Soggy Gazebo

Yesterday evening started like this:


a busy, bustling craft market with lots of exciting food stalls and live music. Then it got all British:

and it rained and it rained and it rained. The kind of persistant rain that has everyone saying "it'll stop in a minute", "it's just a passing shower", "it's clearing up over there, look", but it never does.

Frantically rearranging stock to keep it dry, my ridiculous trousers soaking up the water puddling round the edges of my gazebo and my feet turning lurid green from my hilarious flip-flops - weirdly, this generated some sort of buying frenzy at my gazebo. Then it all got a bit too soggy and the whole market packed up early.


I've just written a blog post about the weather - that's definitely gone all British. The point was meant to be that if you do a craft market and get stuck in a downpour don't panic. Just make sure you keep your stock safe and keep smiling at people. My hands-down favourite source of tips for a regular craft stall is Fluffy Flowers series "How to set up a Craft Booth at a weekly Farmer's Market". The summer is pretty much here so if there's a local Farmers and Craft Market near you go and get yourself a pitch - it's brilliant!

Thinking Talking and Doing...

That's what today has been, so far. Though more thinking and talking and less doing... so a bit more doing later tonight, hopefully! These guys are on my work table today:

They will be turtle and snail zipper pouches. I love this stage where all the main shapes are blocked in and waiting for the details. If I'm working on a new design this is exactly the moment when I can tell whether or not it's going to work.

The thinking today has been about "business direction" and all those plates that need to stay spinning in the air. I really need one of those "experts" that you get on the TV that go through your whole life and sort you out, some kind of House Doctor/Alvin Hall/Gillian McKeith hybrid. (Come to think of it, that sounds terrifying!)

Thank goodness for having someone to talk to. Beverley came over to chat about craft business stuff today. It helps so much to talk to a "real life" person doing a similar thing, online friends are fantastic but meeting up with someone to talk about sewing machines, taxes, and the school run makes a real difference to morale. Oh, and this book is very helpful too for craft business advice, though some of it is only US relevant, I'm always coming back to it and it's very helpful.

Blogging - What's it all about?

This blog has been wavering dangerously close to abandonment lately. Not intentionally, you understand. It's just that blogging keeps slipping further and further down my "to do" list.

Why is that? Partly, it's the old chestnut that the busier the blogger, the quieter the blog. Partly something to do with the distraction of Twitter. Partly the fact that I have become hopelessly disorganised. So now it is time to take action. Time to pull myself together, ask myself some questions, write a few lists...

Why did I start blogging?
To connect with other people doing the same thing - other crafters, other toymakers, other work from home mothers, other people who sew.

What do I like so much about the blogs that I like so much?
I like a regular glimpse into someone else's world, and hearing about the interesting things they are doing. I like seeing pictures of crafty, homely, beautiful things that other people are making. I love to see other people "nesting" and peeking at their homes. Sometimes, I like a piece of solid, useful information, but also I like chatty stuff (as long as it's relevant to the blog's main theme).

photo credit: Phil Regan

Why am I blogging this list instead of using a piece of paper?
Because this way I hope to kick start the regular blogging process. Also, now I've publicly promised to be a better blogger so I'll have to try to keep my promise instead of losing my piece of paper.

photo credit: Phil Regan

What does the future hold for the blog "Area Thrifty One - Scraps of my Life"?
Based on my answers to the above questions, there will be:

• More 'work in progress' posts, perhaps some pictures from my sketchbooks too. I think it's time to let go of the paranoia I've had about showing the world my working process.
• More posts about 'round the house' stuff. We rearrange our house quite often, and bicker over prints on the walls, how to organise the books, etc. I like reading this kind of real life interiors stuff on other blogs.
• There will still be links to interesting, useful and inspiring things that I find around the internet.
• Occasionally, there will be a tutorial or two and probably the odd giveaway.
• More frequent posts.
• Lots of great pictures.

Thanks so much for reading, especially as you pretty much just read a "to do" list, which isn't the most exciting thing in the world. If you have any tips on keeping up your blogging momentum, I'd love to hear them.

What would Benita Larsson Do?

Everything has been driving me crazy lately. I'm naturally clumsy so when the house starts to get out of control it really stresses me out, I'm falling over everything at the moment. I pull out a piece of fabric and the contents of a shelf fall on me. I open the "thread drawer" and it's full of zips and rulers and absolutely no thread. This picture might not show the extent of the chaos, but it is chaotic, believe me. Everything needs a really good sort out but where to start?


So I turned to Flickr for some inspiration and there I found Benita Larsson of Chez Larsson. Oh my, have you ever seen such a fantastic home? So restful, so beautiful and so perfectly organised. Just a quick glimpse will be enough to make you want to turn out your kitchen drawers, or paint something white. Check out Benita Larsson's Flickr photostream here, her blog here and find Benita's Top 10 Organising Tips here.

My first challenge is my sewing room. I've made a great start at clearing it out, the whole time reminding myself of Benita's phrase "Edit, edit, edit". It's amazing how much stuff I've allowed to build up and I'm not even much of a hoarder. Hopefully, I'll soon have some "after" images to show off!