be crafty be happy

I am giving up

I'm going nowhere,- well that's how it feels.

I have so many brilliant books, lots of materials and art stuff, lots of ideas and inspiration everywhere, but it is all going nowhere.

A few hours spare only, very little space for me, I can't even bring myself to starting.

And to cap it all, although I've thouhgt about it a lot and investigated various options, I just wouldn't know what to do with what I am making. Selling short wouldn't be worth the long hours, and I do not know anyone with contacts who could just take it and place it in the right place.

So it's going.
I'll sell (?) or give away half my books ( I love making but will just do it for me)
I will sell or give most of my materials.

I have started looking for something useful to learn, and am considering a second degree by distance learning, probably in Environmental Sciences, although it will all need serious financing ( & up to 6 years commitment part time).

We'll see.

Thank you all for coming, I will keep posting, but I don't know how often, I will keep making a few things to show, but in the long run I don't know where this blog is going. Other people's work still fascinate me ( you know who you are) and I will visit when I can, but  I feel like i have lived in a dream that won't come true, a lot of effort went into trying to do textiles, and it's not going to earn me a living ( or a part time living at least).  I am a bit lost now and purposeless.

A bientôt!
Laurence

Back from the tour and another embroidered bag

Wow!
What a trip! twice as many as here!the French side won! with over 860 hits for the week-end... twice as many as here.

Thank you for taking part, without your efforts and photos there wouldn't have been any travel at all!

Thanks too for the added historical notes and other details about your towns and villages, it was always a worthwhile visit, every place has its history, has facinating stories and is worth seeing!

 I'll gradually change the links from the main pages to the specific travel entry so that the holiday is easy to find again.I also hope you have made new friends, met some kindred spirits, I know I will increase my list of daily blogs to visit AGAIN .. will there be time for anything else really? I'd better throw the TV away.

After all these visits I'm back in the back garden.. or just about, as I used the Lake District as inspiration for this new embroidered bag.

From photos to paper:

Painted on thick cotton or linen:

Machine embroidery:

 

And hand embroidery too..

A few hours on the sewing machine and I have a finished bag:

I'm pleased with it - I rarely make bags like that, they take a bit longer to make. Do you like it? It's roughly A4 in size.
I think what is in the back of my mind is: could I sell these? It would be through Etsy, but because they take me a long time, the price would be affected.
Would you buy it? What do you think would be a reasonable price for it?

Miss*L

Happy HOLIDAY!!!

The big day is here!!!

No taxis, no waiting, no queues, no forgotten passports, no heavy luggages catering for all weather conditions... Our ONE DAY HOLIDAY starts now!!!  17 countries,   75 cities!!!

**Updates: 

AUSTRALIA IS HERE!!!

 I have also added a * on blogs that haven't posted yet.

(****Please remember that the start of the 21st June spreads over 24 hours... some blogs may not be ready yet when you visit, so remember to come back later to see their updates!)

Thank you ever so much everyone for giving me this holiday. I really really appreciate all of you taking part and visiting. Thank you especially to Fine who really helped spreading the idea!

As with real travel, people will speak the local language sometimes... never mind, we still have the photos!!!

HAVE A GREAT TIME! Click on the links and they will be displayed in a new window. You can find  the *approximate* location of each participant on the maps below. ( let me know if  I got yours really wrong)

(PS: Typepad is serious letting me down at the moment, I am sorry for the weird layout, colours all over the place etc, but I have a full list and included everyone!)

Visit Argentina:

   1 Marina, near Bueno Aires 

Visit Australia******:

    2 Natasha in Melbourne!!! Hurray!! Thank you so much!

Visit Canada:  

3 Audrey, Terrebonne, Québec

   4 Cherrybee, in Montreal, Canada

  59 Samy in Québec, Canada ( link now working again sorry about the mix up!!)

   5 Sylvie, in St-Hubert, Canada

visit Chile!!

    68 Maria in Talagante, Chile

Visit France:( separate map)  

    22 Abc, in Matin en Forez, France

    60 Agnès, Vichy, France

    61 Béatrice, in Marseille, France

    55 Bibou in Bastia, Corsica, France

    23 Bphanou, in Cognac, France

    24 Celadon, in The Alpes de Haute Provence region, France

    25 Choupette, in Mougins, near Cannes, France

    26 Christèle , in the Landes region, France

    27 Coeuralouvrage, in Andresy, France

    28 Comme un poisson, in Lille, France *** Photos now published thank you!

    29 Côté Arcades in Louhans, France

    30 Cilya  in Toulouse, France

     73: ****nouveau participant:Ctextile à Nice

    71 Damourdo in Paris

    70  Enriqueta in Paris

    31 Fine  in Sanary sur Mer, France

    32 Grillon, in Fouesnant and Quimper,  Brittany, France

    73: ****new entry:Jany in Aubenas  

    33 Jef, in Marseille, France

    34 Karine, in Vanves, near Paris, France

    35 Laétitia, in Belfort, France

    36 Lakevio in Paris, France

    37 Léokadie, in Roussillon region, France

    38 Liza, in Noyal Pontivy, Brittany, France

    39 Lucie et le cybermamys, in St Etienne, France

    57 Lucylaine in Peymeinade, France

    40 Madie, in Yerres, near Paris, France

    41 Mandine, in Levens, France

    63 Mary, in Tours, France

    42Maryline, in Le Mans, France

 *** new entry: Mélanie in Provence ( south of France)

    43 Mimounette in Avignon, France ( scroll down to 18th May)

    44 Mimounette in Aix-en-Provence, France ( scroll down to 5th June)

    54 Mireil, in Crans, France

    45 Muad'Dib , in La Roche Sur Yon, France *** Photos now published! Thanks 

    46 Nadia, in Le Bailleul, France

    65 Nath, in Angoulême, France (Thanks Patouillette!)

    62 Odile, in Guéret , France

    47 Orèle, in Déville lès Rouen, France

    48 Pascale, in Auvergne region, France

    67 Pénélope in Picardie region, France

    58 Solange in Montluçon, France 

    64 Stéphanie in Cognac, France

    49 Sylvie, in VOUJEAUCOURT,  France 

    50 Térésa, in Aix en Provence, France

    51 Tigroute82 *, in Montauban, *** wont' be able to take part, a virus has taken over her computer, good luck in re-building the missing files!

    52 ValPerles, in Cucuron, France (LINK NOW WORKING)

    53 Volsul in Toulouse, France

Visit Greece:

    6 LIZA, in Greece

Visit Guyana:

    7 Oxygène *,  * probably won't make it as is travelling in Kourou, Guyana

Visit Japan: 

    8 Marie, in Tokyo, Japan

Visit New-Zealand:

  9  Pikininiz in Papamoa, New-Zealand.

****New country:  Portugal

72 MissArte in Lisbonne

Visit Spain:

   10 Laila in Barcelona, Spain

Visit Sweden:

  11  Cecilia in Helsingborg, Sweden

Visit Switzerland:

    56 Christine in Chaux-de-Fonds

Visit the Netherlands:

    66 Corina

Visit Tunisia:

  12  Khanouff  ** Photos now posted, in Bizerte, Tunisia

Visit the UK:

   13 Chantal in Bath, UK

   14 Miss*Laurence, in Poynton, UK (that'll be me then!!! see below)

   15 Victoria in Epping, UK **** Photos now posted! Thank you!, 

Visit the USA:

    16 Cat *, in Miami, USA

   17 Constance, in New Jersey Shore, USA

   18 Julie, in Texas, USA

   19 Kelly *** Photos now posted , in Utah, USA.

  

21 Ulla, in Northern California, USA

I was curious to see the extent of our travel, so here are the maps

 

 

Map of the world googlemap

Topographic map of France, produced by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, from the Perry Castañeda Library Map Collection at the University of Texas.

******WELCOME TO POYNTON  (UK)!!!*********************

and its surroundings.

Bramhall Hall is probably the oldest mansion around- mentioned around William the Conqueror's time, 1070, no less! The oldest part of the current hall dates from the 14th century .... I just love the intricate carvings and the chimneys, the old stained glass windows, the cosy size of the place ...

The next one up is Lyme Park Mansion:Another prestigious pedigree.. dating as far back as the 14th Century. The current house was re-designed in 1720s, to resemble a Venetian Palace... And it is famous here for being Mr. Darcy's home in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice in a film from the BBC.

However, just as nice and down the road... the small town itself.

Poynton used to be a  mining village, so you can find old mining cottages - the last collieries closed in 1935. These rows date early 1800s.

Later house styles are still attractive, I really like the  different styles, they make me want to paint and stitch ( or move...)!!!

And finally the local landmark...

THANKS for visiting... please come again sometime I enjoy your visits!

Have a nice holiday!