Grand Notions and Their Results

You may not be the slightest bit interested in this, but I'm telling you anyway since that is the way of blogs!!

On the other hand, you may be so interested that you'll all want to move to the NorthWest of Ireland tomorrow!!


There's been an idea milling around in the back of my mind for a while (as ideas tend to do...), concerning the setting up of a NorthWest Ireland Craft Sellers group. I think there are a good few people stuck at home alone, churning out lovely crafts, with no support and very little sales. With the recession as it is here, many people need to be making a bit of money, and also they need to meet other like minded folks, or at least, that's my premise!

Secondly, as a group, one often has more influence and ability to think bigger than as individuals.

And thirdly, local craft, local money, local shoppers- its a spiral which could be good for the area, which is slowly sliding back into the unemployment and emigration which cursed it up until the Celtic Tiger.



So three weeks ago I finally did something about it by emailing the Etsy Ireland Team and writing a post for the Etsy Ireland Blog. As you can see the response wasn't great. (Shligigh is the Irish for Sligo and what a lot of people refer to it as).

Then I put a request on their Facebook page, result even less great.

Then (which took the whole of yesterday afternoon) I sent an internal email to all the Etsy Sellers I could find who had an address in the NW, and behold! Positive responses! Eight 'definates' so far, and such lovely replies too!

So I'm quite encouraged!


This is The Year of Craft in Ireland, and there is so much happening around the country, even in Galway and Donegal. But Galway is nearly three hours drive from here, on a winding narrow road, and Donegal Town is an hour, not practical for a social do. Sligo, Leitrim and North Mayo are the last bastions of Craft Barbarism in the known world- I'm tellin' ya!

I've so many ideas of possibilities, I hope something comes of it. Maybe I'm thinking too big, or being impractical, but its kind of exciting having something to maybe look forward to.

To Resolute or Not and a New Treasury

I've been playing around on Etsy and made a new Treasury of some things we'd all need for a good night in, or even for hibernating!

Let it Rain, Blow, Snow

And about that other thing we all do in the New Year, that dodgy issue...Resolutions...

I've some new ideas which will hopefully be of interest to yez all, but for the second year in a row I am avoiding making any actual Resolutions. Its not that I disagree with them on principle, its just that since I seldom manage to keep them, why waste the effort of thinking them up?!

But on the other hand, I would like to achieve a more balanced daily life, so perhaps that should be a Resolution?
Colletta had the idea to do a sort of project along those lines through the year and I went and got the book: there's a fairly grey line between 'good intentions' and 'resolutions', isn't there!

And finally, something Nikon Sniper posted during Christmas week...if this doesn't fill your heart...well...what can I say?!

Christmas Shopping...on Etsy!!

Over this last weekend I've been doing my Christmas Shopping.

For us, presents are more than a token, but definitely not extravagant. The three daughters get useful items, and a certain number of requests (including, generally, six months' worth of toiletries and stationary!!).

My point is, that everyone gets something, but it is small, and staying within a budget whilst trawling the shops, or finding time to make something meaningful for everyone can be very trying.

Enter my brilliant idea for this year: Christmas Shopping on Etsy!

Firstly; I'd be supporting people like me, who are trying to make some extra pocket money to keep going through the times that are in it.

Secondly; consider the bliss of not having to battle the crowds in the shops?

Thirdly; I might possibly avoid costly mistakes if I'm not being harried and panicked, well, hopefully...

Well!

I have to say that I have just about everything bought, and now all I have to do is sit back and wait for the postman to deliver things!

There are a few items I need in town, but I know exactly what they are and where to buy them, and there are three things I need to sew, one big, one small, and one to finish off.

Howzat for stress-free present buying?

...and, what's more, it was fun, and...

...I met some lovely people, and...

...a couple of sellers gave me special deals...

...and I've got exactly what I wanted, as well as individual and special presents!

These are the Shops I used, if you are interested

(I'm not telling you what I got! Secrets must be kept!!).

I tried to shop local but many things just aren't made by Irish Sellers, so I went further afield, and then some Sellers had such gorgeous things that I just thought 'What the heck!' and went for it!!

Vickie Wade Fine Art : ab-so-lute-ly GORGEOUS posters of her Art!

Around The Island Photography : I've had my eye on Robin's photographs for a while now, and her new Photoverse venture is great!

First Fan, Cottage Jewellery : (Irish Seller) lovely costume jewellery, pretty and not clunky!

Ritz Glitz 555 : (Irish Seller) You have to see her dichroic glass, its iridescent and sooo beautiful...

Happy Cloud Supplies : I won one of her Star Necklaces back in the summer, so of course I went back for some beads and things! She has two Shops, Happy Cloud Moments has her jewellery in.

Mels Bells Cloche Hats : If you are a hat person, you've gotta check these out! I could easily buy half the shop, like maybe a hat to go with every jersey? and season...and occasion...and...

Dragonfly 1750 : (Irish Seller) These silk scarves aren't just bee-u-di-fulll, but also VERY reasonably priced! I'll be baaack...

Jewels by Jane : if you want some Wall Art you'd better move fast...I've already got the best one...hee! hee!

Eastwitching : You have to go and drool over Alison's Art! Each animal and bird has such character, and is so colourful!

Hearts and Laser Beams : I didn't really know what I was doing here, what with wanting to use my own photos, but Steph emailed me and she's made it all easy as pie! Efficient too!

Gifting Girls : Exactly what I wanted for a very reasonable price, including postage! Go Girls!

And that, mes amigas, is my shopping done!

Lots of time now for all the things I really want to do!

(Such as persuade the Junior and Senior Infants to sing in tune.....?? 9.20am Monday!)

Chooseday!

This morning B wanted to go spend the day with a friend, so after we'd delivered her, the Hub took me to the wool shop in Sligo. I still HAD some Christmas money left...
Good haul hmm? You'll just have to wait and see what I do with it now!

Yesterday I listed a few new items on Etsy, and also finished knitting another cowl. This morning I sewed it up, and then Sos decided it was just the thing so it's gone! I doubled the stitches, from 70 to 140. Think it was a little wide so next time perhaps I'll try c/on 120 sts. I decided I'd better start a wool note book to keep track of the changes I've recently made to patterns!

Today we have gale force winds from the south west, sleet and snow on the wind. But temperatures are up above freezing for the second day in three weeks so we are hoping our water pipes will thaw. Today I am choosing to sit by the fire to work, with CDs of Brahms' Symphonies on at full blast, and later I'll play Saint-Saens Organ Concerto- they should drown out the howling gale!

There are beans slow cooking in the oven so now I am going to finish the redwork labels I'm working on, then start some new knitting with my yummy wool. Do'n'cha love new wool?

Of gardening, teachers, saints and old bags!

I did some gardening this morning ha! ha! Of the cross stitch variety!
I just love Jeremiah Junction's designs; I subscribed to their Magazine for several years, so have plenty of back issues to draw upon when the muse hits!

Did you notice the 'Consider this...' button in my sidebar? And the Raggedy Anne? If you haven't yet found this blog go Check it out!

I spent a very contented few hours this morning writing a new post for my blog 'Our Inheritance'. It's about St Columba .

I realised awhile back that in primary school I was very lucky in my teachers. It was a four teacher school, two year groups per teacher, in a very old, beautiful, historic building. My teachers were old-fashioned, conscientious, disciplinarians who were firmly rooted in the community and dedicated to doing their utmost to educate the unruly bunch of rural children delivered to them each day! I doubt the school, curriculum or equipment had changed much since the 1890's, and while it didn't suit some I guess it was just grand for me.

Past and present, stories of Saints, poets, eccentrics, forebears, Vikings, local landmarks, geography, history, they came alive then, and have remained so. Our teachers spoke as though the heroes of legend lived and died last week, and were equally important as local people and their doings. They blurred the lines between past and present, life and death, reality and imagination, the seen and the unseen, saints and wicked, and it was such an amazing gift.

The school where I now teach is the same one re-located to a new building in the 1970's. The Principal is a previous classmate, and many of the parents of the children I now teach attended school with me- they know all my sins and I theirs!

Here are the items for Etsy I was working on yesterday, and this afternoon. The labels are redwork on a sort of hessian fabric I found in the scrap trunk. The lovely flowery fabric was an old sleeveless summer shirt which I never wore, beautiful cotton though.I still have to thread drawstrings through the tops, and the third one isn't cut out yet! I thought they would be useful for holidays and weekends away. My Mum uses a plastic bag for her slippers and small things so I thought these might be useful?