Navy and white buttons

Today I made 53 buttons and these are my favourites. Those pictured are £1 and £1.50 depending on size. I will have all 53 for sale and masses in other colours on Saturday (April 3rd) at Farnham Maltings market.

Thoughts on the Country Living magazine Show

                                                                                      
         There's nothing like a good look round at the Country living magazine's London show. So much to see. Much of it similar. I'm over the dusty 'vintage' look personally. But when something different catches your eye it's really exciting.
 I recommend you go to Rachel David's site http://www.skrunch.co.uk/ and look at her fabulous clothes. She's taken old clothes apart and re-assembled them in a cool fashion way. A tweed jacket torso with one thick damask sleeve and one floral  sleeve, ruffles of Liberty round the wrist, buttons all different. Coats with large bands of knitting incorporated. Everything a one-off sewn by Rachel herself. I watched a mother and daughter try things on. The clothes are not for shrinking violets but they feel 'now'. Re-cycling at its best!
I also liked the rich sea greens of http://www.janecoxceramics.com/ Cups, bowls and plates in singing, even shouting colours!

Sunday walk around Petersfield Pond

Sorting Ribbons

Under construction

I am working on my new website http://www.jennystacymakes.co.uk/ I cannot work out how to put the text where I want it. Far from perfect. Hope it will look better soon!

Strange skirt and other news

I found this skirt at Farnham Maltings market where I will be selling on Saturday April 3rd. I'm looking forward to wearing it but I haven't worked out what to wear it with yet - any suggestions? There's a string at the back which loops up the extra piece of fabric. My mother hopes I'll never wear it at all!
Today I'm working at Tricot Designs in Arundel. A lovely clothes shop in Tarrant Street.
I'm also sorting out a new web site at the moment. Hoping it will be ready on Monday then I'll give you a link. Did you know you can get a free website from the government for two years? No, neither did I, but if it works out I'll let you know details.

Found for Easter

Yesterday I spotted this Vanessa Arbuthnott designed bowl for £5. Imagine it with those naturally blue and green eggs in it at Easter!
I happily paid my money. (I have a feeling this range has been discontinued). There was an old fashioned wash board on this stand too - with the rough glass slats - so good for felt making. She wanted £10 for it and wouldn't budge on the price. Yesterday that felt too expensive but today... wish I'd got it!!

Cards for Saturday

I thought I'd make some collage cards for a fair I'm doing on Saturday. It's called Makers Market and is at St Peter's Hall, Petersfield from 2pm to 5pm. I'll also be selling my buttons and painted badges there plus advertising my workshops. I've been intending to make cards with old buttons for ages. I'd like to make 20 ideally, so that's what I'm doing right now at 8.30pm on a Thursday night.
Tomorrow, Friday I'm in Tricot Too for the 'Archive Sale' when summer clothes from last season will be available at a massive 70% off. See you there?

Huggy mummies

These huggy mummy badges are available to buy now. Ideal for Mother's Day! £5 each plus 50p postage and packing. £1 p and p for 2 or more than 2.
They measure four and a half centimetres high. Painted with acrylics, then varnished twice for wipeability. SOLD top centre; bottom left and bottom centre.

Button Sizes

These are the size of buttons I regularly produce.
From the top row left to right they are:
A. 1.8cms B. 2.2cms Both £1 each
C. 2.7cms D. two buttons shown both 3.3 cms These are £1.50 each
E. small oval 2.2cms across and 1.6cms down at £1 each; F. larger oval 3.2cms across and 2.4cms down £1.50 each
G. small square 2.2cms £1.50 each; H. large square 3.2cms £2 each.
To order just click on jennystacy@tiscali.co.uk. Postage and packing will be charged at actual cost.

Jumping for Joy!

I call these 'knitted jumpers' because they seem to be jumping! I've made six so far with another six on the way. All different. They are brooches and fun to make.

Workshop query

Thanks to everyone who put their name down as interested in workshop details. (see below flower picture.) Emails have been sent and I'll phone or send details out to those without email today. But I have incorrect email addresses for two people. If your name is Bonnie or Jenny A--- please email me. jennystacy@tiscali.co.uk

Spring is here!

Unravel and Workshops

Congratulations to everyone I met at Unravel who managed to find my blog!
Unravel was great. I met so many lovely people.
Here is a list of my workshops :

Wednesday March 31st Felting a Purse
Wednesday April 14th Making Buttons
Wednesday May 12th Free Knitting
Wednesday June 9th Making Buttons (repeat)
Wednesday July 14th Felting a Purse (repeat)
Wednesday August 11th Making Buttons (repeat)

All workshops will be held at my house from 10am to 1pm with refreshments supplied but please bring a packed lunch if you wish to continue the chat over lunch. The cost is £30 and numbers will be limited to 6 places per workshop. I will email/ post more information to those of you who left your contact details with me.

Neutral Buttons

I'm pleased with these buttons. I decided to make more neutral ones as not everyone goes for bright colours as I do. These are subtle stone colours. I've done more squares and even some oval buttons and all sizes of round ones.

Free knitting

I knitted this piece as an example of 'free' knitting and I'm excited by the possibilities. It's fun to do allowing maximum creativity. When I've got more time I'll make it into something.
The bag making workshop on Wednesday went well. Relaxed, friendly, and fun. I was made really welcome by the members of Phoenix Stitchers and I look forward to seeing their finished bags! More on bags next week.
Right now I must focus on making more buttons for tomorrow and Sunday at Unravel at Farnham Maltings.

Favourite piece

I keep thinking about this floaty summer coat by Masai . It's so unusual. Stocked by Tricot Too, Petersfield and Tricot Design, Arundel.

In Arundel

Yesterday I worked in Arundel's Tricot Design shop and I was pleased to see they have one of my felt necklaces in the window! The coat is by Out of Xile.

Felting

This felt background is an experiment to make a sturdy fabric for bags. Love these colours!

Busy busy

I can't believe it's been a week since I last posted. I promise I'll try to do better in future. It's a busy time. I have bags to make because I'm giving a bags workshop next week; hundreds of buttons to make to sell at Unravel at Farnham Maltings on February 27 and 28; summer jewellery to make for Tricot. I should be working, not writing this!
I just gave a talk which I had been worried about. It was on 'Being Creative' and I wrote copious notes on the subject. But then I was too nervous to look at the notes and 'winged it'. It was my first talk and I had to wear a microphone. But now it's over I realise I quite enjoyed it...

Country Living magazine May issue

Last year I made some special pieces for a stylist on Country Living magazine. She wanted a particular look for a spring fashion shoot. She's just told me that her feature will be in the May issue. And three of my pieces succeeded in getting through the 'final edit'!

Colour plus neutrals

This week in Tricot Too, Petersfield. Soft drape clothes by Yerse and Lauren Vidal with colourful textile jewellery by Jenny Stacy.

And the bonus is that all these clothes are in the sale at half the marked price!

Visit the Petersfield store or Tricot Designs in Arundel to see the new spring/summer collections too.

Spring things

River Island windows

Seeing these windows in Southampton yesterday made me realise how much better clothes look if displayed in a restricted, neutral palette. They look more expensive and more desirable.
I followed my younger daughter into store after store and waited while she tried things on. So many cheaper High Street shops have harsh colours - the turquoise and the shocking pink with too much black in the mix, that hard bright blue and blacky orange reds. Who suits those colours? Not many. Yet River Island have gone neutral and these soft greys and flesh tones would look good on almost anyone.

Making Buttons