happy 1st September!

Hello everyone! Can you believe it's the 1st September already!! Where is the year going?? Luckily for me, in the South, it's sunny and blue skies today. 


I haven't got any cards to show made by me today, as I've had a couple of days resting and catching up with boring housework (although I felt good after i'd sorted through my kitchen cupboards and cleaned them out. I do love an anti bac wipe!! lmao) I then wore myself out and slept until midday today, so more resting today. 
My dad popped round the other day and gave me some money to get some crafty bits, so I've ordered some more lush stamps from LOTV, so can't wait to get those!! I will be desperate to buy more though in a few days, when they release the 2nd collection of Christmas stamps! lol 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

I thought i'd take this opportunity to award the "appreciated follower award" to some of my lovely followers. 

I do award all of my followers with this, as I'm still slowly building up my followers, and I appreciate each and everyone of you, who take time to post comments. It really does make blogging so much more worthwhile and always puts a smile on my face. So thank you. But as you do have to nominate particular people I have chosen the following:

Claire- from Claire's crafty corner - Who gave me this award. I was so very touched and appreciate you too, as you have been one of my earlier friends/followers and always leave such lovely comments. 

Fiona- from Lil Daffodil- You have been one of my earlier friends/followers too and always say such kind things. You seem like such a lovely, kind woman, and one who also has struggled with health, so I appreciate being your blogging friend. 

Keryn- from poppy dog- my lovely name sharer. We share not only our name but our love of jack russells. Your comments always seem so heartfelt and I love that you love doggies like I do! 

Donna- from My happy Place- One of my newer friends/followers, but you have been so friendly and kind. Not only did I win your blog candy, but you always leave such lovely comments. 

Vicky- from Vixx handmade cards- Another new friend/follower who makes me smile with her fun and caring comments. Despite being a gooner, you come across as so lovely and I appreciated your help with naming my "business". 

If you haven't already, do go and visit these blogs as they are all talented cardmakers and their blogs are lovely to read! 

As I said, I appreciate all my followers and each and every comment is so gratefully received. So thank you everyone. I hope to make more when I have some blog candy and get my blog "spread around" more! lol 

______________________________________________

Phew, I'm glad this thing saves itself as it goes along. I have had to do this in two parts as I came over feeling very yucky, queasy and light headed. I think i've over done it yet again with cupboard cleaning and the ME is punishing me again! I'm feeling bit rotten, so i'm off back to the settee with Millie moo moos for cuddles. 

Oh before I go i'd like to share the 3 cards my niece Emily made for the fayre. I was so impressed with the colouring and love that she is sharing my love of arts and crafts. 

Isn't her colouring lovely! She adores my promarkers and the new fine tips. 

I love the colours she chose and how she adds on lots of shimmer with my jellyroll pens. 

Right, I am off now. I hope as many of you as possible have sunshine and wish you a happy thursday x Lots of love xxx

Edited to add that LOTV's ideas to inspire blog are giving away some of the new LOTV Xmas stamps over the next 5 days, so pop over if you want to win some lush stamps! 

Today is a new day...

Hello to my lovely followers. I so appreciate your lovely comments. I may not know any of you but I feel you are friends and it's lovely to have people to share a passion with, who feel the same love of crafting. So thank you for being friends as well as followers!

I am still gutted about yesterday, but i'm not going to just give up. I'm booking again for the Christmas fayre in December, and will give it another go, so any hints or tips from those who sell at fairs is very welcome. I sold quite a few of my "reindeer food" last Christmas, so I'll be making plenty of those. I just put some porridge oats in a little bag and make a cute reindeer to stick on the bag, with a cute little poem on the back. They seem to be popular, so i'll try again with those. I'll also make some gift boxes/bags and see if they sell.
Someone suggested I put some cards into wicker baskets as people like rummaging through things and will pick them up more, rather than just wander past looking.

I've had another wonderful surprise to come back to today! I have been so lucky to win the lovely blog candy at Vixx's handmade cards!! It put a big smile on my face and I can't believe how lucky I have been winning a few blog candy's. I hardly ever win anything but my luck seems to have changed!! Thank you so much Vicky. I am over the moon with my win. I really love reading your blog and seeing your beautifully made cards, so winning is an added bonus. 


I promise I will be paying it forward and doing a blog candy of my own, but I want to make sure it's a good one, so it will take me a little while to afford enough bits and bobs to give away. I am building up bits each time I order anything, so I will get a candy offer going before Christmas. 


Thank you to those who have left messages already. I am so grateful and touched by how lovely you all are and your kind words.
Pops, I am quite shocked at how little you sell your cards for!! You are massively under selling them! Your work is beautiful and your cards are far better than mine. The amount of materials you must use on each card, by doing the insides as well, and selling with a box, means that people should pay at least £5 per card!! I do wish more people appreciated the work and time that has gone into handmade stuff. Yes you can get cheapy cards from the card factory, but they look cheap and are just so samey. I love that you tell people to go and buy them there then, when they say that to you! 


I will try and sell on etsy, as people tend to go there to find original pieces and are willing to pay for beautiful work. I just need to not look around there too much as there is so much lovely stuff I want to buy! lol. 


It's certainly getting autumnal isn't it! I've been getting chillier getting into bed recently. I do dread it getting dark at 4.30, but I love halloween, bonfire night and most of all Christmas, so I will look at the changing season as an excuse to make different cards and scrapbook pages. 


I wish you all a happy day. I'm off to have a look round your blogs now to see what gorgeous work you've all been doing. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

:-( disappointment

Hello everyone! I hope you're all having a nice bank holiday monday.

Well, the craft fair didn't go so well. :-( I was there a few hours before starting to feel really wiped out and in pain and very cold! So my mum brought me home and my lovely sis stayed on my stall to try keep selling.
More disappointing was that I hardly sold much at all :-( I sold 2 cards when I was there and my sis has sold 1. I feel so disheartened and wonder why people just don't seem to buy.
I've worked so hard for weeks for this and it just seems like it was all for nothing. A lady picked up my baby girl album and said how original and beautiful it was but when she asked how much and I said £25, she put it down and wandered off. So I then put the albums at £20 which would mean I was barely making anything from them, but people seem to think that is too expensive.
They don't think about how much the materials cost and the fact that they take me 6-8 hrs to make each one. 


To be honest the only people that ever really seem to appreciate my work are my family and you lovely people. You all have the same love as I do and see all the little details.

I might try the Xmas fayre they are organising, but maybe that'll be the same?
I was thinking of maybe trying to sell on etsy. Do any of you sell on there? I know i'm not going to get rich making things, but I would love to make enough to keep funding my crafting hobby.

Thank you all for your support and comments. It is lovely to share my love of craft with people that really "get it" if you know what I mean. 
I'm sorry for a downhearted post, but I'm feeling a bit gutted :-(

time's up!

Good evening lovely followers! Thank you all for such lovely comments again. It's always so lovely to go on your blog and find comments to read.It always means a lot to me so thank you!

Well, time's up. The local fayre is tomorrow! I can do no more! My word am I wiped out. I had to ask my sis to take my niece home today as I just feel so tired, I needed a quieter night and to sleep without being kicked or hit on the face by wriggler! lol

I am praying it goes well tomorrow and I sell some stuff. I've worked so hard for weeks and am getting run down now (sore throat and glands up) so it better be worth it! lol
I've loved it though and am finding that I'm in such a swing of crafting now and my mojo is running wild.

Here are some bits I've made: 


This is the sign I made for my stall. My new "business" is now called Butterfly wings and crafty things, a lovely suggestion from Victoria (the gooner ;-) ) . Thank you Vixx, I love the name!

I had these alpha stickers for ages, but they are just perfect for this theme. Emily suggested I weave ribbon in through the holes and I think it looks lovely! She was very proud that I did what she said. 

I wanted to make a few easel cards but ran out of energy today, so this is all I made. I adore this image! 

Inside, with the tag to write on. 

Close up of flowers. 

Close up of image. 

I am loving using the new fine tips for the promarkers. I got some free with each pen I bought from Letraset, and they are so helpful for colouring and blending in smaller areas. Emily loves them too as is very neat with them. 

Here is the distressed/shabby chicy album I mentioned:

                                          The inside pages:

Some closer detail:

I will show you Emily's cards soon, but I need to get to beddie byes, as I have to leave by 10am. This is very early for me, as I don't normally wake up until 11 ish most days. 

I wish you all a happy bank holiday Monday. Fingers crossed for me that I sell some stuff after weeks of non stop crafting! lol xxxxxxxxx

crafting is tiring work!

hello lovely followers! I am so worn out!! This crafting for a craft fair lark is very tiring! I'm shattered, but have made a lovely distressed/shabby chicy family chipboard album today.
I'll try to get pics on here tomo to show you all, but the light is too rubbish to take them tonight.
I've got my niece with me again and she's becoming addicted to my promarkers. She coloured an image in beautifully today and she now wants to make a few cards to sell at the fair with me. She really seems to be watching me and how to colour like me, bless her, which is very touching. She now also wants a crafting area in her room like me with shelves over it. I think I have a little protege on my hands!

Right, well I promised some card photos so here they are. I hope you like them. xx

The purple one is a normal small sized card but the other 3 are the 8x8" which I love.
I'm off to finish eating and watching my beloved Tottenham on tv!
Night night all. I'm sorry i've not managed to get round your blogs for a few days. I'll catch up when I can xxx

Baby girl album

Hello all you crafty lot! 

I have been so busy crafting for the fair on monday and it's exhausting! lol Having to get a good amount made is quite pressuring when I'm so tired all the time, but it's been fun. I'm just resting as much as I can inbetween so I can make enough.

This is a baby girl album i've made. I'm trying to make one of each and then I can take orders if people want more. (here's hoping!)

I hope you like it:

I've got some cards to show as well but i'm worn out so will show you those tomorrow.
I hope you are all enjoying your week xxxxxxxxx