I lived in the city as a child/teenager about 10 mins walk from St Pauls - we used to climb it regularly just for something to do!! It was free in those days but now have to pay. Same with the monument.
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Thank you again for all your kind words. This is such a friendly group. Thanks for the advice on Arnica cream Corinne @WonkyTowersCrafts Iâve ordered some today. Hope you soon feel better Caroline @Caroleecrafts Hope you soon recover too Hilary @kokoblue
Congratulations Zuz @knotsoneat on the job promotion. Love the photo of the birthday girl.
No listing from me today but I have loved everyoneâs gorgeous makes.
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Roz @OrchardFelts âŚmy first job was in an office above Baker street station and all my lunch breaks were spent in Oxford street or the Marylebone RoadâŚhappy days x
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Carol @carolsmalleydesigns âŚArnica is amazing stuff x
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Had a mega busy day finishing off all my Christmas decorations for the gallery/fairs and then took ages putting price tags on them all. However, I think I am all finished now so can have a gentle week next week. Might manage to make a couple of scarves to replace the ones Iâve sold but other than that Iâm probably not going to be doing any felting for a while (unless I suddenly sell loads!) as I have too much stock as it is.
So it will probably be relists from me for a while.
Today I am sharing this little penguin decoration although most of you will have seen it already.
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Evening everyone 
I missed yesterday as I was too busy getting everything ready for the fair today. Iâve caught up on all the loving now.
My fair went so well. Itâs at a priory and all the Sisters make food to sell and run some of the stalls - the rest of the stallholders are crafters. Mr DP loves it because they sell curry and samosas!
We always do well there but this year was phenomenal (Itâs the most takings weâve ever made from a craft fayre) and the table fee was only ÂŁ20!
I have half killed myself getting enough Christmas stock made and glazed - you wouldnât believe glazing could make you ache from your toes to your fingertips, but it canâŚlol! I am sitting on the sofa with a hotwater bottle on my back and shoulders now!
Because it was so busy, my orderly notetaking of what has sold went a bit out of the window, so now I have to do a stock check against everything in my shop before I can re-open! I am not looking forward to it.
Please can someone come and cook my dinner - thanks! (Mr DP had samosas for breakfast and also bought himself a curry for dinner - I canât eat spicy things, so I can see a fishfinger sandwich on the horizon!)
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Well done Sarah @dotterypottery hope everyone else had good fairs too. I suppose the stocktake is a small price to pay. Sorry I canât help on the supper front.
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Congratulations on the job promotion Zuz @knotsoneat - it sounds like youve made it clear what you will be able to do with your family commitments, so they must think you are more than capable. Well done and I hope you enjoy it xx
Aww, what a cutie, your daughter looks. Hope she has a lovely Birthday on Monday 
Sorry to hear about your fall Carol @carolsmalleydesigns - hope you start to feel a bit better soon x
Virtual hig for you @ButterflyThistleCreativeCrafts - hope next week at work is not so hard 
Emma @QuirkyOwlStudio Kev looks a bit of a cutie! We live right near the woods but we hardly see the squirrels anymore. We do have two cats, so thatâs probably the reason. When we moved here we had a quite elderly cat, so the squirrels werenât bothered by him (or the birds). One day a pigeon was literally pecking at the ground right next to his head!
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Is anyone still in contact with Natalie @NOfkantsCurios? I was just wondering how she was getting on?
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She doing great Sarah @dotterypottery keeping in contact on FB sheâs doing really well Congrats on the sucessful fair too
Congratulations on the promotion Zuz @knotsoneat 
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Great news about your successful fair Sarah, and the 
cooking Sisters sound amazing - hope your OH enjoys his curry and you your fish-finger sandwich - both are scrummy.
I had a stall at a Vintage Jumble Sale today (selling some of my de-stashed supplies) and we had lovely cakes from the WI. The event went really well, it was super busy and I sold a lot more than I expected. Iâm really looking forward to doing their much bigger Handmade Christmas Fair next month, as well as their pre-loved textile event next year. Itâs really got my mojo back and I have loads of ideas for new makesâŚ
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Yay, sounds like it was a great success Sharon @TheOldButton. Itâs so nice when fairs go well, makes you realise what you are doing it all for.
Although for me, it is quite exhausting chit chatting to that many people (whilst trying to add it all up and remember how to use the card reader!) it is great to get face to face feedback on your work too!
Tell me what cakes you had from WI stall? I had a carrot and ginger cake, it was so yummy!
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I had Victoria sponge cake Sarah @dotterypottery - it was yummy.
I know what you mean about balancing the chatting while also dealing with the money side. Luckily for this event I didnât need my card reader as most people bring cash. Itâs a proper old-school jumble sale so lower value items, but with a strict vintage rule (20 years plus), and is very popular both locally and further afield. Apparently the Xmas event is even more amazing - that venue has wifi and Iâll be taking higher value items so I will probably need to manage the dreaded card machine as well.
But it is definitely worth it. I met some lovely people - both customers and other stall holders. Including an older lady who had brought along some vintage lace - not to sell, but to get advice on value and how to care for it. Apparently she had been bequeathed boxes of it by a friend, and most of it dated back to the 20s and 30s. It included what we think was her friendâs wedding veil. Absolutely exquisite - it was like the one worn by the Queen Mother.
.
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Great news on successful fairs today!!! Well done on all the sale on and off line 
Thanks everyone for your kind wishes re my job and my beautiful little girls birthday. Itâs always a bit bittersweet celebrating her birthdays as sheâs growing up way too fast but sheâs making us so proud every day and deserves a world.
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I am friends with Natalie on fb SARAH @dotterypottery âŚshe has been doing a skipping challenge every day for a yearâŚI will message her tomorrow, perhaps she will be able to pop in here and say helloâŚxx
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Did anyone know the best way to care for the lace? My Mum has kept her veil between sheets of brown paper but Iâve no idea if thats what she should be doing.
That would be nice Brenda @teabreaks, I must admit, I do miss her daily presence!
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Google lace restoration - I saw a TV programme where the V&A were restoring victorian dresses. I seem to remember it being laid flat and pinned down in soapy water or I my have dreamt the whole thing! x
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It needs to be in between acid free tissue paper or heritage preservation which should be available through the Royal Needlework School at Hampton Court.
Lay on the tissue cover with another piece and fold gently. Do not pin to store as the threads could perish round the edges, reacting to the metal. Hence why a lot of vintage papers etc stapled mark badly. To wash, gentle detergent and dry flat, weighting the edges whilst drying,
Did a course at the RNS for embroidery and preservation techniques.
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Morning all
Hugs to the poorly peoples, has anyone heard from Valerie since she dropped out poorly?
No sales on here but had 11 direct, happy dance.
Glittery teddies today.
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Morning all
Glad to hear how well the fairs went Sarah & Sharon @dotterypottery @TheOldButton and the gallery seems to be keeping you busy Roz @OrchardFelts.
I gave up doing craft fairs as I was only covering the cost of the stall. I quite enjoyed doing them and chatting about printmaking but just wasnât getting sales. If I did workshops I would have been fully booked as that was the number 1 question I got asked. I am taking part in a print group exhibition/fair soon though.
Another card from me today if youâve already 
donât worry
Hope everyone with aches, pains and troubles are feeling a little better today. It would be nice to hear how Natalie is doing
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