A Long and Lovely Summer

Well we may not have had the weather to make it a long and lovely summer but I do feel like I have had a good break and having been to all my favourite places to recharge and re-inspire, I'm ready to throw myself into making for the Autumn season.

We went back to the Dingle peninsula for our main holiday this year. Last year we booked a wonderful holiday cottage for the two weeks but this year we went back to camping.

In years past we have camped way out west on the peninsula but for various reasons we pitched our tent at the Rainbow Hostel this year. I missed the views and the tranquility of our old camping spot below but the hostel had lots of advantages.

One advantage was all the great people we met. Another was being able to walk into town and back in the evenings and a big advantage for me was being able to use the hostel kitchen. Cooking in a tent in wild weather is never very much fun!

Although we visit the Dingle area regularly, we always find new things to do. This year we took a boat trip from Ventry with

Blasket Island Eco Marine Tours

We chose the full day trip which left Ventry at 10am, dropped us on Great Blasket Island at 11, picked us up again at 2 and had us back to Ventry for 5 o'clock.

My photos from the trip are not great as I forgot to take my camera and my phone ran out of charge.

Like most of the days on holiday, the weather was changeable. Bright sunshine one minute with short heavy showers the next.

I was fascinated to see the coastline from out at sea. It just gives a different perspective on the area.

It was great to be on the Blasket Island again. On previous visits we have had spectacular weather and spent the whole day on the beach but as we only had 3 hours and it was a bit showery, we had a nice cup of tea and a scone at the cafe and took the free tour of the ruined village run by the Office of Public Works representatives from the Blasket Centre.

It was interesting the hear all about island life and to learn who lived in which cottage.

The island donkey's made an appearance as well. I'm not sure if they are the same donkeys, but when camping on the island 15 years ago, I woke up to find this one below with his head in the porch of my tent, scoffing biscuits from a bag!

I love the colour of the waters around the island and the view back to the mainland. 

In the afternoon after the boat picked us up again, we had hoped to go north round the Sleeping Giant island to look for humpback whales. Unfortunately the sea conditions did not allow for this. We went south instead, away out to Inishvickillaun.

It was great fun on the boat. We sat way up front and it was like being on a roller coaster. We forgot we were meant to be watching out for whales and dolphins we were having so much fun. We enjoyed chatting to the skipper and crew as well. 

 Seals at Inishvickillaun and Cathedral Rocks on Inishnabro. 

Below is Great Blasket Island viewed from out at sea. I'm already looking forward to our next visit and taking a walk to the back of the island.

Brooding skies often threatened rain that never came.

Although we didn't see any whales or dolphins we still had a great time and we did see seals, puffins, red deer on the island, lots of sea birds and a sun fish. We know from speaking to one of the boat men a few days later that they have seen minky whales and humpback whales since our trip. 

The Skipper gave our daughter a shot at driving the boat! She was so chilled out about it, just cruising along, a little tweak on the wheel here and there. It really made her day.

When we got back to Ventry pier we enjoyed a swim even though the tide was out. We went back to the pier a week later when the tide was right in and had great fun jumping off into beautiful deep, clear water. It's just the best fun ever!

It's amazing how different the temperature of the water can be from day to day and from beach to beach. .We went for an early morning swim at Ventry and it was the coldest water I have ever swam in! And yet when we jumped off the pier the next day it felt lovely.We also found the water at Coumeenole quite bearable but round at Wine Strand it felt freezing! Whatever the temperature, it was always invigorating. It's probably the thing I love best and the thing I miss most about our holidays.

I did no work the whole time we were away except for a bit of doodling at the beach. I'd like to develop this flower in felt and stitch but probably won't get time. I have so much to be getting on with now that we are home. 

I met up with one of my Facebook followers while I was in Dingle and she very generously gave me this wonderful stash of yarn and a whole heap of merino fibre.

I've already made a start using the greens and pinks in this piece below. Just got add the sheep and some more flowers.

Some new work added to my Etsy shop this week include these jewellery pieces and Harris Tweed Trinket Boxes.

My 2016 Calendar is also available.

I'll leave you with this photo taken from a perfect little pub on the pier at Brandon on the north side of the Dingle peninsula. Hope you are all having a wonderful summer. Although there is the tiniest hint of Autumn in the air here, summer is not over yet! ❤

Upcoming Falkland Craft Market Saturday 11th July

The next Falkland Craft Market is on Saturday 11th July 2015.

The market is held in the Community Hall off Back Wynd, KY15 7BX and is always packed with great stalls featuring lots of local makers and their wonderful wares.

I've been working hard to build up a good choice of items across my range including these Harris Tweed and Textile Trinket Boxes in all four sizes.

Prices range from £28 to £45

Some are available online here

I'm hoping to have a few more pictures ready as well.

This one is new.

'Meall Fraoch' meaning Rounded Heather Hills measures 15 x 15 cm in a 30 x 30 cm frame.

'Meall Fraoch' £95

I will have lots of textile jewellery with me including this new shape of pendant.

The square earrings go nicely with these pendants.

My 2016 Calendar will also be available.

Here is how one of the images from the calendar looks framed.

With 12 images in the calendar to choose from and the calendar only £10 that works out at less than £1 a print!

Falkland is such a charming village to visit for a day out. 

Lots of little cottages line the streets with a few of them turned into beautiful shops and cafe's.

There is the palace and gardens as well and lots of lovely walks out on the palace estate.

Sharps Close above.

The Rowan Tree Gift Shop below.

So that's where you will find me on Saturday 11th July. My online shop will be closed for a couple of weeks afterwards. Feel free to contact me though as I will still be answering emails.

aileenclarkecrafts@yahoo.com

New Cards, Mouse Mats and Calendars

My new cards are finally here! Pink Thistle Bothy, Sipping By The Stream and Stepping Stone's to The Bothy's are now available individually or as this set of six along with Heather Bothy, Thistle Cottage and Harvey The Highland Cow. 

My cards are all £2.50 each or £12 for a set of six.

I have also has Pink Thistle Bothy and Sipping By The Stream printed as Mouse Mats.

Mouse Mats £6.95

And although it's not even quite midsummer yet, I have released my 2016 Calendar.

I think it's my best yet!

I decided to go for the square format this time as all my best pictures from the last year or so were square and it makes the images really easy to frame after use.

All the favourites are included.

I have used this seascape for January.

The calendars measure 21 x 21 cm and the printed images measure 17 x 17 cm.

Pink Thistle Bothy for June

A nice hairy coo for April!

Sipping By The Stream for September.

You can see all the images used in the montage below.

I have kept the price the same as last year at £10. 

I know I sold a lot of my 2015 calendars off half price in January but that was because I had to reorder late in December to fulfill an order and I was left with quite a few. I'm not planning on doing that this year!

I do however plan to have plenty available over the next few months and will have them with me at all my events.

My next event is Falkland Craft Market on Saturday July 11th.

This was my stall earlier in the year. I'll have some cushions with me as well as some original felt pictures.

I added 'Oak Tree Cottage' below to my Etsy shop this week.

The picture itself measures 12 x 12 cm with the outer edge of the frame measuring 25 x 25 cm.

Oak Tree Cottage

£85

So that's all my news for this week. 

You can find a good selection of my Textile Jewellery for sale at 

The Rowan Tree in Falkland. 

Gemini in Thurso is also now stocking my mugs, notebooks, cards, coasters and a wee bit of jewellery as well.

You can also find my work in 

Maisie and Mac in Cupar

Room 15 in Oban

Wild Thistle in Braemar and in Braemar Castle Shop

Little Thistle in Dunfermline

Ballahullish Visitors Centre

The Craft Cupboard in Dunkeld

and The Atholl Gallery in Dunkeld

A Long Weekend at Findhorn and Some New Makes

We're very lucky to have friends with a static caravan at Findhorn Sands and have been invited to stay quite a few times now. It's such a relaxing place with the endless beach and quaint harbour area that on a nice day we just stay put and potter about between the two.

The weather was not great on this visit but it made for some interesting skies.

And a rainbow is always nice, especially when reflected in the bay.

Despite the low temperatures and heavy showers, we still enjoyed a sunset. Could have done with some gloves though! I'm really pleased that we managed to camp and spend two nights in our tent. I thought that maybe last year's holiday cottage for our main summer holiday had spoiled us forever but I still love my tent! Looking forward to using it again in a few months time.

We stayed another two nights in the caravan which was great fun with 4 children......I fell asleep the minute I got home to my own bed! haha

On Monday we went to visit Logie Steading near Forres. I've been keeping up with Diva Designs for years online but hadn't met them in person or been to their studio before.

What a beautiful place! It was lovely to see their felt work up close and to chat with Kirsty. 

Hellygog next door were having their grand opening day. Artists Jude and Steve make a variety of wall art and textile pieces and also stock local handmade gifts. Very child friendly and welcoming. 

Within the Steading there is a lovely cafe, bookshop, whisky/wine shop and art gallery and across the road is a really nice park for children. There are also river walks which I would have loved to explore but the weather was against us.

Kirsty let me raid her stash and I also treated myself to a little felt flower kit.

All these years that I have been making felt and I have never tried making a flower! 

This was my first attempt.

The individual layers are like little petunias.

I tried a second one with some shaped petals and the petunia on top. The colour combinations and textural possibilities are endless! They are quite time consuming to make though.

An alternative way to wear it would be as a necklace. I had some space dyed pencil rovings that I quickly felted to make the cord. 

I'll enjoy wearing these myself and might make some for my next fair at Falkland on Saturday 11th July.

What I will be working on this week are these new long rectangular pendants below. They measure 2.7 x 5.2 cm and come with a lovely 18 inch chain that has an extender making it wearable up to 21 inches.

I'll be making them in various colours with square earrings to match.

Last week I added lots of new Felted Sheep Jewellery to my Etsy shop as well as some felt leaf brooches. 

I'm expecting a delivery of new printed cards and mouse mats this week as well as my 2016 Calendar possibly next week. I know, I know, it's only June but I have to be organised with these things. Having it all ordered already leaves me free to make new things :)