Time out!

Just to let you know my shops are closing for a short while as I currently have no-where to work due to a house full of builders and plumbers. The short amount of time I do have left will be spent making a few extra pieces for the next Bumps Babes and Beyond fair in a couple of weeks time.

back soon!

Louise x

Play School book

I found this great BBC Play School book from the 60s in a charity sale a few weeks back and love flicking through the great illustrations. Lots of inspiration for new designs......
and yes Spring is here, though thankfully not so showery! I just love her two-tone hair!!

Busy, busy

Have been managing to fit in sewing to get ready for a fair I'm doing at the end of the month, so some more Miffy purses are done and some new childrens tote bags, ideal for easter egg hunts and then to use for school.
So pleased the sun is shining at last and Spring is on its way, our building work is progressing well and I'm so excited as my workroom will be bigger than expected....just cannot wait to have my own dedicated space to work, no more having to clear away for meal times!!

Heals fabric cushion

Just love the colours in this cushion made using some Peter Hall fabric called Verdure designed for Heals.

I'm busy, busy at the moment making stock for my shops and an up coming fair at the end of the month. All this being done with builders in my loft and a poorly child, it never rains but it pours!!

Indie Crafter v Paperchase

As a maker and designer I am always aware of the people who copy. It has happened to me numerous times and mainly I ignore it, sometimes a curt email does the job, but usually it is just someone trying to do what I do and not realising that they will get spotted. When I started selling on Etsy I had someone buy a doorstop from me on ebay and immediately copy the design and sell it on Etsy. I was alerted by other uk etsy sellers who kept me up to speed with her goings on and her reaction to my emails asking her to remove them. Her shop has since closed and she won't be missed by many, especially not me!

Sadly there is currently a situation with a UK etsy designer HidenSeek who has had her beautiful and unique illustrations taken and manipulated by Paperchase. Paperchases line is that they are not the same, as theirs has a different 'feel' My personal opinion is that their behaviour stinks, Twitter has apparently gone mad over this and a Google search reveals it as a seriously hot topic with the press becoming increasingly interested.

Please please spread the word and help protect the rights of indie makers.

Read more here here and here

Latest news is that Amazon who were stocking the Paperchase item in question has today removed it from their site!

Spring clean and a SALE

At the beginning of this week I thought I would be spending all my time trying to get my head round finishing my accounts and filing a tax return, but to my utter joy I had forgotten that I had already sorted the necessary receipts and so the job was made much easier, added to that I gave myself a crash course in Excel and discovered the joys of Auto Sum.
So job done I have set to sorting out my stock and fabric and general mess which is spread through a number of areas round the house......the result a SALE!! There are items in both my ebay and etsy shops to be snapped up and more to come later this evening.
This cushion is made from some Heals fabric rescued from a very poorly curtain and is listed in a new shop on MISI I will be adding a proper link to this soon, but will be using this shop for my simple cushions.

Off to sort out more fabric there may be some coming to ebay very soon I really have too much!!

Thankyou!

I want to say thankyou this morning to Gay at I Dreamed I Saw who included my Pear cushion from my etsy shop in a blog post yesterday!

Today I feel like I've woken up, the snow has gone and I can see green again, the rain has stopped and the sun is shining, so we are off to Henley for a leisurely lunch and a walk along the Thames.

Hope you are having a lovely Sunday too!

Louise x