When is an Airshow not an Airshow?

This past weekend we had a stall at the wonderful Shoreham Airshow which is normally resplendent with magnificent, awe-inspiring flying displays but this year the Gods had other ideas - low cloud, rainy, misty days and high winds put paid to all but a few flights which was a real shame.  Last year we were blessed with blue, Californian skies and a full program of flying including the incredible Avro Vulcan (the only airworthy XH558 Vulcan remaining which has a sound beyond belief!)

The incredible Avro XH558 Vulcan at Shoreham Airshow 2009

The south of England really suffered this weekend from horrible weather and the safety element was brought home on Sunday when the first flight of the day by a glider display pilot ended badly with a crash during the landing attempt.  Our hearts were in our mouths as the paramedics attended at the scene for almost an hour.  Fortunately, the pilot managed to scramble away from the badly damaged craft upon impact and is, according to an official statement from the display team, currently doing well in hospital and in good spirits which will come as a huge relief to all who were there.

Needless to say, there were very few displays on Sunday (the worst day for weather) which must have been a huge disappointment to those who had paid to come along.   Fortunately, there was still plenty to enjoy at the show including, in no small part, the craft marquee with some wonderful work on display.  Despite it all, we had a pretty good weekend!   I know that many visitors were appreciative of the huge amount of work which the organisers of the show put in to the weekend and the fact that they managed to have any flying at all (including a Catalina Seaplane, an amazing display of skills by the Harrier team and mock dogfight involving the Spitfires and Hurricanes, plus at the close of play on Sunday when an impromptu display by a Chinook helicopter pilot who was working with the Air Cadets and not there to do anything but standard ferrying to and fro of workers around the site during the breakdown of the show).   Hopefully as the show raises money for the RAFA, people will be thankful of the small amount of displays they did see and the great stalls available at the show.  

So may I add my congratulations to RAFA and the team at Shoreham - in such dire circumstances, you did an excellent job and kept smiling throughout (even when you had to stand in the rain for much of the time!)

Lancaster Bomber

Last year I made some peelable designs of a Spitfire, Lancaster and Hurricane which were popular and got lots of attention.

Hawker Hurricane

Spitfire

Mustang

This year I added the Curtiss Tomahawk (AKA Kittyhawk) and North American Mustang to the collection of WWII planes. 

I will be adding these to my online shop soon.

Tomahawk

There was still one more plane I really wanted to pay homage to and after a quick call to check I was OK to use the image, here it is:

Avro Vulcan

The Vulcan to the Sky Trust keeps this amazing plane in the air by constant fundraising (I am giving a donation to the trust for every sale of this design sold).  If you have ever had the honour of seeing this plane in the flesh (so to speak) you would want to help too - even if you are not that interested in planes!   If you would like to know more about the XH558 and the Trust, go to Vulcan to The Sky  If you can help the cause, please do - believe me it is worth it!

Next weekend is a three-dayer at Rudgwick Steam and Country Show so please join me by praying for better weather!  Three days in a muddy field is fine at music festivals but the prospect of wading through mud to get to and from a smelly port-a-loo doesn't fill me with joy!  Oh the life of a crafter is so salubrious, you have no idea!

Fingers crossed everyone...

Flying Time, Great Features and Hidden Monsters...

Flying Time...

Where does the time go?  I can't believe it has been so long since my last blog posting when it only seems like five minutes ago. 

It has been pretty busy here since I posted last - we have been to the Lingfield Steam & Country Show - a fun weekend event with lots of steam engines, animals and vehicles along with activities for all ages.  Can you believe I sold a great number of Christmas designs at this show - on the first day of August!  I do try to take my box of Christmas decorations to shows where I won't be back again before Christmas but usually don't expect to sell more than one or two so I was really thrilled to have so many bought so early in the year (I always recommend that people buy their Christmas decorations as early as possible as keeping full stocks is very difficult as the season gets underway).  Does feel a little strange however, selling snowmen and Santas is sweltering heat!

Is it Christmas Yet?

Last weekend, we were at a new show for us - Step Back in Time, near Battle, East Sussex.  We really didn't know what to expect  and after an interesting start (no plan showing where your stall was, and not enough space in the marquee for everyone who had booked!) we had a great weekend.  Good weather and lots of visitors makes for a great combination!

This coming weekend is another Steam Fair at the Weald & Downland Open Air Museum in Chichester - bring on the soot!!   We always come home covered in a liberal coating of the stuff and feeling like a 60-a-day smoker!  Hopefully the weather will be kind to us again to bring out the usual crowds.

Great Features:

I have been really lucky to be featured on two more great blogs:

• Look at the Crafters
• Zaks Jewels

I feel really pleased that anyone would want to write about little ol' me so thank you one and all for letting me have space on your great blogs.

Hidden Monsters:

OK, so I know you are still wondering about the rest of the title of this blog.  So I will put you out of your misery...

Yes, it relates to moths (yikes - even typing the word makes me shiver!)   I have decided that one of two things is true (or maybe both?):

1. Moths do not talk to one another to warn about dangerous houses containing black moth-eating monsters
2. Moths have death wishes and/or are stupid as they keep on coming!

Last week was a major milestone for me (but not one that I wish to repeat too often...)  As you know if you have followed my previous posts, my encounter with Godzilla the moth began when he cased me out from above the bathroom door.

This location, it turns out, is a real favourite for our dusty, fuzzy, yukky, 'get out of my space and stop dive-bombing me' flying friends.   And last week, I found 'Godzilla 2 - the revenge' lurking above the bathroom door (this time on the inside of the bathroom).

Now normally, my knight in shining armour/shorts would come racing to my rescue but as he had already left for work, I knew I was on my own! 

My options:

1. I could get my ladder and try the 'squish' technique.  If I missed, I guarantee, I would have fallen off the ladder and would have no doubt that as I lay on the ground, the little monster would have come and landed on me just to rub it in!
2. I could close the door and use our other toilet for the remainder of the day until my aforementioned knight returned home to his castle and maiden in distress.
3. I could turn to my new-found hero - Mr Dyson!

Option 3 looked the only viable choice and lo and behold, Godzilla 2 had an unexpected thrill ride courtesy of my purple 'Animal - never loses suction, even when disposing of moths' (maybe not the right slogan but it works for me!)   Problem is, I am now a little afraid to empty it incase Godzilla 2 forces his way out of the bin after he has been building up strength eating dust - after all, that is what they are made of! (does that make it cannibalism?)

Warning!  Moths Not Welcome!

Hopefully, the message will get out to the moth community and our address will be off the radar for a great place to hang out.   Lets hope so!