Advent :: Day seventeen

After my recent craft fairs I was delighted to have sold my entire stock of sock creatures...the eleven remaining monsters will be popping up in Christmas stockings next week!

 

 

I'm sure there will be more next year but for now I fancied trying something else so when Gill showed me a photograph of this sock reindeer kit, the gauntlet was thrown...

 

And Ronnie the Reindeer was born...

 

He looks disturbingly like someone I know... but I'm not telling...

Starlight

The stars were out and the threat of rain never materialised as over 400 walkers gathered at the start of the Starlight walk last night. Gill, Tony and I got ourselves at the front of the pack and at 10 pm we were off...

 

 

Two hours and 59 minutes later we crossed the finishing line among the first 15 - 20 walkers.

We ached rather a lot and were feeling our age but still felt rather pleased to realise we are probably a lot fitter than we imagined. The cup of tea and danish pastry at the end were very welcome!

 

Ten miles and over twenty three thousand steps...

 

With a medal to prove it!

Between us we have raised over £575 for the Garden House Hospice and I know there is still some more sponsorship money to come in. So to everyone who has sponsored us, thank you so much for your kindness and generosity. It is very much appreciated.

Our Justgiving page will remain open until December if you would still like to contribute.

 

As for Betelgeuse... well he did complete the circuit. However it turns out he is a lazy little blighter and I had to carry him all the way.

 

So he really doesn't deserve to wear this medal.

 

And as promised I did the "names in a hat" thing... and Betelgeuse is going off to live with Thelma. Thank you Thelma for sponsoring me... and I hope you enjoy Betelgeuse coming to live with you. He may not be up to walking very far but at least he doesn't eat much.

 

I confess I do ache a little (well perhaps more than a little) this morning but I did walk another two miles to the local shop to get the Sunday paper. I fear if I sit still too long I might seize up completely.

But all in all it was a brilliant evening and a great way to remember my Dad

Cutting it Fine!

Following the success of these little canvases at my Open Studios in July I received two custom orders. Both for little canvases with spotted red jugs, not actually needed until September... so no rush!

 

 

The first one is needed for this afternoon... and I finished them yesterday. To be absolutely truthful I also started them yesterday. Where did I read that "Nothing makes me more productive than the last minute"? So True!

 

And not only did I start and finish the two that were ordered yesterday...

 

I've just completed a third which has now gone into my Etsy shop. These really did fly off the walls at my Open Studios so I thought I would see if they appeal to a wider audience. And if they do I'll make some more! Each one is unique and the designs vary slightly on each.

 

Little wall canvases 6" (15 cm) square

 

Appliqed and free machine stitched by me...

 

and could be owned by you!

 

Other news... tonight is the night of my Starlight walk. Think of me as you are settling down with your cocoa this evening at 10 pm because I'll be heading out for a 10 mile stroll accompanied by Gill, my brother Tony and Betelgeuse the sock monster. I've just popped out to the  post office and there is a definite nip in the air and there are dark clouds looming so fingers crossed it doesn't actually rain.

 

There is still time to sponsor us on my Justgiving Page. And remember... if you would like to win Betelgeuse, after you have sponsored us leave me a comment on this post letting me know.

Wish us luck!

 

http://www.justgiving.com/Gina-Ferrari1

A Shopping Opportunity

After yesterday's minor disappointment I took a friend's advice to down my G & T and fire up the Etsy shop.

 

 

There you will find tea and cake, vicars and monsters... all mixed up together.

 

Six new items listed so far and more to follow if I get my act together

 

Perfect gift shopping if you are one of those people who are terribly organised for ... well you know what... I don't want to mention it in August.

 

And a little bonus... if you are a newsletter subscriber (you'll find the link on my side bar) I'll be offering a small discount only available to subscribers.

 

So... what are you waiting for...

 

Christmas? (oops... now you've made me say it)

Star Gazing

Let me introduce Betelgeuse... a star studded monster.

Betelgeuse will not be coming with me to sit on my sales table at the Ashwell show on Monday, nor will he be appearing in my Etsy shop... that is beacause Betelgeuse has donned his very smart walking boots to accompany me on a Starlight Walk.

 

 

We are both in training to walk the 10 mile nightime Starlight Walk around the streets of Letchworth on September 7th to raise funds for the Garden House Hospice.

 

It is a year next week since my Dad died of cancer and I am doing this in his memory to raise money for the hospice which offers help to suffers and their families.

 

If you would like to sponsor me you can do it by visiting my Just Giving page (just click on the link). And this is where Betelgeuse comes in... if you would like Betelgeuse to live with you, just sponsor me for any amount you like (every little helps!), leave me a comment here to tell me that is what you have done and after our walk I will put names in a hat and Betelgeuse move house and live with you.

 

Of course I understand that you might not want him to come and live with you... he does look a little bit scary.. in which case you can just sponsor me! I'll only include you in the draw if you let me know that is what you would like.

 

This morning it was raining so he stayed on the sofa and listened to his music and left me to walk on my own. He won't get away with that on 7th September!

 

http://www.justgiving.com/Gina-Ferrari1

Baa..mey!!!

I am still groaning under the weight of too much cake but have been indulging in some exercise of the knitting variety. Not only have I been creating monsters in recent weeks... but I've made sheep too. Well... a sheep to be precise.

 

 

After finishing this one I decided knitting my own flock was probably a step too far. To be honest, I'm not sure I'd even succeeded in knitting one. Unclothed, he couldn't look less like a sheep.

 

More like a donkey... or a strange dog.

 

But dressed up in his rather fine coat he just about passes the sheep test... a donkey in sheep's clothing perhaps?

 

And more monster news... Fernley has packed himself into a bag and is now off to live in California without so much as an "I'll miss you".

 

Maybe he'll write to me when he arrives?

A Monster Mash

After meeting the charming Tattiebugs at Missenden Abbey last week, I was inspired to delve into the depths of my sock stash (all new and unworn I hasten to add) and do a bit of monster creation... and these were the results. A motley crew if ever there were.

 

 

First of all are Lexus and Lucretia... a rather well behaved brother and sister, not known for getting up to monster mischief..

 

Their close friend Presley is also very quiet and well behaved and can usually be found with his head in a book... although to be honest, I'm not entirely sure he knows how to read, but he thinks it makes him look intelligent. I don't really like to tell him.

 

Fernley considers himself a bit of a foodie and was passing judgement on our lunch today (beetroot hummus and soda bread). He really is a very rude monster.

 

And finally this is Rowley who is still a baby and likes nothing more than to hide in boxes.

 

I have a stall at the Ashwell show at the end of the month and I'm hoping all these monsters can be rehomed. Surely someone, somewhere will find it in their hearts to love them... or maybe not?

 

And speaking of love, it would seem that I was not the only one charmed by the Tattiebugs. Mr. Sock, who was the very first monster I created, a prototype for all that followed and who now lives with my friend Jude, spotted the Tattiebugs on his tablet and has fallen in love! I fear it could be unrequited.

Blogging is Dead?

Well thank you all for your response to my last post. It does seem that many of us think alike and that we still like blogging and reading blogs, it's just that there isn't always time to leave a comment and sometimes there isn't anything we particularly want to say. And I have to put my hand up and say I am frequently guilty of reading and not leaving comments. But at the end of the day, much as our blogs might be for keeping a personal record etc it is a public platform and it is good to know there are people out there reading... so keep talking to me because I like to read what you have to say!

 

Having said that... apparently this week Time Magazine declared "For years now pundits have declared that blogging is dead, rendered irrelevant by alternate means of personal publishing such as Facebook and Twitter". Well I say Pah! I like blogging and I like to buck the trend so I'm here to stay!

 

 

So what I have I been up to while I'm not working.... As well as catching up with stuff about the house and catching up with friends, today I took Jacob into London to see the Bowie exhibition at the V & A before it closes at the weekend. He hadn't seen it before and it was my third visit but I loved it just as much as my previous visits.

 

I then hopped onto the tube to the other side of London to see the Zandra Rhodes exhibition at the Fashion and Textiles museum. Marian had mentioned it on her blog and it sounded worth a visit. I think it is well worth visiting if you are in town and combining it with something else. There was some stunning bead embroidery and some really innovative printed textiles taken from sketchbook images but what I loved seeing best were the sketchbook pages and watching the film where Zandra Rhodes spoke about drawing. When she is travelling away from her usual working environment she tries to draw something everyday, whether it seems inspirational or not. And the drawings don't necessarily relate to finished designs but lead in a "diagonal way" to her work. So true! (Students of mine... are you reading this?)

 

I have long been a fan of her work and the exhibition reminded me of some earring I made years ago inspired by Zandra Rhodes beaded safety pins. I was surprised I could still find them... and I'm tempted to wear them again. I think I've got a red pair somewhere too.

 

I've also been creating monsters this week... but you'll have to wait until Friday to hear more from Frankenstein Ferrari...

 

Because I'm off to the Festival of Quilts tomorrow.  It's all go, this not working lark!

The Psychology of Shopping

As well as wall mounted work, I also like to have a table full of lower cost items for sale at my Open Studio. Not everyone who visits either wants or can afford work for the wall - in fact I would guess that accounts for the majority of visitors. But quite a few people like to buy a card or small gift item.

 

 

I've made sure I have plenty of past best sellers such as my brooches...

 

and pin cushion jars. Although having sold well in the past is not a guarantee that they will sell again

 

There is a basket of these chaps... these used to outsell everything else I made but not so much anymore. Maybe they no longer appear "on trend" or perhaps I've saturated my market? Maybe I just need a different patterned sock?

 

I've also added new items this year... crochet pin cushions packed in cupcake boxes. Will these sell or are cupcakes as passe as we are led to believe?

 

And although these are nothing new - I've seen lavender fish on the internet for quite a few years - today I had the urge to make a whole dish full. And it remains to be seen whether they sell like hot "fish"cakes... or whether I'm left with a dishful after the weekend.

 

I've given up trying to understand the psychology behind shopping. There has been many an Open Studio weekend when I've sold out of an item on the Saturday, have stayed up late replenishing my stock and then not sold a single one on the Sunday. It's all a guessing game.. but at least I've had fun making stuff!

 

Open Studio

20th & 21st July and 27th & 28th July

www.camopenstudios.co.uk