END OF SUMMER

Hi everyone

The clocks have gone back, we have gained some daylight in the morning, but lost it in the evening.  I don't know about you, but I don't mind getting up in the dark, as I much prefer lighter evenings if I had the choice.  Winters are long enough as it is, and getting dark at 4.00 pm is not much fun.  But, the good news is that Christmas is on its way and it is a lovely time of year.

It's Handmade Monday - please someone tell me where the time goes, because it only seems a day or two since the last one.  Not that I mind, as it is a great opportunity to visit some fantastic blogs.  I hope you visited the ones last week that gave tutorials on making a fabric wreath and gift bags - both really lovely and on my list of things to-do.

My 'make' this week is an A4 Christmas card.  I used the Nitwit Village decoupage for this, but added my own touch.  I ripped around the edge of a blue A4 piece of card to resemble sky and added some fluffy-looking clouds to the scene - these were also torn from white card.  I like making big cards because there is a lot more space to be creative.

I really enjoyed the event in Godalming yesterday.  I met up with some crafters from previous events, which was good as well as one from the event Caroline and I organised in the Normandy Village Hall.  She was very disappointed to hear that we did not have any others planned as she felt there was definitely a need for craft-only events in this area.  Yesterday's event was very well attended and lots of lovely things were on sale.  I was very pleased with my sales, and also very embarrassed when 2 people said 'do you have a website?'.  Very red-faced I had to say its on its way.  Well done Loretta, a very well organised event and I am looking forward to your next one.

It is interesting to observe people's views of handmade items.  At yesterday's event I had a basket of birthday and thank you cards at £1.50 each - I was amazed when one 'potential' customer asked the price and when I advised her £1.50, she put them back in the basket and moved off without saying anything.  Isn't it strange how people will pay £2, £3 or more in a supermarket for a mass-produced, non-personalised card without a second thought, but with a one-off handmade card they balk at the price?  Sometimes being a crafter can be a little disheartening, but thank goodness the majority of people respect the hard work that goes into our craft.

I am off to put my feet up and plan for this week's event - I had kidded myself that I wouldn't make any stock as I have loads.  The problem is there are always ideas buzzing around in my head for new cards, so just have to get on with the card-making and make the ideas a reality.

Don't forget to come along to the event I am at this week if you are in the Guildford area:  2 November, 7.00 pm - 9.30 pm, The Holly Lodge Christmas Shopping & Pamper Evening, Stratford Road, Ash Vale, Surrey, GU12 5PX.

Hope you a great week - don't forget co check out the other Handmade Monday crafters and I will be back on Thursday with my usual mid-week post.

Jill

58 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS

Hi everyone

How frightening is that!  Only 58 days to go until we sit down to turkey, mince pies, Christmas pudding!  Oooh, I feel full up already.  My plans this year included making a Christmas cake as well as a Christmas pudding.  I will let you know when (and if) the 'thought plans' make it into reality.

A fairly busy week so far.  I have been working on an inexpensive card range specifically for my events.  They are packs of 5 cards with the same picture on each one and a seasonal greeting inside.  They will be on sale at my event on Saturday in Godalming - please have a look at the Where am I section on my blog for full details.  The event is based in a busy area of Godalming, just opposite a supermarket.  It has been very well advertised, so I am hopeful of lots of card-buying visitors.  If you live in this area, please do come along as there are lots of love goodies for sale at the event and you can find out about them on the event's Facebook page Godalming Independent Christmas Market.

This is my Thursday Blog-Hop post, and don't forget to check out the other crafters blogs and see the lovely things everyone has been creating.

Met up with friends on Tuesday evening for a meal in Guildford, which was good (friends' company and the meal that is).  I might also be starting to move forward with my website, thanks to one of the friends I was with - so watch this space.  As time goes by with my business I realise how crazy it is not to have a website - even if I don't plan to sell from it (note sure about this yet) it is vital to have a window on the web.

Back to card-making as Saturday's event is not the only one on the horizon.  I will be back with my Sunday/Monday post and if possible I will have some pics of the Godalming event.

I hope you enjoy the rest of this week

Jill

IT'S THAT TIME AGAIN: THE SUNDAY/MONDAY POST

Hi everyone

Sunshine again - doesn't it make you feel so much better, more cheerful and keen to get out into the garden and dig things up, plant them and probably cut the grass again.  Funny how grass and weeds manage to keep growing at this time of year, whereas most flowers give up.

The Popular Crafts magazine was published this week and my blog has been featured.  How exciting is that?  It is such fun to read information about my blog and I feel really proud to be 'in print'.  Thank you PC.

It's Handmade Monday again and don't forget to check out the other Craft Blogs taking part - among the gorgeous makes this week I am sure there will be some lovely Christmas goodies.  My craft creation for this week is a new baby card.   A friend requested one last week but said 'hang on if possible, as the parents don't know whether it is a boy or a girl'.  It's a boy and he arrived last night - his name is Jack, so welcome to the world Jack.

The card is made up of one plain card with blue card fixed to it; this has been trimmed slightly to leave a white border.  On top of this I placed blue check paper and then added a decoupaged baby boy.  At the bottom is a greetings label and underneath this is a row of rocking horses.  Inside I added a longer greeting and edged the page with more rocking horses.

Shortly after writing the above I received a call from a friend who is also a friend of the new parents.  'Have you got a baby boy card in stock?'  Unfortunately, no but as it wasn't needed until today, I was able to make another one, so a very early start this morning saw me creating, sticking, cutting and embellishing.  Here is baby boy card number 2.

Created in a similar way to the first card: layers, decoupage, greetings, plus an insert with parents and baby's name included.

Yet again, this made me realise that I need to keep in stock a variety of cards, rather than the 'limited' lines I have.  Decision time - do I keep on making Christmas cards and begin a range of new baby, with sympathy, etc, etc cards.

Last week seemed very busy and have been having a 'little' rest over the weekend.  I spent Friday with my sister and we went shopping in London, and had a good day together.  For the first time for ages I didn't buy any craft-related things - although I did look.  Amazing for late October, but we had lunch outside - believe it or not we had to wait for a table.  I bought myself some gorgeous blue nail-varnish - not really for my fingernails, but will certainly look good on my toes.  I hate not having my toenails painted - winter and summer, always varnished.

Another busy week - an event next Saturday that I am hoping will go well.  The venue is opposite a very popular supermarket, so fingers crossed.  Need to get card-making in a big way this week and include some off those not always stocked cards.

Have a great week everyone

I will be back with my Wednesday/Thursday post.

Jill

THE WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY POST

Hi everyone

No Wednesday post this week as I was at the Wyke School event and spent yesterday getting ready for it: stock to make and pack, stand to plan, oodles of things to get ready.  So this week's mid-week post is combined with the Handmade by Me Thursday Blog-Hop and an update on the event I took part in last night, as well as some pictures of my stand.

The event was very well organised and as it was so near to me, very little travel time involved.  Lots of sellers taking part, selling a variety of things: cakes, jewellery, candles, books, pots and pans.  I sold a few cards and took some orders and it would have been nice to have sold a lot more, but I think it is a sign of the times.  One stallholder told me that last year had been much busier and it seems people are either not spending on Christmas goodies or perhaps waiting until the last minute in the hope of grabbing a bargain.

Here are the pics of my stand - what could I do different do you think to attract more customers apart from stand on the table and sing and dance?

The funny part of the event was that during the day I had made up some of the rocker cards you can can see towards the front of the table - sadly the snowmen had an accident as their heads fell off and landed on the floor!  Oh well, the life of a snowman is very short-lived.

Spent today with a friend at a Spa in Hampshire - we had a great time catching up. I spent some time in the gym - managed to burn off a whole 30 calories!  To be honest, the amount of work I put in, it should have been a 1,000 calories!  Oh well, it was good fun.

I hope you enjoy the rest of the week and I will be back with my Sunday/Monday post

Jill

SUNDAY POST, plus MONDAY'S MINI MUSINGS - PART 6

Hello everyone

This is my first Sunday-combined-with-Handmade-Monday post.  It seemed like a good idea, as they say, to combine the two rather than having two posts so close together.

I hope you have had a good week.  Such gorgeous sunny days, but aren't the nights chilly?  Bye-bye summer, not so welcome winter; I checked on the BBC weather site today and discovered that the temperature is going to drop to 10 degrees on Thursday.  Jazz and Daisy are enjoying the leaf fall - they think the leaves are falling just for them to play with.  Great fun if you are a cat, not so much fun if you are a gardener who has to sweep them up.

A busy week making cards and continuing with the massive clear-out.  How can two people accumulate so much stuff? Actually, I think the question should be 'how can two people hang on to so much stuff thinking they may use it again'?  It didn't all go to the local recycling place, we also delivered lots of things to the Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice shop in Farnham - including my old guitar.  I just never got to grips with learning how to play it, so I hope someone else will enjoy it.  Emptied (books and dust!) a large bookcase in our dining room in readiness for work being carried out this week.  I am sure someone comes along in the night and empties dust everywhere as I know it has nothing to do with my housework habits.

On Friday I received my copy of the Popular Crafts magazine which featured my Blog (along with several other great blogs).  Thank you Popular Crafts, it is very exciting, and I am really pleased to be 'in print'.  I hope to be able to share my blog witterings with lots more people and it would be lovely to have some new customers, and blog followers, too.  The magazine is out on Tuesday, 19 October and although I would encourage you to buy it just to look at the piece about me (OK, head size needs reducing), it is a great magazine and has some lovely Christmas makes that I am definitely going to try, so off to the shops you go.

It was a difficult decision what to post for Handmade Monday as I really am (or perhaps that 'should be') working hard on Christmas cards and thought it would be nice to post something different.  At one of the events I attended I was asked if I had a With Sympathy card - I didn't, but it did make me realise that a card-maker should consider designing and creating cards for all occasions, not just what seems to be the most popular.  Often the restriction is space - a lot of crafts people work from home and as we all know, as much as we try to contain our work area to one particular spot, we do occasionally spill over into other rooms.  So, the more stock we make the more rooms we spill into!  I have found at events that I often get requests for cards that I don't stock and unfortunately 'I need it tomorrow' doens't always leave time to make one to order.  Although I know I cannot stock a card for every kind of occasion, perhaps I need to think of adding to my range at least one card for the 'unusual' events.

My Handmade Monday card is white card that I have covered in black corrugated light card that is slightly larger than the under-layer.  The letters were created from the negative part of large peel-off letters, the negative was trimmed close to the edge and then fixed to cream card and then cut again around the shape.  The letters are quirky and although With Sympathy cards are for sad occasions, I like my cards to be a little different and I think this one is.  I thought about adding embellishments, but couldn't really decide what sort and felt it best to leave it simple and clean.

This week is going to be very busy with card-making as I have my first pre-Christmas event on Wednesday evening.  I spent Friday evening with a group of friends indulging in some wine tasting and they will be coming along - hopefully with very long Christmas card shopping lists.  The event is at Wyke Primary School - have a look at my 'Where am I' list for further details.  It would be lovely to to see any local blog-followers.  I am having a Spa Day with another friend the day after the event - lots and lots of chatting, relaxing, a facial and pedicure, and some (a little) gym work

I think there is a Blog-Gobbler on the loose - perhaps he is a relative of those Halloween goblins?  Did I leave a comment or did I not?  Am sure I have, go back and find I didn't.  Or, am I losing the plot?  Perhaps the Halloween goblins are offended because I haven't made many cards to celebrate the event?

Time to post my double-whammy blog.  I hope you all have a great week.  Don't forget to check out the other Handmade Monday blogs - always great to see the lovely things other crafts people make.

Jill

THURSDAY BLOG HOP (13 October 2011)

Hi everyone

The days and weeks a re whizzing by, nearly Halloween then then the count-down to Christmas - roll on summer!

It's Handmade by Me Thursday Blog-Hop today, so click on the link and take a look at the other great blog contributions.

My card for this week's Blog-Hop is a Christmas card - Halloween hasn't completely passed me by, but my stock of Christmas cards needs to be increased - asap, as have lots of pre-Christmas events coming up.  this is a 5" x 5 " plain which card.  I have added a pine tree branch (using a punch for this), added some glitter glue lightly along the main part of the branch.  Topped it off with metal baubles and added a Christmas greetings rub-on embellishment.  Believe it or not the baubles are silver, but clearly picked up a reflection when being photographed and they look gold.  As the saying goes, all that glitters is not gold!

A mini-post today, off to make more cards.  Don't forget to check out the blogs of my fellow blog-hoppers and come back for my 'new' combined Sunday/Handmade Monday post.

I am also taking part in the Celebrating Fall with Linking Party this week, so please check out the great blogs taking part

Hope you enjoy the rest of the week

Jill

WELCOME TO WEDNESDAY

Hello everyone

Is it an age thing or a seasonal thing that time rushes by so quickly?  I know we are always being told that life moves very fast these days, but as I have now turned 21 (OK, it was a little while ago), I had hoped life might slow down just a little.  Well, it hasn't and I still seem to be running to keep up.

A BIG thank you to everyone from the Handmade Monday 'group' and my blog-followers who left a comment on my blog - glad you liked the card, and yes agree with the comments that we crafters do use anything and everything for our art.  When I buy embellishments they are very often on a very pretty piece of card - guess what, trimmed it makes a good layer.  I often buy large peel-off letters and once I have removed the letter, I cut around the outline that is left, fix this to a piece of coloured card and trim again around the letter - a double-whammy, reduces the cost of the original item and I get a different set of letters.

A fairly busy week so far.  Out shopping on Monday - we had lunch in Gunwharf Quays.  I bought a new handbag - unfortunately shoes and handbags are my downfall.  Had coffee and catch-up with a friend yesterday (Caroline of Caroleecrafts) - put the world to rights as always, bounced some good business ideas around and as we met in a garden centre, bought some crafting materials - silly not to really!  We are both concentrating on the events we are booked into over the next few weeks and hoping we will do well - we both have lots of gorgeous things to sell (such modesty) and looking forward to meeting up with customers and friends, old and new.

A short post today.  From next week I will be combing my Sunday post with my Handmade Monday post - posting time will be late Sunday evening.

Enjoy the rest of the week everyone

Jill

MONDAY'S MINI MUSINGS - PART 5

Good morning everyone

I hope you all had a great weekend.  It's Handmade Monday and did you know that including today, there are 11 Mondays left before Christmas Day?  11 more opportunities in 2011 to visit great blogs and view the fabulous work everyone taking part has made.

A short post today - in the middle of a major clear-out: garage, workroom, nearly every other room!  Amazing just how much 'stuff' we have accumulated - my problem is that I hate to part with anything.  However, the time has come...................

I joined the Blogaholic Social Network today and have been enjoying reading through their great blog posts and looking at the pictures of the contributors great makes and finds.

This week's Handmade Monday card is one of a series I made recently using wallpaper.  Yes, wallpaper.  We crafters will use just about anything and for me if it is paper (or similar) it gets used for decorating a card.  this is a DL size card and the front and back are covered in textured wallpaper - this has a flower decoration on in creams with dark brown stems.  I added a line of pearl beads on the left-hand-side and two greetings embellishments.  I have made several cards using this wallpaper and I now have two left - they have proved very popular and I think this is because they are very different.

I will be back on Wednesday with my usual mid-week post, so come back and check it out.  In the meantime don't forget to visit all the other blogs taking part in this week's Handmade Monday Blog-Hop to see what lovely work everyone has made and I am looking forward to reading your comments on my post - and on the others of course.

Have a good week

Jill

TIS SUNDAY AGAIN

Hi everyone

What a chilly end to last week.  It is hard to believe we were basking in hot temperatures a week ago - wouldn't believe it if someone told you about it, would you?  The days have been sunny, but the nights are a bit nippy - not much fun and certainly not t-shirt weather.

As always a big thank you to my blog followers, and a welcome to my new ones.  It's lovely to share my blog with you.  Plus, a big thank you to everyone who leaves comments on my blog - they are very welcome and I do look forward to reading them.

I joined the Professional Crafters Guild this week - very pleased with that - and you can see my lovely gold button at the top right of my blog.  The guild was established to raise the profile of crafting to a profession, not just a hobby.  This is great as often our work tends to be looked at as a side-line rather than the business it actually is.  Members are encouraged to raise the awareness of the beautiful handmade crafts which are made by people with a passion for their work.

I have also joined Craftlinks.org, which is a social enterprise providing the opportunity for professional and amateur crafts people to promote their work, skills and ideas.  This is a world-wide organisation and I am looking forward to the amazing variety of work that will be showcased.

No pictures of cards today, although I have made lots they are similar to ones already posted this week.  However, I did want to show you a photograph I took of the Parthenocissus quinquefolia we have growing in our garden.  At this time of year it is stunning and as it covers a trellis that is approximately 12' long, you can imagine it looks amazing - just like a blazing fire.   Although I love the colours of autumn, the rich reds, browns, shades of gold, they are in a way quite sad as they are so colourful because they are dying.  Nonetheless they are magnificent - the colours range from the Spring and Summer shade of green/dark green through bronze and into deep, dark red.

The really interesting thing is that we have seedlings in the garden that should not be growing until Spring.  My geraniums are still in full-flower, but really need to be watchful at this time of year as the first frost will kill them.  So, pretty soon it will be into the greenhouse with them and hope they survive the winter.

We are moving towards the Wear it Pink day and if you have a look back through my recent posts, you will see further references to this and information about other crafters taking part.  Don't forget, if you live in the Normandy area to come along to the Wyke Primary School Shopping Evening on 19 October - 10% of the value of my sales at the event will be donated to the Wear it Pink cause.  Have a look at the Wear it Pink website for more information about what is taking place on 28 October.

Enjoy today everyone - I will be back tomorrow with my Handmade Monday post.

Jill

THURSDAY'S BLOG HOP (6 October 2011)

Hi everyone

Sad news about Steve Jobs - such a clever guy, and so many brilliant Apple products.

Pretty nippy today!  Guess that's it, summer's finished?  Ever the optimist, hanging on in the hope of just a little more good weather as want to have one final BBQ - preferably not standing outside in thick socks and a fleece please!  I know in the UK we can talk about the weather until the cows come home, but come, on exactly a week ago the temperature was 25 - 26 degrees, the forecast for today is 15 degrees!

Don't forget today is the Handmade by Me Thursday Blog-Hop, so click on the link and have a look at the other gorgeous makes from my fellow crafters.

A busy, busy, busy week - made lots of cards and actually put together 4 packs of 5 Christmas cards in an envelope-style wallet (made by my own fair hands).  Using the big scrap book sheets it was fairly easy and I hope they set the cards off well  - here is one open pack displayed (together with some of the other packs already completed) so you can have a look and see what will be available at the events I am attending in October and November (check out the list on he right-hand side of my blog for full details).

A mini-post from me today, but do check out the other Thursday Blog-Hop posts and also remember we are all supporting Wear it Pink, a great cause.  I will be back on Sunday with my usual weekend post.

Enjoy the rest of the week everyone

Jill

WEDNESDAY'S THOUGHTS

Hi everyone

I started the week with BIG plans to sort out my work-room - guess what?  All I can say is that I planned to get around to it, and I have!  Look top right of my blog.

Hasn't the weather been wonderful these last few days?  Sad that it seems to have gone back to what we expect of Autumn now, but great while it lasted.  I have read numerous posts on Facebook and Twitter that snow is forecast for the end of this month - I hope  not.  I don't mind snow (well, when looking out of the window at it), but would prefer to have some more summery weather first please.  After such a  disappointing summer, I think we need some more gorgeous autumnal weather to set us up for winter.

Yesterday was World Animal Day.  To celebrate Jazz and Daisy had a packet of Dreamies - they can eat those treats faster than I can finish a bar of chocolate!

I have joined in with the Wow Me Wednesday blog hopping event today - you must check out the amazing makes on the blogs that take part is this great event.  So many gorgeous Halloween goodies.

As well as being industrious (well, sort of) in the clearing-up area, I have also been busy making cards - in fact I made 20 on Monday.  I decided September was my 'getting out of the habit of having a stressful job month' and now back to planet earth and need to get on with making my business successful.  My plan was to make some inexpensive Christmas cards in packs of 5 to sell at my forth-coming events.  I will pack them into a handmade envelope and think they will look pretty nifty and, I hope, prove to be very popular.  Here are some pics of a few that I have completed:

The cards are 5" x 5" 300 gsm and the papers are from a Christmas card-stock pack.  I have cut it into either squares, long strips, triangles or curves.  Added stock greetings toppers, and some jewels too.

It is not long until my first event of the season - 19 October at the Wyke School. Don't forget to come along and give them your support if you are in the area, and of course also buy some of my Christmas cards.

Enjoy the rest of the week everyone, I hope the temperature doesn't drop too much.  I will be back with my usual Sunday post.

Jill

MONDAY'S MINI MUSINGS - PART 4

Hi everyone

Well I made it!  Seriously thought I was going to have to miss out on this week's Handmade Monday, but decided too good to miss.  I am going to be a bit cheeky and post the card I put on my World Card-Making post this evening - why?  Because I rather like it - something smart about black cards and they don't all have to be associated with sorrow do they?

The size is folded A4 and the first layer is from scrap book card stock, it is black with white flowers and sparkles on some of the petals.  I added some jewels to some of the flower centres to sparkle-it-up a bit more.  I then added some shiny purple butterflies (used Martha Stewart all over punch for these).  Then I added a greeting - I should have added one more topping, it was going to be a cat, but didn't quite make it on to the card.  Still, I hope you like it

Don't forget to check out the other contributors to this week's Blog Hop and it would be lovely if you left a comment for me - I love the to read them almost as much as I love to read everyone elses blog-hop posts.

Have a good week - I will be back on Wednesday with my usual post of the what, where and how of Christmas Pie Crafts.

Jill

IT'S WORLD CARD MAKING DAY TODAY - UPDATE

Hi everyone

Sadly, despite frequently postings on Twitter and Facebook, World Card-Making Day doesn't seem to have made a big impact on the UK craft world.  Perhaps the notification of my mini competition was a bit to near the time for fellow crafters to make a card?  However, my thanks to the two people who commented on my post of yesteryear, but a BIG thanks to those who entered a card.

First to be displayed is one from Caroline (www.caroleecrafts.com).  Caroline has called this a vintage bookmark card and decorated in flowers, butterfly, ribbon and gorgeous pink - this is to fit in the with current Wear it Pink charity event that Caroline is hosting on her website.

Next is from Carol (http://yellowroserhymes.blogspot.com/) and is a lovely birthday card decorated in pink with a cat and butterflies.  I have a sneaky feeling this card is going to be sold on behalf of the Wear it Pink event.

The final card is from me.  Also a birthday card, the main back ground is black with flowers that have some glitter on them.  I have added shiny butterflies (I love butterflies in card-making) and was going to add a cat, but he hid!  Just can't get them to settle down when you want them to.

I hope you like them - I think we are all really pleased with our makes and plan on ensuring World Card-Making Day is trumpeted earlier next year.

Don't forget to check back in the week for my posts.  I may not make this week's Monday's Handmade Blog-Hop, but will try very hard to do so.  If not, I will be back with a post on Wednesday.

Have a good weekend

Jill

IT'S WORLD CARD MAKING DAY TODAY

Hi everyone

A different day for my weekend post because today is World Card-Making Day, which is celebrating its 6th birthday this year.  Traditionally, World Card Making Day is celebrated on the first Saturday in October and it is a day for the whole card-making community to celebrate the creativity that is the heart of card-making.  As a card-maker I just have to celebrate this along with all the other wonderful card-makers out there.  So, come on, I am setting a mini-challenge, no prizes, its just for fun and a great opportunity for self-promotion.  How about having a go at making a card which includes, say, 3 of the following:

Tree(s)

Cat(s)

Dog(s)

Flower(s)

A butterfly

Sunshine

A cup cake (or cup cakes)

A pair of shoes

Car(s)

A baby

A chair

It is just for fun, but if you would like to take part send me a pic of your card and I will put them all into one post on Sunday evening (2 October).  I will include links to your blogs or websites, you choose.  Just think of all the potential extra visitrs or business you might get?  Please email your pics and blog/website details to me on the following address: christmaspiecrafts@virginmedia.com.  The cut-off time is 2.00 pm UK time on Sunday, 2 October.

I am looking forward to uploading pics of some beautiful cards.

Enjoy the weekend - the weather in the UK is great at the moment, hope it lasts a few more weeks and have a Happy World Card-Making Day

Jill