So, my thinking is... time to make something different.  NOT jewellery.  NOT crochet scarves.  Sewn things.  Patchwork things.  Quilted things!  Oohh.  So, I need tags to sew my branding (ha! yeah, right!) onto my new products.

When I opened the package the postman delivered today, I felt like I was 7 years old again, playing 'store' in the basement of my parent's house. I had my own play cash register back then.  I used to put little price tags on empty jam jars and bottles and well anything left down there in the basement.  Getting these woven tags just made me step back 40 years to my 'store' days.  I'm official, I thought.  I have real honest to goodness woven business tags.  They are white with magenta printing on them. Oh, such pinky-goodness.  I love them!  :-)))

In a fit of madness (after a bit of prompting by a fellow-maker Gill) I went a bit fabric-bonkers recently.  My order from the Cotton Patch quilting store arrived today.  OMG!  Now I need to launder it all and iron it.  Then I can start making something with it.  But what???

I love all of it, but the smaller image to the right is really calling to me.  Will I listen?!

:-)

For many non-crafters having a space (our old dining area) dedicated to making craft items may seem bizarre.  Extravagant even.  Especially as my long-suffering husband Gedge and our dog Tilly share our little two-up two-down terraced house with me.  I mean, I don't just have a few tools and bit of paper.  No.  I am a craft hoarder.  I have whole colourways of beads, paper, yarn, fabric, ribbon and the tools that make crafting so much faster and easier.  I love it.  All of it.  But it had got to the point that I was dreading being at my craft table.  It was ugly and unusable.  I couldn'd find anything.  I couldn't find room to actually make anything.  Arrgghhh!  Things had to change.  I meant it this time. 

Now, my craft room is... gorgeous. Really.  Well, to me it is. Image on the left shows my craft table & storage before I reorganised and tidied.  The middle image shows my new rolling wire storage (that fits perfectly under my table... do you notice that one of them is actually empty??  Yes, I have room to expand... happy sigh).  Picture on the right is my finished (and tidy) craft room.  Oh, I can't describe how much I love this space now.  Really.

Now I just need to get using it again (instead of staring at the lovely empty table and sighing happily).  I mean, the space is for making... not leaving empty all the time!  :-)

You won't believe this, but today, 8 January (yes, you read that right) I came across these blooming crocuses in Bute Park, Cardiff.  Wow!  Did you read that??  8 January!!

We're having a very odd winter.  I'm not complaining but it is weird. 

I took my handmade HoopLoop products to Riverside Market this morning and it was lovely.  The customers and fellow stall holders were just great.  Nothing like a good morning selling and talking about my work to make we feel the joy of autumn.

Who could ask for anything more?

This image was taken with my sexy new mobile which will finally allow me to take pictures whenever/wherever I want.  Hurrah. 

Of course, the first picture had to be of Tilly.  She's 8-9 years old now.  We've had her for about 2 years (from the Dog's Trust), and I love her to bits.  She's asleep here on our bed, in the sun.  Yes, yes, I allow my dog on my bed.  Spank me!