Every day for 30 days...

Orange Flower is instigating a 30 day challenge - and I'm going to join in. It should be good on many levels, firstly because I'll have to post everyday and secondly the challenge is about taking a photo using the Macro setting each day. I'm still perfecting the art of the Macro setting, so this should be good practise for me too...

Heres to tomorrow!

Etsy Gift Guide

...and I'm featured here.

Its in the House Warming guide - and yes, I think they'd do fine!

New sections

I've had enough of the dreary days.

The sharp eyed amongst you will notice my shop has some new sections for things I've been working on whilst I've not been blogging. I've got some new things to add to my shop, and yet the weather has been absolutely appalling. Further more when it has been nice I've had prior committments and so haven't been able to take photographs. This afternoon I've all the time in the world to snap away - and its tipping it down like rain is going out of fashion.

I normally love the rain, I love walking the dog in it, coming in and my glasses steaming up, kicking off the wellies and sticking the kettle on for a cup of hot water (yum!). I love it when the rain drips off the end of my nose, but right now I don't like it.

I want your opinion on some new ideas - and I can't take the photos - grrr

To appease myself I'm off to bake some Butterfly cakes.

See you later alligators........

Etsy Critique

Well,

I've just left an Etsy Critique and on the whole I think I survived! My items were well received and I was complimented on my photography, but there are a few things to change.

I've known for a while that my banner and avatar don't quite go with the flow of my shop - but what to do. This and a couple of my tags are the main things to come out of the critique. I need to inject more colour into my banner - I love the 'We Make' banner which I made (not the logo - ChickP gets the credit for that!), but I can't seem to 'define' my shop. I'm not going to do anything just now... but I'm definately open to suggestions... please!

FELT....

More supplies for new designs.....

Pirate Love

Well today has been a real mixed day. It started out as glorious sunshine -which descended this afternoon into hail, rain and got very very cold. I've been sewing most of the day (unless my husband is reading, and in which case, I've done loads of housework....).

I've added some more Hearts to my shop plus two Pirates - there is a third to go on, but he has a button eye (poor thing)!

An odd post...

But oh so worth it!

Here is a very important date :: June 22nd 2008

You'll need to keep it in your diaries - but thats all I'm going to say right now...

Well, that and watch this space!

C x

What a sight for sore eyes!

This was the sight that greeted me as I opened up Etsy this morning - lots of loveliness created by fab sellers all from here in the UK. Now Etsy is a predominately US site - it was created there and probably 80% of the sellers are based there, so it is just wonderful to see the UK featured on the front page.

If you are unsure of the Etsy phenonomen, let me tell you a little more about it.

Etsy was started in June 2005 as an environment to buy and sell all things homemade. You'll need to register to buy from the site, however this does mean that all your details are saved for your next visit - and you will visit again! Each seller is an individual on the site, and you pay them direct, most sellers in the UK will give you an option to pay by other means, however the speediest way is via Paypal. Because the site is based in the US everything is currently displayed in US Dollars - as a rough guide (and with the exchange rate as it is) just divide it by half to get the Sterling equivilent. Alternatively you can always check out any of the Currency Convertor sites - I tend to use this one. Paypal will handle all the currency conversions for you - so no worries there then. Most sellers, if based, outside of the UK will happily ship here, just check before you buy. Naturally buying from UK people negates the wait and helps reduce carbon emissions - most UK sellers include the tag UK in their listings, so when looking for items just add UK to your search (and if you're a seller who doesn't yet do this, you probably ought to!).

Here are some links to just a few of my favourites over on Etsy ::
Abi Bansal - fabulous custom made clothes and beautiful bags
Gorjuss - wonderful prints and iron on images
Karen Jinks - lovely illustrations and journal books
Lupin - darling felt things
Red Ruby Rose - clutch bags.... clutch bags... clutch bags
Umbrella Heaven - fabulous umbrellas, perfect for our climate!

Now, I've far more favourites than just these, however I'm due for a day out with my husband, including lunch - and he's champing at the bit to go. Happy days to everyone, particularly those Etsy'ers from the UK. Cara x

New items and a purchase!

I've been wanting a clutch purse for quite a while now. I wanted something a little dramatic and something that would go with 'anything'. Finally I found it! I've been coveting Redrubyrose over on Etsy since she opened her shop. I love the simplistic style, yet sumptious fabric choices, and yesterday I found 'just' the one. I have a wedding to go to in April and this will just complete my outfit. It'll also look rather ace with the top that I'm (shortly) having made for me by the talented Abi Bansal, also on Etsy. She uses fantastic linen and also makes great bags - I've got my eye on a particular one, but I shall not say for fear of it being sold!

So in order to fund my desires - I've added a couple of items to my shop. The garden looked particularly spring like this morning with the sun beaming down, and so pictures were taken outside.

Pink Bird :: £6.25

Bluebird :: £6.25

Some work in progress - more birds and animals for mobile stands, watch this space!

Yay for Outcry

Well, Saturday night was great! Two coaches full of Outcry supporters left Bicester, Oxfordshire bound for Wolverhampton. Outcry were the last act to perform - and I'm ever so pleased to report that they got through the Semi Finals and are now through to the Regional Finals for 'Live and Unsigned'. Next date for the diary is 13th April... Watch this space!

Outcry!

Okay, this is a bit of a change from my usual posts - but hey, change is good.

I need 'Good Vibes' being sent out tonight please! My sisters boyfriend plays drums in a band, and they are in the Semi's for 'Live and Unsigned' at the Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton tonight.

Now I will accept that I am biased - but Outcry are fantastic and deserve to do well. We're off tonight to watch them and hope that they do well. Anyway, I'd love it if you took a wander over to their website and listened to some of the tracks on there and give me some feedback on them. Oh and if anyone has any links with the music industry, I'd love to know!

Thanks, and they're on Facebook too if any one wants to 'add' them.

10 days???!

I can't quite believe that it has been 10 days since I last posted. I'm not quite sure if there is any one particular reason - only that life got incredibly complicated and busy. All at once. My mum has been in hospital for an operation on her spine, I found out my best friend is pregnant with twins, and what with that, family life, and going to court, I've found very little time to do anything - let alone blog. I've a stack of ironing almost taller than me, I've got cakes to bake for the school tomorrow - just told this morning, and a house that looks like it may have been the epi-centre for the recent earthquake, its so disorganised, and the cherry on the top is that I've been tagged. Which I have to say I'm eternally grateful for - as it seems to have re-connected me with this blog. So having never been tagged before - I do hope I do this right!!

Firstly I was tagged by the lovely 'Clothcat' who produces some rather wonderful items over on the hallow ground that is Etsy. I need to post the rules::

1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.


So here goes
Fact 1:: I like to drink plain hot water. This typically involves people swirling round, hand still poised over the kettle and going "What? Just hot water? I think I've got a lemon?". No, you heard right, I like to drink just hot water - no lemon, no anything. This started when I worked in a call centre, cups of tea/coffee would go cold whilst on a call, and so hot water started - I like to drink it hot and if it goes cold, all is not lost.

Fact 2:: I've been kissed by Timmy Mallet. Okay I was about 5 at the time, and he came to my school (can't remember what for), and gave me a badge saying 'Timmy on the Tranny' which I'm sure has a whole heap of different connotations now.

Fact 3:: I met my husband at work. He left, we then met socially as friends (evidently 'everyone' else could see 'it'), and it wasn't until he moved to Felixstowe that we realised we loved each other. That was June 1996. We bought a house together in September 1996 (only hope I'm as cool as my parents!) and are now coming up to our 10th wedding anniversary this year.

Fact 4:: I'm a Quaker. I love the freedom this gives me.

Fact 5:: Last year I started to learn to play the cello. As a child I wanted to play the cello. My parents weren't keen and so I was encouraged to learn the piano instead (my dad plays). I did, and got to Grade 5, before stopping. I met a woman at a Quaker gathering who learnt the Viola in her 30's who told me it was never too late. I'm so pleased she encouraged me - I'm not good, but I love it!

Fact 6:: I'm infertile. Cor - what a statement! I suffer with Endometriosis, and it was diagnosed too late. The damage to my reproductive organs was done. We toyed with the idea of IVF, but the chances of success were slim, and there was every chance it would seriously agravate my Endometriosis. So we didn't. We finally adopted two children in 2003, and I went on to have a Hysterectomy in 2005 and have been pain free since then (yay!!!).

Fact 7:: I don't like milk. There - thats lightened the post a little! I tolerate milk, but I don't like it. I'll eat Weetabix only cause it soaks up the milk, else I have to drain it off from my spoon. I know I should have more - but I really don't like the taste and too much can make me feel queasy.

Well that was less painful than I thought. Possibly more personal that light hearted - but they are facts about me. Now loads have already been tagged - but I'm not sure these have so.

*tag*
Angharad
SallyF
DomesticAli
PennyPincher
Charlotte
Karen
Melissa




Phew - I think thats it, and hopefully normal service will resume on the blog now. Thanks Cloth.

Another Photo

This is the sight that greeted me yesterday morning. Fresh fruit salad made by my children, with proper napkins, a pot of tea and toast. Now thats a Sunday to remember.

Happy Mothers Day to you all

I was woken this morning by two munchkins at 8:30 - they'd been popping up to see me since shortly after 7, but lovely Chris kept shooing them till a little later. I've had two lovely cards with some carefully chosen words, plus a handmade one from Lou and a beautiful necklace that they chose together - which incidently goes exceptionally well with my recent bargain I got from Monsoon at Bicester Village.

A bath has been run for me, and they are currently folding proper napkins, unpacking the dishwasher and laying the table for breakfast. I'm off to wallow in my bath....

Mothering Sunday

I think I am sorted for Mothering Sunday. When asked what I wanted, my reply was simple, and the same as every year - to have a meal with my mum, my children, husband, and sisters. I don't 'need' any gift - just to spend time with those important to me.

However, Mothering Sunday falls early this year - and caught my husband out. He rang our local pub to book a table for us all on Tuesday this week - not surprisingly they were booked. He then did lots of frantic ringing round to try to find somewhere for the 8 of us. It looked like it was going to be Pizza Express - when my sisters came up trumps by offering to cook. So one sister is doing the starter, another the main and my husband has made Chocolate Chilli Mousse. Now my mum isn't one for gifts either - which is why the meal out is always nice, as for once she lets us treat her. However, I haven't a gift for her - but I have made her her Mothers Day card. I got the inspiration from the invites I did for Lou's birthday, where the original inspiration came from Mel over at Day to Day. I knew I wanted to sew a card - but didn't know what to put on the front, that is, until I saw this lovely button on Raspberry's blog.

Apologies for the poor quality picture - there is no good light in a home with only energy saving bulbs and its dark outside!