Busy Busy Busy!!

I have had a busy few weeks creating new things for a craft fair last weekend at Suffolk Food Hall. Now i'm updating you on the new designs and creations now available on CuppaTeaAndCake Etsy and CuppaTeaAndCake Folksy.

On the left there is the new Cream Teas tote. I love this one, I have a feeling I am going to be making more of these as they seem to be selling well. I had an exciting moment this week when my stockist at LoveOne text and said she'd sold 4 bags to a friendly American lady and could I take more over. Apparently the lady was exclaiming "How cute and British!" I was chuffed to bits. She took them home as gifts. So I am now an international seller!

Also new on the scene is this lovely blue striped chappy for keeping your brew perfect for sipping when you're enjoying these sunny afternoons and evenings! I hope you have been as lucky with weather as we have over here in Suffolk. New tea cosy is a plump fella with some stretch so even tho he's pictured snuggled over a 2/3 cup teapot he'll squeeze nicely over a larger pot! The beauty of the tea cosy is that it is insulated for extra warmth but also gives that stretch for those of us drinking tea by the litre!

And finally my latest venture and it is terribly exciting, for me anyway! These are the new Cuppa Tea And Cake badges! I have made more than this 8 but luckily for me they are already being sold in LoveOne in Ipswich. Once they are packaged up they'll be available on Etsy and Folksy. They are so cute I'm really pleased with them and hope you like them too!

My first tag! I'm rather excited!

I've been tagged! For the first time ever, i'm so excited, tho i'm not sure who to tag as I don't have many friends, here goes tho!

Here's the rules:

1. Respond and rework: Answer the questions on your blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your invention, add more one question of your own.

2. Tag eight other people.

Here goes...............

What is your current obsession? Shrinkles. Remember those? More about those soon!

Coffee or tea? Definitely tea, the name should say it all. I don't drink coffee as I get migraines.

What’s for dinner? Mmmm lasagne

What would you eat for your last meal? Oh jeez, I don't know. I love food. Probably roast dinner, Lamb preferably.

What was the last thing you bought? Food shopping. Last off the conveyor belt was baking potatoes I think.

What are you listening to right now? Wimbledon coverage.

What is your favourite piece of clothing in your own wardrobe? Black velvet 80s jacket with sequinned shoulders. I don't wear it v often. Its a bit much really lol.

What is your favourite ice cream flavour? Ben & Jerry's chocolate fudge brownie.

What do you think of the person(s) who tagged you? I don't know her very well but i'm very excited about any blog friends. And I appreciate being tagged.

If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go? This is a toughy too. Probably Southwold Harbour Inn sitting outside in the sun with a nice cool glass of pimms and my Chris.

Which language do you want to learn? I'm rubbish at languages so I have no desire to put myself through that again!

What is your favourite colour? I love colour, so to pick one is pretty difficult but if I had to it would be pink.

What is your dream job? I would love to make money from being an artist and creating what I enjoy. One day I really hope this could be true. I do love lecturing so I think i'd do some of that too. As pocket money (haha!)

What is your worst habit? worrying! I am a big worrier!

If you had £100 now, what would you spend it on? Vintage finds!

Do you admire anyone’s style? I admire loads of people's style, check out Lookbook.nu I get lots of inspiration from there.

Describe your personal style? I think someone I know could describe it better than me. A friend's partner once said 'how does Jess manage to look like she's covered herself in super glue and jumped into her wardrobe and still look good?' i've calmed down a lot since then! I think I just look like me.

What are you going to do after this? From looking around I think I better tidy.

What are your favourite movies? Currently, Che Parts One and Two and Amelie. I've seen a lot of really good films this year.

What is your favourite fruit? Pineapple.

What inspires you? Englishness, domesticity and the countryside.

What's your favourite book? I don't really have a favourite. I love Haruki Murakami and i've not read a bad Persephone so far.

Do you collect something? Too many things, vintage homewares, old tins, fabric

If you could change your name to anything, what would you call yourself? I actually really like my name. I am Jessica which I do like, but I think i'm definitely Jess. Sometimes Jessie, i'm not a big fan, but it depends on who says it.

What is your favourite smell? Bed in the morning. Or a warm cat (yes for you non cat people I know that sounds off but I hope you cat people will get it)

What are you most proud of? Finally finding my own style and liking what I create.

How many times do you press the snooze button before you get up? I press it once if I do it at all, I do tend to get up tho, i'm quite the morning person.

Cats or dogs? Cats. In a big way.

What’s your biggest fashion mistake? When you've been as bonkers as me when it comes to clothes the list is endless.

Complete the following: Love is… for us, never arguing and being constantly silly and not feeling stupid for it.

What is your guilty TV pleasure? Oooo i don't know. Dolly Parton!

What are you reading currently? Marianna by Monica Dickens

What did you want to be when you grew up? A geologist, a teacher and a journalist.

What is your biggest regret? Not doing a textiles degree. But I wouldn't be so well rounded a lecturer now had I not done a fine art degree. So i best get over it.

Tag! You’re it:

Strolling Sue
Blueberry Park
Thoughts Of The Common Reader
Claire Palmer Designs
Debbie's English Treasures
Sal's Snippets

Play along if you fancy it, don't worry if you can't be bothered.

Woodbridge Vintage and Comtemporary Fair

Here is a picture of the Vintage and Contemporary Fair in Woodbridge we went to last week. I took loads of pics of how busy it was and people buying and enjoying themselves but because it was so busy I couldn't get shots of the stalls. But it was a great day, the area the stalls were in was a bit too small really. There was so much squeezing between people I think I probably missed quite a bit of good stuff because you just couldn't get in to see the stalls!

As you can see from the photos it was a really lovely day, warm and sunny and looks like the stall holders had a very profitable day too! I managed to get myself an orange handbag which i'll take a picture of soon so you can see it. I would've got more but not only could i not get to the stalls but I was rather poor too! Probably for the best or I would've had so much stuff and I don't have much room to spare as it is!

Well i'm off this morning to ignore what I just said about not having much spare room and going for a trawl round the charity shops to see what I can find before Wimbledom coverage starts at 12 noon!!

A rather jolly weekend, followed by a forced period of incommunicado

Here I am back after a day of forced exile from the internet thanks to the lovely guys landscaping the drive and front garden chopping through our broadband cable! Anyway....

On Saturday Chris and I went to the Woodbridge Vintage and Contemporary Fair, the first one held on Market Hill in Woodbridge. It was wonderful, and I do have pictures, but Chris has them on his camera so you'll just have to wait!

Anyway, at the fair I got a 60s orange handbag and just down the thoroughfare stopped in at the Salvation Army charity shopped and picked up this wonderful granny blanket. For £2! I had to fix a hole and wash out the crusty bits and old rice crispies (You think i'm kidding but I am not!) and now it sits happily in my picnic basket.

And then!!! on Saturday evening Chris and I, his brother Ian and his wife Sue, his Mum and Dad and Sue's brother Chris all went to Elmswell where Ian and Sue live to their annual Picnic and Prom. It was so good. I took the picnic basket filled with delicious treats and my thermos of tea and covered my knees with the rice crispie encrusted blanket, waved my union jack flag and sung Jerusalem (with everyone else I might add, I wasn't just carrying on alone!)

More photos to come when I can get the camera off Chris.

Waiting for another sunny day

The other weekend when it was really sunny and lovely I sat in the garden listening to Radio 4 and doing my knitting. The only thing that was missing was my deckchair. You just can't relax properly on a wooden garden chair for sitting at the table.

I eventually went and retrieved my deckchair from my parents' house last week. Unfortunately by that time the sun had gone away! So yes that is carpet you can see, now grass. That little pile, my knitting, persephone book and bag of drawing equipment is waiting there. Waiting for the sun.

In the mean time i'm busy designing more prints, cutting more stencils and printing more bags. And making art too!

LoveOne

LoveOne is a wonderful little shop on St Peter's Street in Ipswich. I have mentioned it on this blog several times before because it stocks my stuff, as you can see in the picture on the left. For some reason I can't get it looking clearer than that, sorry!! Anyway, doesn't it look lovely. I'm really happy with the way my work is displayed at LoveOne.

Here are some pics of other items stocked in LoveOne. Super bright and cheery aprons made by a local maker. Camper Van and Beach Hut crockery by Jam Tart. I love this stuff! There are also tea towels, peg bags and aprons in the same designs which are also stocked here. And loads of other locally made and gorgeous things including a great range of handmade cards including ones by Angie Lewin of St Judes Gallery in Norfolk. Some delicious new pampering products for your bathroom also made in Norfolk, I love these because some things come in those jars with the clippy lid! Some beautiful jewellery made from precious gemstone beads and silver and diamante. And woven plastic bags and baskets made by the Innipooh company based in Bury St Edmunds.

The atmosphere of the shop is friendly and it always smells delicious, which is yummy in itself. LoveOne is especially good because a lot of the products are made by local makers and artists which I think is something we all need to recognise about where we live. We are surrounded by talented and exciting people.