Pretty Shop Items...

 Stocking the http://paperfish.etsy.com/ shop ready for the upcoming SALE DAY!!

I know i have been making PinPots and NeedleBooks for an age now,

but i really love these designs. They are good designs and so pretty

(in my humble opinion)

 I had a very calm and relaxing sewing weekend and it felt so good to make things

'just because i like them'

and not because they are ordered.

 It is so satifying to trawl through my own stash and ribbons and trims,

rather than selling stash.

And it is SO satisfying when people love these items and i know they will sit in someone elses sewing box or on their table and inspire their pure joy of creating.

 I think this PinPot in Spring Yellows and Pinks is my current Favourite.

The tags at the top of this post are so quick and easy to make.

I am selling a few packs, but really, they are not rocket science and the idea is just to inspire and encourage peeps who love crafting. Whilst the weather is a bit drizzly, it is nice to stay in indoors with a bit of cosy sewing or crochet or knitting or gluing or....

Happy 2012!

Keep an eye on the blog for Full Details of my amazing ETSY SALE DAY!

Trim Trim Trimmings! *new-ness*

 I missed Yesterdays Monday Shop Pimp Post as it was still the School Holidays and it was Hallowe'en AND we had spoooooky stuff to do!!

So, Tuesday shop pimp:

Gorgeous "Home Sweet Home" fabric trim with a cross-stitch style print.

Being sold with a complimentary Aqua grossgrain and red polka dot ribbon.

 Then, vintage style Union Jack Trims which is so very on trend and grrreat for any Olympia 2012 projects.

In this awesome green and silver and the traditional colours.

I am liking very muchly :)

 A a double Tartan treat too.

I bought these for making some Scottie Dog collars and my own Christmas wrapping.

There is so much you can do with pretty ribbons. They make me happy!

I love adding them to my patchwork cushions and lavender hearts.

You can use them for cupcake Toppers or cake decorating or on Taggie blankets or as hanging threads on decorations... oh it goes on and on and on and on....

Mini-things...

 I spent ages doing up an old Dolls House once.

My dad gave me a tall work bench in his garage... actually that bench is now my studio cutting table.

But buying and making the miniature items to go in the Dolls House, was really the best bit.

 And i think that is the joy i find in making my NeedleBooks.

I like the technical solution to a problem: using the Eyelets and Bookring to secure the pages.

But really i like the mini-scene on the front of each design.

 I enjoy the colours and the trims and the spotty tags...

Putting the colours together and working out what looks pretty.

It's just aesthetics.

 Anyhow.

Sunday was quiet (SmallFish wasn't here)

so i sewed NeedleBooks. I walked the dog (several times. He has too much energy for One with such short legs) and i did some gardening - you can't even call it 'weeding' as these weeds pulled ME!

Hewwwge buggers.

I sold my car - and will soon have no transport.

I popped the new NeedleBooks into the http://www.paperfish.etsy.com/ shop

and they will be there until somebody who likes Mini-things, decides they'd like a NeedleBook like what i make.

That is that.

It wouldn't be Monday Morning without a shop Pimp, now would it?

 What a Windy day?

I don't know about where you are but, here it is Blowy and i'm feeling a bit Dorothy, scared that if i step outside i will have landed in Oz!?

 "Ding Dong the Witch is (which old Witch?) the Wicked Witch

Ding Dong the Wicked Witch is dead....."

 *new* buttons (what else?)

I have been making up packs of Button Brooch Party Favours which are just so cute and muchos fun. I'm not greedy though. I'm not the sort of person who would keep all these to herself.

They are too fun not to pass on.

1.25inch / 3.4cm - a great big size and i would LOVE to see what people have been making with these.

Personally, i'd love to see used on knitwear or as bag / purse fasteners. The are so vibrant. A real statement button.

 This new blue stripe is gorgeous and just makes my heart ache. So nautical :)

This is what i have named 'Denim Blue' - i love it.

I am listing these in single colour sets and in mixed colour sets.

 And i have always been a complete girly polka dot fan... but i find myself loving these stripes so much more?

Every colour i have in Stripe i have in Spots - 10 colours.

 Raspberry, Strawberry (pale) Sky Blue, Denim Blue, Purple, Vanilla, Mint, Orange, Aqua, Red

In both designs.

 And Button Tags.

I know. I win no awards here for complex craft design but.... not everybody has a big stash of buttons to glue onto tags (can you believe that?)

And also, i have been packing these into stacks of 10 as cute party favors.

Imagine a party bag filled with button tags? a button brooch? chocolate.....

*kirsty dreams of greatest party bags in the world, ever*

 In other excting news:

The GARDEN ROOM - Hair and Beauty salon, Upper Boddington

now holds a small stock of PaperFish products.

You don't need an appointment to pop in - you can just go round and shop, if you want.

They are holding:

Cards & Gift Tags

Lavender Patchwork Hearts

Purses and Tissue Holders

Button and Felt Brooches

and the range will be extending soon. If you're local - pop in for a last minute gift?

Egad, i had such a busy week last week - so much on my mind.

I managed a RRRRuuuuuNNN this morning so now i need a bowl of fruit, a big fat coffee and 2 hours under the sewing machine.

Have a great Monday xxxx don't get blown away and avoid all Witches.

i made a little button bouquet...

 Playing in the Studio at the weekend and,,,,,..... tada!

I made a little Button Bouquet.

 I could become very addicted to these.

I grabbed some thinner PINK floristry wire and made some smaller spotty stems.

 Then i taped the 7 stems together with parcel tape before covering that in ribbon to give it a sweet finish.

I am thinking this would make a nice little gift for someone if i hang a little gift tag from it?

 If i pop round to somebody's for a cuppa?

or as a thankyou?

I need these all round my house now....

 And a P.S

I am having a Limited Time SALE Offer on bags of 100g pastel / popsicle button bags.

I mixed up a few 100g bags full of dreamy Spring like shapes and colours.

Sort of perfect for making buttony lavender hearts

or your own stacking / stem projects

or yummy popsicle accessories

i love this mixture.

Normal price £7.50 for the 100g

SALE Price: £5.50

Coolio x
(p.s i just lost a blog follower :( i am either boring, or too commercial or a bad blogger, hahaha)

Victoriana Trims...

 Victoriana Trims....?

With a sort of cotton lacy edge and velvet ribbon running through the middle?

 In three pretty vintage feel colours...?

 At a whopping £2.50 per metre....?

Each...?

Don't buy any off me...

they only come with 9metres on each Reel and i am very happy playing with this little lot myself, thankyou.

How is it that new supplies are soooo inspiring?

*sewing prettiness for a pretty house*

Busy Sewing Bee...My mojo must be back!?

 It was those Button Bouquets.... i swear! They got my mojo back and SUDDENLY i felt the need to sew.... En Masse!

 Piles and piles of lovely hearts. Pieced together from random 2" cotton strips in lots of crazy colourways.

 Finishing touches are scraps of trim - new and vintage.

And Buttons (of course)

 Stuffed to burst with Organic English Lavender.

I was asleep by the end of this!

 A Girlfriend asked me recently "is there Lavender in your bedroom?"

"Darling" replied i (i'm so theatrical) "Where isn't there Lavender in this house?"

I do, in fact, store my hewgggee bag of it IN the wardrobe so it gives off all that delicious fragrance into my cottons. (Clever me)

 These look so delicious all bundled together for photographs and hanging round the house.

I hang some in my wardrobe - and in my daughters.

One or Two in the bathroom.

A few on cupboard door handles...

 These are going into a *real* shop as this is where internet selling fails.

I don't feel the photos can do justice to the colours and the patchworky-ness...

and naturally NOT to the fragrance :)

 But i did list a few in Etsy PaperFish >>>>

and i sold one already so i was really pleased about that. I feel a bit 'shy' sometimes, selling stuff i've made.

How awkward of me when this is, essentially, my job!

So much lovely stuff to come...

Bloomsbury Tape...

bloomsbury tape... a photo by lusummers on Flickr.

Oh look at this.... how stunning? my heart skiippped a beat when i saw what the clever Mrs Lucie Summers had designed here.
A 1 inch / 2.5cm decorative tape in her own blk and white design called Bloomsbury.
This roll is a whopping 65m long approx. so plenty to play with.
You know what is coming next...

Now avaialble in www.LovePaperFish.com !!! the listing is in the HARDWARE section (awaiting it's photo)
And i am badgering this super lady to bring us more in more designs and colourways. Watch this space.... xxx

Organic Cotton Stripe Ribbon... and work avoidance...

 Just the word ORGANIC makes me go all weak.

I swear, chocolate tastes better with the word 'organic' on the packet.

Bread has no fat or calories if it is 'organic bread'

I am a gooood person if i use organic cottons...

 Aaaah, the lies i tell myself.

The fact that these new cotton tapes are 'organic' is really just a PLUS, incase there are crafters who need / like to use very earth-friendly products or they are sewing with babies and children in mind.

I bought some because they are very pretty and have a vintage look and feel to them.

 http://www.lovepaperfish.com/ is selling them as a mixed bag of 3metres - 1 in each colour: sage green, periwinkle blue and a strawberry pink. yum-yum.

I have been keen to get a bit of sewing done, just so i can use them. I try to NEVER sell a craft product that i haven't used myself. I think then iam a more trustworthy retailer? you know, i know, what i sell is good etc....

 I made a bit fat quilted Lavender Heart and you can too, if you want.

I had scraps left over from a cushion. 2inch wide strips of cotton fabric.

You can sew them together to make up a block of fabric.

I then quilted this (actually the wadding is also Organic and made with Bamboo - it is gorgeous to work with ) i just did any random quilt pattern all over the top.

 My piece was big enough to slice in half - so i did - 'just like that' - no planning or thinking. Let's just freestyle this whole thing.

I cut out a paper heart as a template and cut around it on both pieces of quilted blocks.

 Go back to PHOTO.1. and you can see i added a few embellishments on top - scraps i had from previous failed projects plus 2 small strips of the organic cotton tape. Very nice.

I placed this finished heart block FACE DOWN on top of a very loose weave fabric.

Sewing machine around the edge and leave a 2inch gap.

Turn it inside out - so correct sides now facing out.

 I stuffed these big hearts mainly with lavender - and yes! it was organic lavender.

but i popped a little stuffing in also, to help keep it's shape.

Sew it up at the gap by hand.

I also used the Cotton Tape as the final hanging ribbon and fastened it in place with a big button.

Happy Lavender Heart Gift! with lots of organic elements.

And this sobering picture is really what i should ahve been doing today, rather than quilting Lavender Hearts....

 Do think again before you assume that selling crafty supplies is all fun and games.... those packets need a great deal doing to them before they can be ready for sale.

(I am waving happily to *my best girl J* as she knows SHE is helping me out with this large task)

ToodlePip Craft fans!

I am off to do some Half-Term stuff and pop into the Post Office en-route.

MAKE STUFF! it is good for your soul xxx