On the verge of new things

I'm just taking a quick lunch break from the Doo Lally room, so I thought I'd take the chance to post before I get back to my work table.

I'm all set for Saturday at The Happy Stamper's show in Port Sunlight. Really looking forward to it as it really is a "happy" show and I know I'll be seeing lots of familiar faces including a few that I haven't seen for a while - you know who you are! 

Meanwhile, just like the buses, everything comes along at once and I have a list of things to get done by increasingly looming deadlines...magazine articles, workshops to prep and samples for demonstrations to be made. It's usually made more stressful due to having to wait for new products to be sent to me in time! So, my little lunch break is most welcome...a hot turkey and stuffing sandwich...yummy!

I'm adding more things to my Etsy shop slowly but surely....I'm aiming for a varied range of items, styles and prices and it's given me a nice "kick up the bum"! Almost all of my creativity is channelled into work of course, so I like the idea of sitting down to make something for my own "shop". Here's a peep at a couple of the latest things I've added....

 ......there's a grumpy Goldfinch and below is a cheeky Red Squirrel.......

 .......just click on the link to see them in their entirety. Oh and this is another piece that I added a couple of days ago....

 .....some of you may have seen this one on the Darkroom Door blog as it's one of the projects that I made when I was their guest designer a few months ago.

In non work related goings on, I was very honoured (and humbled) a few weeks ago to be asked if I would consider becoming the deputy Verger at church. As I'm one of the newer members of the congregation I did wonder if the Verger was having a joke with me, but he wasn't. So, after some careful consideration and talking it over with my sister, I decided that this could be an interesting new venture. I'm lucky in that my work is not a structured nine to five routine, so I'm able to shuffle things round as needed. As Heather said, it's the things we don't do in life that we regret, rather than the things we do. I will only have to stand in occasionally and it will mostly be preparing the church and welcoming people at weddings and funerals. Something completely different from my job that's for sure! Heather has made several references to the Vicar of Dibley already!

I'll sign off with a picture I took at the weekend of a couple of the (many!) Sweet Peas and Sunflowers that I've been busy transplanting into the garden. They were some of the ones that I planted into loo roll tubes - the idea being that you can plant the whole thing without disturbing the roots as the cardboard just rots down in the soil. When I looked at them though, I was rather astonished to see.......

 ......well, you can hopefully see the "flowers" that have printed themselves on the loo rolls! I'm not absolutely sure how this happened, but there were a few small fungi that sprouted in the potting compost that I used and I think it may be to do with those. I was almost tempted to keep the rolls, flatten them out and use them on a canvas! 

Right, sandwich chomped, coffee slurped and half a dozen grapes consumed, so I'd better get back to the Doo Lally room again. Oh yes, if you happen to be a Radio Times reader you will find a letter from me in the Feedback section of this week's issue!