Super Cute stuff....

 Oh me, oh my! this bunting is so cute. I love it! i have an idea now to do some mini food bunting for our Royal wedding Party. Awesome use of felt offcuts my friend.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/QuirkyBoots and these super sweet felty muffins - Sent by the very friendly Quirky Boots who lives not so far away from me. Check out your Northamptonshire Fairs.... maybe Quirky's felty goodness will be trading?

and talking of fairs.... Are you in Northants / Warwickshire area? This fair looks set to be full of quality and inspiring stalls with great cakes and a rummaging Car Boot. THIS SATURDAY! i shall be there selling many supplies and some handmade pieces too.

Come see us?

Calling you Crafters...it's Show & Tell time.

 Quite frankly, look at me.

I am far too busy sitting around in my pyjamas and drinking tea, to be making stuff with my own amazing supplies. It is very hard work being this Ditsy you understand.

 So i call upon you - those readers who are also my beloved shop customers.

I need you to send me stuff.

Don't panic. I am not on the scrounge for freebies myself. I just request one or two photographs from you.

I would like to share what you have been making...

Using PaperFish supplies...

either for you and yours...

or if you make to sell...

Just send me a photo or 2 with a link of where to buy - if you are selling them

I shall endeavour to blog as many as i can.

BUT: if you don't get a blog mention please don't get upset, it may be that i get inundated with photos! and how would i cope with that? Or it might be that i got very busy with life all of a sudden. Please don't take it personally.

If you want to send me a photo + link, please do, and i will try to get it to blog.

I love to see what you're making and i know others will too.

email me at PaperFishltd@googlemail.com

Enjoy the Sunshine x

Winner! winner! attention,,,,, win-ner.....

 Hey!.... There is a Winner :) sorry for the delay - but i have been chillaxing in the Sunshine this week.

Above is the little prize. March copy of "Making" magazine plus a button bag, plus a little pincushion and a button brooch.

I have put an order in for some buttons. For the time being, we'll have a few of the BLOOMING GORGEOUS and also the VINTAGE BAKELITES

I shall let you know when they are here...

or maybe i won't?

maybe i shall keep them all for my own selfish pleasures, mwahahahaaaa.

 oh, i am sorry - who won?

MMmmmmmMMMmmm

Mmmmmm..... Melissa!

and She wrote:

"If I was still a child I would be clutching these in my fist and carrying them everywhere I went, checking every so often to make sure I still had them!!

Which is so sweet.

My SmallFish put 2 buttons in her Locket at the weekend as she wanted something 'precious' to put in there. Soooo cute. And we haven't changed as adults, have we?

You can rest assured Melissa is a random choice from scrolling through the LOVELY (by the way) comments - as Mel lives in Canada! and i would have chosen a UK winner to save on postage if i had fixed this in anyway, hahahha - thankyou Mel!!

 Random Button Bags in the BigFish shop....

Just including them here as i thought the photos looked so nice.

Thankyou Button Lovers )) O (( Buttony cuddles.

Next week i am putting a call out.... anyone who makes stuff using any http://www.lovepaperfish.com/ products. I shall be calling on you and i shall let you know why vey soon x

Help me Buttons Lovers....

VINTAGE BAKERLITEs

 As suggested in previous posts.... i need your input!

I need your button appreciation abilities.

PERIWINKLES

 There will be a prize. And i haven't got it sorted to photo yet. But, it will be a Goody Bag of sorts with lots of bits and buttons and maybe a book or a magazine?

 DOLLS HOUSE

and really, you have very little to do. I am asking very little from you all, in order to help me out AND be in with a chance of winning a fun Goody Bag!

 BLOOMING GORGEOUS
(n.b: these are BIG 1.5inch across / 4cm!)

Just leave me a little note in my box of comments... telling me...which of these sets of buttons you like? and why? or what you'd use them for?... or even what you wouldn't use them for but someone else might?

DECO LUSH

I know, price would always make a difference to what you buy and for 'what use' - it is always a factor in my choices. I can't list these prices as i haven't got them sorted yet. None of these buttons here are cheap though. We are talking between 40p and £1.00 per button across this range. If i were selling them, they would be sold in pairs and groups. That is why they are so lovely though. If they were cheap as chips everybody would already be using them, right?

To start: i adore DECO LUSH and i AM going to use one of these chunky dudes on a big cardi i've got that needs it's ONE button replacing - this is the baby for the job. I would also adore a necklace made using a few of these.....

Anyone else?

And a FELT Book....

Obviously, i adore this book too otherwise i would not be selling it.

I only have 2 of these books. It is so inspirational and the book itself is lovely to handle and look at.

Fantastic felted wool projects - recycling and upcycling being the buzz words for this book.

If i had to pull a negative for this book, it would be that the author has alot more access to recycled wool than the average bear (you n me) and some projects will need you becoming a dedicated Finder and Felter of wool.

 But if you do hoarde (like me) and have boxes of wool felt offcuts and felted scarves and sweaters (yep, like me again, guilty) then this book is just the inspiration and direction you need (like i need!)

*must stop thinking people are like me - they probably aren't*!!

 If i am not wearing some kind of recycled sweater dress thing come Winter 2011...

then i'm no Crafter. Awesome stuff.

Also might neeeeeed to make one of those felted wool animal things... grrrrr.

Competition / Giveaway / draw / prize / asking for your input type of thing this coming week.

Stay tooned x

Bows!... i know! love 'em or hate 'em, Kitsch heaven...

I adore these - on every level

Perfect for prettying up a childs cardigan -

awesome use in kitsch and emo-punk jewelery and accessories

they are just a lovely shape and size.

I am about to list them in both the BigFish shop on Etsy and http://www.lovepaperfish.com/

i *think* these will be sold in sets of 8 but they average at around 40p per bow which is actually quite a bargain for these unusual and large buttons.

A pair of each 4 colours = 8 buttons = £3.50 per bag

or 10 of each colour in a bag = 40 buttons = £15.00 which is better value and approx 37p per bow.

 The 3rd of 4 new books in the shop.....

i was not prepared to like this book at all when i picked it up but i was so wrong.

This is inspirational more than instructional. If you work with children / teens / even adult wokshops then this is the best book for you. There are so many cute photographs and ideas to inspire you.

 Awesome sock pigs - i have never wanted to make a sock animal, until i saw these cuties.

These may even work their way into a Summer kids Craft workshop for the holidays...

 Instructions are clear and helpful, but truly... you cannot muck up a sock creature. The more individual they are, the better they look and the more fun you have.

 I have 4 of these still  ThankU MsC - make that 3 now in the shop but once they are gone, they are gone - so if you are keen... this is your moment.

I am elbow high in chocolate cake making today (maFish birthday tomorrow, ssshhhh)

See you later xxx

Measure Up - Also New....

 This fun pink and black fabric trim / ribbon is now in LovePaperFish.com

It repeats in 10inch sections and has a retro feel but in a yummy modern colour combination.

 I also popped a bag of these little babies into the BigFish.etsy.com shop

They are Mini Spring Flings - a 25g bag as they are pretty small and they are retailing at a bargain £0.90 per bag. There are a limited number of bags available and a treat to any button collection.

They have a real Spring selection of yellow, blue, green and pink - all no bigger than 1cm. The big 1inch button is just for comparison.

 And a little reminder that i would LOVE to show off the Crafter who makes the bestest / wildest use of these Metal Mickey buttons. I am sore that i have been just too busy to give some brooches a try with these. maybe when the Summer gets a little nearer and i can turn the studio outside for a few hours...

Tomorrow is another coooool book and a set of new buttons that i am just so excited about - i adore them. They are too super cute for some crafters but a few of you.... will love them as much as me :)



pOm pOm Trimmings are here....

I know, i know, too much to handle.... brain   cannot   compute

pOm pOm (i love that word) Trim.

£2.70 per metre in Aqua, Apple and Raspberry

or you can order a card of 15m / 18yds for £31.00 so you can have lots and lots of it for your bags and purses and cushions and fun-ness.

paperfishltd@googlemail.com - if you want to order.

 each pOm is about 1cm so a great size for clothing and accessories. Not too 'in your face'

I could just look at those colourful photos all day. It would be enough for me i think.

 Another awesome book in the shop, is THIS!

Crafty Supersta by Grace Dobush.

Although directed at the American market it is still full of great tips on setting yourself up to sell Crafts.

 It is a beautiful book with nice fonts, lovely Matt paper, rounded corners, direct contents....

 How to handle ETSY.... really, i know i have said it and said it but i wouldn't order a book unless i loved it. LovePaperFish has already sold a couple to some locals who want to give 'selling crafts' a go.

 I have about 5 copies left in total and then they are gone.

Pass it onto a friend when you've finished or even sell it on if you want. That is the best way to re-use books in my humble opinion.

We might need a bigger webshop... and a bigger studio at this rate!

 (looking for staff... those who don't mind a terribly wage, a crazy ole boss, and much tea and cake!?)

Books are here....

In an exciting twist to the Blog i am bringing you an entire WEEK of stunning new products

for sale in the http://www.lovepaperfish.com/ shop

Obviously, the benefit of ordering some books to sell is that KirstyFish gets to keep them all, mwahaha

There are 4 new titles listed.

Listen, i know that EVERYBODY gets their books from Amazon - why wouldn't you? they are very efficent and well priced but i hope to introduce the one element that Amazon cannot provide you...

customer service!

Each new book has been handpicked by me and chosen because they have all the qualities i value as a crafter and retailer. Nice weight of paper. Good prints and fonts. Stunning photos, clear instructions. Funky ideas and things you want to make.

This is perhaps my favourite of all the titles and the one most suited to a PaperFish customer.

It is called "Button & Stitch" and is by a Seattle based Crafter called Kristen Rask

http://plushyou.blogspot.com/

Full of  new ways to use buttons in craft. Very lovely ideas and pictures.

I love this pincushion button jar - very easy to make.

Everything in this book is suited to beginners or advanced crafters looking for a new direction.

If you have one or two special / vintage / expensive buttons then this book has ideas for you.

Explanations on what glues to use and how to attach buttons for long lasting use.

Incorporating fabrics and how to expand one idea and technique into many uses.

I have worked with buttons for years and there were many ideas in here i am going to try.

All books are limited to maybe 2 - 5 copies of each. I can re-order popular titles on occasions but as 'Book Selling' is a bit new to me, i thought i wouldn't order in a huge container ship full.... you know.

I have, of course, kept a copy of every book for myself. I find them all full of awesome ideas for my workshops with children.

Keep checking the blog over the next week or so as i will go into detail for each new book.

I also have a COOL competition coming for next week and will be asking regular readers and customers help me choose some new button stock.

yippeeee x

Back to Business.... A week of *new* things....

Back to Business - this is my week of *new* products

Well, it can't be all 'birthdays' and cakey-ness now can it?

Besides, this is my own way of spreading that birthday feeling - the joy of fun things and indulging our own passions.

Every day this week i shall be adding pretty new *wants* to the shops.

Today is the new 100g bag (or more) of Metal Mickey Buttons - - - she, she, she shines on!

A pure awesome Pirates Treasure Chest of metal and metal coloured buttons.

Think: Steampunk, gothic, pirates, nautical themes.

I am desperate to find time to make a brooch using these. They are hardcore funky buttons, not for a whimsy girl but a Crafter with grit i feel.

There is so much...

Sooooooo much to tell you about.

But i want to tease you. I like it! so.... watch out this week for all the new-ness and aaahhhsss and oooohhhhss of This Crafty Buttony World xxx