10 reasons to send happy mail

Hello! It's been a while since the last post but I'm now back from my summer break and my shop is open again. I'm feeling refreshed and ready to get back to making up orders.

I've been thinking recently about how rubbish I am at keeping in touch with friends. I absolutely love receiving a handwritten letter, yet I really don't send anywhere near enough snail mail. I'm too quick to write an email or send a text, but if it's not urgent and doesn't really need a response I'd like to try and pop it in a notecard instead. That's my challenge for the summer - send more happy mail.

If you'd like to join in, please do! And to encourage you to send more happy mail here are 10 reasons to pop a little something in the post and send a smile. (Need to top up your notecard stash? I've got some you might like!).

Folksy Friday - baa baa black sheep

Here's the third in my series of nursery rhyme Folksy Fridays. These gorgeous sheepy items are all handmade and available to buy on Folksy.

I'll be taking a break from blogging for a few weeks now whilst I have some time off (and catch up with the mountains of laundry/tidying/cleaning that have been on hold during the busy wedding season!). Don't forget that my Folksy shop will close tonight, so if there's anything you'd like you better be quick! 

How cute is this sheep mobile by Ella and Boo. It would make such a lovely gift for a new baby.

Love this ceramic sheep in her own little field of moss by the very talented Sheena Spacey Folk Art.

This has to be the funkiest black sheep ever with his damask patterned wool. Add interest to your walls with this print from ialbert.

Baa! Out of the Shadows created this fab children's t-shirt. You can even have it personalised.

Behind the scenes - June

Wow, it's been a busy month! Wedding season is in full swing and I have been making a lot of wedding cards and journals for honeymoon adventures. It's been my second best month ever for sales, coming second only to last November's Christmas rush. I am looking forward to having some time off in July to recover!

I try to add at least one new product to the shop each month and June saw the addition of a personalised wedding guest book. This has been at the design stage for quite a while as I've tweaked different things and practiced a new book binding technique to create a square spine and allow for more pages. I'm thrilled with the finished product and hope you like it too. In fact, there may be another book in this size coming soon... (see a little sneaky peek in the pictures below!).

On the blog I finished the series on making money from selling handmade products, and you can see part 3 here. And the lovely peeps at Folksy started up Folksy Friday again, so how could I resist joining in with a bit of online window shopping. Check out my twinkle twinkle little star collection and my favourite old macdonald items!

Exciting purchases this month include 1400 blank round stickers that I am planning on jazzing up to make my parcels look a bit more exciting. I might add a few to the shop too.

There hasn't really been time for anything else, it's been make make make interspersed with regular trips to the post office.

Shops closed in July

If you've got your eye on something in my Folksy or Etsy shop you'll need to place your order by the end of the week. I'm closing my shops on Friday for 3 weeks whilst I take my summer break and give my fingers a rest.

Folksy Friday - Old Macdonald

After last week's Twinkle Twinkle Little Star theme, I've decided to do a series of Folksy Friday collections based on nursery rhymes. So this week we're off to Old Macdonald's Farm!

Each of these items is handmade by a very talented designer-maker and is available to buy on Folksy.

Old Macdonald had a farm, e-i-e-i-o...

Farmyard placemats featuring original paintings by Grace Scott. These would look great on the dinner table.

Isn't this the cutest little babygrow? Available from My Pipsqueak.

This Old Macdonald bunting from Peony and Thistle would make a great decoration for a kids party.

Love these colourful farm animal bean bags by With Hugs and Kisses. You could sing the rhyme whilst throwing them!

An extra special wedding gift

I've been working on this month's new product for quite a long time and I'm so excited to finally add it to my shop. If you've got any weddings coming up this summer and you're looking for an extra special wedding gift you will love it!

This new wedding journal is personalised with the names of the bride and groom and the date of the wedding making it a unique gift. It is entirely handmade - I cut the pages to size, stitch them together and make the covers.

Use it as a journal to record all the special memories from the big day, or a wedding album, or a scrapbook, or a honeymoon journal or a wedding guest book. Fill it up with whatever makes you happy. Or, at 120 pages, there is plenty of space for everything! You could start it off as a guestbook, add some photos, then take it away on honeymoon to record your adventures. One big book bursting with memories.

You can buy the new personalised wedding journal on Folksy or Etsy. Just allow up to 2 weeks for me to create yours.

Folksy Friday - Twinkle twinkle little star

Folksy have started up Folksy Friday again. I need very little excuse to spend time window shopping for gorgeous handmade items! The theme I've chosen this week is twinkle twinkle little star.

I love the simple design of this star ring from Tartan Tree.

Let the kids be superheros for the days with this felt star badge from A is for Alice.

Wouldn't these tags by Victoria Snape look fab added to a thank you or congratulations gift.

Everyone should send one of these cute cards by Funky Fossil to their hero. Perfect for father's day this weekend.