Ta Daaaaaaaa

I have nothing more to say than this.....

I have finished my accounts, and I have filed my tax return.

*breathes a huge sign of relief and goes to put the kettle on*

Will some one PLEASE tell me to start in April next time?

Felty Flowers

I thought you might like to have a little look see at my new pin cushions. I am very excited about them. They are all based on actual flowers, have a see if you recognise any. You can have a sneak preview before they actually make their way onto Folksy! I can't list them yet as I am waiting for my packaging to arrive. Yawn! Been a week now!

This one is based on the common daisy. The cheery little flower that grows in the lawn.

This one is based on the Aster. A relative of the daisy.

And this one is based on Rudbekia. One of my favourite flowers.

New Beginnings

The lovely winter wonderland is a distant memory now, and everything is turning into a distasteful grey slush. We are only just beginning to get back into our routine. The kids schools have been opening late and closing early, which really doesn't help the creative process, and the impending need to finish off tax returns is getting greater.

I on the other hand would rather be making things. At the moment I am bouncing between Valentines (which I have to admit, I'm not very good at), and starting up some of my new ideas, which I am very excited about. My new pin cushions were an idea born of necessity. Before Christmas I was lamenting my lack of pin cushion (I only had a fiddly magnetic tray - very annoying), as I was making some decorations, so I decided to quickly run one up! Using up some handy discs of felt I had already cut out made me think of a daisy, so one thing lead to another and I was sewing petals around the edge and sticking it in a little terracotta pot Ginger No1 had painted at a party.

So this is a photo of my prototype pin cushion. I am still using it now, and it is working very well.

It has undergone some major structural changes since then, adding a board in the bottom to stop the pins poking all the way through, and generally neatening up, and I am very pleased with the final item. Keep an eye out on Flickr and in my Folksy shop for the new super improved version!

A New Year, a New Start

Well, it has been a very long time since I last blogged. Christmas was a very busy time, making stuff for my Folksy shop, making stuff for commissions, and lastly making Christmas presents! I was very tired towards the end, surviving on approx 3-4 hrs of sleep a night. But all was well in the end, although I did forget to give out some cards to neighbours, oops! Never mind, I can keep those until next Christmas!

My first three months as a Folksy Seller went amazingly well, much better than I could have imagined. It has fuelled my desire to continue making and selling. This is my job, and I really don't ever want to go back to working in retail!

I have to say a big thank you to my lovely friend Mel. If it wasn't for her pushing me (I do need a swift kick every now and then) I wouldn't have made a single thing to sell. So here's to Mel.

I have lots of plans for 2010. I am currently sourcing recycled felt from the very lovely Jenny and Joe at http://www.folksy.com/shops/thefeltedrainbow They are very helpful, so pop over and give their felt a try. As my current stocks dwindle I will be replacing my packaging with some biodegradable alternatives. I already package my cards in biodegradable bags made from corn starch, but now I have found packing foam made from potato starch!

2010 also brings plans to open a new shop on Folksy. Red Kite Ceramics will hopefully be open for business in the next couple of months. Feedback from the Folksy Forums is very positive, so hopefully, time allowing, making will commence and something will be happening soon!