Blogging about crafting, volunteering and trying to fit in the family bit too
It’s the NCVO Volunteer’s Week which wants to celebrate the contribution of the 23 million community volunteers in the UK.
If you know a volunteer, say thank you to them. Parent helpers at school, your son’s cub leader, the President of your WI, the person behind the counter of the local charity shop. There are 23 million of them to thank!
And if you want to volunteer with GirlGuiding, just click here and tell them Craftyguider sent you!
It was a great year for the shop. Craftyguider had it’s best year yet, and I raised a nice sum of money to put into the Guide accounts. I get to meet Theo Paphitis soon to collect my #SBS (Small Business Sunday) award, and I featured in Guiding magazine and the local press. However, I didn’t manage to launch a presence on Etsy, or learn about taking better photos.
I managed to make enough Christmas cards for friends and family, and sold handmade Christmas cards and tags in my shop for the first time. However I didn’t start in July as planned, and had a few late nights before craft fairs frantically making stock.
I handmade a few Christmas and birthday gifts this year, however I didn’t make as many as I’d planned to.
I kept up to date with my Q&A a day diary (if you count the odd catch up sessions when I missed a couple/few/several days), however the Craftyguidelets didn’t do theirs.
I blogged more than usual, however I didn’t get into a rhythm and get all my ideas off the ground, especially more tutorials.
I worked hard to keep my local Rainbow and Brownie units open and helped to recruit new leaders, however I didn’t manage to get new units to open so that all the girls who want to join, can.
I have completed quite a few magazine kits this year, but not the one a week I wanted to. I have also tackled the magazine mountain and now say to myself that buying more magazines doesn’t make me happy, and the clutter makes me sad when I’m standing at the magazine display in the supermarket. However, the magazine hill is still there.
I haven’t learned how to procrastinate less, I’m still carrying some extra pounds, and the office is a bomb site.
I have learned an important thing this year though. I can’t (and shouldn’t) do everything. I don’t have to fill every available minute in the service of others or dusting the bannisters or attending meetings or making things for the shop. I need to prioritise my girls, my husband, my family and me. All the ‘howevers’ above have occurred because something else came up. A craft session with the Craftyguidelets, making Elsa dresses, going on family holidays, extra time at the park after school, a day out on my own to a craft fair as a customer, not a vendor.
Have a wonderful new year everyone, and I hope 2015 is everything you want it to be.
Louise x
After doing the Books About Town trail around London in the summer, the Craftyguidelets and I decided to sample the Transport for London Bus Sculpture Trail to celebrate the Year of the Bus. As one of the trails started and finished near the Tower of London, we took the chance to take Mr Craftyguider and mother in law with us to see the poppies now that the installation was almost complete.
We had seen the poppies in August, but so many more had been added since then. It is such a stunning sight. It really brings home the 888,246 lives lost in WWI and has taught the Craftyguidelets a lot about the scale of casualties of the war.
We got there as early as our travelcards allowed us from the sticks but it was so busy, we were advised to get off the train at Aldgate rather than Tower Hill. However, after lunch when we were the other side of the river, we looked back at the Tower and it was swarming with people. Even crossing Tower Bridge was hard due to the volume of people coming the other way.
If you can get to see the poppies before it finishes, it is worth the trip. Just try going early!
After lunch, we crossed the river to start the bus sculpture trail. The bus models have been painted by well-known and aspiring artists and spread over 3 trails along the river and in the City, around Westminster, and in the Olympic Park. Another trail will also open up before Christmas.
Having looked for book benches in the summer, I didn’t find this as exciting. The book benches could be sat on and represented books that were mainly familiar to me and the Craftyguidelets. The buses were each labelled with a big sign saying DO NOT CLIMB.
This Orla Kiely design was at least familiar to me.
This placement was really great with Tower Bridge directly behind the bus. I wish the weather was as good as that painted on the bus though!
This punk bus was outside St Pauls. Not sure of the connection there!
This is the Kids Company bus with images of children sleeping on the bus to escape homelessness, and was painted by an ambassador of the charity.
And this bus was the last on the trail representing the 24 hour nature of the city and the buses.
I don’t think we’ll be back to look for the other buses. However, it was a nice day out and took us round several of the London sights, so it would be a nice guided tour along the river for a visitor in combination with a trip to the Tower.
The Paddington Bear trail starts on 4th November. I’m already excited by this one as there are bears designed by celebrities. I’m a bit disappointed that Bear Grylls has a Scouting bear and Girlguiding doesn’t have one. If we do visit it, I’m dressing the family up in Guiding uniforms and travelling to Heathrow to be photographed with it.
And then there are 300 owls to find in Birmingham next year. Surely Guiding gets first call on that!
Where did our time go September? 30 days and it was all over!
You gave me glorious weather (mostly!) and lots of time in the garden appreciating the wonderful flowers still blooming their socks off. Considering that from February to April it looked like a muddy mess, now it’s landscaped and lovely.
My little Leprechaun turned Imp now has her Brownie Gardener badge for the hard work she put in sowing seeds, thinning out, weeding, watering and finally clearing away. Hopefully she’ll help again next Spring, and her grandparents want to hire her for her skills with a seed packet.
I achieved things, September. This pretty dress for Rainbow Craftyguidelet, some cards, some bunting, and even a tutorial for the book bags I made for the Craftyguidelets’ music lessons. Sales have been picking up with Craftyguider following a bit of promo work, and the big push to Christmas starts now. The Christmas shop is now open. I just need to fill it up a bit more!
My Guiding life has started again. Guides and Rainbows are back, and once again I am juggling admin, trying to get as many girls as possible off the waiting lists and into units where they can join the fun, and trying to encourage more volunteers to come forward and help this to happen.I have also started Trefoil Guild which is like the WI for Guiding types. It was so lovely just going to a meeting for grown ups, not being asked to do anything, not being responsible for anything, not feeling guilty for not doing more. I just enjoyed the talk on the fabulous work of Guide Dogs and the puppy walkers. Finally something just for me to enjoy!
WI planning has started again for our Handmade Christmas Craft Fair on 16th November. I need to get a shifty on for my stall!
But then just like that it was over September. 30 days of full on busyness and then phwoomp! October happened.
Autumn is here and I’ll be joining in with Miss Beatrix’s #BashSAD challenge to banish the blues of the shorter days. I’m also attempting to complete a whole month of the Fat Mum Slim #fmsphotoaday challenge on Instagram. My house is finally gaining some order after a summer of neglect, the kids are settled at school. Let’s do this October!
What was that? Half term at the end of the month? *sticks fingers in ears and pretends not to hear*
What are you up to this month?
I’m shining a light for World Thinking Day 2014. Happy birthday Lord and Lady Baden Powell and thanks for the adventure.
2014 is the year that Brownies celebrate their Centenary. All members of Girlguiding from Rainbows to Adults have a Big Brownie Birthday Challenge badge that they can work towards so we can join in with the celebrations, even if we aren’t Brownies. Challenges take inspiration from various milestone years in the last 100 years in the Brownie programme.
1957 was Baden-Powell Centenary year (being 100 years since the birth of Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting and Guiding) and Brownies did six World Good Turns on the theme of Houses of Today and Tomorrow. On the evening of World Thinking Day (22nd February), all members put lights in their window to celebrate the joint birthdays of Lord and Lady Baden-Powell.
In this Brownie Centenary year, and also Hertfordshire County’s Centenary year, Girlguiding is challenging as many members and former members of Guiding to put a light in their window on the evening of 22nd February. It doesn’t matter if you were thrown out of the Brownies (if I had a pound for every time…) or if you have your 40 year service award, put a light in your window to remember Robert and Olave Baden-Powell’s birthday and the contribution they made to the lives of millions of people around the world.
Time to dig out those Christmas lights again and think of something imaginative for my window.
What are your memories of Guiding?
I have a lot of craft stuff as I have many different crafting interests. I am an expert at packing it away, but this causes problems as I never know what I have, or it is so difficult to get at I never use it. This week I have a had a sort out and tidy up as in 2 months, 18 days, 6 hours and 19 minutes (at time of writing!), a certain bearded, rotund, elderly gentleman will be doing his rounds.
My ribbons are more organised, although I still have 2 disorganised boxes of scraps, lace, ric rac and “miscellaneous”. I have also sorted my embellishments for card making so it is easier to select a box of flowers or some crystals to use on projects.
I’ve had a few family and friend cards to make including supervising these 3 for my dad. From left to right, created by eldest Craftyguidelet, youngest Craftyguidelet and me. Having access to all my stamps again meant a stamping frenzy.
The sewing machine has also had an airing.
I’ve been meaning to make these holsters for the Craftyguidelets’ water bottles for some time. When they travel to and from school they have all sorts of luggage including book bags, PE kits, music folders and cardigans, and it’s come up as a problem at the school parent forum. Perhaps I can sell these at my next craft fair.
Having posted a picture of my Rainbow unit’s latest batch of ‘patrol’ badges, a Rainbow leader on twitter requested some for her unit too. She loves them and hopefully the Rainbows will too.
And now, those with delicate sensibilities should look away. I am about to use the C word.
CHRISTMAS!!!!
Christmas card production has started.
I have made 23 cards and glued together 14 decoupaged toppers. Fortunately I have lots of pre-prepped bits and pieces so at the moment it is full steam ahead. Needless to say it will slow down when I start on the stamping and colouring.
I have also started a bit of Christmas crafting.
These angels came in a kit I bought and didn’t get round to making last year. The instructions were poor but I managed to adjust them to make three decorations for my Christmas tree this year. I also tried to finish making the leftover fabric pine cones that the Guides had last year for their Christmas craft. The aim is to put them up for sale to put the funds back into the unit, like everything in my Craftyguider shop, however I ran out of pins so it’s back to the shop I go for more.
I am really enjoying this flurry of crafting. In a tough week health-wise, it’s kept me going and I’m ticking off the WIPs.
Have you started your Christmas crafting yet?
Linking with Handmade Harbour’s Handmade Monday linky party.
Another month, another opportunity to confess my WIP busting progress at the #WIPslinky party.
I have had successes in the past. The dresses for the Craftyguidelets continue to be worn, I still love my tablet case, and I think the draughts have ceased in my friend’s hallway.
Last month I set myself the target of finishing my satchel which at the time looked like this…
Well, ta dah!
Yes. Not very impressive is it? I’ve ironed on all the interfacing, made the strap and made one tab. I did start another one but it was so fiddly being upholstery fabric, and it started fraying everywhere so I had to cut out a new one. It was also taking up so much time, it’s gone back into the project bag and back into the drawer for a bit. I haven’t given up on it forever, but I need to concentrate a bit more time on the business and getting ready for Christmas craft fairs.
My other targets from last month were to finish my frame purses…
…tick! and to carry on making a new uniform for the Rainbow mascot, Olivia. Fortunately, Girlguiding UK has started to stock large Olivia’s again so I am saved from this task. I still need to design and make a Rainbow banner for Remembrance Sunday, as well as make some new badges for our Rainbow groups like this.
At Guides, we are going to be making macrame bracelets so of course I needed to learn how to make them myself. After a bit of practice, I’ve finished a sewing machine charm one. I just need to source some different charms for the Guides that are a bit more age and interest appropriate.
And as for October’s #WIPlinky party target? I suppose I should start making my Christmas cards, as well as getting my Christmas craft fair stock ready.
Which WIPs are you attempting this month?
Linking with Tales from Mount Pleasant’s #WIPslinky party
Because you said yes…
A young girl will feel the pride of being someone special as she carefully puts on her uniform for the very first time.
A girl can move to a new town and have “instant friendships” with girls she might never have met.
Parents will experience that special pride when they listen to their daughter say the Guide Promise for the first time.
Bright eyes will become a little brighter with excitement as the kindling finally catches on the first camp fire.
Nervous giggles will emit from tents as girls try to fall asleep their first night of camp.
The community, and yes, the world will be richer because a girl has learned the importance of caring for her environment and the warm feeling that comes from giving service to someone less fortunate than herself.
A parent will find a Promise Badge carefully tucked away in a drawer as their daughter packs to leave home for her first adventures as a young adult.
A young woman will contact the Guides one day and say, “I had so much fun when I was a Guide, I’d like to try being a Leader.”
…and the circle will continue – because you said yes!
source and author unknown
When I was about 8 or 9, I moved from Highgate to Enfield, changed school and just started to make friends. I used to play outside with my siblings, and my sister and I were spotted by one of the neighbours. Mrs Cockaday lived a few doors down and was just about to open a new Brownie and Guide unit. My mum was happy for us to make new friends and try something new so we were amongst the first batch of girls to join. Because of my age, I was only a Brownie for about a year and gained my Agility and Road badges. I then flew up to Guides and my Guidey swottiness began.
I loved being a Guide. I went to all the camps, got all the collective badge emblems, over 50 interest badges, my service flash, patrol pennants, patrol purpose patches, Queens Guide award, Baden Powell Trefoil award – and then I was old enough to be a Ranger Guide. Captain retired and I moved on.
I joined Rangers with a friend. We went to a Youth Hostel, painted the hut, did our swimming trial for kayaking, and I made plans to do the new Queens Guide award. But then it all went wrong. The Venture Scouts were going to close, probably due to lack of leaders or members, so the Rangers were going to convert to Venture Scouts to combine the two units. This would have been OK if the boys in the Venture Unit hadn’t have been my little brother’s mates. No way was I giving up my evening to spend time with boys, especially them. Unfortunately I hadn’t been told about becoming a Young Leader so I left Guiding.
A few years later, after I’d been to University (oblivious to SSAGO too as I commuted in 2 hours each way every day so couldn’t be in any of the clubs), I spotted an article in the local paper. “Guide unit to close unless they find a new leader” sort of thing. Much to the surprise of the District Commissioner, I answered the ad saying I’d help. I ended up becoming leader, much to my surprise as I imagined Guide leaders all being older women.
I’ve done most of the volunteer jobs in Guiding – leader of Rainbows, Brownies, Guides, Rangers, Young Leaders, District and Division Commissioner, I hold my camp, holiday, first aid and music licences, I can still tie my knots and I can light a fire using just one Cub Scout and some kindling. Almost 19 years later and I am still here. I tell people I had two daughters so they can take over my unit when I’m too doddery to carry on. My blood is Guiding blue.
But the most important thing is that I’ve been part of the lives of hundreds of girls and young women because Mrs Cockaday, my Guide Captain, said yes.
If you want to say yes, just click here to find out more. You don’t have to have been a Guidey swot, women who were “kicked out of the Brownies” as a child can still apply, men can help out in various ways. Even if you have never been in Guiding at all, you can be trained up. It looks great on a CV and a UCAS form, and as I sit here blurry eyed thinking of all those circles I’ve been part of, there are girls all over the UK who won’t get the chance to join in due to lack of leaders.
Unless you say yes.