Christmas is Coming

Christmas is coming

The geese are getting fat

Please put a penny

in the old man's hat

If you haven't got a penny

A ha'peny will do

If you haven't got a ha'penny

Then god bless you

by Edith Nesbit Bland

Ha'pennies have long gone  but the magic of Christmas remains, I still look forward to the festive season, decorating the tree and house, hanging the stockings over the fire. The smell of mincemeat cooking in the oven, memories of Christmas past and present.

For Handmade by Me blog hop this week a fairy vanilla scented door pillow:

Check out the other blogs on the handmade by me blog hop, a place to show how you have been creative, read other blogs and most of all spare a few minutes to comment on the posts. We all love to read the comments made on our blogs plus it shows you care and all part of joining in.

A Pink Show and Tell

As mentioned in my blog last week October is a Wear it Pink Month to raise funds for Breast Cancer Awareness, the main day is 28th October  when every effort should be made to wear something pink. I love Pink as do a lot of my friends from Make Mine Pink.

Pink hand towels trimmed with print fabric and broderie anglais, tied with organza ribbon and a rose to decorate

 Miniature drawstring bag for jewellery, messages or just because...

Secret Pocket Cushion made in a pink heart and ribbon print fabric, the flap has a seed bead and pearl tassel with an organza flower at the point. The pocket can hold a paperback book or maybe a diary.

Also this weekend has been World Cardmaking Day check out Christmas Pie Crafts blog for more details and my offering? well had to be pink off course, a bookmark card suing vintage prints with that extra touch of glitter:

Have a happy crafting week Friends

Caroline

Handmade Monday with 1st Unique Gifts

Show and Tell Monday with Make Mine Pink

International Card Making Day with Christmas Pie Crafts

& also check out a fantastic website directory Crafts 4 Charity thank you for your support Mick

The Joy of doing what you love

How many of us start off with a hobby which eventually we are able to turn into a business. I took the plunge in 2003 with Carole Crafts, starting out with purely textiles evolving into a variety of crafts, some self taught, some not over the period of the last 8 years.

Since 2008 I have been luck enough to be creating 24/7, no boss to answer too except myself, no longer a wage slave trying to fit a business into free time in the evenings and weekends. To be able to follow my dream of living and working from home is my bliss and I am eternally thankful that I have had this opportunity.

It is hard at times and especially during the current climate handmade gift buying has taken a battering being replaced by cheap imports. I am still passionate about handmade, with care and attention to detail being able to produce something that little bit different, most of my gift line is OOAK (one of a kind). I am a bit of a crafting butterfly and production line making is not my forte being able to design and create something different each time is a joy and hopefully customers will appreciate that fact, they are able to buy something that hopefully would not have been seen before or certainly not an exact replica.

Inspiration is all around me, today being 81 in the temperature stakes enabled the windows to be flung open, the birds are singing and hard to believe that not 2 weeks ago contemplating turning on the heating, this sort of day with the peace and quiet of the garden except for the wildlife gives me time to sit and reflect the direction I want to go in next. As a crafter you have to evolve and move with the times, what worked 5 years ago will not today.

My style is predominately vintage, love traditional tea parties time of eras gone by when ladies would sit and embroider, drink tea from china cups and tiered plates filled with cucumber sandwiches and fresh cream delicacies, dresses draped in lace and pastel prints. I know not practical for today but that love of vintage fripperies is still here and whilst I have to at times add a modern twist my true love is never far away.

Advice to anyone is hard as we are all different and so very unique, that thought must be held onto at all times in your life but one thing I do agree with is follow your dream, whatever that may be however small you start, never get to an age and look back and regret that you never did. Life is so very short and I am making sure that if I should reach the grand old age of 85 that I can look back sigh and say yes it was a good life and I don't regret one minute of it, any mistakes I made, made me stronger and the person I was and am today and most of all I lived my dream.

Wear it Pink

As mentioned in my Monday blog this week October is the month for the Breast Cancer campaign with the main day of fund raising being 28th October, check out the website for more details:

Wear it Pink

 I have registered to join in the fund raising and am planning a selection of gifts and cards in a dedicated area of my website, 20% of any sales of these products will be donated to the Breast Cancer Campaign.

Wouldn't it be good if we could get a handmade group together, linking websites and blogs with craft in pink, to be part of the cure. You can download posters and flyers, search for an event in your area or like myself and a few others join as a co-operative and promote handmade at the same time, do you want to join in? check out the following criteria.

1. A dedicated section on your website for all things pink (or your entire site up to you)
 giving a donation of the sales to WiP. (this is not a donation given to customers but a percentage of sales taken that you are prepared to send to WiP)

2. This is aimed at handmade only to show what the handmade community can do

3. Let me have your link 

4. Link back to the other participating sites, the whole point of this exercise is to raise money for a good cause and by linking with each other makes the group stronger.

5. Advertise what you are doing on your websites, blogs, events etc during October

I would like to be able to let Wear It Pink know what we are doing along with the participants so if interested and prepared to commit to the whole month send me an email (via my website)  with your business name, website link and terms offered.

Participants:

Carolee Crafts - Website

Christmas Pie Crafts -

The Grimm Exhibition - Website

Lady Luck Jewellery - Website

Pixie Doodles - Website

Irish Wedding Dreams - Website

Let's add to the list and get Wear it Pink on the road.

I will be adding the Pink Collection from Saturday with more items gradually through October

Preparing for October - Wear It PInk

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month with a special drive on the 28th, as a business I would like to do my bit and have registered for and info pack. Plan to make a selection of gifts, in pink of course, donating 20% of all sales, plus have a donation button for the standard £2.00 or more. Would be good if more of us could get involved and one way would be to blog pink every Monday during October, if anyone wants to join in am happy to add a special link to your websites from mine reciprocated of course. You never know we may get our own shop hops going plus help a good cause at the same time.

Now onto Handmade Monday and Show and Tell Monday

Finally sorted out my excessive 'To Do' lists and think they were a hindrance rather than a help, looking at a list a mile long does not do much for the enthusiasm to tackle one task let alone 100's. So well pruned and have decided to concentrate on one week at a time, things that are not due this week get pushed to the back of my mind. Pictures taken and website updated for my 'Dear Santa' plaques, commissioned order for a ballet slipper applique bag with a name embroidered on the front done and being posted off on Monday. This left me Sunday to stitch/craft to my heart's content and 2 petal fleece baby jackets, fit 6-12 months old, lined in pink cotton.

Continuing the ballet theme and not one to waste fabric, door pillows these follow on from my 'Best Friend' for cat and dog lovers earlier in the year.

Magnet Cartes et de Cadeaux, a gift on a card, dinky glass tiles backed with pretty paper and a magnet, placed onto a card representing a notice board, a message can be added. An easy way to post a gift without breaking the bank.
 

 1 down another  9 to go but think that will be for another day.

Check out the other blogs at 1st Unique Gifts

&

Make Mine Pink

Have a good week and don;t forget to check back on Thursday for 'Handmade by Me' blog hop.

Caroline

Handmade by Me Thursday Blog Hop

Production line making is hard for me as I am like a butterfly flitting from one thing to the next, a new length of fabric lands through my letterbox and I want to create not continue on the task in hand, so this week I have had to ensure that I complete the 'Dear Santa' plaques which have been hanging around for a week, that may not be long but needed parchment paper to print off the lists, red and green ribbon for hanging, every obstacle was put in my way. Sheer determination has seen this task completed at last:

and I am happy with them, all packaged ready for my first fair, or Jill's of Christmas Pie Crafts who a trooper that she is has offered to add them to her stall at the school bazaars. Thank you Jill.

check out the other blogs at the Thursday Blog Hop with Handmade by Me:

Another week of crafting at Carolee Crafts packing as much in as possible, not a lot of makes this week but a lot of planning, sketching designs etc.....

Christening Card

This was a bespoke order from a Facebook Group called Handmade in Hampshire, started by Gemma and growing by the day.

 Bought some wonderful fabric from Lucy again from Handmade in Hampshire, love the ballerina's and by adding applique satin ballet slippers with organza bows made a pretty gift for any little or big girl that loves pink an ballet.

Not one to waste anything, what could be done with the strips left? Scrunchies. Still have another length left so watch this space

Handmade Monday was started by Wendy of 1st Unique Gifts and opportunity to share our makes and tales of the previous week. Read the blogs of talented crafters and leave a comment, so come and join in at 1st Unique Gifts Blog

&

Show and Tell with Make Mine Pink  

not forgetting please join us for Handmade by Me blog hop Thursday, a forum dedicated to the business side of crafting with chat thrown in, may be small but we are perfectly formed.