Long time no speak

Well crafty friends, it's been a while! Partly my fault, partly not. But with wine tasting holidays to America, family visitations and a very hectic schedule, finding time to write about Crafty Monster has been tricky.

Well what can I say about the last few months in the Crafty Monster world? It's been a busy one! I started with my mum - a North Wales based artist - allowing me some space at a family craft fair for 10 days in Conwy in March. I didn't attend that one but it bump started me for the year. The jewellery rolls and sketchbooks proved very popular!

Last Saturday was my first fair of the year - the Battersea Summer Fair. If I'm honest, it wasn't quite what I had in mind - very few people selling handmade goodies, far more people selling bought in products. However, it was certainly not a waste of a day, I made a good profit and enjoyed talking to the people I met - but it has made me more wary about the sort of fairs I will book up in the future.

Here's me at the fair:

  

I've really enjoyed the fairs and plan to do many more over the summer months. They're a great way to meet other crafters and if I'm being honest, waaaay easier to sell at than online where a lot of my work often becomes lost. The next fair I'll be at is the Bread and Roses pub just off Clapham High Street in South London on 11th June. Come and say hi if you're around!

So life is busy, but really good. Crafty Monster is developing in the way I want it to and I'm really enjoying the crafting and making some money out of it too. Next stop - internet domination!

Folksy Monday??

I know I know, it should be Folksy Friday or showcase Sunday, but have been a little busy creating my new website - check it out at www.craftymonster.co.uk - so it'll have to be a Folksy Monday instead!

In honour of my impending California road trip (6 weeks and counting, eeek!) I thought I'd showcase all that is American at Folksy. Check out my faves below

America Print by Longams

Antique Map pendant by Picture Pendants

Stars and Stripes coaster by Frit and Confetti

America road trip pin board by Eternal Earth

Golden Gate Bridge by Beehive Photography

Breakthrough!

FINALLY have figured out the question that has been bugging me for months and have found a solution for sticking posts to earrings effectively - soldering. When my husband first suggested soldering, I wont lie, I had visions of me being in flashdance, welding away with huge sparks coming off my work. Alas, it's not that spectacular and actually involves buying a £10 soldering iron and getting said husband to sit and solder for me.

A boring post for some - but for me, it's a huge relief that I've found something that sticks well after the nightmare of last year when many many backs fell off and made me feel unprofessional.

On a more interesting note, I have just stitched a lovely little London skyline which will be used on a jewellery roll. And here it is! I'm aware that the landmarks are actually in the wrong order and the perspective leaves something to be desired, but I believe that's called artistic license.

Coming to a jewellery roll near you soon.

Who said blogging was easy?

I went into blogging - all those 2 weeks ago - with the hope of updating something like every other day. More fool me thinking I'd keep up with that! Perhaps I should set a slightly lower target.....
 
Anywhoo, I'm here now (well actually I'm typing this out on the tube)'and ready to rhumble!
 
A few quite exciting things have happened in crafty monster world in the past few weeks. First I've been on a real creative streak. Ive begun to create a series of seaside based motifs - trying to forget it is still only February. These include hot air balloons, suns and a really cute lighthouse

Complete with gulls and waves to put on a ring. I've also learnt that imagination is the only limit when working with 7 stitches square for earrings. New motifs include kites, backstitched rainbows, bows and ice creams. Of course, I know its no fun just talking about these and pictures would be preferrable, but bear with me - my full time job takes so much of my time that it's only really possible to do one thing at a time! Picture time at the weekend so expect lovely new things uploaded next week.
 
I'm hoping to launch these properly at the Crafty Fox pop up market in Brixton on 16th April. Although I can't say too much about that yet as i don't know if I'll be picked - will be finding this out early march so watch this space!
 

My creative block

Rather irritatingly, I have recently 'stumbled' across a creative block. In December, times were so busy with getting orders out and making Christmas presents that the creativity was essentially put on hold as there was no time to think of new products and motifs. Christmas passed in a haze of turkey and chocolate and new year rolled around. Then....nothing. It took until the weekend just gone for me to get my ass in gear and actually think in a creative manner! And even then the thoughts came to one thing:

Lighthouses.

That was the extent of my creativity. In all fairness, I did make some GORGEOUS lighthouse earrings yesterday as an experiment that went rather well and for a full hour, I was proud of myself. But then I thought, that can't be it - 21 days off the crafting and I come out with lighthouses?

So the creative block seems to continue. Perhaps a holiday is in order.....

Folksy Friday - cheese time

Aw my first ever blog! Well that's not entirely true, I did have a post on here but decided it was rubbish so deleted it.

So I thought for my first (ahem) post, I would do a bit of a Folksy Friday treasury about my favourite subject - cheese. I'm off for a cheese and wine evening tonight so thought it was very apt. Enjoy:

 4 knitted sandwiches by Thread Bare

I love cheese card by AeFondKis....Scottish art and crafts

Mouse necklace by Winnie World Jewellery

I love you more than cheese card by Storeyshop