just a quick update

Just a little update on what is happening in my world.

I started a new teaching job last week so I've been a little distracted from blogland. I'm back to working full time which is nice and it is in adult education which is what I really wanted to do. I'm enjoying it but it has distracted me from crafty things this past week while I've been getting back into work mode. I've decided to close my online shop as I think keeping up with that and a full time job is too much for me right now.

I will still be doing lots of crafting and making things for the swaps I join on swapbot but I think that will be the extent of it for a while.

Hope everyone is enjoying their week.

Happy crafting!

Cross Stitch

I have not been able to get hold of the all the threads to make the cross stitch photo of my grandad but in the mean time I have still been a little obsessed with cross stitch.

Here are the magazines I have bought recently, they are definitely worth spending a little money on if you are looking for Christmas designs and the free gifts with them are great.

I fell in love with these little christmas hearts when I saw them in Enjoy Cross Stitch and just had to make them. In the magazine they were done on white aida but my local craft shop did not have any in so I went for the sparkly gold fleck, I think it really works with the Christmas theme.

Lots more to do I want to make all my Christmas decorations this year.

I'm still undecided on what to do with these, I may frame them and hang them on the wall or turn them into baubles for the tree.

Hope everyone is having a great week. x

Cross Stitch Photo's

I've not done cross stitch in such a long time and while in the newsagents today I came across a cross stitch magazine and I'm inspired once again. At first I was thinking of something small but after looking through some family photographs I found the perfect one.

This is a photo of my grandad when he was in the Royal Air Force.

I have been thinking about him a lot lately and wanted more photo's of him around the house so I thought I would have a go at cross stitching this photo so I can frame it and have it in my living room.

I love an ambitious project and realise it is going to take me forever to finish it as I want it about 8 x 10".

Off to buy all the materials, hope my local shop has all the DMC thread colours I need.

I will post updates of it as I go along. I may even do some smaller cross stitch items in between as I usually work on multiple projects so I don't get bored.

To teach or not to teach?

It has been a stressful but ultimately enlightening week.

I have been questioning whether or not I want to continue teaching. I do enjoy teaching however I do not think that taking abuse from students should be a normal art of my day. I know not all teenagers are disrespectful and some do genuinely want to learn but it seems the majority of people I have taught lately are not even remotely interested in doing any work and are just hell bent on causing trouble. The discipline systems within the schools do not work and are rarely enforced anyway. I have seen major problems within the school system and many of the schemes to get bums on seats are detrimental to the students education. Schools are only interested in having as many students as possible as they get more money from the government. One of the most recent idiotic schemes I have come across is every student should be entitled to an ipod. The school has given every student an ipod that they can use at home and in class, it comes with full internet access etc... do they really think the students are using it to research in class? It is impossible to control what they are accessing and they spend all their time in class messing about with this distraction of a device.

I am definitely moving away from teaching in high schools, I no longer wish to put up with these idiotic schemes and the people behind them. The students are getting worse, the parents don't care, it has become a complete joke. I will continue to teach in the community as adult education is where I would prefer to be right now. I think working freelance is a much better option for me and who knows I might even start some online workshops as well.

I know not all students are like this and I have had some really great classes and students but they have all been at college. The high schools I have been at have not been the best but it has been enough of an experience for me to know it is not for me. I have the greatest respect for high school teachers it is a difficult job.

Have a great week. x

Still Summer?

It has been really hot the past couple of days, whatever happened to Autumn?

Don't get me wrong I love Summer and I have spent most of the day outside enjoying the weather but normally it is much cooler this time of year and I'm ready for the Autumn / Winter season.

I have been busy crocheting scarves and cowls ready for winter so my mind is already there I'm just waiting for the weather to catch up.

This is one of my favourite new pieces. It is a lovely chunky twisted cowl / neckwarmer. I'm planning on making it in more colours but this rich hot orange really stood out to me when I was buying wool and I just couldn't resist.

Hope everyone is enjoying the weather while it lasts.

When life gets in the way

I've been missing from blog land for quite some time now, sometimes life just gets in the way. I've been trying to keep up with crafty things while I've been gone but I have not managed to get everything done that I wanted.

So the scarves I was talking about in one of my previous posts are now in my shop. The Etsy shop is no more I'm afraid but there is a new one on the blog just click the tab at the top of the page and take a look. I'm also in the process of linking it with my Facebook page so people will be able to buy directly from there too.

I'm also working on a few more items to be uploaded soon and hopefully I will be able to introduce a sewing patterns section within the next few months too.

I feel like I have got my mojo back creatively now it's time to sort out all the other little problems. Lately it is all the little things that go wrong but when they start to add up it can be overwhelming.

Have a great day and I will try to write more regularly now.

Good News

My brother has taken my camera while he is on holiday so unfortunately I cannot show any pictures of what I have been up to. I will upload pics of what I've been making as soon as he is back or I can borrow a camera. He promised me a postcard from every city he visits but instead of him posting them to me he is going to bring them back as I use them for Postcrossing so lending him my camera is the least I can do.

Anyway I feel so lucky as things are beginning to change. I have been more than a little disappointed with the sales on Etsy but I have now had my first sale over there and today a local shop has taken some of my scarves too. I also have an appointment with another shop on Monday so hopefully they will take some of my work too.

It has given me a little boost of confidence as I was beginning to think what I was making wasn't as good as I thought it was. I'm so thankful for good news.

If you have any good news please share it in the comments.