Saturday 28 June 2014

How it all began, hand sewing late into the night

I love making unique creatures, it takes me back to how my business all started....

My story started in 2009, Christmas was looming and with 3 boys and not much money for presents I started to hand sew presents, my background is in art and textile design although up to this point I hadn’t really done much sewing apart from clothes during and after I was on the fashion design course at Blackpool and the Fylde college.

I had been reading a book for bedtime to my youngest son all about a mudskipper called Splurge, he lived underground below our earth and wasn’t happy as earths rubbish kept landing in his world, my son loved the character so much I decided I would make him a toy of it for Christmas, night after night when the boys had gone to bed I sewed Splurge, once I had finished him my partner and I couldn’t stop laughing at how funny he was.



I was so excited for him to be opened on christmas morning. I made my other boys fabric robots. I also made some girly gifts for family members too. I had saved a lot of money plus really enjoyed my time making them with love.


Since then I have gone on to make hundreds of handmade items but hand sewing in the evening whilst watching a film is still my favourite thing. I love people's requests and interpreting them into a handmade creature.

Sunday 15 June 2014

Roller derby, growing veg and food, food, food

Wow what a week, since getting the allotment 2 weeks ago we haven't stopped, it's a lovely place to be, really peaceful, full of wildlife and because its gated you feel like your in another world. 
We have tidied it up, still more to do as it was covered in weeds, started digging a pond and put a willow arch in and started a terracotta path. 

With all this extra exercise we have been eating loads! I'm loving banana and raspberry smoothies at the moment, they are so delicious and so easy to whizz up. Sometimes in a morning I add gluten free oats, vanilla, rice milk and maca powder. 
  
I also have been sewing and making things for a fair I attended today at a roller derby bout. It's the first time I have been to a bout and it was brilliant, our local team Blackpool roller coasters did really well and won, it was their first competition too so it was a great result. 

I still have some of these derby quote hearts left if you are a fan x

Saturday 7 June 2014

Trip to Blackpool

So my sister and my niece came to visit us from Cornwall today, it was lovely to catch up, we didn't see each other for about 18 years and only come together for our mums funeral, since then they have visited each year, it's great to have family. 
So this evening I acted like a tourist and we went to Blackpool promenade for a walk, on the side where the shops are full of rock and kiss me quick hats its busy, noisy, smelly and full of idiots getting wasted but cross the tram tracks to the newly refurbished sea front and its a different story, curvy steps lead down to the calm sea, the sun was shining brightly, it's peaceful and a lovely view, the distant sound of splashing and laughing fills the air, the sounds of the waves crashing on the shore, the smell of salt in the air. 
We sat and reminisced about childhood whilst the sun set. 
It's Blackpool I don't really see very often and it always astounds me how beautiful it is. 

Thursday 5 June 2014

What a wonderful day at the allotment

Hello lovely people I am now the proud co-owner of an allotment. We was only on the list for 11 months so that's awesome and quick, apparently on average it's 3 yrs waiting. Our plot is number 22 which was my mums birthday . It was pretty overgrown but already had beds in it which was a bonus and a huge rhubarb plant. 
We have been there almost everyday weeding and digging, it really is hard work but the bird song and friendly neighbours make it easier. It's super hot there too and I've got a lovely tan, it always surprises me how well I look when tanned. 
I am hoping not only to grow as much veg and fruit as possible but to lose some weight too with all the hard work! 
We got some rhubarb to bring home to make a pie and in the way popped in the library to get some books, I got the virgin gardener by Laetitia Maklouf, the frugal cook by Fiona Beckett and self sufficiency by Alan and Gill Bridgewater. So tonight after a relaxing bath I shall put my feet up with a cup of nettle and peppermint tea and get some reading done. 

Tuesday 3 June 2014

Naked Wild and Free

 We have a new wonderful venture I would like to share with you, Naked Wild and Free! this is our new site, Google+, Facebook page, Twitter and Instagram. If you would like to follow in our new journey that would be amazing, we have so much to share with you and the world, I realised sewing and fairs are not enough for me, I feel after this year I will finish doing the fairs altogether, I want to concentrate on what we believe is our future and our passion and you could even say a life's calling. So here is a little bit about what we are doing and why xx



 We are dairy and gluten free, the grown ups don't eat meat or fish, the middle teen eats fish but not meat and the youngest eats organic meat and fish but not many veggies!, we have no chemicals, additives, preservatives in our food, body products or home. My oldest son now lives in a Buddhist centre and I have no say over anything he eats but guide him as best as I can to make good choices for his body and the environment.
So flip back about 5 years and my eldest son James was diagnosed with some kind of autism - they thought it was aspergers, ADD and dyspraxia. The doctor was rather vague about this diagnosis and to be honest not very helpful but she was quick to prescribe a ‘cure’ in the shape of Ritalin. I had already read about the effects of Ritalin and other medicines given to children with ADD and ADHD, I knew the outcome wasn’t good all types of side effects including death!

I didn’t want my child on this horrible mind numbing medication but also didn’t want to live with someone who flipped out, had major anger issues, was violent and had no sense of danger. So I did the only thing I could and researched other options, I was surprised how much there was out there to harm our minds and bodies, many of which are in our foods and all have been passed by the food agencies and government as perfectly fine to consume.


I was shocked, outraged and felt overwhelmed by it all. I spent hours, days and weeks on the Internet, reading books and researching all the different chemicals, additives, preservatives, E numbers, MSG, dairy, gluten, colours, flavourings, fillers, caffeine and much more.


I quickly realised it was not just my sons diet that had to change but the whole families diets and lifestyle. Thinking back to the start I know how hard it can be and how overwhelming it can feel, so I want to make the pure living journey more bearable for you. That's why we came up with Naked Wild and Free. Our passion to share the knowledge about living without toxic chemicals and being the best person you can be for your health, future and happiness is overwhelming and we want as many people as possible to know you don't have to live with disease, you don't have to be on loads of prescription drugs, you are allowed to be healthy and happy.


I'm in the middle of writing and Ebook about it and hope to have it finished and sent off into the world very soon - watch this space!! but for now if you can pop over to our new blog I will love you forever, we have only just gone live so its in it's infancy so bare with us whilst we fill it up.


Have a wonderful week xx

Wednesday 7 May 2014

What I have been doing this week

It was my birthday, we found a baby starling on the floor who couldn't fly, trips to the woods for wild garlic, sunny walks, making foraged foods, a foraging workshop, a chakra workshop, painting group mandalas, reading lots, talking lots, working shit out, burning wood and celebrating Beltane 💗






Friday 25 April 2014

Dear diary

I have realised I have that many things going on no matter how I try I can't keep up with this blog, but I love taking notes and writing a diary so I am going to try that approach, so from no on (hopefully if this works) my blog will be like a diary with a few pics now and then ❤
So today ❤ we went into the garden and started tidying up after the winter, I tend to leave the garden all winter and don't do much with it, I'm hoping this will change this year as we plan on being as self sufficient as possible when we get to Portugal. 
I dismantled the greenhouse, the plastic had holes in and we have had it for about 4 years so its been worthwhile. I chopped down the ivy that had spread all over the neighbours wall and chicken house and even though it looks lovely we are worried it will ruin the roof. 
Tom dismantled the spare chicken house as it was handy for baby chickens but we have 7 now so won't be getting more for a long time and it took up a lot of garden space. 
We are going to build an enclosure for the girls because they wreck the garden, dig up and eat all the veggies I plant, scratch soil everywhere and poo a lot too. At least this way they can still run about, scratch, dust bathe etc and I can grow lots of lovely food. 
We came in for lunch, today we had jacket potatoes, salad and quorn southern fried bites ( even though they are not fried you cook them in the oven)
We did plan on going to town to buy a garden incinerator to burn the wood but it started to rain so I tided my clothes up in our bedroom, I have a habit of changing outfits many times before deciding which is comfy for that day and I discard them all over our bedroom so it's like a jumble sale rather than a zen love pad! When it gets to the point that there are more clothes on the floordrobe than on hangers I tidy up. 
Then I got my pjs on and did some laptop work, answering emails, social networking etc, I started writing a booklet called Unleash your power but my laptop froze so gave up and put on The last temptation of Christ as a friend recommended it, I only watch about an hour, I didn't really like it, it reminded me of when my mum used to make me watch god films as a kid. So I am going to watch the secret life of Mary Poppins instead. Hope you had a lovely Friday x
Photo from last year in the garden

Tuesday 21 January 2014

Photoshoot of my woodland dresses

 My lovely friend Sonara and I went to our beautiful local park today with a small collection of the dresses I have been making for my woodland  collection, it was so cold and windy, it was pretty hard to get the dresses to hang right. 
We took some pom poms from our shop and hung them in the tree.
Doris (the mannequin didn't behave at all!)
 
 I have loved making such girly and pretty clothes, I enjoy every stitch whether by hand or machine

 I have collected vintage wedding dresses and other pieces of silks, satins, beads and pearls like a textile magpie!

 Oh how I love the different textures, each one tells its own story to me
I will be listing these on my Etsy page over the next couple of days if you know a mori lover please feel free to share my sneak peek at the shoot. I will be adding the finished thing soon xxx

Wednesday 1 January 2014

Happy new year!


Hello lovely people, we had a nice quiet Christmas just staying home and watching films and eating, spending time with the family is the best when there's no pressure to be perfect. 
For New Year's Eve on the spur of the moment my Mr and I went out ( never done this before) with my co worker at our shop, Jacqui and our shop landlord Dennis. We saw a couple of bands and I had my first alcoholic drink in 6.5 years! Lots if fun, laughing and a bit of dancing too. 
New Year's Day we have eaten lots of naughty food stayed in pjs and watched films all day how very perfect! 
Back to work at the shop tomorrow and I'm really looking forward to going and making lots of lovely items to put in our children's boutique. 
Hope you had a wonderful time too xx