Designing

I got some new supplies to play with, washi masking tape from Japan, Orla Kiely car fabric and little black board pieces I painted up. After a week or so of sticking tape down, ripping it off again, black board paint (black speckles all over my work benches, must use a sponge) and cutting up fabric, I have made some new designs.

The new designs will be on the website soon and even better, they will be for sale on my website. I have also spent the last few weeks building a shop on the site. It will soon be split into a retail and wholesale site. Exciting stuff.

Here is a wee look at the developments.



Some things need finished off, but I am getting there.

Christmas Trees

Oh my goodness I have been making Christmas decorations. I can't believe its round to that time of year again. Sitting thinking of decorating a Christmas, it really can't be. Running round the house at 6 o'clock closing curtains really does make it seem like winter time. Its now all about keeping the cold out, lighting the fire again and buying some new thermal pj's.

Some photos of the Christmas decorations. They will have cinnamon in them too, making your tree smell all lovely.

Yellow wool brooches are back.

Finally after looking in every hole in the hedge fabric shop wise, my local fabric shop has a yellow/lime coloured wool coat fabric back in. Yeah!!!

Now I can get some of my lovely brooches made again.

Ideas

Some pictures of a sweet pin cushion I am have designed recently. There will also be a needle case in this design. I now need to shop for a darning foot, so I can do free machining on my sewing machine properly. Doing free machining without a darning foot is not a good idea.

Time

Where has the last couple of months gone. Time seems to be a blur to me these days. In my life at the moment there is no start time, finish time, lunch time, holiday time and rest time. Everything seems to be all the time or anytime. I long to have a routine, a start time, a lunch time which can vary I would allow that, finish time and a bed time.

Things have been very busy to the least round here and that's probably mostly my own fault. I have been on a mission to do as many jobs around the house to make things look pretty. Making cushions, painting, starting a quilt for my bed and having a clear out.

Also I been working so hard to build up stock and sort the studio out and I am pleased that I have managed to make great head way in this area yeah!!!

The above picture is from Craft Fest which I attended last weekend. It was the most amazing weekend weather wise.

Off to get a cuppa and some maltesers yum.

A summer of planning

Life is all go and I am now thinking about the end of summer, when its only just begun. Phone calls, forms and emails appear to amount to a busy autumn ahead. With that in mind, I have started to get the house in order and lots of little jobs done that have not seen the light of day.

While my dad and brother have been on their little holiday, I took advantage of a man free house (they always seem to get in the way). I started the stairs to our basement, I want to put a stair runner on and I am so excited. Just getting started with undercoating and then some white gloss, when I manage to find some amongst my dads collection of paint tins.

With the stairs undercoated, the next job on the list was my filing cabinet. My dad brought me home is beauty a few years and I even got the paint around that time too for it. Its one of those things with me, it has sat there for so long and I never seemed to get the time to paint it. Now I really need it so I can sort my paper work out and have a more organized business.

This summer I am so driven to get all these sorts of things done so I can sit at night and rest for a wee change. The first coat of paint goes on the cabinet tomorrow, so excited to see how it will look when its all finished.

Mary Queen of Shops

Last night I was watching Mary Queen of Shops and I just loved it. I never watched the last series but I am so hooked on it now. It has me thinking of what things can I be doing to expand rag button. Although I am not technically a retail shop I think alot of her points can be used across the board when thinking about selling. Now in a world where we spend so much time in supermarkets and buying cheap things, which I must admit I do buy sometimes, it is refreshing that the public are interested in sourcing good quality products.

After watching the programme I was pleased to read an article by the British Crafts Council on the growth of the craft sector during the recession. All this is very good and I hope it continues. There is nothing better than buying and owning hand crafts items.

Buy hand made and local everyone, not just crafts but your veggies too, if your not growing them already.