tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82244105847658672662024-03-08T13:15:35.290-08:00Leigh Shepherd DesignsWorking from my home studio in Haworth, Yorkshire I create a range of colourful, quirky, upcycled resin jewellery.Leigh Shepherdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03208205155943638358noreply@blogger.comBlogger131125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8224410584765867266.post-8428003584117547162016-05-07T02:51:00.002-07:002016-05-07T02:51:49.556-07:00Ducklings! I never thought we would end up doing something like this! But by an unfortunate set of circumstances we have found ourselves caring for a pair of wild ducklings. When they came to us we think they were only about a day old.<br />
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This happened on a Friday evening so all of our weekend plans were binned as we spent time keeping them warm, reading blogs and forums about how to care for them and most imporantly finding out what earth we could feed them. Most of the sites we found were about domestic duck keeping, or about feeding adult wild ducks. So while I was busy filling and refilling a hot water bottle for them and chopping up fleece for them to sleep on, Sheps dug around for more info, which he finally found. So for the first two days we fed them from our fingers with mashed boiled egg with ground egg shell and a watery mix of finely sliced cucumber and crushed meal worms. They liked to be held cupped in our hands to keep warm. Through the first few days they followed a one hour cycle of sleeping, eating and preening. At night we would fill their hot water bottle, settle them in a fleece 'nest' and put extra logs in the burner to keep the room warm for longer. <br />
We bought a bag of chick crumb, a feed they need to have until they are around 5 weeks old, we add a bit of brewers yeast to this to help their legs develop properly.<br />
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We kept them inside for the first few days,in the living room, in a big box lined with kitchen roll, with fresh water and the foods mentioned above and the fleece to sleep on. On the fifth day we let them have a swim in a washing up bowl and later in our bath.<br />
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We have a tiny pond in the garden which we made a few years ago to attract frogs so they have had a pootle around in that too. <br />
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One week on and they are spending all day sunning themselves in a pen in
the garden. In there they have water to swim in and sieve (we add some
pond water for them to explore) fresh water to drink, food and a
shelter/hide to sleep in. We will bring them inside at night for
another week or two. After that they will sleep outside in the little
hide in the pen.<br />
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We are only handling them when we need to now, so thats when we weigh
them every morning, and move them to their pen outside during the day and back
inside at night. In the space of a week they have both doubled in weight, gaining 8 -12 grams everyday.<br />
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It is our hope that once they are two months old or so they will be released. These little beauties should be with their mum, but for the time being they are with us. We keep explaining to our children that unlike our chickens, they are not pets, we haven't named them,we are just helping them on their way. It is a wonderful experience for us, I feel very lucky to be able to do this, we have learnt so much!<br />
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Leigh Shepherdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03208205155943638358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8224410584765867266.post-6113140092197625232016-02-14T05:43:00.001-08:002016-02-14T05:43:15.661-08:00Chocolate almond cake with bay and orange<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This recipe was in a Guardian food supplement a while back, I've changed it a little to suit my store cupboard. I've baked this cake a few times, we all love it, so much so that my son asked to have one for his birthday cake!<br />
This a flourless cake, the almonds make for a fudgy texture, the orange and bay give a wonderful delicate flavour and the sugary almond topping is lovely and crunchy. Its also a sinch to make.<br />
The cake serves 8 - 10<br />
Tin size - 23cm springform tin<br />
Oven temperature 170C / gas mark 3 / 340F<br />
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<i>Cake ingredients</i><br />
175g butter, chopped plus extra for greasing the tin<br />
cocoa powder for dusting the tin<br />
200g dark 70% chocolate (or thereabouts) broken into pieces<br />
175g ground almonds<br />
4 large eggs<br />
100g soft brown sugar<br />
75g caster sugar<br />
pinch of salt<br />
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<i>Almond topping ingredients</i><br />
100g whole almonds<br />
finely grated zest of a small orange<br />
pinch sea salt<br />
50g granulated sugar<br />
6 - 8 fresh bay leaves<br />
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<i>Method</i><br />
Preheat the oven, temps above.<br />
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Grease the tin and dust with the cocoa.<br />
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Put the butter and chocolate in a large heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water. Make sure the water cannot touch the bottom of the bowl as this could burn the chocolate. Melt the butter and chocolate.<br />
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Remove the bowl from the heat and stir in the ground almonds. Allow this mixture to cool a bit.<br />
Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Stir both of the sugars into the yolks, then mix this into the chocolate almond mixture.<br />
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Whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl until they hold soft peaks.<br />
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Mix one dessertspoonful of the egg white mixture with the whole almonds, salt, granulated sugar and orange zest in a small bowl.<br />
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Gently fold the rest of the whisked egg white into the chocolate and almond mixture, keeping in as much air as possible.<br />
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Spoon the batter into the cake tin, then scatter the almond mixture over the top. Press the bay leaves very lightly on top of this, allowing them to sink into the batter a little.<br />
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Bake in the centre of the oven for 35 minutes until set and slightly springy. Leave the cake to cool completely.<br />
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You are welcome :)<br />
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<br />Leigh Shepherdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03208205155943638358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8224410584765867266.post-9036780139785925632015-12-03T02:35:00.001-08:002015-12-03T02:35:29.456-08:00Christmas Cake Recipe Every year we make our Christmas cake in the October half term holiday. This stems back from my Nana, she used to bake them for her family and all her sisters - it was a mamoth task!<br />
I 've used quite a few recipes over the years from the fancy ones that involve hard to find exotic dried fruits, jams, melted chocolate... but these things don't add mech to the finished cake. This is my favourite recipe. I've tweaked it to suit our family's tastes. Although most recipes suggest using sherry, whiskey or madeira I use brandy like my Nana always did. I never use candied peel because my husband doesn't like it.<br />
Having spent a frustrating time trying to find the scrap of paper I'd
written and crossed the recipe out on, I'm typing it here so next year I'll know
where to find it.<br />
The beauty of this recipe is that as long as you stick to the same weight of dry ingredients (the fruit and spices) and the same volume of alcohol you can change them to suite yourself.<br />
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Ingredients<br />
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275g currants<br />
275g sultanas<br />
275g dried figs, roughly chopped<br />
100g glace cherries, halved<br />
125ml brandy, plus extra to feed the cake after baking<br />
125g softened butter<br />
125g muscovado sugar<br />
4 eggs<br />
130g plain flour<br />
1/2 tsp baking powder<br />
1 and 1/2 tsp mixed spice<br />
pinch of salt <br />
50g ground almonds<br />
grated zest of 1 lemon<br />
50g whole almonds<br />
25g crystallised ginger, chopped<br />
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Put all the fruit and the brandy in a bowl, mix, cover and leave to soak overnight.<br />
Grease and line a 20cm cake tin with two layers of baking parchment.<br />
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Preheat the oven to 140C.<br />
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Cream together the butter and sugar until light - this takes quite a while! Gradually add the eggs, beat well after each one to stop the mixture curdling.<br />
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In another bowl mix together the sifted flour, baking powder, spice, ground almonds, salt and fold this into the butter and sugar mixture. Add the fruit and any brandy left in the bowl, then the lemon zest, chopped almonds and ginger. Give it a stir.<br />
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At this point I get everyone in the family to stir the mix, does anyone else do this? Its always been a tradition in our house.<br />
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Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the surface. Make a small hollow in the middle of the cake to prevent it doming during baking.<br />
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Bake the cake for an hour then cover it with foil to stop the top of the cake getting too dark. Bake the cake for another 40 minutes then check it. Its done when a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Check every 10 minutes until its cooked.<br />
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Cool the cake in the tin. make a few holes in the cake with the skewer and brush more brandy over the cake. Leave the parchment around the cake and wrap the whole thing in foil. Feed the cake with a little beandy each week until you are ready to odecorate it.<br />
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This is last year's effort,<br />
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I'm not sure how we will decorate this year's cake. I liked the icing candy canes but they were what is known in Yorkshire as 'a right faff'' to make! What are your Christmas traditions?<br />
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<br />Leigh Shepherdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03208205155943638358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8224410584765867266.post-89679158863265763122015-11-10T02:25:00.001-08:002015-11-10T02:26:26.435-08:00Early mornings As I've got older and has life changed in many ways - mainly by havng a family and working for myself - I find I'm hopeless at late nights. Long gone are days when I could rock in or just stop work at one or two in the morning. Now I find I'm fit for nothing at around ten or eleven. I used to love a long lie in (and very occasionally I still do, 'til eight maybe even nine but thats pushing it).<br />
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I find myself waking up at five and laying there, turning over ideas, making mental lists. Sometimes I found this really frustrating even though I was wide awake I'd wind myself up trying to force sleep. Then I had a revelation, get up! Get out of bed and use this quiet time when everyone else is asleep to get on.<br />
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There is something really lovely about creeping downstairs while everyone is asleep, making a brew and going into my workroom. At the weekend I can spend a few hours like this before everyone else comes downstairs. Its turned into a bit of a treat. Its a good time for me to tackle paper work and lately to have a good sort out. I need to simplify my work space, pare down the things I work with. This weekend I decided I had to make a start. <br />
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I made these upcycled storage panels for my acrylics. The boards are from some broken shelves we've had lurking in the garage. The tubes are hung by binder clips on panel pins. Its made it so much easier to see the colours I have. There is one more panel to go up then I can move on to another corner. More photos when I've made more progress - its such an awful mess I won't let anyone in here at the moment.<br />
PS that is not an old cup of tea - its paint brush water :)<br />
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When is your most productive time of day?Leigh Shepherdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03208205155943638358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8224410584765867266.post-76586524594868593122015-08-18T14:06:00.000-07:002015-08-18T14:10:27.489-07:00Cliff Top BreakWe had a week away earlier this month, it was wonderful, exactly what we all needed. We were staying at St Abbs Head in the Scottish Borders. I can honestly say its my favourite place we've ever visited, it had really big impact on me.<br />
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We rented an apartment for a week which is part of the white house behind the lighthouse in the photo above. All of the lighthouse buildings have been converted into holiday rents ranging from a one room 'bovey' to a 2 bedroom cottage. This all sounds grander than it actually is, but when I first saw the place I couldn't believe we could afford to stay there! Its the location that really took my breath away.</div>
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The headland is one of the most important seabird nesting sites in Europe. At the beginning of the nesting season there are over 30,000 guillemots nesting on the cliffs below. At this time of year we saw guillemots, hundreds of kittiwakes and gannets. <br />
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Its a very wild bit of coast but so many plants thrive on the cliffs and in the lighthouse walls, the colours are stunning.<br />
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We spent lots of time exploring the cliffs and enjoying the spectacular sea views. Its almost always windy up there but when inside its really hard to appreciate just how windy it might be - there aren't any trees or bushes up at the head so until you stand outside its hard to judge. We were treated to all weathers, these photos were taken a day apart, the first one when the rain eased off.... <br />
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It was a really relaxing week, visiting the fish merchant in <a href="http://www.visiteyemouth.com/" target="_blank">Eyemouth</a> to buy dinner or having lunch at the fantastic <a href="http://www.oblobar.com/" target="_blank">Oblo</a>, feeding seals in the harbour, exploring the rock pools at Coldingham Bay and walking around Cove harbour hunting for sea pottery and shells.<br />
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Just writing all of this down is making me want to go back. I love our home and living in Haworth but I'd really love to live by the sea one day too. This photo really draws me in....<br />
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<br />Leigh Shepherdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03208205155943638358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8224410584765867266.post-49278962442497777282015-04-24T03:44:00.001-07:002015-04-24T03:48:26.916-07:00Catch up from The British Craft Trade FairIt's just over a week since the British Craft TradeFair 2015 finished and its been a very busy few days. Here are a few pics of my stand - not the best images but they give an impression.<br />
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I took more stand equipment than in previous years. The bare stand looked stuffed to the gills when we unloaded and we struggled to move around during set up but it came together in the end.<br />
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Every year I promise myself that I will take more and better pics but I never manage it, sorry! <br />
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I do think this show is a bit special. This was my spring board to being a full time designer maker. I had a great response when I exhibited in Newcomers five years ago and BCTF has been good to me ever since. Its lovely to meet up with other makers (we are scattered all over the UK so for some of us this is our only chance to have a catch up). Its also good to meet up with buyers who have stuck with me since the beginning. This year I have taken orders from a number of new stockists and will be taking part in several exhibitions. Now that I've got over my achy feet I'm cracking on with the orders. I've already booked for next year and paid the first installment. On the final day I took some time to sketch out my stand, take some measurements and make some plans for next year. Leigh Shepherdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03208205155943638358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8224410584765867266.post-70265854559878027142015-03-30T07:14:00.001-07:002015-03-30T07:14:16.998-07:00British Craft Trade Fair preparations...30.03.15<br />
This photo is of my stand at the British Craft Trade Fair (BCTF) last year. I love this fair, this year will be my 5th time exhibiting. For this years event I want to change things a little, I need more space to exhibit my cufflinks but I want to freshen it up too while still making it look like my 'brand'.<br />
The trickiest thing about this event is the stand itself. Most trade stands are made from wooden boards which are reasonably sturdy so shelves can be screwed in place, picture frames hung, paper stapled up, often the boards can be painted. But not here. The boards are some kind of plastic with metal struts to support them. Shelves and picture frames need to be hung from the top of the stand using 'S' hooks. The boards wobble quite a bit so this needs to be considered when placing furniture against them. Last year brooches kept falling off my pigeon hole style shelves when the exhibitor on the other side of the board moved his ceramics around, I was more worried that moving things on my side would knock his work! So when planning the layout its really important to consider all of this.<br />
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As my designs are garden / flower related and involve upcycled elements I want this reflected in the stand layout and I also want to be able to use the props at other craft events. I decided to make the new display borards myself. Now I'm no carpenter but since I wanted a rustic, garden shed look I thought I'd be ok.<br />
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I used tongue and groove planks to make the boards (the wood was left over from when we had our bathroom replaced). I finished them with 3 layers of chalk effect furniture paint, red, green and aged white. I sanded the white paint to expose some of the layers beneath.<br />
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The cufflinks need more space than I thought so I made a set of shelves from a wine crate with some Ikea picture ledges, these will sit on one of the potting tables and a wall mounted set from an old bread tray. I love this tray - it was left by the people we bought a house from about 12 years ago. They were using it in the cellar to store plant pots, I've used it as a prop for photos and for display at fairs. <br />
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In the end I have five new (old) pieces of display equipment which have only cost the price of the picture ledges and paint. Got to love recycling / upcycling! I still need to decide how all of this will fit together, I'll post photos x<br />Leigh Shepherdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03208205155943638358noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8224410584765867266.post-73962290071047747282015-02-25T04:52:00.003-08:002015-02-25T04:52:46.674-08:00Rice really?A few friends visited my workroom the other day. They have been many times, sometimes to choose things, sometimes to give me a hand and mostly to have a catch up. They know alot about my work and have been in my room when I've poured resin to make my pendants, earrings and whatnot. This time they were surprised to see several small tubs of rice on and near the resin trays and were facinated to see this new process.<br />
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Of late dry rice has been one of the most useful things I've found use for in a long time.<br />
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Below is a photo of one of the new <a href="http://www.leighshepherddesigns.com/collections/cufflinks" target="_blank">cufflinks</a> I have begun making. I explained the problems I had in sourcing the right bezels (the part where the design and resin sits) in a previous post. I ordered lots of samples from several companies but I wasn't happy with the quality until I found these. I'm not sure if its clear in the photo but the fitting is angled at the back of the bezel. This led to another problem - how to sit the cufflink straight so that the resin can be poured into the bezel evenly to give a level finish. The cufflinks need at least 48 hours to dry so there can't be any movement during that time.<br />
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I tried all sorts of methods including constructing a wooden rack, this looked like the solution until I over poured the resin and glued the cufflinks solidly to the rack, rendering it useless. A friend lent me a ring display board - you know the black velvet display boards where the rings are pushed into slots? This didn't work because of the angle of the cufflink finding. I tried moddelling clay - this was ok but only for making one or two pieces, not really viable for making 10 - 20 pairs at a time. After much searching around I found a photo of resin jewellery drying in rice. Well, I thought that would never work, so I dismissed it until I couldn't find any other way.<br />
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It works a treat! When I have set the design in the bezel I push the cufflink into the rice so that the bezel sits just proud of the surface. Its important to move the grains of rice around the bezel to keep the cufflink straight, then I pour in the resin a drop at a time. In most batches there will be a piece where I've over poured the resin and it will have run over the sides of the bezel. Often this means the piece can be repoured because the resin will run into the rice - not onto the metal of the cufflink. The picture below shows how when the piece is lifted out of the drying tray the resin has set in the rice making it into a little sculpture. <br />
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The rice can be snapped off the cufflink. So much easier than all of the other methods I tried!<br />
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The little Shepherds have been facinated with these little piles of set rice, they've featured in quite a few lego games!<br />
If you enjoy reading about my work why not sign up to my newsletter? You'll find the odd discount code in there too. <a href="http://www.leighshepherddesigns.com/pages/newsletter" target="_blank">Sign up here</a>Leigh Shepherdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03208205155943638358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8224410584765867266.post-28112770841554541922015-02-25T02:45:00.000-08:002015-02-25T02:45:15.866-08:00A little plea...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm always on the look out for vintage wooden Scrabble tiles to make my <a href="http://www.leighshepherddesigns.com/collections/pendants" target="_blank">pendants</a>, or for that matter large wooden draughts pieces to make <a href="http://www.leighshepherddesigns.com/collections/draughts-piece-brooches" target="_blank">brooches</a> . If you have any that you can bear to part with I promise to put them to good use. It doesn't matter if its not a complete set, it might not be usable as a game anymore but its all good here! <a href="http://www.leighshepherddesigns.com/pages/contact-leigh-1" target="_blank">Please get in touch</a> and I can give you the address. As a thank you I'll send you a piece of jewellery of your choice from<a href="http://www.leighshepherddesigns.com/" target="_blank"> my website</a>.Leigh Shepherdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03208205155943638358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8224410584765867266.post-59440751028704365242015-01-31T09:14:00.000-08:002015-01-31T09:14:43.551-08:00Stripey Chocolate and Vanilla Cheesecake....I've made this dessert many times and I'm often asked for the recipe. Littlest Shepherd asked for it for his birthday tea so I took the opportunity to blog it. It's a Baked Stripey Chocolate and Vanilla Cheesecake, it's completley delicious, very calorific and fairly easy to make. This recipe serves 12 (or less :/)<br />
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You will need:<br />
tin: 9 inch springform tin<br />
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for the base:<br />
225g digestive biscuits- crushed<br />
3 tbs cocoa powder<br />
2 tbs light brown soft sugar<br />
90g butter, melted<br />
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For the filling:<br />
750g cream cheese- full fat or it won't set well<br />
200g caster sugar<br />
3 large eggs<br />
150g plain chocolate melted with 50ml water<br />
2 tsp vanilla extract<br />
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preheat the oven to 180C<br />
In a bowl mix together the crushed biscuits, cocoa and sugar. Pour over the melted butter and mix well with a fork. Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the base of the tin. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Turn the oven down to 160C<br />
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Carefully grease the tin without disturbing the base - no need to fuss I often forget to do this, all will be well :)<br />
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For the filling:<br />
<br />In a large bowl beat the cream cheese until smooth. Continue beating while adding the sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating just enough to combine.<br />
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Split the mixture between two bowls. Add one teaspoon of vanilla extract to each mixture. Add the melted chocolate to one mixture and mix well.<br />
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Pour just less than half of the light mixture into the centre of the tin. Tilt the tin so that the mixture makes an even layer covering the biscuit base.<br />
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Carefully pour just less than half of the chocolate mixture into the centre of the tin and let it spread gently for a moment, no need to tilt the tin.<br />
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Alternate the layers using about half of the mixture each time.<br />
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Place a pan of hot water on the bottom rack of the oven (this helps to prevent the cheesecake cracking too much) and the cheesecake on the rack above. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until the cake is just set. It will firm up more as it cools.<br />
Cool on a wire rack until cool then run a knife around the edge of the cake to help it release from the tin. Remove the side of the tin. Chill the cheesecake until cold. Serve at room temperature.<br />
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Next time we are going to try adding a wee bit of chilli to the chocolate mixture. Or maybe a little orange zest. Any other ideas?<br /><br />Leigh Shepherdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03208205155943638358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8224410584765867266.post-23417646525325835692015-01-30T05:19:00.001-08:002015-01-30T05:19:41.609-08:00Time to rent studio space?It's eight years since I began work as Leigh Shepherd Designs. From the very beginning I knew I wanted to make a living from this, it couldn't be a hobby I hoped would turn into something else so I tackled it from the off as work. I just couldn't work the normal 9 - 5 hours, I still don't and thats ok.<br />
As you may know I used to work as a primary school teacher and learning support manager (SENCO), when our daughter was born I reduced my hours and my husband (Sheps) - who is also self employed - shared caring for her through the week. A short time later when I was pregnant with our son we found out at the 20 week scan that he had a kidney condition. It became clear that our wee boy would need some hospital care and that it would be a few years for his treatment to be completed so I decided to resign from teaching and become self employed too, this way Sheps and I could work around our family. He had his first surgery at four weeks old. Over the next couple of years we had several hospital stays due to kidney infections. He was on antibiotics for five years.<br />
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I worked when ever I could, within the first year I had my jewellery in five galleries/ shops and had begun exhibiting at a few fairs.I went to the bank and met with the small business manager I opened a business account and then spent an hour fending off his attempts to persaude me to take out a loan to 'kickstart my business'. He talked about how I would need to rent workspace, (I had a wee table in the dining room), ordering branded stationary (I printed my own letterheads and used Vistaprint and Moo for postcards and business cards which cost less than fifty quid) how I would need to buy a jewellers bench, drills, rollers etc (if I was a silversmith I would, but I'm not, so I don't) and on it went, apparently I needed this loan to 'be taken seriously'. He couldn't understand the way I needed to work.<br />
During this time working from home was the best option. Our daughter started nursery, then school. Then during J's first week in reception class he was called into hospital for the first of three operations. Each time he needed a month off school to recover. During this time Shep's and I worked when we could.<br />
Anyway...the point of explaining all of that was during that time it was pointless to rent studio space- I'd never be there. But I'd always imagined that at some point I would have a studio space away from home, I felt it would make my work feel more substanial, maybe more real?<br />
I've talked to friends about what made them move from working at home to rented space,here vare a few of the things they said:<br />
there too many distractions at home, house work, the telly....<br />
simply needing more space<br />
needing to work with other people, feeling isolated at home<br />
needing to employ help with the business<br />
home not being able to accomodate essential work tools and equipment <br />
When I first started working for myself I just had a small table in the corner of the dining room. As the business grew and I began selling work to galleries and shops I took over the room completely, adding lots of storage shelves, extra tables etc. I'm very disciplined about work - a long time ago I worked on a freelance basis for an animation company, I was hopeless at setting working hours so I'd end up working late at night, right up to deadlines and getting really stressed about it. That doesn't happen now :) I take the children to school and will start work by 10 past 9. I work until 3 o'clock then collect the kids from school. I usually do a couple of hours work in the evening. If I was take a studio away from the house my hours would be cut considerably due to travelling time. I love getting up early, coming down stairs before eveyone else and pottering in here. I'd lose that time too.<br />
Over the last eighteen months I have needed some help so I out source work to someone else who is also self employed, this seems to work well for both of us.<br />
I don't feel isolated at all, I enjoy working by myself. I do use social meda to keep in touch with people who work in a similar situation and we have occasional meet ups. Because I can set my hours I do meet with friends once a week for coffee and crochet - I'd lose that too if I worked away from home. The other thing we both love about working for ourselves is that we can always be here for the kids, we see every concert, go to all the parents in school days and there is no need to worry about childcare at school holidays and when snow days etc happen.<br />
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<br />The upshot of this whole thing is that I can finally put to bed my anual wobble about whether I should rent a space or not. For me its not necessary, it really wouldn't make me any more productive and it would be an expense I don't need. Its really helped to write it all down. Descision made. For now :)<br />
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<br />Leigh Shepherdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03208205155943638358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8224410584765867266.post-43202844806390256832015-01-11T08:04:00.001-08:002015-01-11T08:04:10.673-08:00Cufflink range coming soon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've been asked if I make cufflinks many times by customers at fairs and by gallery owners who would like to stock them. I've wanted to make them for a long time too but I hadn't been able to source really good quality findings with the right depth of bezel - until now :) I'm still experimenting and trying to decide which designs to offer but initially I'm working with the <a href="http://www.leighshepherddesigns.com/collections/japanese-collection-pendants" target="_blank">Japanese Collection</a>. I've begun photographing the pieces that are ready and I should have them up on the <a href="http://www.leighshepherddesigns.com/" target="_blank">website</a> within the next few days. The cufflinks will be presented in a slide tin with a recycled card wrapper. Right, back to taking photos :)Leigh Shepherdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03208205155943638358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8224410584765867266.post-1666796589920421372014-10-14T06:02:00.002-07:002014-10-14T06:05:02.466-07:00Autumn and Apple Crumble Cake Following a really lovely summer it appears that autumn has arrived and settled in. I've always loved this time of year, I love layering up clothes, going for long walks, baking and suggling up in front of the fire. <br />
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At the weekend the weather was very good to us so we went to <a href="http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hardcastle-crags/" target="_blank">Hardcastle Crags</a> for a walk. Its a lovely place. The beech trees were starting to change colour, it was a beautiful bright day and the kids ran around like mad things (when they weren't laying in tress pretending to be slothes. As you do). </div>
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Early on Friday evening we had family visiting. I forgot to go shopping and didn't have much to offer except a coffee. I did have a couple of cooking apples and fancied making a type of German apple cake but every recipe I found (internet searching) took far too long or needed ingredients I didn't have. Then I found a recipe for Apple Crumble Cake, it was fairly quick - even quicker when I mixed it up in the food processor. I'm adding the recipe here so I can find it again. Basically its a sponge (made with dark sugar so it doesn't sink) with apple in the middle and topped with crumble. Everyone really liked it, and it was so easy.</div>
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Apple Crumble Cake</div>
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Oven temp 180 C / Gas 4 / Fan 160 C</div>
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tin : 23cm springform cake tin</div>
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For the Sponge</div>
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100g butter</div>
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100g dark brown sugar</div>
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150g plain flour</div>
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50g cornflour</div>
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1 tablespoon baking powder</div>
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3 eggs</div>
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2 tablespoons granulated sugar</div>
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1 teaspoon vanilla essence</div>
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zest from half a lemon </div>
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2 large cooking apples or 6 eating apples, peeled, cored and diced </div>
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For the Crumble</div>
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150g plain flour</div>
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125g butter</div>
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140g sugar</div>
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1 teaspoon vanilla essence</div>
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For the sponge: mix together the butter and sugars, add flour, cornflower and baking powder. Add the eggs, vanilla and lemon Zest. </div>
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Spread the mixture evenly into the greased and base lined cake tin. Sprinkle the diced apple evenly on top of the sponge.</div>
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For the crumble, in a bowl rub together the flour, butter, sugar and vanilla until the mixture resembles crumbs (or whizz it up in a food processor). Spread this mixture over the apples.</div>
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Variation: add a pinch of cinnamon to the sponge mixture.</div>
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Leigh Shepherdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03208205155943638358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8224410584765867266.post-24853420925617295702014-10-05T12:36:00.001-07:002014-10-05T12:41:07.446-07:00Learning something new...I really want to learn to crochet. I can knit a bit, and I mean a bit. I don't follow patterns or make garments, I just enjoy the theraputic process, I end up making little squares that I don't do anything with - unless I go all out and make a dish cloth. I do love a knitted dishcloth.<br />
So the idea of making granny squares really appeals. The idea being I could make a square in an evening and eventually it would be part of a bigger thing, that idea works for me.<br />
I even have a very talented, patient friend who is willing to teach me. She recently made this amazing scarf, it is so beautiful (photos don't do it justice) and it is in the perfect autumnal colours for me.<br />
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Said friend is somewhat evangelical about the delights of crochet -but I fear she may have met her match in attempting to teach me :/ I can sort of follow when we are sat together but as soon as I'm on my own I can't remember a thing. So for now I will practice making a long row of stitches, occasionally remembering not to stick my tongue out or hunch my shoulders. She tells me I will get it and I believe.<br />
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<br />Leigh Shepherdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03208205155943638358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8224410584765867266.post-85931694917319731312013-10-14T05:08:00.001-07:002014-10-01T06:50:57.172-07:0015% EARLYBIRD discount codeIt may seem a little early to mention it - but that time of year is fast approaching! Last year I recieved lots of orders in the weeks leading up to Christmas and it really was a battle to
keep up! So I'm offering the organised amongst you 15% off any order
placed via the <a href="http://www.leighshepherddesigns.com/" target="_blank">website</a> before 5th November. To order please visit <a href="http://www.leighshepherddesigns.com/">http://www.leighshepherddesigns.com</a>/ and use the code EARLYBIRD
at the checkout. As always UK postage is free.<br />
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Letter tile pendants can be made on the letter of your choice. So, will this help to spread out my workload?<br />
I'll let you know :)<br />
Please note, this code has now expired. Leigh Shepherdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03208205155943638358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8224410584765867266.post-6227408136976280612012-10-11T13:32:00.001-07:002012-10-11T14:10:35.261-07:00Surrealism Art Book WorkshopI've just spent a great day at a high school / college in Bradford working with a group of Btec students.The aim was for each student to create an art book on the theme of Surrealism. The first photo montage below is of books produced by myself and the course tutor.We encouraged the group to look at Surrealist paintings and provided a large and eclectic range of objects and images to inspire their work. Everyone was given a <a href="http://direct.hobbycraft.co.uk/products-Selbach-And-Whiting-Mache-Book-Size-5_16415.htm" target="_blank">blank book box</a> as a starting point. <br />
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The following groups of images are the books produced by the students. Not all of them are finished but they give you a very good idea of how the finished pieces will look. I was really impressed by the way everyone took on the brief and went about illustrating their ideas. It was a huge task to tackle in one day but no one seemed to be too worried about that!<br />
It is great to see how many wierd and wonderful ideas everyone came up with! Babies on a washing line, a sofa with lion feet, the Titanic sinking in a bath tub, an upside down living room.... Dali had nothing on this lot!<br />
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I hope I've managed to include everyone. If any of the workshop students see this and I've missed your work off or it wasn't ready to be photographed please ask Miss to email me a photo and I'll happily add it to this blog post, thanks ever so much for a lovely day and I wish you all every success for your future xLeigh Shepherdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03208205155943638358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8224410584765867266.post-76959208173296638022012-07-18T02:07:00.001-07:002012-07-18T02:09:15.870-07:00Craft Business HeroesI'm sure you will have seen this book mentioned on lots of other blogs. I've been meaning to post about it for a couple of months but there you go! If you are a regular visitor here you will know I'm not the most prolific blogger :/
I don't tend to read 'how to' type business books or guides and I can promise that this book won't try to provide a formula for how to set up or move on your business. I found it far more interesting than than that!<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Craft-Business-Heroes-Creative-Entrepreneurs/dp/190870702X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1342531538&sr=1-1" target="_blank"> <span style="font-size: large;">Craft Business Heroes by Alison McNicol</span></a><br />
(I should mention here that you can't 'click to look inside' because I don't know how to make the picture into a live link - see if I blogged more often I'd probably have figured out how to do that by now) <br />
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The book is a series of 30 interviews with successful designer makers. They describe how they set up their businesses, the challenges they faced and how they have moved on.
I found the whole book very inspiring - and its goods to know that I'm moving in the right direction! I admit that I found the interviews with British makers such as <a href="http://www.katehh.co.uk/" target="_blank">Kate Hamilton Hunter</a> and <a href="http://www.poppytreffry.co.uk/" target="_blank">Poppy Treffry</a> more interesting than the US makers simply because I'm more familiar with the set up here. When makers used jargon related to selling their products at trade events and how to work out trade and retail pricing I didn't always know what the US makers were referring to,maybe a glossary would have helped. I also preferred the more direct way the British makers answered the questions but that didn't really detract from a really absorbing read.<br />
I read the whole book in a day but I keep going back and dipping into it. If you haven't already read it I'd really recommend you give it a bash xLeigh Shepherdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03208205155943638358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8224410584765867266.post-16110600767957366302012-07-03T13:33:00.001-07:002012-07-03T13:36:38.770-07:00Time out<div style="text-align: justify;">
The last few weeks really haven't run to plan. We've known for quite a long time that our wee boy needed surgery for a kidney condition that was identified during pregnancy. Last September he had surgery to remove part of his kidney and we knew then that he would need a further operation to (hopefully) complete his treatment. For a while after this every time a letter hit the doormat or the phone rang we thought this would be it. Time went on, we relaxed, then at the end of May we got a call from the surgical team - could we go in on Monday? Absolutely we could!</div>
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The surgery took 5 hours, it was successful though more complicated than expected. Our poor boy had 4 catheters in place for a week - not fun! Recovering from all of this took a few weeks - far longer than expected. It was really frustrating for him, he really wanted to get up and about but had to take it easy - not something a 5 year old really cares to do!</div>
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On the Jubilee Bank Holiday Monday we had to go back into hospital after a bit of a scare. Following this we were all a bit frazzled. So we had a chat, recognised that all four of us were worn out, Sheps and I couldn't work despite our best efforts, the kids needed some proper family time - the solution? We checked with the hospital and shot up to Scotland for a break.</div>
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It was just what we needed. We stayed in a cottage over looking the sea on the Fife coast. A place we completely fell in love with.The weather was fairly good to us considering the rain we've had recently! It was a lovely few days, we visited the pandas at Edinburgh Zoo, tripped over graduates / American tourists / golfers in St Andrews but mostly spent our time rock pooling and looking for treasure on the beach.</div>
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A month later things are a lot better. The children are now back at school and Sheps and I are back to work. And its good to be back - theres quite alot of catching up to do*! I have plans to develop the Meadow Garden collection. I've already completed this new pendant set, it will be in<a href="http://www.leighshepherddesigns.com/" target="_blank"> the shop</a> soon.</div>
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*thank you so much to everyone who knew what was going on and sent messages and thanks for your patience and understanding while waiting for wholesale orders.Leigh Shepherdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03208205155943638358noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8224410584765867266.post-59447623781167292042012-01-05T14:09:00.000-08:002012-01-16T13:50:03.609-08:00Happy 2012Happy New Year! A bit late I know, things really ran away from me over the last few weeks.<br /><br /><br />It was a very busy run up to Christmas, I began supplying several new galleries and took part in four Christmas exhibitions. But then the littlest Shepherd caught chicken pox. Its not usually a big deal, not fun either though. It became more complicated when he developed an infection in the gland in his cheek and was admitted to hospital where he was on IV antibiotics for 4 days. I stayed in with him, and Sheps came in and stayed with us each day.<br /><br />This happened on the 12th December, luckily I had despatched all of my wholesale orders but my retail orders and Not On The High Street orders still needed completing and packing. I suspended both shops so that no more purchases could be made. As we were in a room of our own at the hospital - so that the other children wouldn't catch the pox - I set up a wee despatch area,<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqvlNizwVDAwmmlgF74dtqxwd9LTojZ4zyy96R2FfGSVWDmADFlwGePqu1gY2B4fypJd1yeJAs60x4cb6a6TbhFDZtkUeQAeJpeUXFdhSeXccfcsV4eD_ccugXnbKJ-UTdazkTMriyysY/s1600/photo-10.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqvlNizwVDAwmmlgF74dtqxwd9LTojZ4zyy96R2FfGSVWDmADFlwGePqu1gY2B4fypJd1yeJAs60x4cb6a6TbhFDZtkUeQAeJpeUXFdhSeXccfcsV4eD_ccugXnbKJ-UTdazkTMriyysY/s400/photo-10.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698337044842490962" border="0" /></a>and managed to get everything out on time. We were sent home with another two weeks of antibiotics. His cheek was still swollen and very sore but he was much happier at home! Gradually over the next few days he began to feel better and the chicken pox had just about cleared up. It had been a very stressful couple of weeks so on the 23rd Sheps and I decided to take the kids to the cinema to see Arthur Christmas and kickstart the festivities. Towards the end of the film a little voice piped up "Mummy, I've got a really itchy bit on my shoulder..."<br />I think you know where this is going. A certain little girl got chicken pox for Christmas and was covered head to foot.<br /><br />Despite all of this it was a lovely Christmas, the children really enjoyed it even though every time they turned around I was ready with a thermometer or an other spoon of medicine!<br /><br />After all of that its good to get back into the swing of things, the children are back at school and I'm back in my workroom. I like January its a new year and a fresh start. I spent today working on new designs for my Seedhead brooches. Pics coming soon!<br /><br />How is 2012 treating you so far?Leigh Shepherdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03208205155943638358noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8224410584765867266.post-13602527778232507832011-10-17T02:43:00.000-07:002011-10-17T02:59:26.232-07:00Silver pricesLast week I had to make a few changes to my <a href="http://www.leighshepherddesigns.com/">website</a>. Some were changes I really wanted to make, such as finally sorting out the home page - a wee task I had been putting off for a while and then came the change I really didn't want to make and I've been holding off with fingers crossed for the better part of a year. A price increase. About a year ago the price of the silver components I use when making my jewellery more than doubled. I held off the price increase hoping that the price of silver would come down but it hasn't happened yet and I'm told that even if it does it will take a while for this to be reflected in the wholesale cost of components. When the price starts to fall of course I'll reduce my prices too.<br /><br />I'm offering free delivery on all orders placed via <a href="http://www.leighshepherddesigns.com/">the website.</a><br /><br />On a more positive note I have begun work on a new range of brooches. These feature<br />reproductions of my ink drawings of seedheads from my garden. I'd love to know what you think :)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXzE9NW6RJo1qqt9UxSK73-Ui8zJVWuhSae-qHz7zETu-_apYo4qd2lXqB_WZaaOGrCw0_MiCmvr7Vp0RQtUBDI9I9TPJ1LChC1je086IuofkUt-G421frY2Tatb2UO2MEzcmnJNe19UQ/s1600/DRA_Allium_1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 372px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXzE9NW6RJo1qqt9UxSK73-Ui8zJVWuhSae-qHz7zETu-_apYo4qd2lXqB_WZaaOGrCw0_MiCmvr7Vp0RQtUBDI9I9TPJ1LChC1je086IuofkUt-G421frY2Tatb2UO2MEzcmnJNe19UQ/s400/DRA_Allium_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664394852029549010" border="0" /></a>Leigh Shepherdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03208205155943638358noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8224410584765867266.post-26900852949908199652011-07-28T01:20:00.000-07:002011-07-28T04:25:17.624-07:00Holidays!A couple of weeks ago we snuk away for a short, much needed break. It was a last minute thing, we found a late deal on a cottage in Seahouses, Northumberland. We've never visited this area before but will<span class="st"><em></em></span> definitely be visiting again! After a bumpy start to the holiday (more on that in a minute!) we had a wonderfully relaxing time. The beaches are great, with lots of rockpools, stunning views and for unknown reasons, hardly any people! The pic below is Bamburgh Castle and beach.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPpwSpIF7OhrCHTQFNUuAOOD04Hh6hcuvyagXF-8NTZE7TBE9KhOfcHMn21vas6n4Xa_iy0Jc8zTcZ0tP71pMme1YYbrpdAq4QdcGGzoClPU4dGDn64ud1xUhyphenhyphenRDW7OQVzHNdhO5mbdHI/s1600/Seahouses+021.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPpwSpIF7OhrCHTQFNUuAOOD04Hh6hcuvyagXF-8NTZE7TBE9KhOfcHMn21vas6n4Xa_iy0Jc8zTcZ0tP71pMme1YYbrpdAq4QdcGGzoClPU4dGDn64ud1xUhyphenhyphenRDW7OQVzHNdhO5mbdHI/s400/Seahouses+021.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634346586871732530" border="0" /></a>We took a boat trip from Seahouses habour to the Farne Islands, an amazing sea bird sanctuary.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjevGzvTMjWv0zmQ_m08CxmHaZOScHGhzTKSmUBFh6Lab1KW3XXCurg_PXQD6GkFZQbmz9b4G7MhBokrwwyxwqFTeA7DhyjrDAK9vHZllS31eM8GS88S1yKPBjrbiASAuZB2fPfLyKjv9w/s1600/Seahouses+143.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjevGzvTMjWv0zmQ_m08CxmHaZOScHGhzTKSmUBFh6Lab1KW3XXCurg_PXQD6GkFZQbmz9b4G7MhBokrwwyxwqFTeA7DhyjrDAK9vHZllS31eM8GS88S1yKPBjrbiASAuZB2fPfLyKjv9w/s400/Seahouses+143.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634324504017215170" border="0" /></a>Where we were surrounded by thousands of sea birds. For me the most amazing part were the puffins. We were able to stand just a couple of feet from them! Whilst back at the cottage I'd been lamenting the lack of internet connection or even moblie phone signal on this tiny island in the sea I did get a call and took a wholesale order.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyi15j0p_CyTh4bLBkGF0GnDton2Pzo2TVnV5sl7sII0dben6CpGTWkE7ekVqTytLZvXPMT41F7iEB0lRO5HPhIr3sygXGWPlxJoIMgPu94i8m2cQPr488jdTS_Blated4Ig-yJYlDAWM/s1600/Seahouses+172.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyi15j0p_CyTh4bLBkGF0GnDton2Pzo2TVnV5sl7sII0dben6CpGTWkE7ekVqTytLZvXPMT41F7iEB0lRO5HPhIr3sygXGWPlxJoIMgPu94i8m2cQPr488jdTS_Blated4Ig-yJYlDAWM/s400/Seahouses+172.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634324508436648642" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDd8OUScfWHwocBgFgsilVA3RqSWXaSTfSQqsT9gcAq1xqUxWFP2gLgJSh3pj_Vafmbnad9kIwOwDK_8Qg9xBzvzFGDpc8SoaryPuRoPVCyRTsO1zGge57CKoJ7IZuWZVg19mlBlEuCW4/s1600/Seahouses+120.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDd8OUScfWHwocBgFgsilVA3RqSWXaSTfSQqsT9gcAq1xqUxWFP2gLgJSh3pj_Vafmbnad9kIwOwDK_8Qg9xBzvzFGDpc8SoaryPuRoPVCyRTsO1zGge57CKoJ7IZuWZVg19mlBlEuCW4/s400/Seahouses+120.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634323367415057858" border="0" /></a>There were so many more things we wanted to do, and we could have done more - but for that bumpy start to the holiday....<br /><br />We set off on the Saturday.<br /><br />Due to a road closure we had to make a detour, it took over 2 hours to travel a distance that normally takes 40 minutes, which is when the car began to fart great plumes of smoke from the exhaust. We decided the only option was to turn around and go home, hire a car and set off again. We figured we would make it to the cottage late in the evening.<br /><br />But no. When we finally made it home we started contacting car hire companies, they all closed at midday on Saturday and re-opened on Monday morning.<br /><br />We arrived at the cottage on Monday afternoon. It was a 3.5 hour trip! But it was worth it.<br /><br />The visit to Alnwick Castle and Gardens was spectacular. The kids loved playing in the water features - this is encouraged by the owners!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT_OK1ofL0pjs-rdaR-i7hFHoSdtPyWTVfKx11t2pFnY66pUn4nOxGpWg7evgfjgvEEJ4UKhDcI7vxm_FrUqkYH0b75NK-1v6-U_HebnC6tIPSH-SF2I70kgnNEiVCaOH5pDpMzz0YPKQ/s1600/Seahouses+063.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT_OK1ofL0pjs-rdaR-i7hFHoSdtPyWTVfKx11t2pFnY66pUn4nOxGpWg7evgfjgvEEJ4UKhDcI7vxm_FrUqkYH0b75NK-1v6-U_HebnC6tIPSH-SF2I70kgnNEiVCaOH5pDpMzz0YPKQ/s400/Seahouses+063.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634356883931865458" border="0" /></a>We had lunch in the amazing <a href="http://www.alnwickgarden.com/eat/eat-in-the-treehouse">Treehouse Restaurant</a> and played on the rope bridges.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGq5TPDZwfyTMzG9U2g8zDFCWUjuQvTJqiFiVj-BFW-jhKZMNzBuFZEIkBiqrq1H7vNoZ317sFUaUfMK2G5uSCPSmCmLHysGRccEwTrAAUNy7brvdsB1s0pvlUwqUZ5eOfzR2uPnIsvec/s1600/Seahouses+070.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGq5TPDZwfyTMzG9U2g8zDFCWUjuQvTJqiFiVj-BFW-jhKZMNzBuFZEIkBiqrq1H7vNoZ317sFUaUfMK2G5uSCPSmCmLHysGRccEwTrAAUNy7brvdsB1s0pvlUwqUZ5eOfzR2uPnIsvec/s400/Seahouses+070.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634358689499193426" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT8nb3kBSdWRKD_ySWeyEWnrwaDJmWCLWpbgCMrnWYB_VU60KMgCF6beTUHzf2ctGQudhPBR77I4exopYgZTecfWozWeHtbGw88dGf6fG51zidTg1EzzaDDE1x2VQPynGsSauPtVrc4V8/s1600/Seahouses+073.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT8nb3kBSdWRKD_ySWeyEWnrwaDJmWCLWpbgCMrnWYB_VU60KMgCF6beTUHzf2ctGQudhPBR77I4exopYgZTecfWozWeHtbGw88dGf6fG51zidTg1EzzaDDE1x2VQPynGsSauPtVrc4V8/s400/Seahouses+073.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634359799832478082" border="0" /></a>So even though our short break was even shorter than expected, this is a place we all want to visit again.Leigh Shepherdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03208205155943638358noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8224410584765867266.post-67311119834044870242011-06-30T12:47:00.000-07:002011-06-30T13:38:11.668-07:00The tea tray systemIts been a very busy and exciting few months here in the studio. Since making the decision to focus on wholesale work and so exhibiting at the British Craft Trade Show (BCTF) I haven't stood still.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg569VwxYDO6cnFvLXUPUp2Zzjsa_VjVp7BaUYOK_iXiFadEd99GZquYVoJ6rAMbTs_JAti1O9QhEF6gMig0eOfaZpomDE3LnbVeANfHfJHyYPel-5mkARGQSAG3tUwmZuD8yDNp5Us7U8/s1600/photo-3.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg569VwxYDO6cnFvLXUPUp2Zzjsa_VjVp7BaUYOK_iXiFadEd99GZquYVoJ6rAMbTs_JAti1O9QhEF6gMig0eOfaZpomDE3LnbVeANfHfJHyYPel-5mkARGQSAG3tUwmZuD8yDNp5Us7U8/s400/photo-3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624103522325586802" border="0" /></a>On the third day of the fair I had to tell customers that my lead time would be 10 weeks rather than the 3 - 4 weeks stated in my trade info. Since then I've been busy filling orders. My order book is still looking healthy as repeat orders are coming in.<br /><br />One of the first things I needed to do to be able to complete orders was re-organise the studio. Again. All of the pieces I make are finished with resin which needs around three days to dry. Drying resin needs completely level, dust free surfaces. I needed more surface areas. I also needed somewhere to store part orders while the rest of the order was drying or waiting to be finished. That's when I came up with the 'tea tray system'. I bought a set of Ivar shelving from Ikea - these are great! They are a doddle to put up and can be rearranged on a whim. I set the shelves 4inches apart - just wide enough for me to be able to slide the trays on to maximise space. Then I bought a stack of plastic tea trays. I label the tray with the gallery name and home it on the shelves. This way I can work on several orders at once without losing track.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhViPFbfFPLvTUtZJDiUFURhB_2gV6h3PIVqgiHUNu3o8G4iZiZZsHmbJy6mYJUivkEPp-tODwdi-c2mk60TvYHcfzyMddXMS6P4PkA0NWS8TjCRDoLi6b0UkaG1kqWpHm93V4YK40NWI/s1600/lomop.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhViPFbfFPLvTUtZJDiUFURhB_2gV6h3PIVqgiHUNu3o8G4iZiZZsHmbJy6mYJUivkEPp-tODwdi-c2mk60TvYHcfzyMddXMS6P4PkA0NWS8TjCRDoLi6b0UkaG1kqWpHm93V4YK40NWI/s400/lomop.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624103098412880498" border="0" /></a>It's not very sophisticated, much like myself, but it works, much like myself. And I make no apologies for the pics, I'm loving the iphone photo apps these are from lo-mob if you can recommend any others please let me know xLeigh Shepherdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03208205155943638358noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8224410584765867266.post-40377799662353212092011-05-21T09:13:00.000-07:002011-05-21T12:58:19.793-07:006 Days to Go!Only six days to go 'til my favourite event of the year. For the first time ever the <a href="http://www.saltaireartstrail.co.uk/">Saltaire Arts Trail</a> will be held in May. Yes, May - please don't forget! I've been dishing out fliers about this for a good few weeks and so many people have commented that I'm really early, or isn't that in September? Nope its in 6 days!!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5dFP3z9IZX0bOk2ULoxODNxYgm9VwZfueLN8hFydJ9o-QI-miSaCuf7PKZz8qVLbrJ_MusW8K8JgpkSXqVYhZY5qRD-gOJxAmvRU-kum88Wio7HKNYbVDJeIO2v_zESkWdE8x4UomkNE/s1600/SAT+cover.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 284px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5dFP3z9IZX0bOk2ULoxODNxYgm9VwZfueLN8hFydJ9o-QI-miSaCuf7PKZz8qVLbrJ_MusW8K8JgpkSXqVYhZY5qRD-gOJxAmvRU-kum88Wio7HKNYbVDJeIO2v_zESkWdE8x4UomkNE/s400/SAT+cover.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5609203598270261314" border="0" /></a>I'd love to be able to tell you that I'm ready, stock made, stall set up planned, signs printed but I'm not quite there yet! Now if you were to pop over to visit <a href="http://wychbury.blogspot.com/">Wychbury</a>, there you will find all sorts going on. Paula, one half of the <a href="http://wychbury.blogspot.com/">Wychbury</a> partnership organises the Makers' Fair and has committed to writing a daily diary of a run up to the event, crazy lady, as if she hasn't got enough going on!<br /><br />Here is a link to the official Arts Trail site please<a href="http://www.saltaireartstrail.co.uk/"> click here </a><br /><a href="http://saltaireartstrail.blogspot.com/2011/05/interview-with-leigh-shepherd.html">here</a> is a link to the Arts Trail blog with a feature about what I do,<br /><br />hope to see you next weekend!Leigh Shepherdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03208205155943638358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8224410584765867266.post-63833140986704832592011-04-14T13:28:00.000-07:002011-04-16T10:00:57.865-07:00BCTFThis is a very late post about my first time exhibiting at a trade show. It's a very late post generally as I realise the last time I wrote anything here was <span style="font-size:78%;">January</span> oops! But I haven't been slacking it's been a very busy few months and thanks to BCTF it's a whole lot busier now!<br /><br />For those of you that might not of heard of it before BCTF is the British Craft Trade Fair. It is held annually in April at the Showground in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. I visited last year to help me to decide if I should apply and to see how the stands are set up and work displayed. I took along some samples and had a chat with the organisers, they were great, they offered me some advice, and accepted my application.<br /><br />So on Saturday 2nd April Sheps and I set off to put my stand together. I'm so glad he came with me, with over 500 stands you can imagine how busy it was! I've always attended craft fairs by myself, but this is a different ball game. I was exhibiting in the Newcomers section so my shell scheme stand was 2 metres wide x 1 metre deep. Tiny. And scarily white and bare. We spent about 3 hours changing it around before we were reasonably satisfied.<br /><br />Then we sneaked off to Fodder for lunch. it was very good. I can vouch for the Yorkshire wine. I know, wine from Leeds!!<br /><br />Here are the pics of the stand. I meant to do before and after shots but I forgot!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMTyW8-U-9Lp1E7LIrXqGQEL_lG3WyqHJgarRKR_fwWtwC59BOyVegc9__-tUTHInG-SZD_gEqZPdnPsWoXpap0YFKr4YNK4tkWZlQwNcWy4yk0VLahm7k7Sl6kMO5havt6UDB3IYLuMQ/s1600/lomop.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMTyW8-U-9Lp1E7LIrXqGQEL_lG3WyqHJgarRKR_fwWtwC59BOyVegc9__-tUTHInG-SZD_gEqZPdnPsWoXpap0YFKr4YNK4tkWZlQwNcWy4yk0VLahm7k7Sl6kMO5havt6UDB3IYLuMQ/s400/lomop.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595540054362590626" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzxSxOMhF6BsKBPKDQ6NgHoD9rd0MwVjUrfkYoIatUhpVmYLskiySaqE5tEPpiLVt2SMKQxE-Ew5Ti0ObG-QSKoHh7QTbGXtXsoPnsdVThNwJeyUufANdGM0sw9aWKyCjSYmQ4xhms0k4/s1600/lomop%25282%2529.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzxSxOMhF6BsKBPKDQ6NgHoD9rd0MwVjUrfkYoIatUhpVmYLskiySaqE5tEPpiLVt2SMKQxE-Ew5Ti0ObG-QSKoHh7QTbGXtXsoPnsdVThNwJeyUufANdGM0sw9aWKyCjSYmQ4xhms0k4/s400/lomop%25282%2529.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595539894924500978" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinm9Qi2kstu5Z2v2clPo0F4uAwjj98mTd39wMcjaiMHtebJ_UQ9VQEnu4kIYcd4DhzsKVywJ73Sn6j7d7eUjlKIvKL-nfMTGdxtC-9LV8UwJEwJGm50nldobnh315Yrwj0uKkHTv_9s6c/s1600/photo.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinm9Qi2kstu5Z2v2clPo0F4uAwjj98mTd39wMcjaiMHtebJ_UQ9VQEnu4kIYcd4DhzsKVywJ73Sn6j7d7eUjlKIvKL-nfMTGdxtC-9LV8UwJEwJGm50nldobnh315Yrwj0uKkHTv_9s6c/s400/photo.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595539886053918482" border="0" /></a>The show worked out really well for me. I took lots of orders during the event and they have been coming in since I got back. I made lots of contacts too and I will be following these up over the next few weeks. But definet<em></em>ely the one of the best things was meeting lots of other exhibitors. I was 3 stands down from<a href="http://www.rachellucie.co.uk/"> Rachel Lucie Jewellery Designs</a> I knew Rachel before this from attending the same fairs so we spent time having a catch up. Opposite my stand was Gabriella Buckingham from <a href="http://moobaacluck.blogspot.com/">Moobaacluck</a> a lovely, lovely lady, I just wish we lived a bit closer because I want another good natter! I really enjoyed talking with her and hope we can meet up again at some point. I also met some of the people I have been talking to / following on Twitter. I'll write more about them all next time.<br />I have already booked a stand for next year and have been thinking about how I want to change my display.Leigh Shepherdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03208205155943638358noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8224410584765867266.post-26460959704142642192011-01-02T08:43:00.000-08:002011-01-02T10:41:17.600-08:00Happy New Year!We have had a lovely relaxing few days. With the way Christmas and New Years Eve fell this year it seems to have made the whole holiday more relaxing. Do you feel the same?<br />Looking back to last year and considering my work goals over all its been a good year:<br />*sales have been much higher<br />*joining Not On The High Street has helped alot and I'm glad I made the leap - I was very worried about the investment needed but it seems to be paying off<br />*I've increased the wholesale side of my business. Working with the British Museum has been great and has spurred me on to build more wholesale links.<br /><br />The main thing that I haven't done that I really wanted to do is sort out my website. It took me sooo long to build it that if I have to do it again I need to know it will be right. I want to be able to offer discount codes and postage offers. I spoke to a web designer / developer chap a couple of months ago but he wanted to host the site himself, which I will not do and wanted to charge a monthly maintenance fee plus fees for additions.... I will stick with doing it myself. So that remains a goal for this year. If you can recommend anything it would be much appreciated. I'm with Shopify at the moment, the upgrade to the package that offers all the bells and whistles is quite alot so I'm open to suggestions :)<br /><br />But back to enjoying some quiet time.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgxtBo1ITOQ-WLpejNpY3rjHXgsLbvsSpAuG_DYvrG_7sxrolGXTNjAzldB3uO92_3dSGAo4wRDTDSObjC36tJ55kOm3L9VghUMfnHKIOGirZqqNUyJIAD1AzJmLrYmH_tvaX9veGBnak/s1600/knitting+242.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgxtBo1ITOQ-WLpejNpY3rjHXgsLbvsSpAuG_DYvrG_7sxrolGXTNjAzldB3uO92_3dSGAo4wRDTDSObjC36tJ55kOm3L9VghUMfnHKIOGirZqqNUyJIAD1AzJmLrYmH_tvaX9veGBnak/s400/knitting+242.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557656511173129186" border="0" /></a><br />Way back in July a lovely friend gave me the most beautiful knitting needles for my birthday. What?? You didn't know knitting needles could be beautiful? Take a look at these....<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdoCWfWGZfquuZvgYslcVCUwubrzCXN_CQ_fX-O0ySytvF-P8N9c_qZL8wesjJohPKlNKPEBRsYFqk6QsgwP_L-vGBqf9eaJ3FCzgqZgSg5GebcplF-lXdfQkaZQazxpspI3LSohlSnZM/s1600/knitting_a.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 350px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdoCWfWGZfquuZvgYslcVCUwubrzCXN_CQ_fX-O0ySytvF-P8N9c_qZL8wesjJohPKlNKPEBRsYFqk6QsgwP_L-vGBqf9eaJ3FCzgqZgSg5GebcplF-lXdfQkaZQazxpspI3LSohlSnZM/s400/knitting_a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557658146728696834" border="0" /></a>She knew I wanted to have a go at knitting and what better encouragment could a girl have? I haven't knitted since I was a little girl and I needed help from my mum to get going I'm loving it! I find it so relaxing. I'm pretty hopeless though. I've made two dish clothes this week. Huge and holey as they are I'm happy with them :) Not sure what to tackle next. Knitting patterns look a bit daunting so we may be swamped with dish clothes.<br /><br />Heres wishing you a very happy, healthy new year xxLeigh Shepherdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03208205155943638358noreply@blogger.com4