new photography website

I'm a bit disillusioned with folksy at the moment - lots of hits but no sales, and I don't like that you have to announce to the world that you haven't sold anything yet... which I'm sure must put people off, so I have set up a website to showcase my photography.  Any feedback would be gratefully received - I'm sure there will be some tweaking needed, and a whole of lot of tagging to get it compatible with Google.

Anyway, here it is: www.flemyngdesign.co.uk.  I went for a site hosted by Clikpic, which is designed with photographers in mind, and so far I am pleased with the result.

So, please come and visit, and if you like what you see, tell all your friends!

busy bee

Don't you just love it when you can get up early on a day off work and get cracking with your own creations?  Today has been such a day.

Two hen doorstops:

Two standard sized hens:

I'm really loving the new colourways!

Last, and least... I needed to make a little bag for my soapods (soap nuts) for washing:

Here is the 'flock' as it stands (or rather sits) so far:

Aren't they a colourful bunch?  Terrible photo, but its pouring down outside so the light is frankly pants today.

Now, what to do this afternoon...

lovely, lovely post

Look what I received in the post this morning - squee!

Carefully wrapped with a nice note:

And the lovely contents:

Good enough to eat I reckon!  Some of this is destined for more hens, some of it for unknown loveliness :-) 

Thanks Alice at Backstitch Shop!

another award :-)

Thanks to Alison over at Yarnscape/Yarn in my Pocket  for my latest award - Life is Good (really not sure I deserve any of them, but thank you muchly all the same!). OK, so some Q&A:


1. What would your perfect day consist of?
Lots of sunshine, something productive to do and the prospect of good company!

2. How would you describe yourself if you were an item of clothing?
Err.... pass.



3. What hobbies are you currently working on?
Erm, which hobbies am I currently not working on might be easier to answer!  Currently I am dabbling in: photography, sewing hens and other lovely small things, dressmaking, patchwork, knitting, setting up loom for weaving.... never a dull moment!

4. Walking in the woods in wellies or barefoot on the beach?
Difficult choice.  I miss the sea (living as I do about as far away from the sea as you can possibly get), but I do love the dappled light you get in woods, and I can never resist photographing a pretty flower or three.

5. Have you ever hugged or sang to a tree?
Only in jest.  I do love the texture of bark though.



6. Growing your own veggies or nipping to the supermarket.
Growing my own, definitely.  Though my poor allotment has suffered this year (much to the disgust of my neighbours, no doubt) I have managed to grow most of our salads.

7. Have you found anyone exciting in your family tree?
Boatmen, weavers, farm workers... mostly in the Lincolnshire Fens.  Which is odd in some ways, because I can't cope with the Fens for long - too much sky!

8. Slap up meal in a posh restaurant or fish ‘n’ chips from the wrapper?
Chips, curry sauce, cheese and a cob generally does me nicely.

9. Which element do you most resonate with, Earth, Wind, Fire or Water?
As a Cancerian, it would probably have to be water, though earth and fire come into it too.  Not a big fan of the wind.

10. Do you believe in fairies?
Not really...

Passing it on!Oh, dear, this bit is more difficult!  I would love to see answers from:

Pennycones

Jane from Snapdragon

Lizzet from The Fabric Loft

Cally from T'Katch

Annabelle at Three Red Apples

Don't worry if you don't have the time folks!

Kx

a lovely gift

Just catching up with some blogging, and thought I would mention the gorgeous notebook cover I received from the lovely Jane at Snapdragon.  She was giving away some of her old stock and I managed to bag this!

Cow parsley is such a beautiful sculptural form it makes for a great embroidery subject - so thanks Jane, I shall enjoy your gift for many years to come I suspect!

recent sewing projects

My brave old Elna sewing machine has been kept very busy over the last couple of weeks!  Here are just a few pics of some recent projects... more on the way as I have a couple of days off work booked in the next week or two... hooray!

The first is a pair of linen trousers which I had to employ some forensic techniques to make.  My favourite pair of trousers gave up the ghost by the end of last summer - lovely big holes in the inside leg - and rather than trawling the shops in the hope I would find something similar I decided to remake them using the old trousers as a pattern.  After what seemed like years of unpicking, I managed to get the waistband, fly and one of the legs dismantled, keeping one leg intact as a guide.  It wasn't easy (I've only made one pair of trousers before and that was to an easy easy Burda pattern)... and I had tricksy things like proper pockets to negotiate... but I'm fairly happy with the finished result.  I think it needs a bit of remedial work around the fly - the zipper sticks out which is annoying me - but hopefully that will be fairly simple.

My favourite part of the trousers is that the waistband and the pocket linings are in Amy Butler fabric, tres funky!

Ok, so what else have I done?  Well, I sold my spotted owl and striped iphone holders I made a while ago, so I've made another and cut out cloth for another two - I have finally run out of interfacing, so think I will probably have to go and buy 5m or something next time!

The fabric for this one is a gorgeous olive green linen which I plundered from one of my skirts which I know will never, ever fit me again, so it was good to be able to reinvent it.  The contrast fabric is Amy Butler Daisy Chain in Sweet Jasmine which I think I have fallen in love with.

The iphone holders I have sold so far have all sold on ebay rather than etsy or folksy, so think I will stick with that, and pop it on folksy to keep my shop looking nice :-)

The other thing I experimented with at the weekend was machine embroidery, something I've been meaning to try for a while, but have been a bit scared to do, to tell the truth.  Am now totally hooked, so will have to think of some things to embroider! Here is an aquilegia, or columbine:

And this is my favourite - a pecking hen, based on one of my own lovelies:

Happy sewing!

new etsy and folksy shops - flemyng design

Alongside my sewing I have always been a keen photographer, particularly of birds and flowers.  I've discovered a good online photo printing company and have opened two new shops, one on Etsy and one on Folksy, under my other name Flemyng Design which I use for cards and publishing.  The main idea is to produce vintage inspired prints using the through the viewfinder style of finishing, though there will be more conventional prints available too.

Please stop by and let me know what you think :-)