WHERE OH WHERE HAD MY BLOG GONE?

Hello everyone

My blog disappeared!  I have spent many weeks trying to locate it, on my own, with the help of Blogger/Google and have been tempted many times to throw my computer out of the window - I am sure many of you understand this feeling?  However, I am the first to admit that computers are not to blame, it is we humans who do most of the damage.  It turned out to be a different email address I had opened and for some crazy reason had used it to access my blog - er, why?  I really don't know, but I am so pleased that I have now solved the problem and can access my old blog posts.  I know the authors hoping to win next year's Booker Prize have nothing to worry about, but not being able to access the blog meant I could not update any information about events, layout, etc.  You can probably hear the sigh of relief and feel the warmth from my very red face.  I am now one happy blogger.

Since my last blog post, which must have been, oh years and years ago, I have had an event at a new venue: the Wilfrid Noyce Centre (WNC) in Godalming.  A lovely venue that was refurbished earlier this year and now has two great halls; the main one has lots of light and plenty of room.  It has a very smart brand new kitchen, which makes setting up our pop-up cafe very easy.  We have a great caretaker who helps us set up and pack away - what more could we ask for in a venue?

Our next event in the WNC is on 5 November.  I have been trying to arrange a Best Guy competition to take place during the event, but the response has been disappointing.  I put a couple of posts out asking for local Godalming businesses to support the event, but sadly, nothing.  My plan is for it to be on a quid pro quo basis of mutual benefit to everyone involved, so Godalming businesses if you are interested please do get in touch.  Just a small gift, promotion for the event and plenty of advertising from me both before and after the event.

In addition to new venues, it has been a very sad time here in Christmas Pie.  One of our neighbours, who would have celebrated her 101st birthday next month, died last week.  This was closely followed by the loss of a distant family member and as we were thinking that unhappy events tends to go in threes, we received the very sad news that a favourite uncle passed away on Friday.

This time of year is always busy for me, both on the organising of events side as well as the taking part in events side.  On Saturday, 29 October I am taking part in the Woking Cats Protection Christmas Fayre in the New Haw Community Centre, Woodham Lane, Addlestone, KT15 3ND.  If you are free on that day, why not come along and buy some of the goodies there will be for sale in support of our kittens and cats.  There will be lots of lovely stalls selling gorgeous things, a chocolate tombola and I understand there will be bacon sandwiches.

Have a great week everyone - I will definitely be back next week because I now know how to get into my blog.

Jill

THE HARDEST THING IN THE WORLD

Hello everyone

I know the old saying 'hard work never killed anyone' but there are times when you do wonder if this is quite correct.  We all know we work very hard at our business, making items to sell, completing all of the necessary administration work, but very often it is the 'hidden' hard work that knocks us down.

I know it doesn't sound very hard, but at the moment my 'hardest thing in the world' is getting a face-painter to take part in my Godalming Bazaar events!  Easy peasy really.  No, it isn't.  I had one for my first two events, and she was really good, but the income generated amounted to about 2% of her fee and if you know what face-painters charge, you will have an idea of how much that income was.  Since then I have been trying to find one who will hire a table/space from me (I have offered this at a reduced price) and all the income will be theirs.  Two face-painters almost bit my hand off to book.......  then it went very quiet and despite advising me they definitely want to book/pay, I think they have been gobbled up by spacemen.  I sent a gentle 'not long before the event' reminder and that appears to be the end of that episode.

I have posted a message on Facebook, Twitter and Streetlife and received lots of recommendations and I have contacted all of them.  Replies?  One, so far - unfortunately, despite her work being fantastic her fee was far too high for me.  Am I wrong in hoping face-painters will come along and make their money at the event without me having to pay to have them there?  Am I wrong expecting them to be like other crafts people/artists who book a stall at the Bazaars?  I see them as a crafts person wanting to sell their 'work' at my events - am I wrong in that view?  I appreciate and respect their amazing skills and really do want a more family-friendly atmosphere at my events, but I am almost thinking they are for more bigger events than I organise.  I know that I need to come up with something else that will attract families to the events - any ideas?

Like everyone, it has been the usual busy, busy week here.  I was going to add pictures of my hot-glue-fixing work this week, but decided that as I have not yet got around to putting them on my website, I would prefer to do that first.  Face-painter search permitting that is.  Apart from a day out at Wisley with three friends it's been work, work, work for most of this past week.  We went on Thursday and it was quieter than I had expected it to be.  We had a stroll around the gardens before lunch, which we had in the restaurant (we decided to splurge the refund we had obtained from TravelZoo on a waitress service lunch rather than the hustle and bustle of the cafeteria).  We worked off lunch with another wander around a different part of the gardens.  It's always surprising to me that, no matter how many times I visit Wisley, there is always something I have missed.  I always like to visit the small gardens, because they are very inspirational and at this time of year checking out the fruit and vegg patches is a must.  They all looked so much healthier than mine although I was pleased to see the odd weed.

That's my week in a large nutshell; next week begins with a meeting tomorrow morning with a Godalming cafe-owner about providing refreshments for my events - fingers crossed they are happy to do it because I have always found having refreshments at these type of events encourages people in.  They may wander around the stalls, then have a cup of tea and a cake and then go off around the stalls again to buy what they have seen first time around.  I have a 25th Wedding Anniversary event to provide invitations, acceptances, maps, menus and place cards for, so it's head down and make some samples based on the suggestions the couple have given me.

Have a great week everyone, enjoy the sunshine and get lots of crafting done - don't forget to call in on the other crafty bloggers taking part in Handmade Monday and if you haven't had a chance to read my Friday Review post, have a look here, you will love Dawn's knitted people.

Jill

HECTIC TIMES AT CHRISTMAS PIE CRAFTS

Hi everyone

A busy week and getting busier all the time.  Being busy work-wise is always very welcome but getting behind with our own Christmas arrangements is not so good.  Like lots of people I haven't bought any Christmas presents, written any cards or even thought about pre-ordering food for 'the day'.  Never mind, only 24 days to go and I am sure between now and 25 December everything will come right.

You may remember my Scottie dog jute bag?  I had an order to make one with two Scottie dogs on and the customer was so pleased with it that she has ordered another one.  As well as that I have one to make with a black cat on (to be collected by the customer tomorrow) and another one with purple butterflies on.  Here is a photograph of the double Scottie dog bag:

The Christmas Emporium at Secretts has been busy although rather strange, yesterday was very quiet.  Our first Saturday of opening was very busy and we were all hoping for something similar yesterday.  It may be that there were other events taking place locally that prevented visitors coming to our 'show' - I think some of the local towns turned their Christmas lights on yesterday and Godalming (very near to Milford where Secretts is) had lots of activities on during their 'switch-on'.  A good friend of mine, Jan , covered yesterday afternoon in the Emporium for me - thank you Jan, I hope you enjoyed your session.

A fellow crafting friend, Dawn of Stone Pit Crafts, has some space on my table in the emporium and her hand-knitted head bands and bangles are proving very popular, as well as her wellie-boot toppers.

I have spent today working on customer's orders as well as decorating candles - lots of beads, baubles and ribbons in use.  I am so pleased that I have three whole days off during the week - woo hoo!  However, they are three days off from working in the emporium, but here at Christmas Pie Crafts it will be three days of making scented Christmas candles, cards and decorating jute bags, as well as taking my foster kittens to the vet and two of them to their new home, pl,us pottery on Thursday.  All very hectic,but also very enjoyable.

Thank you to everyone who visited and commented on my blog post last Sunday and I am so sorry it took me a long time to return the compliment.  It seems to get harder and harder as the weeks go by to visit everyone who takes part in Handmade Monday and I am sorry about that because I love to catch up on my fellow crafters work.  However, I do recommend you try to visit as many as possible taking part in this week's blog hop as I know you will really enjoy reading about their week.

Have a great week everyone  - just seen on the news that snow is forecast for the end of the week!  Hope it's not too much though.  'See' you all next week.

Jill

TODAY'S GUEST BLOGGER IS.....

Loretta Farrell who organises events in and around Godalming.

Markets

How often have you taken a punt on a new area, a new market only to stand around most of the day and sell more to the other stallholders then anyone visiting the market?  Or worse, you walk around to check out the other stall-holders only to find there is nothing you like or would buy.  Yes, I know that feeling and so Godalming Independent Market was born.  It was not to start another business it was simply to try and bring back the original idea of a general market.  Free entry, with space to explore fine and interesting items and discover new art, gifts and items I want to take home and no one else would have.

The vision: hand-picked, good quality, well-priced stalls that would fit the area, don’t charge entry, promote it well and build a name for the Market.  Basic, simple and what all good markets should be.  But that is not what shoppers are finding, with more of the same and mass markets popping up in every village; shoppers are not finding little treasures or prices they want to pay.  The older crowd still see markets as a place to find a bargain while the younger have not really been bitten by the ‘find’ of the market with quality handmade items.

My job is to sell the stall-holders and make a place where both stall-holder and shopper are happy to be and hopefully supply the right shopping experience that the people coming find new, exciting, well-made products they want to take home.  To help me do that I have application forms as not all stalls will work in my area after, all I live in the village, have children at the schools and hopefully have a good understanding of what type of people would come to the market.

Applications are a necessity so I can see the quality of work, I also ask for websites so I can promote the business beyond the Market via social media.  I have deadlines so people can plan their working life and ensure I get a good mix of stalls.  I can say for every five applications two will be jewellery and one homeware textiles designs. With so many it really is hard to choose.  It comes down to basic professionalism.

Two stallholders at the same market can have two very different experiences so it is not just your items on sale but you.  If you are sitting reading a book I would walk past your stall, if you are not interested in being there why would I check out your stall.  To my surprise I have had a number of stallholders say people have called and placed orders after the event, and in a few case months after.

Loretta’s next event is 19 May 2012  at the Clock Barn Hall in Hambledon near Godalming.  It is a Fundraising Health, Beauty & Fitness Fair.  On the day there will be free health and fitness talks and fitness classes including Zumba, Fitness Boot Camp and Kids Fitness class. There will be a relaxation room with space to sit, read a book and just relax with aromatherapy candles.

For more details http://www.facebook.com/pages/Health-Beauty-Fitness-Fair-Team-Hannah-Fundraiser/198948830191311?ref=tn_tnmn

IT'S BEEN A BIZEEEE WEEK

Hi everyone

What a gorgeous day it has been.  We went to a good friend's birthday lunch today and it was great and the fantastic weather was a bonus.  I made the name cards and menu's for the meal in West Ham colours, as our friend is a great supporter of their team.  It was a lovely day.

I have had a hectic week.  As well as the name cards and menus, I also had two card orders to finish, plus get everything ready for my first event of the year in Godalming.  This is the second event I have attended that was organised by Loretta and she really does work hard getting everything right - in addition to regularly checking that we were all OK, she spent a lot of time outside encouraging potential customers through the door.  Although the event wasn't all handmade, there were some great stalls there.  I was next to Fran McCaskill who is a fused glass designer - her work is absolutely beautiful and I do recommend you visit her website.  I bought one of her glorious big red hearts - it looks so lovely with the sun shining through it.

Events are interesting in that people will pay a high price for things that are not handmade, but  refuse to pay what, to us who make handmade, are reasonable prices.  Do you find this happens at events you take part in?  My mini-cards did well again, so I need to get making more.

One of the card orders I had has been posted and received by the recipient, so it is safe to put it on show.  I used various layers of gold card and other lacey and numbered papers and then topped this off with two champagne glasses with a figure 50 in the middle - I added gold star glitter to the figure.

The 21st birthday card should have been received by the birthday girl this time next week, so I will be adding that to my next Handmade Monday post.

The week before last I spent a Spa Day with a good friend and as usual it was more chat than spa - I did do some gym work though, so felt pretty good about that.  During the day, we talked about business life in general and crafting in particular and decided that we would have a go at a joint-venture later this year, so watch this space.

My Friday Guest blogging has taken off again, and I have some great posts coming up over the next few weeks - not all craft-related, so look out for some great topics.  It would be lovely to host some Handmade Monday bloggers, so if you have a topic you would like to share, please do get in touch: christmaspiecrafts@virginmedia.com.  Thank you Hannah (Spans Studio) for your post last Friday - it was great and certainly struck a cord with the handmade community.

A bit of a short post today as I am so tired - it has been a week of hard work (as well as socialising).  Next week I have some more card orders to complete, plus we are still battling our way through all of the 'stuff' that we have accumulated over the years.  Why the walls haven't fallen over trying to contain the things we have 'held onto just in case' I will never know.  Phyllis Tuckwell, the RSPCA and Cats Protection are benefiting from our 'down-sizing' and I hope it helps them.

Have a great week everyone and thank you to everyone who stops my my blog and leaves a comment - I love to read them all.  I don't always get the chance to reply to all of them, but I do appreciate them especially the great advice and helpful suggestions many of you leave for me.  Don't forget to visit the other Handmade Monday bloggers to read this week posts and see everyone's lovely makes.

I'll see you all on Wednesday.

Jill

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