Christmas, New Stock and a Vow to Buy Quality

It feels nice to be working on a blog post during the day and not at night as with my previous weekly musings. The sun is still shining and the sky is blue. Thus far it's been a rather productive week and a bit of a rallying one too. I'll get to the latter bit a little bit later because first I really, really want to show you what I've been working on this week. 

I'm utterly stoked with the way my new Christmas bee design has turned out. I made the decision quite early on that I wasn't going to do the same design as last year and I was prompted to get drawing again when I sold the very last Merry Bee. I had actually tweeted the design I came up with the other day and so this weekend I set about making the sample. Well, the sample turned out to be beyond my expectations and as such its' up for sale already, complete with a little pouch to store it in. I've been mulling over packaging lately and I thought about buying in a load of already made calico pouches and perhaps in due time I'll do that but till I've sourced ones I'm happy to pair with my own work I've opted to make my own. Now the one shown below is completely made by hand, and yes you can imagine it took a wee while to sew it which isn't practical but with a sewing machine I'll get the time way down. It also meant I could also use my massive stash of bakers twine and my wee custom made stamp. So all in all it's rather perfect.

Queen Bee Tree Decoration £15.00

The bee wasn't the only thing I've been working on. Last week you'll recall my mentioning playing about with the Paradise bird design again, this time making some rather swanky looking brooches. Well I think I can safely say I've cracked it. It took some attempts and alterations but I've finally got it to fit neatly and securely into the brooch setting. It will be made in other colours, peach, pale pink, lilac, turquoise, hot pink and mint...actually I might still play with the combo's but at least you get the idea. I've not listed this one for sale as of yet, but will be in due course. So keep an eye on the store!

So yes, it's been a rather busy weekend, amongst all that lot I also managed to fit in a trip to Farnham's Food Festival (spent a small fortune on yummy produce), finally settled on how I am going to make a blind for the study, massive clothes clear out and made a concious decision in regards to clothes buying habits. 

Now I know that's a weird thing to do, the latter that is, but this week I finally had enough of buying cheap clothing. What did it for me? A pair of boots, which I had ordered from New Look and realised you really do get what you pay for. Now, yes I know if you buy cheap you get cheap. I've know that, occasionally though you buy cheap and you can get good quality too but like many you get pulled into the need it now situation and forgo buying into investment pieces because it involves searching, saving up and waiting. Not to say I am not patient (mostly) but well it's easy just to find something that vaguely does the job, that might last the season and get rid. But I am feeling really uneasy about that lately. More so now I have my own place, and the whole buying bits for it, be it a lamp or the paint. Now part of me wants to rush out and fill the place completely with everything I need but that's both unrealistic financially but more importantly where's the fun in that? I've been on the hunt for a console table pretty much since I moved in but I'm not rushing to IKEA to get one. I'll wait till I find the right piece that could be several more months down the line but that's fine by me. 

So going back to the clothing I've decided that not only a small wardrobe (not talking about the furniture) made up of pieces that are really well made and fit properly is the way to go. The first thing I'm saving up for is a pair of Grenson Chelsea Boots 'Jessie', aren't they just lush! I've just popped some bits on Ebay that I don't want any more and the money from that is going in the pot. Hopefully be able to afford by the next pay cheque. 

Then saving up for a new leather handbag....

So here is to saving and buying quality. 

Sunday Night Pondering

This is the second time I've written this blog post today. I had started off with stating that this weekend has been less than productive. But weirdly writing the first blog post attempt seemingly spurred me on. Perhaps I'll try that next time I feel like I've done nothing with my time.

So what have I done....

The image above shows that I've attempted making things. It's an attempt pretty, but not quite right. It doesn't fit flush to the brooch fitting and whilst I was trying to be clever and time saving by using self cover buttons to give the dome effect and to make it easier to adhere to the brooch back, it's a bit gappy around the edge (can't really see it in the above photo). So I chucked it to one side, attempted to write a blog post, then had a sudden thought. Went back to it and found a better way to do it. Wrote my making knots, doodled the two designs...and well that's that project on its way.

Re-took some photographs of products, realising that some of the pocket mirrors weren't listed in the Etsy store. Rectified that, and if your one of those that likes to get the Christmas shopping done early, then they make a nifty little stocking filler...*hint*.

Played around with more photographs, in my attempt to take sharper photographs of 'Tea Solves Everything' and 'Life is a Big Puddle Jump In'. So that I can progress the idea of turning them into post or greeting cards. I was asking over on Facebook

Oh, and I finished the second sample and instructions for Crafty Magazine yesterday....and whizzed up a batch of jam tarts.

So really, in conclusion I was perhaps more productive than I thought. Which also makes me realise that I need to relax a little more, and be less harsh on myself. After all I do fit this round working full-time.

Ending the night on a bit of a ponder.

Hamish says hello and other things

Anyone else find writing a title for a blog post really difficult? There are times when I just haven't a clue what to call a post. But at least this one is pretty much spot on, Hamish has popped by to say hello, in a rare moment of opportunity I managed to get this shot of him and it pretty much sums him up...

If he can get behind anything, squeeze through cracks he's your man. You know the more I look at that shot the more I notice the look of 'put the camera down'. 

So aside from trying to take photographs of my elusive hamster, baking and cooking (I'm a real autumn/winter cook) I've been working on the project that cannot be named... That's pretty much all I've been doing this weekend. Granted I've been squeezing in a bit of time for my own things. I've purchased a couple of small bundles of felt this week which arrived rather speedily, thank you Paper & String. The felt is to be used for two things, one a new batch of snazzy brooches (more on this next week) and secondly to make a couple of gifts. Naturally like everything else I am working on lately I can't really go into too much detail as it's for some ladies that I know swing by the blog. But you might just make out an owl...the actual design comes from a freebie from Issue 5 of Crafty magazine 'Woodland Storage Boxes', I'm going to adapt the cute little owls and trees to turn them into little felt wonders. Well that's the plan...

I'll keep you posted!

Before I dart off go and check out Feeling Stitchy's latest competition.

Finished!

Another weekend of a bit of me time, things to do, people to see and projects to finish, whilst also whipping up batches of soup and moving furniture around.

Has anyone else noticed the change in the weather this weekend? Yes, I know a Brit talking about the weather, well nothing like sticking to a stereotype. I really noticed it this weekend, with the warm sun but a noticeable nip in the air with with the wind. Thus making you wish when your out that you brought a scarf with you. I have always loved the snuggly jumper, soup making, blanket days, more than any other time of year. Sure I was born in the spring but autumn and winter will always be my fave. Bring on the crispy leaves to tread on!

Anyway, enough of the weather...I've got something to show you!

I've finished my 'Tea Solves Everything' embroidery at long last! Yay, we all cry...well okay, perhaps just me. So pleased its finally complete. I need to get it framed but it's done, it's finished...its sitting in the hoop frame next to me. Okay, I need to get it mounted onto card but it's done!

Just starting the very last letter, I had to actually do this letter again, so this is attempt number two. I just couldn't get the flick under the 'v' right. So I unpicked, stitched 'e' and 's' and went back to it. Sometimes you have to give something a break before you come back to it.

Using a pin I was able to keep the core thread where I wanted it whilst I stitched up to it. 

And here it is complete! So, utterly thrilled with it.

I'm so pleased with the outcome, I just need to sort out some really high resolution shots and then I can play around with the idea of greeting cards. I'm mind is already onto stitching the next one, which I will start but in a few weeks time.

I've had to put my own projects on hold again, some of you might have seen some of my tweets lately, I've had a bit of an issue with post. My secret squirrel project finished pieces went missing in the post....and yes, to say I was distraught would be an understatement. I have, however, gotten over it. Someday it may show up, and in the meantime I am stitching it again, with a slight adaptation. Needless to say, posting it will cause me a bit of a stress but I am seriously contemplating DHL or Feedex. It's frustrating but at the end of the day it's really not the worst thing in the world, at the time it was but you have to move on. Tea and chocolate also helped, and wisdom from my best friend and mum.

I was about to sign off, but I must draw your attention to a competition being run by &Stitches blog rather aptly named for the time of year, 'Back to School'. It sounds like a really fantastic competition idea and there are some fab prizes up for grabs. Go and check it out.

Bees, Pictures and Tea

The secret squirrel project has been posted off, and I've decided to treat myself this weekend to a bit of me time, and wrapping up a few loose ends. So I can start a fresh next weekend and finally crack on with new projects and start work on the Honeycomb tutorial I've been promising.

So this weekend I've cleaned my abode, pampered myself and Hamish, hung pictures and tarted up a new mega sized notice board, cooked and finished off another overdue project. Oh, I also wrote a mini newsletter. 

Before I talk about the newsletter I thought I'd show you a few shots from the room, I've been able to keep the room tidy...lets see how long that lasts. ;) 

Just a few shelves...

Yes, that is Mary Poppin's on the screen. A few pictures on the wall.

New uber big notice board, time to fill it!

The newsletter that went out today was just a smaller than normal one mainly because of the sheer lack of doing anything other than sorting out the flat and focusing on the secret squirrel project. But I promised a free pattern to download so, the 50+ folks who kindly subscribe to the newsletter were the first to get it.

So the new pattern is a wee little planet to join the series and it's theme is bees...

To view this month's newsletter click here, or if you just want to skip to the new pattern then click this link. I'll have a stitched version of this soon, as well as an advanced purchasable pattern.

Now time to start sorting out some dinner and I have this vague feeling that I've forgotten to do something....

Oh, there was something a date for your diaries if your in Surrey, I nipped over to Farnham Maltings yesterday and picked up their events diary and on the Saturday 19th & 20th October is the Festival of Crafts. I'm going to nip along on one of the days to check out the wares.

Bye for now!