Friday, August 15, 2008

Dilemma!

As you may have read, I have to have a major sort out of my crochet stash as it is taking over the house!

I have more yarn here than I can ever hope to use, even if I live to be 150!!! Hence the "Funky Fibre Giveaway" below.

Today, I have started sorting out my thread. I have finally collected enough colours of the DMC Petra to convert all the Scrapping Items I sell on my site from the thread I have been using. The DMC looks and feels nicer, although it doesn't cost more and, in theory, is the same quality.

Now the dilemma. I haven't sold any of the actual items since last summer. Is it really worth the effort of making everything in the new thread to add to the site for sale? Or should I just delete the pages and create a "Sale" page for the stuff I already have here that I made when designing the patterns?

What do you think?

Of course, I could just add a load of pics on here of the stuff I need to clear out and do another stash exchange????????

Whatever I do, I still have a carrier bag of the Twilleys thread to dispose of!!!!!

My patterns have been doing quite well on Etsy. I have also added a few more to Craftjuice - including Christmas ones.

This may seem a bit early but it is nearly September and people who will want to be making these will want the patterns in plenty of time.

When it gets a bit closer to the time, I will add some actual items. I have loads of them in the wardrobe as well! However, as listing stay on Etsy for 4 months, I won't be leaving it for too long.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Funky Fibre Giveaway!

I desperately need to turf out the yarn that is filling up my wardrobe!!!!!

So I thought of a great idea!

I am willing to send out a few metres of a few different types and colours to anybody who sends me an SAE.

If you want a selection of funky yarns, email me for my address to send one.

It will need to be Large Letter sized. I will do my best to make sure that I keep it within that size, however, I take no responsibility for any extra postage you may have when it gets returned.

Selection will include(but not limited to) some of those below and others I don't have pics of. They won't come on the cards, just loose. I will try to fit 8 different types in of approx 5m each. However, this will depend on the size of the envelope you send as it needs to be thin enough to quilify for large letter and not parcel.

In the money!

Well, this combination of Etsy and CraftJuice seems to be working very well for me!

I have sold 12 patterns over the last 3 days. Just wish I could do it all the time then I wouldn't have to worry about jobs and CRB checks!!!!!

This is the latest one I have listed on Craftjuice. It is actually the first pattern I ever wrote for sale. It remains my best selling pattern.

I have also made loads of them for sale and they have gone all over the world. It looks great in blues for a baby boy.

I have started sorting out those cupboards! Honest!!!

I found I bag of thread left over from making the wall hangings. I didn't realise there was so much. I can make another 2 tops from it - at least!

I also found the bag with the new denim skirt in. I stopped making this when I started losing weight. Although the doc wants me to lose another 4 stone, I can't see this happening. So I might just get on and finish that. I could do with some new clothes!

Doesn't leave a lot of time for Scrapping though! And I have a pile of new stash to use that I got through the Crochet Embellishment Swap! I also bought some on the weekend. Not much, just some handmade papers so I can scrap the last 4 silk paintings I made.

So much to do and so little time!

Monday, August 11, 2008

First Day of Peace.

It doesn't really seem all that strange. I am used to Benjamin being in school while Mark is in work.

But the thought of 2 whole weeks of being on my own from 7.30am to 5.30pm is a little daunting.

I am, by nature, more of a loner. I enjoy my own company and generally find that I don't have enough of it when it is the school holidays.

But, somehow, I get the feeling that I am going to get too much of it over the next 2 weeks.

It isn't as if I don't have plenty to do. Mark has been nagging me to sort out my cupboards. I am a dreadful hoarder and people keep giving me stuff which I can't possibly throw away as I am sure I will use it at some point.

However, this rather large bag of oddments of chunky yarn and heavy weight upholstery fabric, what on earth am I going to use those for????? It just has to go!

Anybody want it?

Thanks to everybody who voted on Craft juice. I really need to explain how it works.

When you submit an item, it goes on the "Upcoming" page. When you have 5 votes it get promoted to the "Popular Crafts" page, which is the main Craftjuice page. You can still get votes when it is on there.

I submitted my Snakes and Ladders today. It has 4 votes already so hopefully will be promoted soon.

It is a great place to showcase your crafts, whether you are selling them or not. Unfortunately, the pictures need to be online already. I was hoping to link to them from my site but for some reason it didn't work.

That is why the one of the Scrapping Babies didn't have a picture. I ended up adding it to Etsy and using the pics from there. Unfortunately, this meant entering it twice and I have no idea how to delete the one that didn't work. The one that did work is now on the front page and has 9 votes!

Friday, August 08, 2008

Pattern Finished!

And I am sooooo pleased!!!!!

I am pleased that it is finished.

And pleased with the way it turned out.

And especially pleased at the time it took. That had to be the quickest ever pattern I have done from start to finish!!!!!

So here it is!

I have added it to my site, my Etsy shop and Craftjuice. If you are a Craftjuice member, you can go and vote for it. If not, you can go and look anyway!

Craftjuice isn't for selling, it is just a great way of showing off your handmade items. You join, add your items to the "up and coming" section, then other members vote for them. When you have 5 votes, you get promoted to the front page. There is some great stuff on there.

This week has been an odd one. Benjamin is staying with my parents in Penarth and it is sooooooooooo quiet around here!!!!!

Mark is off work but has spent a lot of time down the shed so we haven't been out much. Apart from yesterday when we were out all day. We went to visit a friend, then did some shopping. We now have a new patio set and I have some trainer socks in colours to clash wonderfully with my red trainers!

I am hoping it is going to brighten up a little soon. I am thinking about going to the garden centre to see if they have any of those little lanterns for tea lights left. They would look lovely with the new patio table.

If not, I will go next week. Mark will be back in work and Benjamin won't be home for another 2 weeks.

What am I going to do with myself?????

Friday, August 01, 2008

Horses and Ducks

Yes, you guessed it, more Baby Scrapping stuff.

But first, an important announcement.

My pipex site is continually getting hacked and I have no idea how. I think it is down to the server as I know the files on my computer are clean.

So, I have deleted everything on it. Now all the pages do it give you a link to the new site.

Hopefully, this will stop all the problems.

If you have a link to my site anywhere on your site or blog, please click on it and go to the new site to update your links.

Here are the Rocking Horses I have been working on.

I wasn't sure how to do them but am really pleased with the way they turned out.

They only have two legs, not four, as this would have made them a bit bulky for the page.

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But they do have two ears so you can face them either way.

And somebody suggested Ducks!

No prizes for who!!!!

I hope to have all of these up on my site for sale very soon. The mittens and booties set are already there, along with the Teddies.

I am also considering adding the words "baby boy" and "baby girl" to the page.

But all of that is going to have to wait a few days. Tonight we are off to Cardiff to take Benjamin to stay with my parents. I have no idea how long he is going for! We will be back tomorrow but them Mark has the week off so I won't be around much.

I just hope I have time to get to the beach in the morning!