We've got Contemporary Craft & Natural Beauty - all sewn up with Self Sufficiency in the City!

The Surrey Docks City Farm 'first Saturday' Market has come around again.... I awoke at 5am this morning with a new feeling of joy for my latest passion 'Self Sufficiency Courses (in the city)'

Today is the day that I launch the latest branch of my ever growing personal tree of expansion into living a more eco, sustainable and authentic life.. all in a very cool and contemporary way of course!!..

I have spent the last couple of months on a massive soul searching trip (since finding myself single – again – and consequently living with one of my best mates in her fabulous house  with a garden in Croydon) and finding the answer in the newly branded Self Sufficiency Courses.. ‘Self Sufficiency In The City’ – inspiring people to live a self sufficient lifestyle from within by providing ‘feel good’ courses at city farms and other locations in and around London...

The Courses that will be provided will not only be my usual contemporary craft sewing and design classes - but will also incorporate handmade natural bath + beauty, cosmetics and even learning to make household cleaning products! Karen Gilbert will be teaching the Natural Beauty Classes, I also intend to bring on other teachers for eco jewellery making, sustainable arts + crafts projects etc.

So... With the website up – promo done (actually printing till late in the evening) and fabulous promo bags printed (thanks to timebomb t-shirts)  ... and with the confirmation of the first date of courses being on the 21^st August '10 at Surrey Docks City Farm, Karen Gilbert and myself set off in Lily the Pink Taxi’ – picking up Cheryl (fabulous potter also trading at the Surrey Docks City Farm market today) en route – we were at the City Farm for a nice early start to get the 'First Saturday' market rockin’

The rain eased off and the sun shone brightly for the majority of the day- people came and visited us in the extended Miss Libby Rose Craft hut (with marquee attached) and were very interested in the Self Sufficiency ( in the City ) Courses - we were pleased with the feedback. It was quite apparent that the Miss Libby Rose Contemporary / Eco Crafts work well alongside Natural Beauty courses and people were keen to know more - and even book on to the courses as gifts for loved ones!

As the day went on... we ate food from the brilliant Frizzante cafe – including my favourite wheat free polenta cake – mmmmmm...  a new arrival of a friend that was very excitable and hopefully a new regular to the 'First Saturday' City Farm market ... Hello Roody...  

We had lots of interest in the Self Sufficiency courses... and were able to give away a couple of goodie bags for sign ups: –
the Eco Craft and Natural Beauty goodie bags are a great incentive for people to visit and sign up – our bags consisted of a bath bomb wrapped in organza and lace, lip balm, shower gel and a ‘smelly bird’  (lavender and rose stuffed crafty bird)...

The actual course day that we were promoting today will be in two weeks time on the 21^st August in the Miss Libby Rose Crafts Hut at Surrey Docks City Farm. It will be a morning (10am - 1pm) of ‘Grow Your Own Beauty’  with Neals Yard trained – Karen Gilbert and an afternoon (2pm - 5pm) of  the Contemporary Crafts + sewing class ‘A Few of My favourite Things’ with yours truly... if you do want more info check out: www.selfsufficiencycourses.co.uk...

So now - at the end of a tiresome day - I will reflect and admit that the market wasn’t as busy as we had hoped, but at peak holiday season and an on / off rainy day – all in all we had fun and have really started to establish a nice little market at Surrey Docks City Farm.

Thanks to everyone who attended– especially the other lovely traders also selling and promoting their wares.... xxx

See you next month!

We often forget the small things in life - and I reckon if we all took a bit more time to ponder... we may feel a lot more secure in ourselves and our surroundings...

I have been working hard building a new site 'Self Sufficiency Courses' it will be launched at the First Saturday Market on the 7th August at Surrey Docks City Farm, while hard at work on the content and allowing the new ideas to process.. I wrote this...

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Morning...

I love the still and calm that the morning brings
Staring out into the garden at the plants and trees, while the rest of the street sleeps.

Both calming and erratic thoughts fly around in the air,
allowing me to seize on one or maybe more that will keep me on my path for the day.
Thank you morning for your loveliness...

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Morning everyone! Hope to see you soon and I hope you have a fabulous creative flow in the meantime xxx

The First of the monthly markets at Surrey Docks Farm has come and gone. What fabulous weather! What a brilliant day and a great start to something new, learn about the farm, and learn to sew!

I had suggested to Barry (the market manager) some time ago -  after the very successful Spring Fair, that we should start up a monthly market - as with most new and fresh ideas - he agreed and we got the word out straight away! After a lot of planning and preparation - the day finally arrived and Saturday, 3rd July saw the first of the Surrey Docks Farm Markets arise!

In true, Miss Libby Rose - crafty fashion - we ran a workshop! making bee costumes (in the end it was anything - butterflies, lady bugs etc)

we had mini - bees - both girls and boys.. butterflies and even the adults joined in



check out Costume Queen's blog post on the day!

 

...and so we now start to arrange next months event... Want to join in?

We would love to make the market truly accessable to all and involve more and more crafts, arts and all things brilliant! ....

A word from Barry: (market + farm manager) "We want to create an innovative and regular market at the farm for local produce, arts, crafts, clothes, collectables and delightful surprises.  If you'd like a stall there for £20 paid at 9.30am on the day, please This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to request more information and state clearly in your email, in no more than 50 words, what you'd sell and why.  Bring your own 6 foot stall or use one of our solid trestle tables for £5 extra."

Over the weekend, I have been helping out my friends on their fabulous 'Shine' jewellery stall in greenwich market..The owners of the business are Louise Hatch + Kate Jaconello, both have been running the business for 8 years (I think..) and are a real part of the whole greenwich market 'scene'

Kate has had quite a lot of family stuff going on, the last being her mother falling and fracturing her hip, so I offered to lend a hand to help Louise keep the business running.

Louise Hatch is the main buyer of the jewellery and has such a keen eye for fashion and trend. It is something that is quite admirable, as even though I am a 'fashion designer' I certainly do not have the eye for trends that she does! This is most noticeable with the regular customers that buy off the Shine stall, they know what they are getting is key to the latest trends and fashion. Saying all of this - there is another side to the business that concentrates on crystals, chakra healing and pieces that have a lot more substance than 'fashion' but I will go into this in more depth another time..

Over the weekend we have had such fun including a fabulous fascinator display (these things are quite hard to display) flowers in our hair, lots of cups of tea and of course some lovely customers!

Look out world.. I have started blogging!