What started out as a very quiet day with rainclouds looming ominously overhead actually turned out to be a great day.  It was a busy afternoon, still cloudy but warm and rain-free.  My daughter who’s up from London came along and made herself very useful as an assistant.  She also kept me company and it was nice to chat as I do miss her.

For a customer I met today, I have a rush order to get ready for tomorrow lunchtime - a personalised stork canvas for a christening gift which needs to be done for lunchtime.  Fortunately the customer lives a five-minute drive away from me, which is an obvious advantage for rush orders!!

This is a pic of the canvas on my website - see www.1stuniquegifts.co.uk for more info and to order your own!

I’d best go and get started!!

If you’re waiting for an order, I’m hoping to get them all sent out soon!  I am working on them as hard and as fast as I can.   If you ordered at the Cheshire Show, I’ll be posting your order out on Monday or Tuesday the 13th or 14th.  If you ordered at Capesthorne Hall Hot Air Balloon Show, I’ll be posting your order out on Thursday or Friday the 16th or 17th.

orders waiting

Your order will be sitting amongst this little lot, but I have made a start on all of them, believe it or not.  It can be a time-consuming business because everything I paint needs at least a few layers of paint and maybe varnish.  I tend to work in batches, doing all backgrounds, or all detail, at one time.

I may see you at the Stockton Heath Festival tomorrow (11th July 2009) - it should prove to be an excellent event.  Let’s hope for sunny weather!

Oh, what have I done?  I was sitting here drinking coffee and eating cake, something I was too busy to be doing anyway, but now I have found myself signing up for National Blog Posting Month!!!

I have agreed to blog every day for a month!!  Oh no!!  Will they come and hunt me down if I don’t?  I suppose I might be safe, seeing as it is an American initiative.  It’s a long way to come to track down an errant blogger.

So, in between these blog posts every day for a month, just this week I have to: get a load of orders finished and posted; make a prom dress for Wednesday; make a load of stock for my stall at Stockton Heath Festival; create a lesson plan for this afternoon’s class.  Oh, and there’s the small matter of the broken toe which is slowing me down.  Grr… I hate being slowed down!!!  (except when cake is involved, of course!)

No pressure then.

Right, seams to sew, pics to paint, zips to buy and lesson plans to write.  See you tomorrow.  Maybe.

The Stockton Heath Festival (in Stockton Heath, Warrington, Cheshire) is an exciting event spread over a few days (and a few venues!) which just gets bigger and bigger every year.

On Saturday 11th July, Stockton Heath Festival is hosting an Art and Craft Market - it should be a great event, with artists, designer/makers and crafters all displaying their wares.  I’ll be joining them, so look out for the 1st Unique Gifts stall.  Lots of canvases for kids’ rooms, clocks, picture frames and door hangers and door plaques.  Everything we do can be personalised especially for you - sometimes on the spot (depending on the stock we have with us).

You can look up more info on the Stockton Heath Festival here:

http://www.stocktonheathfestival.co.uk

 Look forward to seeing you there!! Oh, by the way - the Art and Craft market will be in Mill Lane Field (in Stockton Heath, Warrington - of course!).