Happy Holly Day!

Is there anything nicer than getting a parcel in the post ?
Every month I thank myself for taking out a subscription to the wonderful  Simply Crochet Magazine - when I find it in the letter box the kettle goes on and I spend hours Ohh!ing and Ahh!ing over all the lovely crochet projects within. I havent had much time for crafting recently (you may have noticed!) as Ive been so busy working as a coordinator for a local crafts collective Cork Craft & Design and Christmas is a SUPER busy time for craft !!

Anyway, back to Simply Crochet - I was really taken with this lovely holly project ....

Whipped out the crochet hook (its a wonder it hadn't rusted!)
and gave them a go !
Disaster !
Mine turned out more like a green delapidated bat than anything resembling a holly leaf!
I blame my new (great looking but highly impractical) gel nails !!

Before the bat was consigned to the bin I decided to fiddle around with it a little and see if something couldnt be salvaged ...Ta Daaaa!!!!

With the addition of  ribbon scraps & a cute button & I think I've managed to turn this 'fail' into a 'win' as a gift embelishment ! I love it when a plan comes together !

Hope your having a lovely time getting ready for Christmas too !

Lots of Love ,
Siubhan 

Late summer Catch Up !

Whooah !
Where has our lovely summer gone !!??
Still nice and sunny out there in the evenings but the kids went back to school today so I suppose that really means the end of Summer ! :(
And what a busy one its been for me !!

I've been having a great time promoting Cork Craft throughout the City & County this month
Here's a quick pictorial peek at some of the fun I've been having ....

Craft Month kicked off with the Blarney sculpture trail in the grounds of Blarney castle where the world famous Blarney Stone can be found. here is a teeny-weeney selection of the work that can be found in the castle grounds till late September...

Its really worth a look !!

Then on to beautiful Kinsale where there was an amazing exhibition of some gallery pieces from our local Crafts people. The show was entitled 'Cruth' which is the Irish for 'shape' . Here are some pictures from the show.

And a lovely professional shot
of one of my favourite pieces by Carmel Creaner Textile artist (her work is on the wall!)
& Lol O'Driscoll created this amazing headpiece ....

We've had other exhibitions including 'Woodspun' an amazing collection of woodturned pieces in the CIT Wandesford Quay Gallery 

And we are now knee deep in our Pop-Up Shop event in Douglas Village Shopping centre

Actually I think the shop deserves a post all of its own !
I'll take some more photos and share them with you soon ! I promise !

Love
Siubhan  x x x

Early Summer Catch Up !

Whoah !
Where did June go !
Just thought I'd better pop by & say 'Hello' !
and let you know I'm still here!
.
I've been away on holidays !
- no photos to share of that little adventure I'm afraid
as I swiftly dropped my phone down the loo on my return !
Thankfully I'm married to Mr Fix-it & HE FIXED IT !

Loving these long evenings !

Tidied my desk this evening ...Yes ! That IS the tidy version ! Honestly !

I created this little sassy Miss yesterday with some help from the ever inspiring  Mollie Makes . The pattern was posted by Ellie Bond at elbojobo.com - check out her moustashed-dudes ! They are super cute!

In my tidy-up I discovered some vintage teacups & saucers I'd bought in a brocante in France last Spring, need to make something with these 'lil cuties ! Maybe some pincushions ?

Hmm! time to go hunting on pinterest for some inspiration I think !
Hope the sun is shining where you are !

Thanks for visiting !

Lots of love,  Siubhan x x x

Cork Craft @ Ballymaloe

WoW!
What a wonderful weekend we had at the Ballymaloe Litfest !
It was my first public foray in my new role as the coordinator of Cork Craft & Design and we had lots and lots of fun at a really fab festival in the beautiful setting of Ballymaloe House.

We were part of the fringe event in the big shed and we set up a Crafty corner where we showcased some of the amazing craft being produced in Cork today.

Click on the links below each picture to go to the makers sites.

Everything from beautiful & functional pottery ...

Kinsale Ceramics 

Helen Daly Ceramics

Stable Door Pottery 

To beautiful hand turned bowls, chopping boards and useful objects .....

Tony Farrell Woodturner 

Tony Farrell Woodturner

Hilary Hale Woodturner

Hilary Hale Woodturner

We were blessed with the fine weather and even though the sun was shining that didn't stop people from popping inside to check out our wares. Cork textiles were represented by these super talented ladies and their beautiful creations ......

Felt Magic 

Christina Jasmin Roser Feltmaker 

& its no wonder that Carmel Creaners embroidered linen napkins were so popular ! Aren't they beautiful ?

Carmel Creaner 

We had lots of other great makers displaying their wares and it was fun to mix it up a bit !
Some of the upcycled furniture from the Paint Pot was used to great effect displaying some beautiful handmade books from  Barbara Huberts Bookbindery  in Cork City.

Books & Writing Desk 

Fergal from Horizon Furniture brought along some amazing furniture including this super table entitled Lady Macbeth

Horizon Furniture

and what would we have done without these beautiful  and really useful shelves!?!

Horizon Furniture

Last but by no means least were the local  fine artists Belinda Northcote and Phil Davis.
None of my snap happy photos I took over the weekend do their work justice so heres a little taster from each.
Just click the links below to go to their individual sites

Phil Davis Artist 

Belinda Northcote 

As the weekend wend on the pictures got worse - can you tell ?
Apologies to the makers for not showing off their craftsmanship in the best light !
and on that note here's a pretty awful shot that gives SOME idea of the crowds who were visiting our little shop !

I really enjoyed the experience of meeting all the makers and indeed the customers who were so interested and enthusiastic about the work we presented.


I'm really  looking forward to the next Cork Craft & Design event and hope to see you there!

Thanks for visiting & do come back again soon !

Love Siubhan x x x

Super Swaps ....

I've taken part in two bloggy swaps this year so far.
I want to share with you the gorgeous gifts I've been lucky enough to receive
& the lovely people who sent the to me !
So here we go !

First up was the Sweet Pouch Swap organised by the lovely Ros at Sew Delicious.
You might remember my offering here !

My swapper was the Sweetest!
Her name is Jacqueline and she hangs out over at 'From Out Of The Chaos'
and she sent me a fab package full of goodies & a beautiful purple quilted pouch !
I just LOVE her colour combinations & fabric choices !

Yes! I'd obviously scoffed all the yummy sweets by the time I took the photo ! (I had some help !)
Besides the sweets, a key fob, a funky pen & note-lets part of her gift to me was some lovely scraps from her stash.

My daughter Lorna put one to good use in an invitation illustration for a 'Mother & Daughter Afternoon Tea' event, fundraising money for Marymount hospice, Cork.
This is what she did with it !

Next up was the Covert Robin organised by the talented Rachael over at Imagine Gnats
I was lucky enough to receive another great parcel from the very artistic Tabitha over at Klucking Bear 
(check out her illustrations ! They are AMAZING !)

I was blown away by this stunning piece she made just for me !

She looked at my pinterest page & saw I had pinned some bunting & she bunting-ed up an 'S' for Siubhan !

In the pack too was also a great magazine called Apronology full of ideas for fab aprons!
One in particular really caught my eye. I'm going to have to make this 'junkin' apron' for Lorna for when she starts her career as an Artist !

All of the above will soon be finding a home in my NEW workroom!!
My husband & son are currently 'doing - up' the spare room (insulating the roof at the minute) .
I'm looking forward to moving into a new brighter, bigger space soon.
Have a sneak peek at the work in progress .....

Hope you have a lovely weekend !
Thanks for visiting & do come back soon !

Love Siubhán x x x

I've been Bad .......

Since stepping into 2013 I've been many things ..

Some good....

I've been newly self-employed = SUPER exciting new job,so many things to learn and lots & lots to do!

Some bad....

I've been a bad mom = mediating squabbles through gritted teeth, throwing my eyes up to heaven at the 'Im bored!' mantra when I should be enthusing them to get up & go ! ...I feel I haven't had enough time to do fun things with my kids, does it ever get easier (I guess I know that answer to that one!)

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I've been a (sort-of) bad wife = making time for each other is never easy and now that I'm working from home there's a whole new balance to find, I don't think I'm doing a very good job at it :(

I've been a bad friend = Many of my good friends have troubles and need my help or at least my ear why cant I find time to give THEM more time?

I've been a bad maker = I've flitted from one project to the next, every project I take up makes me think of all the others I have 'in train'. I feel like I've achieved nothing and that (horror of horrors)  making is becoming a chore.

I've been a BAD Blogger :( = Ive stopped posting - I've stopped even planning to post

I've been so busy over these past months .....
and I'm feeling overwhelmed.
It would be easy to blame it all on my new circumstances at work
but I love this job and in order to make my life worth living then I need to stop, reassess and start to pay more attention around here!

I've been beating myself up in so many areas and its doing my spirit no good.

on Thursday last I had a meeting in Ballymaloe in East Cork about their fabbie Litfest Event and when the meeting was over I did what I NEVER do - I took 20 minutes out,

and went for a walk on Ballycotton beach.....

alone ....

& I came to some decisions ..

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After a bit of soul searching I came to the decision that my main problem was not all the work I have on 

but me ! ME! I'm the problem!

I'm such a perfectionist and if I'm going to stay sane then I'm going to have to stop beating myself up -

Maybe I'm not the best mom, wife, friend or maker, 

but I'm doing the best that I can do AT THIS TIME !

I haven't posted on the blog for so long is that I want everything to be perfect...

perfect photos, perfect craft,  perfect spelling ! 

I'm officially giving myself a break !

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So to that end I hope to be posting more often from now on 

and I'm looking forward to getting back in touch with my bloggy friends! 

I've missed you guys!!!

Lots of love
Siubhan x x x