Sticky with Treacle

What an amazing and busy weekend. The weather here has been really hot and Mr Dotty and I spent a rather sticky day under a gazebo at Middlewich Food Festival.

(please excuse the photos- they were taken on my phone & I haven't quite got the hang of it yet)

I set up my "Dotty B" stall as part of the Makers Market. We had a fun day chatting to people in the sun.
Next to me was a lovely young lady selling interior decor- Kiki Interiors and behind me was a man from Vanilli's cafe wafting the smell of the most amazing chocolate fudge cake in our direction. (I'm not telling whether or not we resisted!)

We arrived home with tired legs and hot feet, so we sat in the garden with a cheeky drink to recover!

On Sunday we went back to the Treacle Market at Macclesfield and had a lovely day out. It was buzzing- lots of sun, food, music and stalls selling beautiful wares.

We hadn't been there long when I spotted this little fellow...

I think he was hoping for some cool water in his bath. Lying in the basin just to the right was his friend...

I have quite a few collector's teddy bears, all traditionally handcrafted and I had decided that my collection was complete, but there was something about this little guy. I knew straight away I needed to give him a home. He looks like he'll make a great sewing assistant.

The pads of his paws are very worn, so he won't be doing any walking. The stallholder thinks he may have been made in the 1920s and he came all the way from France.

I'm going to find a comfy spot for him to sit and think of a name. Any ideas?

Oh, and Vanilli's had a stall at the Treacle Market too so we did succumb and shared a Manchester Tart (the ones on the right with a cherry on top). It was delicious and no mean feat to eat it on a bench in a public place- we had cream on our noses and jam dripping down our wrists, much to the amusement of the passer's by! Very sticky, but worth it!!

Hoping for a quiet day today. have a good week.xx

Middlewich food Festival

I am very excited to be taking part in the Maker's Market at Middlewich Food Festival on Saturday 26th July.

I will be taking lots of stitchy goodness including some fabric postcards like these...

I suspect it will take some resolve not to spend all my money on the delicious food on offer!
If you are nearby I'd love to meet you!
Have a great weekend. xx

Treacle Market

I have been very tardy about this post, partly because I couldn't work out how to get my photos from my phone to the computer. It's not too difficult, I know, but sometimes where technology is concernes I just have a mental resistance!

Anyway, a couple of weeks ago we visited the Macclesfield Treacle Market, which is a regular treat for us.

There is a great range of stalls selling handmade goods, vintage goods and food.

I love this stall- Shabby Cheek- it is full of curios

and unexpected objects!

We haven't taken Alfie yet as I suspect he'd get really over-excited, but dogs are always welcome

and there are usually lots of dogs of all types

(and penguins and owls and horses...)

I dream of having this beautiful hut in my garden and every time I see it I wonder how they get it there!

This weekend we may visit the Vintage Village at Stockport.

Hope you have a lovely weekend. Do you have plans?

Beards, Bears & Beds

Hope you are enjoying the beautiful weather that June has brought us. My strawberries are ripening nicely so we get a good bowlful each day.
We had a busy weekend with a visit to Holmfirth Art Market on Sunday. There were so many talented artisans there and it is on again next weekend- I can highly recommend it!
On Saturday I spent the day with my son at a music festival....woohoo! He had a stall as part of the Teenage Market at the Headlander Festival. All his artwork is hand drawn.

He had lots of interest and several sales and it was a fun day.

This week I am working on a commission for a very generous gentleman who has already purchased two pieces of my work as he and his wife really connected with them.

The previous works featured armchairs, this one has an old-fashioned bedstead. I have still to add text and machine quilting. It is going to be a busy week. We have two Uni Open days to visit- thankfully fairly local and should be interesting as my son is looking at illustration/art courses. I think I'll be wanting to sign up for something myself!
Hope your week is good and creative.xx

AND?

I have been getting back in touch with my love of graffiti and text and making use of Mr Dotty's prolific photography.

I printed images of torn posters and graffiti onto cotton fabric.

The colourful image is from the Lennon Wall in Prague. I love the ephemeral nature of graffiti and the feeling that the messages have been captured in a photograph before someone else comes along and paints over them.

 I love that if you look closely you can see a snapshot of a thought that was important enough to someone for them to put it on a wall, a stranger that I will never meet. This piece even includes a proposal of marriage- how romantic! I wonder if Jane said "Yes".

I have listed this item in my new Folksy Shop
Have a great week.xx

Dotty About Docs!

 Remember these?

I loved them when I saw them, but I couldn't really justify buying them. Well, I'm quite pleased that I waited because today Mr Dotty "persuaded" me to buy.....THESE.....

Do they remind anyone else of Minnie Mouse?

Daydreaming on Friday

I've been sitting here dreaming of my holiday, so here are a few more of my memories.

Plockton

My favourite dog!

A tasty "snack" he found on the beach!

Beachcombing

A neighbour.

Wishing you a very happy weekend.xx