It's been a long, long time...

... Since I posted. I'm feeling guilty because I don't have one particular reason why I fell out of the "Blogosphere".

To start with, I think I spent a long time getting over the shock of losing my home, and learning to adapt to life surrounded by neighbours and all the accompanying noises - rather than having near silence all day and night, and the freedom to sit outside in my pyjamas if that's what I wanted to do!

I've also been suffering several crises of confidence. The first being the lack of views this blog has had. It took me until last night to realise that I haven't been tagging any of my posts... DUH!
After I've filled you in on events, I'm going to toddle off and correct that...

My lack of views/sales in my Etsy shop has caused me problems too.
I followed advice and worked hard on my photos, tags, titles and descriptions. My views rose and my sales started to look promising. Then a few months back, it all came crashing down. I'm lucky to get 10 views a day... and I think most of them come to me by accident!

At the weekend, I paid for a stall at a local village's annual Summer Fayre. I hadn't realised it's far more of a classic car show these days. I had lots of people looking, but few buyers. I did manage to recover the cost of the stall, and make a little extra on top, but it was no where near as good as I had hoped.

Saturday evening, I was dotting between strategies for increasing views and feeling like I should just stop right now.

Yesterday was spent feeling angry... mostly with myself.

So, I'm back. I have a new out-look and a new determination! I love what I do, the creativity of knitting and crocheting, and I'm not going to stop just because not many people are seeing my work.
I need to make changes, that much is clear, but I don't yet know what those changes need to be. I'll face them and tackle them as and when I work out what those changes need to be.

One of the things I can do right off is get back to communicating with the world at large. Even if I am just talking to myself right now!

I'm planning to write a blog post at least once a week. News of what I'm doing, what I'm planning... and photos!!

Talk to you soon.

xx

Parcels and purses

I don't have much to show for my efforts this week. It's not that I haven't done very much - I just don't have much to show!
I've been dotting around here and there working on various projects (blankets, a wrap, baby booties), and have only finished these beauties:

They measure a very sweet 4.25 inches (about 11cm) square, and have a twisted cord strap that measures about 62 inches (155cm).
I love these little bags (purses)! The one thing I hate about summer clothing is the lack of pockets, and that's basically what these are - a pocket on a string!

Sitting here thinking about what else I've done this week, I realise I really need to take more photos! Also, I need to learn to take my camera with me almost everywhere I go...

On Friday, I got home to find a parcel waiting for me... A gift from Marina, one of my very best friends!
Want to see what was inside the parcel? Sadly, I haven't managed to take a photo that does it justice yet... I promise a photo on my next post! Until then you will have to be content with a description!

It's the most gorgeous wrap I've ever seen! Knitted with moss stitch and cables in a soft grey. The wrap is so soft and warm, but light as a feather... It's perfect!

Well, I need to get going... The Christmas cards need writing out today to be hand delivered this evening and tomorrow... People will need to be fed at some point... And I really would like to squeeze in a few more hours of stitching!

An early Christmas gift to you from me :-)

Buy anything you like from my shop and receive 10% off your items!

Just enter the discount code MAK3M3SMIL3 when you get to the checkout!

Go ahead - make Miss E smile :-)

Let's talk about Sandy...

No, no - not Hurricane Sandy... Sandy from "thatSandygirl".

Wow, oh, wow! Have you looked at her shop yet? Have you??

And calm...!

I was lucky enough to be able to purchase several items from Sandy back in September. As well as absolutely first class customer service, the items are stunning. Want to see them? Ok!

A truly wonderful bookmark... I must admit, this hasn't seen a book yet... It's sitting on my desk in my pen pot and tends to come out to be played with when I'm in deep thought! There's something so relaxing about it!

The second item is another bookmark. Yes, I have used this one... in fact, it's in my book right now!

Stunning or what?

The third and final item isn't a bookmark. I was a little worried about buying a ring that had to be made to a specific size... Sandy did everything in her power to make sure I got the right size, and you know what? It's PERFECT!

These items are so much more gorgeous than the photos show. The photos are directly from Sandy's shop on Etsy, but I'm not critising her - mine don't show just how amazing they are either! You have to buy them yourself to get the full effect!

There are many more items from the incredibly talented Sandy that I have my eye on. Want to see some? I knew you would!

Here's another bookmark - ideal for a music lover:

How about a pair of earrings? Or two pairs? Or maybe even 3??

And now that I know my ring size (thanks so much, Sandy!), I wouldn't mind finding one of these beauties in my stocking on Christmas morning:

The final item I want to show you is something that brings back a lot of memories for me.

My nan always wore a copper bracelet. She was convinced that it helped with her arthritis. My nan was a very smart lady and she would have adored this bracelet the way I do. I'm sure this will be next on my list as soon as finances are sorted out from the move.

Please do go and check out Sandy's shop - you won't be disappointed!

Our first giveaway!

Every so often, you come across someone who's work makes you gasp. Where you can see the love and attention that has gone into every detail. And yes, leaves you feeling more than a little jealous at their skills!

I've recently been lucky enough to not only come across such a person, and not only to become friends with them... Yes! They have offered not one, but two, of their amazing items for a giveaway!

I'd like to introduce you all to Geri - say "Hi" everyone!
Geri is the owner of an amazing Etsy shop called Card Smiles. She really does have a card for everyone, but we'll explore those a little later on...

Pennsylvania, USA, is where Geri calls home. A decision to design and make her son's senior year scrapbook (as well as his graduation invites!) set Geri on the path towards a love of papercrafting.
Several years later, with her son grown up and moved away to New York, Geri turned her hobby into a business. I, for one, am very glad that she did!

Geri says: "I love making things that have the ability to bring a moment of joy to someone's day. This is the unique part of handmade items - the personal connection they create and the heartfelt message they convey from sender to receipient. To be part of that special moment is why I do what I do".

As well as her Etsy shop, Geri also has her own website where you can learn more about her, her cards, and send a message - www.cardsmiles.com.
I want to show you a few of geri's cards now. She has over 160 available in her Etsy shop, so obviously I won't get to show you all of them, but these are my favourites... Take a look at the Etsy shop once you've finished here - you won't regret it!

Personally, I don't think you need a reason to send a card. These beauties are perfect for just dropping someone a line to say "Hi!":

People really don't say "Thank you" often enough these days. With this card, you can say it in style, and let someone know they really are appreciated:

From a new baby:

To a wedding:

To birthdays:

And cards to send in sympathy:

Geri really has thought of everything - including something I haven't seen anywhere else. The purr-fect card for someone who has lost an important part of their family:

As well as having an amazing stock of handmade cards for you to choose from, Geri also accepts custom orders. So if you don't see what you are looking for, have a chat - I'm sure she'll be able to make you exactly what you need.

Ok! On to the giveaway!

THE PRIZE: A set of 4 of Geri's special handmade notecards - chosen for the winner by Geri herself! - and a card of the winner's choice from Geri's Etsy shop!

HOW TO ENTER: Leave a comment on this post. Yes, it really is that easy! A winner will be chosen at random on September 19, 2012. Good luck!

New arrivals...

On the 7th of this month, we were lucky enough to extend our family by two new members. Please welcome Mr T (left) and Mr R (right):

They are about 5 months old. Their mother is a stray who has been living in a local composting site, and she is now pregnant again. The owners of the composting site have done a wondeful job caring for the mother and her kittens, and are getting prepared for the new litter - starting with finding homes for the first litter. Hopefully, now that they have gained the mother's trust, her new litter will be born inside, so that mother can be taken to the vet before she gets pregnant again.
The boys went to the vet today for their first injections and a general health check. Unfortunately, Mr T's temperature was a little bit high, so he couldn't have his injections... back we go tomorrow, in the hope that Mr T's temeperature is where it should be. As you can see, they are both flaked out by the experience of their first vet visit:

Mr R is still very shy. The vet said he tried to bite her when she examined his mouth... I tried to examine his mouth when we got home and he was fine! Maybe Mr R just doesn't like vets!

This week, I have sold a pair of the earrings I made... and made a custom Kindle cover:

I'm just finishing off an iPad cover, that one of my friends is going to test for me. I'll show you the finished project when Chrissy has received it.

Earlier in the month, we had the storm of the century here! Please remember that I live in England, so my "extreme" weather is probably very normal to those living in the USA for example!
The thunder and lightning we were treated to was like nothing I have heard or seen before... For a long time, I'm sure the storm was directly over our house... And the rain... WOW! The photo doesn't really do it justice, but we had a little river flowing outside of our house for most of the day... at least 4 or 5 inches deep at times:

Well, now to the really exciting part! I'm teaming up with a fellow Etsy seller for a give-away soon - I don't know what the prize will be yet, but this lady's work is beautiful (you're sure to want it!) and you really would be crazy not to enter, so make sure you keep tuning in!! I'll give you all the details for the Etsy shop too... Just in case you can't wait to find out if you have won!

Lesson learned: Friends hide in the most unexpected places!

Juggling...

Sorry it's been so long since my last post... I feel like I'm juggling a million different things right now!
I am making progress though, and actually enjoying the harassed feeling!!

First of all, I'd like to apologise to the people who were expecting this blog post to include a step by step Yorkshire Pudding tutorial... The truth is, my muffin tin is in an awful state that I really wouldn't want anyone but family to see, and I forgot to buy a new one for the tutorial... I'll try to remember this week and get the tutorial done soon!

I noticed recently that my views on Etsy go up a lot whenever I add a new item. I put some thought into what this possibly means, and discussed ideas with J and K. We all came to the conclusion that I need to be adding a new item as often as possible...
So, today begins a year of adding listings to Etsy on a daily basis:

This lovely hat and scarf set was added today. Yes, I know it's July - but I live in England! We had our few days of sunshine and warmth a while back, so my thoughts are turning to winter now!
I have 5 more sets similar to this already made up. They will be added over the next few days.

The hat and scarf were made to use up some of the yarn I bought for a custom order - yes, really, a custom order! The customer wanted a small bag in a deep purple colour... I only needed 100g for the bag, but I couldn't find any suitable yarn in the right colour and ended up buying a massive 400g ball!

Here's the bag:

I also tried out a new bag design. I had an idea of how I wanted it to look, so I sat down with notepad and pen, hook and yarn, and made the bag. It's not often an idea works straight away, so I'm really pleased with it!

Do you remember this from my last post?

This preserve jar cover is on its way to Canada, where it will be appearing on a market helping to display the wonderful flowers made by Stephanie! Please  have a look at Stephanie's Etsy shop:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/berryisland

It's been so wet here, that I haven't been taking many photos of scenery. I did test out my photographic skills by taking some photos from the car:

I'm really quite surprised at how well this turned out - especially considering we were going about 50mph at the time!

Lately, I've been wondering what to do with my yarn trimmings. I was planning to stuff a small pillow with them when I had enough, but decided that washing said pillow could be pretty troublesome as they are various materials, weights, etc.
I was looking at my bag of trimmings when Miss E came along and gave me an idea:

Purr-fect! All of the trimmings are now back in the bag and waiting for our next play session!

Lesson learned: One woman's trash, is one cat's treasure!

Busy, busy, busy...

I've been so busy lately - spending around 7 hours every day working on new projects to put up for sale on my Etsy shop...
Today, I decided I needed something for ME! I came up with this:

Believe it or not, these poor flowers had been sitting for several days in an old, unadorned coffee jar! They look so much better now!

The mini flowers are from this blog:

http://daisycottagedesigns.blogspot.co.uk/2011/02/tiny-little-flower-crochet-pattern.html

Lauren is kind enough to offer this pattern on her blog for free! I'm not the fastest crocheter in the world, but even I made 10 in no time!
Lauren's instructions are very easy to follow too!

So, I said in my last post that I would probably show you some unfinished projects... Here's a few to give you an idea of what I get up to!

This is going to be the perfect ripple afghan for me... Spice, green, brown, mustard... heavenly!

I'm working on this crocheted sweater... I have been for quite some time, on and off...

But the back is complete:

As is the front:

I'm also working on knitting this:

Again, I've done the back and the front. They are pretty rumpled and will need some serious blocking once the sleeves are done... So here's a close up of the cable detail which is on both the front and the back (you'll get an idea of the colour too):

  And do you remember this:

Well, it now looks like this:

Hope you can see the difference!

Ok, blogger has gone a little crazy, so I'm going to have to publish this and come back later...

Everything went all blurry on me, just as I was about to end. Oh well! Here's the end bit:

I managed to get several items finished for Etsy this week (visit my Etsy shop to see what's new!), despite several mishaps and near disasters.

Lesson learned: If at first you don't succeed - go away and think about it a bit before trying again!

A little sneaky and a lot busy!

I snuck and sneaked and sneaked and snuck... A quick click and I was done!
Here's the no-longer-quite-so-missing iPod sock:

I actually managed to get the pincushion from my last post added to Etsy. I couldn't think of a photo that was totally different, so I just stuck pins it it - that's what it's meant for after all!

For my second Etsy addition this week, a lovely mid blue mini-bag. I like these bags a lot. Especially in summer when very few clothes seem to have pockets. These bags are like having a removable pocket! Here is is:

So, you've seen the sneaking and some busy... I haven't taken photos of the rest of my "busy", as it's just a pile of iPod socks in various colours waiting to be stitched up... and I don't really like taking photos of my "work-in-progress"!

And as Mum from "Mum's Simply Living Blog" requested -
Here is the adorable Miss E:

And Mr (thinks he is a dog) P:

We actually saw Mr P playing with a stick this morning... Strange, but very lovable cat!

Lesson learned today: Enjoy the sunshine and watching your cat act like a dog!

Until next time,

Dawn.
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