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....

Christmas Cute...

 Whhoooop!

A couple of new Gingerbread Boys on the Block.

I have changed the faces from previous years to make them a little sweeter looking.

 Peeking out of this gorgeous Christmas Tin...

 And there is, sllooooowwwwly.... a collection of Christmas Babushka Babes getting into the Christmas Shop. I have some great ideas of how to extend my Christmas Range next year.

Hey - not only am i well early for Christmas, but i am already early for Xmas 2012

(somebody shoot me!)

 Like the tin?

I adore Christmas Tins, and my real favourites are all the Marks & Spencer range.

But guess what? i don't want all the biscuits! I am a cake fan, but not a biscuit fan.

The great thing about this yummy tin is that it is empty! - some of you may think me mad, but that makes me happy :)

http://www.dotcomgiftshop.com/

If you want to buy your own tin £6.95 - (without the biscuits!)

Closing Shop... and other *news*

 FRIDAY 19th August

Last posting day from any of the shops.... please get any orders you *need* in, to me, before Friday

I shall be taking a break until Sunday 28th August...

(a well needed break)

 Then it will be all systems go for the Christmas Stock!!  

and getting any supplies ready you might want for the Christmas Crafting mayhem.

I have a few FAIRS that i shall be attending and hope to let you know when and where

 >>>>> see sidebar information

(i LOVE a good Craft Fair *excited dance*)

 I will also be having a mega

CLEARANCE SALE

in this shop: http://paperfish.etsy.com/

so an ideal time to get some early Christmas Gifts at a fraction of what they are worth.

I am, as yet, undecided on what will happen to this shop...

I have ideas in abundance, but nothing set in stone

i am open to your ideas / what you like best from there / what it could become more of:

Badges? Brooches? Bunting?

A new style of Supplies shop?

NeedleBooks? PinPots?.....

 A few new Button Bags available in the BigFish.etsy shop

Pretty colour combinations to inspire you.

And i hope to get http://www.lovepaperfish.com/ fully up to date, on my return to work.

In the meanwhile, i have an Older Blog Post re-published here:

http://localcraftmatters.wordpress.com/

LCM is a *must read* if you are local to Northampton / MK / Bletchley area

Lots of info on craft clubs and artists and local vintage...

My piece talks about my way into Button selling... things have moved on even MORE since i wrote that piece and it is exciting to look back - and look forward!

xxx

Button Bouquet Order...

 To be very honest, this is not a 'bouquet' as such.

This is an order for 50 Button Stems - as i don't bind these into a 'bouquet.

 Making 50 of these is fairly time consuming as choosing which buttons to use (on ANY project) is always theeee longest part.

And also the best!

 Stood in my sunny studio - i-phone on i-pod

playing with Buttons,,,,,,

Colour me happy.

This is one of those moments when i think "Lucky Lucky me doing my job"

 And, just as i was ready to post these hasty photo's on the blog...

I recieve an email from the customer telling me...

Thankyou & she really likes them!

R E L I E F

 When i tell some people

"oooh i work with / sell alot of buttons for a living"

They are incredulous!!

"How many buttons do people need??" (i.e. to replace on a shirt of fasten a something)

Those people know NOTHING about buttons hey!!??

The cutest detail...

I sent them bound in 5 sets of 10

and on random stems i taped the cotton tape message

"i HEART handmade"

"made with love"

*sigh*

contentment

New Buttons *** PART.1.... Lollipop Stripes

 Who KNEW there could be soooo many buttons that we crafters could fall in-love with?

In some ways, i wish a button, was just... a button. You know?

This task is becoming bigger than i ever EVER imagined.

How can i list every option of every button available???

 I have been stocking *some* of this range of buttons for a long time

but crafty people kept asking for colours i wasn't stocking...

you know how i like to respond to your needs (okay, MY own needs)

 So, this really is PART.1.

These are the LOLLIPOP size 2.3cm

 - they are the second largest of 4 sizes.

They come in 16 different colours and you can have spots and stripes

 See below?

There are actually 4 different sizes and 16 different colours.

It is taking me so much time, but...

eventually i'll get there.

LovePaperFish will be stocking the full range and BigFish, some mixed packs i think.

I wanted to get them all photographed and listed before the School Summer Break.

Delivery was a bit unreliable though and so it will come in stages.

If you have been waiting for these - THANKU for your patience.

The BIGS are my favourites by far. Awesome awe-some buttons.

But also, a whole new size will be available!!!

The 'Drops' are 1.5cm each and those babies in stripes.... well, they are to weep over!

There must be an Angel....

OOOOhhhhh, *squeak*

I have finally finished off the button feet on my Angels

And managed to list them in the shop (SnowFish)

 There are, currently, these 4 different designs.... well, the same Angels but with different dresses.

A Vintage Liberty Print front (love, love, love this fabric)

Plus a Ditsy Lilac, a Vintage Lace and a Tilda Pink

 There is alot of detail in these and fiddly hand sewing / embroidery bits so they take a bit of time.

I try and make them in batches so as to be a little efficient.

 They are in the shop so soooon before Christmas as i had a customer request for some but i already sold a few! (you know who you are) so i am thinking i might need to get some more sewing time?

Jo is counting buttons for me.

Alison is sewing some trees and bunting for me.

I've got PaFish ordering Mailers and an Office Chair.... as i type.

It is like Canary Wharf here, Man!



My Life is a list of Jobs, to be Ticked Off...

 Want to make your own Bias Binding? Cool, no?

I have just 3 of each two sizes in the BIGFISH shop on Etsy.

3 of the 1inch and 3 of the half inch makers.

Get them whilst you can!

 Stealing bits of time to have tea with friends - and this is a milky brew for my girl!

Gotta make time for the important people...

 Generally just jobs, jobs, jobs

 - Paying out cheques

 - Organising invoices

 - Deliveries

 - Emails

 - Fairs and Form Filling... it is endless (or so it seems)

 I work and work and work

(and run and walk and sleep)

 "Alison...????" *Kirsty Hollers across the County* "Delivery is here"

Must unpack and organise....

OOOpppps, MUST order that new sewing machine (have fallen out with my Brother)

I wonder how my Mum got on earlier, booking that Holiday Cottage in Totnes?

I need it. xxx

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.

*NEW* Cath Kidston Fabric Pack

 So.... for the Fans of Cath Kidston and her amazing fabrics:

A pack of 5 large sheets Double Weave Cotton.

1 Cherry, 1 White Bird, 2 Florals and a Stone spot - all of these are my Favourites. Lord knows why i am selling them on!

 only available in the FABRICS section at:

http://www.lovepaperfish.com/

my lovely store for buttons & bits that seems to be an endless list of updating and tweaking.

 In my http://paperfish.etsy.com/ store i have been listing these very cute

Button Tag Packs!

 Weeny Button Tags in packs of 5 that make awesome little gift tags for childrens gifts or to stick on a bottle of wine for a host gift. Also great to pop in party bags as favours for the more grown-up party bags.

 I have been making lots of Greetings Cards which has been great as i never get a chance to work with paper and fabric. I love how every card can be different and it doesn't matter. The freedom to make what i want, instead of stuff in 'batches'

 I love imagining 'who' will receive the cards and whether or not they like them.

It makes me feel proud. And it's always nice to receive a card from a friend.

 Tags lying all over, drying out...

They look so funny, like they are breeding at an alarming rate!

I have been doing very little of late, except go Running, Weight Training and Crafting.

Although i did go and see HANNA at the cinema the other day.

have you seen it advertised?

Good for those of us who are interested in Children and the innocence of children and childhood - that great painful chasm between the innocence and adolesence.

Good film but a 12A??? it was a bit Gory....

Maybe i'm a wimp? (But oooohh, Eric Banna...)

x

Belated Royal Crafting

 Belated crafty greetings re: The Royal Wedding!

Due to my Broken technology i did not have the chance to show you the latest sessions and creativities from our CRAFT CAFE!!

So here is a whistle stop tour of my gorgeously talented bunch of 'Littlees' and what we made a week before the REAL wedding happend.

 In the top picture you can see, we made our very own Kate and Will wedding puppets and popped then on sticks. Very satisfying.

Then there was the sewing table and we decided to make BookMarks with felt and Buttons.... 'marking' the occasion...! Some kids did the most amazing sewing and i think they felt a bit chuffed with themselves.

 The EVER popular Junk Table - involving boxes and cardboard and staplers and paint. The kids FLOCK to this giant table, for obvious reasons. The parents curse my name as they stagger home with sticky painty castles and the such....

 Royal Bunting - these were awesome. I was struggling to make these as a 'demo',  as i had the 'concept' but my creative head was stuck in my own 'sewing fabric pennants' - no need to worry, the children had so many cool ideas and their bunting was superb.

 "Hello Bride Kate" (presumably made by Ella?) you look better here than you did on the day! If only you had let us design your dress!?

 Cake.

Naturally.

We neeeeeed sustaining for the 2 hours.

 Quick stall set up for crafty pocket money and mums who also love the handmade / crafty scene.

It is always a bit of a 'throw it on the table' type stall on these occasions.

 *whimsical longing for a real shop, where i can put together real displays*

 Then there is me. Tired. Satisfied. Had great fun but glad it's over now.

A tremendous amount of work goes into the setting up and clearing up! of these events.

Thank goodness for friends and family.

Long live the King!