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!