Tuesday 23 October 2012

Latest Designs

Hi Everyone

Here are a few of my latest designs.....taking them to my craft fair for the first time on Saturday so we'll see how they go. Also spent most of last night making gift tags...5 for £1.50 - took me an hour to make 5 - £1.50 an hour - slave labour lol


This is a gift bag I made for our good friend Dimitri for his 40th birthday - I think he liked the tsiparo inside! He's from Kalymnos (near Kos) hence the outline of his island

I like this one alot because I made the flowers using the big shot machine for the first time and was really pleased how it turned out

Okay, I know it's lilac but I've got to do something in my favourite colour - there's a free Christmas Tree decoration with this one

Another of my 'flower' bags and free decoration

I had to do one for the girls now didn't I?
I'll take some pictures of the tags and let you have a look - hopefully they'll all go on Saturday - they did really well on their last outing!

Take care
xx

PS I found this craft knife which is alot cheaper than I paid for mine!!!!!!
Xcelite XN-200 Medium Duty Craft Knife (Google Affiliate Ad)

Tuesday 16 October 2012

Feedback on the new JewELLs Gift Bag

Canon Slade School - only there a couple of hours but amongst the stalls, there must have been around 7 card stalls and about 5 jewellery stalls.....luckily I didn't take much jewellery as I didn't have enough room on the table to show everything - you know what it's like....tables are provided but then you've only got that space to 'do your thing'

Anyways, I saw some familiar faces which was nice....Debbie from Bluebird and Bobbin, Cupcake Creationz, Fiona from C'est Chic, Margaret and Jean from my craft fair. I came across something very strange though.....why would you sell something at a loss? If it costs you £1.50 ish to make and you're selling it for £1.00 - what's the point? yes, I know all about loss leaders and having something on your stall you know you're going to make a loss with because it will attract the customers and you hope they buy something else.....

But if the majority of your crafts are sold at a loss and you openly admit you're not making any money.....am I being thick here because I don't see the point in this.....if you're doing this as a hobby then you've got to at least cover your costs - stall, materials etc

Sorry, just thought I'd run that one past you!

I got some really nice feedback on the new gift bags.....similar comments to the JewELLs cards really - aren't they lovely, it must have taken you ages, what a great idea etc etc but not many people were buying unfortunately. I did sell some of the bags, however, and had a couple of orders for some which is great!

Went to Smithills School on Saturday and that was pretty quiet but I sold a JewELLs card to the councillor who opened the Craft Fair in September - result! 

I have a free weekend this week and then quite a few fairs coming up.....won't be doing Holland Garden Centre anymore though.....not really a good atmosphere and it's the most expensive one I do AND you have to take your own table and chair etc. You're outside and freezing your b*m off every time unless the weather is kind then your feet are still cold. I asked for an inside stall only to be told - "you've no chance" - how rude! This verbal abuse continued and then my table broke - what a day!.....I've since found out I've been accused of taking away custom from there because I run my own craft fair on a completely different weekend!!!!!!!.....I've said it before and I'll say it again - there's nowt as funny as folk!

Soooooooooo, I will upload some pictures of the latest gift bags for you and would welcome any comments you have

See you soon x

Thursday 11 October 2012

New Range of Gift Bags

Drum roll................................

Introducing my new range of gift bags....all unique (of course) and hand crafted in the same style as the JewELLs Cards. I was asked to do some and sold some already..... Let me know what you think! They all have matching tags as well and at the moment I have 2 sizes - 10" x 8" and the other one slightly wider

The dog is actually a mirror (not really good enough to do your makeup of anything!)

My first Scottie dog bag - Awww

My favourite colours so of course I had to make a bag in lilacs!

My first Christmas bag

This mirrored dog is on the larger bag as it's a larger mirror - sorry about the glare!

One for the children
So there you have it...a sample of the new JewELLs Gift Bag range.....I'm at Canon Slade School, Bradshaw tomorrow night and Smithills School on Saturday so I'll let you know how I get on

Signing off for now
xxx

Friday 5 October 2012

Pictures of Bromley Cross Village Hall Craft Fair

At long last you shout, pictures of the craft fair she's always going on about......well yes, here they are.......

This was around 9.15am and everyone's busy setting up - Artist, cupcakes, knitted toys, buttons, phoenix cards and part of the veggie stall

In the distance we have Margaret with her gift hampers, Chocolate man, to name a couple

I think the apples stole the show in this picture!

The Salad Bowl, in Horwich and the Church cake stall - on stage!

My stall and Bluebird & Bobbin - You can see some of Debbie's handmade aprons in the posh Kitchen shop in Horwich or.......come along to the next BC Village Hall Craft Fair to see them in the flesh (you know what I mean!)

Homemade jams and chutneys in the foreground - yummeeeeeee!
So there you have it........we had a full house with loads of crafters - could have done with more customers but that's the way it goes I'm afraid.....still....an enjoyable day listening to the banjo man....come along to the next one and support us crafters and the church all at the same time!

The Next Craft Fair is on Saturday 27 October and the last one this year co-incides with the Christmas Tree Festival. The festival is on the weekend of 24 November with the opening on the Friday but watch this space for further details - should be a great weekend!