Eye Candy

When will I learn? Last year, I nearly bust a gut making stuff for Christmas Craft Fairs and my NOTHS shop. My NOTHS shop got so busy that I actually had to shut it for a short time because virtually everything was out of stock. Now, at that time, I didn't have my own website up and running, so all of my time was spent creating. This year (and this is where I should have learnt !), I'm still doing all the Christmas Fairs, I still have my NOTHS shop but I've also got my own website, an Etsy shop, a Folksy shop and a Dawanda shop. Because my website has been so busy lately I've spent all of my time fulfilling orders and not actually making anything of my own to sell at the Fairs and in my NOTHS shop. However, last weekend I did manage to make a few bits and bobs:

Gigantic Button Bookmarks

Spotty Button Bracelets

Fridge Magnets

And then today, I received these gorgeous goodies. I got these with the intention of putting them as exclusives in my NOTHS shop, but I'm sooooooo pleased with them that I'm going to take them to Saturday's Christmas Fair and see how they go. If they're popular, I'll then put them as exclusives in my NOTHS shop. What do you think?

Exciting Deliveries

Yesterday started out crappy. My little man decided at 5.30 that it was time to get up. He came and got into bed with me (Paul is working away at the mo) and then proceeded to watch the clock radio and give me a running commentary everytime the minute changed. This continued until 6.15 when I could stand it no longer and decided that I might as well get up.

I then got absolutely soaked on the school run and had to sit for 45 with my little madam singing songs, playing musical instruments and marching around the village hall with wringing wet jeans.

Next, I needed to pay a supplier (on the other side of the world) by fax, for some goods that I'd ordered. Not good when you have absolutely no idea whether the tone you can hear on the fax machine is a dialling tone, a ringing tone or an engaged tone. I spent 15 minutes trying to send that damn fax and then just gave up. They'll have to wait until next week.

So, I needed a bit of cheering up, actually I needed a lot of cheering up. And that's exactly what I got when I opened this parcel :

How CUTE is that ??!!! How can you not smile when you see a sight like that? All of those lovely little smiley faces peering out of a box of tissue paper at you !

These gorgeous little smileys are a wholesale order I placed with Peggycrafts. Because I've been so busy with my own website, Folksy and Etsy shops, I just haven't had time to make stock for all the Christmas Fairs I've got coming up, so decided to cheat and buy some stock in. Trouble is, I don't think I can actually part with any of it !!! My little madam bagged a pink Mrs Flower for herself and I kept a set of the christmas decorations for myself. Then a friend came over and bagged another 2 Mrs Flowers and a set of christmas decorations. If they're going to be that popular I think Helen at Peggycrafts is going to be one busy lady ! Sadly I can't offer any of these for sale to you guys because they are for my Christmas Fairs, but if you fancy getting your hands on some for yourself, why not go to Peggycraft's website where you can buy all of these and lots more goodies. Thank you Helen !!!

Yesterday my parents came back from the USA bringing with them another wholesale order of Christmas Fair stock. I got this little lot from Neskat on Etsy. A beautiful selection of bookmarks.

Also yesterday, the postman bought me these supplies, which I shall hopefully be making some stock of my own with. We've got, giant paperclips, stud earrings, clip-on earrings, giant cover buttons, teeny cover buttons, medium size cover buttons, rings and blank bracelets.

The giant cover buttons are FAB. I'm going to turn them into fabric covered fridge magnets with this fantastic fabric I bought on ebay.

And, along with taking delivery of all of these goodies, I've been spending more money on stock and supplies. I stocked up on more copies of the Betz White book "Felt so Good". These should be delivered next week and then back on my website soon after. I've also found a new supplier for some gorgeous felt corsages and felt rings which are destined to become Blooming Felt Exclusives in my NOTHS shop. And, I've got more pegdoll kits, ladybird bag kits and felt jewellery kits coming which will be available for sale on my website very soon ! Also, a new delivery of felt balls will be with me during the first week of November.

I think that's it for now. This weekend I shall be mostly creating (I hope). It's half term next week so I doubt much will get done then and as my first fair is on 1st November, I need to get organised !!

Have a good weekend !

What do you do ...

... when the sun shines? Well, I'll tell you what I thought about doing and that was tackling the huge mountain of ironing that has been waiting to be done for what seems like forever and is quite likely to kill a small child should it fall over. But then I thought "what the hell - the sun's shining and I need to take some photos .... OF BUTTONS !!"

So that's what I did.

And this post contains pictures of all the new buttons that have been added to the website today and are now ready for you to get your little hands on.

ENJOY x

Where did last week go?

I can't believe it's over a week since I last posted. SORRY ! Where did last week go?? The days seem to be absolutely flying by at the moment and there just aren't enough hours in the day to get everything done that needs to be done.

The website has gone bonkers and I'm rapidly running out of stock, the new wireless printer that hubby very kindly bought me, has decided to get very tempremental and only work when it feels like it, my parents are away so I've had to change the hours I work at my part-time job to fit around Gracie being at nursery which means that Blooming Felt business gets sorted out anywhere between 8pm and midnight ! Once again, I must apologise if you've ordered from me last week and are yet to receive your goodies. They're on their way to you today !

However, I did find time on Saturday to visit the Knitting & Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace in London. I've never been to that particular show before and was keen to visit as I have been thinking about taking a stand there at next year's event. I met some really lovely people and one of my most favourite suppliers was also there, so I had a good old chat with them and got up to date on lots of their new products - keep an eye on my website, because hopefully some of these products will be winging their way to me very soon.

I've also got a whole load of supplies on their way from the US - these supplies are for me to make up lots of goodies for the Christmas craft fairs that I'm booked to attend, although quite when I'm going to find the time to make up the goodies is anyone's guess !!

And back on the button theme (sorry if I'm boring you with buttons!) - I found these gorgeous gorgeous buttons at the show on Saturday. Now, whilst I do LOVE them, they're not really of the sort of quality that I like to buy. BUT they are very suited to children and the round purple one looks rather lovely as a brooch on my new lime green Boden coat !! So I might consider stocking a few on the website to see how they go.

Whilst out on my travels last week, I came across this magazine.

It's from the US, and I have spent a fair amount of time looking longingly at all the different studios in there (along with scouring flickr) and hoping that one day I might be lucky enough to have a studio of my very own where I can store all of my felt balls, buttons and ribbons that are packed away in giant boxes all over the house and where I can find things fairly easily rather than having to empty boxes out on the floor and where I can package up orders on a nice big table, rather than on my hands and knees on the living room floor !

And talking of ribbons ... I've started stocking a few on my website. At the moment, I have just spotty ribbons listed - side/saddle stitch ribbon is waiting to be photographed and should be on very soon and I've found another fantastic supplier of ribbon, so as soon as I know what I'm doing there, will be able to let you know.

That's it for now. Hope to be able to give you an update on my US supplies next week so you can get an idea of what I'll be making for the Christmas Fairs !

Byeeeeeee x

It's great ...

.... what being featured on the front page of etsy can do !!

I was very lucky to be featured, for the very first time, on the front page of etsy on Thursday night. Unfortunately it was in the middle of the night here in the UK, so I didn't actually see it. Someone contacted me (from Barbados) to tell me that my felt balls had been featured, but sadly I never got to see my 5 minutes of fame. But never mind, it resulted in a flurry of sales and over 60 people hearting me ! Thank you to whoever it was that added me to their treasury - I really do appreciate it.

Now, BUTTONS !! Carrying on with my latest obsession, take a look at these gorgeous gorgeous buttons that I am now stocking on my website. They measure 1.25 inches in diameter and come in sets of 3 (as shown). Each set costs £3. I've been glueing brooch pins onto the back and selling these at local craft fairs - they're going down a storm !! Buy them here

I've also got some of this lovely felt string now listed on the site - £3 will get you 3 metres of handmade felt string - use it as gift wrapping with some of my felt flowers on your pressies !! You can buy it here !

I've also been having a bit of a spend-up. Sadly not on me, well actually, thinking about it, yes I did treat myself to a bit of Boden - the most gorgeous lime green cord coat that I just want to stroke all the time - me thinks I'll have to put one of those lovely brooches on it ! But I digress - I've been having a bit of a Blooming Felt spend-up on etsy. I LOVE etsy. How is it that you can find just about everything you could ever want on that site?? I use etsy to buy a lot of my supplies. I wish I could support more UK stockists and sellers, but sadly here in the UK it seems really difficult to buy what I call "different" supplies. They seem to be so much more readily available in the USA, hence the reason why I use etsy so frequently. I've been really lucky to find some fantastic sellers on there - actually - I think all etsy sellers are fantastic because we all come from the same crafty mould !!

So today I spent an almost obscene amount of money on supplies which will be winging their way to me very soon. I can't wait to receive them because I'm now cranking up for all the Christmas Craft Fairs that I'm booked to attend. At yesterday's craft fair I was speaking to some of the older girls that attend Sam's school to find out what they thought would sell and what they would buy if they saw me at the various fairs. So now I've got lots of ideas for new stock that I will make specifically for the Christmas Fairs. On top of that, everyone else is obviously thinking the same thing because sales on my website have gone through the roof this last week with all manner of things being purchased - thank you if you are one of those people who has spent some of your hard earned cash on my little website.

On a completely separate note - has anyone ever attended the "Make-It" shows which are held in Farnborough and Bolton each year? If so, I'd love to hear your thoughts on them.

Right - that's it from me for the mo - I'm off to look at etsy ...... AGAIN !!

Byeee xx