Custard. And I don't care!

Hello my lovelies!! It's been the usual kind of week onboard Zulu - I've been ill (as usual) but at work every day, Mr LFCC has been up to his eyeballs (as usual) and the teenager has been making a mess (as usual) so there's been very little creativity actually physically happening which makes me sad.

I have however decided on the name for the new jewellery collection - not that I'm going to tell you what it is yet! lol! I will start making the designs up this weekend, plucking the images at random from my head where they've been fermenting and spreading their little tentacles for the last month or so.  I feel confident that they will be beautiful and can't wait to share them but I have ideas for the backing cards too and am determined to block my usual "squeal!! I have to share!!!" mentality until I can present them a fait a complit (no French people tell me off about missing accents, please!) as I feel that my little backing cards make a real difference to the feel of my jewellery.  I think they give you more of a clue of how they were conceived and the train of thought behind them almost.
I really hope that once I show you you think they're worth the wait!
There's been quite a few "when are you having your Christmas cards" emails over the last couple of weeks so I've also been thinking about them.  To cover all budgets and all levels of love (we don't all want to send lush crafted cards to someone we're obliged to send a card to, but we'll gladly send a gorgeous printed card if the price is right) I will be doing individual cards - crafted, and printed from my original artwork, and packs of both kinds too.  Watch this space. 
I can also custom make any item you see on the page to your colour/pattern requirements so if you're thinking of an LFCC textile goodies for someone special this Christmas let me know and I can personalise it to your hearts content! As I tranfser my own photographic and text images to fabric I really can make something exactly as you want it so have a ponder! ;o)
Right - enough - time for my instant custard. I don't care that it's not a proper lunch. I want it. It's Friday. I'm having it. Ner. (not sharing either!! mwah!!)
Lots of floaty love!
xxx

The cost of the real good stuff....

I realise it’s been a while since I’ve blogged but sometimes life gets in the way. That’s how I think of it.  It occurs to me though that saying that life gets in the way might be a really shortsighted way of looking at how we move through our time on this rock.  The last few weeks have involved lots of time in hospital for me, quite a lot of pain and discomfort, and not being at work which I hate as it means I’m letting people down.  However, it’s also involved meeting some really lovely people in the care professions, catching up with the lovely nursing staff on the clinical decisions unit at my local hospital, and seeing how fabulously well the lady who brings the drinks and meals has done at her slimming club since I last ended up on the ward.  How can I complain about that? Surely if I can change my perspective it can only help me feel happier? Accepting what has happened and being grateful for the good stuff has to help me. I’m not saying that I’m happy about feeling shitty (I’m sooo not) but there’s a balance to be found.

I’d be the first to admit that I’m not the best at keeping in touch with my friends – I think when you’re not able to dash around much and have limited stamina you can get very hesitant about committing to any appointments so you don’t let people down, and then you end up not seeing anyone.  When friends have busy lives too it gets doubly quiet! Having my little floating crafty life gives me the opportunity to “meet” people I might have otherwise missed out on, and a chance to feel like a regular person.  I love the way that we can share our love of all things crafty or all things floaty, and just accept each other for how we present ourselves online and be supportive without making demands on each other.  I wonder if there’s a way of bringing this kind of ethos into the real world? I think my husband’s already there though… He never expects anything of anyone but will still go out of his way to help.  It boils down to the “pay it forward” mentality which I love.  It can take little or no effort to make a huge difference.  The lady on the ward who remembers that I don’t take sugar in my tea made me feel like a special person, remembered from all the hundreds of people who pass through there.  And now I know her name and I can greet her with it next time I’m there and she’ll know that she was important enough to me that I remembered her.  It’s cost neither of us anything but it makes a difference.

While I was in hospital I had an email from a wonderful lady who had fallen in love with some of my jewellery creations.  She chatted and even sent me some lovely photos and although it took over an hour to use the new hospital touch screen system it made my day to read her email even if I couldn’t respond at that time.  Do you know for sure the circumstances of the people you communicate with regularly? Are they lonely? Are your chatty little notes that you think nothing of something that makes their day tolerable? Try and be aware of your impact. If you think “that was really nice of them” or “they did that really well” then SAY something.  Everyone wants to shout when they’re not happy but how many take the time to say thanks if everything was how they wanted it to be?

I came home and sent little emails to the lady who went out of her way at the restaurant I had lunch with Mr LFCC at on Sunday before  everything went pear-shaped as she’d gone out of her way to make sure there would be nothing in my lunch that I reacted to, the lady in the bead shop I go in to thank her for her support and advice leading up to my first craft fair a couple of weeks ago,  and posted  a little pressie to someone else.  It made me feel better and involved no drugs or therapy, and cost nothing. I think that’s a bit of a bargain!!

If you can't do anything differently, why worry?

This is something my husband tells me.  When I'm fretting over something he asks me, did you do the best you can do? Is there anything at all that you can change? No? Then why worry?
As a man that has seen active service (that's putting it mildly...) during his time as a Royal Engineer he has a different perspective than I do. Things that seem like a huge deal to me are really trivial in the grand scheme of things. He doesn't belittle the things I worry about, but he shows me how the things that DO matter compare.  So when the colour on a finished piece isn't exactly where I was aiming, or my hair just won't go right, I try and remember how he can identify a particular sound a certain gun makes when it's fired towards you, what it's like to lose friends in combat... I have NOTHING to worry about.
So, relax. Enjoy your day, ring your friend and your mum, and maybe have a biscuit! Make the most of the day! Sending floaty love xxx

More distress! So happy!

I was so pleased with my first needlebook made in the style of my vintage distressed cards that I spent yesterday sewing and made some more!

This one is listed on Folksy now!

http://www.folksy.com/items/2041541-Needle-Book?shop=yes

I think this style will work really well as makeup bags, and one lovely facebook lady said that she fancied a knitting needle case in this style!

Watch this space!

xxx

Distressed? I hope so!!

I really love my distressed vintage style cardcrafts and wanted to transfer that kind of imagery on to the fabric I am working with.  I like to look around my local waterfront antique shop and find things that still work perfectly for their intended use, but you KNOW that they've had a life, that they've been loved. So, to give my handstitched work that kind of feel I had a bit of a play, and I am so pleased with the finished product.



This gorgeous little needlebook is very simple at first glance but contains different layers, handprinted fabric both inside and out, with gentle distressing on the edges, and gorgeous hand printed pages to store the needles, and a handmade crystal tag on the spine.



There will definately be more to follow in this style - some darker, some romantic and whimsical like this one. I will also be including my own photographic images transfered to fabric as I have with other pieces so watch out for those!

You can find this little gem in my folksy shop here: http://www.folksy.com/items/2018957-Needle-Book?shop=yes

Hope you like my little creation!

xxx

Share the floaty love!

So Friday finally came around and it's a gorgeous day! I know tomorrow is supposed to be sucky weather but let's take it where we can get it, right? And it gives us Brits our main conversation topic!

So in the spirit of embracing the sun I thought it was time I shared some love.  My facebook page is rapidly approaching 1000 fabulous floaty likers (www.facebook.com/littlefloatingcraftco) and another giveaway but there are some awesome creators at work out there that I want to holler about, so here goes:

http://www.folksy.com/items/1609953-OSCAR-PRIMROSE-BLUEBELL-3-Pattern-Deal-BUNNIES-PDF-Email-Toy-Knitting-Patterns?shop=yes
For those knitters - these patterns are BEYOND cute!

http://www.folksy.com/items/2023533-Blue-School-Dress-and-Satchel
Dolls clothes - beautifully made, but I love this handstitched satchell!

http://www.folksy.com/items/2025821-Traditional-Cwrw-Du-Beer-Soap
How amazing does this sound? And how cool a pressie?

http://www.folksy.com/items/1982273-Garden-Party-Vintage-Purse-Assemblage-Necklace
Truly original and funkyness in abundance!

http://www.folksy.com/items/2018505-Leather-iPhone-ALL-iTouch-ALL-case-Peach-Tree
Beautiful - just beautiful!

Go see these fabulous Folksy shops and I just know you'll find something to make your jaw drop!

Lots of floaty love
xxx

It's like the M25 down here!

Living onboard our houseboat on the beautiful river Ouse is a relaxing and tranquil existance - just as well with Mr LFCC's very busy working life, my fairly busy working life and disastrous health  - but there are times when this stretch of river is a bit like the M25!
Our marina is next door to a very popular riverside pub that does fab food and has a huge garden so you can imagine how busy it gets, but the local cruising clubs all convene there, the hire boaters from Ely all head straight there, and the narrowboaters join in too as there's a big meadow to moor on.  We're also en route between Cambridge and Ely so you can imagine how busy it gets. It's lovely to see the happy boaters go past, and everyone waves and says hello.  Bit like when we're out in the campervan really now I come to think of it!
But come the colder weather we'll be out there cruising the inland waterways in peace with the other die hard boaters. If you've not cruised in the dark, or through the snow you haven't lived!  Ok, so you get a bit chilly but you'll have the fire roaring inside, a big stew in the oven, and plenty of hot water waiting to sooth your aching bones.. Have you ever taken something you do all the time and changed the scenario slightly? Where did you end up? I'd love to know!