Necessity is the mother of invention

It is always important to keep  listing  new items in an etsy shop

  In New Zealand this past winter I had a hard time replacing the scarves that I sold. But I did notice some fine gentlemens ties in the op shops.  So, nothing venture, nothing gain, I added a new section to foulard.

 A couple have been sold, so I am putting together a basket of ties to take out to my summer markets. But, what to buy? what will my customers be looking for?  Designer, like the Armarni above?  or theme ties?  Ties from the 70s?  hand made ties ( if I can find them)?

Guess I will find out.   The older the better as far as I am concerned,   love the 70s one  with the $5 original price and the 50s 'Lucky Jim' type.

We shall see.......

The Queen and I.

The Queen and I are another year older.

My friend BJ made a most splendid lunch for me and some girlfriends for our my birthday last Sunday.

 She went all out, starting with vodka, jellied shooters with raspberries......

 followed by a salad of hearts of palm, avocado, corn and tomatoes with a lime dressing. Then grilled sole with veg and my favorite desert,  'iles flottant'.

 The best silver  and linen came out, as well as some gorgeous flowers.

 I cleaned up on presents as well....Veronica came with wonderful, huge pottery bowl from Scott Barnim, she knew I had always admired his work. Home made marmalade from Brigid,  lots of super flowers, perfume from my daughter in law. The girls also gave me a subscription to Selvedge magazine, and R gave me a subscription to The Manchester Guardian.

BJ also made loot bags for all ..... caramelized popcorn with cashews, Mmmmmm, I demolished mine later that day.
I must say, I have some wonderful friends.

MariposaTextiles

I have long been an admirer of MariposaTextiles.

Original and interesting, an American living in Ireland , Tara is a member of the Etsy Expats team.  So when she posted in ( on?) the team board offering a package of fat quarters as a draw if I followed her on twitter and made comment, I jumped at the chance.  I'm pretty sure I was a follower, anyway.

 Well, I won! Yesterday my package arrived...beautifully wrapped and full of fabby fabrics, including a sample book.  I am showing them to a decorator friend tomorrow. Tara has a quirky and well trained 'eye',  I particularly admire her use of architectural features.

 This is my favorite design in her etsy shop and I used it in a treasury I made yesterday (talk about coincidence). There is also an exciting website.

Funny thing is, I knew about Tara before I sold on  Etsy,  I still don't get the hang of twitter and I always often win a givaway. This may be as I only enter if I really, really want the prize....have entered 6 and won 5.

I notice MariposaTextiles also trades at Galway Market on Saturdays......a girl after my own heart.

Tara, thank you so much .

I'm a MOM

No, not that sort again, but 'Member of the Month" for the Etsy Expats Team.....the only etsy team I am active in.

Here is what they are about

About Me

Etsy Expats

Here we are, miles away from where we started. Some of us have found homes away from home, others are packing bags and filling up boxes before the big move. Others still have gone back to their roots after spells abroad or are just dreaming of starting anew.

The Etsy Expats are a team of talented creative artists, running their shops in countries all over the world, often not their own.

Being an expat, means not always having the luxury of taking things for granted, such as knowing exactly where to go to get your tools - if you even know what they are called - or how to set up a company in a foreign country, or simply have your nieces model your latest jewelry.

Still, living abroad can be mind-opening. Your culture merges with another, your perception shifts and you get to enjoy the best of both worlds – the old one when you visit and the new one when you take advantage of being the guest. Undoubtedly the influences of your new milieu will not only enrich your outlook on life, but also stimulate your creative genius. The fact that many members of the Etsy Expats team have opened their Etsy shops AFTER becoming expats attests to that.

This group is ever so supportive, not only do they do the usual promoting and chat, but there are private threads where they help each other with expat stuff like 'how do I navigate French bureaucracy ? 'or  'I'm looking for an apartment in LA'

 
Being the MOM means I am getting extra special treatment....blogs featuring just me!!! and treasuries devoted to JUST me as well.....can you imagine!!
Lots of features in other treasuries as well.......do look at these
https://www.etsy.com/treasury/NjMxMzg0OHwyNzI0MjQzNTAy/learning-to-listen?index=0
https://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTE0MjkwNDJ8MjcyMTY4MDM0MQ/knit-one-pearl
https://www.etsy.com/treasury/MjYxNzM2NTV8MjcyMTY4NTgwMw/a-textured-world-throughout-the-ages
https://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTE0MjkwNDJ8MjcyNDI2MDE2OA/how-do-you-like-your-spring-greens
https://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTg3MTQ4NjZ8MjcyMTY1NjkyMQ/arsenic-and-old-la..

and its only mid month.

The supportive members are pinning my items on the team pinterest board   and doing all sorts of stuff on the facebook page  (note, must try to get a handle on FB.)

I can't tell you how delighted I am.

I

Will it never end

Will   this bloody winter never end ?

 
2 degrees today, freezing rain forecast overnight....rain and cold all next week.

So I looked back at some piccies I took in January in New Zealand.

 You can see where my interests lie.

I'm not all about Liberty scarves and vintage fabric, you know.

 I can't resist a roadside stand or an outdoor food truck.

Much more interesting than the supermarket.

even if I don't know what is on offer.

Liberty alert

An unusual vintage Liberty scarf came my way last week.

 Not that the traditional paisley pattern is unusual, rather that there is an additional 'art nouveau' type label and a hand rolled hem. I wonder if it was made for another store.....in another country perhaps.

Also, some more for my Liberty collection. Lovely soft sage green paisley and another colorway of the floral I found the week before last. Strange how this happens....didn't Einstein say 'random finds come in clusters' 

-6

Actually , its 1 degree, but  -6  with the wind chill.

But that did not deter this foolhardy raccoon, who apparently has spent the winter in our oak tree, from thinking it was spring.

 At first he/she was coming down head first....ever so slowly. Whilst I was grabbing the camera  he/she managed to turn around.  He/she is not very good at maneuvering down and slipped about 3 feet.

  Rocky was not the only animal to grace our neighbourhood today.

 Toronto's finest were out for a little stroll too.

Bloody snow, will it ever go away.     Note.....do you see a single leaf on a tree yet?