Handmade Monday & a note to teacher...

Well, its been a while but I thought I'd better show my support to Wendy's Handmade Monday as I have been very bad lately at blogging.  To catch up with some amazing crafters who have retained the ability to craft and blog at the same time, head on over to Handmade Monday (I'm hanging my head in shame as I type!)

I feel like I should be presenting a note for teacher from my Mum at this point explaining where I have been & why I haven't managed to get my homework in on time in... well... ever!  Sadly, I don't think Mum would write this as she is likely to be on the side of the teacher (after all she used to be one!) so I guess I'll just have to take the punishment and accept detention in a dark and dingy room somewhere with a very bored looking teacher who wants to get out of there as much as I do!  I can handle it - I've been a bad blogger so I will sit quietly and reflect upon what I have (or haven't) done...

However, if I see a moth in that dark, dingy room, I'm out of there like the proverbial bat out of hell!  Just thought I'd make that clear from the start... OK then... As long as we're all clear on that...

The business clings I briefly mentioned in my last post (remember that far back!!) have been getting a lot of attention and I have two more going in the post today - one is a smaller version of this one

The other is lettering for an office to display the company logo and name on the office window and will give the effect of hand painted letters on the glass.  I'll post a photo of this when I can - the customer has promised to send me a picture when it is in place so hopefully that will show the effect really well.

If you are interested in getting your own company logo or message on a cling that can be used to promote your business whilst you are out and about, please contact me at craft.studio@virgin.net including the logo you would like to use and I will get back to you with a quote.

I am, of course, also building up more stock for my fairs which really start again in earnest in a couple of weeks time.  Its always difficult to judge what your best sellers are going to be when you are at the start of a new year so I am trying to work on some new designs as well as the classic favourites like butterflies, animals and birds.  Here's a sneak peak of a couple of new designs (these aren't even on my website yet but contact me if you are interested in any of them)

Set of 3 flowers - yellow & white

and really effective in monochrome!

Rainbow worms?  Well why not?

I'm trying to create more sets of designs as many customers want more than one at a time and having sets makes it a little easier and more affordable.   This certainly proved true with the small butterfly sets I have already - the butterflies are of a size that to sell them individually would not be cost effective but as a set, I can ensure they remain affordable and still make sense from a business point of view.

Set of 7 butterflies

Set of 3 Glitter butterflies

One of the things I love so much about my work is that I can adapt to customer requirements, current fads & trends.  I don't have the problem of having to order 100s of the same item, mass manufactured & each exactly the same!

Tell me, where would this customer have been able to get a picture of her gorgeous Malamute with one ear in the shops??

Brown and White Malamute with one ear

So, just try telling me that buying handmade isn't the best thing ever!

Just as an extra note before I go, I have a Facebook page.   Now, I'm pretty good at all things computers but seriously - I just don't get it!!  I haven't a clue how to 'like' other pages, what to do when someone 'likes' mine and to be honest it is not only a miracle that it is still there and I have resisted hitting that oh so tempting 'deactivate page' link but actually that it is there at all!   I hear loads of people saying how much they love Facebook but sorry folks.  I don't get it!!

If you do get it... feel free to visit, like, post, share, comment and whatever else you are supposed to do on there - just don't expect me to be displaying all those flashy whizzgigs that some pages have - if I manage to add anything it is a cause of celebration so make the most of what is there & perhaps head over to my website or follow me on Twitter - I am pretty efficient on those!!

Hope you have a wonderful week - I'll try to be better in future at blogging!! (Hmm, didn't I say that last time!)

New Month, New Look, New skill!

Today is the first day of March - the sun is out and a general feeling that spring is here seems to be well and truly in place.

So, how to celebrate this momentous day (OK so its not that momentous unless you happen to be Welsh in which case you are quite possibly reading this dressed as a daffodil or leek and raising a glass to St David!)  Happy Saint David's Day to you - here is a couple of handmade decorations to help you get in the mood...

Daffodils Handmade Peelable Decoration

Small Wales Flag Handmade Peelable Decoration

Sorry, I digress... Now, where was I...Oh yes, March, Spring, momentous day...   

So to celebrate this lovely weather and (hopefully) the end to the cold temperatures and risk of snow (you listening Weather Gods??!) I thought I would give my blog a bit of a pep-up with a new fresh look and the hope that it may encourage me to get on here more and write!!

I was very pleased courtesy of one of my new Twitter friends, to get the opportunity to try a new technique of making my clings.  A very talented photographer by the name of Stephen Mole wanted a cling for his car to advertise his website and contact details.  Well, you can't really do that without paying homage to one of his photos can you!!  So, after much experimenting and a certain degree of finger crossing, the following was the result (as seen in its new home and photographed by the man himself)

OK, so you as can't see much of the detail here is a pic I took before it left Kent to live in Norfolk... 

I really enjoyed creating this and hope to do more using the new method developed for this piece.  So, if you have a business you want to advertise, a child's drawing you would like recreated as a peelable design or just for a larger image with a difference, please get in touch with me at craft.studio@virgin.net

Hope you like the new look and new design style - send me your comments, I would love to know what you think!

Oh, and if you would like to see more of Stephen's wonderful photos - head on over to www.stephenmolephotos.com and of course, there are hundreds of peelable decoration designs to choose from including the Daffodils and Flag shown earlier in our Shop  Go and have a look around and if you can't find what you are looking for, just contact me & I'm sure I can create something for you!

Don't forget to come and see me at my first Bromley Market of the year this Saturday (5th March) if you are in the area - its going to be a great Spring day - perfect for a bit of shopping!!

So Spring is here and I don't mind admitting that I am starting to get a little nervous about how long before the monsters are back!  Don't know what I am talking about??  Check out my nightmare experiences here... (read at our own risk!)  My knight in shining underpants isn't being very sympathetic at the moment either.... I need to be nice to Mr Dyson and my fur warriors just incase they are called into duty soon!  Wish me luck folks....

Ahhh, the joys of Spring!