Shopping

I've been trying to source some new supplies for my shop. As you know I already have tonnes of buttons, but I wanted to get a few new items, just to keep things fresh. So in the next few weeks the postman will be delivering these lovely things.
(on a side note it's very hard not to buy LOADS of new supplies)

Tom Collins....best pub ever

Here is a snippet from my favorite pub ever! Tom Collins on Cecil St in Limerick. I just found this video on youtube, of the music sessions they have there. All the musician play for free in a loose jam session every week. I used to work there a few years ago, and it kinda feels like an extension of my living room. It's like Cheers except better!


The BBC also filmed there late last year for the New Years special of the programme Three Men on a Boat, and if you look closely you can see me, and John too-actually the black hat Griff Rhys Jones is wearing is Johns, as he borrowed it because he thought it looked good with his costume. I figure this is my very slow progress to super stardom, RTE last year, the Beeb this year, new it's Hollywood.

Talented Artist

I don't ever watch shows like Britains got talent or x-Factor, but a friend showed me this last night on youtube and I was totally blown away. This is the winner from Ukraines Got Talent, a beautiful and amazingly talented artist who does drawings in sand on a lightbox live on front of the audience. I really recommend watching it the whole way through, as the transformations between each picture just get better and better.

Games Reviews for the Wii

Christmas, and most especially post-christmas time always brings out in me a desire to play lots of computer games. I spend the rest of the year gladly console free but as soon as the turkey is digested I feel the need to sit in a darkened room with lots of blankets and hop, skip, jump, and shoot my way through a myriad of colourful rounds. This year in the January sales I bought Paper Mario World, Boom Blox, and Prince of Persia for the Wii.

When I first turned on the Mario game I felt like bringing it back to the shop, there was a painful 15 minute dialogue to get through before I could play it; which John found hilarious. After the pretty boring start it turned out to be a really good game. There are lots of additions to the normal Mario gameplay, and it has lots of inventive twists on the tradional platform game.

Boom Blox is totally addictive, it has lots of short building puzzles that you must solve by throwing, moving, or smashing blocks. It's a really good game of logic that has been excellently designed. My only complaint is that I find the Wii remote sticks a bit and the controlls don't run as smoothly as the need to, and this can be very frustrating on some of the timed challenges . I haven't opened Prince of Persia yet as I'm waiting till I finish the other two before I start it.

Green Travelling

I'm sure I've mentioned before that we don't have a car. We transport everything to the market on a trolly, it's quite an ingenius idea of John's. In this picture you are looking at 2 flat pack tables, 2 display boards, 1 rotating card rail, and 1 bag of stock. We also carry on our backs to more bags of stock, and that's all the gear for the market!! I can't afford a car at the moment, and I can't drive(which I swear I will remedy this year!!), so this is the perfect solution.....and it's much better for the environment too.

Need a Pint

Over the past few days I've been writing tonnes of emails and making lots of lists, all in the name of organising the Etsy Ireland blog. I've taken a few photos of ribbons that I want to list. But really I think I want to get back to some sewing soon though as my fingers are getting a bit twitchy. I plan to make a range of felt pincushions soon, and I want to catch up on my felt brooches too.
I also got food poisoning this week which was pretty nasty, it was from my favorite Indian takeaway, grumble, I won't be going back there again! Between being sick so much since new years and working in the restaurant for a few days in between, I'm starting to go a bit barmy, I think I need to go out and be human for a while, pints and the cinema might do the trick.

Moonlighting at Etsy Ireland

Over the next month or so I will be helping out a great deal with the Etsy Ireland team blog, organising posts, inviting people to write article, and writing quite a few of them myself. So firstly if you're reading this and you've never checked it out then pop over, it's a great collection of Irish etsy crafters showing their wares, giving tips and generally talking about crafty things. There is the loose structure of

Introducing Modays: where a new seller introduces themselves and there work.
How-to-Tuesday
I'll show you mine Wednesday: artists show us a view into their studios
Tricks of the Trade: inside tips of crafting, and a guide to some supplies sellers around Ireland, I'm really looking forward to doing one in Limerick.
Fresh 5 picks on Friday

I'm delighted to be working with the team, I love blogging and writing, so it will be good to get my teeth into a new project!!!
Update: Check out my first post here....a tutorial in photoshop design.....jeez it took a while to do it but I'm really happy with my first ever tutorial, next time I may do something simpler....feedback would be great, go check it out!!

New Supplies

I've had a busy day today with the start my supplies shop revamp. Here are a few new things I've added. Pinking shears, shirring thread, polka dot ribbon, brooch pins...and more new items to come soon!!

Crafty Giveaway

As promised I will be having a giveaway this month, but this time it's different as I'll be giving away a $25 voucher for my supplies shop and shipping will be free regardless of your locality. I realise that there are lots of crafters that read my blog so there will be lots who will be interested in getting their choice of buttons. I'll also be adding lots of new listings over the next few weeks, like brooch clasps, ribbon, thread, handmade pincushions, and loads of new buttons!

Because this is a prize that not everyone would use it's not automatically open to all of my followers, so you must leave a comment on this post please(and you must also be a follower too), please no anonymous comments as I won't be able to contact you.

Best of luck to everyone!!

The closing date is 15th January, and I'll be announcing the winner on the 16th.

Sick Lady

I hope all of you had a great Christmas and New Year. I will return to blogging soon, but I'm pretty sick at the moment with a super cold/mini flu, looking at the screen hurts my eyes so this isn't much fun. Last night I even tried to watch a film wearing sunglasses to cut down on the stinging and headaches( John threatened to take a photo of me with my dopey sick head wearing shades indoors and post it on this blog!!).
I just wanted to post this picture taken of me while I was selling at the Christmas market, it was minus 3-8 most days, so I layered up on all the woolie clothes I own. I love the contrast of my crazy colours compared with my friend Richards dark coat. Special thanks to Eamonn MacCarthy for the image.