the bit's that were left over....

 URGHHH! what rotten weather! - mind you, being British means you have to speak about the weather at least 10 times per day or it's off to the tower - and if you need to queue up to talk about the weather, then that's even more British.

I love this country!!!

I have been busy cutting up mount board to make into kits, at the end I was left with a huge pile of cardboard triangles - I hate wasting anything so sat contemplating what the triangles could be transformed into - I made a decoration for the Christmas tree, that seams to have vanished - it must be camera shy! then a friend suggested a pin cushion - so after much 'faffing about' I produced the above item - it doesn't stand up, or close quite like it should, the hinge is a bit wobbly, the corners a bit bulky and the whole thing is well...a bit impractical - so back to the drawing board! by the time I come up with something really cool to make I will have run out of triangles!

Here in the North West we are still (as far as I know) under the hose pipe ban, not that I have had cause to use a hose pipe since the ban was imposed as it hasn't stopped raining for weeks! I know I know, it's to do with drainage, geology, run off and other such technicalities - but come on! the reservoirs and rivers couldn't be much fuller! 

 

I caught my reflection in a puddle - I look like a puddle poodle! 

So - to try and get the better of the weather, today has been a baking day. A gluten, wheat, dairy free apple cake for Mr Juicy, Leak and potato soup and an egg and cheese using up quiche for me and baby fig - and now I am scouting round the kitchen trying to figure out what to use the rest of my short crust pastry on! 

Have a great weekend folks!

A Night Out at the Mechanics

Last night Mr juicy and myself treated ourselves to a very rare night out - all the way to the glamorous Burnley Mechanics to see this guy - Rich Hall. 

I haven't laughed so much for a long time - he is a funny funny guy - especially at the points where he couldn't keep that dead-pan face straight! 

There was only one slightly awkward moment when he asked the audience what Burnley is famous for - some one shouted "football" and someone else shouted "riots" - when probed further as to what the riots were about, the crowd fell silent - so he moved on swiftly!

This evening our little village knit and natter group is meeting at our new venue for the first time - a rather posh cafe that has opened in the village called "Benedict's" - never the less, I shall be there in my usual jeans and wooden clogs! I can't wait to see who turns up - so if you are ever in the area on a Wednesday evening from now on - pop in for a brew and a natter!

Right - I am off to pick up Mum, Dad and Aunt to take them all to Blackburn Market - Their Wednesday morning ritual. I am the temporary driver until my Dad is allowed to drive again in a few weeks. - Thanks to everyone who left a message about him - he is doing great at the moment - stir crazy, but great!

Big Excitement!

I received a message on my folksy shop the other day to tell me that one of my pincushions for sale will be featured in  "Creative Crafting Online Magazine"

I am chuffed to bits as they say in these parts! 

There is a link to the site on the left of my blog - and it should be in there from 1st October! 

so - huge grins abound in the JuicyFig household :~)

I have been neglecting my 'creative space' contributions, so today set out to make a new cushion for my folksy shop

 The pile of cushions is growing and growing, poor baby Fig's bedroom that was commandeered in her absence is now full of not only her stuff, but a mountain of cushions that are for ever being re-stacked to prevent a land slide in the night!

The latest is in Heather Bailey Fabrics - I am terrible for collecting fabric then not wanting to use it because it's just too nice, it has taken a lot of will power to get the rotary cutter to them - I hope that now I have used some I have broken my obsession and can now start to plough through lots of fabric to make room for more of course!

The last days of summer

if there is one constant in life, it is change. On Sunday my Dad phoned me and asked if I would take him to hospital, he has had angina for years but has recently been suffering from chest pains. His doctor had booked him in to see the cardiologist in October - but he had had a few bad nights and had taken some convincing from us all to get it seen too a bit quicker. 

I took him over to Blackburn Royal's A&E - it was heaving, and we thought we would be waiting for hours, but of course as soon as he mentioned chest pain they took him straight to triage, hooked him up to an ECG and before we knew it they had rushed him to the next department, hooked him up to all sorts of monitors, taken blood etc. 

It turns out he had suffered a mild heart attack. 

On Monday he had an angioplast and a stent fitted, and yesterday I brought him home! 

They could not have dealt with him faster or better - and we are all feeling a huge sense of relief he is back home with us with strict instructions to call an ambulance next time and not wait for his daughter to fetch him in!

As I have been too distracted to do much crafting, I thought I would treat you to a few shots of Billington and Whalley - I have lived here all my life, and like they say, no matter where you roam, there really is no place like home...

Even though we live in a small mill terrace, the view at the top is from our front door - the river is about 100 yards away, and this is our view as we walk into the village

then we cross the river and head towards Whalley through the old abbey gatehouse, built about 1500 years ago

Elderberries drape themselves over the garden walls next to the vicarage

and the ivy at this time of years throws out it's strange flower heads...

And outside the local primary school that I attended, as did my daughter, nieces, brother, father, auntie, grandfather and grandmother and their parents too! we found 'penny buns' growing - hubby was dying to pick them to fry up with some butter - but as he is on soya spreads these days I convinced him it wouldn't be worth it - so we left them for the kids to see.

I find a good walk around familiar territory can be good for the soul!

So - summer is giving in, and autumn is truly upon us - lets just hope it stays a little sunny!

The Hungry Caterpillar

Autumn - amazing colours that are gone before you know it - natures last exhibition before she shuts down for the winter! - I know how she feels sometimes...on the sunny autumn days when the air is crisp, the leaves crunch under foot and gather round your wellies, you can see your breath in the air, but the sun can still warm you through given the chance - mmmm lovely.

I have just finished a couple of warming items for folksy - a Noro neck warmer and a patchwork quilt to snuggle under.

After being a dozy so and so the other day and managing to get myself locked out and waiting for hubby and the pooch to return I photographed these guys (is a blogger ever without a camera?) 

They had grow considerably in the couple of days since I first spotted them - I think they are great white - yes yes, I know they look black and yellow...

and look! after scoffing my nasturtiums, he has left a special little 'gift' for me.

We have been inundated with spiders this past couple of weeks as well - this is a particularly angry looking one I think! mind you if they all keep insisting on building there webs across doorways, they should expect to catch humans in their webs!!!

 

Tuesday - the new Monday...

Since baby Fig moved back home less than 2 weeks ago, the house and my head have been in turmoil! 

Currently she works Tuesday to Saturday, so very quickly her 'weekend' has become ours - meaning my so called working week also starts on a Tuesday when peace and quiet return to the household and I can actually get on with my life! 

I am in the middle of some sort if Identity crisis as well - trying to figure out what my own particular style is when it comes to crafts, decorating etc...

You see, I love mad crazy vibrant colours - but - I also love calm peaceful colours, I love clutter, and order, new and vintage...you get the idea.

Consequently I find what I am putting into my folksy shop is not quite one thing or another - it all seams a bit dis-jointed somehow.

on the other hand does it really matter? Do I need a clear cut image? or will one that hasn't quite made it's mind up ok? 

I have been like this all my life! what is a girl to do? oh well, just enjoy it all I suppose.

so - happy Autumn - and here is a pretty bad photo of my new crocheted shopping bag made from cotton bought at last Novembers knitting and stitching show at Harrogate.

Things to do on a wet Sunday in September...

What a week it has been, rotten weather, the nights drawing in, baby fig has moved back home along with enough 'junk' er, I mean belongings, to fill every room in my house and my mothers!

My fantastic Mum was 70 on Thursday - she was very upset that only 1 person said "ooh, you certainly don't look 70!". We celebrated with a family meal cooked by yours truly at mummsies house, a memorable meal after the oven broke half way through me cooking the leg of lamb,  the chip shop round the corner going up in flames and filling the house with acrid oil and plastic fumes, and our paper lanterns failing to fly off into the night, preferring to drip scalding wax all over my feet instead! 

On the up side (although with this much rain it is difficult to spot silver linings!) I had some great feed back from my box making workshop, sold a kit, and am booked to do ANOTHER box workshop in Clitheroe this time, and may be getting a couple of wholesale kit orders from the same shops! to celebrate I made this cute pumpkin pin cushion for Halloween - and popped him on folksy!

The Box Making Workshop

On Tuesday this week I taught my first craft class - a full day workshop making fabric covered boxes - and it was fab! 

The class was very small, 3 lovely ladies had booked, none of whom had made these before, they were surprised we actually built the box from scratch, thinking we would be covering a ready made box. 

I had made a sample for the shop in their chosen fabrics, and all 3 ladies wanted to make the patchwork tops for their boxes, meaning we didn't quite get them finished, but everyone left with about 30 minutes sewing left to do at home, and eager to finish them - I ended up buying this tilda fabric and making a box at the same time - it was amazing to see 4 identical shaped boxes  look completely diferent from each other just because of the fabrics we all chose

Here are the workshop tables with everyones heads missing for camera shyness reasons! :~)

you can see the boxes starting to take shape - looking inside out at this point!

I really wanted to get photo's of everyone with their finished box - one lady has promised to e-mail me a photo of hers - I can't wait to see it! 

This particular box size and shape is now for sale as a kit in my folksy shop, including all the precut mount board, wadding and full instructions!

I am still working on the tutorial!!!

As one door closes...you need to start knocking on others!

 eek! Where has the summer gone? where has the past 6 months gone??? 

Life has been so busy - again! the fact that I am not 'working' seams to mean that I have less time to do anything, how does that work? 

Clitheroe held it's first arts and crafts market - unfortunately it felt like most of the county had attended, and I only managed to get close to about 3 stalls! 

My new favourite wool shop had it's grand opening and a fashion show - the owners knitting daughters made excellent models! we will miss these girls at the weekly knit and natter once they are back at school

I did a whole week of African Drum workshops with these guys - we also did some tie dying, they are all getting ready for the performance here, wearing their t-shirts and getting the grease paint on - they have promised me a DVD of the performance!

And a lovely lady bought 3 of my pin cushions off Folksy for her haberdashery stall, so I am busy replenishing the stock, and trying to come up with some idea's to make for my own web site - I have signed up for a free moonfruit website, that is supposedly easy to create - 3 weeks in, and I now have JuicyFig written in one corner....err, not as easy as I had hoped! so anyone out there who has made a web site on moonfruit, I would be grateful for any tips! 

Next week on the 7th I am hopefully teaching my first ever craft class, I really hope it is booked up - I have to cut all the card this week, and right up the instructions.

Apologies once again for not getting round the other blogs I follow, I am dying to catch up, but think I need to learn to manage my time a little more efficiently.

Thank you for all your comments regarding my job ending - To be honest, the relief has been worth it, and now I can't understand how I managed to put up with it for so long, anti-depressants, counselling, tears, sleepless nights, frustration and bitterness...my time with the Child Support Agency is now another closed chapter in my life.

And - although we have no income at all at the moment the money worries aren't half as depressing as the job! Things will work out for the best, I will make sure of that!

Swapsies, wips and the end of an era!

What a week! 

I received my swap goodies for tilly roses shabby vintage swap all wrapped in Cath Kidston paper and in a CK bag...Look what the fab and very patient Traci @ Handmadehappiness sent me! 

This is so cool - they are wood! I love the colour of the flowers, how did she know?

I love the round box, and inside were vintage buttons, a linen tea towel just like my mum used to have back in the 70's and this gorgeous thimble looking a little er...snug on my pork sausage like fingers...

Thank you so much Traci - I love it all!!! - notice anything missing though...? yup, you guessed, the chocolates did not make it to the photo shoot due to er...being eaten.

My return swap parcel has just been posted!

Other news in the JuicyFig household - I have finally been 'let go' from work - I am no longer a Civil Servant! I am so happy - it has been a really miserable 6 years working for a government agency that had a reputation as bad as it had (and it wasn't HMRC) - my only regret??? that no one ever asked me to sign a passport! 

So - now I am now unemployed. 

It was Mr Juicy and I's 7th wedding anniversary on the 1st August, so I finally finished the waist coat I had been knitting him for about 5 years - I will get him to pose for a photo soon...

It is baby figs 19th Birthday on 15th August, so I have been busy trying to arrange a surprise pressie and may also get this finished in time

so she can keep warm and snugly in her cold cold flat...

on the 24th August it will be my Grandma's 96th birthday - she is at the age where you add on a year, she has been telling people all year she is 'almost 96' - funny how we do the same as kids, then loose a year after we get to about 30 "I was 29 last year you know"! or "I am ONLY 36" then revert to adding on a year when we pass 80.

oooh - good news though, I will hopefully be teaching my first box making workshop on the 7th September at a lovely shop in Barrowford called Patchwork Chicks - lets hope we get lots of folk sign up for the day...

I have been doing the odd drum workshop here and there but next week I am doing a full week of drumming with family's working towards a performance next Friday - I am still trying to figure out how to keep everyone entertained for 5 hours a day! eeek! I think some instrument making may be in order...anyone for a yogurt pot shaker??

Lastly - in case I don't get back here for another week or so I wanted to say a massive thank you to everyone who has left comments and who follow my exploits, I love reading the comments but at the moment feel like I am being rather neglectful when it comes to replying and visiting all my favourite blogs - I will get there in the end!