Bead-dazzled Bracelets

I am taking part in another craft fair in a few weeks time and I wanted to add some new items.  I am not a jewellery maker but I will dabble for birthday presents etc.  

Therefore, I do have quite an extensive range of beads.  These are nice and I think that they look a little like small stones but they are plastic but quite heavy decent quality plastic....if that is possible!

So a couple of weekend's ago Sophie and I settled down to a bracelet making session.  She used her beads to make some for her friends.

Of course quality control is very important and Toffy is here just checking that I am getting it just right.  You can see that I am wearing a bracelet that I made.  I have been wearing it for over a week and it is excellent, easy to wear and most importantly not fallen apart.  So I am keeping this one!

It was surprising just how many bracelets that my box of beads was offering up.  I tried to make a range of colour schemes and thought carefully about the overall size.

The pile kept growing and growing.  At the last count there are 13 bracelets which I shall be taking to the craft fair and any left over will be added to my new website.  There are still some beads left so I think another 4 or so can still be made.

The new website is being powered by Type Pad so it is like learning to blog all over again so is not live yet   I also have a list of questions that I need to go through with the web designer.  Nothing major,,, you now the sort of thing.............complete confusion........should be easy to sort out.

Sophie and I had such great fun making these and choosing the colours.  We spent ages on these and hopefully they will all sell.

I need to make some space so that I can order some stock and I know have two tins of beads instead of four.  Progress I think.  

Final word from Toffy our quality control representative............

"Today is my birthday and I am two years old!"

He is a lovely cat who we thought we would lose to Cat flu a year ago but he pulled through.

He is such a character and definitely a part of the family.  We think he really missed Tiger when he passed in January and seemed "Lost" about the house for some time.  He loves being with us and will follow one of us to whichever room we are in and sit with you until you move on.  Loves being with Sophie and watching her play.  We bought him a Catnip toy for his birthday and he enjoys playing with that.  But his best toy is still his ping pong ball!  He whizzes round the kitchen at high speed for ages, like a pinball machine!  Last night he was bringing the ball back to hubby to throw for him.  Not sure that is normal for a cat but there you go.

Back tomorrow.

xx

Public Liability Insurance - A minefield

Hi All,

A lovely sunny day here in Seaford and I am thinking about..............

Public Liability Insurance!

Why?  You might ask.  

Well several colleagues have bought sewing machines recently and have also expressed an interest in being able to do certain projects on them.  A set of evening or day classes have been casually discussed and I would like to set some up just before and maybe during the summer.

My husband has a special insurance for working on boats but I need a reliable company which would have a range of insurance offers.  These classes may be just a few one-offs, could be once a month or every week.  I want to be covered but at a rice that does not result in me paying out more than the classes will bring in.  Just breaking even would dome at this stage.  I have googled it and looking at a couple of companies but is there is anyone who has just started out and found someone/company ideal for causal workshop public liability insurance or a  annual payment which has not put them in the red before they started!

I would be grateful or any suggestions.  The web site is in the the pipeline and the competition entries for a web name have been used to work out who has not already got that name.  There is another variation of Indigo Blue in Liverpool for example.  So I should have a winner soon, I have not forgotten.

Off to Lewes today which is lovely and sunny!

Craft Fair .....

I have just returned from a fairly successful craft fair.  Every time I go what I sell changes.  Last time it was lots of small things to a lot of people and today it was larger items to much fewer customers!

I have signed up for another in July.

The weather is gorgeous today and with several other events going on I think custom was down.

I have just altered by Etsy shop as I sold a couple of bags which I had listed there, but I have added the one above. I sold a blue version of this today and the lady said that she was going to use it as a peg bag!!

A rather posh peg bag but whatever floats your boat etc.  Several bags were bought for Easter presents rather than sending money or chocolate and several business cards were asked for as well.

Now this craft fair is out of the way i am now going to request that my website is started.

Pricing is still an eternal issue.  One lady said that one of my slouchy bags cost more than they do in the shops.  At £5.00 with IKEA fabric and lined with 100% cotton fabric I doubt it very much.  Then another lovely lady said that my prices seemed too cheap.  I do not know if my prices are right or not I just try to cover costs and think would I pay for that, offer something that is very well made and that you will NOT find in the shops.  My bags are completely recyclable should you wish to in the future and above all are 

MADE IN THE UK.

So, I am now going to sort out some paperwork, plan for July and take some pictures of new bags to go on Etsy.

Have a great weekend.

At Long last..............

......after many attempts I have finally taken part in a Craft Fayre that was actually successful!

It was at a venue that I have been to before but not for at least a year.  Maybe they missed me!

I had a constant stream of people buying such a variety of items that I could not give a best seller for the day.  I do think that I have come to a conclusion though.

I will take part on some of these craft Fayre's but only a couple of times a year, at major holidays for example.  I will take only small items and leave the bigger items for Etsy.  I do need to look at my Folksy shop and decide whether to keep it or shut it down. 

I sold quite a bit today and i have updated my Etsy shop as a result. I also have some items to list which I made during the Summer and put to one side.

I think that the next one for me will be Easter 2012 so plenty of time to sort myself out.

If you have a few mins do pop over to my Etsy shop and see what is there over the next few weeks.  Some postage costs have been removed for UK buyers.  For overseas buyers if multiple purchases are made postage will be adjusted.

Tomorrow is Sophie's party for 5 of her friends.  I have made the cakes tonight and need to decorate them tomorrow.

I shall let you know how it goes.

xx

Craft Fayre Craziness

Here is one of several cutting piles that needs to be stitched together by Saturday. it has been about two years since I last did one of these. This time it is better advertised, better venue, better hours and i liked the lady who I dealt with booking my stand!

I have several items that I have been developing over the past few months and will be listed after the fayre if they have not sold (being a bit optimistic here). So my online shops will be closed from Friday 5th March to Monday 7th March. if you want anything for Mother's Day then please do click the buy button as it will all be going to the fayre and with a bit of luck some of it will not be coming back again.

A part of me will be sorry if this goes. It has been waiting to be made up for ages and at the weekend I got it finished. it is also my first OPAM 2010 finish for March.

A fun and pretty pincushion to sit on your sewing table.

MMMMmmmm, I think I might have a go at another one.....

Take care

xx

Pamper Friday..

It's friday again and my little one is in bed. Early up tomorrow for ballet lesson number two, this time she intends to take part. Despite trawling through Ebay I was not able to find any ballet wear that stood a chance of getting here in time. I have decided to see if there is any for sale at the venue. Sophie is really excited.
Well, the pamper session at work went well, so much laughing went on that you would have thought there was wine there as well, but sadly not most of us had to drive home! I set up my itty bitty table at home to see if I could fit everything on which was worthwhile doing as the presentation was commented on and I sold quite a few items. Sophie's dreams of playing shops came true!


The felt keyrings will now be put into my empty Etsy shop in the hope that they will be of interest as well as some of the other items. Take a look over the next week.
I also have a new bag to create for the next U-handbag challenge for November and the "well intentioned but yet to be realised" Autumn pincushion to make. I am glad that there is only one more week until half-term as my stitching has taken such a back seat that it is almost out of sight!! Seeing as my blogging skills are getting better, I would like to try putting a tutorial on here as well. Got a couple ideas up my sleeve.
Off to get a cuppa and do some knitting.