Welcome to the blog for Ali's Craft Studio by Alison Lloyd. I am a crafter of peelable stained glass designs & handpainted keyrings and I look forward to sharing with you my news direct from Kent (the Garden of England)

Make sure you visit the shop at www.studiocrafts.net to purchase your own handmade decorations to bring fun and colour into every corner of your home

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Friday, 4 June 2010

Happy Days and Sweaty Knees!

So, is Summer really here? 

OK, so a little extreme but we can all dream, can't we!!

The last week has been gorgeous on the weather front and its getting hot, hot, hot!   Great news for our upcoming outdoor fairs but not so good for hubby who is sweltering in his taxi.  Sadly, whilst the older Hackney black cabs are built like tanks they don't have little luxuries like A/C - just extremely hot engines, great for increasing the ambient temperature to that of a large oven!  (Mmm, sweaty knees anyone?!)   I know the weather is getting better as he now has that classic tell-tale 'brown right arm' from hanging it out of the driver's window!  It was great when we used to travel to the US - left hand drive vehicles meant he could try to even it up!

Even the cats have found it too hot to stay out for long - the normally absent-whilever-the-door-remains-open, Blinky has been taking to our his bed in the afternoon for a siesta (hmm, maybe I should buy him a little sombrero to wear...).  Misty, of course, doesn't venture very far at all but her black fur heats up very quickly and she comes in for a roll on the wooden floors.

I have to admit that I have been suffering too from SKS (sweaty knees syndrome) and am extremely grateful for the large electric fan which resides under my desk!

This has been an extremely busy week - we were at the three-day Cuckoo Spring Fayre last weekend and I had a lot of orders to complete as well as stock to replace before this weekend - and, thanks to a Bank Holiday Monday working at the show, one less day than normal to do it all in!  Cue early starts and late finishes but I did it!!   Around 90 designs completed in just over 3 days!! (and each has to dry overnight between stage 1 and stage 2 of the process!)  I am pleased but knackered!!

I have also added a new section to my website today - Customer Testimonials. We receive such fantastic feedback from customers and it is great to be able to share these with everyone. To view the comments/add your own, please go to www.studiocrafts.net/testimonials/

Sunny days always seem to put everyone in a better mood - isn't it nice to see smiling faces instead of gruff expressions peeking out from under a brolly.  Still, I guess it won't be long before the hosepipe bans and general moaning about being too hot will start....

Working Animals & Heavy Horse Show photos courtesy of Weald & Downland Open Air Museum

So, before everyone gets sick of the Summer, we are going to make the most of our weekend under our trusty gazebo at The Working Animals & Heavy Horses Show at the Weald and Downland Open Air Museum in Singleton, nr Chichester this coming Saturday and Sunday.   Open each day from 10.30am until 5pm, it is a fantastic venue and the show has lots of great animals and events to entertain all ages along with the stalls for you to pick up some fabulous gifts.  The weather forecast is for two beautiful days with a very small risk of brief showers (which could come as a bit of a welcome relief if it is really hot!).
 
If you can, come down with the family and enjoy a great day in the good ol' British Summertime!  Knotted hankies are optional....

3 comments:

  1. LOL The blog title certainly caught my eye! Hope you had a good time this weekend!

    Mick

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  2. Thanks Mick, it certainly was a very hot weekend! I always know it is too hot when my knees start to sweat!

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  3. I can't imagine what "hot" means to y'all...and that you would ever have water rationing! Thought that was strictly a southwest US thing...

    We have had some hot days recently, and the humidity has been high, which is miserable - talk about sweaty knees, and the rest of you! Right now, however, we are under flash flood warnings from heavt rains!

    Oh I would LOVE to come to the show this weekend! I love draft horses and if I ever win the lottery, I will acquire an assortment! Have fun!!

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