess i am thinking of the cold winters we get here in Shetland..haha.

I am sitting here smelling the roast dinner in the oven and am really starting to look forward to the winter strange as it sounds.....all those cosy dark nights with nothing to do but craft.As much as i love the warmth of the summer sun i always feel guilty about staying inside and indulging in my latest craft obsession!Sun = outside adventures.....i am always telling my children to go out and make the most of the weather but i do find it hard to take my own advise,all i want to do is sit on my squishy sofa and play[oh ,i mean work..lol]with my wool!

Anyway,sitting here writing this is just another delaying tactic to getting of the ever increasing mass called my bottom and getting on with something so i will leave you with a few of my felty pics.......Happy crafting all and speak soon xxx

Hi Guys,

So sorry it's been a long time since my last blog......i have been really busy at home.My hubby is working away so i am in charge at home[as if i wasn't anyway...haha]and life is hectic!

Well,i didn't get through to the last round of the tv show but i was asked to be the reserve....something i ended up turning down as it would have meant a lot of travel to basically sit in the green room until someone didn't show up.....in my opinion it wasn't worth it as who in their right mind wouldn't turn up.A facebook friend of mine got through so i can't wait to see her in action when the show airs sometime towards the end of the year.

I have a confession.....i am becoming a craft supply hoarder....i have no space for much else.I need to invest in some storage solutions.....any idea's you guys have are most welcome but they have to be cheap...lol.....as i have spent far too much on wool.

I have been crafting though...i have actually got a list of commissions to do now....only a few but its a good start.....also my new dragon sold which was a shame as i loved her so much!...The good news is i have a commission to make a new one so tat will be fun fun fun.

Life is on an even keel right now...everything is going well,hubby is working so there is a little money to spend and we are catching up on bills so i feel i can breathe for a little while.

In the next 2 weeks my eldest son will be going back to start his second year at uni and we will be on the countdown to Christmas...Eeeek...believe it or not i have started shopping already,only a few little things[in the sales] but its a good start.I do tend to go a bit crazy about Christmas but i am going to keep calm and carry on with it,its one day and that's all...lol...i need to repeat this often.

Anyway,thats all for now i guess......so happy crafting and speak soon xxx

South adventures

Hi all,

WOW,what an amazing few days away i have just had.For those of you who don't know i was selected to audition for a new BBC show calls Paul Martins homemade revolution.

I had to attend on Saturday and was super excited and very nervous as i have only really been needle felting for 7 months now and felt a little out of my depth.

Before we go into all the details i want to start with my journey....lol....Now most of you will know i live in the Shetland Isles miles away from anywhere[bliss!!]so getting to Birmingham on time was going to be a challenge and very expensive.....yikes.I did think about not going as we are financially challenged at the moment to say the very least.Cue 2 ladies on white horses AKA Karen Neicho[sister in law and best friend] and Jenny Neicho [mother in law and the best person i know!!]

They insisted that i should,if possible try to get there so stumped up most of the money for me to travel,what a kind,loving pair they are and i couldn't be more grateful!

OK...so i was going...eeeeek.....everything go booked up for me and last Thursday i bid a fond farewell to my family and Shetland and headed south......i was so EXCITED!!!

So you are thinking a few hours on a train at worst i guessing...lol...you couldn't be more wrong.

My journey started at 3pm Thursday morning when i left my house[leaving for children with their Nan]and headed for the ferry to get me from Whalsay[where i live...have a google,it's stunning]This takes half an hour,then a half hour to an hour drive to the south boat terminal....i boarded at 5pm for a 7pm sailing.At this point i should say that i had a terrible time leaving my hubby....we haven't really spent a night apart since we got together over 16yrs ago.....it was hard for both of us :(

Anyway, on-wards....lol....The boat crossing was as calm as could be....the sea was being kind to me thank goodness.....weirdly i felt so calm about going away....maybe the sea's knew and followed suit.Leaving Shetland is always a bitter sweet time for me as i am so exciting to go away as this is usually a holiday and shopping trip combo but i love Shetlands fresh air and safeness so much....yes i ran away 6 yrs ago for the good life and never looked back...so far it's working although like anything in life there have been a few sticky moments!

Right,back to the travel........the ferry is an overnighter and gets in at 7am although you can stay on until 9am.....i left about eight thirty and headed for a costa coffee to use the wifi...haha....and feed my facebook addiction!

The next leg was at 10am which was a train from Aberdeen all the way through until London kings cross station.......OMG.......a long long ride.....7 hrs later and a very numb bottom....lol....i was standing in a new world,the noise,the people....so many people,they reminded me of bee's buzzing about all very busy and with no time for eye contact or a polite hello[something i am not use too at all]

Then i was at Kings cross station in London....oh my goodness...it had changed so much so after swallowing a panic attack which was rising in my throat i made my way through the hive of people and tried to find my next train to Hatfield to meet my family!

What a relief i felt when i was sat on my final train of the day and saw my niece's little smiling face :) I was worn out but happy to be 'home' for a while.

The next leg of the travelling was to Birmingham the next morning so it was up and ready,trying not to show my nerves as away i went again...lol.this leg started at 10am and i got to the audition by half past one in the afternoon.

Now,this is where the fun started.....i meet a lovely lass called Jess who was just out of Uni....she was amazing at what she did and she will go far i am sure of that!

The audition for this craft show was wonderful,i had a blast and really enjoyed myself....we all showed our work and although i did feel a bit out of my depth as i am new to crafting i decided to put that all behind me and just live for the moment....something i am getting better at..haha.

Butterflies fluttered around in my tummy as i was waiting for my turn and then it was my go.....eeek.

I composed myself and stood up.....took my crafts to the table and sat in front of the camera....WOW...i was here....i was doing this....as soon as i started to talk about my work the fear melted away.....needle felting to me has not only saved my life from depression it has also opened up a whole new world.....i was out there,showing my makes, discussing the design,the fiber,my craft.

Everyone was genuinely excited to see this relatively new craft and i even got to demo it which i had never done before either.....i was smiling.....this was fun!!!

We got to watch everyone do there interview which was really interesting...some you could tell would get in as the craft and face just worked...some maybe not.As for me,i really couldn't say,if it was craft alone then maybe not but my interview went really well so you never know!

Of course i would love to be on the show but even if i don't get through i feel i have done well to get so far.....i am not allowed to say but there were a lot of applicants and to get down to the last 85 is epic in my eyes........they are to pick 25 to be on the show which will be on air later this year...lol....no matter what i shall be watching and i will keep you all posted.

I am sitting on the train home feeling refreshed as well as sleepy...a very weird feeling indeed....but i can say i have had my little south adventure and go back to Shetland and breathe in the air once more......speak soon xxxx