Mrs O Handmade Crafts

Please Share. :) ( Copy and paste my post too by holding your finger down to copy, then share onto your own post by pressing your finger down again and pasting it. Thank you. Xx)
Hello Everyone, I have been totally overwhelmed by everyone's support over the past couple of days. We are currently in a desperately life changing situation. I have gone from feeding 75 people a week up to 200 in the past few days delivering to not only families and individuals experiencing food po...verty in Penwith but also individuals living in tents and temporary housing such as B&Bs in our local area. It has been completely mad. In times like these I am realising how desperately important it is to help each other. We currently have enough food if it is rationed out to last a few weeks but sadly then that will be it. I realise there are lots of people self isolating who now might not be able to donate food to us. But there is another way you can help us...we may be able to buy food in, in order to carry on our deliveries helping the most vunerable people in the Penwith area. In order to do this though we need your help. Please support our crowd funder below. It doesn't matter how big or small the donation. Everything will help.
Thank you so much for your support in these uncertain times.
Best Wishes
Mary-Jane
Food Store Manager.
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Please share and donate in any way you can either with food donations or to our crowd funder. Thank you. Xx
At the Food Store/ Street Food Project we are getting dangerously low on food as the our normal supply of excess food is being bought for people who are self isolating. On one hand its great we don't have super market excess but on the other we have built a system where we have become reliant upon it.
Not only will we be feeding 15 homeless & 10 in temp and emergency ho...using we also feed 26 households of people(190 people) with disabilities who have lost their disability allowance plus other struggles. These people rely on us to deliver them a weekly shopping bag and for us to check in on them and say hello, many people live rurally and are isolated. We deliver in St Ives, Hayle, St Just, Pendeen as well as Penzance. This week we are buying food but we live on a shoe string ourselves and our bank balance is looking pretty threadbare. If anyone can help us please share our fund raiser.
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/core-costs- for-our-projects-t…
We currently need:
A lockable bike shed or similar where donations can be left outside of SFP Building.
A combination padlock
Food that can be eaten without having to cook it and without having to put it in a fridge or freezer.
Tinned food
Tinned fish
Pot noodles
Soba minute noodles
Fresh fruit
Bread
Then also food that can be cooked for our struggling households
Pet food
Nappies
hand sanitisers small ones
disinfectant
We need ( I wish we didn't need anything) we really need help collecting and delivering and packaging.
We are taking the precautions and only working in teams of three. Not sure how much longer we will be able to carry on. We have so many people reliant on us and everyday our numbers are rising.
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Sorry totally forgot to do this yesterday evening as had alot going on. :(
#marchmeetthemaker2020
Day 13 USP... ( Unique Selling Point)
It's a bit early to think about it...but I think my USP is that I'm different. :)
It's taken me a hell of a long time to realise it ( and years of trying to "fit in" ) but I've finally realised that it's actually ok to be different.
And I like being me!
I like making things that others dont.
I like the fact that I reused/upcycled things before it recently became cool.
I like helping people and making a difference.
I like teaching people me skills.
I like being outside and changing the environment for the better.
I like being me! :D :D :D
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#marchmeetthemaker2020
Day 12 Learning Curve.
At the moment my life is one big learning curve. As a lot of you know I am currently juggling lots of balls and have lots of things going on.
... In September 2017 my life changed for the better when I started a level 1 course in Organic Horticulture at The Community Garden with the inspirational Jeannie Bates (who is sadly no longer with us).
With her persuasion and support from Lynne at The Community Garden I applied to Duchy College Rosewarne for a RHS Level 2 course in Practical Horticulture.
I am now taking my Level 3 there which is a hugely steep learning curve for me. I have met the most incredible people who have become the most supportive friends.
I am now doing some kind of gardening on a daily basis. I work for Growing Links CIC managing The Food Store, running the Home Ed Gardening Group and the Upcycling Sewing Group at The Community Garden.
And I recently started my latest community project restoring Rosebud Gardens with the help of one of my fantastic friends.
I am in the middle of this learning curve and totally out of my comfort zone, but I cant wait to see what life has in store for me next! :) :) :)
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#marchmeetthemaker2020
Day 11 Range.
Here's a few of the things I currently make.
... I love crafting and am always on the look out for new ideas of things to make. I love a challenge!
I've upcycled for as long as I can remember....long may it continue! :D
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#marchmeetthemaker2020
Day 10 Authentic Space.
This is my own personal take on authentic space.
... These are the special places that inspire and mean something to me...
1. My vintage caravan workspace.
2. Newlyn where I have lived all my life.
3. Rosebud Gardens - our latest gardening project which has a special family link to me.
4. The old quay in Newlyn where I used to go and draw with my Dad when I was younger.
5. The Community Garden in Gulval which has been a constant inspiration (along with its wonderful volunteers ) for me over the past few years.
Welcome to my world...... : D
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#marchmeetthemaker2020
Day 9 Mock up.
So here are our mock up/prototype shopping bags for The Food Store that we made on our first sewing session at The Community Garden. :)
... These are actually really easy as they are made using a no sew, tie technique. If you would like to give it a go yourself and help make bags for us to use at The Food Store...please get in touch.
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#marchmeetthemaker2020
Day 8. Love to make.
At the risk of sounding a tad twee...actually love everything that I make.
... I dont honestly think that there is one thing that I dont love making!
Here are just a few of the things that I make at St Just Art and Craft Exhibition last Summer. :)
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#marchmeetthemaker2020
Day 7. You (me and my mini-me!)
So this is me and my 11 year old mini-me Samson. :)
... We went out on a mum and son date today and treated ourselves to luxury hot chocolates with marshmallows and cream. :D
Just because.....
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#marchmeetthemaker2020
Day 6. Reducing Waste.
Luckily this is a pretty easy post to write...
... Because to put it bluntly I dont really have any waste to reduce!
I was brought up by my mum to reuse things...
cereal boxes were made into houses for sylvanian families, yogurt pots were used to plant seeds in, clothes were either mended or used for dusters when they had more holes than material, margarine tubs had a multitude of uses and hand cream pots were used to store pins. :)
I'm still the same now and would rather hoard material than send it to land fill.
My material collection has finally come in handy though as we are making upcycled reusable bags for the Food Store from old t-shirts, clothes and curtains. Then any left over scraps I can use in my machine embroidery pictures so it's a win win!
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#marchmeetthemaker2020
Day 5. Close up.
Something old....
... My old faithful sock monkeys....I've made so many over the years I've lost count! ( must be around the 1000 mark by now!) :o
And something new...
I started doing needle felt with Samson a few months ago. Loving the felted tree baubles we made. Can see a new range for 2020 developing.... ;)
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#marchmeetthemaker2020
Day 4. Branding.
As most of you have probably guessed by now my technology skills often leave alot to be desired...I'm fine on my phone but pretty much rubbish with everything else!
... Usually if I need help I have my go to people who I smile sweetly at in the hope that they take pity on me, namely my Dad, my middle son Jacob and Owen (my Food Store partner in crime).Without all three I would probably give up to be honest with you!
Recently I've decided to alter my posters and go back to the old way of using notice boards and altering the wording and visuals before photographing. I think this is way more personal, effective and different. ( As you've probably gathered by now I like to be different!)
Opinions then please?
Do you think this kind of advertising/branding works?
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#marchmeetthemaker2020
Day 3. Time.
I've always been pretty rubbish at managing my time. Being Dyspraxic and slightly Dyslexic I find my organisation and time management skills pretty rubbish.
... This past year I've been thrown in the deep end with life and have found myself suddenly juggling lots of balls...managing the Food Store, crafting, gardening ( both voluntary and at home), college, being mum to my three boys and Home Educating. It has genuinely been hard.
Quite often I have put myself last, at the bottom of the pile after caring for everyone else. :(
At Christmas I realised something had to give and I couldnt keep going the way I was. So I've slowly been making changes to my lifestyle, making self care my priority, managing my time better for what's important...me...after all "you cant pour from an empty cup".
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