tri monthly catch up!!

Yes, I know I've not posted again for ages, my poor readers I am terribly sorry, life just gets in the way and trying to keep up with facebook, instagram, twitter, shop, life, mum duties, fair organising, looking after pets, home and garden, blah blah takes so much time my poor blog gets left out.
I have been busy working at my shop since my shop partner dropped out, I nearly closed down but things have picked up and for the moment I'm staying open, its pretty hard work being there and away from the family as I miss them loads but on the upside I have a sewing room so I can create whilst I'm there, I'm currently working on a new range of Dotty Wear, I can't wait for it to be finished so I can share it.

I'm also busy organising another vintage and handmade fair for June, I have a smaller outdoors/indoors one at Catforth village hall on June 2nd and the large venue of the winter gardens on June 29th - 30th.

I have other ideas and things in the pipeline too but sometimes it all seems to much, some days I would love to potter around the gardens, read a book or just watch romantic films without the constant guilt feeling that I should be doing something else, being self employed is blumming hard work sometimes, theres ever really a day off as such until your rather rich but then the bigger you become the more demands are put on you. Any way I'm so grateful for all the opportunities given to me and I do love having so many things to do, I'm not moaning about it just expressing myself. Have you got any tips for me to time manage more effectively?

Can I share this too, I have just read a blog post on Galleries, studios, theatre and it is so apt, I could of written it myself! do you know I could of written this myself, its so wonderful that she shared these thoughts because she is right we do fake it a lot, I think if more of us opened up then less of us would feel like we have to pretend. x

Do you know Dotty has a shop?

Did you know I have an handmade and vintage shop in Blackpool?, its called Penny Lane.

You can find it at 28b King street, just around the corner from the Syndicate nightclub, 2 doors away from Junes fabrics (for the locals).
Its an eclectic mix of old and new, handmade, upcycled, vintage, retro, mod, boho, hippy, indian, kitsch and much more.

I sell clothes, furniture, natural bath and beauty products, handmade toys and gifts, accessories, artisan foods, records, vintage electricals and lots of unusual one off pieces.

Everything in my shop is for sale except the rails, Im open to swaps, offers and showcasing talent. Just pop in and have a chat.

I run a stitch and bitch class on Wednesdays and Saturdays, 12-4, its free of charge and includes free tea and coffee.

I will be having a heritage collection coming soon in time for summer where the clothes will be all 'Made in Britain', I think this is important to support our countries makers and designers.

I also have a naturals range including soap, bath bombs, fluoride free toothpaste, natracare natural sanitary towels and soy candles. There will be many more products being added to the range over the next few weeks too.

I also am pleased to say I stock Old Fatty Jones chutneys, jams and preserves. In the coming weeks I will also be stocking fine herbal teas.

I also have a vintage tearoom serving tea and coffee, I have rice milk too for non dairy drinkers and clipper decaff tea and coffee.

I am open tues-sat 11.30 - 4.30. I would love it if you came and said hello, please share with your friends too, there is nothing else like my shop in Blackpool and I would love your support.

Photos by Edwin Firminger hair and make up by Hazel Tyler location and clothes Penny Lane

The fair at the winter gardens was amazing, the best one yet, there was so many amazing stalls, acts and customers, we had a blast. There seemed to be a different feel to the fair, more relaxed and calm. We had some new entertainers too which went down a treat with the public and stallholders including belly dancers, a 1940s trumpet player Ricky Hunter and singer/songwriter Karima Francis. The regular entertainers from Preston came too including Baxter Rhodes, Jamie Brewer, Bill Orrick, Katie Ryan and Mobius loop.
There was some new food stalls too including Old fatty Jones who makes unusual jams and preserves, his monkey butter was a sure fire winner with customers, The Real Thai pie company who had the most delicious thai curry pies, I tried the beef and the veggie option, great pastry, lovely filling, all british meat too. As always the Love Cheesecake boys and Cupcake were there selling the best in sweet treats.
We was super busy in our vintage tearoom, in fact I had to set more tables up!
We had a new set up this time to with Hazel Tyler on vintage hair and make up make overs, The Vintage Wardrobe providing clothes and Claire Griffiths taking photographs, our vintage photo booth was a big success.
There was new and regular stalls, too many to mention but all wonderful.
We had a raffle to adopt a donkey and the winner Christine Jennings won an array of handmade and vintage treats all provided by our kind stallholders.
If you missed out this time on visiting dont panic there are two more dates for this year, 29-30th June and 30th Nov-1st Dec at the winter gardens.

Photos taken by Tom Holmes

A delightful day out

Went on a little day out today to Lytham, me and the Mr on a date, just us two, was lovely. The sun was shining brightly for the first time in a long time, it was good to feel the sun on my face. I love Lytham it has such lovely shops, I got some gorgeous fairy shoes, red ones that look like elves made them, will share a picture soon.
The Mr got a new football Cath Kidston mug as I broke his other one by accident and teas not the same in a small mug. It's the simple things that mean a lot! Here are a few shots of lovely things I saw for sale much love x

Happy valentines day......Not

 I love this image, it makes me smile, I wish it was me, Ive always wanted to convert a bus and live in it, it would be a dream come true, I would like another baby too, it hasn't happened over the past 6 years so I don't think its meant to be, maybe its for the best my boys are now 18,15 and 14 so almost all grown up. I could look to the future, just me and the Mr hopefully travelling or living in Portugal, not sure if the Mr would live on a bus, I don't think its his thing.
                                 

                                                                   this picture


I think valentines day is a horrid day, I feel sorry for the ones alone, I feel sorry for the partners who feel they 'should' do something because big corporations tell us too,  I feel sad too, that on the flip side I wish I got flowers. Not necessarily on this day but on other days although I say it doesn't matter. I feel low that the Mr and I don't get to go away for the night somewhere, we are always surrounded by children (that's what you get when you homeschool) and the dog. We don't get to do the couples thing, although we watch films together etc. I think valentines day makes you think of all these things that would normally pass you by.

So I'm sticking my fingers up at valentines day because its crapola. When its a day meant to be filled with love how come it makes so many feel inadequate?

Mister Finch

Scraps of thread, fabric and paper are stitched and pulled into fairytale creatures looking for new owners and worlds to inhabit. They hide in the woods, behind masks, some have died along the way and are buried under spoon lockets. Finch works alone and makes everything himself by hand in a studio full of books, glass jars and naughty cats.

This is the introduction on this amazing textile artists page, I saw a little snippet of his work in Mollie Makes March issue, the curiosity about this male designer got the better of me and I had to search him out. I urge you to do the same, unusual, lifelike and beautiful his creations are on par with Mother Nature herself.

http://www.mister-finch.com/

Loving the bread

I love to cook and bake but am rubbish at baking bread, we use a bread machine normally to make our gluten free loaves but I made a loaf from the Able and Cole calendar for celariac bread, I had no celariac so used carrots instead, oh my it came out beautifully and I baked it in the oven too. We had it with spicy lentil soup yummy! They have all sorts of recipes on there website, check them out x