Sunday, 14 September 2014

Pet Fostering

We are fostering our second pet just now, a black & white kitten. She is gorgeous. She does not like being picked up though.

We've had her for a week while her owner is unwell, She goes home either Monday or Tuesday. We'll miss her.

Love & hugs
Angela
xx

Wednesday, 10 September 2014

My New Business Card

Marilyn from Accentuate on Etsy sent me my new business card design. I love it. As well as using them as normal business cards, I'm going to be using them as tags to put on my new project.


I've been buying more Harris Tweed from Christina (see previous post), the tweed is totally gorgeous and fantastic to work with.

I'm going to get some photos soon of the new items to put up here and on the website and Etsy or Folksy. Then you'll find out what it is I'm actually making.

Talk soon

love & hugs
Angela xx

Saturday, 23 August 2014

Harris Tweed

I'm so delighted to receive my order of Harris Tweed today from Christina's Harris Tweed from the Isle of Lewis (click photo left for link to her Facebook page). She weaves gorgeous fabric and I wish I could buy it all. A photo of one of the tweeds is to the right, the other tweed is a plain purple to match. 

Today, I also finished the first of the new pieces from my new range. A Harris Tweed cushion. It was great fun doing it and I've learned so much from making it and I got to go crazy on my new sewing machine. Most of the Harris Tweed (teal with a brown fleck) was purchased from Christina. I'll post a photo of it when I get some photos done.

talk soon

Love & hugs
Angela xxx


Wednesday, 6 August 2014

Business Logo

Today I'm choosing my new business logo. It's not that I'm completely changing things too much. I'll have McLean Book Arts and my new project running in parallel. Unfortunately, I can't really see the book arts design and name (see right) working for my current ideas.

I have asked my wonderful sister in law to help me choose. I've whittled the choices down to five and I can't decide which would be the best one. Marion is the creative genius behind The Sword EngraverShe and my brother in law Ross produce original engraving with historical designs on all kind of armour and weaponry, mainly for historical weapons for re-enactment. Go and have a look, you'll love it.

I received more of my supplies yesterday, so I'm a very happy puppy. I'm really going to love working with this medium. I'll get some more work done tonight.

Have a wonderful day
talk soon
Angela xx

Friday, 4 July 2014

I've been quite ill recently. I was in hospital with an infection and septicemia and it's taken a while to get back to my normal self. I'm still doing my befriending work with a mental health charity and although we haven't fostered a pet for a couple of months (because it's quiet just now), we are still on the list. It's great fun having a pet around the place.

I've decided that I'm going to diversify a little, need a slight change to keep things interesting. I'm not going to say what I am making, but I will be using something very Scottish, no not haggis. It will take a little while to get things started up with the new range, but I'll put photos on when I take some. I still have a bit of research to do with regard to supplies and outlets, but it will all come together soon.

Anyway, talk soon

love & hugs
Angela xxx


Best advert ever

The Guinness Surfer Ad with the horses from 1998, must be my most favourite advert ever.

Sunday, 18 May 2014

Lyon, France

We had a wonderful time in Lyon. I think the city is incredible and well worth a visit, historical and beautiful, for me it has it all.

We stayed for a week in an apart-hotel very close to the Gare de Vaise railway station & Metro in the 9th arrondissement. The room was great, just perfect for us. It had the living/kitchen area, bathroom with bath & shower, good sized bedroom and a full length balcony (which faced the evening sun).

We've been to Lyon many times and wandered around all our usual haunts. We arrived on a Wednesday afternoon, so we looked for food and went to the Phenix bar which is a local bar to watch football and drink Ricard. In the evening, the temperature was about 14 degrees C.

Thursday was rue de la Republic. We got off the metro at Bellecour and stopped for a meal deal from Brioche Doree (love the raspberry tart). Mojo (my other half) bought cigars to bring home for us to smoke in the Cigar Bothy at Hotel du Vin in Edinburgh. For dinner, we went back to the apartment with some Toulouse sausage and a baguette (yum). Later on, we wandered into the Vieux Lyon (old town) for a stroll and some lovely Cote du Rhone and a cigar outside a bar looking over the river Soane. In the evening, the temperature was about 15 degrees C.

On Friday morning, Mojo went out to have a look at some guitar shops and I stayed in and rested. in the afternoon we went to Foch and visited Bernachon for a coffee (the president cake was rather disappointing, shocked). After that we walked along to Brotteaux for evening drinks and had a lovely time.

Saturday found us back to Vieux Lyon and found some of my favourite shops and places to sit and watch the world go by. In the evening, we had a Groupon deal, so a walk in the rain took us to  l'Address, a very modern bistro/bar for an amazing 3 course meal. Well worth getting a soaking for.

We stayed in and chilled out for most of Sunday. In the evening, stayed locally for a few drinks.

On Monday, we went to Bellecour and took a bus to the new Confluence shopping centre. It is really lovely and absolutely full of great shops. Not all of them were to my taste of course, but I did find a few. After that we went to Part-Dieu shopping centre to get some thing to take home with us.

Tuesday - we went up to Croix Rousse on the hill to have a wander about and have a picnic lunch. It's a lovely part of town (more like a village), stayed for ages. Then got back on the metro line and got off at Hotel de Ville and had a wander around the Opera. We had another Groupon deal for an intimate little bistro in one of the back streets called Comptoir Lyonnais. The food here was amazing and we had a brilliant time here. We are definitely going back to this bistro next time we are here.

Wednesday, we were very sad to be going home, could easily have stayed another week or two. Can't wait to come back again.

Talk soon
Love & hugs
Ange xxx