Ice Cream pin cushions

Haven't had much time this week for craft things for the Xmas fair. The college work is taking up alot of spare time producing textile samples and a new project is in the offing with end of December as the deadline.

Still, I have just finished these little pin cushions in the form of ice-creams. The cones are recycled felted jumpers, with a few beads as hundreds & thousands.

Pumpkin

My friends had carved a marvellous pumpkin when I visited yesterday, take a look at this. They also had an enormous bowl of lollies for the trick or treaters.

Pendle Witch

I've just found my favourite witch my friend bought me which is a proper made in Pendle, Pendle Witch. Most of my best ornaments live safely in boxes these days but this lovely little witch was close to hand and I thought she could do with a fly on her broomstick today of all days.

I went a bit mad and rummaged around to find a few more Halloween knick knacks I hadn't seen for a while!

All Hallows Eve - Samhain

Another All Hallows is here, marking the end of the old seasonal year and the beginning of the new when the veil between the worlds is thin and we traditionally light candles and lanterns to remember who or what has gone before.

I like to mark the day with seasonal treats and to also take stock of what I want to achieve in the coming year.

I have made some nibbles and also got some sweeties for popping round to a friends with this afternoon. I made my friend a pumpkin coaster seen here.

HAPPY ALL HALLOWS!!!

Illuminating York 23rd - 1st Nov

I went to the Illuminating York festival tonight which as the name suggest is a creative display of lights and some music. There were a few different light displays going on in the city centre but I found the best display was the Wall of Light in the Museum Gardens.

This was an interesting display beamed onto one of the historic buildings, it started off a bit like iTunes with the dancing laser lights and music to match but then it got a bit more interesting and cats eyes appeared which you can make out on my photo. Also owls appeared and a full moon but my camera was on too slow a shutter speed to capture that.

These are the best efforts I could get with my little snappy camera.

More food for free

How lovely, my neighbour from one of the other cottages has brought a big bag of wind fallen apples today. I can see the apple trees from my office window and the sight of them being blown about and probably the fact that there would be too many for the neighbours to use had me longing for some. Apparently they were getting fed up of apple pies and what with the rats they've had to chuck a fair few away so for me to get some was a real treat.

I set to work right away on a crumble! (since been sampled and the apples were very nice).

Will have to consult my recipe books to see if I go down the apple pie route or be a bit more adventurous with some pickle of chutney.

Crafts in progress

I've had it confirmed that I have secured a craft stall at the Driffield School Christmas Craft Fair on Nov 29th and I'm busy producing stuff.

What you see here are some of my knitted and felted wool things.

Bottom picture are knitted flower brooches, middle pic are all made from recycled and felted wool scarves to make wrist cuffs and brooches and top picture, again recycled felted wool jumpers to make bangles. I'm quite pleased with the bangles as they are nice and light weight to wear and they feel sort of warm and appropriate for winter.

Gallery on the Wolds, & Kite

I did a days invigilating at the Art in the Garden exhibition on Friday which was a nice excuse to get away from the computer for a few hours and take a few crafty things to occupy me.

We had been asked to record numbers of visitors, the weather hadn't been great this week so a couple of days there had only been numbers of about 30. I was a bit luckier, slightly better weather and generally Fridays are busier so I recorded 68 visitors. Had a couple of people I know from networking groups and also had my parents call by and they brought me this lovely kite decoration from recent trip to Germany.

Hobbycraft is open!

Whilst visiting Hull, which doesn't exactly have a lot going for itself in the city centre other than the museums, I called into the new Hobbycraft store. This was definitely worth a look, I didn't have long enough in there but time enough to whizz round and see the great range of art & craft stuff so got a few bits n pieces!

There was a fantastic selection of wool, smallish range of fabric but they did have some Amy Butler designs and the upstairs was virtually full of art & framing supplies.

Post war Fabric Exhibition @ the Ferens

Yesterday I made a trip to the Ferens Art Gallery in Hull to see the Shirley Craven & Hull Traders exhibition which is on til Jan 3rd and well worth a visit if you appreciate colourful fabric!

This is an amazing collection of groovy textiles which capture all the exuberance of the swinging 60's in the handprinted fabrics.

Shirley Craven was herself a native of Hull. At the height of Hull Traders popularity in 1966 they branched out into furniture design creating some revolutionary pieces at the time.

The fabric designs were fab and had really kept their colour well for the age they were. I came away inspired.