Giving Away a copy of Pip Lincolne's Craft Journal, to ONE Lucky shopper....

 Just repeating my coolio Give Away Offer....

 This is a gorgeous craft journal from Pip Lincolne - you know how much we all LOVED her last Craft Book!? (esp. me) this is a great idea to follow up with. Many blank 'decorated' pages for us Crafters to make lists and sketches of our next projects... a really inspiring book.

 THIS... i loved. In the famous pip POCKET at the back, you get a big wall chart for your studio / space / forehead where you can plan and tick things off. what could be more fun???

 I do this for all outstanding projects:

1. Sketch the thing i want to make / finish

2. write an ingredients list

3. tick off what i have in my stash (go and LOOK, don't just guess!)

4. list anything i NEED to complete it.

5. Put a slot in my diary of when i will do it....

I honestly do this people, but it is my 'job' too.

 A famous Pip Pocket at the back to collect v. v. important bits in once you take your poster out.

It's all here for you with lots of inspirational photography and vintage scenes.

 So:

ONE FREE - given away to a random customer who buys anything from any of my shops until

12pm FRIDAY 23rd MARCH 2012

As a thankyou surprise to one lucky customer - to let people know, i do appreciate your custom.

I have a tutorial or 2 up my sleeve for some future posts,

so stick around if you fancy seeing me make something, that then makes you feel like you practically made it as you saw it on a blog, IYKWIM xxx

(PS YES! Those are giant 2.5cm / 1inch spotty buttons on that cake stand!)

thankyou thankyou thankyou Crazies...

 Aaaahhhh Sale Day is officially over!

*sigh*

Any problem postage is now refunded in paypal

*sigh*

Now i just have to organise and pack and post it all - bear with me!! i have to dog to snuffle with first...

 I would like to say a big thankyou to many regular customers, and new customers, who convo'd me or left me messages yesterday because it made the day fun! you knew i was sat at this laptop alllll day re-listing and helping people checkout. It made such a difference to me to have your humour and kind words :) i am not a lady who 'sits easily' and being tied to the studio all day was not easy for me.

 So, there are still SALE parcels left in the shop and they can sit there till they expire (or sell!)

Some items that were not sold will be getting donated to an awesome Art charity i know... i hope to blog it soon so you can read all about it's great-ness and why it means so much to me, personally.

 Overseas customers can now get a look in!

I am so sorry i couldn't include you in free shipping as you are some of my biggest customer base - maybe i should think of a way to thank most of you for your long standing custom (ideas head on)

 Anyway... that isn't all the fun over.... no Sirreeee.

I have a great new book to review that might get you excited... and, hopefully, inspired!

I have the new Buttons to photograph and list - i started with the new *biggy buttons* whoppers!!

And there is some Good News in the FuzzyFish shop with some very pretty charm packs of Wool Felt arriving and thheeeee cutest patterns for some bits you might want to make!?

it allllll happens here ya know!

Cor... Whopping Buttons!!

 Getting ready for SALE DAY tomorrow and i thought it might be nice to add one or two nice new things into the deal! Cor!!! what whopping buttons - they are hewge!

 RRP £2.50 each but this set is in the Etsy shop for £8.00 this set of 4

Pewter, Pear, Raspberry and Grape

 8.5cm / 3.5inch - of awesome-ness...

 And my Scottie has a few treats to wave under your nose

(look how muddy his nose is the wee monkey)

 Thheeeee cutest set of 4 buttons - a pair of black and a pair of red approx 1inch across.

Muchos fun!

see ya tomorrow x x x 

PinPots & NeedleBooks & PaperFish Pretties...

 These PinPots are one of the first designs i started selling on Etsy,

Crazy to think how long ago that was now!

The pride i have in my design is that i am still making and selling them today.

They are such a talking point at Craft Fairs because they are cute and tactile and bright and functional!

People like that :) I like that! and that makes me feel good about my work.

 I still love making them and mixing up the colours and patterns.

In fact... i am still using the first one i ever made!! that is my own testiment to how the quality of handmade does (or can & should) stand up to timeless use.

So, these are not in the SALE as such because i sell these at £8 ecah and that is pretty reasonable for an item that has alot of fiddly time put into them.

You can however save money because they are in the FREEUK postage offer.

So, if you have fancied a PinPot in the past but the postage bumps up the price then

WED 29. FEB - is the day to take advantage.

See all my shop feedback for very happy customers.

 NeedleBooks - again, i boast here *if i may* that the design is my own original design and has changed very little since the first one i ever made. I am most proud of these because they really work - and are so versatile with their metal bookring. I was worried the metal would rust over time and bleed into the fabrics BUT, again, i am still using one of the first NeedleBooks i ever made - years and years since.

The NeedleBooks are £11 each - that is quite a bit of money for a needle storage case but it will last you forever if you look after it and you can see the work that has gone into all the little deatils.

FREEUK postage - throughout the day.

 Mini Tags - anyone can make mini-tags and i include them in my PaperFish shop because they can inspire people to make their own cute pieces. But these are already made up for those of us who just want somebody else to be organised for us!! easy peasy and very cheap. Great to keep in a drawer for gift wrapping or use them on children's party bags etc...

PaperFish really is the heart of what i do - how i like to design and make but i have increasingly had to put this element of my business to one side. I find it really hard to make a living from my own designs. It takes a great deal of time to design, produce, market this side and i have often thought about closing the PaperFish Etsy shop.... but seriously? i think it would break my heart...

 I found myself selling supplies on Etsy not so very long after i opened PaperFish for the handmade pretties.

People were asking where i got my supplies from...

and i had taken a long time finding good supply shops and buying in bulk to reduce my cost prices.

It seemed a 'no brainer' to open the supplies shop.

Don't get me wrong though, it isn't easy to sell 'anything'!! everything has a plan / a campaign / an element of risk....

sometimes i buy stuff for me and never use it - sometimes stock arrives and i think "it won't fit with my style and ethos" so it sits in a box for months on end...

So: SALE wise - there will be a great deal of Bias Binding.

the odd Tool,

Some really obscure bits n pieces,

some tape measures maybe,

a few buttony tins...

all these pieces that i have collected but never found it easy to sell or have never got round to 'launching' as it were. I implore you to take advantage of all this that gets listed in BigFish and PaperFish.

I am selling them to make space for new items and a more cohesive supplies collection.

FREEUK postage - do quote this at checkout

And cheapo supplies....

WEDNESDAY 29. Feb - come & play on etsy

http://www.paperfish.etsy.com/

thankyou for reading my sale details - i hope there is something you can take advantage of and enjoy xxx

What's in the SALE then Kirsty?

 For the first time ever, ALL FOUR ETSY shops are participating in the sale day.
WED 29. Feb 2012 8am - 8pm

So, i am going to go through the shops and the items over the next few days if you want to get an idea of what is going to be on offer...

 Ribbons / Trims Grab Bag - hugely popular last year and these are one of the biggest value buys.

Each bag contains about 10 metres and the price per bag will be £2.20 so 22p per metre you pay.

The bags are full of great ribbons and are ideal for any sewing project, scrapbooking or even luxurious wrapping. They are in great condition and pretty colours they are just slow movers and designs i am replacing with new products.

 This is a brand *new* design that i shall be throwing into the sale just for fun!!

It will be sold at almost cost price :)

But only by the single metre so one shopper cannot snaffle the lot!

Because i want every shopper to have the opportunity to get some fun bargains. It isn't often a shop offers a sale with *new* products in too, so we want to make it worth your while.

 Most of the Ribbon Bag mixes will be changing so if there are any you like at present, they won't be there for much longer....

And big news - i LOVE this Berisford MicroDots Collection but i might stop stocking it altogether.

It is time for a big change and some really fresh new products.

 I will be offering a bag of 14 metres of this spotty dotty ribbon - 1 metre of every colour i hold.

RRP is around £10.00 for all of these and i shall be offering them to you at £7.20 per bag of 14.

A polka dot Rainbow - would be great for gift wrapping.

So even if you cannot use the FREEUK postage on sale day - you still get to grab some bargains.

I am so excited to get all this in the shop...

All usual priced products will be available whilst in stock.

So, if you want the new stock at it's full price, you can still take advantage of the FREE UK POSTAGE and pop a few things into your basket for cheapo treats.

Keep a sideways glance at the blog if you want a sneak preview of some sale Buttons...

Some Vintage frippery....

 I had collected one or two (or three....) new old bits over the past few weeks

and it is only fair to share.

Two stunning new cookery pots which i am thrilled to pieces with.

Who knew that pots would be soooo pretty, they never go in the cupboard!?

 Vintage enamel (oh Lordy, i do love my enamel) WITH lids!

In proper good condition. I applaud the older generation any persons! who know how to Make Do & Mend.

A retro red and flower power deep blue - boil me happy :)

£7 each, one from the Brackley Antiques Centre and t'other from ebay....

(ebay being harder to buy from and find a bargain me feels)

 The JOY of Spring Tulips in a Syrup tin. 2 large bunches for £5.00 so mixed and matched 2 lots in 2 different rooms in the home. They lasted a good week and yes! "i'm worth it" xxx

(who else is going to buy me flowers?)

 So Bloomin chuffed to find this GIANT bread bin on ebay too.

In RED

with huge stencilled letters

it is a giant!!

And i got it for a song £8 there is stilll ebay joy to be found... sometimes.

 And (MrsB) i have found the only chair that is EVER going to fit in my tiny kitchen.

A retro stool in yummy Bloomsbury Green - it is a hit with all the kids (young and old) who find themselves pulled into the kitchen with a Tea Mug thrust in their hand and a tale to tell.... coz it spins round too and goes up and down (but don't tell my 7yr old it goes up and down, she has yet to discover this and is still obsessing with the amusing spin facility, pity please to my fraying nerves)

Aaaaaahhhh,

and with all this crazy training i am doing - the need to cook and EAT is intense.

I might kill another human being who happend to come between me and my morning pancakes right now.

p.s. i have the BIG SALE DAY coming up soon!!!

so plenty of posts about, what will be available and all the offers to get excited about.

: D

 Hey Kirsty!

Where ya been? whatcha been doing?...

Well, it's like this:

 If you 'get' running and that, then you'll 'get' how exciting all this new kit is.

Headband with ear covers...

Winter Running Hat...

New Nike socks

etc...

 People at the School Gates:

"You are never running in this weather???"

ya-huh. Of course. I'm an addcit.

There is nothing more fun than running on a hugely cold day and watching your breath freeze. That cold pull on your lungs that makes you realise you are positively inviting Bronchitis.

 And weird running gloves make excellent hand puppeteering....

But, even if you don't 'get' the running, you will def. 'get'

70% off..... pure Sales joy.

 Hoooya!!

And here is a cute photo of my dog.

(awwww, he is so fluffy and fuzzy and he smells nice coz i showered him and he isn't called Hamish or Jack, he is called Mr Scottie Baggins and i love him terribly even though he does misbehave somewhat - or maybe because he misbehaves somewhat and i am a sucker for a cause...)

 And i have mostly been: Running, Body Pumping, Gyming, Fat Attacking, Army Training and Dog Walking.

I know.

Because i am an addict.

But i have also been doing Union Jack stuff, in anticipation of

2012 - go GB!!!!!

So, that is that.

X

Lists...

 LISTen, i know you are equally obsessed with List making as I am.

I have lists for EVERYTHING

Some are just dotted down to help me organise my thoughts

Some are actual longer-term lists i am working through...

 I have a notebook in my shopping bag that has lists of every measurement of every room in my house,

all the walls and the windows... just incase i see some bargain homeware and i need to know if something will 'fit'. You can suggest the term OCD if you want, but i won't listen.

Organisation is the key to any efficient lifestyle.

(HA!...)

I am currently on the lookout for a huge picture frame that i can spray paint and turn into a noticeboard

(to display my lists, obviously)

Lists:

House measurements and needs List

List of things to Sew for my home

List of things to buy next time i am in town

List of accomplishments i want for my business

List of phonecalls i must make and bills to pay

List of food from the supermarket today

List of improvements i need to make to all my webshops

List of new training exercises i want to try at the Gym

List of plants that might work in my garden

THAT Amazon List - you know you all have one...

Happy 2012 - go make a list!



What I wore at the Weekend...

 Oi Oi, Outfits Ahoy -

what i wore at the weekend only really matters because it means i had nice things to go do :)

So, please be upstanding for my new Dickensian Boy Shorts in Tweed! *love*

They make me want to 'talk cockney' and quote "Oliver" at opportune intervals

(much to my friends' amusement... or not...)

 Also sporting a newly cropped and mega blonded ruffle hairdo.

Vanity wins HANDS DOWN where a good haircut is concerned.

I feel 'dressed' in my PJs if my hair looks decent.

 I missed the apron shot, where i am making up some bottles of Sugar Syrup ready for Cocktails.

Shaker, courtesy of the WI Jumble Sale last month...

 Saturday Night Cocktails round H's in 'The Lane'

We love you H - you are our local scocial hub and we'd go nowhere / do nothing without you.

Thank you for washing up all those glasses and letting S dance on the Wii to Katy Perryt till 2am

x x x

 Honestly, i should be paid to shake these babies...

"French 75" was by far the Winner:

Gin, Syrup, Lemon Juice & Champagne - over Ice

oh yes.

 Believe it or not, Sunday morning started with a 5k run.

Me and the dog ran it in record time and it was a 'good un'

so, running kit is also on the outfit list.

 Then, Sunday Lunch in Beaconsfield with the extended family - what a treat!

SeaBass in creamy Fennel Sauce, mmmmm

Wearing a long Cardi with 70% Alpaca!

I swear, it's not 'what' you wear in Winter, that matters. It is the Wool Content.

This was like wearing my bed for the entire day...

 Indeed, after that dinner, a Chocolate Brownie and a few bottles of Prosecco,

i did fall asleep all the way home. Thank goodness my Dad was driving.

Animal print Scarf? and abundant Silver? Oh yes.

So, that is what i wore this weekend, mostly.

And you probably don't really 'care' but i told you anyway

HOPE U R not tooooo cold up North?

 x x x