Getting things done - the round up!

Did you see me over on the McEtsy blog? I'm also featured by Domestic Sluttery as part of her feature on The Oriental Magpie, a new Girl Industries stockist.

So July was a month for getting things done... So how did I do?

I'm up to date with wedding crafts having completed all my button hearts for our pew ends during the ceremony. I've even gone a step further and having picked out our menu for the wedding breakfast, I've printed up some nice menu cards using the same font as our invitations. I'm looking forward to receiving my fantastic handmade favours from The Other Mousie, and spending an afternoon packaging them up with love and neat handwriting with my matron of honour, Suzie.

I finally submitted my Rhonda's Recycled Challenge piece, right down to the wire due to procrastination and a hangover. Shame on me. I think my problem was that I knew exactly what I wanted to do, but then couldn't get around to making it for real, in case it turned out totally differently. I'm happy with the way it turned out, in the end.

I'll be stepping down from my events organising duties over at the Glasgow Craft Mafia as things get more hectic around the wedding. In the meantime, I'll be keeping up to date with the mafia via the awesome forum (worth the membership fees alone, but good for browsing the public sections, too) and the blog.

Knitting for charity

It's about that time of year again when I start to think about knitting these guys on behalf of Innocent, and their work for British charity Age Concern. Innocent have confirmed that the project is running again this year, so I'll be having a good sort out of all my odds and ends of wool and putting them to good use.

The closing date is usually some time in October, so while it seems strange to be thinking about woolly hats while it's such lovely weather out, I'll need to get cracking because I'll have to post them before the wedding, or I won't be back from honeymoon in time to send them! Wish me luck!

For those of you who can't make the October deadline, and are looking for another charity project, or those of you who have a bit more time on your hands to do your bit, get yourself over to the haberdashery counter at your nearest John Lewis. If you're like me, you won't need any encouragement (my stash grew considerably during their recent £1/ball clearance sale!). Available at every counter, on a monthly basis, are patterns for you to knit up and donate to a charity for neonatal care. I've never needed an excuse to go into John Lewis, but this clever plan means I'll be in at least every month to check out the latest project.

I'd love to hear your charity knitting projects, don't be shy and post them here.

Also, I just found this great place called Yarnbank to help you find wool for those larger charity knitting projects. What a great idea!

Remember the market today

Say cheese!

I found a smiley mushroom in my fridge this morning, and seeing as That's Life no longer exists, I thought I'd post it here for your viewing pleasure. Ta-daaaa!

Glasgow Craft Mafia Market at Mono on Sunday

I'll be calling in with my mum for some tea and cupcakes. Looking forward to seeing you there!

Girl Industries goes Super Cute!

I'm delighted to be a guest contributor over at Super Cute Kawaii, home of the delicious M Le Bun, and the cutest things the internet has to offer.

It was really good fun to go theoretical window shopping for kawaii versions of all the things I like. Shame my birthday was only a couple of months ago, and Christmas is a long way off....

Update on Pay It Forward Blog Challenge

I have three other bloggers signed up for this challenge, and that means there are two spots remaining. Sign up by commenting on the original post.

In the meantime, welcome to the challenge to Marceline, who blogs over at Asking for Trouble, Glittery Sah who has paid it forward already on her blog, and Kre8ive Life, all the way over in Australia. I am going to have a great time browsing your blogs and coming up with something special for each of you.

Welcome also to Nancy, who blogs about family, vintage and handmade. Nancy is also a member of the Etsy Team Hoarders Unite, so I'm thinking very carefully of something that she'll find useful, without being cluttersome... Glad to welcome you, Nancy!

At last!

I finally got my act together and submitted my entry to Rhonda's Recycled Craft Challenge. This original and entirely eco-friendly work of beauty and staggering genius (maybe not...) can be found in my shop, quick, snap it up before you miss out on a future classic!

Looking at the 'ingredients', I was tempted to make some kind of stitch holders, embellished with the beads, but the milk cap confused the heck out of me.

I decided on a container ship, but with a sail, on the high seas. After a burst of Eric Cantona-stylee inspiration, I added some security envelope seagulls. So maybe it's a trawler? Boats are not my area, no wonder I was fired from that shipping company I used to work for. And, yes, rain figures pretty highly in my everyday existence, so I couldn't miss that out.

There is a wide range of imaginative and eye-catching finished products in the flickr pool, so take a look!

Leave me a comment if you took part in the contest, or if you have a better idea for the components...

STOP PRESS: Turns out there are more procrastinators than me out there. Rhonda has extended her deadline!

A new zine project

I'm working on a new craft interview zine, which I'd love for you to get involved with, readers. If you'd like to be involved, and answer some questions, drop me an email at katy [at]girlindustries.com and I'll send you all the juicy info.

Zines will be released via the shop on a monthly basis next year, and will be themed around questions, places, people and different crafts, so plenty for everyone. I'm very excited about some of the crafters on board already, it's shaping up to be a very fun project, so don't miss your chance to be involved.

Remember, Strawberry Jam tonight!

Well, this evening, anyway. Kicking off at 5.30pm, head along to the Panopticon for some good times in aid of a good cause. Read all about it here.

In the meantime, I'm working on my honeymoon itinery today, and am being very inspired by the lovely things in Etsy's current travel guide. We also bought my fiance's kilt and wedding ring this morning, so it's been heavy on the wallet, no treats from the travel guide for me today.

Whatever you're doing, I hope you're having a good weekend.

The Oriental Magpie

How exciting! I now have my first official stockist (outside of my etsy shop and the Glasgow Craft Mafia markets, of course) in the UK. Admirers of Girl Industries products can now shop in pounds sterling at the Oriental Magpie. Launching today, this new online boutique brings together a range of UK crafters with something for everyone.

You'll find a selection of the best gifts and treats here, from jewellery, to homewares, to my personal favourite all-time indulgence, oodles of lovely stationery...

Check out this lovely store today! And tell them Katy sent you!

A blogging challenge - to pay it forward!

I'm all signed up for a fun challenge over on TheOtherMousie's blog. Here are the details:

I am entering into a contract with the first 5 people who comment on this post and then commit to do the same on their blog.

Just read below and if you feel up to the task, copy the following into your blog and leave me a comment.

1. I make no guarantee that you will like what I make - whatcha get is whatcha get
2. What I create will be just for you, with love.
3. It'll be done this year (2009)
4. I will not give you any clue what it's going to be. It will be something made in the real world and not cyber
5. I reserve the right to do something strange or weird
6. In return, all you need to do is post this text on your blog and make 5 things for the first 5 to respond to your blog post.

Now it's over to you! First five to sign up here by posting a comment below are in on the action! Blogger comments do play up from time to time, so drop me an email to Katy [at] girlindustries.com and I'll add your comment for you, if you like. International bloggers are welcome, and if I don't get tagged by five people, I fully intend to start nominating!!

I've hidden my comments to make it extra interesting until I have five names! Updates will be tweeted over the rest of the week, or until all the places are taken. I'll let you know who's in on Sunday afternoon (after I've been to see the red pandas! Not dropping hints, but they have been my favourite animal since I first saw Desi and Lucy at the Bronx Zoo...)

Return to ration-book fashion

Photograph: Jacques Demarthon/AFP/Getty Images

I'm all about make do and mend, or as I like to put it 'making new stuff out of old stuff'. I also love to spend time in Paris, where I was lucky enough to live and study when I was 21.

I'm long due a visit back to the capital of La Belle France, and I'm hoping I can make it back before November so I can catch up with this exhibition in my old stomping grounds in the south of the city.

Read all about it here.

Strawberry Jam at the Panopticon

Now, first of all, the Panopticon is one of my favourite places in Glasgow. It's a former music hall from the days of classic variety performances in the past, even Stan Laurel trod the boards here! The theatre is now being restored thanks, no doubt in part, to the fantastic Restoration tv programme, and the tireless work of the trust that looks after the theatre and occasionally opens it up for special performances and tours.

A charity event raising money for breast cancer takes place there next weekend, run by my former DJing partner in crime, the clever and talented Alison Eales.

Here are all the details, please consider popping in for a good laugh and a worthy cause!

The StrawberryJam team aim to raise £1000 for Breast Cancer Care over the course of 2009. At our first event, in April, we raised £420, putting us well on track. The second StrawberryJam will take place on Saturday 18th July - can you help us smash through our target? Expect music, comedy, prizes, cupcakes, popcorn and bunting. It's an early show, so plenty of time to go out dancing afterwards! Entertainment includes: Music from lovely singer-songwriters ANDI NEATE and MARIA LEAHY Comedy from the rather brilliant ELAINE MALCOLMSON

Additional acts and raffle prizes will be announced on the night... because we love the element of surprise! This time, we'll be giving you a proper interval, so you can stuff your faces with cake, and stuff our tins with donations. Please come along if you can, and please pass this on to everyone you know!

Date: 18 July 2009
Time: 17:30 - 20:00
Location: Britannia Panopticon Music Hall
Street: Trongate (Entrance via New Wynd)
Town/City: Glasgow, United Kingdom
Phone: 01415530840
Email: StrawberryJamGlasgow@gmail.com

p.s. I also just looked up what a Panopticon is on our old friend Wikipedia and consider myself somewhat surprised!

Glasgow Craft Mafia Social - this Saturday!

Just click on the flyer to read all about it! Hope to see you there...


Updated to say - just checked the weather forecast. The BBC website is notorious for getting it wrong, but we might see you in West, after all! Good thing we have weatherproof bunting, even so...

Yummy supplies

A bit of eye candy for a Monday morning. Yum yum!

I bought the bakers twine and brown leaves to jazz up my orders when I post them out, and seller Caramelos was good enough to throw some extra goodies in the package for me.

Today is a day for getting things done!

I have a big long to-do list for today, and I'm going to check back in later to let you know how I get on. July is going to be my month for being a completer. And here's my list for today:

• Download the photos on my camera 4.30pm update: DONE!
• Upload photos taken yesterday of our outing to the countryside with Marceline, of Asking for Trouble onto the Glasgow Craft Mafia flickr member pages 5pm update: DONE!
• Organise my own flickr and get rid of some conference photos from work that I had been saving in there 5.15pm update: DONE!
• Finish a tutorial I've been working on for ages by remaking the item, retaking my photos and downloading the photos and making them look good 2pm update: DONE!
• Make my entry for Rhonda's recycling contest, take a photo of it and submit said photo to the relevant flickr pool which I haven't even looked at yet, either (anyone noticing a theme here?) 11pm update NOT DONE
• Sew up the pockets on a baby cardigan I've had in my 'to finish' box for ages 11pm update NOT DONE
• Sew up the TP in the Park brooches I've made 6.30pm update: DONE!
• Sew up the knitted snakes I've been making out of oddments of wool 11pm update NOT DONE
• Make another 3 button heart decorations for the wedding so that part of the decorating is done 11pm update only managed to get 2 DONE!
• Finish sending out the daytime invitations for my wedding to my 5 friends who have recently moved houses (this involves trimming the invitations to size, making the envelopes, putting friends' new addresses into my address book and taking a note in my wedding notebook) 3pm update: DONE! Just off to post them!

Phew! Well I think that's quite enough for now, and I'll be back later to let you know how I've been getting on.

Updated at bedtime... I think I was maybe being a bit ambitious with everything I had to do, but definitely having my readers on board to help me along the way helped out. I can head off to Aberdeen tomorrow knowing everything at home is under control! And I still managed to have fun while I was getting stuff done, too, so it didn't feel like a chore at any time.

Gemma is a legend

Friends look away now!

Everyone else, Gemma Correll is my go-to girl when I need a gift card. She does wonderful cards of girls and cats and lots of other wonderful things and just about rocks my world.

Stock up here:

Flower of Scotland

How cute are these notecards? They are definitely on my 'to buy' list! I was initially drawn to the design as the thistle is our national emblem here in Scotland, but then I read the story behind the cards and I was immediately touched. Curious? Find out more in nouveaudesigns etsy shop.