Author Archives: pennygj

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 …

Blossoming…

There’s a LOT of blossoming going on at Planet Penny at the moment.

Still running to keep up, and apologising for not announcing the results of the Easter Cup and Saucer draw, I am very pleased to say that it was won by Teje, of Nero’s Post and Patch and the cup and saucer have been very cosily packed in LOTS of padding and are now winging their way to Greece. I hope that Nero allows Teje to enjoy her coffee in it, although I suppose at a pinch he could have dog biscuits in the saucer! Do go over and say hello to Teje and the handsome Nero, and have a look at the beautiful Garden quilt that Teje has made.

Young readers are blossoming too…

Who would like to see my younger grandson, reading Daddy’s book?

A definite little blossom!

And if you go to Thomas’ blog, you’ll find that there will soon be exciting books for older boys too, (hopefully you will forgive a little maternal pride creeping in at this point! )

We had a little blossoming at the last meeting of our local Knit and Stitch Group too, when I did a needlefelting class, and we ended up with a delicious plate of felted fairy cake pin cushions…

I hope once the holiday weekend is over – and I’m not wishing it away! – I will have more blogging time, so please forgive this being a little short and sweet. Thank you to all the knowledgable gardeners who identified the weed as Coltsfoot. I now know to eradicate it on sight!

If you want a little Eastery fix, have a look at the Indie Quarter where you will find a Planet Penny Alpaca Bunny with some friends.

I shall be having a grandson fix, as the boys are coming tomorrow for the Easter Weekend so I will be back next week when all is quiet and the chocolate has been eaten! I hope you all have a happy and sunshiny holiday break with family and loved ones, and I’ll see you soon x

Oh my gosh, it’s April…

…and I haven’t been here for AGES! so sorry, it’s always the way isn’t it? There’s either nothing going on and all the time in the world to write about it, or all sorts of interesting stuff happens and there’s no time to spare AT ALL!

Hope every one is enjoying enjoying a little sunshine at last, although it’s certainly been chilly here in North Norfolk. I love this time of year, especially that fleeting moment when the trees are dressed in tiny vivid green leaves but the tracery of branches is still visible against the blue sky. Full of promise for the months to come.

I have at last managed to spend a bit of time in the garden but it’s mostly been spent making cunning plans to keep the small four legged one out of the veg patch.

He,of course is convinced of his helpfulness.

If you’ve been visiting for a while, you will remember the veg garden crisis last year, when Higgins was a pup.

So I’ve been plotting ways of keeping him off the raised beds.

The trouble is, he has taken to using them as a way of increasing his stature in the world when shouting at passing tractors and bicycles and hurtles down the garden before leaping into the middle of the bed. I was happy when we found a dear little picket fence with just the right dimensions to enclose the bed…

Higgins was elsewhere when we put it up, and arrived to inspect it just as we finished.

He trotted round and round the outside on top of the sleeper…

…grizzling about being thwarted, and getting faster and faster until suddenly BOING! he went straight up in the air, and came down in the middle of the bed…where he was stuck…!

Like Tigger, his bottom is most definitely made out of springs….

So, no seeds sown yet, just more plotting…

I was wondering about a trampoline?

In the meantime, I’m trying to identify a mysterious plant which appeared uninvited under the polytunnel once it got warm and cosy. Maybe you can help?

I’ll be really grateful if someone can tell me what it is. I hope it’s not edible ‘cos I’ve pull it all up!

I’ll be back very soon to share some exciting news, until then…

xxx