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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Sunday 19 June 2011

Mud, Mud, Glorious Mud...

... Nothin' quite like it for coolin' the blood, so follow me follow, down to the hollow, and there we will wallow in Glorious Mud!

Mmmm, mud...  Nice for piggies, maybe not for fairs!
Well thats how the song goes but I think it gives a slightly off-kilter view of what it really is like when, thanks to the rather dubious combination of two days of pretty solid rain plus something like 800 Land Rovers frequently driving over the same areas of field.  Want to know what glorious mud looks like?   The reality is infact...


Mud so deep (these were taken directly outside the craft tent we were in and still don't really show the true extent of how bad it was!) that we couldn't get our little car anywhere near and had to be ferried with our boxes up to the car park which had fared a little better due to less movement of vehicles during the day.

Sadly, this also meant the show was quieter than perhaps it ought to have been had the weather been kinder on Saturday (although as it was mainly for the Land Rover enthusiast we are talking about a more specialised market anyway so lower numbers than you might see at a more general event) and we spent much of today fretting about whether we would infact ever get out and if we needed to quickly knock up some 'change of address' cards to read 'We have now moved to... the middle of a mud pit'!

As I mentioned, this was a specialised show and me being me, I had to have a bash at joining in and created a couple of Land Rovers to see if they would sell (I am always nervous trying to please enthusiasts of any genre as they really will notice and point out any mistakes or moments of 'artistic licence!)   Well, I think they worked as, despite planning to sell one and keep the other to show and take orders of, the both sold within the first hour of opening.   Fortunately, I had created some posters showing the new designs and I did get some orders from these alone.  These will be appearing on the website soon and are priced at just £6.99 + P&P.

I also decided to create some keyring inserts (just incase) with this picture on one side and 'I Love Land Rovers' on the other and had a flurry of sales of these on the first day (hurrah!)  Ironically, after printing more on Saturday night to make sure I wouldn't run out on Sunday, I didn't have any sales of these on day two!!   Amazing how often that happens!!

So, after spending the weekend wading through mud, I now have two pairs of matching 'mud' brown shoes and two pairs of trousers with beautifully colour-coordinated 'mud' brown cuffs!   I planned on trying to brush off the dried mud but am starting to think a hammer and chisel might be called for!!   Oh the joys of it all - I think there are still shoes under there but I haven't really seen them courtesy of their new mud coating for a few days...

Next weekend is back to concrete underfoot and even for one of the days I have the luxury of an indoor event - what will I do, I am beside myself with glee at the prospect of just one week without Mud, Mud, Glorious Mud!

Hope you have had a great, mud-free weekend.  Do make sure you head on over to Wendy's blog at 1st Unique Gifts for this weeks Handmade Monday and see what everyone else has been up to...

Oh, and incase you were worried, we did make it out alive thanks to the help of the wonderful marshalls and their Land Rovers (which, don't be fooled folks, do get stuck in mud too!) and we have put the 'We Have Moved' cards on hold - for now at least!

16 comments:

  1. Oh Ali what a muddy mess!! Your land rover pics are a great idea and glad they sold for you. So often i have hurriedly made popular items the night before (usually until stupid o'clock) for them not to sell at all the next day. So frustrating!

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  2. Mud...yes, I vaguely remember what mud is. It's made with something called....rain? Yes, rain. Rain and dirt. We have loads of potential mud here. Lots of dry, dry, sifty, dusty dirt just waiting for some of that rain stuff.

    I LOVE your Land Rover designs!! I can see how they would sell like hot cakes! How about some Land Rovers with muddy tires and fenders?

    That field looks like great fun - what an opportunity! You should have just driven right out in the midst of it, revved your engine and spun your tires!!

    I'm really sorry you couldn't park close for unloading. That's quite miserable.

    Hope you have the best luck ever, next weekend!!

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  3. Sorry about the mud Ali, looks more like the IOW festival than an event but does not seem to have dampened your enthusiasm. Loving your new makes this week

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  4. Oh the indignity of the craft seller! I do love your landrover and am not surprised they did well. I've also done the "making all night on a Saturday to replenish stock" thing and then nobody bought any of that particular item for weeks! Here's hoping for a lovely weekend for you next time x

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  5. Well done with the land Rover pics, what great thinking, but somehow it is always the last minute ideas which crack it for you.

    Hope that the mud comes off!

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  6. Thanks everyone. The Land Rovers were appreciated and caught the attention but as usual most customers were buying other designs (which is great!)

    I am not even going to try to tackle removing the mud until I know it is fully dry and then I hope there will be a nice dry day for me to beat the hell out of shoes and trousers out in the garden!

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  7. Oh crikey! Good luck with chipping off the mud!

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  8. Can't say I am a fan of mud, although you make it sounds like fun! Love the Landrover pics though - glad they worked out well for you!

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  9. Oh dear - who would have thought crafters had to be so resilient! Love your landrovers - and those pigs look sooo happy! Good luck with the washing. Anna x

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  10. Nice landrovers ... hope they sell well. Good idea.

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  11. Great Land Rover idea, had to laugh at the hammer and chisel comment.

    Jan x

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  12. omg, I cannot believe all that mud! I would have been too scared to exhibit in those conditions, you are very brave x

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  13. You have my full sympathy. I did the local car & fire engine fair a few years back, and it was the same. My jeans were plastered up to the thigh, and I had to chuck my shoes. I couldn't believe the amount of women trying to totter around in high heels or sandals, though.

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  14. Know what you mean about the inappropriate footwear!!

    I didn't even mention in my blog the number of people wading through the mud in flip-flops, sandals, high heeled boots and even one in (obviously) brand-new, glowing white (but not for long!) trainers!!

    Eee, theres nowt as queer as folk (as they say in my native Yorkshire!)

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  15. Oh my what a lot of mud your landrover pics are great though. I've left you a little surprise on my blog I hope you like it.

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  16. Well Landrovers and mud, and men for that matter go hand in hand in my experience of being a landrover widow at weekends! lol

    Its just typical about making more and not selling them, I buy things in then dont sell one for months, sods law I think!

    Love the blog, popped over from the create thread by the way!

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