One of the lovely models showing off my gecko t. shirts. Craft, Hobby and Stitch International is a trade show. As I work with Vilene as a consultant, I work at this show and run their retailer workshops. This is a very sedate style of show compared to the consumer shows that I do.  Vilene have decided to bring Hot Spots into their main retailer range - as you may know, I have been selling Hot Spots on  www.nid-noi.com for several years. I sell them by the metre, Vilene will be selling them in pack of 5 x A4 sheets. Hot Spots are a bit like a spotty Bondaweb but with a heavier backing paper. Because the backing paper is heavier, the Hot Spots can be cut with hole punches, die cutting machines and laser cutters . .  as well as scissors! I was asked to decorate T.shirts for everyone on the trade stand this year, so I asked my friend Claire from lasercutsussex.co.uk to help. Claire's knowledge of laser cutting is amazing. You may remember that she cuts my j...

Even my fish sculpture is covered in snow. It started snowing last Friday at about 8am, by 9am I was in my local Asda supermarket, not so much panic buying as 'I'm going to be stuck in the house for a while' buying. I have lived in Brighton for thirty odd years now, and only in the last three winters have we had so much snow. It was unusual as we are close to the sea and apparently the salt in the air stops the snow - not any more . We had about five inches the first day and then three more inches the next day . Living on top of hill I get trapped as soon as the buses stop running up our road .  Having been caught out with very little food last year, as soon as it started to snow, I was off to do 'the big shop'. I was not alone - by 9.30am the queues were six people deep. It was like Christmas all over again. Everyone else obviously got stuck in their houses as well last year. We still have loads of snow but most of us in Brighton can get out and abou...