Perfect Patchwork

Lilac Groupies

2012-02-23T13:53:00.000-08:00

Good Morning Folks

Well here I am as promised with some information about some of my lovely Lilac Ladies and Gents. We all have stalls at CRAFTfest which starts on 10th March and runs for a full week; if you have missed the booking deadline don't worry there will be another one in June.

Take a look at some of the wonderful stalls and people that are in the Lilac group.

Northfield Primitives

Inspired by vintage and antique toys, I design and make animals and dolls which I stitch on a beautiful 1920's Singer treadle sewing machine. I use old Meccano wheels, vintage ribbons and buttons, traditional German glass eyes and rusty bells in my work, which adds to the vintage charm of each animal.

Website Blog

RLW Designs

Hello!! My name is Rebecca and I am a designer/maker based in York. Working mainly in enamels I create fun, quirky pieces to brighten your day!

Days out, picnics, trips to the seaside... I take my inspiration from simple, everyday pleasures producing a collection of mixed media works using a range of materials, enamels, wood, metal and found objects... the use of stencils and naive, hand drawn illustrations add character and humour to each decorative piece.

Enamelling is the process of applying powdered glass onto metal...
I generally use a copper base, applying the vitreous enamel powders through a fine sieve...
The metal is then placed inside a small kiln for a couple of minutes...
With temperatures of between 750° and 850° the glass powder becomes liquid...
As it is removed from the kiln the molten glass solidifies to form a smooth, hard finish...
Enamels are durable and will not fade...
A wide variety of colours are available both transparent and opaque...
The nature of the materials and the techniques used ensure that each piece is unique, individual...

Website Twitter

All Things Blankets and More

If you're a cat owner or just a cat lover then All Things Blankets & More is the stall for you.

I sell cat beds, cushions, blankets & throws all individually handmade by myself; many of which can be personalised and are all tested and approved by myself or my 4 kitties.

I have a few new product lines planned for 2012 but I am more than happy to accept custom orders.

Website Blog

Dysfunction Designs

I create handmade tribal jewellery for both men and women. I use handmade clay beads, which I make myself, and team them up with a range of ethically sourced and unique wooden,bone and horn beads to create unusual and interesting bracelets and necklaces.

Website Blog

Lionheart Stationers

The Lionheart Stationers come to share with you the whimsicality of hand drawn stationery and the vibration of personal touch. Our aim is to add excitement to your correspondence, animating words through images. We want to offer an alternative to the computerised world we’re living in, in which paper and pen have been replaced with texts, emails and status updates. We are here for those who still think that a written sentiment seems to convey something more then just a brief email that we regularly send and receive. Our products are created to warm the heart and show someone in writing that you took your time to think about them.
We do anything from thank you notes to birth announcements, christening invites to party invites, save the date or correspondence cards. Everything can personalised and one thing we love is having commissioned artwork.

Website Blog

Handmade bespoke sterling silver jewellery

My aim is to bring you high quality handmade jewellery that is affordable, elegant and completely unique. Everything you see is made by me and based on my own designs.

Website Blog

Dottie Designs

Dottie Designs makes personalised Keepsake Boxes, Photo Albums and Guest Books for all occasions. I like to work with the customer to ensure that they have the perfect gift and will match colour schemes to Wedding colours, or the colour of a Prom Dress. I work from my sea-side studio in Hampshire and am very lucky that I am able to pursue what was my hobby as a business.

Chasing Beads

My name is Suzanne and I own Chasing Beads. I design and sell jewellery at various events as well as my website (and not forgetting Facebook/Twitter). I specialise in beaded jewellery as well as teaching various age groups how to make jewellery at home parties and local venues.

Website

Handmade bags for all occasions.

The stall has a range of different types of bags, made from new fabrics, unless otherwise stated.
i like to make bags from a wide variety of fabrics and tend to go for bright and bold, but I am toning down my choices in response to feedback received!!
I also make bags to order.

Website Facebook

Designs by JoJo

Over the last two years Designs by Jojo has concentrated on designing a luxury wedding invitation range, a range of greeting cards, party invitations, sourced some gorgeous favours and started making a contemporary jewellery range - so quite a busy time juggling with two children in tow!

Designs by Jojo is inspired by rich, vibrant colour, textured paper, nature, everything that glistens and especially sparkles and hopes that you will enjoy looking through the range of products available or if you have something more specific in mind, please don't hesitate to email me as bespoke designs are my speciality!

JoSara

Contemporary Mosaic for the Home and Garden. I love to create colour palettes and pattern, and I love to create things for wildlife and the garden, as well as the home. I use mosaic because the tiles are frost proof and fade-resistant, which is perfect. I hope you like the end results.

Website Blog

Uniquely yours

I crochet and knit to my own designs, all manner of accessories for
summer and winter., Scarves, hats, gloves, lacy wraps and lacy summer
gloves. Hairbands, earwarmers and so much more. I like knitting but
it`s crochet that`s my real passion.
I also make mug and cafeteria cosies. I paint ACEOs, mainly in
watercolours and really enjoy it.

Sparrowprimitivecrafts

Add a touch of vintage style charm to your home with our carefully crafted items. We specialise in shelf blocks, wooden signs, bunting and Primitive style products. They are all made in our studio with a great deal of attention to detail, ensuring a quality item for your shabby chic country style home.

Colour options are available from our website.

Our products have been seen in numerous national publications including Country Living, Bella, Daily Express, Sunday Express and Sunday Mirror; and we are also a BBC Dragon Theo Paphitis’ Twitter Small Business Sunday winner.

Website

I Hope you've enjoyed my preview, and I'll have some more for you soon, don't forget they will all be at the CRAFTfest from 10th March for a whole week

F xx

CRAFTfest March

2012-02-11T00:49:00.000-08:00

Good Morning,

I promised to come back and tell you more about CRAFTfest, so here I am.

CRAFTfest is an online craft fair open to anybody across the world. This time it is running for a whole week, to give people plenty of time for browsing and shopping. Anyone can join in, it is open to crafters, artists, suppliers, ALL OF YOU. It is very easy (and cheap) to join in, simply pop along to http://www.craftfest-events.com/ and fill in the booking form. You can make payment (of only £5) via paypal, so nice and easy.
Once you've booked your stall, you create an album on the site of all the items that you would like to sell, together with a price and location where they can be bought, (website, Folksy, Etsy, even via email if you wish). There is not a limit to how many items you can include, and NO commission is taken on sales. What could be better?

I'll tell you what's better.... we have set up support groups/teams, to help promote both the event and you stall. You will be allocated to a group and told who your leader is.
This gives you the chance to join in with group discussions, follow on twitter, like on facebook etc., and the following etc. will be reciprocated.
Then whenever you promote we will share it, retweet etc. and hope you will do the same for us.

All the team leaders will be writing blogs about their team members including pictures and websites/Folksy shops etc. - so maximum exposure.
Where else could you get all this for £5?

BUT wait there's more.... Once you join the CREAFTfest you will have joined Creative Connections - what's that I hear you ask...

Well it is an amazing community of crafters and artists, we have forums, discussion groups and even a live chat room where you can go and talk to many of us, and get any help, advise or just a friendly chat.

We would love to see you there, and watch out for the next blog as I will be telling you a bit about some of my group - The Lilac Group

Bye for now

F xx

Post Decorating

2012-02-10T00:15:00.000-08:00

Hi

and welcome back to you, sorry I have been absent for so long; but those of you that follow me on facebook will know that I have been decorating my house from top to bottom. This was all with the view of selling the house; and it has now gone on the market. http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-36787118.html

I am very pleased with what we acheived (my sons took time off to help me ). Every room in the house was decorated except for 2 of the bedrooms, which had been done recently.

We also managed to spring clean everything, including the loft!!.

It feels so good to know that there is nothing in the house now that we don't want. My only regret is that we didn't take before and after pictures; for those of you that are interested; here are some of the results of all of our hard work.

Now that all the decorating is done I want to get back to sewing, however it is not easy to be creative and tidy at the same time!! I am having to limit myself to sewing at times of the week when I do not have to either go to work, or show people around the house. Please don't think I am complaining, I would love more viewings, although am having my second one tomorrow, (and the house has only been on the market for 1 week), so doing well I think.

I am going to focus very much on the Creative Connections CRAFTfest which is running in March for a whole week (for only £5), so look out for more details in my next blog. There is not much time left if you'd like to book a stall so check out their website and see what you think. http://www.craftfest-events.com/

I'll be back soon to tell you more about the CRAFTfest, and would love to see lots of you there, either as a seller or a buyer, (or both!)

Take Care

F xx

Embed CRAFTfest Stall

2011-11-28T22:29:00.000-08:00

I saw this on the Crystal Lady's blog, so thought I'd give at a go. This is a slideshow of my stall at the CRAFTfest

Find more photos like this on Creative Connections

hope that worked
signing off for today

F xx

Latest Creations with AccuQuilt

2011-11-04T00:26:00.000-07:00

Hello, today I thought I'd show you some of the items I have created with my new AccuQuilt Go, before I move on to some more designs.

You may have seen on a previous blog that I made an 'Owl' cushion following a pattern from one of the AccuQuilt books, well I decided it would be better and more fun to make up my own. So I decided to start with a cushion.

For this cushion I started with a 16 inch square, and simply played with hearts. I cut a number of hearts in 3 different colours, and just kept moving them around until I was happy with the look. I placed 4 large hearts in the centre and tucked smaller ones in underneath as I worked out. I had already added bondaweb to the fabric before cutting the hearts, so I removed the backing paper, sorted my design, and then just ironed so they all stayed in placed. I then simply stitched around the edges of each heart to ensure they were secure. Finally I attached an envelope back to the cushion, inserted pad and hey presto, cushion made in record time.
I am thinking about creating kits for this cushion in different colour ways, would love to know if anyone would be interested.

Having finished my cushion I decided to have a play with my small flower cutter. Again I added bondaweb to the fabric before cutting.

Again I cut a selection of flowers and leaves before I began, and just 'played' until I was happy, I decided it needed something more so added a butterfly to the design (again cut with my Go). I then removed the paper backing, ironed, stitched around, and hey presto a new wall hanging. With this I added wadding and the backing before stitching, so that it was quilted at the same time. Once all stitched, I bound the edges with the same fabric as the flowers, and added a channel on the back for hanging. Again I am thinking of doing kits, let me know if you'd be interested and what your favourite colours are.

What next was the following thought - well I had lots of hearts and flowers left over (getting a great collection now!) so I thought what about a Kindle cover.

I felt this needed something on the back too

I personally love the colours of this one, might have to keep it for my Kindle. There won't be kits for these, as I sell them on my website www.perfectpatchwork.co.uk

I am going to spend some time today cutting, then tomorrow I am going to a craft fair, where I will be creating new designs, so people can see how I do them. If you're in the area please pop along and say hi (Feniton Devon). I might even have a special discount for you if you mention my blog.

Hope to see some of you tomorrow, and I'll post new makes as I do them

Signing off for today

f xx

My Memories Suite plus FREE GIVEAWAY

2011-10-29T01:01:00.000-07:00

Hi

I am doing another review today. A few weeks ago I was given a copy of the My Memories Software and was asked to do a review.

I have never used digital scrapbook software before, so this was a real eye opener for me. I had no idea what to expect, but was amazed at the capabilities of this software, you can not only do digital scrapbooks but, cards calendars, invites and much more.

I found the software navigation very straightforward to use, even for a total novice like me. It is very easy to change paper colours (or add new ones), add motifs, design layout and import photos too.

Although this software is ideal for the beginner don't think it wouldn't suit the more experienced scrapbooker, because the capabilities are such that even the experienced user would be 'wowed' by it. It has the facility to add audio and video to your creations as well, something I did not expect to find in digital scrapbooking, but I guess in the digital age this is a must for the serious user.

There are a multitude of free designs which can be downloaded from their website, and of course additional designs which can be purchased.

These are a couple of my favourites:

I think these designer packs are fantastic and give you so much to create with, there are 90 free designs which you can download, and remember that gives you much more than 90 to play with, as most of them are packs, with papers, motifs etc included.

This one is so cute and easy to produce fantastic photo cards for that favourite person in your life.

As I am not a scrapbooker I decided to create a personalised Christmas card (also due to the time of year), and this is what I came up with - remember I have never used any software like this and for my first one I only spent about 15mins - This in itself shows just how easy this software is to use.

I also decided to have a go at a Birthday card

the only thing I struggled with to start with was finding the elements that I had downloaded, but once I had found them I was away. I would recommend this software to anyone who wants to design their own scrapbooks, cards etc. And for those of you that do I have a special giveaway which you could win. A COPY OF THE MEMORY SUITE SOFTWARE FREE

All I ask is that you visit the Memory Suite Website and tell me which is your favourite free download and why. The lucky winner will be announced on Saturday 12th November.
If you can't wait that long you can purchase the software direct from the site and as a thank you for reading my blog here is a discount for you

As a special for all of my readers, Memory Suite have given me my very own Share the Memories code that provides a $10 discount off the purchase of the My Memories Suite Scrapbook software and a $10 coupon for the MyMemories.com store - ($20 value!) Simply input the following code at the checkout - STMMMS8902 Don't worry about delays in receiving your software as it can be downloaded direct from the site, so as soon as you purchase you can go ahead and start creating.

Hope you enjoyed my blog today, and happy browsing

Signing off for today
F xx

AccuQuilt Go

2011-10-28T10:47:00.000-07:00

Hello again

Sorry I have not been about for a while, but been very busy. Toady I am going to tell you what I have been up to.
I have bought myself the most wonderful addition for my patchwork and quilting - The AccuQuilt GO

This machine is amazing, a MUST have for all patchwork and quilters out there. It comes with a die which had 2 different sized squares and triangles, and they are so accurate it's amazing. Makes piecing so much more accurate, quicker and gives a better finish.

I also treated myself to some additional dies:

I have plans already for this die, including a cushion cover and a wall hanging (I'll post pictures when they are done).

I bought this one to do some amazing baby quilts, and intend to combine with the round flowers (see below) to do some vibrant and batik wall hangings.

I used the 'leaf' from this one together with the circle below to make an amazing cushion today - my first real play with the Go

This is the first time I have used the Go and am really pleased with the results -

I used the squares from the value die (came with the machine) plus the circle and the feather, I cut 2.5 inch strips with my cutter (have added the strip die to my wish list) and away I went, so quick, so precise I am well impressed.

Tomorrow I plan to try out my heart die, so watch this space for what I come up with, but overall this cutting machine is so easy to use and so precise I would now not be without it, wish I found them years ago.

signing off for today

F xx

CRAFTfest Lilac Group

2011-10-15T02:25:00.000-07:00

Hello again,

Today I am going to tell you a little bit about some of the stall holders in CRAFTfest Lilac Group. There are still a few stalls left if anyone still wants to join us just pop over HERE. It's a 2 day online craft fair that anyone can join from their sofa even!

Now to the important stuff: I have some amazing stall holders in my Lilac group so here they are:-

Aingeal Designs

Aingeal Designs creates affordable greetings cards and gifts that are suitable for many occassions. I like experimenting with different mediums and ideas, and am currently working on a range of cards and gift combinations to save time and money when searching for a gift and card together.

To view her designs click HERE

To visit her on Facebook click HERE

To follow her on Twitter click HERE

To read her blog click HERE

Random eyes boutique

I'm Ren, and I am the owner of Randomeyes Boutique. I make kitsch jewellery and accessories based on food, drink and other random objects...all with kawaii inspired googly eyes! I began making these items as a hobby in the Spring of 2009, but I officially launched the brand at the Clothes Show Live 2010, where I received a fantastic response! Since the launch, I have given my website a makeover and included lots of new limited edition products, as well as a ring category! I now have over 300 items in my store, including earrings, necklaces, bracelets, rings, pins, magnets, mobile charms, keyrings, hairslides and mirrors.

To view her designs click HERE

To visit her on Facebook click HERE

To follow her on Twitter click HERE

Cheshire Cat Crafts

I have always been a fan of crafting, ever since I was a child and since then the passion to craft has grown. I enjoy giving people hand made gifts and I have taken this a step further by putting some of my creations online. I create a variety of craft items, I especially enjoy making jewellery, hand painted glass, polymere clay items, hair accessories and a whole lot more. I enjoy creating items from recycled materials too, as well as giving some of my jewellery a vintage twist. These items would make great gifts, or why not treat yourself.

To view her designs click HERE

To read her blog click HERE

Handmade by zenia

My name is Zenia. I design and make Fused Glass Jewellery and Gifts.

Each piece is individually handmade in my kiln. I mainly use Dichroic and Bullseye glass which make up my fused pieces.

Fused Glass is a technique that involves layering glass which is then placed in the kiln and melted or fused together at extremely high temperatures.Also I design and make Beaded glass jewellery. I source the beads from unusual suppliers and artisans.

I work from my home studio in South Northamptonshire and as well as having my on-line shop, I also attend craft fairs and events in the area.

To visit her on Facebook click HERE

To follow here on Twitter click HERE

The Dressing Up Chest

The Dressing Up Chest makes dressing up clothes, fancy dress and

dance costumes for children. You can select from those shown on

the web site or commission a costume in the character or style of

your choice.

Based in West London, but serving the whole of the UK, Libby

established the business when her own children no longer needed

the stage and dance costumes she enjoyed making for them.

Each costume is lovingly put together using good quality fabrics

which can be washed and worn again and again. If you would like to

give the child in your life an alternative to mass produced, synthetic

fabric costumes then email info@dressingupchest.co.uk

To view her designs click HERE

Handmade by Claire

Well my name is Clare, I started my passion for handicrafts when I made my wedding invitations and all my favors for my wedding, it was suggested I went into business, so here I am trying to make a start, it's kind of drifted from just wedding stationary and now I seem to have ventured into making items of jewellery, felt brooches, decorating wine glasses, assembling wine glass charms, wire decorations with shelll beads and swarovski crystals as well.

To view her designs click HERE

To visit her on Facebook click HERE

To follow her on Twitter click HERE

JustKjewellery

an eclectic mix of fun and quirky handmade jewellery and accessories. I LOVE working with resin and one of my favourite things to do is embed real sweets in the resin. Intrigued - then take a look.....

To view her designs click HERE

To visit her on facebook click HERE

To follow her on Twitter click HERE

To read her blog click HERE

Butterfly Bessie

Butterfly Bessie emerged in early 2011 with an eclectic mix of gifts and accessories carefully handmade in my home on the edge of the beautiful New Forest. Using modern and vintage, re-cycled and up-cycled, I hope that there is something for everyone to enjoy. From hair clips to cake-stands, cards to Christmas decorations,

To view her designs click HERE

To view her CRAFTfest stall click HERE

To visit her on facebook click HERE

To follow her on Twitter click HERE

Happy Hands

Hi I'm Gayle mum of two and proud creator of Happy Hands, which produces a broad range of wedding accessories. Through out my life Art and Design has played a big part. My background is in Fashion Design and Manufacturing so I've always been creative. I opened the doors to Happy Hands when planning my own wedding. Starting with wands, slowly but surely I developed to other items including Tiara's, Hair pieces, Wedding Favour, Table Decor and my favourite Organza Bouquet. All my products are all 'hand crafted' and 'bespoke' for you. Happy Hands today continues to grow from strength to strength. I continue to progress with my passion (borderline obsession) with enthusiasm, pride and demand for perfection. My aim is to fully satisfy the customer's specification to budget and wedding scheme. 'YOUR DAY YOUR WAY'

No matter how 'Big' or 'Small' every girl dreams of their wedding day... You want perfection... So do we...

To view her designs click HERE

To view her CRAFTfest stall click HERE

To visit her on Facebook click HERE

To read her blog click HERE

All Things Blankets & More

"All Things Blankets & More, the home of handmade personalised cat beds, blankets, cushions & throws. (I cater for cat owners as well). Originally inspired by my 4 cats cuddling up with me under my homemade blanket on the sofa; I decided to make them their own blankets. All my cat range items have therefore been tried & tested by my own cats first for their approval.

To view her designs click HERE or HERE

To visit her on Facebook click HERE

To follow her on Twitter click HERE

I hope you have enjoyed seeing the first of my group, there will be another blog, with the rest of my team members.

Signing off for Today

Felicity xx

Local Pub under New Management

2011-10-13T02:22:00.000-07:00

Hello again,

Today I wanted to introduce the new manager at our local pub; The Hungry Fox Pub. The pub has gone through so many management changes over the last couple of years, it's nice to have a manager (Paula) that is not only a lovely lady, but really has her heart set on making a success of the business, and truly bringing The Hungry Fox back to life. This will make a huge difference to our local community, and I wish her every success in doing this.

I have eaten with her on a number of occasions since she took over, and I've got to say her home cooking is brilliant, and the menu keeps expanding too, so lots of reason to go back again.

See what she has to say by way of an introduction to the local people:

The Hungry Fox,

Station Road,

Broadclyst Station,

Broadclyst,

Nr Exeter,

Devon,

EX5 3AS,

01392 460832,

07827576538.

Dear Resident of Broadclyst,

As you are aware The Hungry Fox, has changed management yet again. If I am correct I am the sixth manager/ tenant in six years, according to the latest edition of The Broadclyst Broadsheet.

Well if that is the case; let me tell you a little bit about myself & why I have taken on The Hungry Fox Public House, in your village.

My name is Paula & I was born in Plympton nr Plymouth in 1957, so I am 55 years old & have lived in various parts of the Med, Far East & back here in the UK; thanks to my Father who was in the Royal Marines. So as children; with my brother & sister; we traveled with my Mother & Father wherever our Government sent The Royal Marines.

After leaving full time education in 1973; in Chichester West Sussex; I tried my hand at a number of careers, but never settled until the end of that long hot summer in 1976. I found myself entering the catering industry, working in a friend’s Fish & Chip shop in Chichester,

After a number of years, I then progressed to run my first Pub kitchen at The Black Boy Inn, Old Fishbourne, and Chichester. During my time there I put myself through college to earn my City & Guilds.

I spent 9 years working for Jim Lindsay & at times I was running all of his Pub Kitchens.

While still living in West Sussex I also worked for Rank Leisure in one of their Night Clubs & also at The Body Shop factory in the Canteen in Littlehampton.

At the end of 2000, an opportunity to move back to Devon came around, so I took the opportunity to come home.

I first moved back to Ilfracombe on the beautiful North Devon Coast. I worked for seasonal coaching Hotels & The Terrace Tapas Restaurant.

Towards the end of 2003 work took me to Barnstaple at The Cork & Bottle, for nearly 4 years. After leaving I set up with friends, Catering an Outside Catering Company, but also working as a relief Freelance Chef.

The relief work has taken me to a number of establishments here in Devon, namely The Mulberry Inn Cheriton Bishop, The Hoops Inn Nr Bideford, High Bullen Golf Club & Hotel Nr Umberliegh, Shebbear College, Ashwicke Hall International School Nr Bath; both for Sodexo.

This now brings me back to why The Hungry Fox?

When I arrived back from Ashwicke Hall in Early August, Tony Lock; who had just reopened the pub; phoned & asked if I was interested in taking it on, either as an employed manager or would I like to take the lease that he had with Punch Taverns.

I came down from Barnstaple for a couple of weekends to check what the situation was, & I liked what I saw & felt about the Pub & it’s Location.

So I opted for the latter deal & took over the lease on the 29^th August 2011.

As you are probably aware the Pub is up for Sale; this is Punch Taverns option if the turnover does not increase to an acceptable level. If the turnover does increase, I will be offered a rolling lease; so if we as a community want to see our local businesses flourish, through these difficult financial times, I need all your support.

I have taken this chance to help turn around The Hungry Fox, because I saw an opportunity to bring back to life a Pub with huge potential that is well known throughout the County.

I have just taken on 5 local bar staff, 3 who have worked here in the past.

The previous manager had gone along with the £3.50p all day carvery. We as a Local Pub; which serves good home cooked food at reasonable prices; have put in place an initial menu.

This menu includes Starters, Steaks, Fresh Fish, Pasta, Homemade Burgers, Home cooked Ham, etc along with Hand Cut Chips

But also check out our specials board for something else that is Home cooked or different.

Please call in for a drink, coffee or a meal & please make yourself known to me & my team, so we will hopefully remember you on your next visit.

All Major Debit and Credit cards now accepted.

Also we are developing a small Take Away Menu. A sample of this is included.

Yours

Paula Susan Milton.

Take Away Menu.

Please see below a selection of food available for take away:

Beer Battered Cod & Chips……………………………….......................... £5.00p

Whole tail Breaded Scampi & Chips……………………………………… £5.95p

Two Pork Sausages & Chips……………………………………................ £4.95p

Home Made Burger in a Bap & chips…………………………………….. £5.95p

Three Pork Sausages, Mash & Onion Gravy………………….………..…. £5.95p

Sweet N Sour Chicken & Rice or Noodles…………………..……….…… £6.95p

The Hungry Fox Chicken & Vegetables……………………..……….…… £6.95p

9” Thin & Crispy Pizza………………………………................................. £6.95p

9” Deep Pan Pizza - Cheese & Tomato ……….......................................... £6.95p

Pepperoni………............................................. extra £1.00p

Ham & Pineapple…………............................ extra £1.00p

Vegetable Fried Rice with Sweet N Sour Sauce……………….………..... £6.95p

Portion of Chips………………………………........................................... £1.50p

Portion of Cheesy Chips……………………………….............................. £1.95p

Now that you can see what Paula has to offer why not pop across for a visit and try some good home cooking while you're there; I'm really close by too so you could pop in for a close up of your favourite quilts at the same time!

Hope to see some of you local people in there soon.
Signing off for today

Felicity xx

The Glorious South West in Pictures

2011-10-10T22:24:00.000-07:00

Hello again,

today I have decided to give you a brief view of my history in the Southwest, all in pictures; I hope you enjoy them.

Firstly Rock in Cornwall where I was born

now on to one of my favourite haunts as a child, and I often visit as an adult - Padstow, just across the water from Rock

one of my most favourite beaches of all time - Daymer Bay, not far from Rock and so unspoilt

and just behind Daymer Bay is the glorious St Enodoc church which was buried under the sand for many years, and dug out by the local people, and the vicar

I grew up in a small Mid-Devon town Tiverton

and went to the local Grammar school

now on to my teenage years, this is the sort of thing we got up to - raft races down the river Exe

then at 22 I got married, the reception was held at The Fisherman's Cot at Bickleigh

I then went on to have 3 children, all born at Heavitree Hospital

I now live near the city of Exeter

but with the most beautiful countryside right next door - here's one of our local dog walking sites - Ashclyst Forest

I have the moors either side of me, to the North Exmoor

and to the south Dartmoor

and finally a 'less nice' side of Devon - work! I work for a company that looks after the trunk roads, and this is what we deal with in the winter - Haldon Hill

I hope you enjoyed that snap shot of my life

Signing off for today

F xx

Lilac Items in Honour of Lilac Group

2011-10-09T22:07:00.000-07:00

I have decided to do a blog featuring Lilac items, in honour of my Lilac group in CRAFTfest, I hope you enjoy my selections, and please come back for my blog where I will be featuring members of Lilac Group and I'll tell you more about them. Happy browsing

Lilac Pinboard Merudu

`lilac mouse needles and buttons`

`Lilac Coral Jane Loudon Accessories`

Flower Fairy Wall Hanging Lilac Perfect Patchwork

  

Lilac Crochet Bead Earrings  Froosh Maroosh



Lilac Cupcake Flower Pot  Fabulous Coconut



Bag, lilac dreams  Marice's World

Lilac daisies card  Busybeecards handmade cards for all occasions


Lush Lilac Charm Bracelet  Creative Treasures



LILAC POPPY FASCINATOR  Melissa Jane



Lilac Elelphant Keepsake Box  Kippers Keepsakes


I hope you enjoyed browsing, and don't forget I will soon be posting a blog featuring members of Lilac Group

signing off for today

F xx

How to Make a Lap Quilt

2011-10-09T05:50:00.000-07:00

Welcome back and firstly a BIG thank you to all of you that posted comments to my previous blogs.

This one is focusing on ‘How to Make’. I am going to give you a copy of one of mine, and then will provide you with links to a few which I found on the internet. Please feel free to add your own links in comments or post a blog yourself.

As you know (I hope) I specialise in patchwork quilts and quilted products so it will be no surprise to you that my first ‘how to make’ is a quilt. A quilt I hear you all cry, I can’t make something that big, well yes you can, it’s not as hard as it looks. This ‘how to make’ is for a lap quilt (not a full size bed quilt) and is made in 12 inch squares so nothing too huge to start with.

Lap Quilts can be of any size, but here I have based it on the traditional 12 inch block, usually used in patchwork, this gives us a finished size of approx 48 inches square; you can of course change this to rectangular by doing 12 blocks which will result in the quilt size being approx 48x60 inches.

This one has only 6 blocks but 2 borders to create the size I wanted, and features the log cabin block which will be in my next blog; I am starting you with 9 blocks and a single border.

Please read all the way through before starting, and always use ¼ inch seam allowance – this is a golden rule of patchwork and quilting.

Chose any patchwork block of 12 inches square (most designs in block books etc are designed to give a finished size of 12 inches square), you can use a larger block but remember this will affect the finished size of your quilt. (You can get a block design easily from the internet); or you can wait for my next blog ‘How to Make a Log Cabin Block’ (quilted as you go); yes there will be more patchwork and quilting blogs!

Choose your colours to give you some contrast, but remember to check the fabrics by standing about 4-6 feet away, if any fabrics jump out from the rest then these need to be removed and replaced by something that ‘blends’ better.

Make 9 blocks, these can be the same design or you can choose 9 different ones to give a ‘sampler’ effect, you can simply piece the blocks i.e. join all the pieces of the block together to create the finished pattern (which is what I’ll assume today) or you can quilt them at this stage. Arrange them in a way which is pleasing to the eye (3 blocks to a row, giving you 3 rows), join them together, by placing them right sides together and stitch (1/4 inch remember); do 1 row at a time, then join the rows.

Once you have made the centre of your quilt you are ready to choose a border fabric. I recommend you cut the border 6 inches wide. You will need 2 strips of 6x36 inches, and 2 strips of 6x48 inches, or you can cut 4x48 inches and mitre the corners depending on your taste, and skill of course, (I will work without mitred corners for ease).

Attach the 36 inch strips to the sides of the quilt (right sides together and stitch ¼ inch seam) and press, and then attach the 48 inch strips to the top and bottom of the quilt in the same way and press.

Now you are ready to make the ‘sandwich’. Choose your wadding and backing, I use 4oz wadding (80% cotton, 20% polyester) as this gives warmth and texture without being too thick and is superb quality and washes well, and I use fabric of equal quality and thickness to the front of the quilt; I only ever use 100% cotton fabrics for my quilts and never buy the cheap ranges as you can really see a difference in the quality.

Lay your wadding on a flat surface and spray with temporary adhesive (I use 505 spray), press your backing fabric and lay your it on the top of the wadding (I find it easier to start at one end and gradually smooth out the backing as I progress up the quilt – this is very important when doing a large bed quilt so a good technique to practise), ensure that you have no creases in it, turn this over so that the wadding is now on the top. Lightly spray the wadding with temporary adhesive and lay your quilt top onto the wadding (again easiest to start at one end and progress up the quilt). Traditional quilters could omit the adhesive and tack the layers together. I do not recommend pinning as I find there is too much movement in the quilt, and it makes quilting more difficult.

Now it is time to choose your quilting design. There are so many to choose from, it is impossible for me to recommend any one in particular. Check the recommendations for your wadding; avoid large gaps as these will result in movement and ‘lumping’ when the quilt is washed. The quilting can be done by machine or hand, depending on individual taste and skill (an easy method of quilting for the beginner is to stitch in the ditch (follow the lines of the seams) or stitch ¼ inch away from the seams to enhance the design).

Once the quilting is finished it is time to finish off the quilt. I suggest prior to binding that the corners are rounded off, as this gives a smooth neat finish to the quilt (one of my trade marks, you will see wherever the design allows that I do this). Draw a curve around each corner ensuring they are all the same, (an easy way to do this is by placing a plate on the corner and drawing around it), trim around the curve.

You are now ready to bind your quilt, I recommend cutting the binding at 2.5 inches wide. You will need approx 196 inches of binding; this can be in the same fabric as the border or a contrast fabric. Fold the binding in half, giving a 1.25 inch strip, (I find it easier if you press this). Attach binding to right side of quilt, stitching along the raw edge of the folded fabric, easing it around the curves on the corners. Leave 6 inches unstitched at the beginning and the end, once you have gone all the way around (except the 12 inches not stitched) remove from the machine and determine the exact length needed to complete the binding. Attach the 2 ends together (from the back), then stitch the last 12 inches to the quilt. Turn the binding to the back and hand stitch in place.

Finally make a label for the back of the quilt and attach, or hand stitch a message, (I love being able to go back and re-read my labels as I date them, its amazing sometimes to find that I made a quilt much longer ago than I remember) and for customers this personalisation is often appreciated as I let them chose the wording.

I hope that all makes sense; you can always leave a comment on here if you need any clarification or message me.

Now that you have taken the time to read all of that, here’s an easier task; I went hunting around the internet and have picked a few different ideas for you to check out.

The first one is a very pretty Crochet Sweetheart Pillow, and comes with complete instructions, just follow the link; you should find all the information that you need. Happy crocheting.

http://www.freecraftunlimited.com/crochet-sweetheart-pillow.html

And next I have found one that is topical for this time of year. This is again crochet and is a lovely Christmas stocking done in predominantly red, but the colours could be changed around to make it different, why not try it in green; just follow the link for the instructions.

http://www.freecraftunlimited.com/crochet-christmas-stocking.html

And lastly a quick easy make, a very pretty bookmark, which could be made in any fabrics and even personalised, why not try some vintage fabrics for that real traditional look, just follow the link.

http://www.freecraftunlimited.com/bookmark-sewing.html

Thanks once again for taking the time to read this rather long blog, and happy crafting.

Please leave comments especially if you have some ‘How to Makes’ you would like to share, or write a blog for us to read, it’s really not that hard.

Signing off for today

F xx

Everyone's Favourite - Teddy Bears

2011-10-06T23:42:00.000-07:00

Hello again

I have decided to do another feature blog today, and have chosen what I think is everyone's favourite - Teddy Bears.
All these items have been selected from Folksy sellers and are available for sale, just follow the link, and happy browsing.

Teddy Pink Wire Creations

Teddy Bears .. all you have to do is Dream ... xx

Yellow Teddy Bear Plaque Aunty Joan Crafts

Get Well Soon Teddy Marianne's Craftroom

Handmade Teddy Bear. Amelia's Attic

Teddy bear with roses by Lisa & Zoe

Teddy Bear with pink heart earrings TiCKLEDPINK SHEEP

Teddy Bear Chalkboard Angie's Crafty Hearts

Hand knitted Teddy Bear Pud Bears

Personalised wall letter with teddy Unique personalised gift plaques

Teddy Bear Balloons PaulinesCrafts

'Teddy Beddy Bear' Cot Quilt Perfect Patchwork

I hope you enjoyed my selection today, I tried to find a range of different items for you

Signing off for today

F xx

How I began

2011-10-05T22:24:00.000-07:00

Hello again, today I have decided to tell you a little bit about myself.

I started sewing as a very young child; taught by my mother; and I began my first quilt at the age of 13. This was in the traditional hand piecing method, of hexagons. It was during a period of 3 concurrent illnesses, Chickenpox, Measles and German Measles; when I was off of school for a number of weeks; and banned from seeing my friends to reduce the risk of spreading infection. I was as you can imagine, very bored, hence the beginning of a very time consuming project.

This quilt; made from old favourite clothes and remnants from my mum’s dress making; was picked up and put down a number of times, but was eventually finished, and took pride of place on my mum’s bed; sadly it was not found after her death. This is not mine, but shows the type of design I worked on.

This is where my adventure began – I went on to learn sewing on a machine, and hand knitting (also taught by my mum), and later crochet (taught by my God mother). I have crocheted blankets in the traditional ‘granny squares pattern, and even crocheted my first child’s baby shawl, (I unfortunately no longer have that either); but this picture shows the style of it

I briefly explored machine knitting, and while this was brilliant when my children were little, it didn’t feel creative enough for me so in the early 90’s a friend and I decided to do a few ‘away weekends’ to try some other crafty things. Firstly we went to West Yorkshire and tried Lace Making; and this was followed by a trip to Whitby (very close to) to do Patchwork with Maggie Martin (who still offers great weekends – accommodation and sewing).

http://www.maggiemartin.co.uk/

Both of these became favourites of mine, and I later joined a local Lace making class, and continued with the patchwork at home.

I very rarely make lace these days, due to time constraints, but have followed the patchwork route very closely.

I launched my website in late 2009 (www.perfectpatchwork.co.uk ), and have recently opened a Folksy shop (http://www.folksy.com/shops/PerfectPatchwork ) and joined Twitter(http://twitter.com/#!/PerfecPatchwork ) and Creative Connections. In my travels I have met some wonderful people, and have some good friends on Facebook and Creative Connections.

Recently I have become involved with Creative Connection’s CRAFTfest; I took part in the first one, and have become a team leader (Lilac team) for the upcoming one in November. The teams have been set up to help support new members of the site, and for mutual promotion. I love this involvement and will soon be posting a blog on my team members and their crafts. Creative Connections has an amazing site, with blogs, forums, groups, and the most superb online magazine which is absolutely free; and even a chat room for when you are work avoiding, or having a brain freeze. There is usually someone to chat too, or to help with any little problems; for all you crafty people out there it is well worth checking out, (and free to join) http://creative-connections.ning.com/

My plans are to further explore creating one off designs and in particular I’d like to create some landscape quilted wall hangings incorporating hand painted fabrics; a skill I have just begun. I would like to incorporate a range of fabrics and techniques including embroidery, fabric painting, appliqué and of course patchwork.

I will keep you updated with how this progresses, but in the more immediate future I have been asked to create some bags by upcycling T-shirts (100% cotton of course), and my brain is overflowing with ideas, and I have even been and bought some chains! – watch this space to find out what they are for! I will post photos when they are finished.

Hope you enjoyed the little insight

Signing off for today

F xx

An Interview with Beadstorm Jewellery

2011-10-04T22:16:00.000-07:00

Hello again, apologies for missing a few days, but was away. Here is my next interview of a lovely lady from Folksy, check out her page, she has amazing items.

1. What is your business name, and why did you chose that name?

It’s called ‘BeadstormJewellery’ & I’m trying to remember how I eventually settled on the name.

I agonised for ages trying to come up with a catchy name, I looked at ancient gods & goddesses names for inspiration; thought of all sorts of names with ‘bead’ in them, but so many were already in use. In the end I thought I’d go for something a bit random and ‘beadstorm’ came into my head while I was trying to get to sleep one night. I wrote it down quickly in case I forgot it by the morning.

2. When did you start creating, and when did you start selling your creations?

I started creating around February this year, sold a few items for next to nothing on ebay, then in July I approached a new local boutique to see if they would consider selling some of my jewellery, which they did. I only opened my Folksy shop www.folksy.com/shops/beadstormjewellery at the beginning of September

3. Who/what inspired you to follow the type of craft that you do?

My daughter in a way.

I’ve always loved jewellery and gemstones, but never thought about making anything until my daughter needed some supplies for the bracelet that she was making for her Product Design GCSE project. I went to see if I could find them in a well-known shop for craft-type things and was amazed at the jewellery making supplies that they stocked. A few days later I went back and had another look, bought a magazine, looked at some of the suppliers’ websites who were advertising. It opened up a whole new world that I didn’t know existed, and I was hooked!

4. And where does the inspiration for specific items come from?

I tend to look at the beads that I’ve got and team them together and see what then comes to mind.

My ‘Autumn Leaves’ earrings came about in this way – the beads & crystals made me think of autumn, and then a filigree leaf was clearly needed to finish them

5. Where do you sell your items from?

At the moment only on Folksy ( www.folksy.com/shops/beadstormjewellery ) & at the boutique that I mentioned earlier.

I’ve booked to do a craft fair later in the year, plus I’m trying to find other places to sell.

6. What are your favourite pieces and why?

I find it difficult to pick out favourites – but maybe ‘Pastures Green’ necklace – I love the gemstones in it – particularly the long piece of kiwi jasper. Also ‘Secret beauty’ earrings – they’re made with labradorite, which is so pretty. When it catches the light the flecks of colour in it are amazing….

7. Do you do any other crafts? And if so which ones, are they just for fun or do you sell other item too?

Not at all – all other crafts are beyond me. I did try card making for a while, but I didn’t come up with much and my daughter did much better than me!

I don’t even attempt to sew since I had a bad experience at school with an out-of-control sewing machine

8. If you sell any other items where do you sell them? (again links please)

The boutique where I have some items is www.woottonboutique.com/ - but all sales are through physically visiting the shop

9. Where do you do your crafts? i.e. do you have a studio, sewing room etc

Mainly in our lounge, which I take over several evenings a week.

I tend to take my photos either in the lounge too, or the conservatory, depending on the light, plus recently I’ve tried taking a few outside in the garden, until it started raining

10. Are there any other crafts you would like to try? And what is it that makes you want to try them?

Not really – the jewellery making takes up a lot of my time – I don’t think I could fit anything else in

11. What are your favourite websites and why?
There are so many fabulous shops on Folksy that I keep getting distracted by. I love Cinnamon Jewellery & JewelleryByZM, but there are so many other great ones too

12. Do you have any plans/dreams for your future to do with your crafts?

Just to try to sell more so that I can buy more gemstones to make more! It’s great when people like the things you make, and I guess being prepared to buy something that you’ve made is a great compliment and really motivating.

I hope you enjoyed today's blog, I know I loved browsing her Folksy shop, and am sooooo tempted by most of her earrings.

Signing off for today

F xx

An Interview with Mosaic Tree

2011-09-30T22:58:00.000-07:00

Hi again,
my interview today is a lovely lady from Folksy - Mosaic Tree, I hope you enjoy her answers to my questions

1. What is your business name, and why did you chose that name?

Mosaic Tree is the name. The name was at the back of my mind, long before the business came along so I already felt an affinity to it and it seemed the perfect choice when Mosaic Tree was created.

2. When did you start creating, and when did you start selling your creations?

I’ve always enjoyed crafting but never focused on it until about 18 months ago when I started knitting and set up my online Folksy shop 6 months after.

3. Who/what inspired you to follow the type of craft that you do?

A child’s set of knitting needles, a ball of acrylic wool and a ‘how to knit’ book – all borrowed from my then 8 year old daughter! My inspiration was a strong desire to be creative – much of my working life has been in the voluntary/public sector, often office based, so this been a real difference for me and very rewarding for that very reason.

4. And where does the inspiration for specific items come from?

Colours are my inspiration – I tend to almost think in colour – autumn hedgerows, sunsets, even the colour scheme at a holiday cottage!

Mobile phone covers were in the ‘how to knit’ book. Variations to the basic design soon followed such as cable twist and additional details such as the knitted heart and the spiral. New lines evolve for different reasons; I’ll try something new as a present for someone or in response to a commission.

Where do you sell your items from?

Online shop – www.folksy.com/shops/MosaicTree

Craft fairs – keep in touch via www.facebook.com/MosaicTree for upcoming events.

Coming soon – http://www.love-somerset.co.uk/ – a site to buy all things sourced locally in Somerset.

Word of mouth

5. What are your favourite pieces and why? (links would be great then I can promote them for you)

One of my favourites are the Mosaic Tree tassel necklaces, particularly the sari accent ones. They’re unusual so attract compliments, I love the colour combinations and so light weight, I forget I’m wearing one.

6. Where do you do your crafts? i.e. do you have a studio, sewing room etc

Anywhere and everywhere! Knitting is the ultimate craft in terms of portability – you may catch me knitting waiting for the train, in the car, drinking coffee (taking care not to spill the coffee of course!), in my lunch hour……

7. What are your favourite websites and why?

http://www.craftpimp.co.uk/ – the forum on here is always a friendly place to hang out with other crafters, well worth a visit.

http://www.knittinghelp.com/ – a bit like a global knitting club. Its where I go when I need knitting advice.

http://www.love-somerset.co.uk/ – supporting local indie businesses in Somerset. Soon to stock Mosaic Tree items. I’m clearly biased being a local gal myself!

8. Do you have any plans/dreams for your future to do with your crafts?
Having the time and budget to devote to trying out new types of crafts. On a realistic level, more time to develop new product lines would be fab. My ultimate dream of home-work life balance is to be home based for crafting and earn a living wage from it…better stop nattering and get back to my knitting needles if I want to make that one happen!

9. Keep in touch with Mosaic Tree

Twitter – www.twitter.com/#!/MosaicTree

Blog – http://www.mosaictree.blogspot.com/

Facebook – www.facebook.com/MosaicTree

On line shop – www.folksy.com/shops/MosaicTree.

I hope you enjoyed reading about Mosaic Tree, do go and visit her shop as she has some truly lovely items.
Signing off for today
F xx

A Trip in the Woods

2011-09-29T22:57:00.000-07:00

Welcome back, today’s blog follows the theme of trees, specifically items for sale which feature either a tree, or lots of trees – Enjoy.

Tree Christmas Tree Decoration Diomo Glass Gifts

Rainbow Tree PAINTBOX1110

Tree bronze earrings Roxy`s jewels

christmas tree Fragile Heart by Gill Pinkney

Tree Advent Calendar Perfect Patchwork

Tree of Life Hanger - purple and green TamiRocks

Tree Candy Bookmark JellyGiraffe Handmade Jewellery

golden tree card JazzleDazzle

Tree at sunset 10" by 10" CASIMIRA'S QUIRKY ART

2 engraved tree flutes Charlie's Corner

Hope you've enjoyed my selection for today

Signing off

F xx

An Interview with Elegant Craft

2011-09-28T22:22:00.000-07:00

Good Morning, today's blog features Elegant Craft, check out her Folksy shop, she has many beautiful items for you to browse.

My shop name is ElegantCraft and I actually "borrowed" it from my sister as she had it for a while after a very brief flirtation with selling card toppers on Ebay. I really liked the name and when I decided to try out selling online I couldn't think of something else that encapsulated my work in a nutshell. I wanted something short and memorable but also slightly intriguing as I couldn't decide which of my crafts I wanted to stick with and so didn't want to become stuck with a generic name that limited me to one craft.

I learnt to knit and crochet as a child and dabbled with it briefly over the years. I got into papercrafting about 6 years ago when handmade cards were a novelty and have dabbled with various other crafts since then. I dabbled in the online market about 4 years ago after working with a direct selling company for a while and thinking I would rather put this much effort into promoting my own stuff and making some money for myself. That didn't pan out too well but I have always wanted to try harder with it. I have been with Folksy since February and am really enjoying it. www.folksy.com/shops/elegantcraft

Knitting and crochet is my biggest passion and I credit that to my Mum who showed me how to start and was always making something. I have a blog post dedicated to her http://elegantcraft.wordpress.com/?blogsub=confirming#subscribe-blog titled "Inspiration". I love looking around at things that people have made and am addicted to leafing through magazines, surfing the web or finding TV programmes looking for exciting things I wonder if I could make.

I love looking around at things that people have made and am addicted to leafing through magazines, surfing the web or finding TV programmes looking for exciting things I wonder if I could make. Generally I go for a theme depending on the time of year and look around for interesting patterns, books or other items on the highstreet or craft sites and see what grabs my attention.

My main selling outlet is Folksy and my page is www.elegantcraft.folksy.com I have been caught up in the Facebook revolution so I also have listings on there which can be found at www.facebook.com/elegantcraft.

My favourite pieces have to be the dolls and bears. I try and create character whilst knitting them up and there is just something about a doll or a teddy bear that makes them special in some way. I have started a range of themed bears which are currently listed on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.221285351260214.61811.156342757754474 although they will be coming over to Folksy soon. I am also hoping to complete some fashion dolls in the near future too.

I have tried a few other crafts in the past and would really like to add them to my selling repertoire. I have a selection of cards on Facebook at the present time.

I think it's more a case of where don't I at present. As knitting/crochet is my primary obsession it is quite a portable craft and easy to fit into my schedule. My place of choice is in the living room so I can be sociable or watch TV whilst I craft. I try and take projects with me if I am out and usually take something when visiting my Mum and have become something of a feature in the Dentists waiting room. I travel on the train a fair bit so it certainly helps while away the time there too. Paper crafts and salt dough etc are usually squeezed onto the dining room table when the children are at school or in bed.

I love trying out new crafts and anything that is tactile really grabs me.
I have dabbled with candles and sewing soft toys which are two areas I am keen to work with more and hopefully sell successfully. I love working with felt and have made a few projects which I hope to add also. Similarly I aim to rediscover cross stitch and start a range of cards and embellished items. I also tried out working with salt dough and have a listing on Folksy currently http://www.folksy.com/items/1868405-Personalised-Cherub-Engagement-Gift?shop=yes although I hope to add more items in this medium in the future.

Folksy of course is a great site full of wonderful items and lovely friendly crafters a real homely community. I really enjoy www.Ravelry.com as a source of inspiration. I have various other wool craft sites I like to browse although www.lionbrand.com and www.lilysugarandcream are my most frequented. www.stumbleupon.com is a rather addicting browse but I have found some great inspiration on there.

My fairytale fantasy would be to have a retail shop selling a wide variety of my handmade items. I would love to be able to craft fulltime and make this my occupation if possible in the future so will have to keep plugging away and see where it goes.

Check out my craft shop www.folksy.com/shops/elegantcraft
for cards and gifts for all occasions.

http://about.me/elegantcraft

Thank you so much for the interview Elegant Craft, and I hope you have all enjoyed reading it

Signing off
F xx

2011-09-27T22:40:00.000-07:00

Art on The Hill

Welcome back,

This weekend I am exhibiting at the Art on the Hill Art Trail in Bristol, and would love to see any of you that are in the area. I am including details for you so that you can see what the trail is all about; and I have selected information on a few of the artists that will be exhibiting alongside me.

Art on the Hill 2011

1st - 2nd October 12pm -6pm

The trail takes place in Windmill Hill and Victoria Park in South Bristol next weekend and includes a varied mix of art plus performances, workshops, a parade and a concert.

Look out for a trail brochure in the public spaces around South Bristol and beyond and the pubs in Windmill Hill, they will also be available directly from trail venues and the information point in the Windmill Hill Community Centre during the trail.

There will be events and workshops taking place, so lots to do for all the family

Events

Saturday 1st

Performance by 'Fools on the Hill'
3.00pm at St Michael's Chruch, Vivian Street.
Free Admission.

'The Fools on the Hill' are a local band playing a selection of songs for your pleasure. Some are well known covers, some are our their compositions.

Performance by 'Notabene'
between 2.00pm and 4.00pm at Windmill Hill City Farm, Philip Street. Free Admission.

'Notabene' is a dynamic Bristol-based ensemble performing lively and captivating songs in sophisticated harmony. Their repertoire ranges from Monteverdi to Monty Python.

The Butterfield Lecture
6.30pm at St Michael's Chruch, Vivian Street.
Free Admission.

Michael Butterfield on Haydn's late masterpiece:
Illustrated talk with demonstrations at the piano.

Sunday 2nd

Creative Kids Children's Parade
Starts at 3.00 (assemble at 2.45pm) Meeting at Windmill Hill Community Centre.

Following on from the Creative Kids Workshop the children's parade will leave from the Community Centre. All are welcome.

Windmill Hill Chorus & Bristol Chamber Orchestra - Haydn's Creation
6.30pm at St Michael's Chruch, Vivian Street.
Free Admission. Donations Welcome

Con tor - Mark Randall, Stephanie Spragg - soprano, Jonathan Toffolo - tenor, Stephen Foulkes - bass.

Workshops

Saturday 1st

Mosaic Workshop
1.00pm - 3.00pm at Windmill Hill Community Centre.
Spaces are limited and will be allocated on a first comes first basis, you can call Tanja (0117 3739047) to book a space or turn up on time.

Come and learn how to make a small mosaic using the direct mosaic method to create your own unique piece.
This is a fun activity for people of all ages and this year the mosaics will be suitable for outdoor use such as garden decorations of house numbers. Children under eight years should bring a grown-up to work together.

Pottery Workshop
2.00pm - 5.00pm at The Garden Studio, 23 St John's Crescent.
Contact Norma or Irene: 07952 938735
Participants may drop in throughout this time.

Make and decorate a tile or clay pinchpot. Items will be fired and participants contacted when items are ready for collection. £1.50 contribution required for materials.
Children welcome accompanied by an adult.

Sunday 2nd

Creative Kids Workshop
11.00am - 1.00pm at Windmill Hill Community Centre.
No pre-booking required

Zambian-themed workshop making items out of recycled materials. This workshop will be a chance for children and their families to make items for the children's parade.

Pottery Workshop
2.00pm - 5.00pm at The Garden Studio, 23 St John's Crescent.
Contact Norma or Irene: 07952 938735
Participants may drop in throughout this time.

And now for a sneak preview of a few of the artists, with the address where they will be exhibiting, a little bit about them, and a clickable link to their profile.

34 Merioneth Street

Mr Toodle Media: Printmaking - Illustration - Digital

Mr Toodle creates whimsical images for children and the young at heart. He use a variety of reproduction techniques including digital prints, silk screen and woodcut.

10 Park Avenue

Jill Hutchings Media: Jewellery

I make textile-based brooches inspired by the rich variety of plants and animals found in rock pools. Each piece is unique. They are intended to be intriguing, quirky and fun.

Windmill Hill City Farm

Felicity Howarth Media: Textiles - Patchwork

I have had a keen interest in textiles for over 30 years.
I like using various techniques including patchwork, applique and embroidery to design and make one off pieces

14 Stanbury Road

Samantha Gilraine Media: Mixed Media - Painting - Illustation - Drawing - Photography - Digital

New to the hill, I am a professional artist and wedding photographer.
I will be exhibiting my atmospheric locally inspired artwork that has been created using paint, camera and computer!

26 Paultow Road

Patrick Small Media: Jewellery

This year I will be showing my new jewellery collection: works in silver, crystal, wood and semi-precious stones.

5 Brendon Road

Alec Jackson Media: Printmaking - Illustration - Photography

Experimental Photography

37 Dunkerry Road

Nicoleta Bordea Media: Drawing - Painting - Textiles

I am a new amateur member and I would like to share with others my hobbies.
I will present some drawings, paintings, hand-embroidery and some Romanian style macrame items.

22 Dunkerry Road

Anne Reinsberg Media: Textiles

We live and work on an organic farm in Brandenburg in Germany where we have a flock of 60 sheep. Out of their wool we create e.g. socks, blankets, clothing and felt articles.

12 Alfred Road

Sue Green Media: Textiles

Lovingly created by hand using a combination of vintage and found fabrics, embellished with surface stitch and printing processes, these 'finds' have a contemporary vibe.

77 Quantock Road

Lisa Yardley Media: Sculpture - Mixed Media - Illustration - Textiles - 3D

My work is an assemblage of found frippery from nature and the recycling, mixed together with my own photography to create pieces of magical interest.

I also plan to run a workshop as part of the trail.

I really hope you have enjoyed my preview, and that you will be able to drop in at some point over the weekend.

There are lots more artists than I have been able to feature on this blog; and apologies for making it as long as I have.

Signing off for today

F xx

A Faint Reminder of Summer

2011-09-26T23:35:00.000-07:00

Welcome back, Today's feature is Dragonflies, such beautiful elegant creatures.

I hope you enjoy the selection I have for you; remember all the items have the link to the creator's Folksy shop, so that you can pop along and see what other lovely items they have to offer.

Happy browsing.

needle felted dragon created by

felted fluffies

Sale - Thank you card
Butterflys

Jute bag Dragonfly hand painted eco shopping queen of persia

Emerald dragonfly necklace Handmade jewellery by BigSoftie

Dragonfly and Burnt Amber bead necklace. Karen's Crafts

Mums Garden Bracelet.
Mollys Mixtures

Hand stamped baby vest gift boxed

Sweetly handmade designs by kelly

hand printed rustic hessian butterfly and dragonfly cushion

H E L K A T D E S I G N

The Butterfly Wing Creator CD-rom OOAK Sculptor Creations

Cream Lady Bugs Child's Bag complete with soft toy created by Perfect Patchwork

Dragonfly & Vintage Buttons Bobby / Hair Pin Materialgirl

I hope you enjoyed my selection today, back soon with my next interview

Signing off

F xx

Interview of Moseley's Giftware

2011-09-25T13:34:00.000-07:00

Hi again, today my blog is an interview of a lovely Lady

you can visit her at http://www.moseleysgiftware.co.uk/

I asked her a selection of questions and here are her answers:

1. What is your business name, and why did you chose that name?

My business name is Moseley’s Giftware; I chose it because Moseley is my family name. My grandpa Moseley, who passed away last year, would be so proud if he knew our name was carrying on through business.

2. When did you start creating, and when did you start selling your creations?

I have always been interested in arts and crafts, creating things for as long as I can remember. However, I decided to start channelling my efforts into making things in March, and began selling them this September. It’s all quite new for me!

3. Who/what inspired you to follow the type of craft that you do?

I have tried out lots of crafts, and I just carried on with the ones that I liked. I did a beading course with my mother six years ago, and have been making jewellery ever since. The only difference is that now I am working with sterling silver, freshwater pearls and gemstones! Knitting is a relatively new thing for me – I decided that I wanted to learn how to knit so that I could make tea cosies, and that is exactly what I did. My friend Helen taught me a few months ago, and I’ve already made over 20 cosies!

4. And where does the inspiration for specific items come from?

My jewellery is all inspired by the notions of elegance, timelessness, and femininity. I wanted to create pieces that would stand the test of time, and be worn over and over again, in a number of different settings. My most popular are the cascade sets, which feature pearls hanging from a sterling silver chain.

I was inspired to make candles by my aunt, who many years ago began making candles in vintage teacups. I thought they were very quaint, but decided that I wanted to make something that lit up the room a little more. I carefully selected vintage glassware, which does the job perfectly, as it is transparent. The vintage sherry flute candle is the one I’m most proud of:

With regards to the tea cosies, I’m sure the idea came in a dream! We wear bobble hats to keep warm, so it made perfect sense to make bobble hats for teapots! I sourced some vintage tea pots, which serve well as models for the cosies, but can be purchased too!

5. Where do you sell your items from?

I have my own website, www.moseleysgiftware.co.uk. Locally, I sell on the Makerhood site, which aims to promote ‘meeting the maker’: www.brixton.makerhood.com/moseleys-giftware . I sell on Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/MoseleysGiftware, and have just started on Folksy: http://www.folksy.com/shops/MoseleysGiftware!

6. What are your favourite pieces and why?

My favourite piece of jewellery is the freshwater pearl and amethyst cascade set; the pearls and the amethysts hang down from different links of sterling silver chain. The cascade hangs on a 16” sterling silver curb chain. I could wear it with anything I own!

My favourite tea cosy is knitted with a blue-grey acrylic and wool yarn, and has a dusty pink bobble on the top. It is just too cute!

I also love this card from my Photographics Range:

. The dew on the flower is just so pretty, and the picture is really well focussed. It takes me back to the wet day in Sydney where I took the picture.

7. Do you do any other crafts? And if so which ones, are they just for fun or do you sell other item too?

I enjoy crochet. I am hoping to start making brooches that I can sell. I like paper marbelling too, but I don’t do this too often, and I don’t intend to sell the results!

8. Where do you do your crafts? i.e. do you have a studio, sewing room etc

I simply have a desk in my lounge! Rather boring I’m afraid – I would love a studio! I knit and make jewellery on the sofa, but make the cards on the desk.

9. Are there any other crafts you would like to try? And what is it that makes you want to try them?

I want to try silversmithing, because I want to be able to make something beautiful to my own design. Luckily, I’ve just been accepted onto a silversmith diploma course, so I will get to try it!

10. What are your favourite websites and why?

www.moseleysgiftware.co.uk – it’s my website, so I love it!

www.craftsforum.co.uk has so many supportive people in it – it is an invaluable resource for any crafter.

www.craftsuperstore.co.uk is useful for craft supplies, especially when they have a sale on!

www.southlambethmarket.com tells people about my local market which I sell at, so it’s on my favourites list.

11. Do you have any plans/dreams for your future to do with your crafts?

I would love to get some of my products into shops around the country, and I would love to be able to create a selection of sterling silver jewellery with my newfound jewellery manufacture skills.

I hope you enjoyed reading that, I find her range superb, so an ideal place for shopping.

Signing off for today

Felicity

All Things Purple

2011-09-24T22:53:00.000-07:00

Hi
today's theme is purple; I hope you like the selection that I have chosen for you, I have tried to make sure they are all different types of things.

I've decided to start you off with a famous poem, one of my favourites.

Warning

by Jenny Joseph

WHEN I AM AN OLD WOMAN I SHALL WEAR PURPLE

With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.

And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves

And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter.

I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired

And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells

And run my stick along the public railings

And make up for the sobriety of my youth.

I shall go out in my slippers in the rain

And pick the flowers in other people's gardens

And learn to spit

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat

And eat three pounds of sausages at a go

Or only bread and pickle for a week

And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry

And pay our rent and not swear in the street

And set a good example for the children.

We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.

But maybe I ought to practice a little now?

So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised

When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.

Taken from the book

When I Am An Old Woman I Shall Wear Purple

Edited by Sandra Martz

Papier Mache Press--Watsonville, California 1987

Hope you enjoyed my poem, now for a little shopping, all the pictures have links where you can find not only the item, but a selection of other creations made by the same person - Happy Shopping

Purple Bon Bon Earrings created by Barton's Beautiful Bracelets (and other pretty things)

Purple Gauntlets created by

RASPberry Pics & Gifts

Deep Purple brooch created by Hanapea

Purple Christmas Stocking by yours Truly Perfect Patchwork

PURPLE AMETHYST necklace set by Lucidity Jewellery

Purple theme handbag charm by sk designs

For cold winters Purple scarf created by

Cottage Crafts and Cards

How about a purple friend to cuddle a Purple Bear
created by
Scruffy Stuff

Some Wedding cards http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=136446776425797&set=a.134974069906401.26078.133272663409875&type=1&theater Created by jeerebella’s castle

and our last one for today one of my personal favourites

Embroidered Dragonfly storage baskets created by

MinXtures clothing and accessories

I hope you've managed to spend a few pennies, and maybe get a couple of Christmas presents, come back soon for my next interview blog.

Signing off for now

Felicity

First Interview - Jeeberella's Castle

2011-09-24T00:14:00.000-07:00

Hi again, I have decided to mingle my 'theme' blogs with some interviews of some great sellers, these are people I have met on Folksy and facebook. My first interview is a great lady, who I seem to bump into whatever site I am on. I asked a set of questions and here is what she had to say:

1. What is your business name, and why did you chose that name?

My business is Jeeberella’s Craft Castle. I chose the name because I’ve been Jeeberella since I was 14 (over 9 years ago!). If you google Jeeberella then I’m sure most of the over 6,000 results are in one shape or form me! I wanted something different that was easily recognisable so it was a natural choice really. If you want the full story then check out this blog: http://jeeberellascraftcastle.blogspot.com/2011/08/whats-in-name.html

Very aware that the name doesn’t really say what it is I do, which wasn’t accidental. I knew I’d be expanding so wanted something that was all encompassing.

2. When did you start creating, and when did you start selling your creations?

I started creating in December 2010; I took a trip to HobbyCraft as I was a bit bored during some time off. Was rather disappointed that I didn’t grasp cross stitch and latch hooking as well as I’d hoped. So I decided to do a photo collage for my 3^rd anniversary in February. I then made my goddaughter a collage and everything kind of followed on from there. My first items went on sale online Valentine’s Day this year. I work full time so I run the business from home in the evenings and at weekends. Originally it was to make a bit of extra money but now I love making things for other people to enjoy.

3. Who/what inspired you to follow the type of craft that you do?

I showed my partner some of the canvasses that one of my friends paints and he said I could do something like that. I can’t paint but turns out I can be quite creative. I started off doing personalised cards but decided to expand my product range and everything else has followed since. I sometimes forget how far I’ve come since February until I remember that I now sell cards, bookmarks, fridge magnets, wall hangings, door signs, baby bodysuits, bunting, letters from santa and the tooth fairy, window signs, collages, day you were born and married keepsakes, will you be my…postcards, friendship keepsake cards, blessing bags, invitations, announcement cards. Think that’s everything!

4. And where does the inspiration for specific items come from?

I tend to get inspired in random places (in the shower a lot of the time) and from random things.

For example I had the idea for these wall hangings after seeing Stoke Pride advertised on facebook. Realised that everything you see is for Mr and Mrs. So did this for the Mr and Mr’s and the Mrs and Mrs’s out there

With Christmas coming I know I needed to sell things that weren't readily available in the shops.

The idea for these lovely personalised window signs came about because I live in a flat so we don’t have a garden to put those cute santa stop here signs!

I was trying to gauge interest in santa letters so I mentioned it on my facebook page and within a few minutes someone was interested in an order. So I decided to go for it and get advertising them, response has been fantastic and got lots on order already!

The personalised window signs came about for a totally selfish reason. I was thinking about I could use what I had for free advertising. So I went online and signed up to a lot of online directories and then turned my attention to my car! Made my own and then offered them to other businesses on a budget.

5. Where do you sell your items from?

I mainly sell through my facebook page: www.facebook.com/Jeeberella Simply tell me what it is you want and I’ll send you an invoice via Paypal so that both sides have protection. I direct people to my facebook page as all of my products are templates, I want to offer a personalised service and product. Facebook is the best platform for that as people can be inspired by what they see and state what it is they want. Everything on my Facebook also gets posted to my twitter so I take queries / orders from there too. www.twitter.com/Jeeberella

Saying that I also have two shops:

www.wowthankyou.co.uk/jeeberellas-craft-castle which is a fab up and coming website, the owner Tracey has a massive amount of determination and genuinely wants you to do well and spends a lot of time and money directing people to the site

www.folksy.co.uk/shops/Jeeberella which is a bit more well known in the handmade community

6. What are your favourite pieces and why?

One of my favourite items is the personalised wedding bunting

And there’s a few reasons for that. 1 It freaked my other half out A LOT as we’re not even engaged never mind married 2. I find wedding stuff can be really expensive just because it’s for a wedding. This provides an affordable but very cute way to introduce a new couple. 3. It can be used in a multitude of ways; draped across the top table, buffet table, cake table or hung over the doorway to the venue entrance.

This card was originally a custom order but I liked it so much I decided to offer to everyone.

In my day job I work as a project administrator and one of my project managers asked me about an extra special card for his wife of 4 years. I asked what their wedding accent colour was and their first dance and tada! The project manager might not have appreciated but his wife certainly did.

7. Where do you do your crafts? i.e. do you have a studio, sewing room etc

I actually run my business from home. It started off in the sapre room but has gradually made its way into the living room as well, especially my craft fair stuff which is in a big box behind the kitchen table. Living in a flat means we don’t have a massive amount of room so I make the best of what I have. Many an occasion where my other half has come home to find me in a sea of stuff in the middle of the living room floor and had to tip toe over everything to sit down!

8. Are there any other crafts you would like to try? And what is it that makes you want to try them?

I would love to be able to use fabric and embroider mainly because of the personalisation aspect of items that I genuinely love. But I’m just not patient enough. I’m one of these people who has an idea and want to see it through to the end so I can move on to the next thing. I don’t like having bits of things outstanding. Many times where I’ve been up until midnight during the week desperate to finish something so I can see the end product.

9. What are your favourite websites and why?

The latest website that I couldn’t do without is www.crowdbooster.com

Not only does it show you what your most popular facebook posts and tweets are but it also lets you schedule posts. I’ve always been worried about missing people during the day so being able to schedule things while I’m at work is a massive relief!

I’m a bit gutted I didn’t find out about creative connections sooner http://creative-connections.ning.com/

It has a great community of like minded business people who are more than happy to share things they’ve found, give you handy hints and talk nonsense with you! Creative Connections also lead me to Creative Crafting which is both a printed and online magazine. I recently wrote an article and sent it over about how where my business name came from and why my business came about. So fingers crossed it makes it into the Christmas issue.

10. Do you have any plans/dreams for your future to do with your crafts?

I get asked where I’m taking the business all the time and the honest answer is I don’t know, I’ll see where it takes me. I’m always looking at ways of advertising the business for free and getting it out there.

I love dealing with people in all aspects of my life and the business really does give me the opportunity to interact with people, get to know them, understand what it is they want and tailor any of my products to their needs. I pride myself on the personal service I give to people and as long as I can keep doing that, then I’m happy.

Thank you so much for that Jeeberella, hope you all enjoyed reading about this lovely lady, I'll be back soon with my next theme, followed by another interview.

Signing off

Felicity

Cats for sale

2011-09-22T11:03:00.000-07:00

Cats – to buy

Hi and welcome back. This time I am going to focus on cats, specifically items which you can purchase with the theme of cats or a cat.

I will only show you items that I myself like, so bear with me if I haven’t covered everyone’s taste; and as a seller on Folksy I am going to chose all my items from there. For those of you that have not yet come across Folksy, it is a brilliant site where designers and crafters who are based in the UK can sell their wares. As a customer all you do is create an account and off you go, browse, favourite or buy, it’s your choice. Follow any of the links supplied with the photos to take you straight into Folksy or follow http://www.folksy.com/shops/PerfectPatchwork which will take you to my shop and you can browse or shop from there; you can even search for specifics if you’d rather.

My first item is a lovely ‘Sparkly Cat’ http://www.folksy.com/items/2099797 created by Cherry Tree Handmades

Secondly a lovely cat card http://www.folksy.com/items/1622181 created by Cards with a difference

And now for a beautiful cat cushion http://www.folksy.com/items/2186133 created by MinXtures clothing and accessories

And now a beautiful cat brooch http://www.folksy.com/items/2016653 created by Dottery Pottery

And now for a fleecy Cat http://www.folksy.com/items/2246833 created by ArtPhoenix Toys

An oh so cosy looking cat bed http://www.folksy.com/items/2080733 created by All Things Blankets & More

A black cat for any witches reading this http://www.folksy.com/items/2086037 created by Allencrafts - 'every occasion' gifts for you and yours

A cat lovers bracelet http://www.folksy.com/items/1691273 created by OllyPop Designs

A lovely cat print for you http://www.folksy.com/items/1799709 created by JonBurgessArtCards

And to finish off, a wall hanging by yours truly: Perfect Patchwork http://www.folksy.com/items/1952921

Hope you enjoyed the selection I had for you today, do come back for some more. A future blog will feature Purple items in honour of a very good friend of mine who is obsessed; to say the least; with anything purple; (you know who you are, make sure you leave a comment after you check out all my purple items, especially chosen for you)

Do click on the links that are with the pictures, as all of these sellers have lots more wonderful items for you to see.

Signing off for today

F xx

Tips for Promoting your Business

2011-09-21T12:22:00.000-07:00

Hi again,

I posted this blog on www.creative-connections.ning.com but thought you might like to read it, so here goes:

I am going to try and give you some tips for promoting your business, some you may already be using, and hopefully some will be new to you.

Promotion - you may have the best product in the world, at the best price and highest quality, but if nobody knows about it, you will NOT sell it. So how do you promote?

Well there are a number of ways, the most commonly used (and easiest) these days are social network sites; such as twitter and facebook. Do remember they are social network sites, not just advertising media. Build up a relationship with people, chat to them, get to know them, and them know you. Research shows that people are more likely to buy from people they know and trust.

Have a regular online presence, people that come and go can be perceived as unreliable and that is the last thing you want for your business. If you are going to be away, leave a status telling people or schedule posts/tweets for when you’re away, or alternatively get a friend to do it for you.

Some applications that may help with scheduling are Crowdbooster and Tweetdeck – give them a go, they will cut your work down.

Exposure – Closely linked to promotion; get as much exposure as you can; join lots of different sites. There are loads to chose from, just remember they all take time, don’t over commit yourself, its better to have fewer sites and be on them regularly, then have loads that you hardly ever visit.

Do some local (and maybe not so local) craft fairs, people like to see the face behind the name; and although you may not sell very much, you will get better know, and the one thing people do is talk, make sure they are talking about you (in a positive way of course).

Blog, it lets people get to know you and what makes you tick, also reminds them of your name, (you don’t want to fall into the deepest recesses of their memory); research shows that people only remember 6% of what they are told/read/see unless they are regularly exposed to it; don’t be one of the 94% that gets lost.

Set up a website – it does not need to be expensive, here you have full control over what you sell, what you say, and how you present it. You can also link this to your social network accounts, and maybe even blog from it. I have added a shared links on mine so that I can add sites that I like, and people then do them same for me (increases your exposure again).

Charity donations or running an auction for charity is a great way to get know. People will find you because of the charity (especially if you promote it) and follow you to find out what you’re doing (a well known charity works best as more people can relate to it). Express a personal interest in the charity that you chose, it draws people in. I

recently ran an auction for Hospice Care and made lots of new friends, both as donators and customers (some have since bought from me) and even got my business name and photo in the Hospice Care magazine; (great exposure).

Customer Service – So important if you want people to recommend you, or become repeat customers. Be helpful, SMILE, accommodate where possible (but don’t take on impossible custom orders – you’ll regret it). Have good follow up procedures in place e.g. an email a week after despatch to check they have received their goods and are happy, maybe a discount voucher for their next purchase. Good packaging is essential; make sure their goods arrive in the condition they left you,

Don’t over charge on p&p people hate it, if necessary add a small amount to the product price to cover for packaging materials, don’t add it to the postage. Always include an invoice or delivery note with your name and contact details on it, makes you come across more professional. Have your details on the outside of the parcel in case it has to come back to you.

Don’t be pushy when selling face to face, but be approachable and friendly, talk passionately about what you do, this can be infectious, if you can get them passionate too, they will buy from you.

Photos/Presentation – well I’m not a photographer (it shows I hear some of you saying – yes I know I need to address this side of my business!!) Remember when selling online, your photos are your shop window. Customers can’t pick up your item and look at it, the photo is all they have to go on, make it as good as you can. Good clear/neutral background is ideal for many things (white is good); just drape paper/cloth (ironed) from your wall across your table and hey presto you have a neutral background ready for professional photos. Some items look better photographed in context, play around until you get what works best for your item. This really is an area a lot of us struggle with (we are crafters not photographers) but it really is important, it’s worth investing some time into (I must follow my own advice lol)

A really bad photo, untidy, disorganised and you can’t even see the quilt properly (seriously I never intended to use this one)

Good natural light is also important, especially in preserving the true colour, the last thing you want is for somebody to receive their item and say “it’s not the same colour as on your website/shop”. It might even be worth noting somewhere that different screen resolutions can lead to varying colour displays.

Another really bad photo, taken at wrong time of day with not enough light

See I can show you want not to do but not so good at showing what it should look like!

This is a better one, but no where near perfect (I’ve got a lot of work to do lol)

If you’re at a Craft fair or similar event, make sure your display looks professional, cover the table (yes the whole table – down to the floor), this looks much tidier and gives you storage room underneath that no one can see. Take boxes/stackers or something similar to put under the cloth, gives it some dimension and allows for better display of your items. Don’t overstock your table as you don’t want it to look like a jumble sale, make sure the items you do put out are clear to see; you can always bring something out from a box under the table if you need to (remember less is more). I sometimes change some of my items over part way through the day so that other stall holders get a wider view of what I have.

Have your name clearly displayed somewhere, people need to know who you are. Have literature ready to hand out, (flyers, brochures, business cards what ever works best for you). I always have a flyer with a discount code, for their first purchase off my website so that it pushes people to take a look at my site; remember you can’t take all your stock to a craft fair, but you want people to see it; encourage them to visit your site (wherever it is, you can put Ebay/Folksy/Website etc on a business card or flyer)

Description – again if you’re selling online this is vital. A good photo with a good description will sell your product. Tell people as much as you can e.g. how you made it, where the idea came from etc; but make sure you clearly describe what it is, what it is for, the materials used, what it is made of and (something a lot of people forget) what size it is; remember pictures can be deceiving; I recently had someone so thrilled because the quilt they brought from me was twice the size they thought it would be. (Again I need to follow my own advice!)

Prices – a hard one this, but my main advice is DON’T PRICE TOO CHEAP. People expect cheap items to be low quality, and unless you are selling very quick easy items (and lots and lots of them) this won’t do your business any good. You need people to appreciate the quality of your work, we are not competing with cheap imports so don’t price as if you are. If an item has a reasonable or cheap price tag, this will reflect in the expectation of the customer. Remember 1 sale with a decent profit/allowance for your time is worth more than 3 sales with hardly any profit.

I am going to stop there as I could go on and on, I may come back and give you some more tips if you’d like me to.

Some sites you might like to try:

Well that’s given you something to do on the internet now! – go check them out, pick the ones that suit you.

Come back and tell us what you think and give us your recommendations, which would be great.

If you have some tips that you think might help us please either comment, or give it a go write a blog.

F xx

Introduction to Perfect Patchwork

2011-09-21T06:31:00.000-07:00

Hi and welcome to my first Blog.

I just wanted to introduce myself, I am Felicity and I run Perfect Patchwork; where I try and offer one off designs in patchwork and quilting. My ethos is, if you can imagine it I can make it, (this is usually the case!). I only use 100% cotton fabrics of top quality, and 80/20 batting, so you know you will get a quality (Perfect) Patchwork quilt. Perfect Patchwork began in late 2009 and came about as a result of a long term dream - I had always wanted my own website - and found that I had enough cash to do it, so I took the plunge. I am still learning 2 years later, and am sure I will be learning forever, (I'm not sure I can learn as fast as things change!!); but am absolutely loving it, just wish I had started before. My logo was designed for me based on a photograph of a wall hanging which I made (and could have sold 5 times over!)

I’m going to keep this short for now, but keep your eyes peeled for future blogs, including tips for promoting your business and 'how to makes', interesting links on the internet and probably many more, I will deffo do some theme blogs, as I love window shopping (just need to lock my credit card away before I start! lol)

I am going to try and make this 'blogging' a regular thing so keep your eyes peeled for some fun and informative posts - will have to get my thinking cap on! (ooh I remember MinXtures (a friend from http://www.creative-connections.ning.com/ and http://www.folksy.com/ ) saying she was going to make one - will have to speak to her)

I would love to hear from people, let me know what topics you'd like me to cover, or any specific 'how to makes' you'd like to see; any feedback is always welcome, and please tell your friends about me. (There will be discounts for my website for blog followers, so don't miss out, especially with Christmas coming (and my cheapest item is under £2 so something in everyone's budget)

Signing off for today, back soon

F xx

Perfect Patchwork

Lilac Groupies

CRAFTfest March

Post Decorating

Embed CRAFTfest Stall

Latest Creations with AccuQuilt

My Memories Suite plus FREE GIVEAWAY

AccuQuilt Go

CRAFTfest Lilac Group

Local Pub under New Management

The Glorious South West in Pictures

Lilac Items in Honour of Lilac Group

lilac mouse needles and buttons

Lilac Coral Jane Loudon Accessories

Flower Fairy Wall Hanging Lilac Perfect Patchwork

Lilac Crochet Bead Earrings Froosh Maroosh

Lilac Cupcake Flower Pot Fabulous Coconut

Bag, lilac dreams Marice's World

Lilac daisies card Busybeecards handmade cards for all occasions

Lush Lilac Charm Bracelet Creative Treasures

LILAC POPPY FASCINATOR Melissa Jane

Lilac Elelphant Keepsake Box Kippers Keepsakes

How to Make a Lap Quilt

Everyone's Favourite - Teddy Bears

How I began

An Interview with Beadstorm Jewellery

An Interview with Mosaic Tree

A Trip in the Woods

An Interview with Elegant Craft

A Faint Reminder of Summer

Sale - Thank you cardButterflysJute bag Dragonfly hand painted eco shopping queen of persiaEmerald dragonfly necklace Handmade jewellery by BigSoftie Dragonfly and Burnt Amber bead necklace. Karen's Crafts Mums Garden Bracelet.Mollys Mixtures

Sale - Thank you card

Jute bag Dragonfly hand painted eco shopping queen of persia

Emerald dragonfly necklace Handmade jewellery by BigSoftie

Mums Garden Bracelet.

Hand stamped baby vest gift boxed

hand printed rustic hessian butterfly and dragonfly cushion

Cream Lady Bugs Child's Bag complete with soft toy created by Perfect Patchwork

Dragonfly & Vintage Buttons Bobby / Hair Pin Materialgirl

I hope you enjoyed my selection today, back soon with my next interview

Signing off

F xx

Interview of Moseley's Giftware

All Things Purple

Purple Gauntlets created by

Embroidered Dragonfly storage baskets created by

First Interview - Jeeberella's Castle

Cats for sale

Tips for Promoting your Business

Introduction to Perfect Patchwork

`lilac mouse needles and buttons`

`Lilac Coral Jane Loudon Accessories`

Sale - Thank you card
Butterflys

Jute bag Dragonfly hand painted eco shopping queen of persia

Emerald dragonfly necklace Handmade jewellery by BigSoftie

Dragonfly and Burnt Amber bead necklace. Karen's Crafts

Mums Garden Bracelet.
Mollys Mixtures