Christmassy fabrics

I love handling and working with beautiful quality fabrics! Christmas ones are especially gorgeous.

I am well under way making bunting and Christmas gifts for my online shop, and fairs coming up in December .......some will be in the shop next week.

It is such horrid weather today - cold, raining and a strong wind, that I will light a fire and sit and sew....... bliss

©Dar Msallema 2010

On being old-fashioned

Do read this article - well worth it! Found it by a link on Twitter. I am unashamedly old-fashioned in some ways, and many of the things mentioned in this article take me back to my childhood and teen years when they were commonplace. I still have my fountain pens, the Ultra record player which my father gave me for my 21st birthday, and it works!

 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lesley-m-m-blume/25-things-that-need-to-st_b_779005.html?ref=tw#s175633

I love bartering!

For a few months I have been keeping an eye out for a model head to use for display at craft fairs. Quite by chance yesterday I acquired this one in exchange for a packet of biscuits! I love bartering like that, with both parties happy!

I think the head is beautiful.......

She needs a name, as she will be joining Diana when I go out.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

It's a cat's life

I went outside a short while ago, and it felt really cold tonight. My cat seems to think so too....uncharacteristically, she is in early, and curled up in a chair. Maybe it has something to do with fireworks going off nearby as well.

She looks so comfortable it makes me want to wend my way to bed too!

My cosy winter work-space

This is where I will be hibernating for the winter ..........

Goodbye to my old studio

A long time since I posted, but.... I have been working very hard changing studios.

I have been in my last one for ten years, seven of them sharing it with the youngsters in my then art group, so it holds many memories. But it was time to move on, or sideways in my case.

.
It was strange seeing it empty.

Photos of the Autumn Art Market - Paintworks in Bristol

At the crack of dawn, it was up and off to an early start on the drive to Bristol, pitches allocated on a first-come-first- served basis, and then the rush to get set up in time for visitors.
The Paintworks is an interesting venture, a work in progress:

 http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=150238438331672&ref=tswww.paintworksevents.co.uk

 A side shot of my stall...........

The gentleman is looking closely at one of these..........

.............a sand strawberry! A very old idea -  many of us may remember our grandmothers having one in their sewing basket, and using it to keep needles sharp. I make them by the dozen!


And finally, dear Diana, on duty and sporting one of my bags.