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.....

I have gone CRAZY for Ribbons!

 I just love Ribbons. I'm not sure what i am even going to use all these for?

 Bias Binding, mmmmmm!

 Of course, various collections are available to the *General Public* online - but i bought them as i had a sudden fetish and NEEEEEED for trimmings. I love how versatile a good quality ribbon can be. So many uses and occasions.

 I swear, i could not live without this purple square design. Just awesome.

 Christmas Skinny ribbons - now these i do have real plans for! They are yumcious. They excite me.

 If you do want ribbons... then the best way to buy is a 'Random Mixed Bag' (Etsy or Folksy) as you can then let your surprise bag inform and inspire you instead of buying 'carefully planned ribbons in a very grown-up sensible sort of way'.

And you can order complete REELS from me if you need muchos ribbony love.

 Reindeer footprints anyone?   How cute is that!?!

OR.... save yourself a few quid and just stare at these ribbony trim-ish photographs of mine. Equally as satisfying and easier on ones bank balance.

What is it about Crafting that makes me happy to get up in the mornings?

Me and My Button Story...

The story of My Buttons and Me, is not a long story - although it feels like one huge, long, winding story that has both thrilled and exhausted me! I thought about it all this morning when i received a beautiful handmade cupcake card through the post from a button customer... it thanked me muchly for accomodating her button obsession and getting the goods to her etc... and there were a million things i wanted to say in reply...

So i thought i would say it all in my little Blog!

BUTTONS are really really very important to some people. I am one of those people. I remembering finding some incredible buttons at a huge Craft Fair, years ago. The buttons inspired me so much that i made lots of new buttony accessories and felt decorations...

I began selling my button covered goodies alongside my cards (that i already sold at Craft Fairs) and they soon took over. Everywhere i went with a buttony Brooch, people asked me about it...

I wore one of my button brooches into an independant local gift shop and, give or take half an hour, i walked out of that shop with a wholesale order for buttony brooches! Feeling a bit happy with myself :) i couldn't believe my craft empire was actually 'launching' so to speak - without me really trying...

I began buying Craft Supplies in BULK as i took on more wholesale orders and opened a shop on 'etsy'. It seemed the best way to increase my profit margins - i couldn't keep buying in small quantities from HobbyCraft anymore.

My first wholesale Button order was £70.00 and i remember SWEATING with fear that i was spending so much on buttons!!! By this point, i had resigned from my Part-Time job and i knew i wanted to be a 'stay at home Mom' but i also wanted to make stuff and try to earn some money, so i had to take big steps....

My need (ok, obsession) for new buttons kept growing and i thought "where do other people buy their buttons from?" Where were crafters buying beautiful buttons from and where could they buy in bulk numbers and not individually or 'on cards' from out-dated haberdashery shops...?

I realised there might be a little space in the market for me to sell some buttons on to other button lovers, but i was worried of course. Would people buy from me, should i open a new 'etsy' store, etc...

What is the worst that could happen - i asked myself? I buy loads more buttons and have to KEEP them all if they don't sell!? No great hardship hey??? so i launched BigFish.etsy.com x

Obviously, if you read my blog at all, you know that the "Button Shop" has not fallen flat on it's face x and i love all of you who have shopped with me. I sort of want to tell you all that:

a) i really care about you and your buttons because they are MY buttons too! That is the joy of buying from an independant dealer! I handpick your buttons myself....

b) it is crazy busy and TIRING and exhausting - searching for new button suppliers / searching for the supplier of a particular tiny button i found somewhere / ordering / finding the money to pay! / organising stock so i can find it all in my tiny home / BAGGING THEM!! can you imagine the time spent weighing or counting these bug..... beauties by hand!? (deep breath Kirsty, and relax...)

SO, when a customer sends me a handmade cupcake card that 'Thanks me' for spending the time finding what she needs and trying to fulfil her button requests... then it means so much to me!

My last button invoice cost me £600. It frightens me silly still, to spend so MUCH money on buttons (they are 'just' buttons after all) but you can understand a little, of how much of my crafting soul goes into buttons...

Thankyou for reading the abridged story of My Buttons and Me x

Stuff i'm up to...

Hello!!... so, i made lots of brooches over the past few weeks (as blogged previously) so i have been trying to find a sunny 10 minutes in the day to photgraph some for PaperFish I LOVE these tea cup images i downloaded from the net, i couldn't resist using them as a background for my photographs...

But these pictures are here to just to punctuate the post - i was really going to tell you that I am off to the Craft Trade Fair in Birmingham tomorrow for a lovely look around x i'd love to take you all but there is simply no room in the car :( lots of stalls all trading their creative lovliness. I am on the hunt for one or two new suppliers and *she hopes* a few exciting new things for the BigFish shop!

I will try to take lots of great pictures to share with you and i hope to upload them soon and tell you all about the great stuff i saw...

I also wanted to say one or two "SO SORRY"'s to anyone who had their parcels delayed by the snow! We had terrible trouble here and the Postal Service was so delayed. I think we are all back on track now though.

Thanks for your patience and understanding !

Put the kettle on, be back soooooon x x x