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Wednesday 31 October 2012

The return of the Wednesday one day sale

Some of you may remember the Wednesday one day sales earlier this year. Well, the great news is that they're back.


What?
One item from the say it Folksy shop will be offered at a special discounted price for one day only.

When?
Every Wednesday between now and Christmas.

How?
To benefit from the special offer, simply make your purchase from the say it Folksy shop before midnight on the Wednesday.

Why?
Because everyone likes a little special offer.


And to start us off this Wednesday I have a super offer for you. For one day only get a pack of three Silver City Christmas cards for just £3 (that's a saving of £2.20, and just £1 per card!).


Want some? Buy them from the say it Folksy shop before midnight tonight.


Monday 29 October 2012

Making cards for pennies

I make cards out of all sorts of things. My husband thinks I'm mad when he's about to throw something away and I jump in and rescue it from the bin with a sheepish "I might be able to use that!" comment. When you look at how much crafting supplies cost, especially fancy papers, it makes sense to use the resources you have around you for free. The rule in my house now though is that if it's still lying around after a few weeks and I've not found a use for it, then my husband gets to put it back in the bin!

I thought I'd share with you a few ideas for recycling everyday materials to make lovely cards that cost pennies.



Brown paper
Brown paper or other similar types of packaging make great backgrounds on cards. The sort of stuff you get loosely wrapped around your items in the over-sized amazon box is perfect. If it doesn't look particularly arty, try scrunching, tearing or layering it to create different effects. You could also use inks to decorate it or stamp patterns over it.



The bits of packaging in between layers in a box of chocolates
Do these have a name?! I have no idea why they are strictly necessary, but most boxes of chocolates seem to have them. And they come in lovely colours! It creates a nice 3D effect and provides an interesting texture. I've just acquired a pink one which I can't wait to use.



Ribbon and stringy things
When you start looking for ribbon and string you'll be amazed at how much you would ordinarily throw away. A couple of weekends ago we were having a family celebration and I was given the ribbon off of the cake. And I got some raffia from a bunch of flowers (the flowers weren't mine, I just riffled through the rubbish!). My family now save me bits of ribbon and I often get presented with a little pile when I go and visit.



Beads
Beads look great on cards. If you have any old beaded jewellery don't throw it out, cut the thread and save the beads. Or look for cheap bead jewellery in charity shops that you can rescue the beads from. Some particularly hideous bracelets may actually yield some very nice beads. You could make them into shapes using wire or nylon thread, or simply run a string of beads down the side of the card.



Tissue paper
Often used as packaging or wrapping, tissue paper is really easy to salvage. If it's creased you could scrunch it up even more, or use a slow drying glue and smooth the tissue out over your card. You can create some wonderful effects by tearing and layering.


Thursday 25 October 2012

Craftseller magazine feature

Ok, I admit that it's so small that you could easily blink and miss it. But I am still very excited. For the first time ever I have been featured in a magazine. Craftseller #17 is out now and if you flick to the back there's a very helpful article on copyright, with a little pic and helpful tip from yours truly!! And that's my mini map jotter too (advice on using maps is on the previous page).


Thank you very much Craftseller for including me :-) It just goes to show that you should definitely take up opportunities when they're presented to you, you never know where they might lead.



Tuesday 23 October 2012

Giveaway winner

Thank you very much to everyone who entered my giveaway to win their favourite three Christmas cards from the say it Folksy shop.

I numbered all entries and used a random number generator to choose the winner.


And I can now announce that the winner is...


Number 8: Sarah


Well done Sarah and I hope you like your cards. All the above designs that Sarah chose as her favourites are available from the say it shop.


Monday 22 October 2012

I won!

One of the best things about joining this wonderful crafting community is finding out about giveaways. A year ago I had no idea that people ran giveaways. Big competitions yes, but I always figured they weren't worth entering because I had so little chance of winning with all the hundreds of people who entered. Handmade giveaways, however, are totally amazing.


This amazing parcel of goodies arrived through my letterbox on Friday. I was so excited to open it!


Here is Mr Lilypad chicken. He's why I entered. Isn't he wonderful! He's going to join the cow, ladybird and snowman that sit on the windowsill in my craft room.

I must say a massive thank you to Lynsey from Swirlyarts for running the giveaway and picking me as the winner. Thank you Thank you Thank you. If you'd like to get yourself your very own chicken, head over to the Swirlyarts Folksy shop or take a look at Lynsey's blog.

Friday 19 October 2012

Interesting reads

I love reading craft blogs. To be honest, I probably spend too much time reading them when I should be getting on with advertising or making up orders. But there are so many fantastic blogs out there, with so many wonderfully interesting posts to browse. I thought I'd share a few of my recent favourites.



Paper ball tutorial from How about Orange
I made one, and I'm chuffed to bits with it. 



Polymer clay pebble buttons made by Handmade Harbour
Definitely one to try



Will you be supporting handmade this Christmas?


How to make your white backgrounds whiter. 
A photoshop tutorial from Nicole's Classes. 
This is a tool I have recently learnt to use.


Steering Creativity.
An extract from a new book called 'Get paid for your passion'.
Something to get you thinking.



Inspiring business cards by Discover Paper.
Well this just makes mine look boring


Really helpful blog post on SEO by Kerry Roberts Designs
The first thing I've read about SEO that I understand and can actually implement! 

Tuesday 16 October 2012

Folksy Five #10

Just in case you've not seen the previous nine Folksy Five posts - this is a series of mini interviews with some of my favourite shops on Folksy. Many thanks to today's five sellers for taking part. Click on the shop banners to head over to their Folksy shops and see more of the lovely things they have made.

PS. Have you entered our giveaway yet? Win some free handmade cards!






Your name: Lizzie

Shop name: Lizzie Loves

Describe the items you make in 3 words: Bespoke textile gifts

How long have you been selling on Folksy: 3 months

How do you decide what to make next: At the moment I'm working on a couple of commissions so the decision on what I should make next has been taken out of my hands. I produce a lot of personalised cards and textile pictures so these have to be made to order. However, when I do find myself with spare time I have a note book brimming with new ideas that I jot down as and when they pop into my head. Sometimes I might find a piece of fabric, or a button that inspires me to start a design, luckily I'm never short on ideas.

You can also find Lizzie Loves on facebook where there are lots more designs available.

What are your 3 favourite items from your shop:








Your name: Fiona

Shop name: Inkyprints Originals

Describe the items you make in 3 words: Hand-printed, linocuts, journals

How long have you been selling on Folksy: 8 months

How do you decide what to make next: Juggling new design ideas with my printmaking, binding and exhibition schedules is one of the toughest tasks of all (aside from marketing) and I have to channel creative endeavour to run alongside commercial needs. New designs should enhance the development of the range. Next in my carving schedule I’m looking forward to romantic designs for Valentine’s Day and next year’s Wedding Season. I have more designs than time to carve and print them so I jot them down in one of my notebooks to make sure they get their turn under the lino knife.

What are your 3 favourite items from your shop:








Your name: Jennie & Dyfrig

Shop name: Peris and Corr

Describe the items you make in 3 words: screen-printed home wares

How long have you been selling on Folksy: Since 2010

How did you choose your shop name: This took us ages to come up with! But its our surnames.

What are your 3 favourite items from your shop:








Your name: Bonita Keay

Shop name: Beaky

Describe the items you make in 3 words: handmade, fun, unique

How long have you been selling on Folksy: About 3 years but have been selling my stuff elsewhere for 6

How did you choose your shop name: My shop name is really an anagram of my first initial and my last name (which is pronounced key). I can't take the credit though as it was a friend that started calling me Beaky years ago. When I started by business and was thinking of a business name that was the first thing that came to mind.

What are your 3 favourite items from your shop:









Your name: Helen

Shop name: Helle Belles Cards

Describe the items you make in 3 words: Quality Handmade Cards

How long have you been selling on Folksy: Just over a year

What How did you choose your shop name: This was simple, I just choose the pet name that my family have for me “Helle Belles”.

What are your 3 favourite items from your shop:




And their favourite items from the say it shop are:
Skiddaw button magnets
chosen by Lizzie Loves
Chlef music birthday card
chosen by Beaky
Essen bookmark
chosen by Peris & Corr
Baku birthday card chosen by Inkyprints Originals
Seoul beaded necklace chosen by Helle Belles Cards

Friday 12 October 2012

Folksy Friday: Postcards

It's Friday :-) Now I don't go out to work in an office any more, Fridays usually don't have quite the same excitement as they used to. Saturdays just aren't that different when you work for yourself. But this weekend I am having a proper weekend off (*whispers* because it's my birthday!) - no checking emails, no tweeting, no "I'm just going to finish this order off". So for once, I'm really excited that it's Friday and very almost the weekend.

I've been browsing Folksy again. I try to persuade my husband that it really is for work, but I know he thinks I'm actually shopping! This week I've been looking for my favourite postcards. I think they're a great way to keep in touch with friends, and perfect if you don't want to say much but really want to send something to say hello and let them know you're thinking of them.

So here's my pick of the top postcards on Folksy. All handmade by designer-makers right here in the UK. Click on the pictures to find out more (or even buy one!).


Woodland animal postcards
Lil3birdy
Buttons postcard
Beaky
Butterfly postcards
CraftyCrocs Card Shop
Set of four garden postcards
Cassia Beck
Art postcard
say it
Hello flower postcard
Little Green Shed
Marlow the cat postcard
Lisa Hunt Illustration Doodle Shop
Hand printed postcards
Bread and Jam


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