Last Saturday, I went (with not very high hopes, but a free ticket!!) to the Creative Stitches & Hobbycraft show at Event City near Manchester.

It was better than I had expected, not too busy and not too big.

Mum & I managed to do 2 workshops. As always I forgot to take my camera, so I only have the finished products to show!!

We made a ribbon wreath

 and a bracelet

The instructors were good and we got to make and take for free – not bad.

I also came back with more rubber stamps, some blank card and some early birthday presents!!

A guillotine and butterfly punch from my mum, and this gorgeous bag from Hubbie, who obviously didn’t know this until I got home with it!!

I have been looking for a new bag that can still be used as a nappy bag for Niblet, but not look like one. This fits the bill perfectly and I LOVE it.

A few weeks ago, I went to a BBC learning event called Meet the Crafter at the Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester. It was a last minute thing, as my mum couldn’t go and I, of course, forgot to take the camera (I really must improve on this – if only for the sake of my blog) but you can see lots of other peoples pictures here.

It was a really good day. I met other amateur crafters and hung out with Pen & Ann, who were really cool.

In the morning we got to meet the main crafty types for 7 minutes each (bit like speed dating!!): Andrea Lord (&made), Geraldine Mccullagh (Made at Greenview), James Boardwell ( a founder of Folksy), Danielle(rubbish revamped) and more.

In the afternoon we took part in workshops.

I chose the upcycling workshop. We had to create items to dress a mannequin. I was making Suffolk puffs, with others, to adorn the inside of an old football and turn it into a stylish hat, see the finished article here.

It wasn’t the best workshop – the home furnishing group got to make a cushion cover & take home a whole cushion; the vintage fashion group got to make a new piece of clothing to take home.

I looked on with envy.