I got mail.......

First thing I received was the Tissue Case I won in BlondeDesigns Facebook giveaway, as my profile picture on FB at the time was a Cookie Monster Cupcake (om nom nom)..... Karen used some pretty cupcake fabric and lined it with Amy Butlers full moon.  BlondeDesigns Blog and Folksy Shop!!  thank you Karen :) xx

My second item to arrive yesterday was from the BIG BLOG CARD SWAP...I recieved a card from Vicky at Accidentalvix, it's from her anonymity range......the idea that it's the surroundings and situation that are important and the person could be anyone!
Vickys Website and Folksy Shop

Below is the card I sent as part of the swap, together with a matching gift tag....I have to confess I was late in posting this off, I haven't really got an excuse other than time just seems to be escaping me lately....I really can't believe its May already! ........where has this year gone?

Ive saved the best for last....Ive wanted this for soooooooo long, I finally bagged me an old letterpress tray on Ebay, it arrived on Monday (delayed post due to the Bank Holiday and Irish airspace being shut twice last week....seriously Volcano, errupt already!!!)   As you can see it's in desperate need of a good clean, but Im so thrilled by it Im gonna have to share it with you all.....see the one wee bit I did clean?? ...that took me about 20 minutes, gonna be ages before I get this bad boy finished but I cant wait to display all me booty......yo ho ho :)

Folksy Friday #6

"The Honey Monster"

I only really started to suffer from hay fever the year before last, but have had a pretty bad dose this week!  My eyes are puffy, my throat is dry and my ears are itchy......not to metion the sneezing!  Wednesday has got to have been the worst so far, really don't want to end up looking like your woman there......Piriton and Clariton just make me drowsy and even more dehydrated.... so I have been spooning the honey into me.  May be an old wives tale or just good common sense, but I was told that eating honey produced in your local area will help ease the condidtion as your body builds up a resistance to the pollen that you breathe in....works a wee bit  :/  Ive been taking glasses of hot water with a big dollup of honey in the morning, and its a great excuse for drowning your pancakes in Honey :)

So this weeks Folksy Friday is in honour of those lovely wee bumbling bees that are working hard to make me happy!

(pinks the link)  I found it really hard to choose this week as there are so many bee, nectar, amber & honey related finds on Folksy....but I choose items that I think compliment each others colourways! Hope you agree....

Honey Bee Bracelet - Topaz by Chain of Daisies

Honey Bee Soap by Saffron Barr

Bee Hotel by Wudwerx

Bee Honey Pot by Julia Smith

'Honeycomb' Oatmeal Hat by CandyFlossCreated

Nectarine Blossom & Honey Soy Candles by Laura Croxson

Vintage Lucite Amber Earrings by Discerning Chi-Chi

Bank Holiday

Oh how I love any excuse for a long weekend off work....... It was the Belfast Marathon on Monday and as we live on the last mile stretch, we decided to get away for the day.  We headed up to the north coast to Mussenden Temple and Gardens, now owned by the National Trust, walked down to the dam, through the gardens and up the cliff to the Belvedere, Temple and Downhill House.  On our way we stopped off in Ballymena, took a wee jaunt around the back of the old tech and had a nosey in the window....this is were Andrew and I met, doing our Art Foundation Course, it was strange being back there, seeing our old room and were our desks once sat! .......that was 14 years ago this month. 

On our wee day out we stopped off in Castlerock, drove the car down onto Downhill beach and had a 'garage bought' picnic whilst watching the kitesurfing buggies. 

We took the steep, winding drive up to Gortmore viewing point, you get such amazing views of Donegal, Benone Beach, Magilligan Point (can even see the prison) and right around the coast from Castlerock to Portstewart and Portrush, but the wind up there would have cut you in two.  On the way out to Magilligan.....there are little prefab bungalows all along Seacoast Road which have always facinated me....the backdrop of the mountain and waterfalls and view of the sea to the front.......i think i might like to live in one :)

Folksy Friday #5

"Sum-fin Fishy..."


If I could live on seafood I would... I come from a small seaside town on the North Antrim Coast, it used to be a thriving fishing town, but now sadly its more tourist orientated... so there will be hoards of people poundin' her wee streets this bank holiday weekend...the air will be filled with the sweet smell of candy floss, an escaped helium balloon or 2 & the screams of delight from Barry's Big Dipper. 


My favourite restaurant down home is the Harbour Bar, they do great fresh fish.... I love nothing better than sitting on the wee bench out the front, over looking the harbour, with a cold pint of Guinness in my hand or braving the elements on a stormy day, eating a fish supper on the harbour wall....this is home to me  :)


and so to my fishy folksy friday  (remember pinks the link!)  Hope you enjoy my choices this week.....I know my favourite, been on my 'wish list' a long time!

Fish & Chips by Woolly Duck

'Dad, this is the friend I told you about' by Hide n Seek

Funky Fish Cufflinks by Buff Cuffs

Pocket pal fish and starfish friend by MiaDesign

Original lino cut print "Fishing boats and hut on Faro"  by A. Deegan

greetings card louis and meep fishing art by Simple Kid Industries

give us a kiss fish by Two by Two

Fish Pop-up Birthday Card by Pop-Up Zoo

Happiness

...lots of things have made me happy this week  :)

• I have recieved lots of lovely feedback
• Had my Vintage Domino Brooch listed on Folksy's featured items home page
• Sold a good few items this week
• Found out some lovely news.......laters!
• Bought this great wee book Waldo the Worm from thenosuchdisco
• Had this featured on Nofkants Curios Blog
• Had my blog featured and a big thank you from Adrianne Illustration
• Got a great 1970's Elvis jigsaw & Adam Ant 7" at the carboot sale
• Bought some lovely vintage doilies from a charity shop....and fell in love with an old Singer sewing machine to boot!
• Guessed the person behind the Supply the Folks shop....and recieved these cute wee bugs as a reward from Diomo  :)
• Going on a picnic on Saturday to Roe Valley for my Niece, Cobh's, 1st Birthday
• It's Bank Holiday Weekend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Folksy Friday #4

"Mister Bluebirds on my shoulder
It's the truth, it's actch'll
Ev'rything is satisfactch'll...."

The birds are singing, the trees are blossoming.......and it's a Friday!!!

I love 'Song of the South'  ....so why not sing along to 'Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah'? :) go on!



lots of gorgeous wee blue birds on Folksy...have a peek, let me know your fave!! (remember: pinks the link)

Bella A4 Print by Adrianne Illustration

Mr Blue Bird original screen print by Lil Sonny Sky

 Bird Song by Blackoutwell

Lovebird bowl by Prince Design UK

Little Bird Love Notes by Little Bird Too

Tweet Needle Felted Blue Tit by The Felt Menagerie

...It's been a good week!

you may remember me mentioning here that i was experimenting with oxides and matt translucent glaze .........well, the results: a little too much oxide me thinks, but i do love the pattern and the colour!  Im going to try a few more samples next week if the kiln holds out.....Ive also mentioned that she is about to cave in on me and in desperate need of her annual service, but it will have to wait until the AS and A2 exams are over!

the whole internal ceiling of the kiln is about  to collapse, it shifts quite a bit everytime I open and close the door and makes a horrible wee cry for help........fingers crossed she stays with me until the end of June :/

       

A few other things Ive been working on recently have involved me making friends with Mod Podge, Bottle Caps & Dominos again...  Its been a long time but Ive finally come back to them.  Ive got whole jars full of magnets and brooch findings...so hopefully Ill get some finished soon and listed in my Folksy Shop.

My good news this week is that I had my Secret Garden Necklace featured on the Cuteable website, had 4 sales within an hour on Folksy last night, have set up a shopping cart for my Facebook Fanpage, which should hopefully go live early next week and Ive also agreed to Guest blog a few tutorials...ill give you the link when Im done!   ....this has indeed been a good week  :)

Folksy Friday #3

Vintage Lace

Not feeling so hot today, i feel like my heads full of custard...have a sinus infection :(  cant wait until 4.30pm tomorrow to finish work for the weekend, been a loooooooooong week!!  Im posting this at midnight on a Thursday because things are mental at the minute and ill not get a chance tomorrow.  The GCSE art exhibiton is due to be mounted on Wednesday so things are buzzing in our department, trying to get everything finished and have been loading, firing, unloading, glazing, firing ... my wee kilns in serious need of some TLC too, theres a huge crack in the interior ceiling which gets repinned and cemented every summer by the lovely Billy @ Ulster Ceramics...but it's not looking like it's not gonna make it until the end of June. 

We recently got a phone call from Homebase offering the school some old paint and wallpaper they were chucking, said it was all awful looking stuff but someone might be able to use it... so we swiftly filled a trolley full of some great old flocked wallpaper and that other raised stuff thats got foam in it??? dunno the name, but some gorgeous patterns... anyway, ive been experimenting rolling it onto slabs of clay, the same way you would do with lace.  I have then used some oxides and matt transluscent glaze.  I put them in for a firing on Wednesday morning and the kiln had just come down to 230oC before I finished today, couldn't resist, opened the kiln anyway and had a quick peak... looks interesting! Ill take some photos tomorrow when they have cooled properly and stick them on here over the weekend... im thinking, buttons, hangings, pendants... la de dadada  ****skips off merrily in her mind***

back to Folksy Friday and Im going with lovely vintage finds and lace!
hope you like the picks this week :)

(pink links back to shops)

Ginger and Lace 12x8 matte print by Gingerlillytea

Vintage style lace capelet by Belledujour

Brooch by Pantsandpaper

Cream Rose Hair Comb & Cream Boddy Pins Set by Josephines

Artist Card - 1895 by Pavlova's Art Loft

Vintage sewing supplies from H J D Crafts