WOW! 2011 was deifinitely a good year for paper-and-string...I've been re-reading my blog over the past few days and I have compiled some highlights...so many that it's taken 2 blog posts!! HAPPY NEW YEAR to all my friends, blog readers & customers ... here's to a fantabulous 2012!...I'm excited to see what it brings!January was spent planning and waiting to move into my new workshop...the
Ikea book got a lot of use!!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVqfY-Ejqq78nxuyc4gxuF5fzp2emvEVRaFbwdyD4TvoeDt_Sy4ao5yG2kgiEZA_VotzOref5YHlGVCwtCM8uu8ziceem6hmNkVnrDQCbeIUoVV3K602YVHlNG2RAypPPN6DWz/s400/ws+plans)
I soon learnt that Solicitors are SLOW and I finally moved in in MARCH!!! but the delays did mean I had time for sewing....
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOFJBELojsHtE4KgddzlZ8C1TnZWc5omsTOsaIN16j6MLJldt5SppgeHQSDMLxHcI_3NZnxqVXKCYzd7ZAV6RUn2NP-tWhzLsqGLu7cLIKCkJsno2fB977HAVLsCVN1kj8WHil/s400/tortoise)
...on my new sewing machine!
February...was the month of the box!...I made loads of sample boxes ::
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx5TuKJfsz_O71a2iflEzu6a5fTM_nUQRWe1sWqgFPIgA3nVw6PjxLKWwSUKAhLSW6tVffGov8cRbJzp4gUbc8Wzk__REAHaMhk-FrzJrfN6RPefwUNVKQVGZyh_gnYPKfdqqE/s400/boxes+half+way+through)
...took loads of photos and voila! introduced made-to-order items to my Not On The High Street Shop
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqCeJ0403XxmXWxSbLbcEWAOASYaz5vqXae8q-A2t3moda6nMOZ2x5NNKHlc_PtJFhpUP7hfOybOhdRCYSiT-QEtA_uFGyW1BLKDoiNrToeyuxEYWOkjs1JFhCERvYo6MDTjhi/s400/boxes+together+all)
To mark the launch I advertised my alphabet boxes in the Not On The High Street Catalogue and had my boxes photographed by a professional photographer!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXVZDIlcagzuYAj0hrKF35chqwwKkJZxVBbaNeK_4eJlelO05k8etq9nIwW4mI90O1ePNqPr7rG8VWn8TdZSejoMcDQ6I_67xZzOKzkueS2Sa3_SrShHhVQevk9UCGMmUp4Bai/s400/noths+box.jpg)
March I was very proud to be able to make a prize & join in the Japan raffle that Jo organised.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMIq_jpGRLq2zPo1-t4jkp0xx-qVZ3ZnHw-pzL9CuvSes9fywFW84xWR8RqAj7Zho6Mtmm13W-WdQ-HV4Pt3SPPFy4kWfbL7lNfETzwNOLYAteypPlF-_oyYHVxi3tehOCUJIV/s400/japan+raffle)
the rest of the month was spent packing
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYy7AP57eFDBGK7iXOxtWQ3PPgC75wMj6cNzuAeGWZpPNJ8qZYrAInZfeiP8TTWYoWQPH3Y1go5izDGwqwXgYNWB80jH0umQagwsE_2V_pRxc4lrNVmu6WKo2mhK8dEn1-oAa1/s400/moving+out)
...moving...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT2gM5-qkDHFkXkBF8g23-TrULG61ffjlxGaa8KxUjwDp6kcT-A-32k_LL6zeJfdI8pTJ6OOkO-jBv_YbF6Zqx5dDaoCOHDMgLdUPpVZ_C3wpRDgqkLnGPHalaekZmSNMaqhPs/s400/moving+in)
and unpacking!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiggKqqe7CGxKJjJgDmitCTaoYKb22CbR-hHmJGParT58WBXxLHMT7NW4NfvFmduTpyDYCIY5c8iBzWFuArrhp52NEy7nmGaXds5fE0e1oJtEdjubRIgK1lrQ1ss-ItLF8w9hi3/s400/new+felt+room)
..and finally filling my new workshop with all my things
April was the month for moving in properly...making ribbon spools look pretty::
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxoTMoNcpLJYuT1DUMGm5odM37hdECM19ISMHlirxMCW_qshIgFW1NpkHoMAC233TET49dG07NTf40xmYzntlsflYQgLHWY2VMAyndAR9-s49sZ8AMGGbo-4AzF-KXB_LQ6LOm/s400/ribbon+alcove)
...and re-using my old cassette tape holders for large ribbon spools ::
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAxz2CyNNElHNjGQEqyLQttSOEz0kqWLTPwATLDPlLVs-vWZrhVoeo_ldEInTtUt2qGuhadfh4YkabhL5bFpW6XnNGGKlNL5xidUrO2ggKPz2HN8_mC5LPqXcz1qdD_OF5n6Yr/s400/ribbon+tape+trays)
My first paper-and-string computer was delivered and set up, no more working from the home computer for me!!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr4L0nVIIO8fRb3GUVeEALD-JqakDrrM_8OITfYxILtJKWoB3Lv9mOO4Q-9oLtJgUTEutsnj1zywJFexwAXHKTxeXbC3fpGTbwp6Vx3ZiRFotQ8RAIGb6T4U0yj44wcGrmcWgJ/s400/new+computer)
There was also time for a little bit of sewing...new pebble
key rings::
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5rJicSTUwWXmnfZ7Lkv2cMwpe2EJG3XasgBkjZ64SvzjAhALQPT-g8juxWB_GRf5B3EDR5QH3u1fLhCK7QWQL2G6cwyewypwl9yAXdTGPrfPVuNEKCROBBKxtr-MJxfrxZ-kj/s400/new+pebble+keyring)
..and a free bird pattern for you all...
May: Finally! The month I could spill the beans and tell you all that my BIG secret was to supply John Lewis...finally all the piles of stock everywhere made some sense...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ4YI3HSV82Fw3wWIYBCtcuKv_GnSGW3HN2QyZrpF3RPMJbX1qAl5ASmIL1lbuFNYpnmjDMENTX79ZrT11vVkyAfOkoIZ-yTPzYDjZ2x0uXw-GaNf7T0sCHqsSJNSzsvO-b2ab/s400/john+lewis+announcement)
..and I could share all the felt cutting...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhriNqUDzSpGOF6LWzuQ1XYqJHz7o19jlUUNv_mxifIECQLye6jQi1ly5gJqP89A1tqdvlbXWzaqZksvNHEjFVAcjoTCD5WJbtXn9D6uXicZhs-TezuOEIv71vlBX5z0qEzeJAo/s400/felt+cutting)
...and ribbon cutting that was filling my months!
June my workshop was bulging at the seams ...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVs7UNHcVILe9ZwgP-QUWT1cZu-hsGqKIajPo-esj8pkz4ungdeN3vV17DFt8gFsNRgKlQEAmjWMIpChAilBwP1BQX8A-qoTy58ZkU5xrbF1xEBH_Nd4fCLtuPMFLIgR-lDfjI/s400/june+boxes)
...all the printing arrived and was stored on the stairs!...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4NY3e6odIEzqNi9OZh3mfFZ-gVOZIhjyk4dRRW7QyCNKocF0zWusTl0g3vN-5IZLhrSZITn6DTm4Y8zzWC6EkVAbkW1OyppWhdOHmpCBWQmeABsyvM7xV2rDYh32o6Do_UPsy/s400/felt+everywhere)
...the kit felt had a whole room to itself!!...and the fluff, ginormous bags of fluff that just sat in the middle of the floor!!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguGXBRTTVvhf9JeI1McnXZOTaipQQGRYfPGIhdVRe4DND-2DuY9kH3RS1wltPWLPBbyLl27u5hbk-AxoGOdVwTaXPJatbO-hzRH_CWTAIqQtAQpYEpD-CEUfIKPSxBV-dr4PZM/s400/huge+fluff+bag)
But it wasn't all about BIG things...there were new teeny tiny polka dot buttons
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNRnGz85neLYtzydLj3W2YRayaeUnmjIHERl6u8q491K-v6h_w4Y7NSxG_AMUS6B57bFZB4F0TEm2pdYH28RQqWGJ3fnn9UjSNdsVesad1l8hpJFIju78TvVY9ESV5xzgisss8/s400/teeny+polka+dot)
...and a huge box FULL of pom poms!!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVHFxnhXslanQnf7bEal5dVxnHkDDhjlxlTDbxMxUYNwaEabyFIUuHSa_wsVznHPocfX1zdCB1y496kfM02xaJnQVu5alLJncuzKVWYEcY0ftciLiEySCedVqEcXwDKnRuEq1p/s400/pom+poms)