Crafty Chicita

Not A Bad Lump After All

2011-01-04T16:04:00.003Z

I had an appointment at the breast clinic this morning. Not a routine one, I might add, but one that was rushed through. I was told not to worry, but how do you not worry? How do you stay calm and not consider what would happen to your child, your pets, your business if you were suddenly no longer here? I had 2 hours to kill. I stopped pacing the bedroom and looked at my face in the mirror. I didn't look like a woman with cancer, but what does a woman with cancer look like? After all, until you are told that you have it, you don't have it, but you do have it if you get my gist, but just don't know it yet. I looked again at my healthy looking face and experimented with a smile. I could have breast cancer this very moment and not know it.

It all started last May when I found a small pea-sized lump above my breat tissue. Who knows how long it had been there before I noticed it, but not wishing to make it real, not wishing to be neurotic, not wanting to jump to conclusions, I left it to its own devices for a few weeks. It was only when I mentioned it to a friend and she told me the only way to remove my stress was to face it and do it anyway that I took it for a visit to my doctor. He was immediately unimpressed and declared it to be a cyst, not on the breast tissue, and that it would eventually disappear or not depending on its attitude.

Last month I took my pneumonia, then an illness with no name, to the doctor to be identified, and while I was feeling that I was about to die anyway he brought up the subject of the cyst once more and checked it out again. Surprised that it was still there he assured me that there was no cause for alarm but that he wanted a second opinion and fast. Would you start to worry at around that stage?

So here I am, glad to be allowed to live, singing the praises of an amazing NHS breast surgery unit and the incredibly sensitive, friendly and efficient staff there and learning to love my little lump which turned out to be nothing but a fatty deposit, described by the consultant as something similar to a zit! I could have it removed, but I think I'll keep it.

Pneumonia? How the hell did that happen?

2010-12-19T15:21:00.004Z

Late November and the Christmas craft fairs were upon me before I knew it. The last fair I'd attended was way back in July and I couldn't even remember how I usually set up my table. So I used a craft and vintage event as a dummy run and it was here that I got chatting to a young and outrageously talented cross-dressing silversmith. Fascinating though he was he stood way inside my personal space and I think that was the moment when the exchange of bacteria occured.

The following 3 weeks were frantic. I had organised the usual fundraising craft market with 36 crafters for a locally based charity and despite being promised as much help as I required the administrative assistant was more, so much more than more than useless. The snow came for the first time this winter and as craft fairs across the region dropped like flies I was determined that the show would go on. Said admin assistant became more conspicuous by her absence. We ventured out one cold and frosty afternoon to drop leaflets through local doors and had to stop after half an hour. She felt cold. I had a streaming cold but kept going for days afterwards as I had no choice. Correction - I could choose to not be bothered and let down a whole heap of wonderful crafters. That was not an option. Meanwhile there was another craft fair to attend, orders to make up and send out. The day of my fundraising craft fair arrived. Admin assistant and I had started to set up the tables the day before but she complained that she was tired. We arranged to start early on the morning of the event and get everything set up before the crafters rolled up, only she didn't turn up and I was left to flap around squawking like a headless-chicken. By the end of the day my voice had all but disappeared. The following day my child was to perform at Gorton Monastery with the school brass band. By now I had literally no voice, and sat about in a cold and draughty yet very beautiful building for hours. The snow was still hanging about and the temperature was -10C at night. One more craft event, an evening open-studio party at a friend's house meant standing around again in the cold, close to a smoky bonfire and my voice, which had briefly reappeared, did a disappearing act again. Two days later I was helping friends to move house, hacking and coughing away. I took to my bed later that day. Finally, my daughter's birthday party - not so much a party, more a gathering of 3 old friends from primary school which required no organisation on my part other than sticking pizza and Coke under their noses at the right moment. But what on earth made me go outside and wash the car wearing only jeans and tee shirt? I thought it was a warm day. I was shocked to find solid ice on the roof of the car. I didn't realise that I had a temperature.

So that brings me to last Monday when I just could not stay out of bed longer than I had to. I sent my daughter off to school, fed and watered, tried to get an appointment with the doctor only to be told that there were no appointments available until after Christmas and that I should head down to A and E. I could not get out of bed, couldn't drink and certainly had no appetite. My lungs were so congested that I had to sleep sitting up. By Wednesday I had made such a nuisance of myself on the phone that the doctor's receptionist miraculously found me a cancellation. I literally staggered to the car, and despite being in a state of mild hallucinations, enjoying the ever changing display of textures and newly invented colours on my bedroom walls, I managed to drive 2 miles to the surgery and back and crawl under the covers once more. My new challenge was to try to swallow the antibiotics the size of bullets whilst feeling nauseous. By Friday I was still not eating and felt weak and weepy. I was worried that the new snowfall would kill my tough old horse, Sid, who lives outside all year round. I'd not been able to travel the 7 miles to feed him for over a week and now found myself sobbing hearty tears at the thought of him dying of hunger. I phoned the farmer to ask her to feed him. She laughed and said he was fat; he'd be fine. I phoned my ancient old mother who also has a chest infection to ask her if she could post my two jewellery orders to customers, but she was suffering too and the snow had now fallen again. I phoned my sister who lives 16 miles away to ask her to collect our mother and look after her, as she refused to go to bed or even to sit down and relax. I was going to be responsible for the death of my horse and demise of my 89 year old mother simply because I was not well enough to look after them.

Today is my 7th day in bed and I'm underwhelmed by the offers of help that I have received from my family. As a single parent I have to feed the hens, the cats, the gerbil, the human child. My family has not offered to help. In fact my phone has not rung for 3 days. Pneumonia? How the hell did that happen?

I Met The Dolls

2010-11-13T16:36:00.003Z

If you are a regular on the Folksy forum you will already be familiar with The Dolls. Sarah and Laura are the dynamic duo behind The Dollhouse and have fast become prominent in the threads with their sharp and witty comments, empathy and understanding.

This afternoon my daughter and I got to meet them both and all their cute critters. One of their cats was networking on Kitsy (the feline equivalent of Etsy) while their crazy dog, Mylo, made sure that he was the centre of attention. It was so great to meet the people behind the online presence and The Dolls did not disappoint. They are every bit as wonderful in the flesh, and I feel like I've known them for years.

Here's a bit of Laura with a lot of Mad Mylo riding piggy back.

Busy Busy Busy - Two New Shops!

2010-10-31T15:41:00.006Z

Blimey, I've really neglected the blogging thing lately, but here I am to let you know what's kept me out of your hair.

So I've at long last opened an Etsy shop and have some fabulous sterling silver wire wrapped rings and earrings lurking there, just waiting for a new home. Things are going well on Etsy. I've made a few sales and have had my items featured in 54 treasuries already.

Having got used to rushing around like a blue-arsed fly on a daily basis I found myself with an hour to spare last week so what did I do with that time? Did I chill out with a cup of tea and bar of chocolate? Did I go for a lovely walk through the heaps of October leaves just waiting to be kicked into the air? Did I take a long hot soak in a bubble bath? Don't be daft! I did what any craft-obsessed person would do and I opened another Folksy shop. This one stocks my funky handspun art yarns that are all softer and fluffier than kittens or bunnies, and I hope to add more wild and unusual wool as and when I spin it. The shop is called Gimme That Spin (did you see what I did there?) and I made my first sale within two days of opening. Feel free to get the sudden urge to knit someone a handspun scarf or neck cowl for Christmas!

I've also been playing with silver metal clay, an amazing medium that I just adore. I can use my ceramics skills with this stuff and have designed a few solid silver boho rings that are most definitely one-of-a-kind pieces which are now in my Folksy bling shop

I Had Lunch With.....?

2010-09-16T19:16:00.005+01:00

I've been busy opening my new Etsy shop! Oh yes indeedy, this shop stocks sterling silver wire wrapped rings and earrings and today I made my first sale! I have been promoted by one person in particular who, if you know your Etsy, is something of a star in many people's eyes and it is because of her amazing endeavours to selflessly promote newbies like me that this sale occured. I adore her wild and funky jewellery designs and have 'known' her for a while through Facebook but we had never met until today.

So, today I had lunch with ..... Vicki Diane. Yes, the one and only! As she was escaping the drab and cold climate of the UK and heading back to her home in warm and sunny southern Spain we had a chance to meet up at the airport for a couple of hours and boy, did we talk!! None stop natter as if we'd known each other forever! Let me tell you, Vicki is one sassy, sexy, raunchy, vibrant and gorgeously glamorous woman and always the first to help others. So I'm packing my bags at the weekend and moving into her spare room! If only!

Day Trip To Blackpool

2010-08-22T11:04:00.005+01:00

My 12 year old daughter is too old to attend the summer play scheme this year so instead she was invited to work as a helper, reaping the benefits of free trips to the cinema, bowling, the museum and the big day out - a day trip to Blackpool. Needless to say it was a dull and dismal day but big fun was had at the Pleasure Beach fun fair. We did all the traditional Blackpool things - ice cream, donkeys, Blackpool rock, chips, fizzy drinks, deck chairs.

My thrill seeking child was on this horrendous fun fair ride that shot up into the air and shot back down again!

Hane 'em high! Poor meerkats!

A tradional Blackpool tram and the famous Blackpool tower lurking on the horizon.

The vast stretch of beach. When the sea goes out you have to walk a long way for a paddle.

Blackpool ain't Blackpool without the donkeys!

Under the board walk. All sorts of naughties used to and probably still go on here late at night, preferably when the tide is out!

Chillin' Chicita!

Lucky Break

2010-08-05T13:21:00.003+01:00

It's hard to believe that it all happened a year ago today. I'd been looking forward to 5th August as the weather forecast predicted a hot week of sun starting on that date. My riding buddy, Ellen, and I went out for a lovely hack on our horses, down to the water's edge in Reddish Vale Country Park. We noticed that our horses were both a little skittish and took it slowly. I am a very cautious rider, particularly as my horse, Sid the Sod, is a twit who jumps at anything, even his own shadow, but for the last couple of weeks we'd been cantering up a field in the park, something that I did not normally do. On this particular day just before we went into a canter I noticed a large man with a large stick and 2 large rottweilers. Ellen led the way into a canter but Sid would only trot so with one kick I had him up and running, but he reared and accelerated, making me lose my stirrups and eventually my hold on the reins too. I screamed to Ellen to stop as Sid never overtakes the leading horse but he swerved and went into a gallop. By now I could see the whites of his eyes and I was bouncing about in a tight ball, trying to stay on him. After a quarter of a mile I came off him and still with my body in a tense state I landed in the long grass, the centre of my back taking the full force. My head, legs and arms didn't even touch the ground. I was not even winded. After a minute the pain started to kick in and the adrenalin rush had me jibbering nineteen to the dozen as Ellen told me not to move. As she phoned for an ambulance I had already made up my mind that it would take me 10 minutes before I was back on my feet and riding the horse to his field. It took half an hour for the ambulance guys to reach me, across a rough field, by which time I had hundreds of ants crawling all over me, up my nose, across my eyes and in my hair, and many of these critters ended up still with me as I lay in A and E in a curtained cubicle, all alone, still strapped to the stretcher, hungry and scared for 2 hours.

I was begininning to think that I had been forgotten when a porter came and asked if I was OK, went and fetched me a sandwich and lent me his phone so that I could call my 88 year old mother to collect my child from summer play scheme. 'I had a fall' I told her 'and I need you to take her home. I'll be back later this evening'.

4 hours after the fall I was wheeled to X-ray then into a ward where I was left alone for another hour and told not to move a muscle. Eventually a consultant told me that I'd fractured a vertebra and those words meant nothing to me at all. 'OK, so can I go home now?' I asked. They needed to keep me in for anything up to 12 weeks, I was told.

My tearful daughter arrived that evening. It must have been an awful shock to see me like that, although I felt fine, not ill, no longer in pain, just wanting to get home to look after her. When the lady serving supper came to my bedside and said to me 'Aw, did you know you'd broken your back when you fell?' the extent of my injuries hit me at last.

Being a vegetarian in one of the worst hospitals in the north west for 6 days was beyond belief. I was given chicken for each meal, remained unwashed for 3 days until I pointed this out and the situation was resolved when a nurse brought a luke warm bowl of water with a bar of soap half melted in it and left it just out of reach. As I was not allowed to move still I could not reach it and developed a horrendous rash all over my back. I won't even go into the bed pan issue other than to say that I was left on one with my back arched for one and a half hours on one occasion and I put my current back pain down to that experience. A night nurse gave me morphine on my second night there which I said I didn't need, then returned 10 minutes later to give it to me again, insisting that she had not already dosed me.

After 4 days I was allowed to move my legs. After 6 days I was fitted with a back brace, a rather Heath Robinson design with thick metal rods up the back and front and a kidney shaped plastic piece that stuck under the chin and rubbed the skin raw around my neck. Physiotherapists walked me up and down the ward for 5 minutes then left me sitting on my bed. I was dressed and out of there so fast, well as fast as I could hobble, and back in my own bed by that evening. I had lost over a stone in weight and was filthy and angry.

4 months later I was allowed to remove the back brace forever, and a month ago I was discharged from the hospital's 'care'. So today I have been a little emotional, remembering the event, my lucky fall. I was lucky, very lucky. I could have been killed. Worse still, I could have broken my neck.

I have taken this happening and turned it into a positive experience. At the time it happened I was struggling to sell my handmade ceramic pottery, but with a back injury I was no longer able to lift heavy bags of wet clay, and started getting interested in the lovely online bead shops while recuperating on my bed with the laptop. If I hadn't had the fall I would not be making jewellery. I'm thankful for my experience. It changed my life in so many ways. I no longer ride and miss it dreadfully, but I still have Sid the Sod, happy as a sand boy and stuffing his face in a huge field with his mates.

Incongruous Alpacas

2010-07-25T14:04:00.005+01:00

Last weekend we ventured out to the Cheshire plains to collect some fleeces from an alpaca farm. I had planned to drop into the farm shop, choose a couple of fleeces and leave, all within half an hour, but best laid plans of mice and men.... So, choosing a fleece was not an easy task. The farm has 80 alpacas in a range of 21 different colours. Luckily the farmer had selected 7 colours for me to choose from, but if you know me and fibre you will understand my dilemma. I finally plumped for a creamy mink and a chestnut fleece.

We couldn't go all that way (a mere 14 miles) without visiting the fluffy alpacas themselves.

What an incongruous sight - 3 fields of these gentle, timid and weird looking creatures in the middle of leafy Cheshire, noshing on the summer grass and making the oddest sounds - a cross between a falsetto horse whinny and a bee.

These two little babas were only a couple of weeks old. So sweet. How we managed to leave the farm without buying an alpaca I do not know!

In the past few days I have handspun both colours seperately and they don't half pong of gents' urinals, until they are washed. Super soft and fluffy, the yarn is well worth the effort, as it's not the easiest stuff to prepare for handspinning.

Yes, I found my dream house, bang slam in the middle of a field of alpacas, next to a field of wallabies, only to discover that it is about to be demolished.

Some Summer!

2010-07-16T13:42:00.003+01:00

Yes yes, I know we had 3 weeks of scorchio weather here in the rainy city of Manchester. I was out there, blinging like crazy in the glorious sunshine. But 3 weeks!! Just as I was beginning to assume that it would be fine to throw on the shorts and bikini top again the heavens opened and it doesn't plan to stop for at least the next 6 days.

Enough griping in true British fashion about the weather. Let's take the positives from the negatives here and have a look at what or who have been wriggling their way around my garden of late.

A Comma butterfly. I had to chase this little lovely around the garden for 10 minutes before it took a short breather on a white hebe, but it's colour is fantastic and I've not seen one of these here for 3 years.

Then there was this amazing Vapourer moth catterpillar that was having the time of its life doing a little wriggly jig on my outdoor table. A very ordinary looking brown moth but this funky dapper dude looks might fine in its gladrags.

I need help in identifying these brightly striped caterpillars. I've only ever seen them hanging out on ragwort and they are common as muck.

Ooh, is that the sun trying to force its way through those dark grey clouds? Must dash and get some Vitamin D!

Dye Hard

2010-07-01T13:23:00.004+01:00

Following the wonderful yarn spinning workshop (see previous post), the obvious next step was to go to the natural and vegetable dyeing workshop, both classes conveniently run by my lovely friend Carol of Beetlefelt here in south Manchester. What a wonderful time we all had. Step back a few centuries and the neighbours would have been collecting dry wood in order to watch us sizzle on ye olde barbecue, as we made like a covern of witches, stirring our potent brews, cackling at the amazing spells that we had managed to put on our yarns and fabrics, and running around Carol's garden squealing with delight at the end results.

We used onion skins to produce the most unnatural looking vibrant mustard colour, with the aid of a tin mordant which helps the yarn to take up the dye but also causes a chemical reaction. We also produced a rather delicious smelling brew from blackcurrants and a salmon pink colour was produced by the madder root, famous for its use in yester year on the bright and not at all camouflaged jackets of the king's army.

The photo above shows my very basic handspun wool after dyeing. I love the fact that you can dye using natural ingredients that can be collected from the kitchen, garden or hedgerow for free, and the colours are unbelievable. Needless to say I am now utterly hooked on the witchy business of stirring cauldrons with bubbling noxious contents, and now that I have my own spinning wheel (oh yay, lucky lucky me!) there ain't no stopping me.

My New Obsession

2010-06-15T16:14:00.005+01:00

As if having an obsession for beads and more beads was not enough, and knitting and buying yarn and more yarn until my stash bag is full to overflowing, I now have a new obsession. Spinning - not that futile heavy duty static cycling exercise thing where you pedal like fury and get absolutely nowhere. No! Handspinning.

I attended a half day workshop at my friend Carol's studio in Chorlton, Manchester last weekend. First we inspected a Suffolk fleece to see which bits were best for spinning.

Then we learnt to card bits of fleece to get all the crud, dead beetles and bits of hedge out as well as straightening those curly dreadlocks.

We rolled the carded wool into rollags, which were then stretched out before spinning.

Then came the really exciting bit. Of course, if you aren't into yarn and don't have to cross the road to avoid a knitting shop just to save yourself hundreds of pounds, you won't find this exciting at all, but I know a hell of a lot of people who can talk for hours about a nubbly silk, mercurised pure cotton, baby alpaca or even camel yarn that they covet. So, the next stage was to spin the yarn on a drop spindle. This was harder than it looked as the darn thing kept spinning and unspinning until I got into a rhythm.

Finally, we all had a bit of a go on a spinning wheel. This was a little like learning to drive a car, with hand-foot-eye co-ordination going straight out of the window as the yarn whizzed through the machine's orifice faster than I could blink.

So, here's my first attempt at spinning. Truly remarkable and to anyone but me it just looks like something my cats brought in one night, but it is knittable. I have practised my carding and drop spinning technique daily for the last week and have seen a vast improvement. I no longer spin lumpy fat yarn.

Next step - a spinning wheel. I have one on order! This weekend I'm taking another course with Carol - natural vegetable dyeing. Her workshop schedule can be found at www.beetlefelt.co.uk

Woozle Revisited

2010-05-25T18:34:00.004+01:00

Well, what a first week in the Robins household Dinah formerly known as The Woozle formerly known as Dinah has had. She broke out in eczema last Tuesday as well as sharing her fleas with me, so the little critters were zapped straight away. She decided to go on a nil by mouth diet last Thursday and not a drop of food or liquid passed her lips, despite my best efforts. I offered her different flavours, textures and shapes, but no yummy morsel would tempt her to eat. She was wafer thin and looked as though a gust of wind would blow her into the air.

The fabulous heat wave arrived in Manchester on Friday and the sun enticed her into the garden. Initially she had me attached to a piece of string so I couldn't escape or get lost, or so she thought, but after half an hour I was realised from my bonds and allowed to make earrings while following her around the garden (not an easy thing to do, I can tell you, but said pair of earrings were promptly sold).

But the crash diet continued despite the heat. So, on Saturday night, when I was at my wits end after a very tiring but successful day at a craft fair, I told her to buck up her ideas or else it was back to the cats' home. Well, who ever knew that cats understood every word! Sunday morning found her making up for lost time, and she has been stuffing her cute little face ever since and gaining weight.

It's not all good news though. This morning I felt the biggest lymph nodes in her groin and whisked her off to the vets, to discover that the poor little lamb had extremely inflamed gums and a full set of bad teeth, all of which need to be extracted next week. A shot of antibiotics and one of steroids has boosted her no end, so at least I can understand the super-model diet phase she had adopted.

Despite the discomfort she must be experiencing, she has her own bolt hole, my tee shirt cupboard, where she disappears to when it all gets too much, although she hasn't gone there since her treatment this morning. She is settling in well, knows her way around the garden and loves hissy-spitting at Zebra and Dolphin whenever she gets the chance. Dinah the Woozle is in residence.

City of Green

2010-05-20T12:43:00.005+01:00

I bought a bike last week, mainly for my daughter to cycle to school on, a round trip of only one mile. On Thursdays she walks to school as she has a trumpet lesson, and so that lovely bike was just sitting there this morning looking forlorn and dejected. I have not cycled for around 25 years but let's face it, it's like ... well, it's like riding a bike. You never forget how.

I live in the suburbs of Manchester, the second largest city in the UK. I'm only 3 miles from the city centre which I avoid like the plague, but only half a mile up the road from my house is the Fallowfield Loop, a stretch of converted disused railway line that runs for miles and miles. This is where I headed this morning on a gloriously warm and sunny day, and this is what I found.

The peace and quiet was amazing. A few people were out walking their dogs and several retired gents were cycling the route. I met a lovely chap with his two small dogs and we got chatting. Turns out he is a creative type, writing, painting, alternative lifestyle and very interesting brain. Manchester never ceases to amaze me. How green is my city!

The Woozle Has Landed

2010-05-17T11:20:00.006+01:00

In early December my lovely cat Norman died of stomach cancer, leaving his mum, Zebra, and his brother, Dolphin, searching for him for days. Eventually they cosied up together for a long cold winter. It seemed odd to only have two cats to feed. I've been known to have as many as five at one time, and so my daughter and I decided to visit the local cat sanctuary a couple of days ago and adopt an adult rescue cat. Off we toddled with the intention of bringing home an adult male or even a squeaky little kitten.

Well, the best laid plans of mice and Chicita are always altered by fate, and despite an overwhelming choice of both kittens and adults, it was we humans who were chosen by one lovely female. I was kneeling on the floor as she was let out of her pen, and she promptly made a bee line for my lap and settled herself down. Utterly confused after spending 2 hours getting to know all the cats on offer, and having not even spotted this quiet and gentle mass of black fur in a large pen on the floor, we rushed home to check that daughter's bedroom door closed properly, downed a cup of calming tea and pelted back to the cats' home, keeping our fingers crossed that she hadn't been whisked away by one of the many people perusing the feline collection.

The cat formerly known as Dinah is now officially called The Woozle, a never yet seen but most definitely existing weasel-like character from the Winnie The Pooh stories. Woozle settled in to her new room immediately, drank 12 gallons of milk, ate a few cat bikkies from our hands and settled down in a ball on the bed for the night.

How she could have been named Dinah, heaven only knows. This beautiful and graceful cat has eaten hardly anything since she has been here and is far from a diner. In fact she reminds me of a size zero super model who claims to have overeaten when offered a second lettuce leaf.

It's early days still, and she has just had her first grand tour of the house, met the other guys and done some amazing throaty gurgles. Her vampire-like fangs are huge, especially when she screws up her face to do the hissy fit thing. Zebra and Dolphin are not finding her a threat. After all, she is nothing but a small fluff ball that can't weigh more than an ounce or two.

Twinkle Toes

2010-05-13T10:42:00.004+01:00

Every morning this week I've leapt out of bed to find the sun shining on my beautiful garden. Once my daughter has been fed and watered and has set off for school, I get stuck into a few writing briefs (my proper job) in the hope of getting outside and sitting at the table to make some jewellery before lunch time. However, the best laid plans of mice and women are always scuppered by some force greater than that of the mere mortal, and that big glowing ball of light in the sky miraculously runs and hides just as I'm switching the laptop to hibernate mode. Is this one of Sod's Laws or are the elements programmed to annoy? Another of Sod's Laws is the one that states that ten minutes after the entire contents of a washing basket is pegged to the washing line and the washing maid is comfortably esconced behind a bar of chocolate and steaming mug of tea, subtle drops of rain begin to fall, and go unnoticed by said servant for at least an hour before she scuttles outside to find a dripping mass of washing that is now wetter than it was when first pegged out!

Let's get optimistic about the great British summer, shall we? I have high hopes for summer 2010. It's been one hell of a cold winter. My five huge hebe shrubs will flower no more, devastated by the snow fall and persistent frosts. In the fifteen years that I have lived in my house I have never lost a single plant to the cold. So, seriously cold winters usually mean seriously hot summers.

Let's cut to the chase here. My witterings about the weather must be leading to something, I hear you mutter impatiently. Here's my suggestion. When the heat begins to rise, go barefoot whenever you can. Stroll around the garden without shoes, wander the house with your tootsies exposed. Barefoot life is so good for your feet, and strengthens the calf muscles. Now, I find that feet are not the most beautiful body parts but when appropriately decorated they can be turned into sexy features in an instant. What they need is a pair of Summer Barefoot Thongs, a kind of combination of toe ring and ankle bracelet. I first discovered these in my teenage barefoot hippy days, when my girly posse and I lurked around Fog Lane Park in Manchester, hoping to see the eye candy of the day, commonly known to us as the pink shirt gang. Man, those boys were cute! Shoeless and with black and green striped painted toe nails our feet caused quite a stir.

This fabulous foot bling can also be worn on your beach holiday as you dance across the sand at dusk, or for doing barefoot exercise like yoga, tai chi and Nia. If you haven't heard of Nia, watch this space as I intend to write an article about that very subject soon. Oh, and did I mention that these lovelies are available in my Folksy shop for only £13.50?

Hot For You

2010-04-30T09:56:00.003+01:00

Last week I had one of the best days of my life. What a thrill it was to hold that powerful tool in my hand and be instructed by one of the nation's finest in her trade. She showed me the basics of this traditionsl skill that dates back as far as the ancient Egyptians, and it was not long before we moved on to the more complicated stuff, incorporating all sorts of little added extras. What an amazing experience and one that I would never have even considered doing let alone known about, this time last year. So, what exactly was I up to? Well, not what you might have been thinking, for a start. No, this was much better than that, although you can work up quite a sweat with this skill too and I did have to strip off some of my clothes in order to get it just right!

OK, enough silliness. I was at a lampworking class - a one-to-one day-long session with lovely Karen Baildon of Cheeky Cherub Designs over in Alderley Edge which is just 10 miles south of Manchester. She told me how she had started out in lampworking by attending a class in Adelaide and she needed to overcome her fear of the powerful torch before anything else. I didn't have a fear of the flame. Perhaps I am a closet pyromaniac or maybe it's just that I'm used to extreme temperatures as I have a ceramics kiln in my house.

Kaz has a funky little studio in her garden where there is space enough for two people to work. She showed me how to make a plain glass bead, before we moved on to making long thin strands of glass and twisted strands of bi-colours to use as decoration. I added dots to basic beads and poked holes in molten glass, refilling it with contrasting colours. We swirled, prodded and tweaked the glass all day.We also experimented using silver leaf, the effects of which are out of this world. Check out the large turquoise bead that I made - the crackly grey patterning is created using silver leaf.

The most important part of lampwork is to keep everything moving at the same time. The bead mandrel is held in the left hand and needs to keep twisting the molten glass and must never be too far from the flame as it will just crack and die if allowed to cool. Simultaneously the glass rod which is melting in the flame must be in exactly the right spot and also needs turning constantly, so the brain is coping with a metaphorical 'patting of the head with one hand and rubbing the belly with the other' kind of multi-tasking. Lampworking is not easy, but once I'd got into it, the hardest part for me was choosing which colours to use. Believe me when I tell you that Kaz has every colour under the sun, and then some. I told her that next time I come to her studio to play with molten glass, she must hide all the colours except my favourites - olive, ivory, orange, turquoise and black. Life will be much easier with that choice. But just look what I made - yes, mine are the ones on the lower string that aren't quite circular but don't they look handmade? Of course, Kaz's lovely beads are the round ones!

So now I have a new hobby that needs a special torch and clamp, propane, lots of rinky dinky tools and of course, oodles of glass in lots of different shades of the aforementioned colours, as well as pots of frit, silver leaf, mandrels and......

Check out Kaz's website for her gorgeous groovy beads and details about her workshops.

Don't Get Despondent

2010-04-26T10:35:00.003+01:00

What a weekend! I attended a craft fair on Saturday which consisted of 90% jewellery stalls. Granted, it was advertised as a jewellery and craft fair, but most of us crafters with handmade items were only too aware that around 75% of the items for sale were bought in, and these were the goods that sold well as they were going at market prices. This is the gripe of many real crafters attending these events. We spend a good few days preparing for a fair, making, ordering in materials, pricing up, loading up the car, not to mention making all the domestic arrangements so that life can go on at home in our absence. I always take a packed lunch with me - I'm there to sell not to spend, and like many others I have a child in tow.

I also attended another fair on Sunday. It wasn't a great success but it was my decision to choose to attend it and the organiser is a new friend of mine, so I wanted to support her in her new venture. I take full responsibility for my decision to be there, and cannot believe that serious flack is flying in her direction from some crafters. A degree of maturity and a philosophical attitude is required when we don't sell much at craft events. After all, there will be more craft fairs to attend and more chances to make up for any losses incurred.

I started writing this with a complete feeling of self doubt towards my craft, my designs, the competition from others out there and the fact that I'd wasted the whole weekend, with very little profit to show for the hours (17 of them) that I spent, grinning inanely at potential customers, shmoozing, and talking about my work to people who probably didn't give a damn how to wire wrap a bead. but the upside is that I met some lovely people, Realicoul and Kitty Eden from Folksy for example, networked with fellow crafters, extended my mailing list for any craft fairs that I organise in the future, and was invited to two more craft events.

The despondency I've felt all morning hasn't gone away completely, but I've talked myself into realising that onward and upward is the way to go. Sitting for 17 hours, eating unhealthy food and socialising are things I don't do in my everyday life. Consuming a few green smoothies, a couple of days on my own devoid of humans and a good night's sleep will have me up and running as normal.

Garden Jewels

2010-04-18T11:36:00.003+01:00

This glorious spring weather that we have experienced recently in the UK will have had many of us bursting forth from our winter woollies and out into the wild wasteland of our gardens for the first time in months, beating back the brambles as we attempt to locate the patio furniture. Keen gardener though I am, I have to prioritise the important jobs from those that can wait until tomorrow, so washing up, hoovering and mowing the lawn don't get a look in as I opt for basking on a sun-lounger and knitting up some silk/cotton yarn from my huge stash.

The peace and quiet in the skies is so noticeable without the continual thrum of the planes, and as I live only 3 miles from Manchester Airport that low and constant rumble has been conspicuous by its absence. So, while basking outdoors the lovely cooing sound made by my happy hens is beautiful and all the more audible. These 4 girls are Black Rocks, a cross between Rhode Island Reds and Pembroke Blacks, and they enjoy the sunshine as much as I do. On days like this they make a different kind of noise, a contented vibrating throaty sound, and they spend their day taking dust baths in the dry earth and actually collapse in a heap in the sunshine for an afternoon siesta.

While I was shovelling sweet smelling compost this morning I disturbed a beautiful common garden toad and had the chance to dash into the house, hunt frantically for my camera and capture him for blogsville before he knew what had happened. Garden jewels are there to be admired. I hope you find some too, wherever in the world your green haven is.

Al Fresco Studio

2010-04-09T14:56:00.003+01:00

I have to confess to being a total sun addict. By April I'm desperate to soak up some Vitamin D and to feel the sun's rays on my skin. So this morning the sun was beating down on my garden. Off came the patio table cover, out came the clay and tools and as I peeled off 2 woolly handknits my skin breathed a warm sigh of relief. 'This' it shouted ' is the onset of summer! Get your kit off and start basking!' What is it about the sun that makes me so happy and buzzing with energy? I feel as if I've shaken the winter's shackles from my limbs and can be seen a leaping and a hopping like a demented lamb around the lawn, much to the embarassment of my pre-teen child! So a constructive morning was had by me.

This is what I made. These pieces will be turned into rings and brooches and who knows what.

And the energy continued and my hens made their 'happy' noises, as I potted up 14 tomato plants, tidied the garden and sewed up a couple of doggy sweaters for chihuahuas. The icing on the cake was an al fresco salad for lunch. Here comes summer, y'all. Forget the SPF30 and soak up those rays!

Big Deal

2010-04-02T16:01:00.004+01:00

I've branched out with my makes and am now making doggy jumpers for dogs - not very sensible considering we are approaching summer, but I'm not a logical kind of girl. I've listed this cute handknitted roll neck dogs' sweater in my Folksy and Zibbet shops.

As I'm among friends here I feel the need to spread the word about Zibbet. A lot of you guys probably haven't heard of this site. It's based in Australia, but works in US dollars, but they have plans to have multiple currency options soon. I have had a shop there since the beginning of February and had only listed 6 items as I was focussing on my Gimme That Thing Folksy shop at the time. Consequently I only had 200 viewings in February, but Holy Moly, in March the viewings shot up to over 1300 without me promoting it at all - more viewings than I get in a month on Folksy with all the promoting I do. Apparently a surge in interest has occurred as many Etsy sellers have transferred their shops to Zibbet bringing their customers with them and raising its profile. It looks like things are just going to get better and better.

So here's the deal. Zibbet started enticing people to open shops with an offer of 500 shops at $6 then $7 a month with no commission to pay. Now the fee is $8 and when those 500 have all gone, the fee rises to $9 and so on. When you sign up, you get a referral link to promote the site and for each referral you get $1 off your monthly fee. So at present you need 8 referrals to have a free shop for life. When you join up you can contact me for help, but I'll be writing to welcome you anyway

If you would like to get yourself a bargain deal on a growing site, here's my referral link for you to use:

http://www.zibbet.com/GimmeThatThing/sell

Sea Glass Stir

2010-03-29T18:44:00.021+01:00

I used to collect little pieces of smoothed glass on the beach during childhood holidays to South Wales, thinking that they were pretty pebbles but my geologist brother assured me that they had not been polished by mermaids but by the action of the waves rolling them on the sea floor.

Who would have thought that decades later I would once again be collecting this beautiful material and creating pretty summer rings? Sea glass has a fabulous matt texture with a slight grain to it and is hardly recognisable as glass at all. Apparently, the darker the colour the older the piece and if you find any deep brown sea glass it could well date back to the 17th century.

As you can see, I enhance their beauty with a little wire wrapping here and there to create unique rings that look fab and groovy with those summer pastel shades that we will soon be wearing during that tropical heatwave that I predict is definitely going to arrive in the next month or two. A girl can hope!

You can see more photos and details of these rings on my Folksy and Zibbet shops.

...And Possibly The Event Of TheYear

2010-03-28T14:34:00.004+01:00

Following the disaster that was Thursday afternoon, I was looking forward to yesterday's big local event as I'd attended the first Big Green Festival in Chorlton Manchester last year and it had attracted over 4,000 on the day. Organised by Trafford Council as a green event to promote all things environmentally friendly such as wind power, bicycles, recycling, beekeeping and other funky things, this was possibly the event of the year. From an hour before it opened this outdoor festival, held in the grounds of a church was buzzing with people, and until I left at 5pm it continued to fill with wonderfully colourful alternative types, eager to enjoy the spring sunshine, handmade crafts, vegan cakes and curries and of course the real ale tent. The beer tent is a real crowd puller so I asked to be placed next to this location, and true to form the organisers put me next to the groovy guy with rave music and the kegs of ale.

It was fabulous to meet such an 'up for it' crowd of friendly people. Discussions around my table included the problems with eating just one square of chocolate, how to sheer a sheep and how to get rid of fleas. All jolly good fun and no conversations that were craft related at all. It was fantastic to see groovy grannies in their 70s and 80s with magenta, scarlet or purple hair, wild hippy skirts and hair wraps looking the way I want to as I grow old disgracefully. I feel a bright red hair dye coming on!

Cold though it was, the sun did make an appearance from time to time, but I was so cold that I joined the hour long salsa class just to thaw out, knowing full well that I would be suffering with aches and pains today. Flattered by the dance teacher's comments on my 'hip action' I am now enrolled once again in a salsa class, which is not wise for someone whose vertebra is still knitting together. So look out world, here comes Chicita again, shaking it in your face as I get to grips with those sweaty palms and dominant males without a sense of rhythm. Bailla chicos! Now you know where I got my name from. I reached a stage with salsa where I could be chucked forcefully over a man's shoulders and land gracefully on my feet, but I think the Cuban Wheel may be a safer bet for now. Watch this space for my report on the dance class.

Possibly The Worst Market Experience Ever

2010-03-26T11:46:00.004Z

OK so you've probably gathered from the title of this article that I'm not a happy bunny. Let me share with you my experience of the worst market I have had the misfortune to attend as a seller. I use the term 'seller' loosely as nothing was sold by me.

I was led to believe by the organiser that this particular Easter market would have a good footfall if their Christmas event was anything to go by. The price for a table appeared to be reasonable but I needed Public Liability Insurance which I did not have but would require for future events this year, and so I found a very reasonable rate of £30 per year with AIR. As this event from hell began at 3.30 and didn't end until mid evening, I had to prepare some nourishing and warming food for myself and my child to consume at the event. I also had to rush to pick up my child from school, feed and water her before dashing to the event only to find that it consisted of 11 tables, all crammed together with no spaces in between, under a drab looking piece of tarpaulin on a stretch of waste land close to a derilect cinema and a handful of shops. As both tables on either side of me were already set up, these sellers had selflessly taken it upon themselves to spread their wares over part of my table and were in no hurry to move them away on my arrival. Now I'm a great believer in listening to my gut reactions and instinct told me to get the hell out of Dodge and do it fast, but my practical side told me that having forked out a shed load of hard earned money I should at least give it a chance. Things might not be as bad as they looked, I told myself optimistically. Having set up my table with my handmade jewellery I cast an eye around the other tables, counting 4 other jewellery stalls - 5 out of 11 tables all selling the same products. As I commented politely about this to the organiser she glibbly explained that each table contained a very different type of jewellery. Surely this woman could have found herself a more varied selection of sellers. Home grown produce, other handmade crafts? Even bought in handbags from China would not have gone amiss here!

Have I mentioned the fairy cakes? So, who was I next to but the fairy cake table and those few people who passed through the grubby tarpaulin area seemed eager to fill their children with little cakes at £1.40 a pop, so much so that they and their offspring formed a dense queue in front of my table for 45 minutes, most of them leaning on my goods and dropping cake crumbs on my items. After a long, tedious hour I was ready to wrap the magician's poodle shaped balloons around his over-jolly ears, and as he approached me with an insane expression of gleeful fake jolliness on his otherwise miserable face, a pack of playing cards stretched out towards me, I decided that for his own good it was best for me to venture home before I did anything that may make headline news in the local paper, the rush hour traffic looming large on the busy road nearby. Needless to say, as soon as I return home I emailed the organiser to express my doubts as to the safety aspect of cramming tables together, my inability to even get behind my table unless I was prepared to pole vault over or limbo under the stall with a broken vertebra and politely demanded a refund.

Lessons are to be learnt here from my mistake. Always ask the organiser of an event how many makers of a similar product will also be attending, check how big or small the event will be, and if in doubt don't hand over your money. I'm sticking to the tried and tested events that were a success in 2009 from now on. What else could possibly go wrong!

I have a stall at the Big Green Festival at St. Clements Church, Edge Lane, Chorlton tomorrow and this has a footfall of over 4,000 people, and they've put me next to the beer tent! This has to be the prime spot so it's not all bad. If you are in the area come along for a family outing and enjoy the bands, craft workshops, food stalls and real ale.

Folksy superstar featured on BBC 2.

2010-03-19T11:01:00.004Z

You may be asking yourself why there's a picture of Monty Don (aka Mr Wonderful in my books)in my blog. In case you missed last Friday's BBC 2 programme Mastercrafts presented by Monty, you may not know about Folksy's very own lovely Momtaz Begum Hossain. Momtaz was one of three students to appear in the programme, spending many weeks learning the traditional art of weaving and her journey was not an easy one.

I scooped an exclusive interview with Momtaz just after the show went live, for Indiesmiles. She gave me a fascinating insight into the effort and exhaustion, long hours and expectations involved. If you ever thought you might like to appear on TV this article may well change your mind!

Name That Shop

2010-03-17T16:54:00.003Z

Following the success and interest of my previous article The Name Game, on Indiesmiles, the sequel The Name Game - Part II has just arrived on their site. I had such a good response from Folksy folk eager to be included in both articles that I could keep this up for quite a while. If you've been wondering why such Folksy shops as Glamorous Glue, Buddhist Musician, Ginger Nut Knits, Jewelbox and Toggle are so named, be prepared for an entertaining read.

Some more blogging news from me. I've been featured in Ambient Girl's blog on Indie Junction - so there's your reading matter sorted for the day!

Just to add a little colour to my page I've included a picture of my newest listing on Zibbet - the striking Midnight Clouds Ceramic Brooch.

Lightning Strikes

2010-03-14T14:38:00.005Z

I don't often write about new listings in my Folksy shop, but this brooch needs to be shouted about. I have found a niche market at last with my ceramic jewellery pieces and have even had a few wholesale enquiries from across the pond. I don't mean the pond in my garden that is currently looking like a bubbling geyser due to those love happy frogs having their annual bonk fest! No. I mean the big wide pond to the west of the UK that stretches all the way to Americky.

The glaze always does its own incredible thing when it is fired and this piece was no exception. I used a satin metallic pewter glaze, then flicked some flecks of white over the top. The white glaze blended in parts and stood out and raised in others. The over all effect is of a moody night time electric storm and I love it, and it cried out to be named Lightning Strikes.

Last Minute Panic and New Indiesmiles Article

2010-03-12T14:17:00.003Z

OK. First things first. I have a new article in Indiesmiles.com today and I think you'll find it useful, especially if you have trouble getting organised, staying away from the kitchen and the chocolate, and staying motivated. Self discipline is something we have to learn when working alone in a studio or at home, so check it out. This month's winning Indiesmiles columnist is the one whose column receives the most views so please go and take a look and feel free to leave comments.
http://www.indiesmiles.com/ready-set-work

If you've been following my blog recently you'll be aware of the impending Mothers Day Craft Market (yikes, it's tomorrow and still so much to do). I set today aside in order to bake some cakes and flapjacks for the event as well as dealing with any last minute panic requests from crafters, but there's always something that happens that you just don't plan for. I found three huge pin tacks stuck into one of my car tyres and a slow puncture so it was just as well that I'm not a last minute merchant and had a spare half hour to dash down to Kwik Fit to get it sorted.

This evening I'll be dashing down to the venue to clear a space, set up tables and generally rush around like a headless chicken! Next week I'll show you photos of the event and let you know how it all went.

Mothers Day Craft Market

2010-03-08T15:48:00.004Z

My life this week is expected to be pretty hectic, due to the big Mothers Day Craft Market that I've organised for locally based charity, Dignity Worldwide which aims to facilitate change and alleviate poverty in rural Zambia.

This craft market is the 4th that I've arranged and each time I send out the application forms I get a bigger response. I'm still receiving application forms with only a few days to go. The event will include 40 crafters, some of the most talented local people offering wonderful gifts, to include jewellery, ceramics, cards, bags, textiles, paintings and photography, bath and body products, toys and a whole heap of other amazing stuff. There will also be plenty of homemade cakes and refreshments available from our cafe area. The event is being held in Ivy Church with its stunningly beautiful Art Nouveau stained glass windows, as well as the adjoining hall (see address details below).

We always get a great footfall through these events and, weather permitting, we are expecting a great crowd to arrive on the day. If you are looking for a handmade, unusual or unique gift for your mum or just a little treat for yourself, come along and have a rummage, and don't forget to say 'hi' to me. I'll be the one with the table nearest to the cakes. Hey, I did organise the floor plans myself and thought it may be a good idea to be close to the kitchen to keep an eye on my daughter who is manning the food area herself. Really, that's the reason and absolutely nothing to do with the abundance of chocolate butter icing that will be going on!

Ivy Church,97 Barlow Moor Road, Didsbury, South Manchester, M20 2GP
11am-4pm

Wow Thank You

2010-03-05T08:47:00.004Z

Just look at how excited Zebra and Dolphin are at my news. Today sees the launch of a new online handmade crafts and gifts website, just in time for Mothers Day which is looming over the horizon and only days away. It goes by the name of Wow Thank You and those of us who have shops there are hoping to say just that to our customers as they come to visit in droves. The two women behind the site describe it as "an online store that showcases and promotes fantastic UK-based handmade crafts". It has a fun look to it, with tutorials and competitions on its Home page and is easy to navigate. Be one of the first to check out Gimme That Thing's shop and let me know what you think.The Burnt Sugar Earrings and Knot Knit Necklace shown below are available at WowThankyou

Another 'wow thank you' goes out to Harriet at the Children's Jewellery Company, who wrote a lovely article about me in her blog this morning. You can find it at www.thechildrensjewellerycompany.blogspot.com.

Can't sit here chatting to you guys all morning. The sun is out and I need to go and buy a repousse hammer for my newly discovered jewellery technique ...no, I'm not telling you what it is. You'll just have to be patient!

Lost in Cyberspace

2010-03-02T14:57:00.004Z

It was like losing a limb, or a loved one, or being stuck in Groundhog Day. I lost internet connection for nearly two weeks and it was a living hell. My day job as a writer means that I research online and submit my articles online too. I have an online shop on Folksy and Zibbet and this coming Friday a few of us Folksy folk are branching out with new shops on a snazzy online crafts shop called Wow Thank You. So without broadband my life came to a total standstill and it was only then that I realised how reliant I am on this beast, as well as how addicted I had become to the craft forums and social network sites. I have actually had nightmares and woken myself up screaming on two occasions. Now it is all resolved and I am back in action, and control, and can get on with dealing with all those every day issues that crop up.

I am busy organising the fourth craft fair for a local charity, and this too requires internet access, but somehow I have managed to deal with crafters' enquiries, sending out application forms and organising the food, tables, volunteers to help man (or woman) the kitchen on the big day. More about the Mothers Day Craft Market in my next blog.

The upside to all this is that I have had plenty of spare time to make some funky jewellery using new techniques such as wire wrapping, and I sure as hell haven't spent any money feeding my bead addiction. So for every negative there is definitely a positive, even if it is hard to find!

Indie Smiles Down On Me

2010-02-18T09:23:00.003Z

Well, who's been a busy girl then!! Despite the fact that my laptop has insisted on picking up a virus and coughing, sneezing and spluttering it's way through this week, an has had two overnight stays in the private clinic for sick machines, I have managed to get three ...yes, three... articles published in Indiesmiles.

The first article is my biography which helps you to get to know me, as a real and not so virtual human, a little better. Take a look at this piece and you'll see the inner me with the nasty bits taken out!

http://www.indiesmiles.com/gimmethatthing

The second is an informative tutorial on how to organise your own craft fair. This article gives a break down of the various steps needed to be taken, and holds your virtual hand all the way to the point where you count the money raised, do a happy dance and give yourself a hearty pat on the back!

http://www.indiesmiles.com/diy-for-charity

The third article takes a look at some of the shop names on Folksy and how they came about. This is such an interesting read that I plan to do a series of these pieces to find out more about this crafting community.

http://www.indiesmiles.com/the-name-game

Please go and read these articles and leave comments beneath them, because there is a comptetion for all the Indiesmiles columnists including little old me, to see who has the most comments at the end of each month. I'm counting on you guys!

While we are on the subject of Indiesmiles, these wonderful people are giving you the opportunity to buy advertising space at $1 a week.

http://www.indiesmiles.com/wp-content/plugins/oiopub-direct/purchase.php?do=banner&zone=4

It's a Wrap

2010-02-09T15:02:00.007Z

I've always coveted those pretty wire wrapped rings and never thought I'd be capable of making them. So, I watched some informative You Tube footage on how to go about it and jumped right in.

Well, what a surprise. Usually I try something for the first time, make a pig's ear of it and give up, but even my first attempt was a success. I was now on a roll, and made six gorgeous pieces with the funkiest beads I could find in my ever increasing collection.

I plan to list them in my Folksy and Zibbet shops later this week, so keep checking if you like them too!

Crafty Old Bird Gets Lesson From Expert

2010-02-07T14:23:00.003Z

My daughter and I found this old lady wandering aimlessly around our garden looking lost, so we brought her indoors, thawed her out with tea and cake, and decided to teach her a lesson. Daughter, aged 12, got all her beads and jewellery findings out and gave an impromptu lecture on making beaded earrings. Actually, the old lady turned out to be my Mum!

At the age of 88 Doris has never experienced the joys of making bling, and despite the fact that it took her over half an hour to get to grips with this simple technique, she's booked herself in for next week's class on beaded bracelets. God help us!

I suggested to my mother that she may like to have her nose pierced, but she was against that idea. So she's opting for the belly button piercing instead. Only joking ... I think!

Huddersfield Rocks!

2010-02-03T19:24:00.004Z

Yesterday just kept getting better and better. In the morning I had notification that a tutorial I'd written on knitting with jewellery wire had gone live on Dispenseinfo. If you would like to write your own crafting tutorial for dispenseinfo you can contact Alison via www.dispenseinfo.com.
http://www.dispenseinfo.com/displayarticle.php/74/Knitting+with+jewellery+wire
A couple of hours later I was told it had also gone live in ibeadmag.
http://ibeadmag.com/learning-to-knit-with-jewellery-wire

As if that wasn't enough to make my day, Huddersfield seemed to want my jewellery. I sold the spotty black and white brooch, matching earrings and ring to someone in Huddersfield, then my sister-in-law ordered a blue glass necklace, and where does she live? You got it - rocking Huddersfield, West Yorkshire in case you're not familiar. How freaky is that?

So all those lovely sales have made a big hole in my Folksy shop and I just had to stick some new items in the space. Continuing in my spotty dotty phase I've added sage and moss green stud earrings, a ring and matching brooch. If you live in Huddersfield, respond to that urge to come and look!!

Where Does the Time Go?

2010-02-02T16:05:00.001Z

As soon as my daughter has left for school at 8.15 I switch the computer on and get stuck in to the day's writing briefs, which usually take until lunchtime to do. Today I had the whole morning stretching out before me, with only one brief to write about Tampa Bay, Florida. So what have I done with my time? I made 2 pairs of steam punk Victoriana earrings, one pair in black, one in cream, and am really pleased with them.

And how come whenever I want to photograph my new creations, the daylight is dull and drab? This didn't stop me though and I've listed this black and white dotty brooch on Folksy to go with the dotty earrings and ring that are there too.

I've also spent some time adding new items to my fab new Zibbet shop, including some glass beaded necklaces with the most amazing large focal beads. I'm really pleased with the photos too, considering it hasn't stopped raining all day. Sun ... what sun?!

I don't suppose the fairies have done the washing up for me? No - Tuesday is their day off!

New Shop Now Open

2010-02-01T21:40:00.002Z

I am absolutely exhausted, what with only 4 hours sleep last night (too much going on in my head with design ideas deciding to pop up at 3.30am), and I've been working on the banner and starting to list a few jewellery items in my new shop on Zibbet.It took me a couple of hours to work out how to adapt my banner for the new shop but I did it in the end. Zibbet is offering crafters up to 25 listings free with no commission fees and is so easy to use. You can upgrade to a Premium account with unlimited listings. If you are planning to do this, please use my link as the company also offer a free Premium account for life if you introduce 7 new Premium users. Here's the link, and I'll be adding more items daily until it is full.
http://www.zibbet.com/GimmeThatThing/sell

I've also discovered The Handmade Gift Gallery which gives crafters the opportunity to showcase their work, with links to their online shops. Take a look. http://www.thehandmadegiftgallery.com

Gardeners' Delight

2010-01-31T15:47:00.000Z

All of you gardeners will share in my appreciation of an approaching new season. With spring most definitely in the air, I'm getting ready to make the first seed sowings of the year. This is the time I look forward to, as it indicates that a new growing season is approaching. I always plant 3 or 4 different varieties of tomato seeds and as many sweet peas as I have space for in early February. They have to be my favourite flower and their fragrance fill the house when I pick them in mid summer. By March, my indoor windowsills and heated propagators are crammed full of little seedlings, waiting to be potted up and all straining for the light.

I have been making and using these wonderful traditional clay plant labels for years. They are based on those that were used by all serious gardeners in bygone days, before those ugly white plastic labels were available. These are so attractive strewn around the garden or in patio pots or even next to house plants that live in pots. I have left my plant labels out in the frosts throughout several winters and they have all withstood the cold. The great thing about them is that you can write all your details and wash them clean, ready for reuse the following season.

http://www.folksy.com/items/252877-Traditional-Ceramic-Plant-Labels

Cold Hands, Warm Heart (Unless You Are A Vampire)

2010-01-30T11:07:00.000Z

http://www.folksy.com/items/249833-Handknitted-Twilight-Mittens

The Twilight movies and books have proved so popular. Even the knitwear worn by Bella the vampire fan is much sought after. I can't believe how quickly these handknitted Twilight Mittens have disappeared from my shop, so I have relisted them today with new improved photos that really do them justice. With 10% wool and 20% alpaca, they are soft and toasty, and the cuffs go right up the forearms for extra warmth.

There was a heavy frost here in Manchester this morning and February is expected to be just as cold. My daughter has been waiting patiently for weeks for her own pair of mittens to be knitted, but each time I finish an order, another customer wants a pair. Not that I'm complaining. I love knitting, and always have at least two projects on the go at once. I have even been known to knit gloves and socks while sitting by a swimming pool in Greece in wonderful temperatures of 35C!

Spots Before The Eyes

2010-01-28T19:09:00.000Z

I'm so pleased with the spotty ceramic heart shaped ring and matching earrings that I've just finished and listed in the Folksy shop. I thought I'd share them with you and give you a taste of things to come. I have also made some amazing sage, black and white earrings, rings and brooches, but these are still in the finishing off stages and I'm hoping that they'll make it into a friend's new jewellery shop in Afflecks Palace. I'd welcome any comments, constructive, good or bad from you guys, and any suggestions (keep it polite) will be gratefully accepted.

As a postscript to yesterday's blog about my unexpected ride on Sid the Sod, star and old scrote of the horse field, I'm glad to say that not a thing aches in my body today!!

Back in the Saddle

2010-01-27T13:48:00.001Z

Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!! I can not believe I'm saying this, but I just got on my horse this morning and rode him for the first time since my awful fall in August. I was not planning to do this, or indeed to ever get on any horse ever again after what happened, but my friend rode him a few yards today and I just went for it, in the wind and the rain and totally unprepared. I was wearing jeans and wellies, but did have the hat and body protector on. It was amazing, and way better than chocolate! Needless to say, my camera was sitting on a shelf at home, so there are no photos for you to see.

Let me fill you in on some of the details. On August 5th, a beautiful sunny day, my friend and I decided to canter our horses across an open field, except something spooked Sid the Sod (my horse) and he bolted, my feet came out of the stirrups, I lost my grip on the reins and was bouncing about for a quarter of a mile as he accelerated into a fast gallop. Eventually I landed, taking all the impact in one spot, a lumber vertebra, which of course fractured. I spent a week in the hospital from hell, the first 4 days of which I was not allowed to move a muscle, and eventually discharged myself from that horrible place, wearing a back brace with metal rod up the front. This back brace was worn for 4 months. I'm told that it will take another few months for me to be as healed as I'm going to be. I remember crying my eyes out as I lay unattended for the first 2 hours after arriving in hospital, not because of the pain which was unbelievable, but because I knew I would never get on a horse again. And even this morning, I told myself that even if I was tempted, I was not going to even sit on him.

I feel as though I have achieved so much by doing this small thing, and I expect that tomorrow morning I will have a struggle to get out of bed, but it was soooo worth it!

Glazed and Fired Bird Cafe

2010-01-26T16:34:00.001Z

A few days ago I showed you a photo of a bisque fired bird feeder that a friend has commissioned me to make. Well, it has now been glazed and fired, and here is the finished item. Michele left me to choose the colour scheme so I went for tones that would blend in with her garden but would also be noticed.

This photo shows the bird cafe glazed but unfired. I just love the colours of glazes before firing - so mellow and without a hint of how they will look when they come out of the kiln. Needless to say, I had to take a quick peak inside the kiln while my ceramic pieces were still cooling!

I also fired some pieces that have been made into earrings, rings and brooches, but that is for another day. Keep checking back!

I am featured in IndieSmiles article

2010-01-24T18:16:00.000Z

I'm having a busy day today, considering it's Sunday. I've been trying to find some cotton yarn to knit up the lovely Twilight mittens for a Folksy crafter who is allergic to wool.

The big news that I want to share with you is that I am featured along with three other jewellery designers from Folksy.com in the latest article in IndieSmiles. We were each interviewed about our design influences and inspirations, how we got into jewellery making and how we source our supplies. Wonderful Tracy of Cinnamonjewellery,who makes amazing jewellery herself, wrote the article and did a damn fine job. Check it out for yourselves.

http://www.indiesmiles.com
http://www.folksy.com/shops/cinnamonjewellery

Knitted Wire Tutorial Continued

2010-01-22T16:18:00.000Z

Following on from my last blog where I described how to knit a wire and pearl bracelet, I want to share with you some improvements that I have made today as I knitted another bracelet with matching earrings. Here are the knitting instructions.

Bracelet
Thread 24 beads onto fine jewellery wire. With 3mm needles cast on 36 sts.
Row 1: K6, K bead, repeat to end of row.
Row 2: K3, P bead, repeat to end of row.
Row 3: Repeat row 1.
Cast off loosely, working in any remaining beads. Weave loose ends into work.
Attach a jump rings to both ends of a 2-piece decorative fastening clasp and then to each end of the bracelet.

Earrings
Thread 8 beads onto fine jewellery wire. With 3mm needles cast on 10 sts.
Row 1: K1, K bead, K5, K bead, K to end.
Row 2: K4, Purl bead, K1, Purl bead, K to end.
Row 3: Repeat row 1.
Cast off loosely working in the remaining beads equally spaced. Weave loose ends into work. Attach jump rings to knitted piece and onto earring hook wires.

Now flaunt them!

Volcanic Lava and Knitted Wire

2010-01-20T17:02:00.000Z

It's amazing how resourceful you can be when you have to utilise the stock you have rather than ordering the stuff you need. I'm facing a huge car repair bill tomorrow and so I'm seriously counting the pennies, and that means no more cruising the online supplies shops for a while. To satisfy my urge to make some jewellery with a difference I dug out some beads that I was not sure about and some very fine jewellery wire that was lying about in my bead stash.

This is what I made today. The black beads in this super chunky necklace are made from lightweight volcanic lava and have a fabulous grainy matt texture. The gorgeous red pendant is pressed sponge coral, a semi-precious stone that holds some natural patterns within it. I think the two colours go so well together and the silver spacer beads accentuate the intensity all the more. This piece can be found in my Folksy shop.

To create this lacy wire bracelet I threaded a mixture of 24 genuine freshwater rice pearls and rose quartz beads onto a long piece of wire and used knitting needles that are as thin as tooth picks. I brought a bead up to the top of the needles whenever I wanted to knit it into position and knitted 4 rows in all before loosely casting off. Despite having knitted constantly throughout my life, this has to be the most difficult piece of knitting that I have ever done! Not only that but the wire scratches the metal needles to bits.

Finally, and as light relief, I combine a few freshwater rice pearls and aurora borrealis beads to create a simple but very elegant and understated pair of earrings. The amber coloured beads catch the light with a deep blue hue.These can also be found in my Folksy shop.

Bright as a Button

2010-01-18T14:41:00.000Z

Yeahay! I'm a featured artist on Cuteable today (http://cuteable.com). Lovely Linsey from http://www.swirlyarts.folksy.com has included my huge ceramic buttons in her button feature, so I thought I'd let you know how I got into making ceramic buttons in the first place.

Weeeeell .... I have been a mad keen handknitter since I was around 6 years old, and have always got at least two knitting projects on the go. After working for several weeks on a complicated jacket or cropped cardigan pattern, the last thing I want to finish it off with is a set of boring acrylic buttons. So I started making ceramic buttons with the bits of left over from slab rolled clay after making some pots, bowls or mugs and voila, the handmade button obsession began. For ceramicists, small items like buttons are great as kiln fillers, for using up all those small gaps between larger items, and as it is quite costly to fire up an underfilled kiln it is very satisfying to use up those gaps without having to make small but complicated pieces. Once I had built up a good collection of glazes and underglazes I found that I could really create some amazing effects with layering, dripping, flicking and slip trailing techniques. So there you have it. I rarely get to use these buttons on my handknits as they don't stick around long enough, but one of these days I will remember to duplicate some of these designs to keep for personal use.

See my selection of funky and original ceramic buttons:
http://www.chicita.folksy.com

Still Hot and Straight Out of the Kiln

2010-01-17T13:11:00.000Z

A close friend sent me a photo of a ceramic bird feeder that she had spotted while in Bruges one morning, in the hope that I could make one for her. By the afternoon I had sent her a photo of my version - The Bird Cafe. So, here it is, straight out of the kiln this morning and still warm. I'm going to glaze it in sage, turquoise and white drips and will show you the finished item in a few days. If you would like to commission one for yourself, leave me a message under this article (£20 plus shipping).

So, guess who's birthday it was yesterday? Well, I may be another year older but...I told I'm only look 40, and I feel like I'm 30, think I'm 20 and have tantrums like I'm 10. So I've got the 5 ages of woman sorted!

First Pieces Using Bronzclay

2010-01-14T18:40:00.000Z

At last my first pieces of jewellery made from Bronzclay are fired, photographed and ready to list in my Folksy shop. Let me tell you how I made them.

The amount of Bronzclay I bought was smaller than I'd expected, so I decided to slab roll it as thinly as possible using a kitchen rolling pin. I found the clay very sticky and was advised to cover my hands, work surfaces and equipment with olive oil, which worked well at stopping any sticking from occuring. Once rolled to the thickness I needed, I set about handcutting the bases of each piece as well as the smaller pieces to be used for decoration. The advantage of having the pieces covered in olive oil is that they are easy to move into the right position. I scored the bases and small pieces as well as moistening both surfaces with water ( using slip is recommended as with normal clay but I usually end up spitting on it instead!)and pressed them together to form a good join. Once leather hard, I smoothed the edges, this being made more difficult by the thinness of the clay which now felt fragile. After drying for several days I placed them on a layer of charcoal beads with another 1" layer to cover them, inside an aluminium container with lid. The pieces were then fired in an electric kiln to 850C for a total of 5 hours, ramping up the heat by 33% each hour, followed by a soak of 2 hours. Once cooled I used a soft wire brush to remove the filth and buffed with a soft cloth, then superglued the jewellery findings (brooch backs and stud pins) and they were done.

The difference between this medium before and after firing is incredible. The colour is beautiful and rather similar to the tone of antique gold, and enhanced by the charcoal, giving the bronze a slightly aged look.

One Thing After Another

2010-01-13T14:13:00.000Z

The gorgeous ceramic Sea Ring is now listed in my Folksy shop, and I just love the ocean hues.Take a look via this link:
http://www.folksy.com/items/211817

There I was, smuggly thinking what a good little, but old, car I have, starting first go after sitting outside in all that snow for days. When I drive to the horse field to feed Sid the Sod I have to travel half a mile along a dirt track with huge pot holes, and more often than not I am pushed for time and tend to drive like a boy racer. So consequently today my car raised objections by making a very unpleasant noise. I managed to drive the 7 miles back home at 10 mph and receiving various gesticulations from irate drivers, and I'm sure they weren't waving because they wanted to make friends! So I now have to face the car mechanics, their sharp intake of breath and ridiculous bill with a suspected exhaust problem. I knew I shouldn't have bought that new camera!

Yesterday was a very constructive crafting day, as I finished off a few clay jewellery pieces which will become earrings, rings and brooches after being glazed. It is so satisfying when I see lumps of clay become pretty items that will eventually be decorating the fingers and ears of happy customers. I also polished the now fired bronzclay pieces and was amazed at the fabulous colour they took on once they were buffed up - rather like antique gold. I also replaced a few of my blurred photos in my Folksy shop with new pics taken with the groovy new camera, but as the daylight was so poor I may have to persevere for perfection!

Finally, I was delighted to feature in fellow Folksy person NiftyKnits blog yesterday. She is the clever woman that creates the cute and humorous knitted meerkat characters. Check out her blog and her Folksy shop with these links.

http://niftyknits-somuchyarnsolittletime.blogspot.com/2009/12/this-ischicita-aka-amanda-robins.html

http://NiftyKnits.www.folksy.com

Continuing Tale of the Poor Dead Cat

2010-01-09T18:46:00.000Z

A truly sad start to the freezing day as a lady knocked on my door asking about her cat. I had to break the news that the little thing had been run over a couple of days ago. So we both stood in the kitchen crying. I learnt a bit about her cat's history - she had hand reared her with a bottle, her name was Lily and she had travelled across town for Christmas dinner. Apparently she was on heat and could have been pursued by a tom, hence the accident. It was a very moving experience to share in this lady's grief, but she was ultimately relieved that her cat was not lost in the snow or trapped in someone's shed. One of my cats, Norman, died only a month ago. He had late stage lymphoma and it was not a happy ending to his life, so I could empathise over this stranger's loss.

I have spent 8 hours - yes, 8 hours, finding Facebook fans and making friends all over the world. I have learnt that it is snowing in Tennessee and had an email of sympathy for my moggy loss from a lovely cat lady in the states. My Facebook fan page link is over on the right, if you would like to join the growing throng.

I've at long last fired my first bronze pieces in the kiln, and have to suffer the long wait until tomorrow when it is cool enough to open up. I'm feeling a combination of angst and excitement, but will know soon enough if I'm any good at this new craft.

Finally, I had to resort to digging out the old hand appliqued bed cover that I bartered for, 11 years ago on my first visit to Luxor. I still paid the earth, despite reducing the price by 75% but it is absolutely beautiful and incredibly warm.

Critters And Their Daily Demands

2010-01-08T18:44:00.000Z

As predicted, the demise of the poor moggy yesterday (see previous blog) kept me awake most of last night, and so I have lost the will to do any crafting this afternoon, despite the extensive 'to do' list that I eagerly drew up during breakfastthis morning. I'm feeling guilty about this but as Scarlet O'Hara was fond of saying, "Tomorrow is another day".

As I can safely say that hens are the thickest pets I've ever had, cats are the most sensible. My two cats, Zebra and her one remaining son, Dolphin, have not left the house today, even for a pee. I on the other hand, being a human, have had the responsibility of tending to all my animals' needs. Sid the Sod, my lovely 15 year old bay Welsh cob, resides in sheer idleness in a huge field, 7 miles from here towards the Pennines, and remains outdoors with his home boys all year round. I usually put an all-weather coat on him by mid-December but decided not to bother this winter, as I'd heard many reports that his type are better off unrugged. He has amazingly thick fur at this time of year and only suffers the cold when it has rained and he is too wet to dry out over night. Today, however, I gave in as the forecast here is for more snow overnight, and he is now cozy-bozy in his glam pink duvet, with all the other horses pointing and laughing at his lack of dress sense. Needless to say, I left the camera in the car, which I had to park one mile away as the lumpy country lane is now impassable, so cannot show you how fab he looks, but you can see from this photo, taken a couple of days ago, the thickness of his natural coat and how well equipped he is for this cold weather.

I've been replacing the hens' water bottles several times throughout the day as they are freezing up within half an hour. I fill one up with hot water for them to use and keep another in the house to thaw out, this little routine occuring 8 or 9 times in all. The wild birds positively leapt on the fat balls and trashy white bread that I left for them this morning. They must be having a ball at the moment with everyone sticking food out for them. I spotted a very fat robin, 2 thrushes, a blackbird, blue tits, longtailed tits and many dunnocks and sparrows around the bird feeder within half an hour of their food delivery. I also saw an amazing V formation of about 60 geese flying over the house, all screeching joyfully in the glorious sun. Ain't nature wonderful!

The Temperature In Manchester Today was -13C

2010-01-07T22:05:00.000Z

I don't remember ever experiencing weather as cold as this. De-icing the car today was sheer hell as the lock froze over within seconds, there was ice inside the car and my hand actually stuck to the door handle. The draught excluder (Moo Moo the cow snake - don't ask, but he's rather gorgeous)was stuck by ice to the inside of the front door all day, despite the central heating roaring away. This evening my shoes were frozen onto the concrete outside my back door.

I keep hens in the back garden - four gorgeous Pembrokeshire Blacks, bred for cold conditions luckily. Named Beryl, Onyx, Jet and Doris (my mother's name) they have soft oily feathers that insulate them against freezing temperatures. Lately they have stopped bickering between themselves and adopted an attitude of sisterly love, which I know from experience won't last, and have taken to huddling together at night inside their straw lined house, inside the cat basket that has become the egg production room. They look hilarious squeezed into such a small space together, but what a sensible bunch, considering hens are incredibly stupid on the whole.

There was a feline fatality outside my garden gate this morning. I found a dear, sweet young black cat's still warm body lying there, presumably knocked down by the delivery van that I saw cruising round the corner, and try as I might I could not find anyone who recognised the poor moggy. I will not go into the details, but needless to say it will haunt me for a few days. God knows how a van travelling at about 5 mph could possibly do this, but I'm assuming that the cat or van skidded and didn't quite put the brakes on in time. RIP little cat.

The Iceman Cometh

2010-01-05T15:07:00.000Z

This is what I saw when I opened the curtains this morning. I scampered outside, clad in three jumpers, ski gloves, silly bobble hat and riding boots to take some photos and capture the unspoilt beauty of the garden before the cats, birds and postman left their mark. Manchester had 6 inches of snow overnight with more falling all day, and much more to come. So, if you haven't had your share of the snow yet, it's heading your way and this is what you are in for.

Most schools around here were closed and so my daughter and I made a magnificent 6 foot snowman which could well be transformed into a snow goddess if I get my way and add a pair of boobs. Daughter is not impressed with this idea, so I may have to sneak out when she goes to bed and add to our ice sculpture.

Kilns Have Their Uses

2010-01-03T19:42:00.000Z

I have now begun listing some of my ceramic creations in my Folksy online shop - www.folksy.com/shops/chicita. This pair of pretty bowls is the first of many items to be included, and as I'm planning to load the kiln and fire it up tomorrow I got to thinking of the additional advantages of having one in the house. Mine is located in the workshop (aka spare bedroom) where I do all my making, drying, firing and glazing, as well as the ironing. When the kiln has reached 1000C the workshop is so warm that you could almost imagine being on holiday in the Med.

I take advantage of the temperature by putting my homemade bread dough in the room to rise. Believe me, it doesn't take long. Even though I have the window open to let out any fumes the heat radiates from the kiln for at least 12 hours after it has switched off. All potters will now the eagerness and anticipation that is felt while waiting for the kiln to cool down enough to allow you to open up and see how the pottery has turned out. You should not really open up for at least 20 hours after switch off has occured but I usually can't resist a quick peak after 15 hours. There are always plenty of oohs and aahs as well as an occasional aaagh once the lid is lifted. Glazes rarely turn out the way I had expected, but there are often some real improvements when they do their own thing and decide to come out purple instead of green and there is no accounting for the fact that glazes like to run rather than staying put. This means that when something amazing happens to a piece, I usually cannot reproduce the same effect, try as I might. Still, that ensures that items remain original and unique, and that's what crafting is all about.

New Day, New Year, New Decade and Almost Aliens

2010-01-01T16:08:00.000Z

I can't believe a whole decade has gone by since I became a mum. It's just flown and I now have a keen fellow crafter for a daughter. We share our love of beads, ceramics and even writing. Last night we were both watching the fireworks at midnight from the bedroom window when these UFO type objects started silently floating over the house, all heading towards the south (London?) and increasing in numbers over the next half hour. Well, I tried to think of a rational explanation but it was getting late and my brain had switched off for the night, so I calmly assumed that this probably happened every night and that nobody was usually looking skyward to notice the alien invasion! I even waved to them like the pillock that I am - if they were aliens I decided that it would be a good idea to be friendly. After chatting to some sensible people on the Folksy forum, I discovered that they were only Chinese Lanterns. Imagine my disappointment - I was rather hoping that they may stop off and whisk my noisy revelling neighbours away for a prolonged probe, but alas it was not meant to be.

Meanwhile, I have finished a commission for a Folksy jeweller for a pair of toasty mittens as seen on the hands of the vampire fan, Bella, in the Twilight movie, and am receiving orders already. Follow this link for more details.

http://www.folksy.com/items/188878-Handknitted-Twilight-Mittens

Let's Get This Party Started

2009-12-30T18:43:00.000Z

Before I tell you about my crafting activities for the day, let me give you a brief background on how I got into beaded jewellery. Well, I fell off my fast moving and nervy horse in August as he decided to see how fast he could gallop while I hung on for quarter of a mile, feet out of stirrups, bouncing about until I landed with a huge thud, broke a lumber vertebra and was in hell's hospital for a week. Very lucky not to have broken my neck and had to wear a hideous back brace until a month ago. Anyway, I was not able to lift hefty bags of clay and so had to put my ceramics on hold. Meanwhile I discovered the wonderful world of beads and have been creating some little beauties since September. The two photos featured here are of my new listings in the shop (www.folksy.com/shops/chicita) if you'd like to take a look around.

On Boxing Day I got my hands into some lovely gloopy buff clay for the first time in months and created a custom order for a friend - a bird cafe, which I'll show you when it's been fired and glazed. You have no idea just how much I missed working in clay but the long break from it has filled me with ideas for designs. Today I have been smoothing out the lumps and bumps on some new ceramics designs which I'm not revealing yet, but I'll give you a clue as to what they are - horticultural - and that's all I'm saying for now. They'll be bisque fired in a couple of days, then glazed and fired and maybe glazed again.

Big thrill at lunchtime as a long awaited order of freshwater pearls and semi-precious beads arrived through the cat flap, in the most amazing colours. My daughter and I spread the little packets of goodies across my bed, drooled over them and discussed what she and I had in mind for them all, but I did not allow myself the pleasure of making anything with them, as I'm so strict with myself that I have to finish a knitting commission for a jeweller on Folksy - a gorgeous pair of Twilight mittens as seen on the hands of Bella in the vampire movie. I'm taking orders for these right now so PM me on my Folksy website if you want a pair.