That Crafty Fish x: July 2009

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

A quick Crafty update....

Those Magnificent Men in their flying Machines... wheeeee, great new BOYS bunting in the Paperfish.etsy.com shop:

And a cute *new* NeedleBook design in the PaperFish shop too

Pretty Poochina Brooch has been uploaded for sale in the UK Folksy store :)

Ooooh, another new NeedleBook - "Sewing Story" in the PaperFish shop, complete with a cup of tea on the front... I am in love with these new designs...

AND... Men at Work Bunting in PaperFish also! I made one of these my nephew's new bedroom (big boy now he's nearly 3!) and an extra line for the shop

CraftyFish, CraftyFish, too much hard work... go and relax!

New Wellies...

Mmmmnnn - New Wellies... (colour loving)
I love my Wellies....

BUT... i feel i need to qualify this by clearly stating:
1. i do not drop my children at the inner city school in a large and very fuel consumptive 4x4 vehicle.
2. i have never been to Glastonbury.
3. i have never been to any outdoor music festival
4. i do walk my dog
5. i do work in my own garden
6. i DO live in the middle of the countryside!

"WELLIES............ they are for COUNTRY people....."

disclaimer **the views expressed in this blog post are my own and might not reflect the opinions of all Country Folk. This Wellie post does not set out to upset or offend City Wellie owners but, if you leave your wellies outside your city front door by accident, and you wake up the next morning and they are gone.... it was probably me what took them, and you should wear your shoes instead**

News Flash... New Blog!

It was no big secret, it just took a bit of time to get things up and running.
My dear friend and I (mrsB) wanted to talk about all things foody and cookery and tea party related but we didn't want it to totally dominate our own blogs...

So, we started a new blog - we'd love you to enjoy it too?
It isn't a recipe of how to cook or what to eat, it's just a place to enjoy foody stuff, so feel free to comment there and leave links to your own foody enjoyments...

We won't be neglecting our own bloggy lives - just keeping the new blog as a 'Larder' to store our culinary blog world.

There's not much there yet.... but i know it won't take us long x

The Big Stove Year !! by Two Scrumptious ladies.

Pretty Bracelet... "Five for Silver"

It's a long-ish story, but i met Billie and Jan last Christmas at a Craft Fair... Billie is so lovely, you meet her and feel like you've been her friend for decades. Jan is envy makingly beautiful. They have been friends since the beginning of time....
Their husbands run a silver business supplying the jewelery trade and Billie and Jan design silver charms that their husbands then cast for them at their place of work.
Last month i did a sale "At Home with Five for Silver and Friends" type of thing and i FINALLY bought myself one of their bracelets....

It is easier at a House Party because you can sit down with them and basically design the bracelet you want. There are so many varieties: This Bobble stretch bracelet was a bit of one off but they do chain charm bracelets and "Links" style ones.... and, once you've chosen the basic bracelet you want, you can add charms onto it from their huge selection...

This totally appeals to me as i LURVE silver and love charm bracelets.
I chose this GingerMan first to celebrate my GingerMan Xmas Decoration on SnowFish - it is one of theeee most favourite things of mine that i love to make and sell.

Then i added this green ceramic heart which is so pretty. Not at all precious but lots of fun and i can always change it / swap it if i feel like it in the future.

And THEN..... this silver BUTTON! Totally me :) my obsession with buttons solidified in silver. Joy of Joys.

It wasn't a cheap bracelet - but i wanted something quality that will last and that i can add to and change when the mood takes me. Worth every pretty penny.

I am looking forward to meeting up with them again near Christmas and finding a stunning necklace that i can maybe add silver buttons to also!?

This is their ONLINE shop: Five for Silver and this is their (empty) etsy space. If you live near Leamington Spa - fix a date to go round to Jan's if you want one too!

Share your inner Ming...

I am not the kind to hide behind layers of make-up or designer clothes.
However, like most 'bloggers', i edit myself to appear halfway decent and mildly flattering...
I have blushed at some of the lovely comments people have left about my work and me!
But people... i have no boundaries.... it is time to embrace my 'inner Ming'.
I confess - I AM A MINGER

Check out this hair>>>>> early in the morning on my daughters birthday.
Less 'Bed Head' and more 'Hedge Head'...

My PostMan nearly cried when i answered the door to him like this. He is very young and of a nervous disposition.

You may not see the 'inner Ming' in this foot shot - but to me it is cringe evil. These are my worst tights in the world. The pair i ONLY wear underneath my dog walking trousers in the coldest of weather fronts... bits of sewing sewing stuck to me too...

YES! of course there are many more photos like these horrors... but please, i have exposed enough for one posting...

Now it's YOUR turn my darlings, embrace your 'inner Ming' !!

Christmas started in March this year...

Getting the Christmas decorations up in the shop and stored for the Christmas Craft Shows...
Robin Baubles: A foresty combination of red / green / Browns.
A mixture of hand sewing and machine stiching. Felt discs with fun patterns....

March isn't as early as last year though! 2008 saw me starting Christmas in January - clearly i had bitten off more than i could chew. This year i have dramatically reduced the number of wholesale orders for Xmas decorations... i felt like a machine last year and some of the fun dropped out of sewing :( which is too sad a way to live.

So I am making more items for retail this year. More items for family and friends. More items with that essence of individuality...

So these have been photographed and added to the SnowFish shop - some i have put together in packs of 3 or 'pairs' and some are just singular... I love them. I love Christmas. I love it come Augsut when there are piles of plastic zippy wallets each filled with new felty designs...

Maybe that's why i haven't shared most of my crafty pursuits over these past few weeks? My work isn't exactly 'seasonal' to the time of year we are currently in?! Summer bunting gets made in January / February... Christmas begins in March...

Any 'other business' is slotted in between putting children to bed and the rest of 'life'! x

(i wouldn't have it any other way...)

...because i found a spare 5 minutes in my day...

Herby Shallots pickled in Balsamic Vinegar...
Yes, i did have a few spare minutes to whip this jar of pickles up. It's no hassle my time-keeping friends. I was at home yesterday anyhow - putting 7 loads of washing through the washing machine >>>washing line > >>back upstairs 'routine' (long story involving sick child and many washed duvets and bed linens)
Let me BEGIN by clearly stating, i don't think this is the very 'best' use of a bottle of expensive Balsamic vinegar...! I am not made of money but i had 2 un-opened bottles from Christmas gift sets so this seemed like a fine use for 1 of those spare bottles...

So... about 500g (when peeled) of the smallest shallots i could find
250ml Balsamic vinegar
2 large teaspoons brown sugar
A few sprigs of Thyme
(I am not a huge Thyme fan. I have a large bush of the stuff but don't use it a great deal as it isn't to my tastes but i think it will suit these pickles)
A few twigs of Rosemary (LOVE this stuff - i have so much to tell you about Rosemary...)

Bung it all in a large heavy based saucepan>>> this is my BIG pan 'for all culinary occasions' everything gets cooked in here and it wasn't expensive...

Simmer for about 30mins till the onions are tender but still with a crunch to them - not all soft and saggy.

...Cool them off.

Pour into a Kilner Jar (or whatever you're using) i always sterilize my jars. I put the rubber rings into boiling water. I wash the whole jar in hot soapy water. I then put them in the warm oven for about 20mins.

I have only made this one jar with these ingredients.

Now it is sealed and i'm going to put it in the back of my cupboard for a month or two before opening at some impromtu family food gathering (of which there are many in my family!)

I worry they'll be quite over powering having just used the Balsamic vinegar but i imagine the brown sugar will ofset that.

Next time i will add Coriander seeds and Black Peppercorns too....

mmmmm x that crafty kitchen...

Uhhhh-huhhh - that is (was) my breakfast...
Simply amazing x
A slice of fresh bread - toasted to perfection, with a thin layer of unsalted butter (i don't believe in diets and i do think being thin is highly over-rated)

Lumps of creamy Mozarella - i love cheese in all its forms and glories...

TOPPED with home made Berry Jam x delicious x

I didn't have my camera with me unfortunately, but the SmallFish, the SisterFish and myself managed a spot of soft fruit picking. The joys of our labour alchemically turning into Jam.

Jam isn't hard to make, but it's very rewarding. Raspberries, Blackcurrants, Passion Fruit, Apple Juice, water and Sugar (with added Pectin) boiled up to about 220 degrees and poured into attractive Kilner jars... bliss.

After this weeks Jam, came Cordial.....
The COMEDY value of my Elderflower Cordial has beed sorely missed though.

I realised i might be a bit late in the season to get any Elderflowers - i should have been out a few weeks ago... but i was DETERMINED to make some of nickys Elderflower Cordial.

There was A moment when time stood still - SmallFish screaming, our crazed dog barking, on the narrow path running alongside the local canal.... me balancing on the SHOULDERS of ManFish, reaching, stretching, pawing at the last of the Elderflowers way up high in a tree top.... if ever there was a comedy moment when i should have fallen in that cold canal water, surely that was it???

Luckily for me :) the elderflower Gods were smiling down on this day in history and declared:

"CraftyFish - you shall have elderflowers AND we shall spare you the humiliation of falling into the water or the stingy nettles, for you deserve refreshing cordial from natures fine harvest"

It tastes OUT of this world................. Cheers my lovlies x

(Cooeee ***Big wave to Grace*** thanks for my email Grace!)

Face Painting...

Face painting happend on Sunday - for one very good reason...
I have (yet another) bout of food poisoning (urrggghh) - "want to know how to drop a dress size or 2, in 7 painful days?....."