New blog!

For those of you just tuning in - please come over to my NEW BLOG HERE!!

busy simplifying....

After managing my little crafty business for many months now, one of the things that has quite taken me by surprise is that however hard I might try to plan and organise (both things I LOVE to do!!) my little business seems to often take me in a quite different direction to the one I thought I was travelling along......

In an effort to get a little grip on things before they run completely away with me.....I have been doing a little planning.....yes, again!!

Now that vintage has come into my business in such a big way, indeed it has forced itself in there, from my vintage fabrics to the cake plate collection (a story for another day I think), it has occurred to me that my v for violet range has diminished and the vintage range is taking over.

My textile pictures have also become so addictive that I just can't help doing them and since they are done under my actual name, then I feel I need a vintage name to separate the two.....just in case anyone comes along for a little look hoping to find a 'real artist' living here!!!

Consequently, I have decided to do all the vintagey stuff under the umbrella of Tea Pea Vintage (which clever readers will immediately spot as being my initials!!! Clever huh?!! Okay, well I liked it!!)

It then occurred to me that having a vforviolet blog was a little odd, and also hard to find if one was looking for tea pea vintage?

And so...........lovely readers, I am asking you to please bear with me.......and follow me across to HERE which will be my new home.

Now I can take everything from this blog with me except for you, my lovely followers so I should be very much obliged (not to mention jumping up and down with glee) if you would add yourself as a follower at the new place please!!!! (Otherwise I shall be very lonely and sad by myself!)

I will see you there in a moment...and in the meantime, I will leave you with a strange photo of me mid-making, surrounded by vintage 'stuff' and watched carefully by the Bodkins, of course.

vintage transport....

I have rescued my lovely vintage dutch bike from the depths of the shed and spent ages pumping up the tyres. (Didn't actually realise you had to release the valve before pumping - I wondered why they weren't getting any harder!!)

However....done now (thanks to my Dad - do we EVER really grow up?!!)

And the plan is to cycle into town to post parcels 3 times a week.....
therefore cutting down on harm to the environment from horrid car exhaust fumes, get a bit of fresh air and a bit fitter (ha,ha!), and mostly to get back that feeling of being 10 years old again and 'at one' with my bike!!!!!

Do hope I don't fall off!!! x

Pick and Mix...

Morning everyone! I must say I do like Monday mornings, especially when everyone has gone to work/college/school!!! Such promise of possibilities that might be achieved....every Monday is a new start!!

Bit of a panic, however, this morning with last minute ironing for #2 whilst the college bus was due any minute!!!

However, all was well, and the bus stop is luckily almost opposite us. (It was also one of those times when the bus was a bit late as it happened - which I know will lead later to moans of "Why did you rush us so much Mum? We had to wait AGES!! There was plenty of time!!!") Hmmm.

Anyway, we had a great weekend, not least because it was a good friend's birthday party and the theme was the Blues Brothers. The film was shown first, then there was lovely food and dancing. I do love dressing up - but would actually prefer to be in a romantic Victorian costume, or maybe one from Jane Austen..... still, we made an effort!!
Thank you to all those people who emailed and said how glad they are that the Bodkins have returned - see what having a timetable does? The little Bodkins have had a quiet summer but now they are definitely back and up to their old tricks no doubt! At least poor little Monty is back.The Offer of the Week this week at Feltgirl.com is FELT!!! Yes, it's a pack of 40 mini wool mix felt squares in 40 gorgeous colours. I do of course, LOVE this felt already, and am quite evangelical about it - so wonderfully soft, no horrid nylon feel, and yet you can wash it at 30 degrees and it irons like a dream!

If you've ever wanted to try it - maybe make a brooch, hair accessories, heart, flowers, or applique onto card or fabric, then now is maybe the time to try - with a massive 25% off this week only, it is a mere £3.75 per pack for 40 colours.

Get them here. (Of course, with there being a £1.80 postage fee no matter what you buy, if you find yourself drifting around the buttons or ribbons aisle, don't worry).

This post really is a mix and match isn't it!

Well, before I go and get on with the next timetabled action!!! I wanted to show you a different version of the bird textile artwork I made at the weekend. It was my plan to do these in different colours and I have a green one to do today!!

But for now, here is mr bird, looking perky in yellow.

Have a good Monday! x

new....

Still sticking to my 'timetable' and finding it really does give focus. I didn't factor in any outside stuff though - such as taking #2 to open his first bank account, or meeting with a printer to talk about prints and cards!!

At least though, it makes me realise where I have lost time and which bit needs more time adding to it. (I know what I mean!!)

Anyway, the children have all gone back to school and college and it is strange not to hear them running up and down stairs now and then, giggling and bickering, and even stranger not to find a teenager still wrapped up in a mass of duvet in his bed at mid-day!!

In part of my textile art slot this week, I experimented with a picture I have had in my head for a while and I'm really pleased with how it turned out......(despite my Dad saying, when he saw it - 'would it take you long to colour it in?'!!!!!) Just doesn't get it!!!

I'm doing a couple of others in different colours - I think this would look lovely as a card?

Oh, and talking of cards, if you're anywhere local to Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, the Tourist Information shop are now stocking my textile art cards. Yay!!! x

LOVELY *turquoise* THINGS...

lovely flower ring...

lovely handmade fly pendant

loveliest 1950s vintage dress....

sweet baby, oh and lovely headband...

vintage sewing loveliness

fav lovely art print - want it big!...

ring - Stella Jade, pendant - Floridity, dress - hooked on vintage, headband - Baby K Designs, sewing machine - call me Jasper, and balloon art - elgarboart.

getting organised...

It's a funny thing isn't it - sometimes the more time you have to do something the less you achieve. How does that work?

I've often found that I achieve more if I am pushed for time - it's that old cliche I suppose - if you want something doing, ask a busy person. But it is so TRUE!

Because I love what I do, and partly I think because I have a lovely space in which to do it, I find myself working almost every spare moment. I start first thing in the morning and am usually still going at 10 or 11 at night.

Things like cooking, supermarket shopping and (she says very guiltily) looking after children, often feel like things to be done quickly before I can get back to what I love doing!!

But even so, with ALL this time I am so lucky to have, I often feel I don't actually achieve very much each day.

For a long time my long-suffering hubby, who has listened to this very familiar moan of mine many times, suggested I make myself a timetable...

- divide my time each day and specify what that time is to be used for.....in other words, treat myself like an employee.

Now in the back of my mind, I did think this was a good idea, but somehow never got around to it.

But now......for the past week......I have had a timetable!!! And more or less, with a little tweaking here and there.... I've stuck to it - and boy have I achieved!!!!

It is UNBELIEVABLE!!

In the past 3 days alone, I have packed up and posted ALL outstanding parcels, designed and sewn a new textile artwork, made 3 cushions with vintage fabric AND put them in the shop, done a mini stock check, finished lots of outstanding tidying that I kept meaning to do, sorted my vintage buttons, cut out and matched up 30 flowers for fabric brooches, updated 3 blogs and taken new stock to 2 different shops. It is AMAZING!!!

Not totally sure I can keep this up - might have to factor in some relaxation time!!! but at the moment the evenings and Sunday on my timetable are free for me to choose what to do so I could use that time!!

I think that's probably the only downside in doing something you love, for a living - you don't want or know when to stop!!!!

All the time I used to waste, knowing I had SO many things I should be doing but never quite knowing what to do first. Now I can relax, knowing there is a time in the week allocated for everything.

I am very fond of the whole concept of organisation..... as a child, I used to declutter and change my bedroom around for fun!! I love lists, and new starts......September and starting a new year at school used to be a favourite time for me.......so this has happened at the perfect time!!

Anyhow, I highly recommend timetabling yourself, however much time you have, it seems to get so much more out of it.

Just realised how much I have waffled on...but this is the slot allocated for writing the blog after all!......x

I will leave you with the new textile artwork - a little bigger than any I've done yet...our local market place....

Sew Hip magazine....

Yours truly is in this month's issue - issue 21 of fab crafty mag - Sew Hip!!!!

I LOVE this magazine - which has none of the 'stuffiness' or old-fashioned-ness(!) in the worst sense of the word, of other crafting magazines. It is modern and bright and has loads to inspire - if you haven't already, check it out!! You can get it online or I do know WH Smith's has it.

Look! There's my cushion! on the Editor's page no less!
very strange seeing my name in print!!
This is one of my earliest patterns and I love the versatility which choice of fabric can bring - the look of the cushion is completely changed depending on the colours/patterns you pick.

This one was made which totally recycled fabric - the floral pattern was a little girl's dress, the checked orange was a man's shirt and the backing was a linen sheet.
Really pleased with the styling - love the bare brick wall and shabby chic chair!!

* * * * *

and it's time for the ***offer of the week*** at Feltgirl.com and you're going to like this!!

JUMBO cotton ric rac in 3 beautiful colours!!

This is SO gorgeous - you can stitch it whole for a big statement or tuck it under and have a wonderfully wavy edge!!

There's a jumbo 25% off this week only making it only £1.60 per metre. Comes in teal, lavender or peachy-pink - if you've ever thought about trying this, now could be the perfect time. x

Brooches...

I've been busy today making some brooches using lots of my favourite vintage fabrics and some of the lovely American vintage buttons given to me in a swap with a lovely american lady called Kathy....These were a lot of fun to make and it was very relaxing sewing on the tiny beads (you can just about see them on 2 of the brooches), fiddly but strangely relaxing....

Like anything, when you make multiples it is lovely to put them all together for the picture and see all the colours....
Very satisfying! x

Sightseeing...

We visited Tenby, which is a beautiful town surrounded by a medieval stone wall. There are plenty of quirky bits - can you spot the sea through that narrow gap?and a bit closer.....
and this is the sight that greets you at the end of the passageway.....then if you turn around....these pretty houses overlook the harbour....just look at all those colours! Ooooh! I feel a stitchy picture coming on!! x

A medley of 'stuff'!

St David's, which is where we went camping, is apparently the smallest city in the United Kingdom and this is the pretty Cathedral.....we were so lucky with the weather and, as you can see from the photo, it was a lovely warm ice cream day when we visited....

we also did plenty of this at the nearest beach.....
and had fish and chips for dinner overlooking this wonderful bay....like something out of the 'Famous Five'....just look at those caves.......which might be hiding smuggled treasure..

Now, there is a lot going on here at the moment, which I will be able to share with you later, but I have been busy doing some online shop housework and I've changed the 'Offer of the Week' to these beauties... they come in 6 colours and you can get 36 of them (6 of each colour) at the moment for £4.32 which is a whopping 25% off!!

So if you've ever wanted to try them, now's the chance. You can get them under 'Offer of the Week' at Feltgirl.com and however much you buy, the postage is only £1.80 in the UK. Overseas, there is a bit more added on but it too, is fixed.
I must just say that today is a very special one in our house - son #2 got his GCSE results today and he did really well.....last year he took Maths and Statistics a year early and got an A and a B and today he got 4 A*s and 4 As!!!! We are so proud as he just got on with it all quietly!!! And he so deserves it - he's worked very hard. He starts college next week to do his 'A' levels and has plans to be an architect!! Proud, moi!! I should say so. x

Butterfly.....

While we were camping, we used my pretty folding table from Paperchase.......and who should flutter-by one morning........

but this beautiful and very friendly butterfly!! I think she wanted some friends to play with.....

She was there, basking in the warm sun for a good few minutes, long enough to have her picture taken by several mobile phones and for me to go get my camera!!!

Maybe she was talking to them? or just showing them what a real beauty looks like!

Choosing.....

We had a luverly week near St David's in Wales and were sooo lucky with the weather. Had some days in hot sun on the beach, lots of body-boarding in the sea, and a whole lot of good times..... including the time we stopped in the very pretty Aberaeron for some honey ice cream...

We sat, licking our ices, each choosing which house we'd have (I was quite partial to the pretty lilac one, or the less modest one to the left of it, depending on whether the children were included in my fantasy house buying or not!!)
When we each had a house, obviously we just had to choose a boat....
(Mine's to the middle left.)

Pretty house, sailing boat, ice cream. What more could you want?!! x

Travels....

from home to here....to here.....and back again. Home.....all the more lovely for having been away! Hello again, lovely people. xx

Cards in stock...

For those who requested - I'm just letting you know that the cards printed from my textile art pictures, including the prize winner! (above) are back in stock and can be found here on the website.

They include my latest picture - Holy Trinity Church.

They come in a cellophane wrapper complete with envelope and are blank inside for your own message. Or, of course, you can frame them into mini art works!!

Inspiration...

Just had to share a wonderful new find - new to me - I expect I'm a bit behind and the rest of you have been familiar with her for years!!!!

But, just in case, I recently discovered the extremely wonderful Regina Spektor, who sounds like a character from a James Bond film but that is actually her name, and she IS indeed Russian!!

As she says, this is the sound of summer and makes me smile endlessly....

I think this is the vocal equivalent of the 'handmade.' If my cushions and mirrors could sing, they would sound like this!! or I would....if I could....!

New items....and a special offer!!!

Just updated some new design mirrors with pouches to the website - including this sweet little piggy one!! They come with a little recycled woollen appliqued pouch to keep the mirror safe and sound in your bag. As they come in a cellophane bag they make great gifts too - £6 each.Also put some keyrings on for the first time, again in the wonderfully tactile woollen fabric with appliqued flower.....and matching little flower on the reverse......these are £4.50.There is only one payment for postage on my website no matter how many items you order and what's more, if you bloggy readers put OFFER 15 in the message box when you pay, I will refund 15% of the cost of your items!!!!

If you want a custom colour keyring or mirror, I will try to accomodate you, special requests my speciality!!

Special offer....

This week's special offer is on these huge spotty buttons - you can get them in pink,teal,
and purple,
You can stick them onto a brooch back (get these at feltgirl) and make yourself or a friend a fab brooch!! or you could swap the buttons on a cardi or coat and make a statement!!!

A full 25% off at the moment!!! Bargain!! Get them here.

A new textile art work....

Whilst wandering around my local town, I took lots of photos which are in a pile waiting to be translated into textile pictures, one of these is of the local church, Holy Trinity.

It was a little more complicated than others I've done but really enjoyable.

I'm just really relieved I can still do it!!!!

Now back to the tea cosies!

A Bee, a Butterfly ...and a Hare...

Wow! What a week!!!

I entered artWEEK just to see what happened..... and things certainly happened!!!

I sold my pictures, and a lot of mirrors and prints of the pictures, I won a prize....and I even got recognized in the street!!

I think that may count as my 15 minutes of fame?!!

The more lasting elements of the week were these beautiful postcards I bought, by my lovely friend Lisa,
and they are indeed very lovely....and then, of course, there is the hare by Sue Jenkins that I bought with my prize money.....here he is!

What a cutie!!! and a lasting reminder of my wonderful week!! Now, there is no time for resting on any laurels....I have a countdown for a designer-makers fair in 12 days time!!! and at the moment I have NO stock!!!!

At this precised moment though, am working on another stitched picture (just wanted to see if I could still do it!!!). Hopefully can do a show and tell tomorrow!! x