Winter 2013 - making paper, repurposing marbles, napkins, etc.

Our first market of 2013 will be Friday, May 3rd.  We will be at the Cariboo Farmer's Market in 100 Mile House. 

It was a busy winter.  We finally began putting panelling made from beetle-killed pine on the walls, so far just in the living area.

Ron found some card stands at the share shed.  I have been spray painting them.  Also making lots of paper, to fill them with cards.

Some bookmarks for Etsy

and dishes

A lot of upcycling (and repurposing, to use another term) goes on in our house.  It was too cold for transforming beer and wine bottles  - 

But there was a pot melt

cats-eye marbles became soap trivets

and some very old curtains, and paper and cloth napkins are becoming pendants

Christmas 2012

The drive to Vancouver was scary this year.  Rolled over semis at the side of the road, cars in the ditch.  Sigh of relief when the journey was over.
We stayed at Erin and Reg's place.  Erin was leaving Christmas Eve so spent as much time with her as possible.  Her trip to Bulgaria had been in the works for a while, but for various reasons, she wasn't able to secure the dates until almost the last minute.  So, while I was going to miss her at Christmas and was vaguely worried, I was just too happy for her to let any of that bother me.
Erin and I drove out on Saturday before Christmas to White Rock to visit her dad and Debbie.  Then off to Starbucks with Debbie for our yearly tradition (started last year!) of the three of us girls having coffee, laughing and catching up.  Erin has been volunteering at RAPS  http://www.rapsociety.com/aboutus.php  for many years so that was our next stop.

A lot of the cats here were feral, some are friendly and some are not.

Hope is very sweet.

Doesn't this beauty look affectionate?  Apparently, not yet.  I resisted the urge to pat her!

Christmas Day was spent with Lee and Xiao Li.  Ron cooked a great dinner.

Boxing Day at Jen's

and later, at Dave and Debbie's

visiting with Louize and little Sheila

Reg was a great host.  Even though he was busy with rehearsals for "Charley's Aunt", the first show for his new company,  Theatre in the Country,     http://www.theatreinthecountry.com/index.php/about-us/history   he really looked after us.  He took us to see "Les Miserables", which we really enjoyed.  And, he bought Ron a box of chocolate turtles, when he realized that the rest of us had forgotten!

We knew that we were no longer city folk when we kept getting lost, embarrassingly, in Ikea!  And then took us forever to find Pirouz's apartment - in the west end, where we had lived only a few blocks away!  Finally there, but lost in the parking garage - somehow we had entered the wrong building - the concierge very nicely rescued us and led us through a maze where Nasrin met us.  Sigh.  But, just the best evening with Nasrin and Pirouz.   Felt nostalgia for the old days in White Rock.

Parkside Art Gallery

This will be our second year taking part in the Christmas Bazaar at the Parkside Art Gallery.  The Bazaar runs from November 10th until December 22nd and showcases local artists.

All of our pendants in one place - turquoise, dichroic, fused glass and pressed flower

and a pair of sushi plates

I was hoping our studio would be up and running by now.  The little building was ready mid-summer and we set up equipment for Ron to cut beer and wine bottles to make glasses and vases.   It soon became apparent that this activity rendered the studio useless for creating or displaying anything else.  Those pesky little glass shards!

But...  Ron is taking a break now.  After much vacuuming, taking boxes of broken glass to the recycling, and rearranging everything, we are finally setting up our displays.  So much fun.

                                                                                 

     The sun was setting as we headed home

                                        

November craft shows

The Little Fort craft show is one of our favourites.  It is close to home, and the people are friendly and appreciative.

Jim and Helen were beside us last year at this show - we were happy once again to be their neighbours

We had five days between the Little Fort show and our next craft fair, as well as delivering product for the Parkside Gallery Christmas Bazaar mid-week.  So, it was not the best time for Lucy to develop bacterial dermatitis.  She was oblivious to our time constraints, and delighted to go to the vet's.  Especially as it is beside K-9 Pack Pals, her beloved daycare.  There was some momentary confusion as to which door she should enter!
Lucy is now on antibiotics, and at first wore a blow-up doughnut collar to prevent licking.  She was in disbelief  when we put it on her.  Literally not moving for five minutes!

Then, she decided she liked it

The South Cariboo Winter Arts and Crafts Fair was especially fun as so many of the other vendors were from our summer markets.
We substituted the candle holders and dishes for the glasses.  The glasses and vases cut from beer and wine bottles sold well at the markets, but while people loved them at our craft shows, there weren't enough sales to justify space on the table.

Jim and Helen were across from us

Pat McKay was beside us with her beautiful scarves.

Mike and his handcrafted furniture and birdhouses was beside us at the 100 Mile Market

Jeri-Lynne was around the corner from us with her chocolates, her jewellery and her mom's canning.

My family will all recognize Jan's table - I do my Christmas shopping there!
Mina, Jan and Shirley

Love Mina's jewellery, and her Christmas decorations

Teresa keeps me in soap and lotions all year round!

Craft Shows 2012

Christmas craft shows start this weekend.  We will be in Clinton tomorrow, Saturday, Oct. 27th, and in Little Fort on Sunday, Oct. 28th.  In my last post, I have many pictures of how much snow we have, so it is easy to think Christmas. 

I took over my livingroom with a mock set-up of our table

We have been very busy making stuff.  Old and new.  These are the fronts and backs of just glued flower pendants.

Lots of new stuff