26 Friday Apr 2013
Posted in Courses I Teach, Folksy, For Sale, Friday Finds, Killer Pilates
I know a bit about the anatomy of fonts, but I always feel I ought to know a little more…do you know your tittle from your jot?
Typography Print by Empire Silkscreen on Folksy
The funny thing, is I have had need for this more often in my Pilates teaching than in my embroidery.
19 Friday Apr 2013
Posted in Folksy, For Sale, Friday Finds
I had planned a whole batch of searches for the week’s Friday Find, but I opened an email from Folksy and had to click on this gorgeous linocut!
White Tree – Spring Blossom by The Bluebird Gallery on Folksy
The photos of it being printed are gorgeous too, you can just about hear that gorgeous sticky sound of the paper peeling away from the block.
White Tree – Spring Blossom linocut by The Bluebird Gallery on Folksy
A few of my readers (you know who you are) may find the need to purchase some of Giuliana Lazzerini’s pieces rather irresistible.
07 Thursday Feb 2013
Posted in Folksy, For Sale, Friday Finds, Killer Pilates
I’m off to London this weekend, and so this week’s Friday Find is all about the capital city (not that I’ll get much of a chance to see it, I’m going to be Pilates-ing 8 hours a day)!
London Bus Print by Ruka-Ruka Print Studio
19 Saturday Jan 2013
Posted in Folksy, Friday Finds
I’m having a dishes digression (or, as Batman would say, another dishes digression). My parents have handed down to me a love of tableware, and since I was a student I’ve desperately been trying to make our collection of dishes a coherent visual statement. (I know…)
2007 was a bit of a halcyon summer, not only did I manage to get Batman to look at and select a china pattern,
but lovely people then went out and bought it for us! (I’m still trying to get my head around that.)
Our everyday stuff is at least all white, but half of it is IKEA’s finest, which although inexpensive is irreplaceable because they never seem to make the same size and shape twice. It’s supremely frustrating (first world problem), and I’ve been faffing around looking for a magical solution that doesn’t exist.
I did, however, find the lovely Little Wren Pottery who will make you a whole set of dishes to order.
Given that both Batman and I have *very* specific ideas of what we want (even within the parameters of white plates), this would be ideal.
Maybe for our 10th anniversary…
28 Friday Dec 2012
Posted in 365 Simplicity, Etsy, Folksy, Friday Finds, Indie Shopping
We’ve been having a bit of an odd holiday, we all came down with various versions of a tummy bug between Christmas Eve and Boxing Day (in addition to the two sets of people on crutches), so I’m feeling a little haphazard.
In honour of my wish that 2013 will be a slightly less stressful year than 2012 has been, I put the coming year into the Crafty Search Engines and came up with (drumroll please…)
A year-planner for the superstitious (namely those who suffer from triskaidekaphobia), and
Yoda the mouse. (Now you know how I feel…)
Oh, ok… here’s another one.
(We have the opposite problem, a fridge full of cheese that no one feels up to eating!)
Hope you’ve all had a very Happy Christmas, are you resolving anything this year? I’m woefully behind in recording my 365 Simplicity, but I promise I’m close enough to the end to make it and I will post them all before February!
15 Saturday Dec 2012
Posted in Craft Fairs, Folksy, Fonts, For Sale, Friday Finds, Indie Shopping, Interesting Articles, Needled Name, Oh! My Word
I’m so excited! My blog post for Frankly, the Folksy blog is up!
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Hi there, my name is Katy and I make hand embroidered text art. I’ve just finished my first outing as a Folksy ambassador at the Trafford’s Taste of Christmas craft event on Sunday 9th December at Altrincham in Cheshire. It was my first outdoor craft fair, and dressed for an Arctic expedition, and armed with a flask (of tea) and sweeties, I was ready for all eventualities.
The craft market was tucked behind the main food market and there was a steady stream of traffic, although quite a few people had stumbled across the market by accident. Everyone seemed genuinely interested in supporting small makers, and were very enthusiastic and friendly.
I rather embraced my role as Ambassador, and started out by giving all of the stall holders a little introduction to Folksy and telling them what I liked about it. I found that almost all of them had heard of it, but no one had signed up yet.
Once the drizzle stopped (conveniently just as the fair opened), things got off to a good start and I sold my favourite piece almost immediately.
Next, I turned my ambassadorial attentions to the shoppers; I may have got a little over- excited handing out my leaflets and practically chased a group of likely looking shoppers in my enthusiasm! (They were very understanding…)
Everyone I spoke to seemed very interested in investigating Folksy, from harassed parents wanting to do a bit of browsing in peace, to people considering trying to set up their own craft businesses. Each Friday on my blog I’ve been showcasing a British craftsperson as a Friday Find, so I could give examples of work from fascinators to furniture which could be found on Folksy.
I ended up on the stall next to Suzy and Katie of The Knotted Flower and their lovely hand embroidered housewares and art. It seems that french knots attract, I kept finding myself hovering over their stand looking wistfully at natural linen cushions that would be helpless against the twin scourges of cat and toddler in my house.
Although it was a little chilly, we were kept warm by a covers band with a truly astonishing repertoire (Amy Winehouse, REM, Johnny Cash and more)!
Crafting can sometimes be a solitary occupation, so it’s nice to go out and interact with other crafters and shoppers to see what they like and how they view my work. I met some lovely people, from the gentleman who did large scale tapestries (his best work was a full length nude, but his wife wasn’t keen on his showing it to many people!) to the lady who said that she could feel the love in each stitch, the personal interactions make all the difference at a fair. It obviously paid off, as I had to turn away some custom orders for Christmas, which always breaks my heart (but better my heart broken than a customers’).
I really enjoyed the event, especially the people (and animals) I met, and I’m definitely looking forward to my next Altrincham craft fair!
Thanks to Katy for embracing her role as Folksy Ambassador with such passion 
You can see more of her work in her Folksy shop.
16 Friday Nov 2012
Posted in Folksy, Friday Finds
Tags
folksy, fountain pens, friday finds, peony and thistle, sketchbook, there is too much paper in this house!
I’ve come to a rather nasty realisation…there is too much paper in our house! I have notebooks, sketchbooks (although I’ve been really good about not buying any more of those recently), pads of paper and worst of all, endless pieces of printer paper which is threatening to take over all available space!
I try really hard to use both sides and save half-used bits in convenient notebook-shaped packets for lists and notes, but it’s not satisfying in the least.
Not like writing in something like this:
Leather Journal from peony and thistle
Plus, they helpfully tell you which notebooks are suitable for use with fountain pens (information of importance in our slightly fountain pen-obsessed household).
As if that’s not enough, they also sell paper-based ephemera, cards, bunting, cake stands and confetti!
Map Confetti by peony and thistle
10 Saturday Nov 2012
Posted in Folksy, Friday Finds, Indie Shopping
(a wee bit late)…
I was talking to Batman about my Kindle which I’ve owned for almost a year now, and I was thinking that one of the first things I read on it (that I probably wouldn’t have read if I hadn’t owned a Kindle) was Moby Dick. I’m an inveterate re-reader, I prefer books when I know what to look forward to, so now that I know to skip the sections about whaling history, I can get out the gorgeous Folio Society copy and really enjoy myself.
Moby Dick Whale Brooch by House of Ismay
You’ll know by now that I have a bit of a whale thing…(I’m not cool enough to like owls, just whales.) So this brooch by The House of Ismay ticks all the boxes!
She’s got quite a few classics represented, from Metamorphosis to Animal Farm, extra points if you can guess the parts of the book that get used!
02 Friday Nov 2012
Posted in Folksy, Friday Finds, Weekword
Tags
folksy, friday finds, matthew cox, resonate, things my parents insisted upon, weekword, you are old Father William
In my youth (Father William replied to his son), I played the violin. I can’t say I enjoyed it and stopped as soon as I was able (which was at about 16, a good 12 years after I started, which gives you some idea of the levels of perseverance shown by my parents), However, a mild interest in instruments, and an uncontrollable twitching of fingers when I hear certain pieces of music, remain.
Hand Made Wenge & Maple Gig Stick Guitar by Matthew Cox
I remember peeping into the f-holes to see what was inside my violin, the answer was of course nothing, but that’s where the magic happens!
(Don’t forget to visit John’s blog to see everyone else’s Weekword and go have a listen to the beautiful ‘cross between a cigar box guitar and a Dulcimer‘ above.)
25 Thursday Oct 2012
Posted in Etsy, Folksy, For Sale, Indie Shopping
I’ve haven’t planned this far ahead for Christmas festivities since I worked in Marks and Spencer (and can I just say how much better a job this is than that was, cheap seafood platters notwithstanding).
You can get your Christmas shopping started early on Folksy and Etsy (and don’t forget to check out a few more handmade goodies while you’re there).
On a more pressing note, I’ve just worked out my Christmas posting dates, and here they are!
***Christmas Posting Dates***
Custom Items must be ordered by:
UK: 2 December
Europe: 25 November
US: 23 November
In Stock Items must be ordered by:
UK: 16 December
Europe: 9 December
US: 7 December
Ok, I’ve got two exciting new commissions to get to working on, so you shop and I’ll sew and I’ll see you back here on Friday!
