Happy Christmas Everyone!

Every year Chris and I make our Christmas wrapping paper. We started it two years ago when we used a rubber stamp to print gold stars on brown paper.

Last year we screen printed dark and light blue snowflakes onto brown paper and finished it off with silver and blue ribbon.

This year we couldn't let the tradition fall to the wayside, we had set a president and so we must carry on!

So yesterday afternoon we cut stencils, mixed print paste and cut up brown paper and off we went printing out Christmas tree wrapping paper. Doesn't it look great! We printed onto card for labels too and wrapped everything up with bows and ribbon.

The only sad thing is when you go to that much trouble and then it all gets torn off! Oh well, we love making the effort and love the results even more!

I Make Fun Stuff Craft Market Number One!

So the day finally arrived. I woke up at 5am having dreamt all night that no customers would turn up. We got to the venu with several eager sellers waiting for us when we arrived. Tables up and stalls being beautifully decorated didn't take long and it all looked amazing!



We'd been featured in our local newspaper twice the day before so we were super pleased about that. We had also contacted the radio stations and put posters up all over the place. It seemed to work. When all was done 700 visitors had been clocked in from 10-4!!



We had jewellery, bags, accessories, original artwork, ceramics, vintage clothing, contemporary clothing and homewares and it was all snapped up eagerly by customers escaping the cold day for sone unique retail therapy.



At the end of the day all our stallholders were happy and we'd had a very fun and successful day! I made twice as much as I had at any craft fair before! Chris and I were in complete awe that it had worked, we'd done it!

And stay tuned folks, because we're going to do it again! If you would like a stall next time or know someone who might please visit www.imakefunstuff.co.uk and let us know!




-- Post From My iPhone

Its Nearly Here!

It's nearly here!!! It's nearly here!!

The 1st I Make Fun Stuff Craft Market

is on SATURDAY!!! Town Hall Galleries Ipswich!

We have accessories, homewares, jewellery, original artwork and contemporary and vintage clothes! What more could you ask for?

New things New things!!

Woo hoo!!! Look I have finally been able to take photos of the news bags I have been printing!
With not having the camera and a long succession of dull days I have been unable to take some decent photographs but finally a clear day has arrived and the camera is back with me.

So here, you are the first to see the new Autumn/Winter designs from CuppaTeaAndCake.

There are more to come but are still on the conveyor belt so there is still more excitement on the cards!


So as you can see there are several "Tea Cup" designs in different colours. I decided to order a few coloured bags as they looked so jolly exciting and I think they're rather lovely printed in gold.

For the crafty people out there as well as those obsessed with tea like me, is the new "knitter" bags which have come about due to the popularity of the knitter badges! They are available in big and little totes and in blue and pink. And they may even be available in more colours soon. Oooo!!!

There are only a few of those and currently, unless there is a massive demand before they won't be on sale until the I Make Fun Stuff Craft Market. Please let me know what you think, I really appreciate your feedback.

I can't get these images to align right on the page so it's just gonna have to be random!!

Autumn

I know not everyone shares my view but I LOVE Autumn. I love when it starts to get cold and you have to turn the heating on so it's all cosy and warm. I love that day when you just HAVE to light the fire in the sitting room.

I love how the tree outside my house is red at the top, to orange, to yellow to a few green leaves left at the bottom.

I love putting my scarf and hat on! YES!!! I love wearing my big coat. Not just because i love my big coat but because I can tuck up all warm in it.

And best of all, warm cosy beds with the quilt up to my chin and lovely comfy pyjamas!

In other news this week I have been busy making things for the I Make Fun Stuff Craft Market. I've been printing new bags and sewing up some bunting and making masses and masses of badges! I would LOVE to show you pictures of the new designs but someone has my camera and so I haven't been able to take any pics! I shall get it back tomorrow and hopefully it will be bright enough to get some decent images.

Look out for those, I do hope you like them! Until then I shall depart, off to do some drawing in my big cosy bed!!!

DotComGiftShop

Well everyone, I had a very exciting email yesterday! Dotcomgiftshop have reviewed this hear blog on their website in their own "Crafty Blogs We Love" section. How ruddy exciting is that?! That's the first time i've had a response like that to my little blog. More news there soon hopefully. Especially as its the kind of online shop that stocks lots of yummy vintage style things, polka dots, flowery and french style! I'm pining after one of the Victorian Parasols myself!

In other news I have been busy sending away internet orders (these are on the up aswell which is also very exciting!) and making loads of new badges to sell at the upcoming I Make Fun Stuff Craft Market. I have also started printing new tote bags for the same event. I am really enjoying printing my new designs. I bought an A3 screen for printing bigger designs and it is so darn cool. I wanted to show you pictures of the new stuff but since Autumn has set in all the good light in the evening has left. Luckily it's half term next week so I will be at home during the day and can take some shots.

Watch out for those, blog posts are much more exciting with images I know!

Time for Drawing

Well I am finally writing a proper blog entry rather than just posting photos of places i've been to or things that i've done. There's a turn up for the books! (where the hell does that phrase come from??) This past week at work i've been lucky enough to find some time to do some spontaneous drawing just for the fun of it. So i thought i'd share the two I did that actually turned out alright!

I have also been designing new bags with and making new badges as well as having ideas for new products which will debut at the I Make Fun Stuff Craft Market. Sneak peaks soon i'm sure. They have a crafty theme to them, knitting, sewing etc as well as a few other ideas.


I also have some good news, the fair now has 10 confirmed pitches and we are working on the
advertising so that we get stacks of people in and buying all the amazing goodies our stall holders have to offer!

So the things you will be able to buy include....

Vintage clothing and screenprinted handmade skirts & accessories. Bags made from used skateboards. Jewellery. Homewares. Embroidered bags. Artwork and all the other little things our sellers make! We are so ruddy excited! I will be keeping on about it right up until the day before so here is a little reminder for you....

I Make Fun Stuff Craft Market. Town Hall Galleries, Cornhill, Ipswich.

Saturday 28th November 2009

10 - 5pm!!

Inside Us All Is Hope

This post is ONLY about and ALL about the new film that is being released at the end of this year...
Where The Wild Things Are

I hadn't read the book until Chris saw the trailer for the film and bought me the book. Go watch the trailer at the link above cos this film looks great.

I am currently listening to the soundtrack which is available on Spotify. It is all original work by Karen O of Yeah Yeah Yeahs fame. Its beautiful and full of kids singing which just makes it even more charming.

I can't wait for this film. It is going to amazing.

Zoe Murphy

Hi everyone, I'm sorry i've been so rubbish at blogging lately. I started back at work at the beginning of September (Sorry if i've already said this) and I am working long hours and more than I have for a long time which has been leaving me very tired and only home during dim hours of the day when pictures look rubbish! BUT I am getting into the swing of it now and I have been printing some new things and designing new bags so I will have goodies to show you soon.

In the mean time I thought I would tell you about my current discovery. An amazing designer called Zoe Murphy The chest of drawers on the left are screen printed on to wood :O I LOVE that!!

She also makes patchwork from hand dyed wedding dress fabric which she prints onto and then upholsters furniture with. Like that amazing footstool on the left. Man I love it. This is what has kept my brain buzzing whilst working with demanding students all day.

AND as if that wasn't enough she also does wall pieces on old bits of formica work top!

She is based in Margate and her work is inspired by where she lives. I can't get enough of it. Hopefully I will get some time to develop what i've been doing and show you the results. Only three weeks til half term!! hehe!

I Make Fun Stuff Craft Market

The I Make Fun Stuff Craft Market is go!!!!

Saturday 28th November 2009

Town Hall Galleries, Cornhill, Ipswich

The application process is still open if you are interested in applying for a pitch this time, or if you want to take one at a future fair.

Pitches are £20 this time.

Please visit www.imakefunstuff.co.uk

More I Make Fun Stuff events and such like coming soon

Woodbridge Vintage and Comtemporary Fair & A Sorry!!

Hi everyone!! Firstly i'm sorry i've been so incommunicado for the last few weeks. Very few updates I am very sorry! I started back at work at the college and am working so many hours then popping out in the evening to Chris', my folks' and to see friends I am shattered every night! I haven't even had time to make anything and have bought magazines I haven't had time to read. Now i'm feeling a bit more with it (its Saturday thank god!!) I must not neglect you again!!

SO!!!! Here are some images from the second Woodbridge Vintage and Contemporary Fair. This time LoveOne had a stall which I helped run with Nicola who you can see in the picture sitting at the back sending a text hehe! Isn't the stall lovely?? We had such a successful day! Oh my goodness so much better than the last few events Cathy and Myself have done. It was an excellent day and I got some goodies myself which I will try and take photos of tomo. I was giddy with vintage excitement! OooooO!!!!

There were so many excellent stalls over flowing with goodies and beautiful things to buy. I sold lots of union jack bunting and badges which was so exciting!! AND had a few shop owners interested in my stuff and several stall holders interested in our fair at the end of November (post about that coming up)

What an excellent day we had! There is another on 12th December and if we don't get a stall this time we'll definitely be visiting!

Harvest at Jimmy's

Last weekend Chris and I went to Harvest at Jimmy's, a festival just outside Ipswich!! We bought tickets months ago but it had suddenly arrived.



So we packed our coats, camping chairs, blankets etc and set off for a weekend of good music and good food!! And that it was! There was so much for kids too. A whole area devoted to keeping them amused and having lots of fun. We drank well, ate well and enjoyed Jose Gonzales, Seth Lakeman and KT Tunstall especially.



We did have to wait in a queue for an hour for our dinner on the Saturday but we chatted and luckily joined the queue well before I was hungry so it wasn't awful. We packed a picnic tea on Sunday and sat in the car getting warm before going back into the festival for more music and sitting in a field into the night! Even leaving the festival by car wasn't a nightmare and we got to spend the night in a proper bed instead of camping. Much better. It was a rather middle class festival haha! But I think that was part of the beauty.

We really enjoyed ourselves and plan to go again next year! More food stalls though please Jimmy!!

Art on the Prom

Just had to show you all the pictures from Art on the Prom that Cathy from LoveOne (my stall partner) took! They look really good. As does our stall, even if I do say so myself!

It was a warm, cool, very windy day! I was putting my scarf on, taking it off and my cardie too all day. Coat went on at the end, and we left pleased with ourselves and with pink faces! In my case, VERY pink!

How good does the bunting look in this seaside setting?? There was a fantastic beach hut just behind us and to the right that was exactly the right colour to compliment out stall. It would have looked perfect if I could've sneakily hung my bunting over it and taken a pic, but sadly it was being used and i'm not that cheeky!

There we go you can see it there on the right, what a great colour!!

The wind was so strong in the afternoon the pegs that were holding my bags to the fencing pinged off and I kept running about putting them back on! Cathy was fighting with her pinnys to keep them from attacking her where she sat!

It was all very funny for us but there were several stallholders further up the prom fighting with the wind more than we were as they had no beach huts as windbreaks.

These are the ladies themselves. I say ladies as each of the styles of pinnys have their own name. Gloria and Ivy to name but a few. They are made from hawaiian shirt fabric. Aren't they amazing. My favourite is the yellow, pink and brown one. I do believe that one was sold on the day. Damn it!

You will find us at several fairs in the area soon.

LoveOne will be at
Gay Pride at Christchurch Park, Ipswich on Sunday 13th September
and
Woodbridge Vintage & Contemporary Fair on 26th September

Cuppa Tea And Cake will be at the I Make Fun Stuff Craft Fair at the Town Hall Galleries in Ipswich on Saturday 28th November.

Tea and Cake and Domesticity

These are a few images of my work displayed at the Domestic Landscape Exhibition which finished on Sunday. It was a very quiet affair and unfortunately I feel the venue was in a rather isolated area of town meaning there was not very much footfall, the people who visited were mainly those who were invited or were visiting the church itself!

The images here are a bit blurry so click on them to see the work a bit clearer.

But it was good for me to have the opportunity to display my work, and hopefully the chance will come up again in a more central location and more appropriate forum. I am already thinking about how I can move my work forward and develop my style so i'm really thankful for that. So watch this space, my mind is running wild!

In other news after Art on The Prom there will be some new bags available through my etsy and folksy pages and some of the work displayed at the exhibition will be available to buy too.

I have also started back at work at the college which is fantastic AND I have a new stockist in Bury St Edmunds!

Please visit Wibbling Wools on Angel Hill for a selection of my goodies. You can get knitter badges and some tote bags in large and mini too!

And trust me guys, what a wool shop!!

Brace yourselves!

Hello everyone. It looks like I've been a little neglectful again I am sorry I feel like I've had an entirely mad week! It's not been that bad but it sure feels that way.

I've been hanging my show, baking for a birthday outing, locating and collecting a kitten, having the show private view and doing Art on the Prom in Felixstowe. Oh and visiting the kitten lots!

So hanging the show was surprisingly pain free. Baking went well. We went to Dunwich for fish and chips and then took afternoon tea together which was lovely. Private view was well attended and Art on the Prom was great fun. But lets cut to the chase, the most important event of the week. The kitten!



Here she is. Her name is Izzy. We chose her name because she looks exactly like one of our previous cats, a boy called Tizz. They have the same few hairs of white under the chin! And she is lovely. As kittens and cats are. She's got braver, bolder and faster as she zooms round the house! She likes to be where we are so when I was sorting some stuff earlier there she was chasing the elastic I was using. She makes cute little chirps and meows and purrs loud and without much encouragement and darts around from room to room.

Thank goodness for small things that can make you so happy everything else is rosy with it. I'm so glad that happens both ways, when we lost Poppy a lot of other things felt lost too. Now things are coming right again.




-- Post From My iPhone

Domestic Landscape Exhibition

Here is the advertising info for the exhibition I am included in beginning next weekend.

I have neglected to put on the flyer there that it is arranged by the Key Arts organisation based here in Ipswich, it is they who run the St Mary at the Quay exhibition space.

As I said in my last post, I was feeling rather anxious about the whole thing having not had a show since my degree show but I have cropped everything this morning and I've changed my mind thank goodness!!

Hopefully the exhibition will be a success, I am rather looking forward to it now.

I just hope the image on the left was a bit clearer, sorry everyone! It makes my eyes feel a bit funny but I can't seem to make it better, i'm not sure why it's doing that!

Please come to the show, pop in, if you happen to be in Ipswich.

Sometimes being busy can come as a blessing

Firstly thank you to everyone who sent me messages of sympathy about Poppy. I really appreciate them and it helps to know there are people out there thinking of you.

It has turned out to be a rather busy week which as I said in the subject of this post, can be a blessing. It has kept my mind distracted from missing Poppy and made sure I focus on other things.

So this picture shows my floor yesterday. I have been trying to pull some things together and sort some work out for a exhibition i'm included in that starts next Friday. I will post the flyer for the event in a seperate post. It's called Domestic Landscape.

I do find it jolly hard to produce work I am happy with. I think I always believe there should be some weighty concept behind it all. An idea that was drummed into me during my highly conceptual fine art degree. And something I resent greatly. I must relax and remember to love what I do.

I have also been making products for the Art on the Prom event in Felixstowe next Sunday. I do hope the weather holds as it should be a really good day at the seaside if its sunny and lovely for us all. And I would be very excited if I sold lots of lovely things to lots of lovely people!

A bad week

This is Poppy. She needed an operation a few weeks ago to remove some teeth that were bothering her and I was worried she wouldn't survive the op. Well luckily she was fine.

But sadly, very very sadly after being on tablets for a few weeks for an overactive thyroid she was poorly on Sunday and on Monday evening I had to say goodbye.

I have had many cats throughout my 26 years, we've always had them since I was born. Poppy was 19 and a wonderful cat with funny habits and characteristics. She loved any food and would try to steal anything from you given half a chance. Even a chocolate brownie!

I can't tell you how upset I am to lose her. Those with pets will understand you love them like you love a person. The house feels empty without her. And she always came to see what was wrong when I was upset.

I'm sowing Poppy seeds in the garden for her. I wish these gestures really could bring her back.

-- Post From My iPhone

A Splendid Day Out!

Yesterday I travelled down to Maidstone in Kent to visit Flo of Thoughts of The Common Reader for her birthday treat. A visit to Headcorn Aerodrome for a Vintage Aircraft Fly In and Military Day. There was stalls with vintage uniforms, military vehicle parts and even one that would do your hair WWII style! How tempting that was....

There were jeeps, tanks, ambulances, little tank things called Ferrets (Flo's partner Jip wants one of these!) wartime cars, tents, planes and allsorts of other things! There was an excellent RAF Ops exhibition. Everyone in uniform in a tent with one of those map boards, as we were watching there was an officer on the telephone and then he stuck his head out of the tent shouted "SCRAMBLE!" and rang a bell and the airmen dashed off in scorching heat in huge boots and flying jackets! PHEW it was 25 degrees yesterday!

My favourite bit was the Ministry of Food tent. Look at that! Chequered tablecloth, enamel bread bin, information posters and fresh veg! There was a lady all dressed up and ready to tell us how to be healthy and do what best we could with our rations!

We all had a wonderful time walking around and spotting all the people dressed up. Every one of them looked amazing and just like they'd dropped out the 40s. The vehicles were excellent and there was even a re-enactment which was rather loud and full of explosions!



After too much sun we met up by the car where some of us had been relaxing in the shade with two tired dogs in need of a snooze.

Pens Pens Pens

Hello dear readers, I must apologise for such a long absence. And I didn't warn you either! For the last two weeks I have spent very little time at home due to circumstances I won't discuss in such a public place but now I am back and can focus on updating you all on what I have been doing.

Look!! The drawing on the left just happened on Saturday afternoon while I was working at LoveOne. I had been thinking of doing a design featuring pens for a new run of mini bags for Art on The Prom in Felixstowe on 30th August.

The drawing itself may also be included in the exhibition I am a part of at St Mary At The Quay in Ipswich 28th August til 6th September.

So the end of this month is going to be rather busy! I also start back at work on 1st September in the NEW college building!!

So here is the new mini bag design. A bit more refined than the original drawing because the more pens, the smaller the stencils and the harder it is to cut! I am rather pleased with it though. This was a very small run but I am already considering doing more in different colours.

I do hope you are all well. I am sorry again for being a way so long!!

All is not lost!

I have managed to do a few things whilst trapped in a mental block! I wouldnt like to say anything about coming out the other side or anything, don't want to jinx anything.

I printed the shapes this morning. I thought of it last night, i'm not sure about what is going to happen to it next but i was very pleased it was successful and came out how I imagined.

There has also been more tea cups. Some patterns and some fondant fancies produced. I've also had lots of ideas and had lots of inspiration so lets hope things are on the up.





I have also been looking after LoveOne while the owner is on holiday which is so much fun and also gives me time to read and draw between lovely customers. The shop is wonderful and makes me want one of my own! Not really an option but its fun playing shop keeper for a while. I'm there this Thursday and Saturday too so if any of you happen to be in Ipswich and fancy exploring St Nicholas Street and St Peters Street (I recommend you do!) pop down and say hello!

Its fun for me to see how well my products sell and the kind of people who take an interest in them. Its all rather fun and exciting I must say.

The Fondant Fancy is going to be used in some kind of stationery way, mini notecards, invitations, notelets. Maybe all three!

Sorry the picture is a bit dark, the weather is so odd here, can't seem to make it's mind up!

Oh bother!

Queue here if you have artist's block!

I think in jinxed myself! I shouldn't have posted about having a purple patch! As soon as I acknowledged it it departed! I'm blocked now with no inspiration on how to take things further. Maybe I need to take a trip somewhere!!!

Purple Patch

Have you ever heard of a Purple Patch? The wikidictionary defines it as this

"A period of excellent performance, where nearly everything seems to go right, work properly, and contrasting with a more general lower level of performance."

Now I wouldn't go so far as to say that I am experiencing a period where nearly everything goes right, my wouldnt everything going right just be wonderful!! But I do have to say i'm having a great time at the moment, I am on a bit of a roll. And it was completely serendipitous!

I've been drawing lots in the last week, many things similar to the stacked tea cups on the left. I think I will be branching out into greetings cards soon so watch this space!

Poppy Cat

I didn't show you this when I mentioned it just about everywhere else last week.

My cat Poppy is 19 and she needs an operation to take some of her teeth out. As she is so old and she is really quite skinny now I was very worried she wouldn't make it through the anesthetic. Not being able to do much to help this situation all I could think to do was make a badge in homage to her.

She went to the vet who did a blood test and it was discovered she has thyroid problems and so has to be on a pill everyday and the operation was delayed for a few weeks. My mum tells me she is very good at taking her tablet.

Hopefully she will be okay. I will be keeping my watch over her by wearing my badge and giving her more love and attention than she can handle!

Update: Poppy had her dental work today, she had 4 teeth out! But she is fine and home and enjoying food and drink as we speak! What a relief. Brave kitty!

A wonderful weekend away

Back to the world of the internet and lists of things to do after a wonderful break up in Southwold. It may only be an hour up the road from us but it's a world apart when it comes to everyday life! We stayed in a friend's mobile home for a few days which was really comfortable and much nicer than the tent we had last year at Latitude Festival!

Luckily we missed out on any rain that did make an appearance but there wasn't much! We walked up into Southwold for a look around and a drink in the Sole Bay Inn on Friday afternoon. We took lots of photos and perused the shops.

I had a lovely half pint of Aspalls outside the Sole Bay Inn and enjoyed the view across St James' Green to the sea.

We walked up to the Harbour Inn for dinner after much listening to the cricket on my Roberts Radio. Chris' fish and chips came to the table wrapped in paper like a takeaway, saved on the washing up I suppose! Back to the van in time to miss the rain and finish off the night listening to the radio.

Saturday we popped over to Walberswick on the ferry and had a spot of elevenses at the Parish Lantern. We were sharing our tea and cakes with lots of Sparrows eager to pinch our crumbs and help themselves to our left overs even when they were still on our plates! They were cheeping at us as if to say 'save some for us! we're hungry too!' Clever little things, they must hang out there all day getting easy pickings!
It was after that we discovered Fair Enough, featured in my previous post.

After that we headed up into Southwold to buy presents, have lunch and visit the pier. That wore us out! We bought lots of lovely gifts and a few bits and pieces for ourselves. Unfortunately Chris didn't get to see the water clock working again because it was running 30 minutes fast and had just gone past the hour.

The water clock on Southwold pier 'comes alive' on the hour and half past the hour when the water runs through the mechanism and the clock starts to work it's magic! I won't spoil the surprise incase you've never seen the Southwold Pier Clock but it's definitely worth seeing. As long as your luck is better than Chris'! It didn't work last time we went because it was so windy!

After lots of shopping we went back to the van and fell asleep listening to the cricket. We popped up to Mark's fish and chip shop for tea and then played Connect 4 and Scrabble. I was on good form, winning a lot at Connect 4 and managing to beat Chris at Scrabble for the first time ever. I think he was tired and wasn't reaching his full potential hehe!

After lots of game playing it was time for bed and then packing up and coming home. What a splendid time we had, very relaxing and we didn't really miss electricity. We had the radio for the cricket and radio 4 and each other. Perfect.