heart attack

I've re-charged the camera battery, had a love affair with the camera again, now hate it- or rather hate the way I take photos sometimes. I marvel at blogs that have images that are all of a style, then get bored with them for their uniformity. I seem to flit between Canon and Hipstamatic, I have no 'style', it is all dependent on my lack of time.
Today's lack of time was all about the return of the gingerbread heart wall. Look! I managed to get it done thanks to my eyelet press, I do love it, it saves time and shuddering pain up my arm as I don't have to hammer them in anymore. I'm waiting on the press snaps and dies to come in so that I can finish the batch of needle books I've been promising myself I would make. The covers are all stitched and I'm waiting on a friend to return my good pinking shears so I can pink the felt 'pages'. I misplaced the pattern pieces for the needle books and I have had to redraw them, I think this batch may be a tad longer than the old ones but only a smidge. In-store very soon I hope.

Yesterday being Friday was of course the day for getting a few new cushions done. I made a few Welshies (Friday wouldn't be the same if I didn't) from two new vintage blankets, there is a fab violet/blue/black/cream one and one we have knicknamed 'Ikea', it's blue and yellow- duh- but don't let that put you off, it's fabulous too. I also started making up the velvet digital 'tapestry' cushions. They are totally lush. I'm in love with them all but my favourite has to be the birch tree and stream one, the colours are gorgeous, I borrowed the original tapestry from the lovely Bree of Mr Kitly fame. You might recognise the dandelion owl and the kookaburras as they have appeared on our shop postcards. The cliff and sea one always sells out when we make it in the hemp/cotton fabric but you have to experience it in the velvet.... yum... and the cottage in a new design, I love it too. All backed in German cotton velvet and the kookaburras are backed in a colour known around here as 'Design Files Yellow'.

I got back from my newspaper/milk outing this morning and wondered where Jethro was. Seems he's trying for his Advanced CertifiCATe in Camouflage. He was so still and compact it took me a while to notice him.
It's been one of those boring weeks in the shop, drearily quiet, I can never quite work out how or why that happens. Then of course just as we were about to close, a few minutes after 6, three people walk in, as I went to half shut the door a couple with a megasaurus of a pram squeezed in the door and banked up behind them was a posse of another five people. Ten people and a pram at 6.10pm? I made an executive decision and told everyone we were closing, ushered those already in out and shut the door. Yes times are hard for small businesses, every customer counts but I know this just happened because the projection festival was on. The thing with small shops is that we actually need 'downtime', we need to shut the door and have a life (even if that involves sitting on the couch making gingerbread hearts), which is also why the Cottage is closed on a Sunday. So I am sorry if you wanted to come in last night but we are open until 5 today so please come and visit!