I'm back...

I've been gone for entirely too long, but I'm back and ready to go...

Just a quick update today to say my etsy shop is back up and running and new items have been listed today.

 Three new sets of buttons for those handmade items you work so hard on.

And HALF PRICE, 

a set of 6 hand made, refillable candle pods currently poured with 100% beeswax.

Every year I tell myself that in order to spread out my holiday preparations, I'm going to tuck away a few stocking stuffers each month or a few hostess/ thank you gifts and every year I forget part way through the year.  I figure if I offer some of my own, I'll remember to stock up at the same time.  So- here's the first offering...with 6 in the set, you can keep a few to light up the winter months and you can pack a few away for the next holidays.  They work out to be only $7.00 a piece and make a lovely gift.

Linking up with:
Keep Calm Craft On over at Frontier Dreams

Still preparing for the show

I'm still hard at work preparing for holidays as well as my biggest show of the year - the Carlisle Country Craft and Old-Fashioned Market Mercantile ---a sort of pioneer festival that myself and both kids are involved in this year.  So, short on time, I thought I would do another round-up of pottery that is ready to go.

 Having fun with pitchers.

This one matches the grass bowls from last week---except it's green on the inside.

Another fern tray.  I won't have the rest ready in time for Carlisle, but there is a big batch of botanicals being made for my November show.

Candle lanterns

and oil lamps.

More leaf shaped candle cups because I always run out...I have some in green ready to go too.

A couple more bowls are rolling out.

I hope to see lots of friends and family at the show.  Come on out for a great day of family fun.  (you can google all the details).

Carlisle Country Craft and Old-Fashioned Market Mercantile 2014

Here's a little something we've prepared to get the kids involved for the show. 

A colouring contest for all ages.

Print it off, colour it in, and bring it with you to the show for a chance to win a one-of-a-kind handmade prize by Remembrances, made just for this contest.

Show details are below the image.

2014 Carlisle Country Craft and Old-Fashioned Market Mercantile

August 23, 24 from 10:00 -5:00 both days

2133 Centre Road, Hamilton L0P 1K0 (for GPS directions)

demonstrations of pottery, spinning, weaving, felting, print making, blacksmithing and more

Free games for kids of all ages in the Village Green 

Live entertainment - music, and a magician

Loads of unique craft vendors/ artists

Have your sepia tone picture taken in costume - steampunk, Victorian, Pioneer

(with prizes for kids who come in costume)

Farm Animals

Oh, it's going to be a fun time.

Hosted by Rustic Revivals

Sponsored in part by: Quick and Dirty Scrapworks and Remembrances (that's me).

Pottery update

Once again, it's been a while.   I have been working on pottery every available moment while getting ready for the Carlisle Country Craft and Old-Fashioned Market Mercantile.

Here's a bit of what I have been up to:

 Botanicals

 Yarn bowls

 Some colourful pieces

Loads of buttons - glazed both sides this time.

And the odd pod here and there.

Plus, I'm trying to improve my photography skills.

Another Giant Game finished for the Carlisle Country Craft and Old-Fashioned Market.

Good morning all!  I certainly hadn't intended to be gone for a whole month, but there we are.

Here's just one of the myriad projects I've been working on lately...a giant checkers game.

This one is for the Carlisle Country Craft and Old-Fashioned Market Mercantile in August (click here if you are on Facebook for this year's event), or here for pictures of last year's event if you aren't on Facebook.  I am sponsoring the games this year (as Remembrances Pottery).

The checker pieces are sliced from a large maple branch downed in some rather strong winds last year.  My husband cut them with a chain saw, and since a handful lost their bark in the process, N chipped the bark of the rest of them to match.  I painted both sides with some iridescent paint I had lying around, and there you have it.   They aren't quite finished yet because I think one side needs a crown (king me, king me) but S thinks I should draw on chess pieces instead.  Still debating.

The board itself is from an old wool blanket (I love re-using wool blankets and sweaters) that has been stored away for years.  I had fully intended on making it into a hooded cloak, but realistically it will get more use this way.  After all, it has been in the "to do" bin for about 5 years.  I painted it to look sort of like a quilt to match the theme of the show (Pioneer meets Victorian meets Steampunk).  Also, it was taking WAY more paint than I anticipated so I ended up mixing and matching.

I'm quite looking forward to the show.  With each project we finish up, N gets more and more excited to go.  He's the "Gamesmaster" in the Village Green so that if little ones show up with their parents and have no one to play the games with, he's on the scene to play along...and to get races going just generally to get everyone having a good time.  The perfect job for him.

Feel free to weigh in on the crown vs. chess piece debate...which would you vote for?

Linking up with:  Keep Calm Craft On over at Frontier Dreams
                         The Backyard Farming Connection Blog Hop
                         From the Farm Blog Hop
                         Fiber Arts Friday at Wisdom Begins in Wonder
                         Creative Friday at Natural Suburbia

Where I've Been...in the garden

If you are a regular reader, you will have noticed that my posts have become a little irregular lately.

 I've been spending all of my free time getting the garden in order since we had such a late start this year.  The sage is doing wonderfully!  It's huge.

 Last year's onions are still providing us with all the green onions we need.

 Sorrel, which comes back year after year is one of our first greens.  I tried it sauteed in a pan according to something I found on the internet.  Imagine pureed spinach (texture) that tastes like straight up lemon juice.  I think I will just continue to add a few leaves to our salads and sandwiches instead.

 We are at the very end of the asparagus harvest.  I only have two plants left, but I actually picked more than ever.  Two meals worth, plus some little snacking.

Not food - but so pretty.  A few here and there in the house are really making a difference.

 Rhubarb is also doing better this year than ever before.  We just keep cutting and cutting.  yum!

You may (or may not) remember my "eat what you grow/grow what you eat" challenge from quite a while back.  I wanted to see what we were able to grow enough of to last all year.  Herbs are one thing that we definitely grow enough of.  This is half of the sage I have harvested so far.  We now have enough for my family.  The rest will go to friends, neighbours, and the food bank.

Also planted: tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, greens, pumpkins, zucchini, and some new herbs.
New perennials: grapes...hopefully they take.  It's my first time trying to take vine cuttings.

Coming soon:  all kinds of berries.  That's always a great addition to the lunch box.

What are you growing?

Up-cycled pallet crates

Now that the weather has warmed up enough for my husband to get out to the garage, he has been looking for quick little projects he can do for fun, or with the boys to teach them how to use the tools.

 Yesterday, he surprised me with these fantastic crates for me to use for my craft shows.

 They are made from some pallets he tore apart a couple of weeks ago, and I think they will be just perfect for "framing out" some of my pottery.

 And they are super sturdy, so they can be flipped upside down to use as little tables.

there is a smaller one in the works that will fit inside these, and another medium size one so that I can put one on each end of the table with a shelf running across.

The biggest one will be quite handy for shows as I will be able to use it to move the pottery, but then once at the show, I can throw a cushion on top for a bench seat instead of having to bring a chair each time.

I'm so excited!  No more soggy cardboard boxes, or flimsy plastic totes, and versatile display units at the same time.  Yay!

Linking up with: Keep Calm Craft On over at Frontier Dreams
                        The Backyard Farming Connection

Felt sushi - more craft show props

There are only 15 1/2 weeks left to the Carlisle Country Craft and Old-Fashioned Market Mercantile (by next big sale) and there is still so much left to do.  While the studio is on a break, I'm taking the time to make some more faux food props to set the scene.

These would be so great for a kid's play kitchen that I had to share.

 I started by cutting strips of felt - some of which then got "julienned" and some were left plain.  I've got carrots, crab, egg, yellow pepper, orange pepper, red pepper, avocado, tempura in the following pictures.

 Basically I just rolled are wrapped the coloured "filling" bits and then wrapped it twice or so in white felt and then one layer of a dark green "seaweed" felt and stitched it shut.  Because these won't be handled that much I didn't worry about gluing or sewing any of the fillings, but if it was going to be for play food, I would probably dab some glue here and there on the fillings.

 I also made a bunch of different kinds rather than 6 of one piece.

 And then for my little "double dippers" I cut some pink felt for ginger and a circle of dark brown for soy sauce.

 And of course, because they are props for my pottery, I have to share that too.  This one (above) is my favourite.  I made a bowl for Empty Bowls in this style and it was very difficult to part with, so I made some sushi plates.

 This plate, I think is "cute" but it doesn't scream sushi like the bamboo one...

...and this one, not so much either.  I think some plain white ones are in order - although there are still a few awaiting their turn through the kiln.

Linking up with: Creative Friday at Natural Suburbia
                        Fiber Arts Friday at Wisdom Begins in Wonder