Author Archives: penny

About penny

I live in Norfolk, England in a cottage on the edge of the Norfolk Broads where it can be peaceful and beautiful, or wet and muddy, or occasionally wild and windswept. With me is husband Tim, Henry the elderly and opinionated tabby cat, and Higgins, the miniature dachshund with a massive personality. You’ll find me chattering on about wool and textiles, knitting and crochet, recipes, books and patterns, exhibitions and shopping and of course, the adventures of a small dog! Planet Penny has a Facebook Page, you can find me on UK Handmade and I am featured on Channel4/4Homes Favourite Craft Blog List.

To Market, To Market…

Illustration for To Market To Market to Buy a Fat Pig..probably not to buy a fat pig, though.   I seem to have had this little nursery rhyme running through my head for the last two days while I’ve been dashing about sorting out the last minute things for the big day tomorrow.

I’m feeling a little embarrassed about my lack of ‘cool’ about the whole thing, compared to all those seasoned craft marketers out there, but maybe reading about my exploits might be helpful to other market ‘virgins’ out there – and probably amuse the professionals!

I wanted my stall to BE Planet Penny, which requires grass, and sky or rather green and blue felt.  And although a table is  provided, I needed something to give some height, and a third dimension.  So the thinking cap went on and PING! Dog food cartons!  Higgins is now set up with food for the next few weeks…

Stall for Pick’n’Mix Makers Market

…and I spent a sticky afternoon covering the cartons with felt…

…and I’m pretty pleased with the result!  The sheep look very happy too.

I must dash off and carry on with the preparations, not least getting Higgins ready for a sleep-over with Auntie Lizzie.  I’m still debating about bathing him…maybe some doggy Febreze?

So if you are in North Norfolk tomorrow, please call in at the Pick ‘n’ Mix Makers Market and say hello, and if not, well I’ll be back to tell you all about it next week!

The Pick ‘n’ Mix Makers Market…

…just five more sleeps to go!  The Open Studio signs are all down, and it’s all systems go for Saturday.  I’ve been working on the Planet Penny stall which has meant I’ve spent most of the day sticking felt on Higgins’ dog food boxes – all will be revealed eventually, I promise – but I really wanted to give a plug to my fellow stallholders, who are, in no particular order…

Acorn and Will
Bobo Bun
Catherine Daniel Ceramics
Daisy Boo’s Kitchen
Emma Mitchell Designs
Faded Splendour
Glory Days
High Fibre Design
Magic Cochin’s Emporium
Sasha Allan Toymaker
Stabo
Susan Cariello
Trishe Darling Millinery
Wildwood

The lovely Celia from Magic Cochin’s Emporium travelled all the way up to see us at Open Studios yesterday … although I actually think it was mainly to see Higgins … it’s very special to meet a Cyberspace friend  in the flesh!

It’s been drizzly and grey today so I haven’t been able to take any photos worth showing of some of the goodies I’ve been creating for the Market, but I’ll do my best to share the Planet Penny preparations as the week progresses!

Losing my voice…

Is it because I’ve been talking for three days?  I’m not complaining, Open Studios has been fantastic, and we still have next weekend to look forward to.  It’s been wonderful despite it being our first time, and despite being a bit out on a limb location-wise when you look at the Norfolk Open Studios map, we’ve had so many interesting and interested people visiting us.

But I’m sort of feeling a little overwhelmed at the moment with everything happening at once.  And again I’m not complaining, just a little shell shocked.  And I feel I want to share it, because I know that I’m on a journey which lots of women of all ages are embarking on since the advent of the world wide web.  For the first time, women, and yes I know there are men in the same situation but it’s so much more a female thing, are no longer having to sit at home, alone, with creativity at their fingertips but not knowing how to  make it more than sock puppets for the children or fundraising contributions for the school fete.

With Blogs, and You Tube, Twitter and most importantly retail sites such as Folksy and Etsy not only have we got the opportunity to get together as an online community, we can pass our skills on to others and find a market for our creations.

I remember my first blog post, and the feeling that I had nothing to say which could possibly interest anyone other than perhaps my nearest and dearest (and then only because they were being kind!)  Now I feel that I am part of network of like minded women from every part of the globe, and really appreciate the support I’ve received through the comments which have been left over the years.

Just six months ago my friends pointed out that it was about time I stopped talking about the fact that I had an unused Folksy shop that I might just put something in sometime, if I ever felt I had something worth selling and just got on with it.  And with the help of the lovely Emma of Silver Pebble I actually made my first sales last November.  So what I’m trying to say is,  you really have to go with the mantra…Just Do It!

Because I have wasted SO much time just talking about it…

It’s not that I’m suddenly making lots of sales, lots of money   In fact I’ve left it a little late to embark on a new career!  But I do feel now that I have validated what I do,and better than that, I can thumb my nose at the M.E. which has tried so hard to relegate me into life’s cul de sac.

So if Planet Penny posts are a little thin on the ground at the moment, forgive me.  The more exciting things that happen, the less time I have to blog about it!  But I have new friends to tell you about, and the Pick ‘n’ Mix Market coming up on the 11th June

… bear with me, as Arnie says… ‘I’ll be back!’

Spring Cleaning…

…not my favourite thing!  However if I’m going to let an unspecified number of people visit the studio over the next three weekends I need to give some impression of organisation and cleanliness.  There’s also got to be room for my partner in crime and her creative accoutrements.  So that’s what I’ve been doing over the last few days, and I think I’ve got there.  I have a floor! And shelves!  I’d nearly forgotten what they looked like!

It’s been a little tricky because the studio assistant has been having a whale of a time stealing interesting little bits and pieces and running away…a lot faster than I can chase him! 

There has been some creativity going on, which I’ll be photographing very soon, as a result of some interesting shopping a few days ago…

The planet Penny flock is growing…

I’ll be back very soon, but in the meantime I’ll leave you with a little film, it really is a dog’s life!

Blog Award

I have very kindly been given this award by Hayley of Pink Fluffy Warrior, thank you very much Hayley! I now have to nominate five other blogs which is not an easy task.  I know some people are not keen on these so don’t feel obliged to take part, but it is good way of highlighting some lovely places to visit in Blogland.

All you have to do is.
Thank the person who gave it to you and link back to their blog.
Copy and paste the award on your blog.
Pass the award on to 5 other blogs, and leave a comment on their blog.

So my nominees are:

1. Penelope of L is for Love

2. Julie of Swedish House

3. Emma of Silver Pebble

4. Celia of Purple Podded Peas

5. Lisa of Bobobun

Do pop over to visit them and stop to say hello.  You’ll find a very eclectic mix of new bloggy friends!

Happy Friday

How lovely it’s been today to have nothing but happy smiling faces on the television!  It’s been a miserable year in the world so far, with earthquakes, the tsunami, uprisings and war and sadness, so the happiness of William and Catherine and all the people in London celebrating with them has been so uplifting.  I said I was just going to switch on to see the dress, but I watched the lot, and cried and still managed to carry on needle felting… there was only a little blood!

I hope you had a lovely Easter. We did, and Higgins had boys to stay and he loved that.  I’ve had to eat rather a lot of hard boiled eggs over the last few days as the boys forgot to take them home, but they’ve all gone now.  (I think I would have enjoyed the chocolate ones more, but strangely they remembered those!) 

Higgins discovered the joys of a hammock…

…but I found it a little disconcerting to be hit by a low flying dachshund landing on my stomach when I was lying in it myself, quietly reading.

Now it’s time to get organised and think ahead.

So much is happening in the next few weeks that I need to get to grips with it all, make a list and tell you all about it…then it must be true!

Watch this space …

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