I'm still alive !!

Ok in case anyone was wondering I am still alive!!!  I have been a bad blogger these last few months as I have had so much going on.  On the positive side one of the things that has been keeping me from blogging is the amount of orders I have been working on recently.  Things have just gone crazy over on my Facebook page over the last few months which is excellent news. I still can’t believe how busy I am and amazing it feels that people like my items enough to want to buy them. It is only 18 months since I set the page up and at the time I never dreamt it would prove as successful as it has done.   Don’t get me wrong it hasn’t always been easy and its hard work – working fulltime in my day job, running scratchycat fulltime in every other hour as well as raising a young family and make time for hubby and Little Miss G means I never stop!. One day it will all be worth it I hope and I’m under no illusion that I wont succeed unless I give it everything.   I have recently taken on a new assistant to deal with some admin work which takes the pressure off a little.  I never realised how time consuming it can be sending invoices, answering e-mails, networking, wrapping parcels and posting items etc.  Now I have an assistant to do lots of those types of things I can focus more on the crafting and producing the products.  Anyway as well as running my Facebook page I have also opened a new online shop.  Now I have had a website for a while but its never really done what I wanted it to so I decided to start from scratch (excuse the pun).  I got the lovely Jamie from Click business Solutionsto build me a new website and then I have spent the last few weeks uploading new products.  If you want a website building I would highly recommend Jamie. He offers a professional and friendly service and nothing is too much trouble.  I will definately be looking to work with him again in the future.  Anyway to celebrate the launch of my new website I am offering the first 20 customers 15% off their order. So if you haven’t been for a nosey go and check it out now.  Make sure you register to claim the discount and to receive future promotions.   I’d love to know your thoughts when you’ve been to check it out…..

Personalised Wedding Cushion

Today i thought I'd share a recent commission i have just finished.  A customer who has purchase a few items off my Facebook Page contacted me recently and asked if could make her a personalised wedding cushion with a VW camper van on.  I loved making it as i don't get as much time to do applique projects as I'd like.  On this occasion i decided to do it slightly different and found a handy tip that i will always use from now on.  Instead of appliqueing the cut pieces onto the cushion face i decided to heat n bond the pieces first and fix them in place then applique over them.  I'm so glad i did it made the process so much easier as the pieces didn't move around and were easier to cut out as well as they were a bit more sturdy.  Anyway what do you think of the end result?......

GIVEAWAY

Today i wanted to tell you about a GIVEAWAY i'm hosting over on my Facebook Page.  Its to say thank you to everyone who has supported my page and a celebration about reaching 2000 likes.  If you want to enter the giveaway pop over to my Facebook Page and check it out.  It ends on Saturday 7th July 2012.  Good Luck everyone xx

Teachers Gifts

Well its 2 weeks today till Little Miss G finishes school for summer holidays! Which means finding 8 weeks of entertainment and at least 5 weeks of help with looking after her while I’m at work.  Last week I made Lili’s Teacher’s gifts so I thought I’d share some other teacher gift idea’s that I have made in this post with you all. 

As with everything i make they are not hard to do so if you want to have a go and don't know where to start then drop me an e-mail or if you can't be bothered making one but want to buy a Teachers Gift then pop over to my Facebook Page where there are lots of items to choose from.

Happy Holidays

Sorry for my noted absence recently but we have been off sunning ourselves in Gran Canaria.  It was a well needed break after i have been so so busy this year.  Having said that we nearly didn't get there!.  4 months ago when i booked flights i checked my passport to make sure it hadn't expired - no 5 years left.  Now because i renew the passports at the same time then i didn't both to check any others BIG mistake!!!.  It didn't dawn on me that Lili's is only for 5 years because she's a child!!!!  So 4 days before going when i go to enter the pre flight information online i almost have a panic attack!!!.  Ok keep calm i'll just ring Liverpool passport office and spend a whole day (that i don't really have to spare!) sorting out a new one.  Oh no those days are long gone when i rung up the passport central number i was told they offered a same day service and a weeks service at all offices.  I explained it was less than a week till we go so could i have a same day appointment please.  Apparently not as as the next available appointment at liverpool was in 2 weeks time (erm why are people being booked in to a same day service when they fly in over a weeks time surely thats what the week service is for!!). To cut a long story short the only uk office with a same day appointment before we were going was Belfast!!!.  So off i flew to sunny Belfast (and it really was) to get little Miss G's passport renewed.  Alls well that ends well but not an experience i want to repeat!!!.

My new garden kits

 Morning all. A really quick post from me today as time is not on my side this week!!. just wanted to share some of the latest things i have been working on with you. First up is some childrens garden sets i have been working on.  Each set includes 3 metal garden tools, garden gloves and metal tin bucket and a drawstring bag to put everything in.  I've had this idea for a while but haven't had time till now to make some.  They have been proving very popular over on my Facebook Page 

 Next up is this wooden photo frame i made for a customer.  love the cute boys name!

 These little kitties are now off to their new home

 And finally my latest crayon roll.  If you want some instructions on how to make these pop over to the fabSkip to me lou

Fathers Day Idea's

Given its only just over 4 weeks till Fathers Day i thought i would write a post on Fathers Day Idea's.  personally i find most men hard to buy for my dad being no exception!  Even harder than this is trying to find craft projects to make things for them!!.  Anyway here's some of the items i have been making so far:-

If you want some more idea's pop over to my Fathers Day photo album on my Facebook Page .  If you want to share any of my idea's then all i ask is that you link back to this blog of my facebook page.   

This weeks Crafting

 Today i thought i would share some of the things i've been making this week. First up is something i have been meaning to try for a while now.  I had some plain headbands i bought last year with the intention of jazzing them up.  Until now i haven't had chance to do something with them.  The other night i was sorting through Little Miss G's clothes for our holiday in June and realised she didn't have many headbands that matched her summer clothes.  With this in mind i grabbed my glue gun some ribbone and embellishments and ta dah......  

 This next project was a practise for an order i have.  I have been asked to make a drawstring bag with a see through panel in the front in a childs initial.  I thought i would practise first and came up with this in hello kitty fabric with my little girls intial on.  She loves it and it was really easy to do.  i used vinyl fabric for the panel and made the rest the same as a normal drawstring bag.

 Now how cute is this scottie dog fabric?.  I'm tempted to make another to keep for myself!!

 This last project was inspired by a number of people i know who are pregnant at the moment.  It is a car sign with a sucker on to hang in the window.

Bits and Bobs

Hi guys how is everyone?.  How on earth did we get to May already?. Seriously it seems like yesterday i was cooking Christmas Dinner..... Anyway things have been busy busy busy and i don't seem to have stopped for as long as i can remember.  We go on holiday in a month though and I'm looking forward to doing absolutely nothing for a whole week.  But for now i have lots of orders to be making.  Here's some of my recent makes and as always if you want to make them and need some help drop me an e-mail. 

 This bag is made from lovely minky fabric that i purchased from the lovely Claire over at Cheshire Fabrics

 I thought the bag would look sweet with a detachable owl keyring on so i made this to go with it.

 This photo frame was for a new baby and i think this is my favourite so far.

 I was asked by a lovely lady to create a keepsake hand print frame that she could give as a present. She sent me her son's hand print and i wrote the poem over the hand print then made the frames.

 and finally this is my first attempt at using chalkboard fabric (love it!).  I made this travel chalkboard that can be rolled up.  When i get time i am going to make a chalk roll and drawstring bag  to make it into a little set.

What Glorious Weather

How gorgeous is the lovely sunshine we have had all weekend?.  I love it. Everything seems better with sunshine doesn't it?.  We made the most of it on Sunday and took little Miss G to out local adventure park and then went out to our favourite restaurant for tea.Lets hope it stays like this for a while.

So what crafting have you all been up to?.  I have been on random projects this week including:-

 This first two photo's are gifts for my friend who's foster children are changing school and she wanted a thank you gift for the teachers

 At the moment I'm loving making photo frames.  They are so much fun to do and easy enough for anyone to try.  The good think is that you can use any scrap embellishments up too.  These two were for a lady who has twin girls called poppy and daisy and she had seen a a poppy photo frame i had made and asked if i could do another and also a daisy themed one too.

 This last one is an IPhone case in lovely Cath Kidston stanley fabric. One day i will get round to make one of these for myself to keep!.

Monkey Madness

Recently i have been making sock animals in the dozens.  Everyone seems to want them.  I do love making them as i like to give each one its own individuality and i'm always trying to come up with new designs.  i thought i'd dedicate this post to some of the monkeys i have made over the last few months.  If you want to have a go at making your own then drop me an e-mail and i'll send you the instructions of a basic monkey. If you don't want to make one but want to give some love to one that i've made then visit my Facebook page and pick a monkey to buy. They start at £8.50 for basic monkey's and you can add accessories and name tags and other bits and bobs as you go along.  I am also taking part in a charity auction in aid of McMillan nurses and Iris my pink and white sock monkey at the end of this post is up for auction so pop along to the wonderful Supermum's Craft Fair Facebook Page and have a peek at all the fab items up for auction.  If you wa nt to bid on Iris then click on the link Here.  The auction starts on Thursday 22 March 2012.

 This Monkey was for my hairdressers.  I took a monkey to sew whilst having my highlights done (multi tasking!) and she loved the one i was making and asked if i could do one for them.

Happy Mothers Day

Hope everyone had a lovely Mothers Day yesterday. I spent the whole morning catching up on my guilty please Desperate Housewives on Sky Plus. I think it’s the longest period of time I’ve spent chilling out all year!. It was fab. Mr G and Little Miss G also took me out to lunch as well. The best bit by far was the gorgeous handmade card that little Miss G made me.

So what did everyone else get up to yesterday?

Whilst I’m here catching up I’ll share some of my latest makes with you.  Up first is some baby wipe holders in my latest favourite fabric. How cool are these fab bright designs!.

 This next item was an order for a lady.  Thisis a fairly easy project to do all you need is a wooden rectangle blank and some wooden shoes but you could always substitute these with foam or card shoe shapes.

 This next one was a commission for a lady who wanted a poppy photo frame for

her mum for mothers day. 

 This last plaque was one i made for My Mother In Law off little Miss G for Mothers Day.