Quick catch-up

I haven't blogged so much lately and for that I can only apologise. In the poetic words of Kellie Marie, my head's been in a spin and my feet haven't touched the ground. It's less to do with love and more to do with a crazy social life, hectic 9-5 and running a house on my own (it gets really untidy ya know).

So... Past: In terms of crafting, I have been sourcing new supplies (it takes longer than you think), drawing and designing a business card. I have also ordered some post cards... yipee. Also money got stolen from my bank, which is wack, cos I can;t use ebay til it's sorted.

Present: I am having a stall on Wednesday.. I'll say where after in case my stalker is reading (it's not a public one I can publicise anyway). I am quickly putting together my inventor and sorting out packaging etc.

Future: I am so excited about my new supplies and you should be too... resin is making a come back, starting with some simple designs, there is also going to be a winter theme ready for Christmas and whatever else holidays folks are celebrating. I was asked lasked year to make some Christmas/wintery themed stuff and I'm excited about this... there'll also be hearts and some other bits and pieces....

Another future aim is to get some better structure to my blog, I'll have specific days of the month where I'll blog about targets I set for myself, etc etc.

Anyways I'm off... glue must have dried by now.

Wish me luck for Wednesday

Hearts xoxox

Silence is golden

I'm a girl of very few words at the moment. It's not like me at all. But rather than you think I fell off the face of the Earth, here's a few visuals of what I have been working on.

A few stacked flowers ready for a good glueing. You may notice these are on some fab Lego coasters my pal bought me as a house warming gift from Chicago. It was nearby when I was moving them into the make room and they stayed there for now. These will be stud earrings.

Stacked flowers that have been glued and now drying, awaiting their stud fixing. These will also become a pendant on a string of glossy black beads. The colours really change of these in the light, they can look really bright, like in these previous photo, or a sort of frosted finish in the shade. Either way I like them.

Some charms I made ready to be strung into bracelets. Modelled on the Yellow Pages!

Hope you like...

xo

Post Office whinge

Postmen are lazy. I should know, I was practically married to one. It's a joke, Pavos. Don't get hairiated.

I live in a block of flats (sounds gross, it's not) and when I first moved in I was throwing away some rubbish (flat-pack boxes, no doubt) I noticed some packages had been kindly left by the postman in a bin that around 50 people have access to. So like, because I'm nice and that, I didn't bury the packages under my rubbish. I took them inside the block and left it outside the flat door. The main door to the block locks so it was safe.

So from then on I decided I'd have any packages delivered to El Parental, I work full time and I don't want my packages leaving in a public place at the flat.

I made several orders while I was off work from various parts of the world. El Parentals had been away so I was checking the post for them at their house every couple of days. To cut a long story short I had one package re-delivered to a local Post Office, and another I left for my Ma to collect from the depot. So she went to collect from the depot and they say it's been redirected to the local Post Office. So she goes there and guess what? They haven't got it. That's because it's at the depot, it was a different package that had been redirected.

Just bloody lazy. And now I have to wait to get my supplies. I need my new supplies waaaaaaa.

You get a week for a signed item before they return to sender. What's the odds they f*ck up again and end up sending it back saying I never collected it.

Turds.

Times of stress

Just so you don't think I have vanished off the face of the Earth - my day job is hardcore at the minute and I got back from a busy weekend and I'm close to burn out. My usualy Sunday tantrum occured today at 5.03pm, a little behind schedule but I didn't get chance on Sunday. So I'll blog proper later this week.

Hopefully I will debut a photo of some new stud earrings I have started to make. There will be matching necklaces at some point too. I will also fill you in on my recent goings on.

Until then, if you want to cheer me up, buy me this

For those who aren't aware of the Angel of the North, it's a sculpture that stands at the edge of the motorway near Gateshead, which is near Newcastle in northern England. "It is Britain's largest sculpture and believed to be the world's largest angel scupture."

And personally, I think it's 400 times better than those horrid All Saints belts. Eugh
Sorry no link, All Saints appear to have cleaned up their chav act.

Hearts xo

Schmoozie... and some advice please?

So last night a friend and I went to the big launch night of Artsmix @ the Loft . I had lots of questions ready to ask them. When we got there we were directed to get a drink upstairs, have a mingle, and then we'd get a tour.

A few wines from the free bar and a dip under the chocolate fountain (and a few mini workshire puddings) and we're wondering when this tour starts... it didn't seem to happen but there was some information out. We just enjoyed the drinks and a mingle!! So thanks Artsmix, and we'll I'll be back to you with the questions and look forward to applying for a stall!

Anyway, I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with Big Cartel or any other similar product: a website that allows you to open an account which gives you a shop (so in that way like etsy/folksy), and sell your wares WITHOUT the customer having to join as a member to that site.

Personally, I am trying to target buyers who want something unique but don't necessarily seem themselves as a fan of craft (conjures images of free thinking, tree hugging, fair trade sandal wearers - which I have no problem with before anyone gets offended). Alot of my friends (possibly should class them as acquiantances) want to buy my wares, but don't want to have to join and think up passwords and usernames and all that jazz... if they could just browse and shop as they would from, say, ASOS.com I reckon my sales would increase.

So yeah... you know of Big Cartel? Or Mr Site? Can you recommend anything like this?

Ta.

Score! Wahoooooooooooooo yip yip

I have been made a featured seller on Folksy!!

Folksy is a new site for UK makers, crafters and artisits to sell their wares. It's really exciting and nice to be able to sell in £. Currently it's in the BETA stage so they are listening good to everything we request which is really nice, and it's good to be part of something being built.

I only listed a few, and then today I got a personal email from an admin guy saying he had made me a featured seller -woohoo!! Here is the featured sellers bit. Think I am at the bottom because I am the newest. I will now appear on the front page with a shop view and a description etc (alternately with the others), plus as people browse I will come up every now again on the left with a mini shop view... I have been described as 'bonkers, beautiful'. I think I like it!

Here are my moment(s) of fame on the front page:

My next mission... rule the world! MWahahahahah xo

SaLtAiRe ArTs TrAiL / fEsTiVaL / OpEn HoUsEs

Just down the canal from where I live is a sexy little village called Saltaire. It's called Saltaire cos the fella who arranged to have it built was called Titus SALT and it was built on the River Aire. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site which basically means it's pretty great and has to be preserved so you can't really go changing owt on the houses if you live there. It recently got given the title 'Most uniquely British Tourist Attraction' by some guy working for Best Western Hotels. So it was on GMTV and everything.

Victoria Road, Saltaire. Art shops and tea rooms and ting

The fittest church ever (and where I'll get married when someone good enough comes along)

If you click on any of the links above you'll get a good insite into the history, but the short of it is that Sir Salt built the nice village for the workers of his mill to live in, so they had nice houses close to work, and he built a concert hall and all that jazz for them too. Proper nice. No pub though - no hangovers at work!! (There is now one pub in the old village called 'Don't Tell Titus').

Salts Mill is now a funky place with a permanent exhibtion of Bradford-born world famous artist David Hockney and some gorgeous shops. It's well worth a day trip.

Anyway... from 11-21 September is Saltaire Festival. There is plenty going on... follow the link. I thik the best thing about the festival is Saltaire Arts Trail (known by some as 'Open Houses'). Dotted around the village, home owners open their front doors to the general public and showcase and sell pieces of art. It's such a great way to explore the village and open your eyes to emerging local talent.

I think this weekend there is a continental market... mmm chorizo...

Get yourself down :)

One last thing - the resin turned out OK actually. So... pretty soon I am going to make a proper effort and make somat reet nice.

Hearts xo