It’s official, thanks to all of you this blog has been longlisted in 2 catagories for the Irish Blog Awards!  Please, please, please help me in selecting the catagory you think that I should stick with.  I have about another 20 hours to make my decision and at that stage must let the organisers know which catagory I want to go forward in, just leave comments and let me know your views.   The organisers, sponsors and judges are doing a mammoth task and I would really like to express my thanks and congratulations to everyone who is working towards making this event a massive success!  Here are the longlists in my catagories and a special thanks to iQ Content and Teamworkpm…..

Best Specialist Blog – Sponsored by iQ Content

• http://lexferenda.com
• http://pauldervan.com
• http://leemunroe.com
• http://crimealwayspays.blogspot.com
• http://thefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com
• http://welldonefillet.blogspot.com
• http://xbox4nappyrash.blogspot.com
• http://valueireland.com
• http://irisheconomy.ie
• http://biopsy.wordpress.com
• http://pkellypr.com/blog
• http://knittingneels.com
• https://clasheen.wordpress.com
• https://clasheen.wordpress.com
• http://blog.doneganlandscaping.com
• assistanttothebrandmanager
• aranbrew
• badlibrarianship.
• Kind I like
• Irish Taxi
• Sarah Tales

Best Newcomer – Sponsored by Teamworkpm.net

• katyboo1
• Outside In
• Lee Munroe
• sarahgostrangely
• national lottie
• Sinead Keogh
• Trust Tommy
• thesexypedestrian
• Joe Scanlon
• I Am Paddy
• The Unemployed Blog
• Tinman 18
• sinfulorigamipaper.
• Irish Economy
• Teknovis
• Clasheen
• Guesslist
• Glitter See Glitter Do>/a>
• Darragh Doyle
• Johhnie Craig
• Puddle Ducks

Great company as I am sure you will agree!   It is amazing to have got this far in the selection process and a lot of thanks is due to my friend Cathy, director of ArtL!nks and Ken Maguire, blogger extrodinare and great tutor.  Both Cathy and Ken are longlisted themselves and I advise any artist, craftsperson or art related group in the 5 ArtL!nks counties (Carlow, Wexford, Kilkenny, Wicklow and Wexford) to join the service and start taking advantage of the great courses and facilities on offer.  ArtL!nks is a service for both amatur and professional practitioners and really I cannot emphasise enough how valuable their help has been to me in the first year of my felting business.

On Saturday I will be in Carrick on Shannon for the day and am very excited to be meeting the teacher that I will be working with in the Craft in the Classroom programme organised by the Crafts Council.  I know that the pupils in my school are from 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th class and I am guessing that their ages will range from about 6 to 13 so it should be a really exciting residency!  We have a full days training and will be sorting out exactly how, when and in what shape we invisage the residency progressing, I can’t wait!!