happy keys?

remember my new idea from yesterday?

let me introduce......Pebble Key Rings.....ta-dah!

perfect pops of colour to cheer up your keys!

I've made them quite stiff by using lots of interfacing and extra layers of felt (but it's hard to tell that from photos) as always they are cut by hand and I've used a mixture of machine and hand sewing.

I also made some new packaging for my new Pebbles

....and all the other key rings in my shop!

yay!

scissor happy

I have run out of hand sewing to do at home - and because we have another 4 day weekend looming I thought I had better stock up...so I started to cut out this little lot yesterday, and after a couple of hours today it's all prepped ready for the weekend!
Whilst I was cutting I had a sudden flash of inspiration for something new, which meant more cutting and some test sewing ::

I've even managed to squeeze in making some new packaging...I'll show you it all tomorrow when I am finished!

back to work

after such a gloriously sunny, relaxing weekend I was raring to get to work today...I had a small delivery of findings to unpack

a small pile of orders to dispatch

and a small pile of finished embellishments to add to the website

I also managed to catch up with the accounts and then started some cutting out, which will be finished tomorrow!

phew! what a fun day!

Little Bird :: Tutorial & Pattern

I've been working away on a tutorial for you all so you can make some Little Birds all of your own.

They are great fun to make ... using all of my favourite supplies, lovely felt, ribbons & buttons.

The pattern is very versatile...you just need to add a bit of creative flair and the birds you make will be your very own. I made a keyring, and 2 brooches....

which are quite hard to photograph whilst wearing!!!

I also made two Little Bird ornaments which have left me wanting to make a whole flock of them into a Little Bird bunting type decoration...wouldn't that look great?

If you click here you will be taken to Flickr, where you can 'view all sizes' (in the actions menu above the picture) Download the Large size and then print off an A4 copy...easy peasy!

Happy Sewing!

every cloud...

the one upside of John working away all week is that I have a lot more sewing time in the evenings.

this week I've been stitching my way through a selection of embellishments, to fill the holes in my website, and whilst I was at it I tweaked a few of my existing designs...the hedgehogs now have added button embellishments,

and my fabric mushrooms now look even cuter with ric rac and button prettiness!

the frogs though are just the same, and just as happy as ever

John will be home tonight, but don't worry, the sewing never stops round these parts, in fact I've been working away on a new tutorial, which will all be finished and up for you on Saturday, you'll need some felt, ribbon & buttons, and some time to sit in the sunshine and sew!

craft grime

yuck, just look how dirty and dusty my old plastic drawers were....after a bucket of soapy water and some sunshine they now look as good as new (I washed & dried them outside)::
each (clean) drawer now holds the printed pieces for my kits ... oh it's good to feel organised!

free craft kit

Customers from my shop who also read this blog will know I offer a loyalty card.

once the cards are full Free Craft Kits are sent out with the orders...and these past few weeks I've sent out loads!!

I have to admit that I've been making them as-and-when-I-need-them, so today I set aside some time to make a whole stack of them.

I love that they look a bit dull and boring in Brown Paper Bags, no hint whatsoever of all the lovely colour that's inside!!

john's away again...

John is working away in Hull again this week...but only a short week because of the Bank Holiday on Friday (thank goodness, I don't like him working away so much) he went yesterday afternoon so I spent the rest of yesterday cutting & folding this shoe box full of stationery, and hand stitching these owls which were turned into boxes for an order today.

storage tour

unbelievably I have been in my new workshop for 3 weeks already...so I thought it was about time for a better tour...starting with my ribbon alcove.

my ribbon spools are stored in trays which are from the reallyusefulbox company. I have 6 of them here and they are just stacked on top of each other ...

.... I think they would fall over if they were knocked but because they are in an alcove they have stayed put very well. (they can be drilled & screwed to the wall if need be)

I've used these trays for a while, here's another on a table top used for storing brads.

Back in the alcove, beside the ribbon trays, I have 2 wooden CD storage units (they are from Wilkinsons)

they hold all my metal findings which I keep in plastic storage jars from Julian Graves.

My large spools of ribbon have always caused storage problems but now I have

the.best. solution.ever!

I happened upon it by accident whilst packing up the old workshop, when I found my 2 old wooden cassette tape holders. I've had them since I was about 10 (ish) and they used to be on the wall of my bedroom in my parent's house. One came from HMV (I think) and the other was made by my Dad! Neither of them have seen cassette tapes for many years now but I could never bear to throw them away ... and good job too, look at this ::

they are the absolute perfect size for my large ribbon spools!!!

I am SO glad that I never got rid of these :-)

wholesale order complete

John's birthday drinks last night left me with a fuzzy head this morning! We had a lovely time and caught up with some great friends :-)

These photos are of a wholesale order ... all the cut out pieces were first posted about here

I finished & parceled them up earlier this week so they will be with their new owner now

all systems are go!

yippee!!!

I *finally* got my new computer up and running and have been a busy bee on it today...The Deco Tape section of the website is now filled to the brim with lovely new tapes ::

new 3-roll packs for only £2

lots of super cute animal tapes

roly-poly pandas

my favourite new tape

something a little bit more 'grown-up' .... and there are loads more on there too!!

It's John's birthday today so we're off out tonight with some friends for drinks in our local pub, hurrah!

a slight delay

computery things always take me waaaaaay longer than I plan. I have done quite a lot ::

• broadband is on and the computer is working online


• I've copied and backed up all my files and photos and moved them from the computer at home to the new computer


• I've installed all the necessary fonts and printed some much-needed stationery on my new printer


• I've started installing the software I need...firefox, thunderbird, picasa, publisher etcetc

I haven't ::

• re-directed all my emails to the new computer


• remembered all the passwords I need to re-direct all my emails


• found the piece of paper with the MrSite password written on it

Tomorrow it will all be finished and then I will start adding the deco-tapes to the website!

being distracted

Today I am having the broadband turned on...this is my new computer sitting patiently waiting for broadband...it turns out I can't do much without broadband...I can't even print because I need to download some of my most-used fonts...luckily I was distracted by a new delivery...lots & lots of new deco tape ::

I have taken tonnes of photos and if all goes well with the computer I will be adding these to my shop tomorrow!

(please wish me luck, I'm not quite sure I know what I'm doing!!)

winner announced

wow, 301 comments...there are lots of ribbon fans out there!

*wave* hello ribbon fans, pleased to meet you, I'm sorry you couldn't all win a box of ribbon.

the random number machine has picked the winner....

which is this comment:

well done pretty petal handmade, I shall email you in a moment.

freebie day will be back on the first Thursday of May

Freebie Day :: April 2011

Roll-up, roll-up! it's April freebie time! here's the prize all prettily wrapped, but what's in the box???

a pretty selection of summery ribbons

yum-yum!

there are 8 spools...

5 cut metres

and 2 ribbon gift packs, all wrapped up with even more ribbons!

HOW TO ENTER

simply leave a comment on this post to enter

I will post worldwide so everyone, from everywhere, is welcome to enter

RULES

strictly one comment per person

I must be able to contact you through your comment

The freebie will close on Monday 11th April 2011 & the winner announced shortly afterwards.

***********************************************

The freebie has CLOSED at comment #301

comments later than 301 will not be included in the draw