Decisions, decisions, decisions...

 So, now I've given myself time to think I've made a couple of decisions.

From my list of possibilities I've decided to go with the creating idea - more specifically to start with - bags. They are something I enjoy making, quick and easy to complete and sell well. As I mentioned last time I've plenty of fabrics waiting to be upcycled or used from new. I've also got a small stock already and people who've seen them on Marketplace or Vinted asking if I have more so it seems like a positive place to start.

I've got both knitted and sewn bags in a variety of designs and sizes so building a stock should be easier than starting from scratch.

 

This isn't the only part of the business idea!

I want to record the process for each bag and write instructions so that anyone wanting to can make simple bags too! I haven't decided how to set them free into the world yet. It may be that I make them available through this blog one at a time and then build up a saleable pack for a number of them, or even make them into a downloadable ebook. I did think a 'getting ready for Christmas' theme would work - I'm just not sure which Christmas!!!

Before I can get any further I need to do some homework.

I need to know where the best place to sell the physical bags would be. Next where do I make the patterns available and how do I market them. I also need to investigate the software to make it all look good - Canva might be my way forward.

Research then - platforms for sale, creative software and marketing. Luckily I've already got a month long course in creating boards and using Pinterest from Sophie Ingleby so I've somewhere to start.

While all that is going on I can get making and produce some bags all ready to go.

Going to be a busy time .. Ahh yes, the time scheduling I mentioned in my last post.

The only real free time I have is about half an hour each morning, a couple of two hour blocks twice a week and possibly some snatches of time in the evenings. That gives me a total of about 11 hours a week.

It's going to be tight, but my idea is that, to start with, the research and computer work happens each morning. Making the bags fits into one two hour block and then listing and creating instructions goes into the other. Packaging and dispatching can be a moveable feast in the evenings as it won't necessarily be an everyday occurance.

To make sure I can access all these things I've had a long hard think about the tools I'll need. All the sewing/knitting/haberdashery/packaging stuff I need is already in the house. Sharing a laptop - especially when I want to work before anyone else is up or after they're in bed is more difficult so I've taken the plunge and bought myself a new one!

So - off to work...... I'll report back next time...

And Finally - yes I hope so..

 Okay, I know it's January and this should have been written almost a month ago, but as I mentioned last time the events of the end of the year caught me out.

This then is a sort of rapid romp through what I intended to write with photos showing some of the ideas in their making stages as I had to speed up to get them off to the right people and places as I went along!

The idea of making so much for the festive period is twofold. Making something specifically tailored to a person and spending time and care on it can make a gift special, it can also cost far less than a hastily bought 'pressure to buy' present. 

Here's the last elephant to see out 2022 (even if it is 2023 now) - good thing he's got a good memory aided by my notebook and photos!

Month 12 - Bite 1

With my Card and Present Lists all present and correct the countdown is on. Obviously the more time I allow myself, then the easier and cheaper things will be. Well, it should work like that, if everything goes to plan (you know there's a 'but' coming now don't you?)

Best laid plans and all that means that this is more of a list than a blog in an effort to note all the 30 bites for the final month of the 12.....

I did at least manage my first bite which was to stock up on stamps. If I'm honest this belongs to earlier in the year. Once I heard that the price of stamps was going up I took the precaution of buying ahead to make sure that all my Christmas posting would be at the pre-price rise level....

Month 12 - Bite 2

My husband always buys too many cards - not dozens too many, just a few. I'm off into the loft to find out what's up there from last year so that I know exactly how many I need once I've used up his 'last year's stock'.

                                                   

Month 12 - Bite 3

Now to make the rest of the cards I need.....

If you remember I went on a fern picking trip and pressed the ferns when I got home. 

These are now nicely dried and have worked well so now all I have to do is dress them up with some sparkle and a star, mount them on Christmassy backing paper and pop them onto card.

Apologies for the lack of before and after photos from now on... with the clock ticking I took shots when I could so that I could get the finished products in the post or wrapped or.....

Month 12 - Bite 4

For family I tend to make different cards to the ones for friends. For the children I found a few wooden letters that I bought a while back at really silly sale prices.

For each of them I'm decorating their initial by pasting on Christmas tissue paper left from last year and attaching a hanging string before putting them onto the card. That way they get a card and a decoration too!

  

          

Month 12 - Bite 5

Other family cards get the handmade treatment too..

A spot of simple cross stitch embroidery with sparkle and beads always looks effective and is pretty quick to do...

                               

Month 12 - Bite 6

Following on from the Christmas card stock I rummaged around in the loft to unearth the bags and boxes from previous years.  We tend, as a family, to recycle these between ourselves. I can't tell you how old some of these are, but it becomes a kind of game when giving presents or bags for each household to try and remember who gave which to whom the year or two or three before!

                                       

Month 12 - Bite 7

This particular box deserves a bite all of its own.

It's been going back and forth for a number of years. At first it was from my niece to me for a birthday when she filled it with bath bits and treats. The following year I returned it to her so she could fill it all over again. Then we moved on to vouchers to fill up my e-book. That was when my sister took it over and so she fills it each birthday and Christmas with a selection of goodies and after each celebration I return it to her for the next time!

                                 

Month 12 - Bite 8

And onto the other 'gift wrapping'. I found some origami pages online a year or so ago and by downloading free wrapping paper designs and printing them I can now make up some small gift boxes ready for little treats.

                                  

Month 12 - Bite 9

I also watched an online tutorial for making drawstring bags. Last year I made one or two so this year I'm using some of the fabric I got in the sales in January to make some more.

Month 12 - Bite 10

Enough of the wrappings! Onto the presents...

First up more makes using the sale fabric. Little fabric storage boxes - thank you online video tutorials!

 

Month 12 - Bite 11

Once again the fabric and tutorials come to the rescue with these rather clever bookmarks...

 

The joy of these is that they are light and slim so don't I won't need to pay much for posting them....  One or two of my friends and I swap little gifts like this - either decorations, coasters or the such like each year that fit into the letter or (at the most) large letter category. We usually send handmade things and try to think of something new each time so these fit the bill beautifully.

I've sent them mounted on photos of one in use on a book page as with the third photo above.

Month 12 - Bite 12

On the subject of posting - I need to check the last posting dates to make sure I can use second class posting to get my cards and presents to where they need to be (especially with the strike situation this year)...

Month 12 - Bite 13

One of the collections I made earlier in the autumn was of leaves. This was for a special project. I used them to make leaf prints and used these to illustrate a calendar for a nature loving friend. 

I matched each leaf to a month - mind you it was a challenge with some months. 

Where there was a simple shaped 'growth' - the acorn cup for October's oak print or the seed 'wings' for September's sycamore I printed that too...

Month 12 - Bite 14

And so onto decorations. Not the shiny expensive shop bought stuff, but the handcrafted (and extremely cheap in most cases) ones...

Firstly I'm returning to those craft kits that I found languishing in a box. The first was so quick and satisfying that I don't know why I left it so long to get on with it!

Month 12 - Bite 15

I've sewn quite a lot of these over time. They are quick and simple (and have sold really well at Christmas Fairs in the past, but these are just for us).

 

Month 12 - Bite 16

This one is folded rather than sewn - I'm making some extras so that next year they can be attached to card to make more Christmas Cards!

Month 12 - Bite 17

While sorting the decorations I found a number of these plastic baubles that were all faded and flaky so I'm recovering them with strips of spare fabric!

Month 12 - Bite 18

These are for wrapping as mini wreaths to hand from the tree...

Month 12 - Bite 19

More for the tree - some wet felted balls with added beads and bells from chocolate treats!

Month 12 - Bite 20

Remember those pine cones I collected?

They've been dried so that they open out and I'm ready with some ribbons and sparkle to glue gun them into hanging decorations.

Month 12 - Bite 21

This one I've been trying to get around to for ages! I saw it in a magazine last year and just had to have a go..

The idea is to use up some more of my yarn scraps making pom poms (a very soothing exercise) and then tie/sew/glue them to a polystyrene hoop to create a fluffy wreath with embellishments of ribbons, bells, small felted balls - you name it get it in there.

Month 12 - Bite 22

Just finishing off a scarf and socks for my sister and that will be that!

I know they look odd like this - once the heel is knitted in they turn out more like these!

That's probably enough for one post - a bit rushed, but done thus far.....

Sorry - looks like there'll have to be one final, final post for 2022 before it's done.....

Partytime

 I know I haven't been burdening this flow of posts with a specific time of year, but as I type it's just about the busiest time of year in our family for birthdays and celebrations! So, here we go with some suggestions and ideas for the fun times ahead that will have a positive impact on my purse (I hope). Some of the ideas will be prompts for me to try out while others will be tried and tested, so let's go!

Month 7 - Bite 1

Couldn't resist this particular party animal elephant in her festive frock, even if she does look a little unstable after celebrating!

Way back in Month 1 I made a list of dates and anniversaries and in Month 2 I started looking at making one or two things to keep in store. Now it's time to ramp up the efforts. I'm going to begin adding to the list suggestions for each of the occasions. I know what particular sweets certain family members like or puzzle books or bath stuff so I can put those into the list. There are other things they've mentioned that they'd like to try - that afternoon tea the other month for example - so those experiences can go in too. The main thrust behind this is to make sure that I don't get caught unawares with no thought in my head of what I might get, do or make. That's the fastest way to waste money that I know and doesn't necessarily mean that the recipient ends up with the best present for them - or perhaps one that they even like...

Month 7 - Bite 2

Card making is next on the list. Here's a selection of various cards I've already made for friends and family. I keep photos of them to spark off new versions - although it's a bit tricky sometimes making sure that I don't re-send copies to anyone!

This one features a handmade ceramic button on some wet felted fabric I created.

A special sewn card for a milestone birthday.

Okay, the original photo in the middle is a magnet created by my niece's husband and his camera, but the pebble photo and composition is mine!

More stitchery onto card.

I just found this ladybird button and knitted a background square.

I've made ice cream brooches from felt before and had a spare that became a card topper.

It's amazing what you can do with some card, an envelope and some scraps of fabric, paint and paper...

I also like to photograph any good ideas I see to help inspire me for the future - that includes stuff I see in magazines or shops too.

I'll add an extra mouthful at the end of the month with some more easy designs....

Festival and family

It's been another full on couple of weeks, but all great fun. The Exmouth Festival coincided with my family visiting so there's been plenty to do.

I was able to put some of my work on display at the Blackmore Theatre and it was good to get one or two items finished in order to do it!

Here's a picture I finally completed - it's called 'Heartfelt'. I'm rather pleased with it as I hand felted the background and topped it with a ceramic button I made a while ago. I know the photo is on a bit of an angle, but any other shot I tried to take reflected either the rest of the bedroom where it now hangs, or me taking the picture!

 

I also hung a couple of scarves I made a while ago from bamboo poles as wall hangings. These I spun  from sari silk. It always amazes me how a ball of random fluff can end up looking like this once it's been spun and knitted.

I had some of my hand spun, knitted and felted bags on display too.

As well as this bag made from some thicker sari silk.

Once that was all up and on show other than a spell of stewarding on the Monday I was able to spend time with my sister, mum, niece, her husband and my great nephew. Graeham and I had a full day's digging on the beach on the holiday Tuesday while Finn directed operations and gave out spades. He'll make a great foreman when he grows up. Then the action moved on to Crealy the next day with the weather still with us. Thursday saw mum, Judith and me eating ice cream on Budleigh beach and then on Friday we all met up for scones and tea before they had to get ready to head back to Surrey.

On Sunday it was back to the Festival withthere workshops at Seadog Gallery. I took the wheel along as well as a couple of drop spindles and some chopsticks (yes chopsticks) so that anyone who dropped in could try their hand at spinning some merino and silk (yes with chopsticks) to make simple bracelets. 

The sun shone, sandwiches and scones were plentiful and it was a lovely day in Anna's garden. I had time to watch Hayley teaching others how to craft mosaic panels and even got to try making a felt flower in Natasha's workshop.

So, from then on it's been back to the day job, with plenty of writing to get to grips with! 

Today we've been shopping for fabric. A bit of household sewing to do - I'll show you when it's finished....

Phew.... Time for tea I think - and an evening of football......