SHOP SHOP SHOP!

Today is a VERY exciting day! Elisa & I have the shop!! Ok, so it's not that exciting if you're not involved but it's been a long time coming.

The other ladies involved are Lucy & Vidiya who make jewellery and pottery. Unfortunately we lost our graphic artist, but not to worry.

We set up the shop last night and it is FULL to the seams. And there I was worried that I wouldn't have enough stock. But it's the unexpected.

We are due to have a full house on our preview evening (tonight!!!) but I'm guessing we'll be very quiet the rest of the week. I'll get some photos tonight and give you an update soon.

I've been busy playing with the kiln, finally I hear you say! I've fired it up twice and I've managed to get a few good items already which I really pleased about. G was away on Monday night, and laying in bed I could hear a gentle hum. I suddenly realised that our bedroom is over the garage and that should the kiln decide to explode during the night, then we will feel the full force of it.....not that that'll ever happen. But it kept me awake for hours!Pop over to my Folksy shop where you'll find lots of lovely Christmas gifts and if you don't find anything you like in my shop, then you're bound to find it elsewhere on there.

Take care! x

Snow

Have you done all your Christmas shopping yet?

I think I'm almost there! And thank goodness for that as I'm so busy with jewellery shops and events in the run up to the big day. Ah just remembered that I said I would make G's mum a cameo pendant from silver clay, ok, but I think that's almost it!

Elisa & I had planned a sale at the centre where I have my office but wouldn't you believe it that on the day we had 7 inches of snow and only 'heros' like Elisa & I managed to get into the office. I would have been stuck in the snow but her b/f has a 4 x 4 which can leap tall building, scale Everest etc etc so he came to the rescue.

The casualty of the snow has been G & my's Christmas 80's party this saturday. I didn't want to be responsible for slips, trips & near fatal car crashes on the motorway in this weather. No doubt we'll have revellers turn up in their party glad rags expecting to hear 'Relax' (only just got the words to the song about 2 years ago - yes, isn't it rude!) when the only relaxing will be me & G chillaxing with a bottle of red in front of the fire.

Next week the thaw is due which is good timing as Elisa and some other crafty pals have our shop in Portsmouth (Market Way - Pop Up Shops). Drop in and say 'hello' if you're passing. Oh, and buy all our stock too!!! ;0)

Exciting Times

Elisa and I held a Jewellery Party at the home of the Lovely Lucy last friday. We love going to Lucy's as she always invites a fun crowd, so it's always very lively with lots of drinkies flowing (soft drinks only for me as I was driving - boo!)

We arrived and set up whilst trying to chat to her young son who is 6. He was enthralling Elisa with tales of his 16 girlfriends and how he climbs out of his window at midnight to go and see them. Methinks too many vampire films or Count Duckula???

We had the most amazing night of sales! Basically, if it wasn't nailed down or reserved for others then the jewellery flew off the table. Some people bought 4 or 5 items. I didn't get home until 1 in the morning but I didn't care. I promptly went to Monsoon in Chichester and spent the whole takings on a sparkly top for my 80s Disco Party, a beautiful red scarf, earrings (yes, I know!) and lots of other silly things.

We've also been offered the chance to sell to up to 60 ladies in a college & also the possibility to have stock in a shop in Petersfield. That's early days yet but I can see it doing really well based on who will be running it!

I hope you all have great plans for the weekend. I have Lucy (a different one) & Elisa coming over to do beady things tomorrow and then we may have to have a Kir Royale or 3 before tucking into chinese takeaway. Fortunately for G, he is at football in Manchester and won't be home til well after we've passed out!

Shop!! - 8-12th December 2010

Twice in two days! I know, it's a record! But I thought it was time to really make an effort with the blog, so here I am again.

More news which I haven't told you about is that Elisa & I are having a shop, YES, a shop!!! Well, only for a week but given the amount of thought and planning required it's probably a good job it is only for a week.

We're holding a Christmas Gift Fayre to promote our crafty friends and will be selling jewellery, pottery, glass & graphic illustrations.

We've sat down today and talked through our plan, which mainly just involves turning up and hoping that our marketing campaign has worked. We've ordered flyers and will get some airtime from a local radio station on the day & get some local paper exposure.

Oh, and we've ordered some paper bags & black velour material for our tables. You've got to love it haven't you!!!

Main points are it's the Pop Up Shop, Market Way, Portsmouth, Hampshire and we'll be open properly for trade from 7pm on 8th December until 5pm on 12th December! We very much hope that you'll pop in and see us!

I'm Back

sorry, sorry, sorry for being away for soooooooooooooo long! I wish I had a perfect excuse like...G whisked me off to the Antartic for a surprise 6 month holiday, or I've had the lurgey and been in quarintine, but actually the reality is that I've just been busy with life and the blog was the thing to have gone.

"What's happended in your life?" I hear you ask. Don't worry, I'll fill you in on it all!

But the main news is I'VE BOUGHT A KILN!!!!! Yes, it's very exciting news isn't it! It comes on friday morning and fortunately I've got all day, yes, all day sunday to play with it AND I've been allowed to keep it in the house and not in the freezing cold garage. The only slight fly in the ointment is that the man delivering said it's 'coming on a pallett' which indicates that it may be slightly bigger than I anticipated but I think that has to be all packing.

Other news is that I've had a lesson with silver clay Mistress Lesley Messam in her studio and I'm rocking and rolling on the clay vibe....and loving it, although it's costing me a fortune! I can do 50g of clay in a few minutes and that costs on Ebay £56. I desperately need to sell some gear to fund my clay habit!

Anyway, that's it for today. I promise that I will be back and I won't let it go months again!

Craft Fail

Last night was the night! I had waited with anticipation for it to come, and when it did, I was bitterly disappointed. Now I know you think I'm talking about my glass dish, but actually, I'm talking about my sex life.....HA! Had you fooled, I was definately taking about my dish.

I spent 3 hours cutting and placing the glass squares, only to be pollaxed at the last hurdle and for it to not slump properly in the mold. Ladies & Gentlemen, the dish is lopsided :0( I guess the only saving grace is that in the sunlight you get these amazing coloured squared twinkling, yes, twinkling in the sunshine and reflected out. Glass, unpredictable, but gotta love it!

Anyway, onwards and upwards I guess they say. But here is another little item I picked up from the week before. I'm going to give it to G's mum as a birthday gift as she was born on Armistice Day, November 11, which we usually remember as Poppy Day.

Apart from that I've been beavering away and still trying to get my first sale on Folksy http://www.folksy.com/ Whilst I haven't made a sale I have found some new friends, and here is what they sell

The Chaffinch is from Lupin Handmade

The Passion Pink Earrings are from The Whimsical Wren

The Velvet Hairclips are from Ickle Imogen

I want them all!!!! Go visit them at http://www.folksy.com/

Who will buy?

Since I've posting on Folky http://www.folksy.com/ I've been having a crisis of confidence. It's daft but bear with me.

I've been selling via jewellery parties, Facebook, Etsy & the like for the part 18 months now and I will be the first to admit that I'm not perhaps the most creative of people, but the jewellery that I make is of good quality & is well made. I take utmost pride in my work and would be mortified is something broke.

But I can't seem to get up and running with Folksy. I'm having lots of views, and people are adding the shop and individual items to their favourites list, but no-one wants to committ. And it makes me a little bit sad. Here's my sad face :0( to prove it.

Anyhow, I did however sell my first glass pendant (top pic) on Etsy http://www.etsy.com/ to a lady living in Texas. Who'd of thought that someone all that way away would want something of mine!?

But today bought presents! A bag from Elissa from Folksy. Her web address is http://www.notjusthandbags.co.uk/ It's absolutely darling and very well made.

And also some beads from redside designs http://www.redsidedesigns.etsy.com/ Beautiful things, just for me and no-one else!

July Jesters............

................is the name I think that has been decided on. Wait up, you don't have a clue of what I'm talking about. Well, I've just signed with a group of other craft mad loons to promise to post an item every day of July in our Folksy shops. That means a whole lotta creativity has gotta happen!!! Let me tell you, sometimes, it just ain't happening.

The idea is that you promote yourself, your shop and a lots of other amazingly creative people who live in Folksy Land http://www.folksy.com/ (<-----click there to have a peek). We all make lots of sales and we make lots of new friends too. That's what I call win-win!

Obviously, I have to plug myself www.folksy.com/shops/poppyfieldsdesign where I've been busy beavering away making some more fab pendants, but hope not to get too engrossed in glass that I forget my love of beading.

So it's Friday, I'm at home for the weekend and I'm hoping to get my curtains made for the lounge. I'd never win prizes for my curtain making abilities but with the prices John Lewis et al charge for curtains I'm happy to go for the home spun look. Wish me luck & I'll post some of my craft fail pics on monday http://www.craftfail.com/ (check it out, soooooo funny)

Is it done yet?....

......was my first question at my glass class on Monday. I of course, was meaning my mosaic dish that I had spent the whole class on the previous week. The whole day I'd had visions of coming into the studio and it sitting there in all it's beauty and wonderment.

Unfortunately not!

It looked as flat as a pancake, but a lovely pancake. It has been fused once so that the coloured glass 'squares' (that should read 'odd shaped, sort of square, but maybe more like rectagles') have all melted in, and as we sat in the class Kate slumped the disc in the bowl mould. So next week, I should walk in and find my mosaic dish sitting there, in all it's beauty and wonderment, along with my pre-slumped mosaic soapdish and poppy tile.

Why is it so difficult to get a good photo?

Why oh why is it so difficult to photograph jewellery? I really struggle with it, and when you're selling your heart and soul online those photos are what makes or breaks the sale.

I looked at tutorials which have in the first instance been really informative & helpful and I've even found out where the macro setting is on my camera!! Then I worked out WHY it was such a useful little button!!

I take my photos, post them up in the hopes of not making a mint, just funding my hobby and having the pleasure that somewhere out there, someone is walking round in a pair of earrings/necklace/bracelet that was handcrafted by me.

My latest craze is to 'stage' my pictures. I've seen other online sellers with tastefully placed items such as books and feathers and what you can see in these photos are the fruits of my attempts. I asked E to pass me the book, only to find it was 'Diary of a Manhattan Call Girl' and every page I opened was littered with, hmmm, let's say words of a sexual nature! Maybe that would have created more interest in my jewellery!

My most favourite and most visited website is http://www.piknic.com/ which will allow you to give you more colour, more exposure, crop, rotate etc etc on your pics. It's not that I want be fake in anyway but I do want to show what my lovely jewellery really does look like! Apart from going out and buying a light box or investing is a super-duper, top of the range camera then this is going to be as good as it gets! For now anyway!

G & I moved in together almost 4 months ago and I have to say, it hasn't been as challenging as I thought it could have been. Anyone who knows G will say whilst he is the loveliest, kindest, sweetest, generous man, his levels of patience leave something to be desired. And that was my biggest worry. Would he shout at me? Would he suddenly notice at I wasn't the person he thought I was and would he ask me to leave our new home? As it's turned out, we've rubbed along together quite nicely. When he stresses over things, I calm him down. When I'm being stunningly stupid, he explains things in the way you'd explain to a 4 year old. I guess it's just good old fashioned ying and yang.

We went out for dinner last night in the village and walking back he turned to me and said, 'I love living here with you'. Now you can either want to throw up into a sick bucket, or you can join me in saying 'Ahhhhhhhhh'.
Charlie is all settled and is taking ownership of every available comfy space; silk cushion on the sofa; window ledge; garden table & chairs; my craft room chair..........and the list goes on!E & I potentially have some BIG news. We have been offered a pop up shop in Portsmouth for a song. We can have for a week in December, which of course, would be our most opportune selling time. We're buzzing with ideas already but our attentions really have to focus on advertising and having enough stock. AAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH creation stations ready!!

Glass glass glass glass glass

E & I had a great day with Kate O'Connell http://www.kateoconnell.co.uk/ at Making Space http://www.makingspace.org/ on saturday making fused glass jewellery.

Imagine....3 women, 1 ipod, & a loads of glass! It was such fun. It was an open access day which means which there isn't any specific tuition, a specialist is on hand to help. Poor Kate must have been fed up with E & I saying....'And Kate, what happens if.....' or 'And Kate, will this work if I do that.....' Amazingly, I only cut myself once and it was only a tiny little one. I thought I had made loads of things, and then I looked at E's outpouring of creativity. She made at least double what I had! Sheesh, and she's so creative! Hate her! (no, love E-bird!)The thing with glass is that when you put it together in your mind, it looks fab! It's this amazing creation which is fab and funky. Unfortunately, more often than not when you get it back, it just hasn't turned out as you had planned. I'm guessing you lose about a third, if not more, of all your work because it looks naff. It also doesn't help that some glass changes colour, so you THINK you've overlaid clear on your stunning creation, when in fact, it's a milky white. So your beautiful pendant suddenly looks like a cataract! Let me tell you, it ain't pretty!

Grumpy Face

It's been a funny old day in the office. E came in with a face like thunder, which is really unlike her. 'What's wrong?' I asked.......Do you sometimes wish you had never asked?!!!

The last time I asked that question we ended up booking a holiday in Madrid to cheer her up. Unfortunately, we are all out of Bank Holidays this year (which is the only time we can go away together) as I am away with G on the August one. We have had to make do with any wheat free treat we could find....'have a bit of my Kitkat', 'no, it's got wheat in'.....

We took our trip to Madrid in May and had a fab time. The only downside was the constant threat of pick pockets. On the Metro on the way in a girl tried but I noticed her, and then again on the next day actually on the Metro train a young spanish guy in a group tried it on but I felt the zip go. No need for any alarms, just use rent-a-gob here! 'Pickpocket, pickpocket, he tried to pick my pocket!!!!' Amazingly they scarpered. We went onto the Sunday market and noticed that all the ladies held their bags close to their bodies and also the zip itself.

But the architecture in Madrid is superb and we also saw flamenco. Lots of laughs were had.

Looking forward to my extra day of glass fusing on saturday too. I am half way through a 5 week course but I couldn't resist a full day solidly making jewellery. I love the other ladies in my class but I seem to spend most of the time showing them how I made things and helping them so I don't get as much done as I'd like to. Results coming soon!

Catch up

It's been a long time, I know, but I have been very very busy!

First, G & I moved in together on 1st March. G bought a lovely 4 bed house in a small market town in Hampshire. With a garden big enough for Charlie cat, a study, a craft room for me & a garage which I intend to turn into a craft studio....ooooooooooooooooooooohhh! How lucky I am!

We moved in on the same day, so we had 3 vans at the house with men running in and out. We unpacked quickly and managed to get settled. I'd like to say the house was all sorted, but not quite. We're getting there. There's a bit of manueourving about to do, but on the whole most things have a home.

The garden is beautiful. There are roses of all colours, clematis, honeysuckle to name a few. I would like to plant a magnolia tree and I've bought a olive tree to sit on the patio.

We've both had birthday's in the house and it feels like home. I'm very happy there and I know G is too.

So what's been happening on the craft front, I hear you scream. Well, after a distarious May Day Fayre where we sold hardly anything (and it was blinking freezing) E & I decided that we would stick to jewellery parties initially. They work for us, we have a good time, have a couple of drinks and if anyone buys anything, that's great, if not, well we've still had a good time. In saying that we have been asked to host a table at a Ladies Night at the Grosvenor Casino in Southsea. Fingers crossed for a successful selling night.

E & I have also had a chance to start doing some fused glass jewellery. We started by doing a saturday course at Making Space http://www.makingspace.org/ I absolutely love it! It's amazing that you can slap a load of dodgy cut glass onto another dodgy piece of glass and when fused it comes out wonderfully smooth. That's not to say it's not without its cock ups and disasters, but that's all in the learning curve I guess. I'm also waiting to get my bulk fuel adaptor sorted out (when the garage is sorted) so I can start doing my bead making again. I've had a go again at E's house and we also had a road trip to Flame Off 2010 where I realised how crap I am and how much I need to learn. E & I also had a road trip to Madrid. Amazing place but I had run ins with 2 pickpocket attempts....more to come of these subjects as I've rambled on far too much. Guess that happens when you don't write for 7 months!!!!

I will be back, I promise!