Kickcan&Conkers shop

One of my favourite blogs Kickcan & Conkers have opened a bigcartel shop

I just love this winter snow scene puzzel.

Here's to a white Christmas. xx Enjoy the holidays.

Festive Market at Storey Gallery

During daylight hours I am Programme Manager at Storey Gallery in Lancaster. Each Christmas, as a deviation from our usual programme, we host a Handmade & Vintage Festive Market. This year we doubled in size and what a response.....Almost 1000 visitors!!

The market was so busy, such great stall holders. Wonderful products to buy and wonderful shoppers to do the buying.

Thanks to JB for the images.

Fishy

I love this paper towel dispenser in my local fishmongers.

Cosy

Lovely coat - and its reduced. I wonder if the Christmas fairy might put this Jaeger Duffel under my tree?

Sad times

After only just beginning , I needed to take a little break away from the blog, in fact away from everything. My Mum had been fighting cancer for a while, in October she passed away rather unexpectedly and it hit me quite hard. I honestly thought she would be fine, that the doctors had it under control, and she would be up and about for Isla's first birthday.

I have many emotions to deal with and it still feels a little raw but our recent break in the south has helped put things in perspective. I am always amazed by the healing power of family and the sea. xx

Animal hoods

My first collection is coming together, on paper anyway. Tomorrow I start pattern drafting, but am unsure whether to begin with the ambitious 'Tweed Badger Coat' or something simpler like the Big Top Bloomers?



Part of my collection includes some animal hoods, so when I came across these amazing felt hats blogged on Kickan Conkers (a blog I follow) I was hooked....

And some socks for smallest I think

Autumn tights for smallest

Pop up

Some serious internet research is on the agenda this week. I am trawling the web looking at fabrics and thinking about my collection.

I found this japanese linen, this site, and this children's clothing site and this Irish linen.

Along with all the work related searching, I am coming across other very interesting things and making notes for Christmas presents.

I found this amazing pop up book on 'Once upon a fold'. I would love to get it for smallest but she would tear it apart... now who do I know that would love this?

Long socks for new Autumn weather

This weekend has been more than crazy. Our entire family has been hit by a plague, smallest was really poorly on Thursday evening, then being the generous sole she is, she passed it on to Sam and I... Sam's been off work for three days which without the sick would have been lovely.

In addition the Lune has flooded after bonkers weather. We took a little walk around Jenny Browns point in Silverdale in an attempt to blow the disease away. It seems summer has turned to Autumn, which in turn means my favourite season, WINTER is on it's way!!! Yippee

In preparation for the colder seasons I have found these lovely socks by Mina Perhonen

Bank holiday madness

It's been a busy week with the bank holiday last weekend... smallest has been really unsettled and not been sleeping well at all, so I think we are all a bit unhinged just now.

We began the weekend with a picnic in Williamson's Park in Lancaster. Smallest hung out with her friend Harker, sang some songs and mostly ate grass. Saturday we headed over to Manchester to see some old friends. Pretty Mark was turning 30, something he has been fearing for a while, so really we went for moral support. It was smallests first BBQ - I think she liked the halloumi best.

Sam was most productive on Sunday and Monday, with some help from his folks we finally filled in the muddy hole in the back garden and began laying the patio.... I never thought I would be so excited about being able to get to the washing line!! 'The life I lead!!'

Smallest and I also saw a hedgehog! That was the best....

Business plans

So I have started my business plan proper :) How I progress depends on if I have a job to return to or not at the end of my maternity leave. I have a meeting tomorrow to discuss options but with the funding cuts in the UK at the moment I am not terribly hopeful.

Plan B is a children's clothing label, it might be a little clichéd after having my first child but its where my head is at the moment and could be fun!! I have struggled to find things I like for smallest so I might try to make some instead...

I start a fashion course on the 7th Sept so I am going to see where that takes me... x

Bye Bye space programme, Hello Melamine

My partner Sam sent me this link today... I thought it illustrated perfectly the tragic loss of the US space programme.  Astronaut Suicides

Whilst Sam has been devouring proper culture, I have been thinking about melamine bowls. I know... i need to have a word with myself... These beautiful and colourful bowls by Rice Denmark are just what I have been looking for. We are following 'Baby Led Weaning', based on a paper by Gil Rapley, and it's very messy - I thought these would help minimise the mess.

Morecambe Bay with smallest

The rain was briefly punctuated by a fabulous sunny day yesterday. Smallest and I made the most of it with a jaunt along Morecambe Bays lovely prom. Its a strange place Morecambe, it really should be more popular. The view across the bay is more than phenomenal, the newly renovated Midland Hotel is an Art Deco treasure and the recent arrival of kite surfers gives the place quite a trendy feel. Its probably the rubbish transport links that make it so unpopular - it took us almost an hour to get there from 5 miles away!!

That was all forgotten though when I strolled back to our van devouring a 99 from Kates 'Everyday is like Sundae' Ice Cream Van. My other half, Sam, had done some work for her and suggested I check out the ice creams.

Here are some Hipstergram pics from our trip.

Rainy day sunflowers and fluffy knits

Its another super rainy day here, not like the middle of August at all, with wind rattling around the house like a dragon. Smallest has her first cold so after a very unsettled night and very early morning I thought this picture of the sunflowers on our wet cold allotment might cheer things up. I had planned to pop down there today to sort the potatoes out, but when I look out of the window that's the last thing I want to do....

The colder weather has had me searching for winter knitwear. ASOS are doing this lovely fluffy knit jumper, and for smallest I just love the the shorts and jumper combos in the Cotton and Milk summer 2011 collection. Ideal for the British summer.

I think smallest and I will stick to inside games today.

The beginning

I saw this on a blog some time ago, (I can't remember which it was so if anyone else does, let me know and I can post credits) .. it inspired me to do two things one of which I have accomplished, the other is in the planning...



No.1 Start a blog



No.2 Start my own business



So here goes, my blog .... and in someways the start of an entirely new chapter.