Thursday 28 April 2011

painting faces


























Every summer for years, I have thought to myself "ah, face painting, that could be a fun way of making a few extra pennies!"  So a couple of days ago, I finally did it - I brought myself a kit!  I have been so excited, I kept looking out of the window all morning, waiting for the post man to arrive!  Unfortunately, I have no children yet, so my boyfriend, Steve, has been my face painting guinea pig today!  Painting someone's face is actually more difficult than I anticipated.  For one, I haven't received the brushes yet, so I was using actual paint brushes!  Secondly, Steve is a bit stubbly, and he kept flinching!  
Not too bad though for my first attempt eh?!  Always looking for faces to practice on now, and East Midlanders, please bear me in mind for any parties or fairs :)

Right, I really need to get my things ready for ABC, which is happening tomorrow night.  I still have some jewelery and fabric collars to get made, yikes!

Hope that you all have a splendid day of work tomorrow UK people!  Woo!  And Will and Kate - I hope the sun shines for you :)

Tuesday 26 April 2011

a little bit of sunshine

Here are a few snaps from the past week.  I did some baking with my Mum when we went down to Luton over the Easter weekend.  I made a very delicious carrot cake, and  I finally made some cheese and marmite pinwheels (I'm holding one in the last photo!)  
Unfortunately, the sunshine seems to have disappeared today, it's actually quite cold!  Me and Steve have been sorting out our house a bit today, boxing up things to take to the car boot sale (which we will do when we have a free weekend!)  I've still got some items to list on eBay and on my Etsy shop, so should really get that done soon.  I'm currently trying to 'save for a rainy day' :)

Monday 25 April 2011

doodles



Last Tuesday evening, I was laying in bed, and had an urge to draw.  Luckily for me, I now keep a sketchbook and a biro next to the bed (I love drawing in pen).  That day, I had worn a jumpsuit.  
Out.  In.  Public.  
So, inspired by this brave move on my part, I started to doodle what I had worn that day.  I have said this many, many times before - I'm no illustrator, but I do have good intentions to continue drawing and try to get better.  I continued my little project for five days (I have become slack the past two), and each day, could NOT fit my shoes in the drawing!

I had a lovely Easter weekend, I hope that you all did too!
There will be another post full of stories of my adventures in the next couple of days :)

Wednesday 20 April 2011

ahoy there




Until next Monday 24th April 2011 at 9pm, you can receive free shipping with all orders from my Etsy shop hoorah!

Just enter AHOYTHERE11 at the checkout to save yourself some pounds :)

Tuesday 19 April 2011

mango

I have wanted orange hair for a very long time now, but the only way to really achieve it would be to bleach my hair first, which I really don't want to do (not again anyway.  I bleached my previously black hair about 3 years ago, and the condition of my hair has not been the best since).  I tried using some orange semi permanent dyes, but they just didn't work.  However, yesterday I came across this shade named Mango by L'Oreal.  I am really rather pleased with the results - ideally I would love it to be much, much brighter though!  It was just so nice to find an orange shade of hair dye at last, rather than the reddish purples that I always see, and that remind me of being a teenager!

Monday 18 April 2011

Etsy

Yippee!

I have finally got my Etsy shop stocked properly!  These photographs are just a little taster of what's on offer :)  Please pop by to take a look, I'm really proud of how my shop is looking, and I took all of the photographs myself (quite an achievement, as I normally rope my photographer boyfriend into doing it for me!)

It has literally taken me hours to list everything, so my to do list is not quite complete today.  I'm hoping to find some time this evening to dye my hair - I've finally found an 'orangey' colour, so fingers crossed it will look beautiful!

Ooh, and I would just like to add, thank you lots and lots to all of you who have left such lovely messages about my makes, it is really appreciated!  And also a big thank you to those of you who have nominated my blog for your blog awards.  I do acknowledge them and feel very flattered indeed to be chosen!

I'm looking forward to tomorrow, me and Steve are going to take a stroll into Leicester, hopefully visiting some charity shops, markets, fairs and galleries on route.  
Fingers crossed for some sunshine :)

Sunday 17 April 2011

car boot loot

Phew.  Just listed twenty things on eBay, so then felt that it was ok to photograph some of my car boot finds and write a post!  I haven't got any snaps of my clothing yet, as I'm hoping to get some photographs of me wearing them, hoping that that will look much better than them just being hung onto a hanger!  Right, so off we go...some of these were found last weekend, and some today :)

floral planter - 10p


little deer - 50p
(and he has a family to join!  I'm building up quite a deer army now... )


pink glass dish - 20p
I was really unsure what I would use this for, and then I thought "Ah huh!  Sweets!"  Because everyone has sweets in a bowl in their house right?...


teacup and saucer (and two matching side plates) - £1


a 1966 sewing and knitting magazine - 50p
love the photographs.  love the adverts. love. love. love.


So, that's all for now!  I will definitely get all of the clothing photographed and posted this week (I'm on half term now for two weeks, yippee!)  I also have to make some plans, I need to make the most of having some time off, but not after a well deserved lie in tomorrow morning!

Hope that you all enjoy the rest of your Sunday evening, whatever you're up to (I sincerely hope that it involves eating tons of hot cross buns, yum!)

Curiosity Haus Craft and Design Fair






Yesterday I held a stall at the Curiosity Haus Craft and Design Fair, and I am sad to say, it was rather disappointing as fairs go :(  I did feel that the cost of the stall was a bit pricey, but took the risk as my last fair with them (which was at Sneinton Market in Nottingham), went pretty well.  The sudden burst of sunshine was potentially the reason for the very slow amount of people stopping by.  On the up side though, I did get to talk to lots of other very talented crafters, and even got to have a really good chin wag with a friend who I've not seen in ages!  I also did a 'craft swap' with another stall holder - I exchanged some bunting for a completely amazing bracelet.  It's gold, with a little gold disc hanging from it, which says 'going steady' with a silhouette of a boy and a girl.  So random, and I LOVE it!
Oh, and here is a quick snap of me in one of the many new (second hand) items that I have acquired lately - a handmade blue and white polka dot shift dress, 99p from eBay!  What an absolute bargain, and it fits perfectly :)  My big bag of clothing for eBay is still sat here, I'm hoping to get some things listed this evening.  I also went to a car boot sale this morning, and found some more treasures, so that's yet another post waiting to be written!

I hope you're all having a great weekend, and that it's sunny wherever you are! 

Friday 15 April 2011

It's been almost two weeks since I last posted, and it has flown by!  I'm sat here thinking I don't even know where to begin.

Well, I finally got rid of my cold, although annoyingly, I think it has come back for another round.  Today was the last day of term for schools in Leicestershire, which means I now have 2 weeks and 3 days off work hooray!  I really feel like I need a break too, this last week in particular has been really tough.  

Tomorrow I will be having a stall at the Curiosity Haus Contemporary Craft and Design Fair, which is taking place at The Orange Tree in Nottingham from 12 - 5pm.  So tonight I really need to sort out my stock and get everything packed.  That is, after I have sat for a while.  I feel that sitting on the sofa in front of the TV is essential for the foreseeable future.

So, if I now go back in time, I will attempt to recall what I have been up to lately.  Probably the most exciting thing (not just recently, but ever), was that myself and my friend Tate went for an casting for Coach Trip in Birmingham on Wednesday!  It was really good fun, and to just be asked for an interview was amazing.  We don't know if we will get to be on the show yet, we will just have to wait and see :)


On returning from my interview, I came home to discover my parcel from the lovely Ella of Ruby Rae Love!  If you've not yet seen Ella's beautiful jewellery, go and take a look - it is truly wonderful.  If you remember, I also purchased my 'Firmin' ring from her a few weeks ago, and then couldn't resist buying some of these Navajo friendship bracelets (I will get some snaps of mine over the weekend!)  Ella also very kindly sent me a free gift, which I will keep a secret for now until I get some photographs taken of it, but it is so cool!  Felt very chuffed :)

I've also been buying some bargain dresses and other garments lately, via eBay and the car boot sale.  Once again, I will get some photographs taken soon and write a separate post.  I have one of those massive blue Ikea bags sat next to me right now, which is full of clothes to go on eBay or to the charity shops, so I really must find the motivation to get that done too.  Phew.

But right now?  I'm going to make a cup of tea, and maybe eat a hot cross bun (even though I have just scoffed a GU chocolate and cherry cookie). 

More interesting posts coming soon, I promise! 


Sunday 3 April 2011

looking at Spring from my window

I'm feeling very sorry for myself at the moment - I've had a cold (or possibly flu?) since Friday.  Yesterday I spent 12 hours on our sofa with my duvet optimistically thinking I would be right as rain today, but sadly not :(  I was going to visit my Mum today too (as it is Mothers Day), but my parents live 100 miles away, and I don't think I would have managed the journey very well.  Even our brief trip to our local car boot sale this morning, which I thought would make me feel better - fresh air and all that - has ended up making me feel worse, and given me additional symptoms. Boo. 
So, here I am once again on the sofa with the duvet, my third packet of tissues and the TV for company, looking out of our big living room window at the beautiful, sunny Spring day, and feeling bitter that my fun filled weekend unfairly didn't commence.
BUT  to cheer myself up, I have been browsing the internet and thinking about how I am going to spend my Topshop vouchers that I got for my birthday (when I'm well enough to hit the shops!) This little montage is my inspiration for the up and coming months, although realistically I am likely to buy any of it, but will instead be looking for alternatives in Charity shops, on eBay or customising or making my own.  I am in the middle of making my first ever skirt at the moment, but awaiting a zipper foot for my sewing machine.  It is blue and white gingham, but if all goes well, I really want to make a floral one (similar to the Topshop one below).  Similarly, I love the scalloped shorts, but I'm sorry, £32?  I'm thinking old jeans and my fabric scissors should do the trick!
looking out the window at Spring
looking out the window at Spring by whatkatiefound

Oh, and amongst all of the moaning earlier, I almost forgot some exciting news - I have sold my first item on my new Etsy shop!!  And tomorrow it will be flying half way across the world to Australia :) Hip Hip Hooray!  I have also been working on some new necklaces ready for the next ABC, hopefully will get my energy back soon so I can finish them!
I'm off now to await the arrival of the pancakes that my wonderful boyfriend is making me, and until then I will continue to watch Sunday trash television :)
I hope that you've all had a more productive weekend, and are enjoying these lighter Spring evenings!

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