Friday I'm in Love

With: Sneaky coffee dates, be it with my Husband or my children(one at a time) there's nothing nicer than a good catch up and giving total attention to that one person. 

Preferably with coffee, hot chocolate and cake involved.

With: Finding a piece of a lost and slightly forgotten project, it gave me a huge smile and gave me a kick start into doing something joyous for me.

With: Finding beautiful flowers, uncaring about the cold and flinging their little naked bright coloured goodness around my fair city.

With: The trailer for Joss Whedon's take on Much Ado About nothing, has a huge geek and Joss fan there's so much amazing-ness in this trailer my little Winter froze brain cannot cope.

Even more it's my favourite Shakespeare comedy/romance. 

This film can not get to my cinema quick enough.

What are you loving on this dreary Friday?

The first rule of Craft Club is...

TALK ABOUT CRAFT CLUB

The second rule of CRAFT CLUB is..... you see where I'm going with this right?

This week I went to a training session for Craft Club, this organisation is all about championing Craft in schools, galleries, libraries, community centres and anywhere else that will bring people together in there love of trying something new. 

The session gave a great insight into something which I think should be part of the school curriculum anyway,  doing crafts encompasses a huge number of skills and helps with co ordination and concentration.

The training day was hosted by Jessica Worley a textile artist, with a special speaker of Deirdre Nelson who discussed her recent community projects. 

The actual day was very hands on and interactive, we did some finger knitting which Craft Club use as a good introduction to craft for everyone. We also made some knitted fish which linked back to the community projects of Deirdre, I think knitting fish may now become a small obsession. 

This was a wonderful, inspiring and creative day and I now have a head buzzing with ways to bring this to my local area and my Daughters school. I hope more people join this cause and help pass on their skills to a generation which seem to have missed out on these gentle arts.

If you would like to sign up as a volunteer or want more information the link is here 

And remember, the first rule of Craft Club is talk about it.....  lets get this organisation known about.

Thank you, Amanda.x.

Yarn Bombing

My lovely crafty friend Mhairi owns Weft Studio here in Carlisle, I sell some of my wares there and run crochet workshops. However the thing I love best is sitting having a brew and a crafty natter, she has a nice view of Castle (although it would be better without a bloody dual carriage way in front of it- politics, sorry) and people watching is a great hobby of mine. 
However it has become apparent that the drivers of Carlisle cannot park on the street outside her shop, it's quite narrow to squeeze into the spaces and in the course of one day in the studio I witnessed 3 cars bump a signpost outside the shop door, and one car bump into another and drive off.  
So I thought I must do something to help drivers see this post.

This is my first piece of Yarn Bombing, and I'm really chuffed at it, especially when 2 different people stroked it as they went past. I'm hoping to cover the whole pole, but as there's lots of other crafter's that use the studio I think it may become a mixed media affair. 
Some people say why? I say why not? 
I think it highlights the craft, but in this setting does it then become art? 
Have I someone managed to bridge the gap between artist and crafter, this topic is one that comes up often in my crafty chats. I consider myself a crafter, but what is the difference really? And what do you consider yourself to be?


"I don't see craft as something you make, but rather something you need to achieve good art."
 -Dawn Detarando


"Art can't deny craft, but refuses to acknowledge it.  In the end they are still brothers."
-Christian Barr.


Questions, questions my blogging friends.  My mind is full of questions.
Comments, as always are welcome.
Amanda.x.