Second Fiddle!

Now the advent calendars are being opened and festivities are becoming ever so much closer,time is running away faster than ever.
I may have been quiet on social media recently, but honestly, I have been working my socks off! I have a head full of new designs for after new year that I have been working on, I have had Christmas pressies to make, and lots of lovely bits and pieces to make to sell in Coccuveda. There is only so many hours in the day, so to keep on top of things and hold on to my marbles this girl has been prioritising!!!!
 So Twitter/Facebook and Blogger you maybe feeling a wee bit neglected as of late, a bit like you are second fiddle, well the truth is you are! Technology has slipped way down my priority list for the time being, I daresay I will dip in and out of T F and B as and when I feel the need,  I daresay after all the festivities are over and January is upon us normal tweeting facebooking and blogging will be resumed!

"May your Days Be Merry and Bright!"

"May your days be merry and bright!" just like Coccuveda's Christmas window.

Today the lights went up as I brought some festive excitement to the shop front, Christmas trees are the theme this year.
 Now some folks might look and think the window is maybe a bit busy, possibly a bit OTT, but surely it is acceptable to go over the top at Christmas! I am definitely not the understated sophisticated type, I like cheery bright and exciting so hopefully this is reflected in Coccuveda.
I reckon Coccuveda Rothbury is the place for thoughtful unique locally made Christmas gifts, with a warm welcome and a lovely relaxed atmosphere.

A Parliament of Owls

This Parliament (I am told this is the correct collective name for owls!) of owls have left Coccuveda in Rothbury to their new home south of the Tyne to take up their important position of gracing a Christmas Tree!

This was a special commission for a lover of both owls and Tartan so mixing the two these little characters were created. Each one lovingly hand sewn, which did take some time.They maybe small but there is quite a bit of work involved in their production, from cutting out all the separate pieces, searching through many button jars to make sure there was enough buttons the same,hand sewing all the various elements together, then the stuffing and embellishing. Eventually commission complete and they are heading to a home where they will be adored!
It may be a while before I am ready to sew another owl!



 These cute reindeer are quicker to produce!

New Arrivals.

 Some of Coccuveda's clever crafters have been working hard and have delivered some new pieces that are creating a comfy cosy space in the shop. The lady behind Ragbags has beautifully re-upholstered some nice vintage chairs and she has also brought an old Singer Sewing machine from 1935, with its original instruction booklet, all are now for sale in Coccuveda.

This Lloyd loom style set would look lovely in a bedroom the fabric is just bright and colourful.

Perfect for country cottage style decor this 1960s seat could be comfy fireside chair

     

I am having to excerise a lot of self disipline as I could quite easily find house room for any of these vintage pieces, that is not the purpose of the shop though, I have to remember that I am there to sell not too buy!!!! I repeat that to myself quite regularly!

That Christmas Mullarky!

Well, my scheduled crafting activity that I had worked out recently, to give equal time to sewing, jewellery,  wire etc and Saturday my Christmas making day.......... it all went a bit haywire as Christmas seemed to take over my crafting brain cells. Trees, hearts and peg doll angels, more icicles etc were adding to the collection at the expense of everything else.



Well today I redressed the balance and out came beads, wire and seaglass and  I topped up my Seaglass jewellery range as I have been really pleased with how well it has been selling. It is also a nice reminder of warm sunny times, beach combing to find  all the beauty from the beach that goes into making this collection.

Christmas Trees and Stuff!

Saturday's Christmas day resulted, after a while, in these fabric Christmas Tree decorations. With a good old rummage in my fabric stash I found these lovely green fabrics that just instantly said trees! I had hoped to make more of the Christmas bead and wire icicles but Coccuveda had many happy shoppers on Saturday so time only allowed for three trees.
Well there is still plenty of time until Christmas!!!!! Isn't there????



I have been busy with other things over the past few days, a matching set of  earrings, bracelet and a long lariat necklace made with blue howlite gemstones with a bit of crystal sparkle in shades of purple.
 Seemingly Blue Howlite is supposed to
have a calming soothing energy which helps to still the mind and relieve anger and anxiety, should be perfect to wear while Christmas shopping!

Blue Howlite and purple lariat necklace

Dingle Dangle!

No, I am not one for taking the easy option in things that I make.  Today, for instance, I had set myself the task of making earrings. I realised that Coccuveda was lacking in earrings and they always make such a nice personal little gift so Tuesday was earmarked for lobe accessories day.!!!
I could have taken the easy way got out the headpins, earwires and beads, sat and threaded and no doubt could have produced a canny few pairs, in the time it took me to get 5 pairs made.
The trouble is I am not a fan of creating the same thing twice, i like individual unique things, which is also the essence of Coccuveda.
So wire and pliers were Merrily twisting, hammer and steel were smoothing and hardening, beads were matched and threaded, then unthreaded and matched again, many swarowski crystals were broken and lovely pearls dropped and instantly swallowed into oblivion on the floor. Eventually I had some unique, sparkly dangly earrings ready to put out for sale............ just not as many as I had thought, but I do have to assist lovely customers in the shop at the same time as making and also answer the telephone to all the cold calling utillity/telecom/ppi calls!!!!!