Professional Crafters Guild

Hey All

Its been a while!! Its all been pretty quite here at FSS, not been up to much at all. 

I had to get a new driving instructor and had my 1st lesson today. I was so so nervous!!  Its not easy getting to know someone else just a little time away from my test plus get used to a new car, petrol rather than diesel, its so so quiet and I am struggling with the clutch.  I had an hour & a half this morning and have another 2 hour lesson tomorrow just to try and get used to it........freaking out!!!!  Only good point is the lovely lady I now have has given me great reference points for my manoeuvres and I actually get it phew! 

If anyone is looking for lessons I can recommend Lana from LDC, what a difference in my confidence in just one day, just need to get to grips with the car now.

 http://www.learnerdriving.com/driving-schools-lessons.php?in=paisley 

Since its been quiet I thought I would also pop a little bit in the blog about the Professional Crafters Guild.  The group that I am part of and carry the membership badge on my website;

The Guild was started in July 2011 and its aim really is to raise the publicity and credibility of crafting as a legitimate business and not just a hobby.  There is a huge difference!!

I have always crafted as a hobby, on my days off, during holidays and at night when I couldn't sleep.  It was a release, something to relax me after doing a hard day at the office.  When I decided to take a break from work in September 2011 due to needing the break to help get my health back up to scratch, I needed something to keep me busy.  Like anyone who keeps busy and has worked every single day since leaving school, it is impossible to just stop.

Working for myself meant that on the days when I didn't feel like I could put in a 9-5 shift, I didn't have too but could still do thinks like paperwork or setting up markets etc.  It turned out to be the perfect remedy.

I was making jewellery, cards or bath products from when I woke in the morning to when I went to sleep at night, i soon had loads of stuff, so why not sell it.  That was it, I was then arranging fairs, talking to suppliers and doing accounts, I had a business and it was no longer just a hobby to pass the time.  That's where the Professional Crafters Guild comes in.

I cannot put into words what there actual policy is so this is from their website;

The Guild aims to:

• encourage its members and raise awareness of the beautiful handmade crafts which are available from people who have a passion for crafting.
• reflect the diversity of crafting and keep this skill very much alive in contemporary society.
• provide information for its members on craft workshops, courses and events.

Anne is lovely and works hard to gain discounts for their members from upmarket suppliers, keeps us up to date with new trends & members via a crafty magazine and gives us an additional network of support for all those questions that running a business provides.

If you are a crafter and you have products that you know others will love, unique items made with love & care that you know can rival any high street store, then this is the place to go to be part of a professional network to get people talking about your products. 

If you fancy joining this is what to do and where to go;

The Guild offers membership to all areas of crafting. To join the Guild please complete our online application form. Once you have been accepted you will receive an email with your registration details, badges to add to your websites and a digital certificate of membership. Your details and web links will then be added to our online members list.

http://www.procraftersguild.com/

Anyway, I am off to finish the lime crochet square I started the other day and here are another few pages that I have put together using Craft Artist, it is a fab programme and I am really enjoying using it;

This was a picture of fiesta as a kitten, the only one we actually have, I am pleased with how it has worked out.

This is the original to the picture above, like I said amazing programme!!

This was a simple background sheet with embossing of her name and the photo background cutout & a spider stencil added.

This looks really simple but it was two separate photos of Fiesta with the backgrounds cutaway, faded, then resized and positioned into a pattern to make a background paper for a scrapbook page.

Well that's it, happy crafting everyone.

Amanda x

Mixed Craft Artist Pages

Evening All

I know I always talk about the weather but really how could I not today, it has been so so HOT!!!  I need a couple of cool days to recover. 

I spent yesterday vegging out and catching up with peoples projects on DaisyTrail the Craft Artist site.  There are some truly talented people out there, one project that springs to mind was a lovely scrapped page which had a photo of a painting of a desert fox that the lady had done, it was stunning.

If you fancy trying out a sample of the craft artist click on the link below and go to "Free Stuff" and download the Craft Artist Compact programme and then all the free digikits, that's loads to be getting on with remembering that you can add your own photos, digistamps etc and see what you come up with.  If you like it Create & Craft sell the full version with the photolab etc. and a great selection of digikits.

www.daisytrail.com

The tutorials are a great place to start and its such a great community there is always someone to help.  Today I learned how to emboss digitally, looks amazing!  This is the blog that took me through it;             http://trulytangoscraps.wordpress.com/home/tutorials/

These are the pages that I have completed, think I am getting a bit better;

I saved the count from the new Gems CD I purchased as a photo & uploaded it to CA, it was then edited with the photolab, I used a stencil for the bird & spider, just one backing paper from the Halloween Digikit and a couple of embellishments.

This page was done using just the stencils from the CA and the glitter brushes, I love it and plan on using it as a background paper in the future.

This was a page I put together for my boy, I used one backing paper, then used the cutout function in the photolab to take away the background from the photo.  I then copied the photo and faded it out into the background layer, popped on some lettering and added a poem using the sentiment function.  The bottom embellishment has a faux glass covering which is really effective.

This was the page I put together using the embossing function, it gives a great texture to the backing paper.

I also did some more work on my painting, I know it doesn't look like it but it is coming together great from my point of view :o)

Well that's all from me today, I managed all the housework today right down to changing all the beds so tomorrow I am free to do some manual crafting of some sort, something that involves glue & scissors!!

Happy crafting

Amanda x

Bits n Bobs

Hello

I do hope everyone is having a great weekend, the weather here in Paisley has been amazing, so much so that I have not been in the house at all!!

My day started with me panicking about a missing Fiesta Cat, she was gone from about 8pm last night and had a vet appointment this morning that she missed, I was beside myself with worry.  I guess us cat owners are always like that though, its the risk you take when you let them out!  I had a wee walk around the street asking everyone to check their sheds, greenhouses and garages, did the trick as she returned home all safe and sound, much to my delight.  However, the vet appointment she obviously planned to miss was rescheduled so she was not a happy kitty!!

The rest of the afternoon was spent outside with a never-ending supply of orange juice with lashings of ice, it was much needed.  I even got my legs out today to see the sunshine but why is it though that my arms and face are brown and my legs are still reflective white!!

Its pretty hard to craft on the sunny hot days I have realised.  This is the first summer that I have had where I am lucky enough not to actually have a job job, not that my wee business and crafting is not a proper job, I put in alot of hours usually, much more than I would if I was working for someone else.  Anyways, I was so used to crafting when I got home or through the night, no matter what the weather was, I hated sitting out in the hot sun after a day in a hot office, all I ever wanted to do was relax in the cool of the house.  My excuse just now is that the weather was so wet over the winter that i achieved double the workload and can allow myself the sunny days off to chill, I'm sticking to that story.  Its true................honest!!

I did managed to do another layer to my painting, its coming along OK, its still pretty flat looking but the details are about to start going in now and hopefully that will make it look more appealing;

I also started another square for my blanket, well I thought it was for my blanket but I like the pale lime so much I may just make it into a baby blanket for my other half's sister.  I will do this whole ball of wool then stitch a teddy bear patch on it, do another much bigger square in cream and then stitch the green to the centre of the cream as a feature, edge around on the cream side with ribbon the same colour as the green and add ribbon flowers so its kinda double sided but thick and warm for winter, I'm not sure how it will turn out but will post the results, its just a wee square at the moment but isn't it just a great colour;

I also had the laptop outside and had a wee play about with my new Gems Designs Werewolf's & Vampires CD and the Craft Artist Software which I am loving.  I never thought that CD crafting would be enjoyable but it is, and I also never thought I would use it for scrap-booking but that seems to be all I do use it for! 

Today however I did do a wee page for Fathers Day which I am going convert and use as a card, but as a but of  "hybrid" crafting.  So what this means is I will use the Craft Artist for the basics but when I print it out I will also be using other things on the paper.  In this case I will print the page a couple of times so that I can decoupage some bits, punch out other bids, at metal embellishments, glitter, a bit of bling and also make faux buttons aswell, so its going to be a right mix of techniques;

This was the Wolf from the Gems CD, a scrapbook page, could be used for Halloween maybe?

This was the page I did for my dad, going to be using it as a card for Fathers Day

So that's it folks, that's all that I have been up too, the weather has just been far too good.  I will be taking some time out over the next couple of weeks to make some soap.  It has to cure for anything from six-twelve weeks using the process that we do so I figure I could start making it now and stockpile it for Winter & Christmas.  Always good to get a head-start!!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend peeps

Much love

Amanda x

Starting an Oil Painting

Hey All

What do you think of this weather eh! how amazing, I thought one good day, great, but that's nearly a full week of what can only be described as awesome weather.  I love it but my furries have had everything from wee basins with ice in it to fans to showers to try and keep them cool, its so hard to know when they are fine and when they are too hot, such a fine line between them, I have practically lived in their wee shed with them over the last two days.

As you can imagine the hot weather has meant that I haven't really done much on the crafting front, I have spent the days in the garden enjoying the peace and the sunshine.  Thought I would show you my lovely Sunflowers & Marigolds all planted, I cannot wait to see them in bloom, they are such lovely smiley sunshine colours!!

Sunflowers & Marigolds

These are just sunflowers, right down the side of the front fence

However, I have finished the pink square for my crochet blanket, the one I started weeks ago and put away to be forgotten about.  I crochet like mad for days then just leave it for weeks then go back to it, I might be finished my blanket for the wintertime................maybe!! 

I also had another wee play around with Professional Craft Artist just to try out some of the tips that Phill showed on Create & Craft last week.  It was great actually just something as simple as using the type box to get all the writing the same size instead of doing each individual letter like I was attempting to do and also how to group things, total genius!

I have also started a new oil painting, great weather for it as the paint have been drying quickly so I started it yesterday and was able to work on it today and its already dried enough for me to work on it a little more tomorrow.  It really doesn't look like a work of art at the moment but I promise it will be OK when its done.  I am using a friends photograph as the subject, such a great composition and has loads going on;

Its the first proper challenge I have given myself art-wise for many years.  I have done a couple of oils now just to see how I would get on and love working with it, its just such a nice medium, so different from watercolours or acrylics.  In this painting I am also going to try a different technique from using just brushes and use the craft palette knife, I have a set of 8 different shapes, these are like mini trowels, some have pointy tips, others square tips and a few with rounded ends, they all give different effects which I think will be exciting!

So here's the first two days worth of the painting and I will post pictures as it develops over the next few weeks;

Drawing of the basic shapes & positioning

Putting down the basic background colours

Blending all the basic background colours to remove the white and give a base for me to paint on

Staring to put down some detail and the proper colours, only done some of the top half of the painting

Close up of some of the detail colour so far, loads of work still to do here though

And that's it folks, that's what I have been up to.  Obviously art is something that is a bit hit & miss some people like things that other people hate, so I know my wee interpretation of this picture will not be everyone's cup of tea.  Also, I do paint alot differently to the professionals, I am self taught and have had no tuition on how to do what, I paint in the way that I am comfortable with, basically its all about feeling.  If you are looking to know exactly what colours to use with what, what paintbrushes to use to create a specific effect etc. there are loads of books or DVDs available.  The best place to research is the SAA, The Society For All Artists, http://www.saa.co.uk/

Painting is one of the most relaxing things that you can do and as there is no right or wrong there should be no stress, after all whats the worst that can happen.  You paint a wrong brush stroke, you wait till the paint is dry and paint over it to correct, easy.  Everyone should give it a go, you don't have to be able to draw to paint and you don't really have to be able to paint to paint, its just a way to express yourself, pick a colour to represent how you feel & off you go, create a lovely abstract masterpiece to be proud of.  I can guarantee you will be hooked!

Can you believe its nearly the weekend?  We have put up our wee Spa in the hope that this hot weather continues.  My Mr & I are hoping to have a BBQ and relax in the spa with lovely glass of something inc. lashings of ice, it is so nice to make time to spend with your nearest and dearest.

This is the spa, brolly at the ready, strawberries and the greenhouse in the background, oh and that's my lil' Sox cat, one of my babies

Well bedtime it is, I will keep you posted with any crafty feats that I attempt, feel free to post any hints & tips that you have in the comments, I love to hear other peoples crafty ideas.

Happy Crafting!!

Amanda x

Our Garden & A Crochet Wire Bracelet

Hey Everyone

Not much crafting being done here just now with the weather being as gorgeous as it has been.  I have been tending to my garden all day for a wee change.  Just general tidying up, taking up all the tulip bulbs to wrap for next year and getting the stuff together for my other half to plant the rest of the sunflowers and marigolds that we grew in the greenhouse.  It is amazing this year, every single seed we have planted has grown, so we have hundreds of everything!!

This is a top money saving tip if your into growing your own anything, polystyrene cups, they are much much cheaper than the proper wee plastic tubs, maybe a couple of pounds for a hundred and are re-usable year after year.  We are on year two with ours and we have just emptied them and popped them back in the greenhouse for next year, just remember to pop a wee hole in the bottom before you use them.

These are this years sunflowers, they are about a foot and a half now, really tall, as they have just been planted out I really hope that we don't have any windy storms or heavy rain for a little while!!

Last years Marigolds and 8 foot high sunflowers, they were awesome!!

Another thing we have loads of is strawberries, on the table below are just a few of the shoots that the big plants produced last year;



We have planted these up in baskets for the fence this year rather than pots on the ground as we still have the last couple of years worth potted aswell!! On the fence alone we have around 150 plus plants and are hoping for a really good continuous crop this year.  I am thinking face scrubs and soaps and allsorts for the business, oh and maybe some strawberries and cold cream for my tummy!!

The cherry tree is also coming along fab, this is a wee picture of a proper hunni-bee in the garden on a sunny day at the end of last month.  I really like the picture;

So now I am back in the house and think I am just going to do a little bit of crochet, not with wool though.  During January I tried to crochet with wire and made a bracelet.  It was a bit fiddly but I am going to give it another go and see how I get on.  I have quite a few small glass seed beads in loads of different colours.

This is the one that I completed;

I didn't follow any guidelines or instructions or anything but I thought that anyone new to the art of crochet may want to follow a guide so after having a wee look on the web, I found this very helpful craft site.  Its not just for crochet, there are loads of different wee crafts on there to try out, stuff for the kids aswell;

http://www.craftideas.info/html/crochet_beaded_bracelet.html

Have a lovely night everyone

Amanda 

Finlaystone Country Park Event

Ah Sunday night,

What an amazingly gorgeous day!!  I spent day two up at Finlaystone Country Estate, a very very beautiful unspoilt part of countryside with oodles for the kids to do.

I spent the morning quietly crocheting listening to the birds, the wind in the trees and the small river running by.  This tranquillity was only broken by the sounds of laughter and shouts of delight as as they jumped out of cars dressed up, swords, earrings and all.  Today it was "shiver me timbers" Pirate Day and it was mobbed!!

The children and some of their parents came suitably dressed to take part in a treasure hunt which was organised to a tee by the Rangers, who were also dressed as pirates and had the pirate growl so perfect it was scary, there was the occasional young pirate who didn't like the scary men but then the young ones are a bit like that even with Santa, this made me giggle as they are just so good with the children.  The kids loved having to read the clues and work their way around the park collecting the letters to make up the word. 

If that wasn't enough a local children's drama group did their very own adaptation of Peter Pan, complete with Tinkerbell & the Lost Boys, it was just fab.  Show after show they had loads of laughs and applause, their costumes were great and their lines perfect.

My little stall was quiet but I did give out a few business cards and hope that I may have some contact through the website.  I don't think people come to a family day out like that to shop and to be completely honest I didn't really mind at all, gorgeous weather, fresh air, tranquil birdsong all topped off with Peter Pan and a whole bunch of Pirates, it was a great wee day.

Next Sunday its Teddy Bears & Dolls Tea Party, all you need is a teddy bear or a dolly and you can toddle along for what I could only imagine will be another fantastic day out. 

If you are in the area I highly recommend a visit, bring the kids, bring the dogs, a picnic and just settle in for the day.  There are ponds, waterfalls, loads of fantastic walks and much much more.  Visit the website for details of whats on this summer, you wont be disappointed http://www.finlaystone.co.uk/ 

Above this weekends set up and below some of the sights near the visitor centre;

Below are a few pics of the guys doing peter pan, if you look hard enough you can also see a couple of the Pirate Rangers;



Pirate Day

You can see one of the Rangers here in his fab get-up

Another Ranger with his head-dress

Peter Pan & Michael

Tinkerbell & the lost boys

Everyone gathered to watch the play

Well that's me for the night, time to hit the hay and dream of what I am going to get up to next week.  My double-sided tape is here so I could carry on with my thrifty crafting......................maybe.  I also have to start to get myself fit again and lose some of this excess weight!! I am going to attempt to walk it off and start eating the the rabbit food, my 5-a-day, I know its a wee bitty late for this summer but hopefully next summer I could get the shorts out :o)

Sweetdreams everyone,

Amanda x



Fresh Scents Scotland Goody Basket

Happy Friday Guys

Hope you are all well.  I have been busy busy getting stuff ready for a market this weekend at a local country park.  It is such a gorgeous place, I just hope that it stays dry for the weekend so that people come out to visit.

If you are local its at Finlaystone Country Estate http://www.finlaystone.co.uk/ have a wee look, really is just beautiful.

So I have all may boxes ready with the stock, extra card, scissors and gelly pens for pricing, a good stash of change, plenty of business cards & some crochet to keep me busy if it quiet.  I love being out and about with my creations.

Only question, do I take the cat?

Yeah, I think she should stay at home too, there will be too many pooches out and about ;)

I have also been making up some gift baskets, these are not posted on the website as usually do made to order many for local people as delivery is something that is expensive and there's not really anyway to get around that.

They look pretty fab when they are finished and are really good value for money as I source the ingredients at wholesale and don't have the same overheads, I can sell my products slightly cheaper than the high street stores.  The reason I say that is there seems to be a consensus that if its cheap its not the same quality, I have been told by many a customer that my products are great as they are fresh, the souffles and bath bombs also fizz better and the fragrances are lovely.

These can be made up with anything at all from www.freshscentsscotland.com to your specified value.

I should be heading to bed now for an early night but I never can sleep the night before a fair so I'm thinking I will make up some bracelets or earrings or something, keep me busy for a few hours!!

Have a great weekend everyone,

Amanda x