Origami Rose

Here is an origami rose I made from the page of a magazine.

Craft Juice ~ Promote Your Crafts For Free

Craft Juice Is an online site dedicated to showcasing the handmade work of thousands of designer makers from around the world.

Craft Juice is free to use and is an exciting way to look for new and aspiring designer creators online.  It’s a free to use showcase for hobbyist, professional crafters and artisans.  Those looking for some exclusive, new and individual products can find just that by browsing through the many wonderful and amazing handcrafted items on show. You can search for any item for your home that you may be looking for by adding a search term.

Each item links back to the original source and you can contact the designer through that or simply leave a message on Crafts Juice.

There are over 10,000 active members who regularly display their latest pieces on Crafts Juice.

Crafts juice has a range of  soft furnishers, knitters, crocheters, artists, ceramicists, wedding accessories, home product designers and many others besides.

“As a user of the service, I really enjoy having an audience to show my latest creations to. Receiving encouragement and feedback in the form of votes and comments is a real boost”
Using Craft Juice is simple:

Monkey Making

Over the past few days I've been making monkeys.  I was halted for a while when I was waiting delivery of a huge box of stuffing.  Once it had arrived though, there was nothing stopping me and so now I am back up and running again.  I thought I would introduce you to the latest monkeys.
 Above is Laura.  She is for sale on Ra Ra Bazaar.

This is Zak who has been adopted

This is Milly who has also been adopted.

More monkeys coming soon!

All my monkeys  are CE tested and certified.  You can read more about the process HERE

The Banks of the Humber

This morning I was doing the mum taxi thing and had a few minutes to spare, so we headed down to North Ferriby River Bank.

The River Humber is vast and in the distance, on the other side you could just make out a factory and the hills and trees.  Even the Humber Bridge was shrouded in a thick coating of fog.  We walked a little way towards the bridge with the water lapping near by.  The foggy cover was strangely lit by a very bright sun which gave some stunning light on the water.

I attempted to catch this beautiful site on the camera, but not being an expert, it really didn't work, so instead I took photos of the amazing worn wood that is prominent all the way along this stretch of bank.

Little Shoots

Walking up to church this morning it was beautiful to see the snowdrops with their heads dancing in the breeze.  There are so many tiny shoots starting to appear  and in the next few weeks they will flourish into glorious life.

Who would have thought something so natural as a little flower could make someone so happy.

Today I visited an elderly lady to drop in a birthday card.  She showed me a lovely floral arrangement that her church had give her for her birthday and she glowed with pride as over and over again she said "isn't it beautiful"

I Am Proud To Announce That .........

I have officially self certified my sock monkey design

and also my Ra Ra Raggie Doll Design

They will now be going into production.

CE Testing Update

Back in the summer I found out that the UK law has changed and all soft toy products (toys are anything that looks like a toy) must be CE certified.  It is not a task for the faint hearted or for those that give up as soon as someone says "no", but it can be done..... Not in the way that many people suggested which was to attach labels stating not for under 14's or under 3's ( not a legal cover) or say this is for display only (as they too have to be tested if they look like a toy, they are a toy)
Knit a hat for a child and sell it, no problem, but put the same hat on a toy and it then needs to go through a large range of tests.
My trading standards department couldn't see a feasible way to get tested as socks are clothing and thus not subjected to the same rules.... so I stopped trying, withdrew my sock monkeys from sale and started to research.
I've found a very helpful company and a group of other makers who have been or are going through the process.

It has not been a cheap process and takes a lot of time and paperwork.  You should see the piles I have.
Every single component has to come up to certain standards and be traceable, frlt, fabric, stuffing, thread, ribbon, buttons etc.  It means that you cannot use vintage or second hand fabrics because you can not trace the manufacturer.

So my monkeys have now had weights attached, seems poked, eyes twisted painfully, have been washed, tumbled dry and photographed like a top model and they are currently awaiting more torture  but the wind is currently stopping proceedings.  I need a still day.

Throughout the process, I have been tempted to give up, but with encouragement from other people going through the same thing I've very nearly reached my goal.

I have also been developing a new product.  Ra Ra Raggie Dolls are traditional style rag dolls who are also being tested at the same time.
So watch this space while I watch the wind!

Lavender Blue

Let me introduce you to a web site I've recently created for Gill Tomkinson.
Lavender  Blue is home to some really stunning Lavender and Dianthus (pinks) Plants.

 The new web site is now live and will be added to over the next few weeks

The full range of Dianthus

The full range of Lavenders

Gillyflower the floristry section

Indescribable

"Who has told every lightening bolt where it should go or seen store houses laden with snow"

Updates .......

For many many years I've been trading as Beads By Design and whilst that fitted my initial ideas, it's become more restrictive and does not really reflect my current creations in the same way as it used to.
I am also known as Crystal Velvet Weddings and as Ra Ra Bazaar and after some considerable thought, I have decided to move to being Ra Ra Bazaar as it enables me to encompass all my creations under one roof.
I will still have the Beads By Design and Crystal Velvet Wedding sections on my web site, but am gradually changing my public persona.
www.rarabazaar.co.uk will eventually become my main web address, but the others will still be kept on and will work to take you to the same place.

South Cave Snow Video

A few years ago, but each time snow falls here the beauty is the same

Jack Frost Visited

Spiders webs turned into lace

Little ice crystal trees

Wonderful fern like patterns on the car

Les Miserables

Last Friday I attended a showing of  Les Miserables.  I am still reeling from the impact.
I am familiar with the music and over the years have seen many snippets of the show, but never the whole thing, so other than a vague knowledge of the story, there was a lot left to discover.
The film was breathtaking.
I am now telling everyone I know to go and see it.
But I should issue you with a warning.  take your tissues.  They are essential.  At the end, the whole audience sat in stunned silence apart from the muffled sniffling.  I did not see anyone who looked unaffected   All the way back to  the car we could hear other people discussing it in very favourable terms.
I want to go again!

A Crafty Hoarder

A recent post on the Crafts Forum was entitled "Are you A Crafty Hoarder?" to which I proudly stand and say My name is Karen and I am a crafty Hoarder!
Growing up, my parents would despair at the mess that filled my room.  I wanted to be tidy, but it really wasn't in my nature, I'd tidy up and then somehow mess would develop around me and before I knew it, the room would be untidy again.
It wasn't until my late teens and early twenties that I finally understood "my mess", it wasn't mess at all, but creative clutter.

Creative clutter is a tool by which I am inspired.

Creative Clutter throws colour schemes and pattern before my eyes.

Creative clutter is recycling at it's best.

Creative clutter is essential to my creative process.

All Shiny And New

As a student at school, it was always a great feeling to fill up your old exercise book and start out with a brand new one.  Gone was the red writing from the teacher and the pages where your writing went all scruffy and there in front of you was fresh paper, crisp covers and the chance for a fresh start.
The new year 2013 lies before each of us as a chance of a new fresh note book.  The chance to start afresh on new journeys and discoveries and the chance to lay behind us things that have have made us unhappy.
Enjoy your new notebook!