Love Your Blog: Beginnings

Beginnings was the week two prompt from the Love Your Blog Challenge.  So I thought I would take this opportunity to share my beginnings as Poppybead.

When I turned 30 I found out that I have dyslexia, I completed a degree and other qualifications.  But I wanted to do my GCSE english again, so alongside studying for my GCSE I wanted to learn how to make something.  Beaded jewellery was my chosen media.

I began blogging in August 2010 to share what I was making and my crafting experiences.  I started here on Blogspot but found it difficult to use on mobile devices, so started looking at different options.  I tried Tumblr, signed up for Wordpress  and then settled for blogging straight onto my website.  This has become long winded and slows down my blogging.  You have to resize photos, not enough readership and after looking at Bloglovin the wrong internet language.

Poppybead is not the only blog I write or contribute to.  I follow a gluten free diet to help with pain control of Endometriosis.  I didn't think crafting people would want to hear about where I went to eat or what I had for dinner so I have started a separate blog for my ramblings.  I am in the process of moving this content onto Wordpress.
I came accross Wordpress as I contribute to the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation's blog.  A lot of my weekends during September and May are spent as a basketball official.  Again lots of people I have met through crafting are not keen on sport but wanted to follow my journey as an official at the London 2012 Paralympic Games.  Nearly three years on I am still on my basketball journey so still contribute to the blog.

Going back to Poppybead I am on the road to recovery after some health issues and have some more beginnings to start so watch this space.

Decisions

Hello there.

I have been deciding what to do with a number of things.  The first decision I made was to get an accountant to do my self assessment.  Some crafters probably think the money could be spent elsewhere but as a dyslexic it's was one less thing to think about.

Another decision I have made was to cancel my current Eshop website, this was for financial reasons.  I can't believe it has been a year since I set it up.  It has been good experience to learn about html, taking good clear photos, selling online & what doesn't work.

Before Christmas I bit the bullet and did my first craft fair.  It was good fun, successful and a learning process.  It was a big decision for me to make but I am glad I did.

Another thing I decided is to incorporate my love of Basketball with crafting and made some cufflinks.  I also have been experimenting with Polymer clay, so watch this space for more handmade beads.

www.poppybead.co.uk will be back as soon as I make a decision I am happy with.

Catch up

How many times do you hear "We must catch up?" and then you don't.  Quite a few I reckon, well since my last blog entry I have been kinda busy.


Near the beginning of June I officiated a tri-nations wheelchair basketball tournament. Then straight after I held my first creative networking event.  After listening to Rebecca from The Creative Careers Coach, it was so exciting to see people mingling and talking.  I can't thank Rebecca enough and everyone who came.  I will be holding another one but once my London 2012 commitments are over.


I have also been busy taking pictures of poppies as I have decided to update the website with some images.  One of my dearest friends got married and I got the chance to see some friends and old work colleagues I haven't seen in ages. 

I've also been sewing and knitting, I am now known to be knitting when I get downtime at Basketball tournaments.  So I thought I would try and get organised and made a case for my interchangeable knitting needles, I am really pleased with the final case.  I didn't follow a pattern but a knitting friend gave me some great advice and I followed it.

I have been knitting but as a lot of knitters will know I have lots of WIP's (Work In Progress) so no pictures at the moment.  I have made some new items for the website but I have not been happy with the photos so watch out for updates.

A Different Weekend

During September and May of every year for more years than I can remember I would spend my weekends officiating Basketball games.  This has led to me being selected to officiate at the Paralympics in my home town of London, I am so honoured, excited and nervous.  So when I get asked what I am doing at the weekend my answer is usually "Basketball".


Not this weekend, I was lucky enough to win two tickets to the Fashion Embroidery & Stitch, Hobbycrafts, and Sewing for Pleasure shows at the NEC courtesy of Making Magazine on Facebook.

I posted on my Facebook page if anyone wanted to come with me & the lovely PaisleyImmy came back first. After tweeting our excitement off we went to the NEC.


These shows are like a crafters sweetshop and the two of us were extremely excited big kids.  After attending a Business Development Workshop at the Birmingham Small Business Centre, I got organised and wrote a list of the stands I wanted to visit and specific items I needed. Some of my friends and creative peers will be proud to know I stuck to my lists.


I got some lovely fabric and beads and have already made a pair of earrings and a necklace.

I have made this necklace for myself and the earrings are for a friend.  I will be getting some more of these beads as I think they are pretty and each one is not the exactly the same.

The fabric is for some project bags

 

The Russian dolls fabric wasn't from the shows but from Fibre Flurry in Hall Green.  As the weather this weekend has been glorious I thought I would get outside to top up my vitamin D and take some photos of my show stash.

I Went to the Peace Gardens

I hopefully took some good pictures as a fantastic photographer told me lighting is so important.  The Peace Gardens are a little haven in the middle of Birmingham and have given me some lovely backdrops to capture my creativity.

Knitting Therapy

Yesterday was Brum Knit Night at Cafe Blend.  It takes place every second and fourth Wednesday of the month.

I have been really grateful for this and the MAC meet-up, especially over the last three weeks.  The others that attend are unique, friendly, funny and talented.  They have also been my focus group when asking crafters their opinion on building my website etc.  They also amuse me when I go on about Basketball & have lived through my Olympic/Paralympic journey.

I always get an honest answer when I ask something craft or non-craft related and that is really appreciated.  One of my knitting resolutions this year is to knit and complete a pair of adult socks.  I thought I was making progress with the sock I had started on numerous occasions oh, how wrong was I?

 

As you can see in this picture above, it looks like a sock but can you spot the error?  Yes there is no gusset in it and I couldn't work out what was missing until the experience of Brum Knit Night pointed it out.

I have managed to complete a pair of socks, they just don't fit or the baby they were made for.  So the adult sock was frogged, there is something therapeutic about ripping all those stitches out but also sad.  But I am trying not to dwell on things that are sad which sometimes is easier said than done.

Again the experience of Brum Knit Night made suggestions of what kind of sock I could knit, toe-up, cuff-down, patterned and I settled with a plain sock.  This will be an excellent travelling project and hope it will grow as I hope I will when writing these blogs.

This is my first blog in two years, so thanks for reading this.