The Party and Craft Fair Prep

Just a quick post from me as Im so so busy getting ready for the craft fair on Sunday.  Why is it that, no matter how much I try to get ready in advance, I always seem to be rushing!??  I'm still snipping stuff out, got to sew everything and start pricing and labelling.  If anyone knows of a way I can cram a few hours into my day, I'd appreciate it!!

I've also had a few orders from Folksy recently, which is amazing!!  Someone has bought quite a few ice-cream toppers - maybe they are scrapbooking about summer?  Either way, if you fancy taking a look, they can be found in my shop here.

Perfect of creating scrapbook pages of the summer!

Also, I had to stop by to say that my lovely nephew was one last week and his party was a resounding success!  Not that he knew about it, but the photos will tell a fab story when he looks back on them in years to come.  My lovely sis put on an amazing spread, we had some fab Mickey Mouse decorations, plus a few handmade touches from me!!

Painted number 1 and polystyrene mickey heads!

Mickey Centre Piece!

We've got ears say cheers!!

Too much yummy stuff!

I had so many other things planned for Neo's party that I wanted to make, but with Lillie being ill from Wednesday to Saturday, I just ran out of time.  I did make these though....

Party bag favours with cardboard micky ears

Special party bags for the big brother and sister!

Im hoping my next post will be one full of pictures of stock ready to take to the fair, but we will see!!  Madison goes back to school tomorrow so maybe I'll get a bit more time to sew.

Until next time x x

Something For My Little Ones

Its ages since I've made something for my Little Petals.  I made the cupcake name banner for Oldest Petal ages ago and an Initial Canvas for Littlest Petal but neither of them have them up in their rooms because I take them to craft fairs as examples!

So Im in the process of making something for them to hang in their rooms - Oldest Petal (Maddy) has a pink room and Littlest Petal (Lillie) has a yellow room, so I've started making co-ordinating Initial Door Hangers for them.

Hope to finish L later!  Here's hoping...

They are, of course, made from my favourite fabric, felt and I've used the ribbon I won in the fabulous paper-and-string giveaway (the May giveaway has started today so I highly recommend going over and taking a look!) plus lots of lovely buttons!  I thought about using tiny glass beads on them too but like how they look with the ribbon and buttons.

I was lucky enough to be given some buttons recently by a friend of a friend who had closed down her knitting shop but knew I was into crafts and thought I could use them.  When I say a few, there must be around 10,000 there (although I havent counted them all!) in lots of different shapes and sizes.  I've had a fab time looking through them all and picking out my favourites, ones I think I can use in projects and just ones I like the look of!  I've also decided to list some in my Folksy shop as there are way too many for me to ever use.  There are about 35 - 40 buttons in each bag and I've put together bags in brown, blue, yellow, white and pink at the moment and will be adding lots more soon!

Little Bag of Buttons - Yellow

Little Bag Of Buttons - Pink

Little Bag Of Buttons - Blue

I hope someone can make use of them and turn them into something fabulous!

Until next time x x

Nothing better than....

...a Sunday spent crafting!  I was very lucky today that Oldest Petal was at her friend's house and Littlest Petal had an extra long sleep after lunch.  Also, hubby was home so when she was awake he was able to run around after her (as she seems to enjoy doing most these days!).

I've got quite a few orders for name banners that are well under way but I wanted to start and finish a project today.  My "spare" time is so precious these days I felt I wanted something to show for it.  So, an idea I've had for a little while is embellishments.  My crafting journey, if you like, started a good few years ago with card making.  My only problem was I didnt like spending hours on a card, only to give it away!  Not ideal.  Anyway, one of my favourite past times was searching the internet for embellishments to put on my cards and give me inspiration.  So today I set about making these little sets for my friend who is due to have her baby any day now.....

Pink bottle embellishments

and blue bottle embellishments

Needless to say, we dont know if she's having a girl or a boy, but I enjoyed making these so much I decided to make both and put them in my Folksy shop.

Keeping with the embellishments thread, I decided to make these too....

Yummy looking ice creams for a summer birthday card maybe?

And pretty flower embellishments for any occasion!

I hope you like what I've made this weekend, now to crack on with my orders!  I do love my crafty life :)

x x

A Happy Sunny Sunday

Been a quiet weekend this weekend.  Been doing bits of sewing but I find with the hubby home at weekends, not as much gets done as during the week! 

I have been working on a few projects though and have sold a few easter chicks!  One via Folksy and a two through Facebook.  People must be decorating now that Easter is fast approaching.  I've seen on a few blogs, ideas for Easter trees and think this is such a lovely idea.  Now that Oldest Petal is on half term, I think we'll have a go at one this week.

Not got any finished projects to show (although hopefully I will VERY soon) but here is easter chick number one all packed up and ready to go.  Im still playing around with my packaging but I hope the buyer of this will be pleased with how it looks on arrival.  I also put a little note inside that matched the label saying "Thank you for your purchase, we hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed making it!"

All packed up and ready to go in the envelope to be sent

I hope Easter Chick likes her new home (and her new home likes her!)

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

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