A visit to Kinsale Pottery - part one

Last weekend I was lucky enough chance to do something I've ALWAYS wanted to do
I finally got to use a potters wheel.

Myself & Lorna (my daughter) took a trip to the beautiful town of Kinsale and  took part in a one day pottery taster workshop at Kinsale Pottery and Arts Centre. I wish I'd taken more photographs especially of the gallery and the views.....
We did get SOME photos though (thanks to Lorna) and I'd like to share a few of them with you.

The workshop and gallery are located in a lovely spot just outside the village, its owned and run by the very charming Adrian.
When we walked into the toasty warm pottery studio on Sunday morning we were confronted by a pottery wheel that had been 'decorated' by a hen party the previous week...

My 16 year old daughter has never seen 'Ghost' and come to think of it its been YEARS since I have,

Hmmmmmm!!! I think maybe its time to rent that movie again!

Ok, so we had a little tour and a chat about what some ceramics terms, we oooohed and ahhhhed over some of the pieces left behind by more 'serious' students and then

We got stuck in !

Firstly we made a little wall plaque each ....

After the colour was added

Lorna made a lovely 'welcome' sign .

Whilst everyone was working away on our individual plaques we all got a chance to take a break and throw a small bowl or mug on the wheel .

Our two mugs are the upturned ones !

Lorna was super fast a finishing her plaque so she made a little Harry potter inspired ball.

After lunch we were free to make a larger piece.
Lorna made a fantastic wizard ...

And I made a (not quite so fantastic) Lighthouse for the garden...

Here's Adrian our tutor tidying it up !!!

They will be glazed and fired and we can collect them all next week,
I can't wait to see what they'll look like glazed.
I will be sure and post some pictures when we get them back !

Siubhan x x x

Wash-Day Blues

The title of this post may be a bit of a misnomer, considering no one single day is 'wash-day' in the CraftLee House .... every day is washday !
The last few days have been a busy time in the laundry after a trip to my family in Donegal this weekend.

Heres a really beautiful shot of Errigal, Co Donegal (the second highest mountain in Ireland) taken by my old friend (the super tallented) John Rafferty, marine photographer.

oh!!! & I can't resist posting another one John's photos of the fantastically named 'Poisioned Glen'

Isn't that beautiful?

Back to the Wash-Day Blues....I seem to have spent a lot of time washing, drying, ironing folding and putting away since I've come home.
I even sorted through the odd-sock pile yesterday... Where oh! WHERE do they all come from ?!
Somehow I always imagine that all the mates to my ever increasing collection of odd socks are off somewhere sunny having waaayyyy more fun than the poor socks that are left behind !
Does anyone out there have a crafty idea to use up a waist high pile of odd socks?

Anyway I've been dying to call a post 'Wash-day Blues' just for an excuse to share with you  some cotton facecloths I made.....Taa Daa!!

Not quite as impressive as the Poisioned Glen I grant you, but much handier for washing your face with !

Two simple crochet squares made from two 'odd' balls of cotton I picked up in France last summer.
I followed the pattern from 'Cute and easy crochet' by Niki Trench

Out of my yarn stash & into the batroom....

A very quick project I made two in one night !



I'm off now to soak one of these puppies in cool water

(or maybe some ice-cold Sauvingon Blanc) 

& drape it over my tired eyes after a long day in front of the computer!

Thanks for visiting !

Siubhan x x x

My first ever home-sewn bag !

I say 'first' because I've already started cutting out the material for my second one of these fab bags!

I've always wanted to try my hand at sewing a bag, so when I saw the cute Tohoku Tote by the beautiful Cheri over at I Am Momma Hear Me Roar I just HAD to give it a go!

I had a fairly steep learning curve from not being able to even thread the sewing machine to being able to thread it with two hands tied behind my back blindfolded !

Seven hours later, after poking myself in the face with the scissors about 10 times (I kid you not!), breaking TWO needles in the sewing machine.....
Taaa Daaaa!!!!
My first ever home sewn bag ...

I'm pretty chuffed with myself! Ive decied to call this the 'Niamh Bag' as i will be gifting it to my lovely sister in lieu of the birthday card she never recieved !!

The top and handles were made from a lovely red brushed cotton remnant and the body of the bag is an upholstery fabric remnant.

I lined the inside with some 'snowflake' patterned material (another remnant) and I can't wait to make some more of these lovely bags ... hopefully the next one wont take me seven hours!!

Ther is such a great sense of achievement when you finish a project ! Have you ever made a bag ?
If so, I'd love to hear about it !

Siubhán x x x

Mothers Day is on the way....

Ah ! Mothers Day is nearly here ! I'm looking forward to breakfast in bed, lots of chocolates, cuddles and attention from all the family in the CraftLee house!
I had a busy weekend last week, getting ready for my first ever market and setting up my CraftLee Facebook page (now all I've to do is figure out how to link it to the Blog!)

Here are some of the cards I made for the market stall (and I even sold a few!)

I bought the paper flower in Cork Art Supplies and spent many happy hours on Saturday putting them all together.

I love to get a handmade card, especially from one of my children, don't you ?

To all you mothers out there - Have a wonderfull and happy Mothers Day - put your feet up !
You deserve it !

Papercraft and the Post...

I didn't want to post another crochet project straight away
so I thought I would share a few little papercraft projects with you.
Its a ball made from Kusudama flowers, I found the tutorial online at Folding Trees.com .
The tutorial comes in two parts, the first part is how to fold and glue the individual kusudama flowers.

It was quite a fiddly task making all the individual kusudama flowers...

They require lots of patience, careful cutting, plenty of fiddling with glue & many, many clothes pegs!
But I really liked the look of the finished ball featured in part two so I had to keep going..........

until finally TAAA DAH!!
I had THIS !

Glueing a combination of the 3 different coloured flowers all together, I made this pretty hanging decoration.

Its currently hanging on the guest bedroom door , maybe I should make some more in springtime colours to decorate the house for easter ? What do you think?

The next papery project concludes with a bit of a mystery...
Well it started off happily enough, my beautiful sister and her equally beautiful (but much sassier!) daughter celebrate their birthdays this week.
I made two cards; one for my sister.....

featuring watercolours, pen and the recycling of a bunny from her  last years birthday card to me!

And one for my niece....

featuring some lovely little felt bunnies I picked up in Paperchase last year.

Having found the card stock, the glue, the pens, the paints, the water jar, the brushes, the scissors, the bunnies and the beads; it was totally beyond me to put my hand on an envelope,
so I popped the cards in my handbag and headed off to the post office to but two envelopes ...
got to the post office...
hand in bag.......NO CARDS !
Decided I had left them at home (could even picture them , back home on the kitchen counter!)
Went home .... NO CARDS !

So SOMEWHERE in this sprawling metropolis
SOMEONE is in posession of these two handmade cards
and I am hoping that when my lovely sister sees that I DID make her a card
she'll forgive me for not having had one from me to open on her birthday !

I have a crafty plan to make it up to her that I might just share with you next time ...

Thanks for visiting,

Siubhan x