Action Stations!

I'm having a busy week, firstly appearing in this Etsy Finds email last Friday (global superstardom awaits!) and make make making jewellery to make sure my stand will look all pretty for this this Saturday's Wonder Hill High Market up in Highgate (Nooorf of the river - gasp!).  I'm thinking about adding some 'how to' picture stories to this blog - Would anyone be interested in this sort of thing?  I made a sort of upholstered ring display this weekend which turned out surprisingly well given my remedial sewing skills. It's for craft market display really, but I'm going to use it on my dressing table too. Might upload some pics and instructions, what do you think?

In the mean time, I've been featured in another gorgeous Spring-tastic Etsy treasury from Loves2CrochetUK who makes some super-lovely bright wooly goodies. I love colour, as you might have guessed from the jewellery I make - so this is just perfect!

Needle Felted Mushr... RebeccasEmpori... $4.16	Retro Mosaic Polyme... GardenOfBeaden... $19.00	Bubblegum Rainbow n... themagpiesdaug... $17.95
Over the rainbow bu... SewSweetViolet $24.00	Large Flowered Hear... GabbysBazaar $3.69	Lotus Flower Earrin... HartAndBloom $19.00
vintage 50s, 60s ro... xButtonsoupx $25.00	Navy Apple Motif Co... handmadehomecr... $10.00	ACEO Print - Rabbit... HazelFisherCre... $2.60
Pink Rose Heart Mos... GoodAfternoonA... $15.00	Enchanted Garden St... TheCrimsonMoon $21.00	Charcoal/Multi Ribb... SlowLaneMade $15.00
Plastic Bag Dispens... blackcactusinl... $5.99	TheLaughingBut... $	Spring Fling, Finge... victoriaenglis... $16.00
Hand Quilted Baby Q... juliebull $130.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

Spring has sprung!

It's been a lovely sunny crisp day in the city - and my little orange flower ring has been featured in a treasury showcasing some talented UK makers, which sums today's mood up perfectly - so warm your cockles and feast your eyes (treasury comes courtesy of LittleJoobieBoo who makes gorgeous cushion covers like this).
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Warm Golden Bead Se... JivesJools $5.99	Brooch V&A inspired... mollymoodesign $8.00	FLUTTERBY, UK 7, Ha... fairysteps $98.00
The Kiss Glass Tile... sscatstudio $6.50	3 Flat Note Cards -... DancingGirlArt $5.00	All Profits to Japa... ErikaPrice $25.00
SALE chick plush to... pinchface $16.00	Nell spring summer... talulabelles $28.00	Owl Plushie William... PinkSherbert $28.00
Flower Ring - Pale ... HartAndBloom $10.00	Button Heart in Ora... digtheearth $18.00	Felted Teacosy feltersjourney $23.00
Yellow Submarine Ip... breagha $55.00	Vintage style orang... luluhopping198... $16.00	Original toy waterc... redflannelelep... $235.00
Citrus Blossom Earr... Chameleonite $13.00

Treasury tool is sponsored by Lazzia.com A/B image testing.

World Book Night 2011 - Final thoughts

A Big Issue seller took one, the Fish and Chips leaflet man took one, the ladies out on the town in the cash machine queue all took one, school-trip girl took two (It’s free?  Can I have another one?)  The man waiting for his sisters took two, the boys behind the counter in Hope and Greenwood took two and started reading them as soon as we left, duly ignoring their customers. Dowdy fearful out of towners scurried onwards and clearly thought we were loonies – despite my issues of: ‘Don’t worry, I’m not a loony’.  Have I converted any non-readers – probably not. Did I generate a discussion about the book? Yes but only once. How many had heard about WBN – about half (so well done WBN for at least getting their publicity right – a BBC endorsed WBN evening and the backing of Boris worked wonders).  Did I see any other sellers in the West End of London – not a sausage... maybe they were all hiding in Waterstones swapping books with each other.

World Book Night 2011 - It's all gone a bit wobbly

It’s World Book Night tonight, where I’ll be one of the 20,000 who have volunteered to give away 48 copies of one of their favourite books from the WBN list. All very benevolent and worthy so far right? Well, my jury is out about the ethos behind WBN. I’ll forgive them the shambolic nature of the contact they have had with both the givers and distributers at the book collection points, WBN is in its first year and these things will happen. But I’m not convinced it will just be a self congratulation-fest of nice middle class people giving books to other nice middle class people. The original impetus behind the event is to encourage Adult reading – to reactivate literacy amongst those who have not read since school. WBN seem to encourage the opposite – their website lists hundreds of events taking place which givers can use as a book distribution outlet – but nearly all are in libraries and book shops, bypassing any opportunity to reach out to people who don’t visit these places. I will be giving The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie out in the West End tonight, I will try to give it out randomly, since you can’t tell who reads books and who doesn’t (you would be surprised both ways) and I’ll report back here tomorrow.