Bad Timing to Find THE Property....

I'm so excited but I'm trying to keep myself under control. First of all, I'm going on holiday with my family and best friend to France tomorrow. My aunt has bought a house near the Vandee and this is our first visit to it together.

I'm also sooooo excited about a property I saw yesterday. I think it may be the one for the tearoom, but I'm frightened to say that in case the worst happens when I'm away on holiday. If any of you have bough your own homes, you will know that feeling where it just feels right and you visualise yourself swanning around doing your thing, well I felt like that in this place. My timing is bad though isn't it? I can't really make a move until I come back. Please, please don't let anyone else go and see it while I'm away!

Car Booting Cushion and Cake

I thought I'd try Cushion and Cake at a car boot sale yesterday. I didn't take my hand made items but I did take cakes. The cakes completely sold out and made me quite popular with fellow stall holders.

I took some other bits along with me like shoes I've never worn and some clothes and purses. Sold NONE of them. So glad I didn't take my cushions.
I spoke to lots of nice people however. One woman in particular used to have a tearoom in Sussex and she still has most of the china from her place. I bought one of her trios. It is exactly what I'm looking for.

I got this too. I'm not really sure what it is, but it is a very pretty box. It will be nice to display smaller items in at craft fairs or eventually, in the tearoom.

And finally, this lovely little plate and dome. for £3!

So I suppose any money I made on cakes I spent immediately on tea and cakey stuff. Success!! 

Screen Priniting and Wild Swimming?

I'm excited. I started two new courses this week to expand my crafty skills (makes me sound like a witch doesn't it?). I'm doing Creative Photoshop on Tuesday evenings and Screen Printing on Thursday evenings.  My first Photoshop class was fine, but spent mostly familiarising the class with the Mighty Mac, but as I use a Mac, this bit was a bit boring... I can't wait to get started on actually making art work. 
I thought I'd do Photoshop so that I could prepare artwork and images for screen printing. The first screen printing class last night was good, but again, I have done screen printing before so it was a bit of a refresher last night on the process.

I can't wait until next week when I can get stuck in. I had lots ofideas on what my first print will be. I think I'm going to do a bumble bee and we've to do something really simple, using only two colours. I thought a bumble bee would be pretty cute.

 

I'm going to draw my bee myself rather than use an image like this one.
I mentioned in my last entry that I was hoping to view a property for Cushion and Cake. Well I'm going to see it early next week. I don't want to say I have a good feeling about it because I think I've had a good feeling about ALL the properties I've seen so far! It is the one on Saltmarket in Glasgow. The location is fine (can be a bit wild at night, but I won't be open a night) and there are plenty of galleries and quirky places around so I think I'd fit in pretty well. More on that next week hopefully.
I wanted to talk about a new book thati recently got. I'd wanted it for a while and it is called Waterlog by John Deakin.

I learned about this book from Elspeth Thopmson's The Weekend Book. Waterlog is a log of the writer's adventure, wild swimming his way across Britain, in the sea , in lidos, in rivers, pools and moats. I love swimming and being in water so this is the book for me. I was hoping to keep it for a holiday I'm going on with my family next week but I had to make a start on it on Wednesday evening. I only read a couple of chapters but was already inspired to get swimming, so, I went to my local swimming pool yesterday and tried to recreate some of the experience Deakin describes in his book even though my swim was far from his 'wild swimming'. There is an outdoor pool not too far from Glasgow in Gourock. 

Gourock Swimming Pool

I've been trying to tempt someone to come with me for a while now to no avail. Looks like I'll have to visit this one myself, but I'd better be quick before the end of the season. I wonder if I have time to go today....

Interesting Things I've Found This Week So Far

I had an early rise this morning. Up bright and early to go to a car boot sale in Polmadie, Glasgow. It was pretty good. I saw plenty of china, pictures and the like and as usual, I had to pick up a few things. All bargains though. I got these for £2, they're "Sunrise" by Meakin cake plates.

I also got this marvellous piece of work. 

 It is fully embroidered and was apparently done by a woman who used to teach at the Glasgow Art School. It is lovely. Looking forward to getting help to put it up in my bedroom.

The trip to the car boot sale wasn't just about rummaging for treasures, oh no, I'm thinking about taking a stall on Sunday. I was thinking, my little flat is bursting with stuff (no wonder you say, you keep buying) so I could probably move some stuff on. I've got a couple of dresses and other bits and bobs I'm sure someone else could make use of, and have room for. I just need a buddy to share my stall. Is anyone that desperate to get up at 6am on a Sunday? I'll do some baking too. There were a couple of stalls today with baking but it wasn't home baking. It was all pre-packaged stuff so maybe I can sell some cupcakes.

I've seen some pretty interesting stuff this week. The first was a Folksy shop, Cupcake and Cards, who do lovely tote bags, tea towels and other tea paraphernalia with screen printed cupcakes and other motifs on. I have my eye on a tote bag with an owl printed on. I love owls. 

The second was a shop I visited this morning in the Glasgow Barras (I'll say more about that in a mo) called Fabric Bazaar. I've been in for some things before but my visit today really made me want to go back and buy everyting. They have quite a lot of fabric but for me, it is the haberdashery stuff they have that makes me giddy. AND it is all super reasonably priced. I spent a fiver and came away with 5 zips, 2 spool cases, 4 bobbins of thread and several meters each of different ribbon and trimmings. Well worth a visit if you are in Glasgow. 
The final thing was the super helpful guy in the fabric shop was telling me about a woman who comes to his shop that is setting up a sewing cafe. That's right, a sewing cafe where you can do the usual cafe thing, but also hire sewing machines you can run up an a-line skirt while you sip a coffee. 

It's called Make It Glasgow and I can't wait until it opens.

So other things I've been doing today so far, well, I was having a look around for more properties that may be suitable for Cushion and Cake. I shifted my search a little from West End to Merchant City/East End. Earlier I mentioned the Barras in Glasgow. 

This place is a real hub at the weekend of stall holders selling their wares. It is kinda bric-a-brac, clothes etc that is sold there now, but apparently there are plans to give the Barras a bit of a make over. I already know that a big craft fair Made In The Shade Supermercado is planning weekly craft fairs in a newly refurbished part of the Barras which was making me wonder if my little vintage style tearoom and craft gallery may fit in, in this area. 

I've been on the phone to the council about this one.

It used to be a little tearoom called Tinkerbell's, and has been lying empty for some time. 

It could work. There's also another on on Saltmarket, next to some galleries which again may be suitable.

All posibilities I guess, so I'd better get on with phone calls and the like.
I realise this has been a rather text heavy entry, so I'll go, and tell you about the two evening courses in Creative Photoshop and Screen Printing that I started/starting this week next time.

It's Going to be a Good Week

I thought it might be Autumn this morning. The sound of the wind was whistling through my flat and it was not as bright this morning as it has been of late. I thought a Summer frock my be foolish today, especially if it is actually as windy outside as it sounds, so I put on my first pair of tights of the season.

I was looking forward to wearing these tights. They have hearts on them, and the only cost me £1 in the sales. Great stuff.

This past weekend has been great. Hard work because I was doing two craft fairs, both Saturday and Sunday. The preparation for these fairs took all the time I had after my return from Paris.

The fair on Saturday was in the Southside of Glasgow. I really enjoyed it and met an old friend Clare who also had a stall at the fair. She had lovely illustrations and when I told her I was looking for a special gift for a friend's 30th birthday, she said she'd do something bespoke for me. Can't wait to see it.

These are my stalls each day.

Some people actually looked giddy when they saw the strawberry topped one.

I should be working on my business plan as I had a bit of a disappointment last week. I found a property for the tearoom that I was keen on and was ready to make a move, but there was someone more organised than me, and they made an offer the landlord obviously couldn't refuse. So I can't make that mistake again. I have to be ready to roll as soon as I find the next suitable property.
Alongside the important businessy stuff, I took some photos of stuff in my flat for my slightly neglected Flickr page.

These are making my heart go a bit fluttery. The colours are beautiful.

These are making me hungry.

I think I can technically call all of this work, or research for the tearoom. It keeps me inspired.

Last week I went out for a walk to see if I could find any empty units for my tearoom. On my travels I found a cafe/tearoom called Vanilla Black with the most outrageously beautiful meringues. Big huge things with swirls and peaks and glitter sprinkled over. I took ages to decide on what cake to have. I was having palpitations really at having to make the choice.

I chose this. A victoria sponge, layered with jam and perhaps lemon curd? I wasn't sure but it really did taste good. I think I'll go back for some take away meringues and incorporate them into a dessert.

These are some sweet peas from my garden. I've brought an abundance of them indoors this year.

In relation to my sweet peas, I'm doing something rather fun this evening. I am going to a prize giving for a gardening competition. Yes, I have won a prize! 3rd prize in the best back court competition as judged by the local housing association here. Not bad for my first year of gardening ever. Maybe second prize next year? Or first perhaps? Anyway I'll be receiving a plaque which goes in the close for all to see. I am so proud :-)

So regardless of the tights which were put on today, this is the start of a very good week I feel. This new song has been giving me good vibes and I just love it. It is by Underworld and is called Always Loved a Film. It is reminiscent of another of their songs which happens to be my favourite Underworld track, Two Months Off. Lifts me right up and I feel all fuzzy and giddy(music has a profound effect on me).