A Couple of Weekend Makes

I found myself with an unexpected couple of hours to myself on Friday night.  Very rare so I was determined to start something and finish it!  So came up with these two cute little projects to have something to show for my evening.

Flower Brooch

 

 

This flower brooch is made of felt and handstitched.  I added a button in the middle to bring it all together (and hold it together if Im honest!).

Handstitched Heart Bag Charm

Think this is quite cute even if I do say so myself!  Handstitched bag charm (could be a key ring) made with felt and ribbon. 

I hope to have a few more hours to myself this week (very unlikely but I can hope) as I've got loads more projects in mind.  I bought myself a very small (and fairly cheap) sewing machine on the weekend.  While I will still be hand-stitching all the felt bits and bobs I make, I may start experimenting with other fabrics too as my local fabric

I've also signed up for a few craft fairs at my local market in the coming months.  Its going to be busy!!  But thats how I like it :)

Until next time x x

All Packed Up And Ready To Go!

Ok so a short while ago when I started this little craft business, I didnt think, in all my wildest dreams, I would get any orders from anyone other than, maybe my mum!!  I thought it would take a long while to get my name out there and I am currently spending a vast amount of time on Facebook and Twitter.  In a lot of ways this is still very much the case, Im not under any illusion that this is going to be easy, but hey ho, I've never been one to take the easy route!

Anyway, I showcased my first lot of items at a Mums In Business Fair I recently went to and I was overwhelmed with the response I got, especially for the handmade banners.  So Im very pleased to say I have completed the banners ordered and here they are:

 I love the cupcake banner - its so pretty and girly.  I hope these banners like their new homes....

They're all packaged up ready to go with their pretty pink bows.  These are local so will be dropping these off rather than having to package them up securely to go in the post!

I've had three more orders from mums at school (it seems word is getting around - maybe I should invite more of them over for coffee?!) and a friend of a friend so fingers crossed, this is the start of something wonderful!

I've also booked in for my very first Craft Fair!!  Its going to be Bank Holiday Monday, 25th April in quite a big market in the next town Abergavenny.  Its a really established market and is really busy on the few times I've been there.  Got so many ideas of products I want to try and make for then so Im going to have a very busy month (and not leave it until the last minute - promise).

Until next time x x

p.s. these banners are also available to order from here! Folksy

Why Im A Very Lucky Mummy

Maybe thats a bit misleading cos all mummies are lucky for just being mummies!  I do feel particularly blessed today though as I realise that what I do from home is actually working!  I love being a WAHM and the freedom it gives me and the fact I can be there for my Little Petals.  Im very lucky I can work from home.

When I decided I didn't want to go back to work, shortly after having Littlest Petal, at first I thought people might think I'm irresponsible, lazy, work shy etc. etc.  I questioned myself over and over again to the point where I got on my own nerves.  However, I've never worked so hard in my life (as well as crafting I also run an ironing service in my local area)!  I spend all day with my littlest petal, then pick oldest petal up from school.  Some mothers may say this is a full time job in itself especially when littlest petal is now walking and into EVERYTHING!!  When they go to bed at around seven o'clock, Mr Petal and I then have dinner and I start "work" at around eight o'clock.  Either sewing for orders I've had, or stocking up for a craft fair or my folksy shop or ironing for my ever increasing regular customers. 

A friend of mine keeps asking my how I cope and said she feels sorry for me as I'm always so busy.  But I tell her this is what I've chosen to do and, in all honesty, Im loving it!

Im also lucky I've got the support of the very lovely Mr Petal as without that I'd have to go back to work.  But he's as keen for me to be at home for our girls as I am so for that, Im very grateful.  

Take today for example, I took Oldest Petal to school, came home, put the kettle on made some toast and me and Littlest Petal sat watching Cbeebies eating toast (that she stole from me!).  Then she went for a nap, and I carried on sewing for a few orders I've had.  I was sat looking out over my garden (which really should be my next project) and realised Im very lucky not to have to drop the kids at childminders and rush off to work to a job that Im only doing to pay the bills.

So while I do have the odd moan that Im so tired and run off my feet, I wouldnt change it for the world and am determined to keep going and am very grateful that what Im doing is working!  To anyone thats thinking of working from home and following their dream, I'd say just do it!  Yes you have to weigh up the risks and yes there are bills to pay, but if there is some way you can do something you love, maybe aswell as your full time job, I'd say go for it.

Right, off to finish some sewing.

Bye for now!

x x

Happy Red Nose Day!

I do like Red Nose Day, although I will be honest, it was much more fun when I was in school xx numbers of years ago!  I envied Oldest Petal at little bit this morning when she went to school dressed in red with crazy hair! 

Last night though there was a bit of a panic when we realised Littlest Petal had broken THE red nose!  So as not to have world war three on my hands (Littlest Petal is only 11 months but a four year old doesnt seem to understand that) I set about creating something that would stand in its place.  After a lot of humming and haaing, I came up with this!

My Red Nose Hair Clip

I actually wish I'd thought of it earlier as I would have given it a bit more attention and maybe tried to sell a few to make some money for Comic Relief, but hey ho, there's always next year! 

My Baby Girl Is Walking

The main reason I started my little business was because I didnt want to miss a minute more of my girls growing up.  While this is sometimes more challenging that I care to mention, I was made to realise how much I have made the right decision yesterday when my Littlest Petal walked!  And not just a few steps, she's off across the room at great pace!  Obviously, Im immensely proud, the only thing is, she looks so funny as she is still really small!  My Oldest Petal was so much bigger at her age, she's just a dwt (a welsh word for small!)

Speaking of welsh words, Oldest Petal is in the school concert next week for winning the welsh singing competition on St Davids Day.  So a very proud week in our house!

Despite all the walking and winning, I have had (very limited) time for sewing.  Im currently working on some mobile phone covers which came from me not wanting my beloved BlackBerry to get scratched!  Got some lovely polka dot felt so am making a few designs, photos to follow!

Also, as spring definately feels like its sprung, I've been inspired to make some more easter chicks!  This time they are egg cosies!  Again, photos to follow when my camera battery is charged!

Weather is lovely so off to sit in the garden and watch the girls play.

x x

Projects Started = 5, Projects Finished = 0

That title might be a bit misleading as I have now finished one project!  However, its not that I get bored half way through, or give up on something I feel isnt working, on the contrary, I tend to stick with it when perhaps I really could do with walking away and coming back with fresh eyes.  In actual fact, what seems to have been happening of late is that I start a project as one thing and it ends up being something else!  For example, I started making a cupcake banner as an order that someone has very kindly bought from me.  I cut a few too many cupcakes so thought "I know, I'll make another banner for my littlest one"  an hour later and much deliberation, its is now an (albeit really cute) keyring/bag charm. 

Anyway, I did complete one project which turned out a lot better than I had hoped for and that was my Mother's Day Canvas.  I wanted to use spring colours as the weather has been so lovely over the last couple of days, it really feels like spring has sprung!  So I picked yellow for the canvas as its also my favourite colour.  I wanted it to look really pretty and with lots of buttons and beads, I think (in my humble opinion) I achieved that!  Its available to buy in my Folksy shop, but if no one wants to buy one, I know one mum that will love it (my own!!).

x x

Some Cute Items

Only managed to get a few items "out there" at the moment, but one baby step at a time, I'll get there!

My little easter chick

A Happy Little Elephant

Girls Cupcake Name Banner

Boys Star Name Banner

So there are my few items I've got up and running.  A cute easter chick to decorate your home and a few things for a babys nursery.  I hope people will enjoy them as much as I enjoyed making them! 

x x

A(nother) New Adventure Has Begun!

Ok, so as if I didnt have enough to do, I have decided to start my own handmade crafts business.  Why?  Good question.  Its been sort of a chain of events that have lead me here.

I've always been a bit crafty (in the creative sense, not the mean sense) and have loved making things - I started with cards a few years back, and still love this, but dont love giving them away!  Kind of defeats the purpose.  Since having my youngest daughter this was put on the backburner as I simply did not have the time to create a card I was happy to give to someone.

Also, since having my second daughter I decided to become a work from home mum.  I didnt want to have to do the juggling act I did with my first daughter and now that she was in school, I wanted to be able to pick her up and take her, go to the sports days and the school assemblies.  However, Im not one of these women who can spend their days having coffee mornings, cleaning the house and lovingly preparing dinner for their husband to come home to (much to my husbands disappointment).  So with this in mind, I decided to start my own business.  As I now have a passion for anything related to my two girls, I started an online baby shop and Little Tots Baby Shop was born.  Slowly but surely, it is getting off the ground, but we needed to expand our products. 

In a nutshell, I decided to start making products that people might be interested in for their children -  name banners, nursery decorations, one of canvesses, my mind runs away with me!  I decided to test my products out at a recent fayre I did with the Baby Shop.  I was amazed at how well my handmade stuff was received and even had four orders for name banners!  So Pretty Petal Handmade was created!

I hope you like my products and I have so much more to come.  Im currently working on Bella the Cow.  Not why she's called Bella (my oldest may even have a Bella the Cow in a colouring book she has!??) but she seems to suit the name and love how she's starting to look.  Photos coming soon!

So much to sew, sew little time! LOL (sorry, I have a bit of a sad sense of humour)