Holiday inStoke on Trent

Just back from my holiday to Stoke on Trent. My first dilemma is whether to tell you about this beautiful cottage we stayed in or to keep it a secret. We all felt like lottery millionaires in this fabulous cottage. It was in the middle of the countryside. It had 5 bedrooms, 4 of which had ensuite facilities the 5th room was only a short corridor away from a toilet and sink basin. There were 2 kitchens with cookers, sinks, fridge and freezers. The big kitchen was huge.

There was also a room with a pool table and tv and another family lounge room with a flat screen tv. Two of the bedrooms also had small tv's in them. As me, hubby, mum and the twins arrived first, we all chose the best rooms. We did feel a little guilty, but not enough to give up the rooms we chose. The holiday started off disastrously. Mum slipped and fell in the kitchen. The next day we took her to A & E for an x ray. She had broken her hand. We spent a second day at the bone clinic to make sure the correct plaster cast had been put on her hand. Meanwhile our children, whose age range were from 18 to 27, went off to Alton Towers. Amazingly, they got sunburnt. I say amazingly because the weeks weather was horrendous. It would be dry in the morning and dry in the evenings but during the day when we would go out we would get caught in a huge down pour. Three days we went to Trentham Estate to see the Italian Gardens and each time we would just arrive and the weather would change and we would get caught in a downpour.

The people in and around Stoke on Trent were really nice and helpful. When we arrived at the hospital with mum, other patients who were standing outside helped by getting a wheelchair for mum and even helped me get her into it. And basically anywhere we went people were so nice and friendly and helpful.
The road system in Stoke on Trent was amazing also but it seemed that when people get into their cars their personality took a change. There was little patience for people using SatNavs who weren't sure of where they were going. I blame it on the fact that there were so many speed cameras. It must annoy the residence of Stoke on Trent having so many of these speed cameras.
We didn't manage to get to any of the pottery places either, as mum often didn't feel very well, what with her broken hand and her many other illnesses. Most of the holiday was spent around the pool table in the cottage and watching DVD's or cooking in that huge kitchen. It was also lovely just having all the family around that table eating, drinking and generally spending some quality time together. I think Stoke on Trent would have been a lovely holiday if only the weather had been better and if mum hadn't had that accident.

Handcrafted Creations Blog

As a follower of Handcrafted Creations Blog I recently asked the owner, Victoria Joanne, if she would be good enough to blog about my website.

Victoria took her time and picked out her favourite styles of tiaras and jewellery from my website and wrote about them. I really appreciate the time she spent doing this for me. Unfortunately at this moment in time I am unable to reciprocate so I have just taken a description of her work from her website and hope to in future give a more detailed description of her work. But I am sure you will see for yourself what she does by visiting her website.

Victoria's Designer Garter portfolio for her HandCrafted Creations unique wedding garters which can be custom made for you! All of her personalized custom garters are created special for each client. Your luxury garters can be personalized in any way you would like. Embroidery such as Names and/or date, a Monogram of your initials, or a personalized saying may be embroidered onto your uniquely custom made garter. You may choose to have extra charms added or Swarovski crystals sewn all over for added glitz and elegance. With Victoria Joanne custom wedding garters the possibilities are endless. See her website here http://www.customweddinggarters.com/

Please visit her blog and read what she had to say about my work and why not join Victoria's blog as a follower.

Crowning your Crowning Glory

Its always nice when a bride sends you a picture of herself on her wedding day wearing something that you have made. It makes you feel that the work you have produced is appreciated. But its also nice when other people host pictures of a special day and you can direct other people via the web to see these pictures. I was in the fortunate position this year of providing tiaras for 16 girls in the Deanburn PS retinue. Pictures can be viewed at the Fair Day website
Click on the link for Crowning & War Memorial. The pictures in particular that show my work are Picture 17, 27 - 29, 35, 75 - 77
Picture 17 is a design called Guilia Crystal and the rest of the girls in the other pictures are wearing Alina.

Lots of new & different stuff

Its been a strange time as I am not over worked but I seem to have work to keep me going. Thank goodness this is just a hobby and not full time as I think I would have had to supplement my income with a second job! And thank goodness for hubby who is good enough not to ask me to go out to work but allows me the luxury of a hobby business so that I can stay at home and help look after mum as well as being my teenagers taxi service! Any way what have I been up to? First of all I finished the tiara that I talked about in an earlier post for my hubby's cousin. So the finished tiara called Alison looks like this
I went out to buy a wedding outfit for this wedding and ended up getting an outfit for my nieces wedding instead. I am not sure if I can wear it to Alison's wedding as the material is quite warm to wear. Alison's wedding is in August and my niece Stephanie is not until October!
I have also had a few commissions for Rosary beads with June being the month of First Communions and Confirmations but these 2 sets are Irish and Celtic sets.


I also made one of my beaded combs in swarovski crystals and it looks quite stunning. You can see the lady wearing it on my gallery page. Her name is Janet.
Finally I took part in a challenge by a gentleman called Simon who works with wood. His website is called Wood Tattoos He asked a craft forum if they could create something in their own craft using items from his so that he could incorporate it into a book that he is writing. So I volunteered to wire wrap a wooden pendant. My choice of design was a star but Si suggested that it should be stars on a sun which sounded lovely. Well I have to admit it took me 2 attempts to wire wrap this pendant. That is the first time that has ever happened to me. It was a creative block! Anyway I was in the last throws of creating this pendant when I heard the sad news about Michael Jackson dying. My pendant that I was creating looked like a dreamcatcher but without the feathers. I thought Michael Jackson was a bit of a dream catcher. He lived the life of fame and celebrity something that everyone dreams about, and he was such a talented man. I stopped creating the pendant at that point to listen to the news. I then went of to bed but I tossed and turned all night as the dream catcher was missing something. In the morning I knew what I had to do. I search my box for suitable small feathers and added it to "Dreamcatcher". I am pleased to say that Si liked my pendant and he says he will include it in his book about Pyrography. I will add pictures of the pendant before and after the feathers were added to the end of this blog.
Finally....
When people say "What were you doing when you heard about the death of Michael Jackson?" I will always remember that I was creating a pendant called Dreamcatcher and if anyone says "When did you make that pendant?" I will reply "The day that Michael Jackson died." The two will always be linked.

New Stuff

Hasn't this weather been gorgeous the last few days. Despite all this sun worshipping weather I have still managed to find time to be creative. The first couple of pictures are of swarovski pearl and crystal tiaras. More pearl to crystal ratio. The first has been named by a customer who has decided to buy it(Louise), the other is still waiting to be named.


I have also made a wire wrapped pendant with a choker for a bridesmaid in sterling silver and 2 sets of rosary beads in fresh water pearl and African jade and sterling silver for a silver wedding anniversary present.

Honest Scrap

Thank you to Carolee from Carolee Crafts for giving me the night mare job of trying to think up of 10 things about myself that are true. I have used the heading to link back to Carolee's blog or you can go to it via my Blog List.

1. I definitely spend to much time on the computer.
2. I struggle with my weight cause I like food.
3. I get embarrassed at charging people for my work.
4. I am my worst critic.
5. My family comes before my work.
6. I worry that I will not complete a project in time for an occasion although this has not happened yet.
7. I like helping other people
8. I have difficulty in saying "no" to requests from family and friends even when I am busy.
9. I like wine although 2 glasses makes me fall asleep.
10. This list was quite difficult to come up with and I don't know 7 people to pass on the award as I have been too busy to go look for other blogs to follow.

So I am passing on the award to
Chris from Kiamyka
Dichro-Findings who is following me
I'd like to also nominate Chrissy who is also following me but I am not sure if she has a blog.
And finally ...well I don't have any other blogs I follow at the moment so you can insert a rather embarrassed smiley here

Substance Abuse Charity Event

Last evening I attended a charity event at our local Golf Club. It was the anniversary of a young man who lost his life to substance abuse and money was being raised to get young people off the streets and into sports before they get in contact with substances like cannabis. I attended this event with people and family from the table tennis association who are one of the sporting areas that these children are encouraged to take up. For quite a serious event it was absolutely fab. The were having a race night. This involves betting 50p per horse per 8 horse race to win anything from £1 to £5 back. For another £2.50 you were allowed to name a horse. Our horse was called Jammy Dodger. I don think he won. The very final race they asked people to bid on a horse. We bought a horse for £15 but some of the horses were getting £50 and £75 and this was coming from a group of young people. Amazingly our horse which ended up being the cheapest won the race! So when the prize raffle draw came and the young ones were wining them all we didn't grudge them as they deserved to win what with parting with all that money. There was also a small buffet of sausage rolls and sandwiches so bang went my diet! The evening ended with a disco I don't know what the final amount was raised as we left early, before midnight. As a house wife, mum, carer and then hobby business woman I thoroughly enjoyed my night out as they are far and few between.