Yellow bunting and bicycles!

Hello all, hope this finds you well and happy. I am so enjoying the lovely weather.

I had to join in for The Grand Depart and have a yellow bike over the entrance to ARTefact.

Now for some bunting!

What have I been up to this week, well lots of finishing off for the sale at The Merchants Adventures Hall. And celebrating Birthdays..., I love June. And quite a few car boots. When the fair is done I want to get on with some sewing, specifically altered couture. Therefore  I have been gathering garments at car boots and sales after all I can not make bricks with out clay!!!

A collection of fabric..., stuff. I also found out I tend to go for blues and browns with splashing of lace.

This child's waistcoat I paid £1 for, with heaps of buttons to play with. 

All metal, wonderful!

Trims

and Lace

remains to be seen what I come up with these things, but I am excited to play!

Also at the car boot I have been finding wonderful things to make art with, and to decorated the entrance to ARTefact.

Vintage playing cards, old lock plates, and a rubber stamp.

Metal signs

Love this one.

OK, sorry, but all I have got time for today, see you all soon. x

Really enjoying birthday month.

Hello, sweet potatoes and how are you? Things here are just great if not some what busy, but I do like to be busy. Thank you all for my birthday cards etc I had a fabulous time and was spoilt rotten, which is just as it should be for all of us. Today the 19th of June is my sisters birthday so a BIG happy birthday to her, we will be having a joint party on Friday. Last Friday would have been my brother Anthony s 60th birthday if he had lived, unfortunately he died of a brain tumor at the a age of eleven. I guess this is why I tell people off who moan about getting older, It is a privilege denied so many. Do your best to enjoy every day.

When Anthony was ill, he took the time to plant Sweet William seeds in our garden. By the time they were flowering he had died. So my mother cut the flowers and placed them on his grave. I always think of him when ever I see Sweet Williams and he always gets some for his grave.

Craft wise I think I have about finished making journal for the craft fair in July. I can not help it I always make far too much stock, but I hate to see a empty table..., apart from five minutes before the end and everything is sold!

Note books every where.

And some more....!

Now I want to take this opportunity to announce two new clubs I will be starting at ARTefact come September 2014. The couple that I already run are full and are likely to remain that way. Various people where asking for clubs of a similar vain, but different....! I try to please, so these are the two options I have come up with. First of all I will tell you about these too club, then I will explain how they BOTH will be run. OK so New Group Number One,

Illuminarty, this is for those wanting to experiment in the wonderful world of mixed media art. You do not need any previous experience just a desire to learn. We will play with all kinds of wonderment's, Painting, Paper making, bookmaking, jewelry making, doll making, primitive art dolls, rubber stamping, card making to name just a few. We will sail where ever our creating ship takes us, exploring subjects too numerous to mention.

Altering books

Making journals

Making paper look like metal..., well why wouldn't you want to?

And so much more!

New Group Number Two,

SEWblime, as the name suggests this is more stitch related group, but there is nothing wrong with mixing stitch up with other media if we so choose. I must stress here that this is not a sewing group for making the run of the mill items, SEWblimes work will always be a stitch less traveled, but a fabulous journey never the less. We will play with Stitch both machine and by hand. If you are a little nervous of machine stitch we will conquer that fever in a safe and nurturing environment, with only nice and encouraging people in it. No secondary school home economics monstrous teachers in my studio!!!!! 

Hand protectors for coffee cups, we all need these!

Stories on rolls.

Primitive dolls

Boxes of stuff! 

How both groups will be run, listen up kids because this is the important bit!

In Both groups you have the option to come either at the weekend OR evenings. Weekend group will be either One Saturday or Sunday per month,  decided my the members and availability. The Club day starts at 10 am and finishes at 4 pm. The Evening groups will be TWO evening per month.  With group number one Illuminarty, We have Illuminarty Alpha which meets once a month at the weekend, AND Illuminarty Omega which meets, TWO evenings per month, this will be Thursdays,  6 till 9 pm dated to be issued later.

Group number two, SEWblime. is split into SEWblime Days, either one Saturday or Sunday per month to be arranged. The club starts at 10 am and finishes at 4 pm And SEWblime Nights two evenings per month, to be arranged, 6 till 9 pm.

Both groups will have a Birthday Card Club, so we all have wonderful cards on that special day and an ATC (artist trading cards) club where we will create tiny works of art to share, and indeed use to learn new skills.

The cost of each group is £120 per year, paid quarterly regardless of attendance (that £10 per month!) Membership includes tea, coffee and biscuits. A £10 voucher to the ARTefactory shop, and 20% discount on ARTefact classes. Also available for members uses only will be the Book, Magazine, Rubber Stamp Libraries. Numbers will be limited to nine per group. Email me if you are interested and I will tell you all I have forgotten to post here! joannemwilson@hotmail.co.uk

Days members need to bring a packed lunch with them. Tea and coffee available and access to microwave and toaster.

See you next time. x

Birthday Month...., Yipeeeee!

Hello lovely peeps and Happy Birthday to my friend Sue and my Brother law Dave. x.  Good to know it is June, practically birthdays every day I love it!
Last weekend I had my Yard Sale and it was very successful and one of the nicest days, weather wise this year I think. As always when it becomes time to get rid of childhood things, the children come out of the wood work screaming, "you can't sell that!"

The bumper car known as Rodger as the makers name is Whitaker! Sold to a wonderful gentleman who was very pleased to get it. It will sit on his landing for his cat to sit on apparently.

There were lots of other thing for sale,

What didn't sell was collected by Charity the next day so that was great. Meanwhile, whilst I am trying to reduce the amount of junk on my property, Corrin buys a motor bike! Pitted folks, mismatch wheels, electrics like you have never seen and a novel use of a seven up bottle!!!!! Boys will be boys. So it's off in Andrews van and over to his place and the work shop, to be totally dismantled and Andrew will instruct the youth on how it all goes together correctly, with matching wheels and some NEW handle bars at least!!!!

I am still busy making journals.  I am using both The Cinch and The Bind it All and seeing what are the pros and cons of each of them. Also painting, staining and varnishing wood on the out side of the studio.

I love flower boxes!

Alice finished her first year at Durham Uni this week with exams, so a party was in order, and Hats are the theme.