I know Christmas has been and gone but...

I never got round to blogging about it! I was so busy with Christmas stalls, and making presents (and wrapping up my 'real' work for the year) it all passed by without me managing to get on the computer. Plus I've still be spending way too much time on Twitter! (@thisiswiss)

This is Wiss made it's last appearance of 2011 at Dulwich Market, and although I was very disappointed with the lack of Christmas spirit (I was the only one with a festive antler headband!) I was really pleased with the way the stall looked. Thank you to all of my customers, I really appreciate your support and hope you had lovely Christmases. And I am pleased to report, all of the Rudy's found good homes!

This was Wiss's second Christmas but the first that he has actually been involved in. He can recognise Santa, and Rudolph, and learnt how to open a present in record time! I wanted to have an Advent Calendar for him so he could get an idea that something was approaching. He doesn't like chocolate so a homemade one with small gifts was the way to go. I'd seen a wooden framed 'calendar' on a Dorset Cereal promotional photo and this was my starting point.

I made a 5x5 grid from clear perspex which gave me 25 pigeon holes in which to put presents. I had some little numbered pegs that I bought from Tiger and some small striped paper bags. The presents varied from a Santa bouncy ball, to some festive magnets, some tree decorations or Christmas related books. (Anything too big was hidden elsewhere with a clue to its whereabouts in the bag instead)

I do think it helped to lead Wiss into the big day itself, and we were able to talk to him about Christmas a little bit each day. On Christmas Eve, Wiss got a Christmas Crumpet! (Crumpet is his special toy that goes everywhere with him) and all 3 Crumpets (New, Old and Christmas) joined him in bed to wait for Santa!

We put out a mince pie and a Bailey's for Father Christmas, and of course a carrot for Rudolph. There was something very special about taking part in this wonderful ritual - a first for us too as parents! - and so sweet when Lewis discovered Santa had eaten the 'biscuit' AND left some presents in his stocking. To be honest, Wiss was happy with the first little present he opened and would have been content to stop there!

Our main present to Wiss a vintage Fisher Price garage - bought from eBay for about £10 inc postage but it was in terrible condition. Unfortunately, I lost the 'before' photo when I changed phones but believe me, it was in a dreadful state: filthy dirty, no stickers or graphics and the lift didn't work. But a bit TLC transformed it into...

This garage is over 30 years old and it brought back so many memories for me and my husband from our own childhoods (and maybe you too?) that it is wonderful to see how much fun Wiss has with it already.

I'll be back with a post tomorrow to wrap up the year, and to look forward to 2012. I LOVE new years resolutions!

This is Wiss at Dulwich Farmer's Market

After what seemed like weeks and weeks of slaving away at the kitchen table sewing up more stock, This is Wiss returned to Dulwich Farmer's Market Craft Fair on Sunday. I was pretty pleased with amount of stuff I'd made - loads of waterproof bags as they were so popular last time, some gorgeous new fabrics, and I launched my new chWISStmas bobby horse 'Rudy' too!

I had also had plans for improving the stall but didn't get a chance to make what I'd wanted for this week, but it will happen. It's such a learning curve and every time I have a stall I notice what works and what doesn't, check out other people's stalls and what I like about their displays, plus it's so interesting to see how people interact with your products. I think it's going to be a constantly evolving process getting to the best stall design, and especially for the next market as it's a special Christmas one! I'm going to go all out on festivities and decorations :)

It was a much quieter day this Sunday than the last market, I think because it wasn't the regular slot in the calendar, but even so we had a flurry of people braving the chilly weather. It was lovely to meet so many people who showed an interest in what I am making. The feedback is invaluable and a real boost to one's confidence. It's also great to meet other stall holders at these events - so hello to Arty & Bella and Little Red Press. They are both making beautiful things so check out them out!

I will be back at Dulwich Market on the 18th December so if you can make it along I'd love to see you!

Twit woo-hoo!

If anyone is reading my blog you may well have noticed that I haven't posted much recently. Now, I have been away and I took some time to nurse Wiss back to full strength. And yes, I have been busy sewing, sewing, sewing for the Christmas markets in December but I have to admit there is something else that has been demanding my attention...

I joined Twitter!

I had resisted for months, thinking that it wasn't for me. I couldn't really grasp what it was all about so dismissed it, but then I saw my best friend using it with amazing results. She has found contacts, friends, gained advice and even work experience all through her 'tweets'!

I signed up a month ago as @thisiswiss and although it took me a little while to get used to the pace, and writing with only 140 characters, I soon became hooked! It seems the whole world is on Twitter and whatever your interests there will be like-minded people to follow. I have discovered a whole new world of crafters, mums, cooks, runners (and Gok Wan!) and love sharing and receiving tweets about what's going on. I've even met up with some people in 'real life' !

I did sign up with the intention of promoting This is Wiss but when someone contacted me wanting to make a purchase I was bowled over! @LittleEmbot ordered a Square Bear & Hare and a Fluoro Dice...and then tweeted all her followers when they arrived, telling them how happy she was!

I know I'm late to join the party, but if you haven't joined Twitter already then I suggest you give it a go. Come and find me on there and say hello! It really has opened up a whole new world to me...the only thing is I still only have 24 hours in each day. There's so much to do I wish I had more!

Knights & Hosses

Seeing as I'm busy sewing away making as much stock as possible for the next Dulwich Farmer's Markets in December, and I don't have much to show you at the moment, I thought I'd post a little project I finished last month. It was a special little boy's birthday coming up, and as he is mad about Knights and everything to do with them I'd had an idea for a present.

I'm sure you are familiar with Noughts & Crosses, but what about Knights & Hosses??! I wanted to make my version of the game more 3D and interactive for little hands, so rather than using pen and paper I decided to make figures that slotted into a game board. I am lucky enough to work in a fully-stocked workshop so I have access to machines that most people don't but this idea could be adapted and made at home. I started by using wooden dolly pegs for the Knights and Hosses figures.

I cut out the figures' heads on the laser cutter from wood veneer and perspex.

Using a jig and the table saw, I cut a slot in the pegs in which the heads could be glued.

I made the game board/box from clear perspex. The lid slides off so that the Knights & Hosses can be stored inside the box when not in use. I painted the Knights and Hosses with 'team' colours to further differentiate the two sides, and finally, I personalised the box using the laser cutter because who doesn't love having their name on something?

The game made it safely in the post to the birthday boy, and so I was told, it was played with immediately. Happy days!

We can cook!

After my quick trip to Washington, it was straight back to family life (not that I minded! I'm getting too old for drunken late nights !!) No sewing this week though as I was wearing my nurses hat.

Wiss was booked in to have an operation on the Friday and after a short stay in hospital we were back home but the patient needed a week of gentle recuperation. He became addicted to TV whilst we were in hospital and the first few days at home were spent mainly on the sofa watching Mr Tumble, In the Night Garden, Chuggington and all the other CBeebies favourites because we had to stay away from anything too energetic. But I wasn't happy about him just being glued to the telly. One of my favourite CBeebies programme is I Can Cook but I wasn't sure if Wiss was too young to help me in the kitchen.

He is 22 months and he loves to help and get involved (with the washing, loading the dishwasher, laying the table, feeding the cat etc) so I thought I'd give it a go and try to get him to help me cook dinner: One Pot Chili with a Polenta Cobbler Crust. (Recipe is here )

It was a success! I love the concentration on his face and how pleased with himself he looks. He really enjoyed watching the numbers change on the scales as he weighed things out. The end result was delicious and Wiss liked it too. Yes, there was quite a lot of mess to clear up but I can't wait to cook with my sous-chef again soon!

Remember me?!

It has been a couple of weeks since my last post so what have I been up to? As always I have been busy but unfortunately not with much sewing! I have lots to plan and make for the Christmas markets coming up but I had to put everything on hold for a while as I was off to Washington!

We had an office trip to Washington for the weekend to visit a building we had recently completed! Pretty amazing, but I was also really looking forward to watching a few films, uninterrupted, on the flights. (I managed to watch only 3 as I also slipped some sleep in there too! Heaven!)

It was a great weekend full of sights, burgers, chilli dogs, drinking, dancing, and of course, architecture. It was a shame I ended the weekend with a mad dash across town to retrieve my forgotten passport (doh!) but the taxi driver saved the day and I made the flight home. Yay!

It took a day or so to get over the jet-lag, and the exhaustion of a weekend out partying (I'm so out of practice!) but it's back to reality now. Christmas is approaching fast and I have three markets to prepare for. I will be selling the usual products alongside a couple of Christmas specials. Here is a sneak preview... Can you tell what it is yet?!

Trick or Treat

Unfortunately for us (well, me really!) the Halloween party wasn't going to happen so all thoughts of a mini Beetlejuice costume have been put on the back burner until next year! But that wasn't going to stop me entering the festive spirit.

We have been growing pumpkins on the allotment specially for today, and although it's been a pretty bad season for most of our vegetables we were able to harvest three lovely bright orange ones!

I wasn't sure how scary would be too scary for Wiss so I admit that my carving was a little tame, but I think the use of green LEDs really help create a spooky atmosphere.

I'm planning on using the scooped flesh to make Rosemary and Pumpkin Muffins, and Spiced Pumpkin Soup. Yum yum! I love the changing seasons and nothing beats comfort food on a crisp, cold day. I hope you've had a Happy Halloween too, and I'll leave you with Wiss's scary face.......Be prepared to be terrified. Aaaaaarrrrgh!