It's like a massive Shopping Spree.... but Thrifty...

 Contrary to how it can seem... i am not 'Big' on the shopping thing.

I like nice stuff and i love a bargain, but my patience for actual shopping, is limited.

This is Bicester Village - Oxfordshire.

A Designer Outlet Village for people who like Designer Clothes...

It is stuffed with overpriced, overdesigned, clothing BUT it can harbour a few Gems.

 The place itself is satisfying scenic, like a Coastal Town on the facade. It has a holiday feel to it.

Even on a wet windy day though, it is packed with people.

 Of course, here is the Jewel in the Crown.

And if i sit in a certain Coffee Shop i can see the store door with a cappucino in hand.

Cath Kidston.

lovely, lovely, lovely - massive discounts on lots of old designs and styles.

Today, they even had an extra 25% the already discounted products!!

 I only bought one small thing, though.

I may love a bargain but i am still fairly thrifty. I don't like to buy stuff just for the sake of parting with my money. The joy of being here and *mooching* was really what i needed for myself on this day.

 Treating myself to time away from the chaos...

 So, i'm not going to show n tell everything i bought BUT

2 Leather bracelets reduced from £59.00 to £4.00 - 1 for me and 1 gifted to my Sister.

 This bargain crazy cotton top / dress thing. £10.00 and worth every penny for it's bright cheeriness.

And i bought 6 giant teacups as i'm desperate for Cereal Bowls!

They are a usefully hewge size and polka dotty....

and were 50% off.

I came to the conclusion today that:

Days off are good.

Bargains are also good, and necessary

Pretty clothes make me happy.

I'll get you, My Pretty... and your little Dog too!

 In Today's Commercial News.....

The shops will now be stocking "Ribbon Bags" full of colour co-ordinating 'pretties'.

It was decidedly unfair that i get to play with lots of ribbons and play 'mix n match' when you, at home, cannot see what fun it is! So i listed a few bags that i have enjoyed playing with and that you may find of use or inspiration.

 I can do a custom mix of pretty much any 2/3 colour combinations - minimum of 8metres. The reason i use 8 - 10mtrs is that i can sell it cheaper. It costs so much to list and sell 1mtr of trim on the net that it seems like bad economics.

 All the colours for the Polka Dot Ribbon reels are now listed on ETSY in BigFish. Available via paypal in GBP if you are interested. I have all colours in stock at present but as they sell, there may be a wait between supplier - myself - and delivery. Red and Pink and Plum have been the most popular colours.

(note to Maker/Sellers - if you are interested in any colours for Christmas Projects it is wise to order very early as Chrsitmas deliveries are notoriously slow)

*Kirsty did NOT mention christmas in the month of January*

 Any Ribbon (pretty much) that you see in any of my photos, are available to order by the reel. LovePaperFish has provided great prices for ladies buying ribbons for wedding projects. If it isn't up 'For Sale' doesn't mean i cannot negotiate certain supplies for you.

I am genuinely happy to help :) i get alot of satisfaction from selling my Pretties!

 The LovePaperFish site has been broken for sooo long now, i despair BUT i intend for it to be up and running soon. Where are all the hours in my day going to?

(she says, shopping for Vintage Furniture and baking chocolate cakes)

 ALL Polka Dot Pretty Button Bags are now packed in lots of 130. 10 each of 13 colours.

The same for the Gingham / Plaid Button Bags - in lots of 130.

Again, i am able to offer such better value when sold like this - and the colours are so tempting. These are by far my favourite of alllll the buttons i sell.

All Felt colours are in stock.

I can announce that the price of my felt is not rising with the increasing of VAT - huzzah! and long may this continue...

I am worried mostly about the cost of postage increasing as Felt is surprisingly heavy to send.

I'll do my best xxx

Commercial Break now ended.

Fun Vintage finds to follow sooon.....

Ribbons, Stash, Supplies....

 *shop news*  i am in love with these 2 grossgrain ribbons.

1/2 inch wide. Celery green and red with white spots. I might be using these to wrap my favourite gifts at Yuletide.

 Then again.... i might go all monochrome in these Old Style Hollywood movie trims.

Black and white says: sophistication? style?

 We now stock 6 different colourways in these wide ribbons - double sided so you get 2 choice of ribbons for the price of 1. Awesome bright colours. Also available to order by the 18metre reel if you want a massize load of ribbon for your projects.

 I have this pink and green grossgrain - 1cm wide - ready to use, with some vintage lace, on a few Custom Order girly cushions. Fun projects :)

 These 2cm fat bells have been flying off the craft stall as customers talk of tying them to their ribbons when wrapping gifts in December. I have been using them on some felt stocking orders.

I just love bells - and these have a beautiful 'jingle' - i hate disappointing bells with little sound.

 I am still working out how to stack the new studio space (now the shelving and flooring is all in!)... not that it is a chore, to play with Craft Supplies and decide how they are best displayed and used.

 *note to self* don't forget to prepare the Advent Santa, get the stocking gifts and purchase your gifts Kirsty. One minute it's the beginning of November and, in the blink of an eye, Christmas is here and i refuse to go anywhere near the High Street.

Wrapping and Ribbons and Stash and Supplies......

They're here......!!!

There are small spotty buttons back in the shop.
One or two new colours... this being APRICOT - a sort of light tangerine / soft peachy colour. Hard to describe 'just right'. We have a beautiful aqua / sky blue which has more green in it than this photo suggests....

So the new 100 mixed bags - as it stands right now - with 10 each of 10 different colours....

AND, the reds are back! Most requested button of all. I know people have asked for 100's of these recently and i only have a few bags HERE but i do have more 'on order'.

Bless you all my button fans x nobody is more pleased than I to have these little jewels back again :)

Why d'ya have to go and put stars in my eyes?

New Buttons....
I know!!
...in some ways I am perhaps overwhelming a customer with choice?

But as a 'seller' of buttons, if i make a decision that i want a certain type of button for my own projects, then it makes sense to sell a few too? How could i resist their colour?

Their vibrancy?

Their spots (and stripes!)

These are the sort of buttons that get a project noticed... I actually feel 'stressed' as my head is exploding with ideas for them.

They are the most expensive sets of buttons i sell.

I worry, maybe they are too much for people to want to indulge in? But they aren't the sort of button you will smother a project with? They are the last embellishment. The 'icing on the cake'. The button that makes people look twice?

I can't wait for my next Craft Fair as these buttons will look so yummy on the PaperFish stall - my first plan is make some Bobby Pins / Hair Slides and matching rings as I'm sold out of these thanks to my lovely girls at Weston Fair last week (***WAVES*** at the young ladies - you know who you are!)

But it has taken me FOREVER to price these, bag them, list them in the shops... I now have button fatigue - YES, it is possible!

I NEED to sew some bunting or a brooch or some Schrooooms to help me feel human again.

IF you want to see where i sell (it isn't compulsory y'know, i don't charge for drooling over the pictures! haha)

BUY ME in GBP £HERE

BUY ME in USD $HERE

LOVING Emma Bridgewater....

Aaaaaahhhh - Love, love, Loving Emma Bridgewater right now, with a capital L!
On Tuesday, I drove my Mum and I up to Stoke-on-Trent which is about 2 hours from us! (not an easy drive but worth it)
I liked Emma B's stuff before but didn't own any.
Now, after a day with 'Emma', i just luffs her ..... We started with a cup of coffee and a cake in the cafe.... i know it sounds dumb but they use the EmmaB plates and mugs and napkins even in their cafe... i don't know why i thought they wouldn't??
Then we had a tour of the factory.
There were only 8 of us in the tour so it was long and we got to ask lots of questions.

The lovely gentleman above is throwing plates. I did have a little go myself! Well, you know me, they asked for a volunteer and i love to get involved...
The plate i threw is actually being used and is probably already fired! To *think* somebody, somewhere, will be eating out of an EmmaB bowl that i threw.

This lady is smoothing over all the 'seams' in the clay that happen when they come out of the moulds. Making it all nice and smooth. Every stage of the EmmaB pottery process is done by hand, here in England. You wouldn't believe how many items they can get done in one day!!

Birdie Egg cups - this load has been through it's first firing in the kiln. They will get glazed and then go through again. If the pattern is from a 'decal' (transfer) rather than hand painted then they go through the kiln a third time before they are ready for sale...... just *think* of their energy bills!? whoa!

Trolleys full of mugs - mainly the Robin design here. These are waiting outside the 'checking' area where the products are all 'fault checked' x they looked sooooo colourful all in rows.

Now, this man above is dipping plates in glaze. They have been fired and are now getting their first glaze before their 'decals' and their second glazing. He was so damn fast, it made you *wow*.

The yellow here is from using the 'decal' and will fire off in the third kiln process. You wouldn't believe how labour intensive each piece is.

I loved asking all the questions. I loved seeing each stage. I loved how friendly they were and how long some of them have been working at EmmaB!

After the tour we went back to the cafe / shop / pottery studio>>>>>>>

This was a trip i was organising for me and my mum - she turned 60 this year and we did have a big party but also, many friends and family have organised trips, holidays and surprises for her throughout the year. THIS day was my contribution.

Lots of yummy stock in the shop! Naturally all the additional products are sourced out to other companies and abroad for production. You can't blame them? It's bloo*y amazing they get to even produce their pottery in the UK anymore.

My glamourous Mother, painting her very own mug in celebration of her 60th year. She was nervous as she isn't confident with things like this - but her mug look ace>>>>>>

Obviously this is PRE-fired. We get our items back in a week or two via post.

I was making a mini-jug with just masses of hearts and spots and 'stuff' on..... well, I am not 'known' for my minimalism am i friends!? haha x I promise to show you the finished piece on its return.

And I MUST introduce Paul and Tracy below>>>>

No, i 'must' because i promised them i would! ***HELLO*** and we have them to thank for such a wonderful afternoon of coffee, cake, sandwiches and pottery painting tips. "You made it great fun guys!" x

It all seemed to end toooooo soon. So we had a quick chance to buy one or two EmmaB bits from the shop before having to hit the motorway to get home for the child.

I ADORE the new patriotic range with it's red and blue bunting (yippeeee!) and hand stamped union jacks. So i bought this hUge mug for my morning tea x

And i also bought this lovely tin and it says 'Truly Great'.

And we did have a 'Truly Great' time.

And i would recommend it to anyone.

And, right now, I am LOVING Emma Bridgewater X X X

(i'm off to write her a letter, to tell her much i love her and stuff. Sad? or Mad? x)

All work and no Play....

My school-Marm look...
I have been working way too hard and though i LOVE it, i need to relax a bit too.What's been going on?
New needlebooks on the production line... a few new designs and some of them repeats. I still love making these and they might be my fav product to sell...

But i also love making BUNTING because, although i play about with the fabric combinations for ages 'before' sewing.... once they are made up and ready to hang you get to really see how bright and fun they are. These are a 'b*gger' to make and a joy to sell.

The bubbly one above is my current favourite! so party-esque.

This one above is called 'Frida' as in Kahlo and it is sort of Morocco / Spain / Fiesta in style.

And the line below is a Retro Party mix. Spots and flowers, mmmmm....

Now, i have felt to cut, childrens paint brushes to clean, scissors to stack, bags to pack for a craft fair tomorrow, a child to dress and a supermarket to visit............. I need a day off!