6 years, too soon.

The years have gone too fast, it seems no time at all since you were a babe in my arms and now look at the little lady you are, six today.
Bookworm, friend, big sister, pouter, creative, smiler, tea drinker, cake baker, fearless climber, artist, sulker, animal lover, you are my wobbly toothed beautiful, amazing girl. The world is a greater place for you being in it, and I can't wait to see you grow into a great lady. Just not too fast.

Love you Maisie, my baby girl.

Empty Shops

I'm not sure what I wanted this post to be about, I'm not politicly educated enough to go through the issues of why and what can be done about this problem I can only give you my layman's view. The news reports are grim, with more shops going into administration every month.  

Throughout my city and probably most others throughout the country empty shops appear, high rents and rates, lack of financial support, lack of community spirit and creative thinking within city councils and shop owners. 

The list is no doubt endless. 

The shops below are just a few of the empty shops in Carlisle city centre.

Past Times went into administration closing 46 stores, Carlisle being one of them.Closed 2012.

This was a Goldsmiths jewellers, closed 2012.

Hawkins Bazaar went into administration closing 65 stores, including Carlisle. Closed Boxing Day 2012.

This was a nibbly fish, foot place which after scare stories in the press went from being very busy to customer less in a week. This is in the main shopping centre The Lanes, they use special advertising boards to distract from the view of empty shop.

Was a milkshake bar, closed 2011, also in The Lanes.

Ex Faith shoe shop, also in The Lanes but being hired out this week as a pop up charity shop.

Was a Benetton shop, but closed 2012 when they didn't renew their lease.

Think these 2 were bith stationary type shops at one point, not had anything in them for a few years.

Another shop in The Lanes, this was a Quiz shop.

In The Lanes again this was a Laura Ashley shop.

Peacocks went into administration 2011, 344 shops were saved in a buy out but 224 were still closed including ours.

This was a tanning shop, closed 2011.

This has been many things but last was a cafe sandwich bar.

An ex hair salon, closed 2011.

This is a space I find really interesting, as far as I know it has never been occupied since The Lanes was done up several years ago, it's a coener that doesn't get a huge amount of footfall past it, but looks very cool.

A fashion boutique which closed 2012.

A bistro restaurant which didn't close but moved into much bigger premises around the corner, it always seems busy and is doing well at it's new premises, yeah. 

Freckles bridle shop had another shop in Dumfries and choose to close Carlisle one.

Chapmans is currently having a closing down sale, the business as been there for 165 years and in the current climate has choose not to renew it's lease. It took up all 3 floors of this amazing building, and leaves 49 people unemployed.

Another long running jewellers which closed in 2011.

A pair of newly renovated but empty shops.

Nice to see this one has an under offer sign on it, and that the charity shop that was in it has moved to bigger premises.

These shops are in Botchergate which as thankfully seen some regeneration last year, I hope that soon these will get a helping hand too.

And below is Hoopers, it takes up a huge building in the heart of the historic quarter of Carlisle. It has just announced it's closure in June, with the loss of 83 jobs. Hoopers is in talks with other companies about taking over the space and hopefully keeping on some staff but at this time we have heard nothing else.

As someone who works in retail to walk through Carlisle's streets and see all these empty building saddens me deeply.  I would love to set up my own art/craft studio with Carlisle but the rents are high and businesses don't get much support. 

More so I want to understand, what make your business survive? Large shops and small in Carlisle are expanding and having refits, even in our climate of doom and gloom.

There's an empty shop somewhere in Carlisle with my name on it, but when I make it mine I want it to stay that way,so do you have the answers? What are you thoughts on what makes a business work? 

How do you survive on the highstreet?

Waiting with baited breath,

Amanda.x.

Wonderful Soggy Walk

On Wednesday Stu and I had the joy of a child free few hours together, and headed of to Keswick for the day.  Stu picked a scenic route from Keswick Lakeside to Castlerigg stone circle. We set out after enjoying a scrummy breakfast at Pumkin bistro, the rain had eased and the sky had bits of blue in it. 

However it soon clouded again, and out scenic route took a soggy meander through a steep woodland track, across a field, a road, another field, another wood, farm(where a bloke stuck his head out of a caravan to say we were going the wrong way) 

  another steep woodland path, over a bridge, through several fields full of lambs over another road, down a tiny road over a wall and finally....we found the stone circle. However by this point the rain was torrential, we were aching and cold and couldn't rise taking out the fancy camera for photographs.  

 We headed back to Keswick a much less scenic but more direct route, to warm us up we stopped by the lovely Temporary Measure. It's a shop that needs sought out, I've long seen followed Emma through craft fairs, then on twitter, then her blog and was so inspired in her shop...oh one day, one day.

 She's a lover of liberty, rabbits, yarn, buttons, bears and tea this girl can do no wrong. She was gracious even when a hasty bag turn resulted in taking half her canvases from the wall, thankful Stu has a stealth catching style, probably from being married to such a clutz as me.

 Every available wall space, nook crany and shelf was filled with beautifully designed bags, books and canvases. I couldn't resist buying Maisie a copy of Once Upon A Time When I Was A Rabbit. 

 The drawings are vintage beauty, something you don't see these days in modern children's books.  I already have my eye on Once Upon A Time When I Was A Bear for Lucas' birthday. 

 Bunting and bunnies everywhere, it certainly cheered me up on such a grim day. 

I love these old suitcases for stock, the yarn arranged so perfectly and baby booties to make your heart melt.  I'm surprised Stu got me out the shop without bags full. 

All in all, although soggy, and with muscles aching I had a wonderful day out with Stu just having time to chat about nothing, hold hands and be still for awhile in a hectic world.  I can't wait for out next adventure.

Love Amanda.x.

Make Do & Mend

 Now with our house sold I'm having to get used to fully living in a rented property until we can save enough to again buy our own bricks and mortar. Living in rented can be a little difficult when it comes to decorating, when you need to give your surrounding a lift you have to work with what you have. 

Our dining room needs a bit of loving especially our table, the table itself was borrowed from my sister-in-law so I can't really do as I'd like and paint it.

 However I can recover it in something that's removable, with a little help from Lucas; some vinyl fabric; and a staple gun, the transformation is complete.

 

 We did the chair covers to as they get quite messy with 2 young children spilling on them. 

Much better now but I'd still like to paint it white.

The next thing I re-made wasn't something I needed but a want, my friend has a blackboard with a gold vintage frame which she got from Heals. This is my cheapo version.

Take one ugly tobacco stained yellow oil painting bought for £2 from local charity shop.  Sand the painting down as the oil could be quite bumpy.

Add as many coats of blackboard paint(£2.85 from Wilkcos) as necessary to cover picture, opps still looks a bit bumpy. Another sanding and some more coats of paint.

It still is a bit rough but does the job and I think looks impressive.

Thanks for reading

Amanda.x.

Fairy Tales in Photos

Last month Hannah who I've worked with for several years got married, her lovely Husband to be had proposed while they were in New York a city they both adore, and the wedding was New York themed.

  We wanted to get them a special gift from everyone at work, they were going to New York and Las Vegas but also wanted to fly over The Grand Canyon but didn't think they could afford it; we decided to give them cash.

But really... cash just isn't a special gift to me, I know that will help them do something special, but I love finding gifts more, and we had a bit of funds kept by for some presents too. 

As a couple we knew (my sister is her friend,so we had a spy in their mist) they liked unfussy, simple design elements in bold colours. These Rob Ryan mugs seemed perfect.

But we wanted something special to them, a gift that showed we all really thought lots of them as a couple. We wanted something designed just for them, I'd never commissioned my own piece of art before and I must say it was very daunting. Doubly so as the finished piece wasn't for me. 

Originally I'd had an idea of making something embroidered with words to make up a picture of the New York skyline or a big apple (New York, get it), but I knew I'd never get it near finished in time for their wedding. So instead we'd started to look at sites which made personalised prints.

A friend on Twitter(love it) recommended Photofairytales . I contacted Sarah to discuss a commission and was pleasantly surprised at the price for a piece she designs ( I can't put it here incase the bride and groom read) making it a very affordable and special gift. I had a very definite image of what I wanted and was surprised when the first prove came through and she'd got what I wanted straight away. Communication was very easy and I was able to feel confident about the design process, adding Example in at the last minute as they Facebooked meeting him while on honeymoon.

It's wonderful, containing things special to the happy couple, and permanent reminder of their life together, wedding day and honeymoon. 

They were over the moon with their gift, as was I with Sarah's level of customer service and design. 

Thank you for a lovely canvas, made by someone who truly cares about their work.

Amanda.x.