Surviving the Aviemore Trade Show

Thistle panel in oak plinth

I'm pleased to say that I survived the Trade Show and have to say it was tiring. You wouldn't believe how difficult it is to stand on your feet (constantly) for 8 hours, without breaks. You are quite static, so it is tiring on the joints. Every now and then, I had to walk around the hall, so I wouldn't cease up. That said, I thoroughly enjoyed it and felt it was a huge success.

The first day, I ran on adrenalin and that it kept me going until 11.30pm. I would drive each day to Aviemore, come home at 7pm, start work in my room to load the kiln and finish about 11pm. So at the end of day one, I felt like a zombie in a trance come bed time, but slept like a log.

I met some lovely people from all over Scotland. I had an existing customer place an order and the other 11 orders were new retail outlets. Hopefully I will be able to build a relationship with these outlets and get repeat business.

I had good positive feedback regarding my stand - it wasn't cluttered, and it was nicely displayed. I was lucky in that I had an end stand, so didn't feel boxed in. I had a good spot.
The majority of orders were for my driftwood fish, lazy bones hangers, thistles and Under the Sea panels. It just goes to show that what you think would sell, turns out to be completely different, as I thought my dichroic glass jewellery would be more popular. These photos show my most popular items that sold:

Drifting By

Spey & Burns Glass Art

Fish Panel

Now's the time to stand back, take it all in and get stuck into my orders. I have some busy days ahead, but will enjoy making the orders.

I have to say I was so impressed with the new businesses that launched themselves at the Trade Show and met some lovely traders. The last day is when traders do their own shopping. I, of course, couldn't resist some buys - I bought a Julia Cunningham bag and heart hanging. Her textile creations are fab, made with a mixture of tweed and floral fabrics:

You can see why I love this bag!

I also bought a porcelain heart and matching necklace from Margaret MacDonald Ceramics. Margaret was my trading neighbour and she was great company and very helpful.

Kathryn, Lazy Daisy xx

Exhibiting at Aviemore Trade Show

Preparations are in full swing this week for the Aviemore Trade Show. I will be exhibiting at the trade only show which gives buyers the opportunity to meet Scottish makers in the art, craft and gift sectors. I will be setting the stance on Saturday ready for business on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. The show has proved that it is ideally timed to place orders for the summer season. In the current economic climate we are all aware that it makes sense to leave ordering till the last minute, having the show at the end of April means that buyers know what they need to stock up on after the Easter holiday rush. This means that, at the Shows which take place at the start of the year, there is no need to guess too far ahead - that's the theory anyway.

I have designed a new glass piece for the show called Homecoming - Tartan Wave. It is to commemorate Homecoming 2009, welcoming clans from all over the world to Scotland as they trace their ancestral roots. There are events taking place all over Scotland for Homecoming from galleries showcasing traditional Scottish art to operatic performances.

I sent a press release to the local papers last week and was pleased that the Press and Journal contacted me and sent a photographer to my house for a photo shoot. I had a good write up about my piece for the trade show:

I initially made the Tartan Wave in blues (inspiration from the Scottish flag), but thought I would try another colour, so came up with this one too:

The Tartan Wave can be stood on end or used like a decorative dish.

If you are visiting the Trade Show, please come and say hello.

Kathryn, Lazy Daisy xx

Paper Boat Project - Scottish Fundraiser

I couldn't help but be intrigued with this project, so had to blog about it. On the 30th January 2009, Joanne B Kaar and Lynn Taylor launched their paper boat project - a fundraiser for Mary-Ann's cottage,a living history museum in Caithness Scotland run by volunteers from The Caithness Heritage Trust (a registered Charity no: SCO 19998). As paper boats are sent to Joanne from around the globe, she will document them on this blog. The launch date and theme were inspired by the maiden voyage of the Westland Ship - 30th January 1879 (130 years ago) from Scotland to New Zealand. Mary-Ann's father, William Young was a member of the crew.

All boats will be exhibited in Sept 09 in Caithness Horizons. All money from sale of boats will go to the Caithness Heritage trust to help keep Mary-Ann's cottage open for future generations.

The Community Gallery in Dunedin had a very special visitor recently - Billy Connelly, holding one of the paper boats.

Why not take part and be a part of history with this project. If you need instructions for a paper boat: http://www.cranham-scouts.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/paper-boat-instructions.pdf.

Dig out your sticky back plastic and scrap papers, and get folding.

Have a look at the paper boat project blog: http://www.joannebkaarpaperboats.blogspot.com/ and check out the paper boats that they have received so far - they are amazing. They have received boats from all over the world. When you send your boat in, it will be photographed and put on the blog. And don't forget, all the boats will be sold to help raise funds.

Kathryn, Lazy Daisy xx

Beach Combing - Driftwood

I took full advantage of the weather last Monday and headed straight for the beach. I took my daughter to Spey Bay on the Moray Firth Coast for a spot of beach combing. I needed some driftwood for some of my fishie creations and thought my daughter would also enjoy it. She loves to collect pebbles and she had a good time playing amongst them. It was a really sunny day, though a little blowy. Spey Bay is a pretty spot, but the beach isn't sandy, so there's no chance of relaxing and sunbathing. After collecting all our wood we headed to the Wildlife Centre. They have a good area for kids, where they can draw and colour sea creatures and watch wildlife films. They also have a coffee shop and simply couldn't resist one of their homemade cinnamon and raisin scones... absolutely delicious (and I still lost 2 pounds this week!!).

Oops, upsy daisy

Our driftwood collection

Driftwood Fishies

The photo above shows how I use the driftwood with my glass fishies. They look great on a windowsill and are nice and bright when the sun shines. I will be taking these to the Aviemore Trade Show as one of my catalogue items.

Kathryn, Lazy Daisy xx

Slimming World - Weigh-in Results

A quick post - tonight was weigh-in night. I have lost a further 2 pounds, and have to say that was a shock. I didn't think I had lost any weight and to be perfecty honest, was dreading the fact that I had to write on my blog about it! So I was utterly amazed that I had lost. Not because I had a particularly bad week, I have indulged in chocolate - well, it was Easter, but I wasn't overly indulgent. I enjoyed the chocolate (and cinnamon scone and chips....).

Total weight loss so far 9.5 pounds. Yippee.

Kathryn, Lazy Daisy xx

Latest Orders - Keyrings and Cufflinks

I've been very busy lately building up retail outlets, making stock and designing new glass items for Aviemore Trade Show. One of my latest stockists is Tomintoul Gallery. I was contacted by the Gallery as they wished to stock some of my dichroic glass jewellery. I visited last week and now my jewellery items are displayed in their gallery. They took my last pair of saltire cufflinks, which sold almost immediately when placed on display. An email arrived from the Gallery for an order for more cufflinks and the photo above is their batch.

I recently received an email from a shop in Edinburgh, who found my details from looking on the Aviemore Trade Show website. The batch of Highland Coo and heart keyrings (above) will be heading down to Edinburgh this week. You will find these little beauties at Macdonald Framing on Candlemaker Row.

I am now working on my catalogue for the Trade Show, so things are finally coming together.

Kathryn, Lazy Daisy xx

And the Winner is......

I'm pleased to announce that the winner of the domino pendant giveaway is Lottie of http://invitationtothevoyage.blogspot.com/. I used random.org for the winner and the computer chose 8 - comment number 8.

Lottie mentioned she liked the punk rock skull domino pendants, so no doubt she'll be choosing one of those designs.

Well done Lottie. Contact me with your postal address and I'll get it out to you shortly.

Kathryn, Lazy Daisy xx

Slimming World - Weigh-in Results

Just a quick post.

Weigh-in
I'm back from my weekly weigh-in and have stayed the same. Well, after losing 4 pounds last week, I couldn't expect much could I? I have had a good 'eating' week, if anything, I probably haven't eaten enough. With Slimming World, they encourage you to eat loads (of the right kind of food of course). Some of the advice doesn't make sense in theory, but in practice, it really does work. Well, I'll look forward to next week now. I think next week will be a toughy though as I have a few easter eggs to eat in the meantime! But I do not intend to splurge out too much because I've been good and don't want to undo what good I have done.

Glass Goodies
Sorry I haven't posted much glass work lately, I've been extremely busy concentrating on the Aviemore Trade Show. The exhibition is at the end of this month, and I've been frantically working away on new designs, which will be showcased at the trade show. Hopefully over the next few weeks, once my catalogue is printed, I will be showing off some of my designs.
Kathryn, Lazy Daisy xx

Tutorial - How to Make Domino Pendants

This tutorial will show you how to make domino pendants, using recycled wooden dominoes. This is a great recycling project as you can use old dominoes and scrap papers. You can of course use bakelite dominoes, but I find it easier to use the wooden type, and the finish is better.

Materials:
Wood dominoes
Decorative Paper (scrapbook, comics, magazines)
Dimensional Glaze (Glossy Accents, Diamond Glaze)
Pencil
Craft Knife
Sandpaper
Paintbrush
Bail
Glue (for fixing bail)

STEP ONE
Place domino over the paper you wish to use and draw around the domino and cut the shape out.


STEP TWO
Place your domino paper shape face down on your work surface and coat the domino with a thin covering of dimensional glaze on the underside of your domino (glaze the blank side so the spotted side will be showing when complete). Place the glossed side of the domino onto your paper and press down hard to get rid of any air bubbles. Leave to dry.
TIP - Some people sand the surface of the domino flat, but I tend not to do this. If you apply the dimensional glaze thick enough, the pattern will not show through. I do not mind seeing the pattern in the domino anyway - it's character, this is of course your own decision.


STEP THREE
Trim any excess paper from your domino with a sharp craft knife. Gently sand all edges of the paper using your sandpaper (or emery board - see TIP below). This will soften the edges and blend into the domino. Coat the top of the domino and sides with a thin coat of dimensional glaze. Leave to dry.
TIP - if you do not have sandpaper to hand, use an emery board. I find it easier to use an emery board because it is rigid and is better to hold.


STEP FOUR
Apply your dimensional medium over the paper, using a thick application. If you do not use a thick coat the pattern of the domino may show through. You will notice that the dimensional glaze is cloudy when first applied, but don't worry it will dry clear and have a very high sheen.

Domino part glazed (above)

Domino fully glazed (above)

STEP FIVE

Apply your bail to the back of the domino and leave to dry according to the manufacturers instructions. Your pendant is now ready to wear.

TIP - I use E6000 glue, it is an industrial glue and ideal for metal bails.

These are the finished product. The Japanese Chiyogami paper domino is still wet in the photo below, so is a little cloudy. The punk rock pendants are my favourite.


If you would like to be in with a chance to win one of these beauties, please read my last post regarding these domino pendants. All you need to do is leave a comment as to where you found me/my blog. All these pendants have been made using vintage dominoes.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and feel free to leave a comment.

I would also like to apologise for some blurry photos; my good 10MP camera broke and had to use an old camera instead. I've now got a new camera, but have to read all about it, it's 13MP, woh!
Kathryn, Lazy Daisy xx

Giveaway - Domino Pendant

Wowee - I've reached over 3000 visitors on my blog, so to celebrate I just had to have a giveaway. I recently been making domino pendants, which are made using vintage wooden dominoes. It's a good recycling project because you can use old dominoes and paper scraps.

You can either choose one of the punk rock skull pendants or the genuine Japanese Chiyogami pendant. Both styles use the vintage dominoes. I've loved making these, and although I love my glass, I just need a little distraction from time to time.

So to be in with a chance of winning one of these pendants, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post about how you came to find me here. It's that easy.

One of you lucky people will be wearing an original vintage dominoe as a pendant, how cool. All you have to do is put it on a chain. Simplezz.

The closing date is Friday 10th April, when I will pick a random name from the list.

Kathryn, Lazy Daisy xx

Junk Mammas - Giveaway

Over on Junk Mammas (http://junkmammas.blogspot.com/2009/03/giveaway.html) blog they're having a giveaway. One of the items is pictured above - a beautiful corsage. There are many other gorgeous goodies in the giveaway.

Junk Mammas started as a dream that 2 junk loving friends came up with and it has been extremely rewarding for them, they even have a few family members that they have turned into Junk Mamma Junkies!

All you have to do is leave a comment on their blog post, so what are you waiting for.

You will have to hurry as the closing date is tomorrow (5th April) and the winner will be announced on 6th.

Kathryn, Lazy Daisy xx

Slimming World - Weigh-in Results

I went along to my local Slimming World this evening for the weekly weigh-in. I have been good most of the week, but couldn't resist the odd rum of three! Whilst at playgroup yesterday, one of the mums made banana muffins - well, I had to have one. And must say, absolutely delicious. That's one good thing about changing your eating habits, when you have the odd cake here or there, it's simply delightful.

I have mainly gorged on vegetable stir-fry all week and have to say, I have thoroughly enjoyed them. Laced with loads of garlic and some soy sauce, they can be really tasty (if you like vegetables).

As the weather was so gorgeous today, I took my daughter for a walk, and it felt good to be out of the house for an hour.

So, the results are....... -4 pounds, yippee. I've lost 4 pounds this week, so in total I have lost 7.5 lbs and have my first half stone sticker.

I was so thrilled that I thought, I'll go home now and gorge on something sweet, but don't worry, I decided to tuck into a handful of sugar snap peas instead....yummy.

Kathryn, Lazy Daisy xx

MISI Finds - Make It Sell It

If you like all things handmade, you'll like MISI - it's a one stop shop to buy all your handmade goodies. Everything is handmade and you can buy as well as sell your wares. If you're looking for something different, check out the site http://www.misi.co.uk/ - you'll find everything from patchwork, jewellery, textiles, pottery, glass, wedding gifts, even personalised items.

I have chosen some items from MISI that have a lilac theme. I love lilac and was the colour scheme for my wedding. Hope you enjoy my MISI finds:

Childrens Apron - Shop: bearcountryuk (http://misi.co.uk/store_info.php?user_id=1412)

All the items in bearcountryuk's shop are handmade and most of the items are one offs. All fabrics and yarns are carefully chosen and of the highest quality.

Fairy/Pixie Door - Shop: Bobless Arts (http://misi.co.uk/product_desc.php?user_id=7700)

Bobless Arts make these wonderfully cute fairy doors, they are made from Herculite then varnished. They are OOAK - one of a kind. Check our the store, they are having a sale on at the moment. It appears these little fairy doors are very popular. This door is only £2 - BARGAIN.

I Love Shoes Charm Bracelet - Shop: Jezebel*Charms (http://misi.co.uk/store_info.php?user_id=1113)

Jezebel*Charms uses Altered Art to create artisan jewellery, all items are OOAK - one of a kind.

Kooky Katz Felt Cat Brooch - Shop: KoolKookyKreatures (http://misi.co.uk/store_info.php?user_id=403)

I know it;s purple, but it's close enough. I thought these were really cute. Everyone needs a Kooky Kat to keep them company on their travels through Wonderland and this one has a pinback so that you can pin him on your bag, lapel or wherever you choose.

Nuno Felted Silk Chiffon Scarf - Shop: Glamour Junkie (http://misi.co.uk/store_info.php?user_id=505

This scarf is created by a textile artist and designer who makes innovative accessories and childrenswear. Specialising in feltmaking, focusing on the nuno felting technique to create modern textile surfaces.

Diddy Hand Tote Bag - Shop: Nicsknots (http://misi.co.uk/store_info.php?user_id=857)

A tote bag made for little girls - now every little girl wants a bag 'like Mummy' so it is just that, a mini-me bag for your little girl. The material used is Heather Ross, Matryoshka Dolls. This little bag would also make a great sock knitting bag.

Well I hope you enjoyed all these goodies and they inspired you, visit MISI.

Kathryn, Lazy Daisy xx