Starting and Not Finishing

Its been over a week since I last blogged - 'Why' you may ask - well I've started loads of things and not finished any of them and I always like to post some photos of something that I've made or that someone else has.  So this week I haven't anything to show for my time, which leads me to think I need to start focussing a bit more. 

Here are a list of projects that I have on the go:

• Felt purse with white hearts - half beaded with seed beads
• Nuno felt waist coat - felted but needs shaping and edging
• Mosaic door number - waiting to be grouted
• Knitted rabbit - only the head exists
• Mosaic cottage name - the name is almost complete, but its still waiting for the background

So, this week I promise that I am going to complete at least half of these projects and will finish them all before I move onto anything new!

Talking of new projects, our little Thursday night craft club is going to move onto making something from recycled material after we have finished our latest projects.  I think we should have a competition to see who makes the best recycled product - I will think of a suitable prize!!

New Ebid Shop

We set up a our Savvy Sister's shop on Ebid.co.uk this week - SavvySisters Ebid Store.  So far, we haven't had any sales but fingers crossed.  We are getting quite a few sales via Ebay, a few through Amazon and of course we seem to be selling a steady trickle through Coldharbour Mill.  Wendy has taken our felt making kits to some of the shops in Oakham to see if they will stock them and she has also made contact with a lady who is interested in running felt making workshops with Help the Aged.  So, slowly but steadily our little business grows.

We have also been playing around with Nuno Felt - this is where you felt wool into silk.  Wendy has made a cape, which isn't quite finished yet and I made a bag to go with the scarf I made a couple of weeks ago.  Here a photo:

My nuno felt bag

Mosaic has been the focus of our Thursday night craft club, we haven't got any completed articles yet, they still need grouting so watch this space - we should have some lovely photos for next week. Sadly we are losing a member of little club - Eva, she is leaving Taunton to start a new job in Gloucester.  We'll miss her cheerfulness but wish her good luck with her new venture!

Eva off to Gloucester

Quite A While

Well, its well over a week since I last blogged - I've been soooo busy. 

Dunster Country fair on the 27th July was very hectic - there seemed to be thousands of people coming in out of the craft tent, Jeanette, Lydia and I must have made 100s of flower brooches between us.  We sold about 8 felt making kits and a bit of wool - just enough to cover costs.  Rob Lock, an old work colleague and his wife Fiona visited us - they rolled up their sleeves and made a flower brooch each:

Rob found a new use for the wool!

Rob & Fiona Felting

We met a fascinating lady at the show who worked in Tajikistan, next door to Afganistan, as a teacher.  In addition to working with children she also worked voluntarily with women who were ostracised from their community.  She believed that felt making would be an ideal confidence builder for these poor ladies and possibly a way for them to earn a little money.  She is going to keep in touch and hopefully will be able to write a regular piece about her work over there on our website once its up and running.

Next event on the 30th July - Coldharbour Mill Wool & Craft fair was excellent - we all really enjoyed ourselves and met many like-minded folk.  We used the new gazebo in anger and it did marvously, we were the first stall people hit as they came over the bridge into the courtyard:

Ready to go!

Scott & Zac at the Gazebo



We did really well, sold loads of starter kits, wool tops and made quite a number of flower brooches.  One young girl (Pickle Lily) from the comment below - was really interested and is now spending many a busy  hour making felt presents for her friends and family.  Its great when we spark off such enthusiasm, she has even written her own instructions!!  Pickle Lily's Felt Flower Brooch Instructions.
Coldharbour Mill had sold 3 out of the 4 kits that I originally dropped off at their shop a few weeks ago and asked me to give them 9 more, we've hopefully started a little felt making craze.

Finally - I spent whole of last week on a Prince2 Project Manager's course up in Bristol.  It was very intense and I'm not sure that I've passed :-( fingers and toes crossed I would rather not have to retake it!