Countdown to Christmas!

It's going to be the first festive season for Lost in the Wood Designs and while I have experienced selling at a Christmas craft fair before (last year as the lampwork bead and jewellery-orientated 'Ginger & I') the one this month really will be a launch of this enterprise. This time I'm oscilating between being nerves and excitement. Worried about having enough stock, people liking my work (especially since it's a bit more niche than last year's items) and generating interest, but also hugely looking forwards to setting out my stall (figuratively and actually) and presenting my work, hopefully in an eye-catching & attractive manner.

Despite intending a very organised approach to the festive season, centering round a comprehensive planner for Christmas makes drawn up in August (having learned something from last year's October panic), predictably I'm a stressed out crafting bunny now. I can see from the various crafters I follow on twitter & facebook that this is a reassuringly widespread issue! Various distractions have lured me away from the craft room and distrupted the Grand Plan- a fantastic holiday to Krakow, the new series of Boardwalk Empire & Homeland, the chance to see Daniel Craig on a large cinema screen in Skyfall, various family birthday-tea parties, the day job etc. Things do seem to be vaguely taking shape with a (much revised) planner gradually getting completed, fraught episodes involving tense bickering with hubbie over the unwieldy large light tent and how to manouvre around it to take photos (see pic above, for Christamas cards, much excitement), fretting about why the same food comes out a different size everytime I crochet one (many odd sized clementines have been created) and why it took a whole day to make a few crochet marshmallows and berries?!

Two weeks to the craft fair, best go and crochet some mini mince pies (this is turning into my new mantra)...

Comments

Joyfully Geeky Crochet- Creating a TARDIS

Creating a TARDIS (correctly using capitals now after previous admonishments by my pedantic husband) has, I can confidently declare, been my second favourite present make ever (only bested by a crocheted honeycomb frame made for my bee-keeping mother). It may indeed have a wibbly-wobbly roof (angle of the above picture is flattering!), cheerfully wandering letters on the 'police box' signs and a tendency towards a leaning base, but I am sadly very proud of my little blue box. Part of the pleasure definitely comes from anticipating the look on my brilliant Dr Who-loving friend's face as he opens the box it's travelled north in. Concerned about any misunderstanding, I've taped an 'it's not shoes!' note to the top so as to avoid even momentarily confusion when presented with a peppermint green Clarkes box. Once he fights his way through the swathes of bubble wrap (it was a big box), he'll be the wondrous owner of this mini delight. I'm thrille...

(Anatomical) Love Is In the Air!

Crochet Anatomical Hearts by Lost In The Wood February has been set aside for a much needed catch up with the paperwork (dull but essential), a move into my new cute little studio (exciting), finishing commissions (overdue) and an exhibition piece (satisfying). However, I was a very busy little bee in January, working on some new anatomical designs (which will be a key focus for my work this year). I've started with hearts, the most appropriate bodily organ for this time of year and one of the most interesting to crochet with all it's ventricles, veins and arteries. I'm not claiming these are anatomically correct (no student of biology/ physiology should look to these as learning aids or we're all done for) but they make a reasonable attempt. Intended as large wall pieces, hang them as statement art works or nestle a smaller one under a bell jar and let them be brazen about their well crafted weirdness! They have been hanging splendidly in the Lotti & W...

Bunnies Hop Into Crochet Magazine

'Love Crochet' magazine 'Love Crochet' Autumn 2013 There was thrilled excitement at Lost in the Wood cottage over the publication of my first piece of press publicity!! 'Love Crochet' magazine (Autumn 2013, issue 5) has a splendid article on craftidermy featuring some of my crochet bunny heads. I was really pleased that a lot of what I'd contributed did actually end up in the article, including the recommendations of other artists creating in other mediums such as Mister Finch's textile insects & Zoe Williams weird & wonderful needle felted creatures. It was a very small but interesting glimpse into how publications source stories and use the information provided. Hopefully it'll lead to more opportunities, especially since between us, me & my proud mother surely must have helped boost circulation of this issue! The rest of the magazine is very colourful and enjoyable too! Fittingly, this was Hector's (big grey bunn...

Lost in the Wood

Search This Blog