Business cards - finally!

Phew they are finally here - the photo's aren't terrific as the light wasn't good and I was going to re-take them in the light box but then the camera battery died on me! So the slightly dark ones will have to do. You'll get the gist anyway and if you fancy one then you will just have to buy something from me :)

And these are some that are wip - they will be finished soon!!


Right that's it for tonight as I'm busy sorting magazines for envelopes and it's taking a lot longer than I thought!

Wednesday weigh in!

Well I haven't lost any weight this week but I haven't put any on so I am still 12 st 5. Not bad seeing as I haven't been trying this week at all!

I'm slowly sorting out the craft room and actually managed to get into the eaves storage yesterday to go through all my old teaching things and sort them out into 2 piles - one for Anya's school to have a look through and one for the tip! We also got rid of a load of Matt's old training manuals that he hasn't looked at in 2 years - and it's stuff that goes out of date easily. So last night was spent by me tearing off the front covers which can't be recycled and ripping out the spiral binding - ditto. I was watching Project Catwalk on You Tube though as I was doing it - I've got the last one to watch tonight so I will see who wins!! So exciting!!

For those of you who wanted to see business cards I have been making some today but the light was terrible here so I haven't taken any photographs yet. I do however have a photograph of the gorgeous coin purse made for me which I am going to use as a business card holder.


It's by Sarah from Saysie and it's perfect for what I need! It came super quickly too and is very beautifully made. Sarah also makes jewellery too as Hope Jewellery. Gotta give you a plug Sarah!

Right well I will be back tomorrow hopefully with photographs of the business cards and if not then takes of how the tidying has gone tomorrow - we will have all day doing it!

Views of my craft room!

WARNING - it's not pretty!!! This is before the tidy up and sort out. Please note that the tidy up and sort out hasn't officially started yet although it will do soon! First images of my desk.


This last one shows the desk and the doorway leading out to the corridor - which can be seen below!

Next up the sofa - which you can't really see under all the stuff piled on it!!

Next up the shelves which really do need a serious clean up and sort out!!

So I have a bit of work cut out for me over the next two weeks! Plus this doesn't show the boxes of finished items in the utility room (left since my last fair before Christmas!) and the bags of things at the bottom of both sets of stairs waiting to come up. Oh and the two boxes of papers ready to be made into envelopes in the front room along with about 4 other bags of things - and the sewing machine and other bits in the dining room!

Better get off here and get to work!! The photo's with accompanying notes will be going up on my Flickr later - in case you want to leave nice messages about how it's really not that messy :)

Good start to the two week holiday - not!

Matt was due to take the big car to the airport this morning as the little one was very low on fuel but he came back in about 5 minutes after he had left saying he was taking the little one as the big car had a puncture! So we had an exciting ride out in the tow truck to Kwik Fit with the car following us which the girls found very exciting. We also got to eat lunch out which was good and I got two compliments on well behaved children - smug mum mode now!

This morning also found me finishing up the wholesale order. The vast majority of the work was done over the weekend and I just had fiddly things like writing invoices etc to do. Here are some pictures of what was sent off.


Knitting needle bracelets. The more eagle eyed among you will notice the new packaging - it still needs work as the cardboard is a bit thin. What do you think?

Some Peter and Jane badges - taken from vintage ladybird books. I love choosing which part of the page are going to become badges - and I have some left for more badges and even some tags!

Some London Underground badges - not as satisfying to make but they are proving, along with the matching tags, to be quite popular.

Snoopy badges! I used to love Snoopy when I was younger and I still like reading through the books now. I also like finding little gems like this one below - an angry Woodstock! I was going to keep it for myself but then I decided to let it go.

Delicious lunch and my glass!!!

Matt made a lovely lunch today of things we bought at the continental market yesterday - olives, olive bread, mozzarella, sundried tomatoes, brie and some gorgeous raspberry dressing. The dressing came from a different market though but we just haven't had it until now!

It was delicious and I was impressed that the girls tried most of the things too. Sophisticated tastes!

Here are the pair of coasters I made on the workshop last weekend with Phil of Glass Kanvas. I think these are my favourite things I made. They are already in use!

If you look at this next one you can see the glittery layer of glass on the bottom.

And these are two of the suncatchers I made - the other is still up in the window and I couldn't be bothered to climb up and get it down!

I know I promised business cards but I still have part of the wholesale order to make up and other bits and bob to do so that will have to be tomorrow's post. I'll show you the new and fabulous business card holder I bought too!

Cards!

I'm finishing off a wholesale order today of badges and knitting needle bracelets but I'm hoping to have some time this afternoon to sew some of my business cards - I'll supply you with photographs when they are done!! And because I don't like to have posts without a photograph here is another thing that I bought the other day at the charity shop - some vintage maps.

A huge project!

And it's not really one that is fun but is essential. Turning boring white business cards into my magnificent Swirlyarts business cards. And I've got 2,500 of the buggers to do!

First I need to punch out swirls into them and then I need to choose the offcuts of my fabric and sew those bits to the back - a bit labour intensive but they look good when finished and make my cards a bit different. I even had a lady once at a fair who wanted several as she collected unusual business cards - I didn't refuse! Here's Tara trying to figure out if she can help in any way!

And as you can imagine I have lots (about 2,500 when finished!) of the little cardboard swirls left over - I will be keeping some for myself but if anyone would like any then leave a comment and I'll get in touch for your address.

250 down, 2,250 to go!

I did have a post ready - honest!

But I was very busy today and just didn't have chance to do it - and I'm too tired now!
See you tomorrow!

Wednesday weigh in - and charity shops!

Well the weigh in for today is 12st 5 - which is 2lb down from last week - whooooo hoooooo! I've cut back on the amount I eat but I'm still allowing myself a treat a day. Yesterday's was a danish that my friend Alex brought over for me! She also brought a fantastic pressie for me - a chicken cup that was filled with mini creme eggs!

And here he is without his head!

I had my orange juice out of him this morning as I don't think he would cope with hot tea! And I still have all of the creme eggs although Tara and I might have one for a treat later. I also bought a pressie for Alex while I was at the charity shop but didn't take any photographs. She is going to write about it on her blog so I will post a link once she has written it - phew long sentence! The link is here now!

Well I had great luck at the charity shops yesterday and both of my favourite ones were open although the third favourite was shut - they were stocking up with loads of bags going inside so I might have to have another trip there this week! I got a few books - surprise surprise! Two are for me and the rest are destined to become tags and envelopes.


Some of the books are already cut up (organised Lynsey!) but here's a few that aren't. I remember reading some of these as a child at school and they were great - I'm going to flick through them before I cut them up.

I also got a pillowcase, some maps, a scarf, a skirt and a bag full of lace trim. The chicken bag that's normally stored in my handbag was full of lace trim so I was quite pleased with that. But the piece de resistance is this cardigan/coat. I tried it on and Tara said 'Mummy's' so who was I to argue!

I wore it up to nursery this morning and I got some admiring glances. Well I think they were admiring anyway!

April already - and handbag!

I cannot believe that it is April already! Where is this year going to? The car had to go in for a service this morning so me and Tara dropped it off this morning and went for a walk around town. Obviously I had to go into the charity shops and I got a few bargains - you will have to wait to see them though as the weather here is appalling and the photographs won't come out. I did get a photograph this morning though of the contents of my handbag - lots of people in blogland are showing off the contents of their bags so I thought I would jump on the bandwagon! I think it has been organised by 3 Buttons and it looks like there is a challenge a week. Good blog fodder I believe!

So here are the contents of my handbag. Quite boring when you look at it!

Wad of tissues
Chewing gum
Tartan bow - not sure why as it doesn't have a clip or anything so it's not actually practical!
Paracetamol
Butterfly hair clip
Purse
Two lots of lip balm
Pen
My cute apple and worm business card holder with my own and Cuteable business cards
Deodorant
Swirlyarts chicken bag that hubby had custom made for me!
Business cheque book - it's huge!
Phone
Ideas book made from a scrap of wallpaper and envelopes/scrap paper for the pages.
Nappy and wipes

I didn't take a picture of the pile of screwed up receipts and tissues that were hiding at the bottom of my bag! If you head over to my flickr photo's you will see the same photograph but with notes!