Huge shop update in progress

it's another of my favourite collage pictures !!

I've had a few emails recently wondering what has happened to my eBay shop....It has been getting emptier and emptier with no sign of an update.....But it was meant to happen !! Whilst I was sewing my large order together I was sitting and thinking about my eBay shop and, as you do when you have a billion things to do, decided it needed a revamp !!

I have been sewing some new items this week and the pic above is a taster of what's in store (well, they will be soon)

I have just removed the last few items from the shop and there is absolutely nothing in it !!

hahaha (that's a slightly manic laugh)

eBay needs me to wait awhile to do something computery (I'm sure it's incredibly important) and while I'm waiting I'm here blogging!

But as soon as I'm allowed I will be slowly and surely listing everything.

For those of you who know my shop well there are a few changes a foot, with new designs and bulk buys being added.

I just hope you all like it !

Cheerio for now

xxx

My big order is now complete.....

Wow, it feels like I have been gone from blogland for ages and ages!

I have had a big order to complete, which I posted today.

Take a look at the pictures and you'll see why I've been gone so long!

Pussy cats

Lions

Rabbits

and their tails!

Dogs

An overly large Christmas Pudding

Trillions of cupcakes

My favourite, the monkeys :-)

Button shopping and birthday gifts

My brilliant sister knows how much I love paper and buttons and for my birthday she got me 25 sheets of paper!! Aren't they gorgeous? She also got me a box of buttons. 800 buttons all for me :-)

I have put them all in my button store

This is my button store. A really boring A5 box file.
That holds all these buttons!!
I made all the compartments from black felt and joined them all together and placed card in the bottom of each section to keep it flat. There is also card in between each layer.
Billions of baby buttons all for me................ :-)
This is an extension to my button store! This is the box the buttons from my sister came in and I have put all the buttons that I have handpicked from my local charity shop in it.

I always buy my old buttons from this charity shop, it has an amazing selection and I'm never disappointed. It's funny too because I always go on a Thursday (my day off) so I always see the same selection of volunteers and the lady behind the till always groans when she sees me because she knows she will have to count a lot of buttons!! She thinks I am a slightly mad button lady!! She is one of those people who seems really interested in what I do with the buttons and when I start to explain she glazes over and wonders who on earth would buy the things I make!! Don't you just love it!

Whilst at the said charity shop I saw a big basket of odd buttons on the floor and just had to have it (lady behind the till got very excited because with all these buttons in my hands I wouldn't have to go back for weeks!!) As you can see I haven't sorted it out yet but there are some lovely things in here!!

Part three.......a birthday party

Sunday just gone was my niece's 4th birthday party. I made the cake and then took it to her house and we all iced it together!! Yum pink icing and chocolate cake is so great!!

We had pass the parcel, musical statues, pin the tail on the donkey, sleeping lions and musical bumps. My sister is a great birthday party organiser!! We actually had so many games to play that we ran out of time rather than things to do!!

I did make a cool birthday card but being the forgetful person that I am I didn't take a photo of it, but take my word for it it was cool!!

Part two ......Gorgeous gifts

I am so lucky! I have a lovely friend who every so often sends me surprise packages in the post. They always are beautifully wrapped and full of lovely things.....

The pic above shows some gorgeous dotty ribbon with a pretty cupcake card (look at the cherry stickers on the envelope.....soooooo cute!)Now I knew the above parcel was on it's way.....Described as ballerina monkey fabric and I have to say my imagination didn't do it justice......How cool is this!! I really love the monkey stamp too!! It's brushed cotton fabric and is destined to be a cushion (one for me and one for my niece) she was going to have one for her birthday but that has happened already so I'm thinking Christmas...

part one......it must be Christmas.....

Here are a few pictures of Christmas Puddings and Christmas trees that are part of the large order I am making.....there are 60 trees and 60 puddings!!


I forgot to take a picture of all my lovey new red buttons but you can see them here if you look closely!!

i'm so excited!

A few new cuties for the ebay shop!

Today I was contacted with the view of supplying some of my cuties in bulk....of course I said yes, then had the fear....now I am excited again! I had to go shopping for more felt (big J couldn't quite believe I needed more felt but I really did!!) and also for more buttons....I will post those pictures on Sunday...I only went to buy a few (yeah right) and I got my few and a few extra and then I spotted a big basket full of odd buttons sitting on the floor looking sad....now it is sitting on my fl0or looking very happy !!

Strange how I only have Thursday and Sunday off work and that the order came in today...a good omen that I think!!

OOOhhhh I'm so excited......my little cuties are going to be on sale in covent garden.....yippeee!

I forgot to ask if I could put a link here so I will do when I know.

(watch out Nia, world domination phase I is in progress!!)

:-)

Oh and a little message to my ebay buyers: the shop may get a little thin on the ground whilst i'm making my large order so if you need anything please just email me....i'm sure i'm due some holiday from my day job!!!!

And another message to my sisterini: hello! love you can't wait for the party :-)

What a busy week!!

Wow it's nice to be back!

I haven't been away from home but I have been away from blogworld (mine and all the ones I read everyday) for the past week or so.

At my day job I have been working 6 day weeks and still trying to do all my crafting too!!
I have had a couple of special orders to make for people this week so something had to go (housework and the blog!!)

So today was a day off and now the house is clean and tidy, the laundry is done and so is the food shopping (not all by me, big J helped loads too cos he is the bestest boyfriend ever!)

AND I have had time to snap some pictures of my special orders, which are now packed and waiting for me to take them to the post office

5 little bunny rabbits for a lady raising money for a rabbit rescue charity

These are all for one lady who sells handmade items at coffee mornings etc

I think the top photo is like a school photo, all nicely lined up and smiling (no one has their eyes shut though!)

Another photo of the same group....I almost couldn't bring myself to pack them!! It is silly really but I wanted to keep them all!! Bye bye cuties..... I hope they all go to good homes :-)

This final shot is to show you the new tags that I designed especially. I did them on the computer and printed them on textured cream stiff paper. I have included the address for this blog so maybe one day someone will leave a comment to say they bought one of my cuties!

Hopefully I will be back to crafting normality this week, I have a day off this week (if it all goes to plan) so I should be a busy bee filling the shops up

See you later xxx

The shops are getting fuller

oooh another collage picture..............I like that button on picassa ;-)

So I have added to the ebay shop and the etsy shop....I'm slowly getting them to the levels I would like them to be.
I have a list with everything in the shops on it and beside the amount of stock that I have I have a figure of the amount I would like to have.....never ever have I managed it yet......but that is a good thing because I keep selling things :-)
Todays to do list is being ignored, I have a busy day ahead of me at work and this evening I'm going to relax and phone all the people I haven' t phoned in way too long. But then tomorrow I am going to start afresh and try to fill the shop up again...take care and if you are feeling hectic just ignore your todo list, it's made me feel so much better !!

a birthday surprise...

So I mentioned here that it was my birthday and look what came through the door......

A gorgeous handmade card and a little surprise package just for me :-)

Three bundles of gorgeous ribbon for me ..... I'm so lucky !

Thank you again Nia, such a friendly and generous surprise :-)

oh why doesn't it work today ???

i have taken lots of lovely pics of things to blog....only blogger won't let me upload them!!
maybe later.... in the meantime check out the shops, they both have new things in them :-)

It's my birthday !!

I decided to celebrate my birthday by opening an etsy shop!!
There is only one item in there so far (celebrating to do, you know!) but take a look, I will be selling my bigger items here along with: vintage fabric, bulk buys of toppers and embellishments (still all hand made) and other bigger beautiful things.......
www.paperandstring.etsy.com

a day off the day job = more work !!

I did make a bag on my day off and it looks like this.......

It is made from a lovely grey flecky wool / tweed fabric which is soft and cuddly....I lined it with a beige cotton and the inside pockets are topped off with denyse schmidt fabric. yum.

This is the cheque book cover i made, from the same beige cotton and the patterned piece is from the stash..

It flaps open and inside are two pockets for my cheque book and paying in book and bills (YUCK) etc etc. I used it at the bank on thursday and it was nice to use. it made going to the bank nice because i got to look at the new thing i had made!!!!

This is from the lady who bought the monkey (remember, best customer ever!!) It was my day off and the postman came with an electric bill (which is now in the cheque book cover ;-))) and another envelope. This is what I found when I opened it

I mean, how lucky am I?? It's just gorgeous and I love it. I really do just keep picking it up and looking at it......maybe a denim purse with it as a trim.....or a box.....or i may just keep it and keep looking at it for a while :-) anyone else do that or is it just me??

a busy few days....

I've had a busy few days sewing away and here are the new items for the shop, a few things for Christmas and a few more flowers and hearts.
I love the pic, it is done on Picassa using the collage button....I love it!
It's a 'day off the day job' day and I think I may make a new bag..............

It started with a monkey

So, my favorite customer placed an order or a few small pieces and a monkey....I had made a small monkey for my neice a few weeks ago and mentioned it to said customer and tra la la laaaaaaaa here is my new creation....... A MONKEY!!! He is about 25cm tall (including tail) much larger than the pieces I normally make...and I love him!
The recipient is under strict instructions to not look here until her parcel arrives....so if you are reading this stop RIGHT NOW !!

Here is the monkey............

and these are the other items I made for the same customer...

and then i got to thinking......I want to make more so........here they all are!!!!

They are currently residing in my ebay shop and are awaiting new homes.......

the moral of the story? always ALWAYS read the free ads!!

i saw this roll, which looked interesting....
...and it was this gorgeous roll of vinyl !! oh so cath kidston!!









Now the only problem?? what the hell do i make first.....and how do i brng myself to attack these gorgeous fabrics with a pair of scissors???

Maybe i will sit and stare at them for a few hours more.....I am in love......