Getting Caught up....

...in things that I hadn't expected this week. I fear this will be another fragmented post containing all the things that went 'Blog that' and I never got around to it! NTS: Do homework as you get it!

First off the Hidden Eloise shocker! I won't go about it as I am fairly sure that thanks to Neil Gaiman and his Tweeting prowess the whole world now knows! Suffice to say though, Eloise rules the most and has conducted herself with the same poise and grace she displays in her beautiful work throughout this whole *unpleasantness*. I hope that the designer in question recovers from the fallout from what was a disastrous error of judgement on her part and that Eloise's sales go through the roof! Good luck to both :)

For those who have been working hard rather than spending the last few days on blogs and Twitter, you can catch up on Eloise's blog here (also in most national newspapers!).

Next up - UK Handmade! Fabulous magazine and blog that I though we had joined yonks ago but actually hadn't (Shop UK Handmade instead - pay attention Paula!) Karen Jinks has asked us to do an interview for a feature on the blog that will be posted soon. A lot has changed for Lesley and I over the last couple of years and it was really interesting for us to think about the questions we were asked about how we started, how we currently work and how we would like to progress in the future.

This had got me thinking about how many different 'hats' I wear in the course of an average day. Although, I flit fairly easily between the various roles in my life I rarely spend more than a couple of hours doing any one thing before I am off the the next.

Although I am acutely aware of the importance of promotion and networking, most will have fallen foul of the hidden tangents that the evil temptress 'internet' can't wait to take you off on! It's becoming fairly evident that designing/making is the area that is suffering most from this - especially when I am so easily distracted by unexpected things! I am hoping to find a few more shops in Yorkshire to stock our items over the next few weeks and have realised how much stock I will need to produce to make this happen - if anyone has a solution to this I would LOVE to hear from them!

Given the problems of time management we wahm's face every day it's easy to forget to treat ourselves! Oooh that reminds me...WE'RE in THE STORQUE! (Hahaha, yup - seamless!).

Etsy's new UK blogger Amity Roach of All Those 3hrees on Etsy has included my Purple and Crismson Pansy Corsage in her article, UK Etsy Finds : Self Appreciation on Valentine's Day. Amity is an amazing jewellery designer and if anyone wanted to treat me to her Silver Stitch Texture Ring for Vally's day than that would be lovely! Thanks so much to AMity for the inclusion.

Right, I absolutely must go and sew now.....Oh no, Twitter is rallying to Eloise's side once more - looks like things are taking a turn! Ooh look at those shoes....do I want a coffee? Damn!!!

Paula x

Colour Me Guilty!

My post today is by way of apology to Fleas of Roots Deity Poems. Fleas has been our myspace friend for an age and a tireless supporter of our work. He has been making picture videos to go with his music and uploading them to myspace, youtube and Wordpress. Back in December he asked if he could make a vid featuring one of my textile art cards featuring the Three Hares symbol - of course I agreed and promised to link to the vid and Fleas' sites...................I forgot *cringe*!! So I am doing it right now!!

Thank you so much Fleas and sorry again for my slackness!

Paula x

Catching Up.

Just a few bits today, I've been ill on and off for a fortnight and am desperately trying to catch up with work now that I have FINALLY filed my tax return just in time!

This evening I am taking a condensed version of our stall to a Ladies Pamper Night at one of our local primary schools - Myrtle Park in Bingley. I have done one of these at my children's school before and love the opportunity to get a bit dressed up and treat it as a proper evening out. I really hope that the mums there that haven't seen me or our work before like what they see. It's always mixture of excitement and trepidation when selling right on your doorstep. I mean I will most likely see some of my customers again! I want the right word inserted in the sentence 'Oh, look Agnes, there's that red-haired woman who sells those ***** accessories' if I am ever spotted on the zebra crossing!

Next on my scrappy agenda today is to say a huge THANK YOU to Cassandra of Gracie's Garden Bazaar for her wonderful feature on us this week. The image is a screen cap from her page and as someone who would occasionally sign off letters as 'Rapunzel Badlash' I am so so chuffed with this feature on my hair accessories. The blog itself is gorgeously and romantically written and I strongly suggest that the wistful and fey amongst you click 'follow' forthwith :) Her Folksy shop is equally lovely!

Finally (before I leg it upstairs to the studio to try and do a week's work in five hours!) we are listed on this fab new blog Folksy Weddings. It's a great resource for handmade weddings in general and a brilliant showcase for Folksy. The success of my Poppy Corsages in November shows the potential of Folksy and the more promotion it gets the better. Especially since we don't have Martha Stewart to sing its praises here in the UK!

Paula x

PS The selling event ended up with me tottering up and down a makeshift catwalk in mismatched high heeled boots! Since I am already 5'9" tall I think it is safe to say that most of the ladies there will remember me now!! I also had to stand up and tell everyone all about Wychbury - OMG! Luckily the response to our work was overwhelmingly positive so it's all good :)

Happy New Year Everyone!

Well we have been away for what seems like absolutely ages! November was packed with craft fairs and Christmas events and both of us did extra work in other areas over the Christmas period. I am going to be working, believe it or not, in a childminding setting with a view to getting some experience in doing various craft activities and workshops with children as well as getting some fantastic opportunities doing display work. It's loads of fun and I think it will dove-tail in with my current Wychbury work really well.

For the new year I have some new designs coming through including these fascinator bands that I showcased during our Christmas events. My pansies were inspired first off by the hand tinted, fade velvet flowers you see on antique Victorian millinery - there is a great collection of hats in Cliffe Castle Museum in Keighley that I gaze at for ages at a time! Really, these pieces are another way of getting my pansies onto the head and echoing the theme in a more up to date, wearable way.



















I like the idea of a cluster of the flowers as it gives me a chance to mix colours for more impact. The design is also very versatile in terms of colour and the number of flowers I use - I am going to be offering custom pieces for bridal and formal wear as well as being ace to wear every day. I am personally delighted about the fascinator's move to mainstream fashion and long may it be so!!

Paula x