Moo !!!

They came !!!

My first purchase of 2008 was some of the wonderful little cards known as "Moo" cards and they arrived yesterday.

I'm sooooo pleased with them, even though a couple of my photos are a little dark, the cards still look pretty darn good ... even if I do say so myself !

Last night I also bought 500 custom woven labels from Etsy. Fingers crossed they too will look fantastic when they arrive - I always worry about buying stuff "blind" from the internet, but fortunately most of the stuff arrives looking absolutely gorgeous.

I also placed an order for some gorgeous green and pink felt with paper-and-string. It seems silly I know, there's me with a website selling loads of felt items and I go buying sheets of felt from elsewhere !! Mind you, in amongst my latest shipment from Nepal should be something rather exciting of the felt sheets variety - I don't want to tell you too much about it just yet (in case it turns out to be not quite what I was expecting ... see, it's that buying "blind" effect again !!), but if it is what I was expecting, be sure to check out my next blog post and also my website.

I've been busy, busy, busy redesigning and re-ordering my website. I think the structure is pretty much there now and I just need to load lots of lovely new goodies onto the site. I'm awaiting a delivery of my latest designs from Nepal and have been told it will be with me before the 10th January, so that is yet another thing that I am very excited about.

Because I haven't got any pictures of new felt goodies to show you, (I've been trying to restock my shop and also my NOTHS store with my standard stock) I thought I would show you a couple of the lovely books I received at Christmas. Both are extremely interesting reads and I can highly recommend them.

While I think about it, I am considering doing the Country Living Christmas Fair in December and would love to hear from anyone who has exhibited at one of the Chrismas Fair's in the past. Samantha at Plump Pudding did the Spring Fair last year and very kindly gave me the low-down on it all, but I would be interested to hear your comments about the Christmas Fair.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend !

Sarah x

How time flies !

Well, it is almost upon on.

Another year has absolutely flown by and I've watched my little darlings getting older by the day - sometimes I panic that I can't remember what they were like when they were really tiny and then I have to go and get the videos/DVDs out - and then it all just seems like yesterday.

Every day they learn something new - Sam started school in September and is now able to read quite well along with writing with lovely spidery back to front writing !! Grace gabbles away ten to the dozen and gets more and more bossy every day - she likes to stand next to me when I'm ironing, using her own little iron and ironing board, chatting away like a little old lady. I wonder what I will be saying this time next year ?!

The above photo was taken on Boxing Day when we decided to have a day at home and spend it by ourselves (well, apart from saying goodbye to my sister who was going back to Guernsey). My 2 monkeys wanted to climb the old Mulberry tree in our garden and then insisted I take photos - well of course, who am I to argue ?!

Looking back at the last year craft / business wise, I cannot believe what I have managed to achieve in such a short space of time. At the time, it seemed to take forever to get off the ground and I apologise now for all my grumblings to anyone who was kind enough to listen. I'm just impatient and couldn't wait for things to get going ... of course, once they did things just seemed to get better and better.

I can't believe Picture it in Stitches (as it started out) is a whole year old (even though it has now changed its name to Blooming Felt) and that when I started out, determined to design and stitch beautiful textile pictures, that I would end up with a different named little Company and a completely different product range !

Sadly, the pictures just didn't take off. Despite my very best efforts with marketing, press releases, selling through various websites, knocking on doors of shops etc., it seemed that textile pictures weren't popular and I was wasting my time !! However, once I ventured into the wonderful world of felt, it became quite obvious that I was not alone in loving this wonderful medium. The people I have met through "felt" are absolutely amazing and have become real friends (even though I haven't actually met half of them !) and similarly the people I have connected with through blogging are equally amazing and have also become friends - thank you to all of you lovely people. I really appreciate all of your kind words and support.

As 2007 ends and I look back I can be truly thankful - to have a business (albeit a tiny one) that is slowly getting off the ground and people are starting to recognise and buy from ~ to have met lots of fantastic people through Blooming Felt and through blogging ~ to have a wonderful family that support me all the way (hugs and kisses to all of you) and finally, to be doing what I have always dreamed of doing ... designing and creating lots of crafty items for other people to love, appreciate and enjoy... just as I do.

WISHING YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY & PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR !!

Lots of love

Sarah xxxxx

PS. My SALE is now on !!!

Blooming Felt

Hiya

Well, most of the presents are wrapped, the tree is up, I've posted out all of the orders and fingers crossed, they all seem to have been received.

And just for good measure, I've decided to redesign my website (please bear with me whilst it's being updated) and introduce a whole new range of fantastic felted goodies !!

As most of you regular readers of this blog will know, my main line of business when I started out a whole year ago, was designing and creating hand-stitched textile pictures. Sadly, after a year, it has become apparent that hand-stitched textile pictures aren't the best sellers in the world and so I have had to take the decision to stop creating my pictures and concentrate on my felted accessories. My shop at notonthehighstreet.com has been manically busy over the last 2 months and as a result has virtually depleted all of my felt accessories. So, a radical rethink was needed. As I wasn't lucky enough to have a little set of elves that came out at night and made lots of new stock, I was working myself ragged trying to keep up with orders, look after the house, look after a husband and 2 small children and still do my part-time job. The time came for me to admit that I'm not superwoman and that I would need to work out how to continue to produce beautiful felted goodies without running myself into the ground.

Enter a fantastic company employing a small team of women in Nepal. So, for the last few weeks I have been designing lots of lovely felt accessories, sending the designs over to Nepal and the wonderful ladies there have been producing numerous samples of my designs. We're now in the finalisation stage and I am VERY excited to tell you that these goodies should be available for sale through my newly designed website in the New Year.

As a consequence of this, I have decided to drop the "Picture it in Stitches" name from my website and rename it "Blooming Felt". Unfortunately I can't change the name of this blog without scrapping this one and starting again, so Picture it in Stitches will stay here for the time being.

I will continue to produce the corsages, bracelets, hair accessories, keyrings etc., that I have always made myself, but everything else will be designed by me and handmade in Nepal. All of the items from Nepal are Fair Trade, made of 100% wool and are of fantastic quality. Do please join my mailing list on the welcome page of my website and you will be entered into a special draw to win one of my lovely new items. Below is a sneaky peak of just some of the samples

Oh, and if you fancy a bargain, all of my textile pictures are on SALE on my website with 25% off every picture - be quick because when they're gone, they're gone !

HAPPY CHRISTMAS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sarah xx

Something rather exciting is happening ...

Yes indeed ! I'm getting a little bit excited (not just about Christmas), but about a new project I have on the go. All will be revealed in the New Year, but you can join the mailing list on my website if you want to know what's going on.

In the meantime, I wanted to tell you about a great offer one of my customers is running specifically for readers of this little old blog. Beverley of "All Things Bright and Beautiful" in the Channel Islands is offering a free keyring with any purchase from her shop until the end of January to anyone who mentions me/this blog when they place an order. The keyring is shown below and is partly filled with Jersey lavender.

You can also order any of the items shown in the pictures above by contacting Beverley direct. These pictures were taken at a National Trust Fair that Beverley exhibited at recently and if you look very closely you can see a number of my own items - thanks Beverley !!

Aches and Pains !

I'm suffering !

On Saturday, me and 3 friends had our first training session for the Breast Cancer Moonwalk that we're doing next summer. We decided to go to London and walk for 2 hours from Liverpool Street Station in one direction, and then turn round and walk back again. I was amazed that we managed to walk approximately 10 miles ! And in the torrential rain that was no mean feat !! At least we had nice views of the River Thames and we stopped for lunch at the Gourmet Pizza Co. on the Southbank and I managed to devour the biggest bowl of pasta in record speed - walking certainly makes me hungry. I have to say that I am very proud of all of us because we all did extremely well. Well done girls !! Here's to many more walks ... hopefully in the sunshine !

Now - crafts !

Below are photos of some of the badges that were left over from Sam's school fair. All great stocking fillers for boys and available for sale to you at £1.50 each (including postage - UK only). Just email me if you would like to purchase any.

Christmas is kicking in !!

Well, so much for having a bit of a rest after the Christmas Fair !! My shop at not on the high street has suddenly gone a bit mad and I'm getting 3-5 orders per day !! It's starting to rapidly deplete my stock - arghhhhhh ! Please don't think I'm complaining because I'm not - it's great that my NOTHS shop is busy because I invested rather a lot of money in it, so I guess it's payback time !

Remember me telling you that I was playing around with some ideas for boys that I could sell at the Fair? Well, I did manage to do them and have to say I was rather chuffed with myself

Spiderman keyrings

and

Batman keyrings

and they sold well too! I've just got one Batman keyring left if anyone's interested. It's £4.00 including postage. Of course, if you would like to place an order for either keyring, do please email me

Next time I shall be showing you some of the lovely badges that Samantha at Plump Pudding made for me - they will be for sale through this blog, so do check back if you're interested.

And finally, I just wanted to say a special thank you to Beverley of All Things Bright and Beautiful in Jersey, Channel Islands. She placed a wholesale order recently and sold lots of my bits and bobs at a National Trust Christmas Fair she did at the weekend. She then very kindly bought all of the gingham yoyo bobbles I had left over from Saturday's fair - thank you Beverley !!

Sarah x

...... and breathe !!!

That's it !

Today was Sam's school Christmas Fayre at which I had a table.

It was extremely busy and I had a constant stream of visitors throughout the 2 hours. Unfortunately, I didn't do as well as I would have hoped, but I certainly can't complain. This time I was very pleased because, after moaning that all I sold at the last fair were the peg doll kits I had bought in, this time I sold only 2 kits (a bit disappointing considering I had bought in extra supplies!), but I sold absolutely loads of pocket money priced things that I had made myself. Everyone was extremely complimentary about all of my goodies and I actually ran out of my brochures which, considering I took almost 100 with me, was pretty good going. I also had lots of enquiries about my "name in a frame" pictures and am expecting a few orders as Christmas presents.

Sadly, I only sold one of the fantastic little badges that Samantha at Plump Pudding had made for meonly 2 of the red gingham hair bobbles that I made specifically for the fair as they match the girls blousesand not one single piece of fair trade felt that I had imported from Nepal.

On the upside, I sold lots of bobble bracelets, keyrings, fridge magnets, stitchery kits and loopy corsages.

So, what shall I do with the surplus of stock that I now have. Well, I will be offering it for sale here - a few bits and bobs every couple of days. If you would like to buy any of the pieces offered, please email me and I'll mark them as sold and send you a paypal invoice.

First up - Peg Doll Kits !!

I have 2 of the Adventure kits - suitable for boys from age 4

5 Fairytale kits - suitable for girls from age 4

and 4 Nativity sets again suitable from age 4

Each kit contains everything you need (including full instructions) to make each of the peg dolls shown

The Adventure and Fairytale kits are £10 each including postage (these kits are exactly the same as those in some of the upmarket mail order catalogues which retail at £12.99 each + postage) and the Nativity kits are £13 each including postage. If you want more details, please click here

I look forward to hearing from you !!!!

Sarah x