October Update

What a busy month so far and it's only the 6th!

Falkland Craft Market on Saturday was a great success, really busy with lots of people coming from afar just for the fair.

I was pleased with my stall as although I had just as much stock as usual, it all seemed to fit better and I sold some of everything so nothing was being over looked or not seen.

I spent last week making, making, making with the result that although I sold a lot, I have plenty left over to stock up my Etsy shop.

I have three of these cuffs for sale at £12 each. They are made using my own handmade felt. Lots of rich texture and colour make each one unique. They are also comfortable to wear and light weight too.

I made this Trinket Box from the same panel of felt. It measures 10 x 0 x 6 cm. The big heart charm helps keep the lid closed.

£38

I love these Felt Heart Pendants and wear one myself at every opportunity.

£24 each complete with chain and voile gift bag.

My Treble Clef Tweed Heart Brooches have been very popular and are great fun to make. I love choosing the colours and seeing them all together like this.

I only have one of each colour above available this week. £12 each. I will be making more for my next events though.

I have lots of new printed cards in stock. All are available individually and some in sets of four or six.

Set of six printed cards £12

Set of Four Printed Cards £8

One thing I am really short of just now is original felt pictures. I sold quite a few last month and have only had time to make a couple recently.

This picture below is a composition I have been wanting to try for a long time. I had the frame left over from Open Studios and I'm really pleased with the way it has turned out.

I'm planning to have Bookmarks made from prints of the design.

'Ard Beag' meaning Small Rise

£95 Framed

All of the above are available in my Etsy shop here 

Below is a new line that I am hoping to make available soon. It's a printed cushion featuring one of my felt landscapes. As with all my printed products, the quality of the print shows up the fibres and stitches used in the original picture, making it hard to tell that it is a print.

If I go ahead with this idea, the cushions will be available to order online only. I won't actually have any cushions in stock. You will be able to choose your design for the back and front, choose the size and fabric and have them sent directly to you from the company that makes them. You can also have them sent as a gift which is a great idea.

My next events are 

Saturday 25th October

Ptcairngreen Village Hall

Craft Fair

Pitcairngreen near Almondbank

by Perth

10.30 - 3pm

Sunday 2nd November 

Morningside Makers Market

2 Newbattle Terrace

Edinburgh

EH10 4RT

11-4pm

Sunday 16th November 2014

The Handmade Show

Perth Concert Hall

10.30-4.30pm

Saturday 22nd November 2014

Winter Makers Market

The Steeple

Newburgh

10-4pm

Winter Makers Market at The Steeple in Newburgh Saturday 7th December

I will have a stall at the 

Winter Makers Market on Saturday 7th December at The Steeple, Newburgh, Fife

10 - 4.30 pm

 I will have my full range of items with me including a few new makes.

These oval Seascape Pendants are £22.

Made with heat fused and stitched fabrics set behind resin.

Or what about a sunset behind purple mountains!

I made a couple of new felt pictures last week but they sold within minutes via Facebook so I had this one made into a printed card.

'First Frost' Printed Card £2.50 Available here

Looks lovely framed don't you think? You can hardly tell it apart from the original which is shown below.

 I also made this picture. 'Little Lochty Cottage' measures 12 x 1 7 cm and comes complete with mount and 20 x 26.5 cm frame.

£65 available here

I'm excited to use my new display trays at my next events.

These stacking trays not only allow me to display more pieces neatly on my stall but they are perfect for storing in between fairs and make finding individual pendants and earrings sets so much easier.

As you can see I have a lot more in stock that I have listed on line. I'll hopefully get time to list some more next week.

after the Makers Market at The Steeple I will be exhibiting at a 

Mini Art and Craft Show

at 9 Kirkbrae, Cults, Aberdeen

This is to be held at the home of my friend Michelle and I will be joined by Loobie and Boo and Couthie Designs by Linda Thomson.

 Linda makes beautiful felt scarves and collars and other felt items.

Scarf by Linda Thomson.

Laura at Loobie and Boo makes a variety of Harris Tweed phone, ipad and kindle covers plus key rings brooches and more.

This little event will be a real treat and a feast of colourful felt and tweed!

Phone Cosies by Loobie and Boo

A Wonderful Time At The Handmade Show!

What a wonderful time we all had at The Handmade Show on Sunday.

As soon as the doors opened at 10.30 am, people were streaming in and the general consensus from customers was that it was a fantastic show case of quality crafts and gifts and the exhibitors all agreed that it was well organised and really good fun to take part in.

Me and my stall.

I was right next to Loobie and Boo again which was really nice. We think our stalls look lovely side by side and compliment each other with their colourful array of items. Laura makes a wide selection of notebook covers, iPad and Kindle covers as well as phone and glasses cases using vibrant non patterned Harris Tweeds. Her designs include sheep, dogs and highland cows as well as lots of polka dots and bunting. You can find Loobie and Boo online here

On my other side was the lovely Rebecca of Songbead. I've met up with Rebecca at previous Handmade Show's and at other fairs and it's always lovely to exhibit beside friends. 

We all had a great day and went home exhausted but happy.

So due to all these fairs I have been busily making for, my blog updates have been few and my Etsy shop has not been as full as it should be.

I have tried to rectify this by listing lots of new things in my shop this week.

First up I have some new brooches now available. I just love this little pink tweed bird. I made quite a few and sold lots at the fair so this is the last pink one for now.

£12

My new rings have been a big hit and I have a couple listed here

£18

Last week was a bit of a box making frenzy as there was such a demand for my sheep ones. I have SO many orders for various sizes and sold all the ones I had made for the show. I also made these three abstract boxes as well though.

This one features a piece of fabric that I made using the embellisher machine. The sides are a lovely purple Harris Tweed and it is lined with a vibrant turquoise cord.

Boxes £35 available here

Also new for The Handmade Show are these oval pendants and earrings.

They have a lovely satin finish and I have used a simple turquoise and iridescent silver fabric set behind resin for the focal point. The pendant has a lovely weighty feel and comes on a 16", 1.5 mm silver plated snake chain.

£22

The Earrings are on solid silver ear wires.

£18

More colour ways coming soon.

I have also listed lots of new square, round, drop and heart shaped pendants this week which you can see here

To visit my shop click here

New this week are these round Sheep Pendants. They are bigger than my small round ones but not as big as the oval ones so I have priced them at £18

My other best seller at the weekend were these Sheep Brooches.

Sheep Brooch Pins £18

So as I have been busily getting on with things, the season has turned and we awoke to a thick frost this morning.

I love a bright, crisp morning with blue skies and a misty horizon.

My next event is an afternoon at the Royal Hotel in Dunkeld on Saturday 23rd November, 

1 - 4 pm.

Then I will be at The Winter Makers Market in Newburgh on Saturday 7th December, 

10 - 4.30 pm 

The Makers Markets are fab as there are such a variety of stalls as well as Hatters pop up cafe and usually live traditional music as well. I should be all stocked up again by then so hopefully see some of you there!

The Handmade Show and The Winter Makers Market

Following a successful fair at Pitcairngreen on Saturday, I am now looking forward to 

The Handmade Show next Sunday at Perth Concert Hall!

Sunday 3rd November

10.30 - 4.30 pm

I will have my full range of items with me including new pictures, textile Trinket Boxes, new Rings, lots of Textile Jewellery and plenty of Sheep Jewellery as well.

The boxes are as popular as ever so I am trying to get as many made as possible.

I also have new cards just in.

I still have the original felt pictures of these two as well and will make them available online next week if I still have them after the show.

After The Handmade Show I have a break from my big fairs but will have a stall at 
The Royal Hotel, Dunkeld on Saturday 23rd November, 1 - 4 pm.
My Mum will also have a stall selling her beautiful bags and cushions.

Then your last chance to see my work up close will be at 

The Winter Makers Market, 

The Steeple, 

Newburgh 

on Saturday 7th December, 10 - 4pm

So another busy month ahead. Lots to be made as well as commission pieces to finish.

There are still lots of things for sale in my Etsy shop and I will be adding stock after The Handmade Show. If there is anything you are particularly looking for or waiting for me to make more of then please let me know.

You can email me at aileenclarkecrafts@yahoo.com

And The Sun Shone!

After a sun shiny three day break up to Gairloch last month, we did not expect to be heading west for another short break this month but with a Monday holiday on the 3rd June and a school inservice day on Tuesday we took a mad notion to go camping on Mull!

We headed straight for Fhionnphort and a mile and a bit along the road to the campsite at Fidden. We have been here before a few times and managed to even get the same spot beside the beach that we got the first time we ever went!

This was the view from the door of our tent.

And by some miracle the sun shone and it wasn't even that windy! Considering the last time we were here it rained so hard we couldn't hear ourselves speak inside the tent, we considered this to be fabulous weather, even though we still needed warm clothes.

Our neighbours included Oyster Catchers, Shelducks, Cuckoos and sheep.

The sea thrift was also out in abundance and to our astonishment, the whole of Mull was swathed in Bluebells!

I take back all my grumblings and groanings about the late Spring as if it had been a normal one, we'd have missed these by a good three weeks. The perfume in the air was glorious and I loved how they grew right down by the sea.

A day trip to Iona was a must as it's six years since we've been here and the North Beach is one of my favourite places ever!

The day dawned misty but it cleared to a glorious blue sky making the walk to the north end of the Island all the more enjoyable, listening to Corncrakes in the long grass as we went.

Another beach we visited back on Mull was this hidden beach at Knockvologan. We'd been here before as well but not since our honeymoon back in 2003. We had to goad our 8 year old daughter along as she couldn't understand why we didn't stop at the first beach or the second beach but we knew that the hike over to the third beach would be worth it and it was. When she saw the expanse of sand, off came the socks and shoes and she was away.

This abandoned boat was at the bottom of the path down to Knockvologan from the farm.

 Back at the campsite we enjoyed lovely clear evenings and a little fire on the beach.

On Monday night the sky turned the same colour as the heart of the fire!

 So it has been a busy week since we got back and I have been trying to get a few things finished for the Makers Market this Saturday at The Steeple in Newburgh. 

The Steeple is located at 67 High Street, Newburgh, directly across the road from Twist Fibre Craft Studio. The entrance is to the right of the clock tower, up the lane and the door is up the lane on the left.

Hope to see some of you there. I will have all my usual items with me including the new mugs and this new felt picture called 'Candlewick Cottage'.

Lots of Sheep Jewellery too.

And a selection of items shown in my previous blog post (just scroll down if you'd like to see).