Monthly Archives: February 2015

Half Term Baking

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This half term holiday has been a real whirlwind, from a funeral and birthdays to swimming lessons, hospital visit, Chinese New Year and a couple of family days out.  So there hasn’t been a huge amount of time for crafting.

But we did manage a little bit of baking for Mum’s birthday.  My daughter, now 6, loves to help and she really wanted to make something for her Grandma.  So on the way home from a funeral , we stopped at a Lakeland shop, which only sold kitchen accessories.  It was a great shop and lovely to browse around.  I could have spent a small fortune but was sensible!  We bought some chocolate cupcake frosting, pink wafer flowers and small chocolate beans.

Once home we decided that some cupcakes would be the perfect gift.  I chose the simple, all-in-one sponge recipe and we made two different flavours – vanilla with cherry, and double chocolate!  The smell in the kitchen was delicious.

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Once cooked and cooled. we had great fun decorating them. I used some ready-to-roll icing and an imprinted roller and then cut them into circles to top the vanilla cakes, my daughter then finished them off with the pink wafer flowers. The chocolate ones I topped with the chocolate cupcake frosting, which came in a tube with a piping nozzle! Of course they had to have small chocolate beans added. I think they looked great. We chose the four best and presented them in a lovely cupcake box.

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Mum enjoyed them too and we shared the remaining cakes around. A lovely little crafting session.

Happy crafting
x

Another Sales Outlet

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I have been looking for somewhere to sell my cards / gifts – a physical shop – for some time. I have asked around a number of retail spaces but have been struggling with finding the right location. With some gentle encouragement from a friend, I have now found a local outlet. My local newsagents is now stocking some of my cards!

First card display

They stock quite a good selection of cards, and mine now add a ‘handmade’ alternative to mass produced printed cards. I have a small display stand which I am updating on a weekly basis, trying different styles to see what works.

This is quite a nerve-wracking experience. Seeing my cards on display in somebody else’s shop is great, but now comes the hard bit – what if they sell too quickly and I can’t keep up with demand? Or worse, what if they don’t sell at all?

As this is a completely new venture for me, I have put together a list of the cards I have taken to the shop, giving them all a reference number to aid with identification. I have also set out a couple of terms and conditions for an agreement. They are basically being sold on a sale or return basis and I have set a flat fee commission for the shop. This makes it far easier for me to keep track of. So my fingers are crossed and hoping that my weekly visit to the shop will provide a few sales, or at least some feedback for me to work on. My first comment from the shop owner’s young daughter is to make some cards with butterflies on! I will need to get busy!

Wish me luck.

Happy crafting
x

Family Birthday

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This weekend as well as being Valentine’s Day, is my Mum’s birthday. A big one this year, 70! She’s not particularly impressed with being 70 but we’re all going out for a family meal which will be lovely. Three generations of the immediate family, Parents, Children and Grandchildren.

70th Birthday Handbag Card

We also have a 4th birthday, a 44th wedding anniversary and a funeral to attend, so it’s a big weekend of emotions for us.

So hopefully to help cheer Mum up about being 70, I made her this handbag card. She’s a huge fan of shoes and handbags and I thought the colours would brighten up the day!

I hope she likes it.

Happy crafting
x

Craft Fair

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I will be attending a craft fair in Swinton next month. It’s a new one and hopefully will lead to many more around the Swinton/Worsley and Bolton areas. So check your diaries and pop along to find some lovely unique handmade cards, gifts and accessories. There will also be a café offering tea and cake.

The fair is on Saturday March 14th 2015, at St Anne’s Hall, Manchester Road, Near Clifton Marina, and will be open to the public from 11 – 4pm.

More details will follow. Get the date in your diary and pop along to say hello.

Happy Crafting
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