THE UNTITLED BLOG POST

Hello everyone

It is often hard to come up with a witty, snappy blog post title isn't it?  This week I couldn’t come up with a witty, snappy title so went with the one I have - not inspiring but, hey, it's a title.

How are you?  It seems we are about to drop into some freezing winter weather - apparently this is what we have missed over the last few weeks.  Just when the Camelias are flowering the Magnolias thinking about flowering and certain other plants that normally hate frost are peeping, the weather will be against them.

In between event organising and make cards and decorating bags, I have managed to spend time in the garden this week.  Apart from weeding (do weeds ever stop growing?) I sowed my tomato seeds and decided to give gherkins a try.  The problem is I may forget the gherkins and will end up with courgettes, possibly marrows!  Not too bad really as we like all of them.

I haven't found the Easter Bunny for my event and discovered that a Stilts-Walker would cost a frightening - amount but could I do it?  No way.  However, I have booked a lovely face-painter, Artyfacial, and also Mr Magic who will be doing balloon modelling.  Less than two weeks to go and, boy, am I getting nervous!  I am still up to my eyes in flyer and posting delivering and posting and the crazy thing is this is only one of six events this year!   By the end of this year I should be stick-thin - wishful thinking.

I took part in the Play Kenya Craft Fair yesterday - this is an event that runs twice each year and I have been part of if for the last two years  It is well organised, very well supported and attracts a great range of sellers of handmade goodies.  Next door to me was one of the stall holders taking part in my 5 April event - really nice to meet Jill Stobbart of the Gilded Raven.

My stall had my new range of cards using the gorgeous hats, boots and flowers I have placed on here over recent weeks as well as my Easter-themed jute bags - these included three new ones in the ever popular cat range:

I did a bit of Godalming Independent Market promotion while I was at the event.  Lots of interest and one lady has already contacted me.  However, I was very surprised when one stallholder said 'if I have to buy insurance I am not interested'.  I pointed out that apart from it being a requirement of my event insurance, it was in her own best interest.  Her response was that her work would not harm anyone - I said how about your table set up, table cloth, boxes?  I said I would forward details of my PLI so that she could see it was not as expensive as she assumed.   Surely it is better to be safe than sorry – it is also much, much cheaper. 

The hailstones have stopped, so I think I can just get some more pesky weeds pulled up before it gets too cold and frosty.  Have a great week everyone, thank you for your comments on my blog post of last week and don’t forget to join in and visit this week's Handmade Monday blog party.

Jill

CRAFTING AND CLOWNING AROUND

Hello everyone

What a fabulous weekend, lots of gorgeous warm, sunny sunshine - long may it last.

Firstly my apologies for not commenting on any of my fellow Handmade Monday blogs last week - I will try to do a double whammy this week, I promise.

This sunshine is very motivating and I have been working on making stock for two events I have coming up in the next three weeks - one I am 'just a stallholder' in, the other is the first one I am organising.  Many years ago I disliked decoupage - I think mainly because I am a pretty impatient crafter and the fact that it took a long while to build up a picture meant frustration at not having something made more or less immediately.  Things change and I love decoupage now, I like the fact that it takes a while to build up a picture and also that I can change how it likes by adding extra bits in or leaving bits out.  This week, as well as two decorated jute bags, I have been busy on the decoupage front and here are pics of some of my work:

The cat bride and groom - couldn't resist this one

Beautiful dark red lilies

Gorgeous red poppies

The Easter bonnet bag

The Easter bunny bag

The title of today's post doesn't mean that I have been clowning around this week, but I have been looking for a clown.  I want something to attract visitors to my first event and thought a clown, a magician or something similar would be good fun.  Easier said than done apparently - I have contacted a few and hardly any have replied.  Apart from the fact that I think it is very unprofessional not to reply, it is also very time-wasting - my time that is.  How long does it take to say 'no, we don't do that' or something along those lines.  It has been back to the Internet today looking for potential entertainers - I have asked a few friends if they fancy dressing up as the Easter Bunny!  I am sure you can imagine the replies.

Time to do some pruning while the sun is still shining; it would be lovely to get the grass cut, but unfortunately, our garden is still very soggy.  A couple more weeks of this lovely warm sunshine would help though.  

Have a great week and hopefully this time next week I will be able to tell you that I have tracked down the Easter Bunny!  Even better that I have tracked down the REAL Easter Bunny.  Don't forget to visit Handmade Monday - top of my list of blogs to visit this evening.

See you next week

Jill

MILLY'S DIARY

Hello everyone

Just woken up from an early morning snooze - well I have been up and about very early today.  Jill said something about the dawn chorus, not sure what that is but it did wake me up.

Our foster kittens, Primrose and Jasmine, are going to their new homes next week.  I am sure they will be very happy and a big thank you to Woking Cats Protection - without them I wouldn't be living here.  there are still lots of lovely kittens and cats looking for new homes, so don't forget to check out the CP website.

While I was out this morning got together my collection of stuff that I had found on my travels.  I brought home a large bone - Jill said it could be chicken - and yet another feather.  I still cannot understand why Jill isn't pleased with the presents I bring in for her.  On Monday I brought a frog in for her - it was alive and jumping around, so what's wrong with that?  I am one confused kitten.

What else have I been doing since my last post?  Chasing creatures in the field at the bottom of my garden, climbing trees, playing with Poppy (who follows me everywhere), chasing Coco.  I have given up chasing Jazz and Daisy - they are so much older than I am and like to snooze a lot.  I think Jill said they are six years old.  Ancient!

That's me blogged out for this week - time to play.

Have a good week everyone - I will be back next week.

Milly

SUNSHINE SUNDAY (AND SATURDAY)

Hello everyone

Sunshine!  What more can I say?

Many thanks for the lovely comments on my blog post of last week - always appreciated and it is so nice to have feedback.

A busy week  and as I sit here tyring to remember what I have done, I can't, although I know it was a busy week.  A friend of mine writes a Done list every day rather than a To-Do list - makes more sense really as you can then recall what you have done and been proud of it.

I took part in a wedding fayre at the Frensham Pond Hotel today.  It was fairly quiet but I took definite order details from three people, so fingers crossed more may follow.  There were less stands there than at previous events and we were wondering why.  Those people taking part at today's events were regulars and those that weren't (from memory) were ones that we could not recall from previous events.  It is such a lovely venue.  I don't know if you know Frensham Ponds in Surrey?  It is rather like having the seaside on your doorstep.  Here are pics of some of my today's display:

This proved to be a very popular range and although the ivory ribbon and pink butterfly looked pretty, several colour ranges are available.

This week is a mix of preparing a set of accounts for a friend's church which I then have to present at the parish meeting on Wednesday evening, yet more event work, card-making, getting ready for an other wedding fayre next Sunday, making stock for an event I am taking part in on 22 March and trying to sort out the website I have set up for the event part of my 'hat' collection.  How I managed to book two wedding fayres so close together I don't know.

A fairly brief post for me this week - before the sun completely disappears I am going to take a nice cold glass of wine into the garden.  Don't forget to visit the Handmade Monday bloggers and and catch up with their makes.  I will be back next week and in the meantime have lots of sunny fun.

Jill

MILLY'S DIARY

Hello everyone

A day late!  Tut tut!  It was such a lovely sunny day yesterday that I spent lots of time outside.  I did remember to bring home a present for Jill though - a rather large bone!  Almost needless to say, she was very ungrateful!  What is it with humans?

We have two new foster kittens - Jill got to name these two and she has called them Jasmine and Primrose.  They are 14-week old sisters with very shiny black fur and they already have someone coming to view them early next week.  So by this time next week, they may already be in their new home and I could be writing about some new foster kittens.

Jill's friend Jackie came to pick her up yesterday evening as they were going to the ballet: Romeo and Juliet.  I haven't met Romeo and Juliet so I am guessing they must live somewhere outside of Christmas Pie.  Actually, apart from not knowing them I have no idea what ballet is either.  Jackie bought some treats for us - thank you Jackie, you can definitely come again, and again and again.

That's my blog for this week - just time for me to have a run around the garden before tea time.  Have a good week everyone - see you next week.

Milly

SPRING IS ON THE WAY

Hello everyone

Lots of lovely sunshine during the last week, unfortunately interspersed with not so lovely rain!  Hey ho, it's that time of year really - sun, rain and hail stones the size of well, not quite golf balls, but they were pretty big.

I went to the Make-It show on Friday and bought lots of lovely card-making things.  I came across a range of gorgeous decoupage that featured hats, shoes and dresses and I couldn't resist buying several sheets and think they will be ideal for Mother's Day cards.  Following last week's Handmade Monday, I bought a download from Wendy's Handmade Harbour website of her gorgeous red and cream background sheets - a pure stroke of luck as they compliment the decoupage I bought at the show beautifully.  Here are three I made up today and I am really pleased with how they have turned out:

I will work on the dress and shoes decoupage sheets during this coming week and am sure they will suit the other background sheets from Wendy's lady bird pack.  I am so pleased with the backgrounds that I might tempt myself to buy the other set Wendy has to download - lovely colours and the patterns are really nice.

It's been the usual busy week here at Christmas Pie Crafts; a mix of event organisation, card-making workshop, kitten homing and numerous other things that were not on my written or on my 'in my mind' To Do list.  The card-making workshops have finished for a while - my next one is an Easter special in early April.  In a way I am glad, because it takes a lot of planning and preparation for a two-hour workshop, although I do enjoy them.

It's raining and getting dark, but I am sure spring is on the way.  Have a great week everyone and don't forget to visit this week's Handmade Monday bloggers.

'See' you next week.

Jill

MILLY'S DIARY

Hello everyone

A very late and small Milly's diary this week.  I have been soooo busy looking after our foster kittens.

Noel went to his new home today - I did offer to take him, but Jill said it wasn't a good idea because his new family might want to take me too.  Twinkle and Holly go to their new home on Friday.  It won't be quiet on the fostering front for us though as we have two new kittens moving in on Monday - I will tell you all about them in my diary next week.

Now, what else have I been up to?  There has been lots of sunshine here - although we had very heavy hail storm yesterday.  Very odd - chunks of ice falling out of the sky!  Someone must have emptied their ice cube tray up there.  Jill said the weather is always bad when she goes to Farncombe Day Centre for her card-making work shop - trying to tell her something?  I pinched a bird from Coco - she had caught it and thought she was so clever!  You have to be quick to get one over on me.

Apart from that it has been the usual playing, playing and even more playing.  Oh, yes, forgot the occasional meal times and going to sleep at night, which I do in the bottom of Richard's wardrobe.  Well, he was very silly and put a couple of t-shirts on the floor and I decided that it was a comfy bed made for me!  Sorry, Richard, you won't get to wear them anymore.

Time for me to go to bed - it's been a long day here, ando I need my beauty sleep.  I will be back next week though, so have a good week everyone.

Milly

LOOKING AT IT FROM BOTH SIDES

Hello everyone

Wet and windy again today, but the last few days have been so lovely.  Isn't it amazing how sunshine can make you feel?

No new makes this week - feel I am getting a little adrift from my own craft business and that concerns me, but I have included some pics of the promotional material I have produced over the last few weeks for my forthcoming events:

The 'big' banner to be placed outside of the venue the week before each event

Thousands of copies of this flyer have been produced, with the date left blank for me to add for each event.  Flyers are on their way to stallholders who have agreed to help out with promotion, lots more will be dropped through local letter boxes and displayed on notice boards and in shop windows.

I have spent a lot of time this week answering queries from stallholders, booking them in, sorting out advertising, etc.  Like many of my blog followers, I have spent oodles of time at craft events and oodles of time wondering why my things haven't sold, why so few customers turned up, why so little advertising had taken place, why the person two or three tables down seems to be doing a roaring trade.  What is the solution?

I have had lots of emails from stallholders who have taken part in previous events at the venue I am taking bookings for.  Some are pleased to be taking part again, some have decided not to because they didn't sell much.  To the 'no's' I have replied that things are changing, not because I feel they should/must/need to but mainly because when you take something on you like to put your own stamp on it.  I have added that I don't have a magic wand to improve/increase footfall, but I am working very hard to do so.

What more can I do?  I have also added that once the customer is through the door, the stallholders share the responsibility for promoting their work.  I, and I am sure many of you have too, have taken part in events where stallholders have sat and read a book/magazine when customers were at their stand, munched their way through a sandwich (sometimes a burger) while communicating with a customer and occasionally abandoned their stall to chat to the stallholder next door to them or even further away (sometimes they have left their stall without asking someone to cover for them, just assuming the person next door will help out). There are also those stallholders who have no idea of how to communicate with customers - not even a 'good morning, rubbish weather, isn't it' leaves their lips.

It's not all gloom and doom, the disappointing ones are far outweighed by the fabulous ones that you thoroughly enjoy working with.  They love their work and are enthusiastic about it, they chat to their customers, keep their stall neat, tidy and well stocked, are friendly and helpful to their fellow stallholders and rarely, if ever, moan about the event.  Thank goodness there are more of them than the unhappy ones.

I came across a great post on UK Handmade, very refreshing to have a different viewpoint from a seller and I am going to recommend my sellers have a read through as it contains some brilliant advice about how to approach and get more out of events.

That's it for today, sorry it seems to be a bit whingey, must be the miserable weather.  It is an interesting experience moving from one side of the stall to the other (and back of course).  I am thoroughly enjoying it and so glad that I am able to have a foot in both camps - er, think that is what I mean.  Now it is back to the drawing board to think of new and interesting ways of promoting my events - now, do any of you fancy getting dressed up as a greetings card?  A candle?  Bracelet?  Gloves?  These will catch peoples attention as they walk along the high street and will certainly make them flock to the event.

Have a great week everyone and don't forget to drop in on the Handmade Monday bloggers to catch up on their week's escapades.

See you next week.

Jill

MILLY'S DIARY

Hello everyone

It's been ages since my last blog post - been so busy helping Jill with her event organising that I have not had much time to put paws to keyboard.  But I am back typing again.

A very sad day for us yesterday in Christmas Pie.  My friend, Diva, died yesterday - she had been unwell for about three weeks.  She was rather like me only bigger and her black and white fur was longer.  I am going to miss her very much even though she used to boss me around a lot.  She was only eleven years old.

We have three new foster kittens: two boys (Noel and Twinkle) and one girl (Holly).  They are eight weeks old.  As you can guess from their names, they were born just before Christmas.  A family came to see them on Monday so I am sure they will not be with us for too long.  They are very shy, and Jill says they are very cute!

Jill also said the following two cats are cute:

This is Coco and Poppy in a rare moment of quiet togetherness.  They really do not get on very well with each other despite being sisters.  Coco is on the left; it is hard to tell them apart, but Coco has creamy/gingery marks on her paws and Poppy has very dark brown/black paws.  Even after all this time of them living with me, I still find it hard to tell them apart if they have their backs to me.

As it is not raining, woo hoo, I am going to play in the garden.  Everywhere is still muddy and we Pie cats are covering everything with muddy pawprints, but that is what life is like with cats.  I will be back next week with more cat tails.

Have a good week everyone.

Milly

BLUE SKIES

Hello everyone

So nice to have sunshine, blue skies and a reasonable temperature.  I hope you all survived last week's dreadful weather?  We have some flooding around here, mainly where fields are flooding onto roads, some holes have appeared in a few roads and when I ventured out on Saturday morning I came across lots of trees, bushes and numerous other things scattered across the roads around Christmas Pie.  We survived Friday night's high winds without too much damage - things that resided on one side of the garden appear to have decided they preferred to be in other places and one of the windows to which an automatic vent is attached in our greenhouse was ripped off.  Some roof tiles parted company with the roof, but on the whole we have been very lucky and hope it remains that way.

A busy week mainly working on my new project.  Banners, bunting, balloons and flyers have been received and because I ordered a bulk quantity of flyers, I have also purchased some sticky labels with the date of each event.  I left a space on the flyers for these to be applied, so time will be spent this week un-peeling and sticking.  I have had  lots of enquiries from crafters who have seen my post about the events on Streetlife and I am pleased to say that several have already booked a place in some of the events.

It hasn't been all event organisation though, I made another ribbon-wrapped bangle.  This time the bangle is covered in white silky ribbon and then decorated in strips of black and white net flowers:

I have also been decorating more jute bags for stock.  Hard to believe, but this one (a work in progress)  is bright red on black - looks more orange than red.  I really must take some lessons in how to take decent photographs.

That, briefly, is my week.  Another busy one coming up, no pottery this week as it is half-term, so some extra time to do things.  I hope you have a great week and the weather is kind to all of us.  Don't forget to visit Handmade Monday - I have a feeling we might be seeing Easter things this week.

Jill