Monday 20 May 2013

Etsy Shop, finally...

http://www.etsy.com/shop/FranSherbourne?ref=search_shop_redirect

I'll start off by telling you that I have finally done it :)  I opened up a shop with Esty.com  It's been a long time coming and I should have done it ages ago.  I always seem to be busy with my two gorgeous boys of 3 & 5, house, chickens, dogs, stamp orders, school runs and anyway you know how it goes.  You get to the end of the day and your done for!


I have one item on there and my banner is looking lovely, it's a start and I'll add more as I make more.

Craft Group - Wednesday mornings


Great News for local crafters! There is a craft group starting up on Wednesday mornings from 9.30-12. It will be held at the Gateway Community Church on 42 London Road, Kettering, NN15 7QA.

It will be run for anyone working or crafting from home as a hobby or work.

Any craft is welcomed, tea and coffee will be provided and of course biscuits. All of this will be for £1.50 per persons contribution. Bargain and you get to work and chat within company of like minded individuals.





Here is the Facebook event https://www.facebook.com/events/456737681085540/

Who's interested?

Gateway community - First Craft Group
scheduled 12 June 2013 from 09:30 to 12:00


During school term time only



Warner Edwards Distillery - Hand carved rubber stamps by Fran Sherbourne

I recently made some stamps for a friend to give to her friends at Warner Edwards Distillery.  I had so much fun making them and hope they like them too.

If you would like to check them out, they have a facebook page an website amongst other things.  The company is local to me and I believe their distillery is in Northamptonshire.

https://www.facebook.com/WarnerEdwardsDistillery?ref=ts&fref=ts
http://www.warneredwards.com/index.php?route=common/home

They recently got the San Francisco world spirits competition silver medal 2013
, what a great achievement for a family run business.  It makes it all the more exciting to make their stamps for them.  Thank you to Heather MacAllister for giving me this great order.

Here's some photos of the finished hand carved rubber stamps


W.E. are Warner Edwards. Great friends and craft distillers, we carefully and lovingly create beautiful artisan spirits.
From a 200 year old converted barn on our farm in the quaint village of Harrington, Northamptonshire, Curiosity, our magnificent copper pot still works her magic.

She takes our farms' pure, natural spring water, grain spirit, home-grown elderflower, plus ten other secret botanicals, and transforms them into a fantastically smooth and aromatic dry gin.

Each batch is small, and every single bottle is carefully handcrafted by us, from the filling to the wax seal and label finishing. W.E. think it's pretty special and best served with friends – let us know if you agree!

Busy Keeping Chickens - No rubber stamps here!

One of the best thing's I have done recently is get chickens, I love them.




Holly Left Peppa Right



Three weeks ago we got 2 chickens, one called Peppa and the other Holly.  What fun we have had watching them grow so much already.  They were 10 weeks old when we got them.  Who knew that a chicken would roll in the ground like a dog and come up for a stroke like a cat.  They take themselves to bed every night around 8.30 and try to roost on a perch if we don't get them to bed quick enough.  In fact one day Peppa actually told me off, she kept twirping up at me telling me to come in out of the dark and she got a little frantic that she wasn't tucked up, so cute!... yeah I know! a chicken? Cute? Lol!


when we first got them I have to admit I was a little scared that they may peck me to death or something silly, but no they weren't flappy or pecky at all.  In fact they're kinda cuddly! I just want to pick them up and give them a squeeze but I don't think they'd be having any of that.

We got a hutch from the Tip Shop and paid £7.80 as that's all we had in change, he he.  Took it home and gave it some improvements, a new run, new felt roof and a paint job oh and some posh picture framing trimmings around the top :)  It looks like a pretty posh tree housey chicken coup.  We're not quite finished yet, we'd like to build a run for when we're not there but that will all come with time.  Luckily we're not away for some time yet.

Here are some photo's of the coup/hutch renovation :)


The coup straight from my favourite shop 'the tip shop'
We under estimated how much work we'd like to do on the coup before it was ready, so the chucks stayed inside in their basket, putting them selves into bed each night, too cute!
My old craft fair signs turned into good use for the door to the top floor of their coup. Lovely presentation from hubs.
Simon attached legs to the bottom so we can one day incorporate them into the run but for now, to look nice and give extra support to the wall screws.
The Run, using a bit of left over banister and dowling from curtain pole left overs, painted to match the coup
The drop door, Simon's own handy design
Ta Na!  We are pretty please with how the coup turned out :) 
Their run which they're still getting used to.
The triming around the top was some picture rails that we had from our old house.  I don't throw anything away that I think we could use. It feels good to finally reap the rewards of being a clutter pants!...