Finding treasure

So this week I have been busy getting jobs done before the kids break up for the summer.  I have been busy finishing custom orders including these lovely back to school hair clips which look super sweet.  

But I couldn't resist a bit of retail therapy during a week a rare week off.  I stumbled across a charity shop packed full of retro goodies and treated myself to a big jar of old buttons which are now outside in the garden soaking in a bucket of soapy water.  I also discovered the shop assistants unpacking a new box of donations which included part of a tea service which made my heart sing.  Here it is happily installed on my kitchen shelves.

So today is the last day before the summer break.  Its also my daughters tenth birthday and so a busy day in my household.  Can you imagine the excitement when my daughter saw these beautiful cupcakes.  

The company making these cupcakes will be part of an amazing line up at an event I am visiting in the morning.  The Post House in  Stafford will be the venue for the first contemporary craft carnival.  This is a charity event to support the Roy Castle lung cancer foundation and will feature a super fabulous raffle to raise funds.  It has the most amazing stalls and I can't wait to get shopping.  I think my daughter has her heart set on spending her birthday money on the stalls.  Its nice for me to be able to shop and not be setting up a stall.  After spending too much money on Tanya's cakes tomorrow morning, its the high ropes course at Go Ape for us.  Not a great combination....

Cakes can be found at http://www.facebook.com/theetgateau?fref=ts
Craft carnival http://www.facebook.com/ContemporaryCraftCarnival
Hair clips http://folksy.com/items/4415608-School-hair-clips-with-fabric-buttons-

What motivates you?

Tough questions sometimes promote some deep thinking.  But its nice to take a step back and think back to what started this whole process off and why we do what we do.  I was totally stunned by how many people with small craft businesses started being creative due to a life changing circumstance.  That's me.  I have never been creative.  I could never draw or paint or throw a pot when I was at school.  So I was asked 'what drives you?' An interesting question that I have thought about all week.  What I have always loved is attention to detail.  Beautiful things that people have loved making.  I love design in all forms and am fascinated by how things are put together and how people have really thought through what they have made. 
All of this came to me on the Mander Centre multi storey car park in Wolverhampton.  Not the most creative or inspiring of places you might say.  But its one of my favorite views of the town.  You can see one of the most beautiful buildings in town - the Beatties department store.  Its beautiful and I could look at it all day long.  Its inspiring because when the architects, Lavender, Twentyman and Percy designed it in the 1920's they put so much thought into what can only be described as an exquisite design. The round windows are so high up that you don't notice them from the ground.  Shoppers busily walk past, never looking up at this beautiful world of design two storeys above their heads.  Its like a secret world up on that car park.  Its motivates me because years after they designed the elephants that border the large square windows at the front entrance, I still adore it.  I would love to progress to a stage where my work brings joy to people like that. 
So I am still exploring where my new found love of all things creative will take me.  I have booked two courses this week which I am super excited about.  But wherever I go, you can take the girl out of Wolverhampton.....

Last two images are from http://www.historywebsite.co.uk/listed/localist/beatties.htm

Folksy, wallpaper and packaging

So this week has been a strange one.  I have been crafting in the glorious sunshine.  I had a beautiful package arrive from little tea wagon which is always a joyous experience.  It made me think about how I package things and how nice it is to open something that is beautifully packaged and wrapped.  I have restocked at shop in the square this week too.  An independent shop in Wolverhampton that stocks my makes.  I picked up a beautiful glass pendent for my mum, a brooch for me and some more chocolate from Charlie's mum's chocolate factory - a must for all chocolate lovers.  In fact since I joined weight watchers Charlie's Mum's chocolate has been responsible for two little blips so be warned!  Anyway, shop in the square is another business that has got that packaging thing just right.  A pretty bag and pretty tissue paper that makes you think how special what you have purchased is. 
I have been working with some beautiful vintage wallpaper that arrived in that special package and crafted some earrings with lever fastenings - my first non fabric and non stud type designs.  I'm thrilled.  Four pairs gone before I even photographed them which was fantastic. 
My folksy shop is finally up and running after the etsy/folksy debate had gone on far too long.  My amazing graphic designer has done me proud again and it looks great.  Hopefully it will allow me to showcase a few pieces although I don't see it ever being the main way I showcase my work. 

 http://folksy.com/shops/buttonandsqueak

Shop in the square

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Charlies-Moms-Chocolate-Factory/182002448555404?fref=ts