upcycling as fast as I can

In readiness for the Mapua Makers Market (which I am helping organise) I need to make some things (funny that!) and thought I needed to give myself a crafty biz name. I do have a felt shop, but have never sold anything on it, or actually tried very hard, but the name is naff, and I no longer want to use it. So, I had to come up with another name. I already have the email address for mahana red which I like, but can't use as it's the name of an apple variety, and I'm not wanting to get into any copyright issues. Unlike poor Kylie of 3 Sheets fame, who has had to change her name due to some woman in the states threatening to sue her. I digress, back to my name - I tried mahana reddish out, but nah, thought about mahana redhead, but I'm such a faded redhead now I'd feel a fraud. So I think mahana redlegs is the one, mainly because I like the byline/motto that goes with it "upcycling as fast as a I can". Gosh, I think I'd better slap a copyright on that, cos I don't want anyone pinching it!

So what am I going to have on my table at MMM? Good question, as this is my first "craft" market I'm a little bit green to say the least, and all of a sudden 1.8 metres of table seems like a lot! So I have a lot of cards that I've sold before, and my woolly jumper birds, the chooks I've shown here , plus tuis, owls and fantasy birds (which I must take some good photos of!). Then there are my "end of the line" brooches made from a London Underground tea towel, which I've also shared here.

That's the woolly side of my making, the other half is more wooden. I collect alot of driftwood. Not any old driftwood, but wood that was used on land to make things before it ended up in the sea. My most precious bits are ones which have paint on them, none of which I've made anything out of yet! One day ..... I have however (to appease the hubby who is horrified about the growing piles of wood in the shed) started to use some of my wood. The first things I made were embroidered wooden hearts which can be wall hung or propped as shown above. Being an artist I also want to paint on wood, like I've done before and thought I'd blogged about, but alas not - instead there is a photo on my facebook page here, in case you are interested!

So, finally after lot of umming and ahhing some wood was chosen, a piece of steel was found, holes were drilled, gesso was applied, paint was painted and voila! A painted, wooden "thing" - not sure that I can call it a painting or a sculpture..... I can tell you it represents the land and sea, summer and winter, female and male - all very yinny and yanggy. As to whether it has any appeal to the discerning public, only time will tell.

On the home front, we are all excited to have the hubby home tomorrow morning after another two week stint in India. Since he has been gone autumn has really arrived, and it's actually been raining. He's missed lots of gorgeous sunrises like this one!