Monday 26th May – Fonmon Castle

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We’re excited to be attending the South Wales Dog & Family Fun Day next Monday 26th May.  We’ve heard a lot of good things about this event, but this is the first time we’ve been able to be there.

Dog Fun Day Poster

There will be fun dog show, competitions, demonstrations, falconry, entertainment, music as well as trade stands like ours, all the grounds of the fabulous Fonmon Castle (near Cardiff Airport).

We’ll have our range of candle holders (including a few new designs), our ever expanding menagerie of animal ornaments, jewelery, engraved boxes and wooden postcards.

The event is open to the public from 9am to 5pm, and so far the weather forecast looks good!  We hope to see you there.

 

Happy Wolf Month! First new design of 2014.

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During the Christmas markets, I was surprised how many people asked me if I had a wolf design.  They have probably been extinct in Britain since the seventeenth century, are still remembered fondly by at least a few people.  I didn’t have one then, but I do now.

Wooden wolf ornament

Also available in acrylic.

Acrylic wolf ornament

* ‘Wolf-month’ or ‘Wolf-monath’

The Saxon name for January, because “people are wont always in that month to be in more danger of being devoured by wolves than in any other.” (Verstegan.)

These days, the risk is pretty similar every month.

Taking to the streets again

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From tomorrow, Sunday 15th December, we’ll be back at Cardiff Christmas Market.   We’ll be there until it closes on Monday 23rd December.

Our new location backs onto the old library, facing Howells / House of Fraser. Several of the stalls in that area are changing over on Sunday, so there will be lots of new products to see.

We’ll have all our hanging ornaments, Christmas cards, acrylic jewellery, candle holders and a new wooden postcard for the festive season…

Merry Christmas dragon postcard

Merry Christmas dragon postcard

I hope to see you there!

Cardiff Christmas Market

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2013-11-14-190825I’ve sent most of the last two days in St John’s Street, Cardiff, setting up the stall for the Cardiff Christmas Market and for the first day of trading.  Our stall is just under one of Cardiff’s new WiFi access points(facing the Bright House electrical and furniture shop), so it seemed like a good opportunity for a quick update from the site.

The market stretches from the junction with Duke Street down into the Hayes and runs from now until 23rd December.  Over 80 businesses will be here over the period, specialising in local products, hand made arts and crafts, unusual and personalised gifts and good food.

We’ll be here until 23rd November, then we’re back again for nine days at the end.

Today’s been something special, with ‘Step into Christmas’ taking place all around us.  There has been live music, parades, Father Christmas (the real one) and real reindeer.  I’ve not seen much of it as I’ve been sitting in the stall like a rabbit in a pet shop, but I’ve heard the music and served a lot of very excited families.

We’ve had good dry weather so far, the streets are lit up beautifully and there’s a great atmosphere.  …and the comedy musical nun has just trundled past. It’s well worth a visit.

Just WordPress Workshops

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I’m very pleased that I have finally managed to get to one of the WordPress Users Wales sessions, this one organised in conjunction with the Software Alliance Wales.  It was a very useful few hours that left me with plenty to think about.

Note and fridge magnet

Reflecting WordPress’s origins, much of the day’s activities focused on blogging and making sure the right people know about the blog (particularly through social media). Not so much on static web pages or using WordPress to deliver transactional services (although they were mentioned).  I left with a wealth of new ideas, and useful reminders of things I already knew I really should be paying more attention to.  It was great to meet up with some old and new friends (and to be reminded about the challenges of working on communications in the public sector!).

Many thanks and a big round of applause for the organisers and speakers.

Key things to me to remember?

  • Post regularly
  • Don’t let technical tinkering and presentation distract you from the creating the content
  • Social media is an essential tool for directing and filtering the flood of online information
  • Share, and others will share in return

I must pin them to the fridge.

A new design for Christmas

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Last weekend we visited a garden centre in Nottingham, where Christmas was clearly well under way!  Woodwasp is kicking off its own celebrations with a brand new candle holder design.

Three Kings

Three Kings

Our next event is the Autumn Fayre organised by the British Heart Foundation in Cowbridge Town Hall on Saturday 19th October.  It is open from 11am until 2pm.  We plan to have a few more ‘Christmassy’ designs in time for that event.

Woodwasp International! (a candle arch for Somerset)

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A customer suggested this design to us in August, and bought one as a birthday gift.  It depicts Glastonbury Tor in Somerset (just across the Bristol Channel from us), a site that’s well loved by Christians, modern pagans and anyone who appreciates beautiful landscape and mysterious history.

Glastonbury Tor Candle Arch

Glastonbury Tor Candle Arch

I was really pleased with how it turned out, but we’ve kept it under wraps until we were sure that the recipient’s birthday had come and gone!  Now September is over, the Glastonbury Tor candle arch can take its place alongside the others.