Giveaway time!

Well I've been promising a giveaway for what seems like months now... so here it is - at last! I thought a festive themed prize was in order now that we are in November, which in my mind at least, means we are officially on the run up to Christmas now - eeek! Anyway, here's what I will be including in the little festive package of goodies...

...some festive pudding buttons...

... a six pack of my printed bauble cards...

... a little stocking pin badge...

...a stocking decoration for the tree...

...and lastly one of my little snowflake handbag mirrors (can't believe how many of these I've sold already and we're only just out of October!)

So a real mix of Christmassy bits and bobs, but hopefully a nice mix!

This giveaway is really a big thank you to all my readers, followers and fans on here, as well as on my facebook and twitter pages! I'm made up to have over 300 blog followers, over 1000 fb likers and nearly the same on my twitter page - thank you so much for popping in every now and again to catch up on what I've been up to! I've really loved getting to know so many other crafty and talented people this last year too!

Anyway, so you're probably wondering what do you have to do to be in with a chance of winning?? 

Well I've tried to keep it nice and simple! Yesterday I opened an Etsy shop, so I thought it should be something linked to that! (Plus it's looking a little lonely over there so would like some more visitors!) 

So for one entry, all you need to do is... favourite my Etsy shop, then come back here and leave me a comment telling me you've done so! Easy peasy :)

Now I know not everyone's on Etsy, so for a second entry, you just need to follow my blog, preferably by GFC, then leave me a comment letting me know that you follow.

So to recap... you can enter by:

♥ Favouriting my Etsy shop

♥ Following my Blog

Please remember to leave me two separate comments if you are entering twice!

All the goodies will go to one lucky person... the giveaway is open internationally, so wherever you are in the world, you're welcome to enter! The giveaway will end next Sunday - so the 13th November, at 7.00pm English time and the winner will be picked probably by the magic number generator!

Thanks again for all your support, friendships and lovely comments this year and very good luck with my giveaway! I will be back soon with some new things I've been working on, plus a blanket update too! Have a happy rest of the week, Jenny x

p.s If you are kind enough to blog, tweet, sing and shout about my giveaway, I would be so very grateful - the more the merrier! Thanks lovelies xx

Feeling Festive!

Hello, hope you are well on this chilly Friday! With the weather turning colder, I'm definitely feeling quite Christmassy at the moment... I've said before, I'm not a huge fan of the Autumnal months, although I do appreciate the beautiful colours that Autumn brings. But really I would quite happily skip from September straight to the beginning of December and the run up to Christmas, which is one of my favourite times of the year!

Despite my festive mood, I have refrained from actually putting up any xmas decorations you'll be glad to hear, (won't do that until beginning of December) but I did buy the Prima Christmas Makes magazine this week. I'd seen it blogged about several times and a few of the projects, these sweet little mice in particular, seemed right up my street. 

I've still got to make time and have a proper sit down read of it, but I have been dipping in and out all week, gazing at all the lovely pictures. I think I want to try and do a red and white Christmas theme this year - I love this Christmas tree!! I've definitely been seduced by all the Nordic inspired decorations around at the moment...

It also has lots of Christmas gift ideas which are great. I particularly love this little pop up nativity set by Roger la Borde, but can't find anywhere that stocks it... just think it is so sweet!

Anyway, it is a lovely mag all in all.

Continuing on the festive theme, these Christmas projects of mine were in last month's Xmas Special Crafts Beautiful magazine. It is lovely to see them in print at last, as I did them months ago in early Summer, before we had even moved house and been on holiday! Seems like a very long time ago really!

 

For more crafting ideas go to www.crafts-beautiful.com

I really enjoyed doing these projects, especially the cards. I don't do much card making for myself anymore, just never seem to have the time or inspiration so it is nice to work on card commissions instead!

This week, I've also been putting together a Christmassy trade order for Andrea of Andrea Willis Designs - you'll probably know her blog and lovely design work already. Andrea has a lovely shop in Scarborough, selling her own work alongside some of other designers too. 

It looks so inviting, doesn't it, I love the colour of the shop front! I did live in North Yorkshire for much of my childhood, but now I've moved to Somerset, it's a little bit too far for me to visit unfortunately. If you are ever up in Scarborough though, make sure you pay her a visit! Anyway, Andrea's been stocking my work since the beginning of the year, and I've just packaged up some  more festive goodies that will be on the way to her soon :)

Thanks for all the lovely comments you left on my last post by the way - they really cheered me up! Luckily, I left the Monday blues behind and the rest of the week has gone past OK - a little bit quiet but I've been busy working on bits and pieces so it has gone reasonably quickly in the end. One thing I have actually been doing this week is finally sorting out a Folksy shop and adding some bits to it including some of my new Christmas buttons...

Christmas pud buttons

Holly buttons 

Christmas tree buttons

It's been on my 'to-do' list for ages, but it's always seemed too big a job and one of those things that I've just been putting off! Anyway, finally got it up and running this week at last! Do pop over and let me know what you think :) Hopefully will be adding more to it soon, it is looking a little sparse at the moment.

I do also want to open an Etsy shop too. My NOTHS shop does well for me, but I guess it can't hurt having more outlets for my work, so hopefully will get around to that sometime soon too. If anyone has any advice/opinions on either Folksy or Etsy by the way, I'd be really interested to hear it. I did pose the question on my facebook page recently and got some interesting and helpful feedback on both sites... feel free to add to it!!!

Anyway, that's about all for today, but hope you are staying warm and have a lovely weekend! I'm looking forward to Karl getting home later and hopefully working on my blanket a little bit more too, perfect! Oh, I do promise I will have my giveaway next week too - sorry, have just been slow on the organising front this week! Back soon xxx

Another Christmas and crochet post!

 

I can't quite believe it is Monday morning again! Time seems to be absolutely whizzing by at the moment... We had quite a lazy and relaxed weekend here, which was nice as my week had been quite busy with various things. 

Had a lovely trip to Bath on Monday for a spot of fabric shopping (my favourite kind of shopping) and a general wander round the shops. It was the last day of the beautiful weather and wearing a t-shirt and flip flops it felt like July rather than October... just gorgeous! Sadly it is now cold, grey and miserable here, Summer has definitely gone for this year!

I do like shopping by myself. I can spend as long as I want pondering over fabric choices, umming and ahhing to my hearts content, no one looking bored or chivveying me along. I stocked up on lots of basic colours, some fabric for a new commission, and some lovely Christmassy fabrics too (more about those in a bit).

I then had a quick trip to the indoor market to the haberdashery stall - where I bought up a load more of their Christmas red and white twisted cord....

It's not the same as normal baker's twine, it is thicker and made of a man-made fiber but it is so very festive I love it. I'd bought a small amount a few weeks ago and was really relieved they still had some left. Not sure what exactly it will be used for but it will be fab for Christmas decorations and garlands I'm sure!

I also treated myself to my first Christmas decoration of the year... I really wasn't intending to, but Rossiter's already had their Christmas shop open and I couldn't resist this little one...

a cute little Gingerbread House for the tree...

...these tins also found themselves a new home too :) I can never have enough tins, especially such pretty ones!

Lastly these bargain paper chains also came home with me...

I'd seen them here before but at £6.95 plus delivery they were a bit pricey. So when I saw them for only £3 at the market, I snapped them up!! Going to have lots of fun making these up in a couple of months, I remember doing them with my brother when we were small!

So apart from shopping, I also was working hard last week on more Christmas products using some of the new festive fabrics I got in Bath... 

 Little fabric covered buttons for all those Christmas sewing projects! They come in sets of two like so...

and are £2.95 plus delivery per set, or £8.00 for all three sets. You can find them here :)

Also, matching handbag mirrors! How cute is the reindeer fabric? I am in love!

They are sold individually for £2.75 each, or both for £5.00 :) Find them here... I loved making these - so hopefully they will be popular over the next couple of months!

I'll be doing a couple more designs too similar to these very soon - just waiting on some more fabric to arrive in the post! Ordered it last Monday so I'm really hoping it hasn't got lost somewhere, I'm impatient to get going on them.

Gosh this is turning into a super long post isn't it??!! Last thing to tell you, I promise... is that I also started blanket number 2 on Friday evening. I'd put it off all week, one as I had lots of work to concentrate on, but also, I was dreading the first couple of tricky rows of my granny stripe. I was following Lucy of Attic 24's pattern, and taking her advice, did attempt a little practise piece at first. Glad I did as something just wasn't clicking... I couldn't understand why I didn't have enough stitches, when I know I made my starting chain the right length! Frustration and lots of it occurred, but then suddenly, it all became clear (somehow)! After only two rows of my tiny practise piece though I became impatient and decided just to go for it.

Miraculously, it seemed to work, the count was right and my new blanket was born :) All weekend I worked away on it, stripe upon stripe, ignoring all my other work and household chores completely! I am well and truly loving this blanket already, even more so than my granny squares. It seems much simpler for a start. Less ends to weave in, and I like the way there is no joining needed, you can get a feel of what the blanket will be from the start. It is very quick. Each double stripe takes me just under an hour so it will definitely be a faster project than my last.

Sadly though, I have to limit it to a weekend/evening only project even though I would love to work on it all the time. Still I am really surprised how quick I managed to do what I have so far... 16 stripes in total, love love love it! :)

Anyway, that's about all from me for today, though just before I go, I must mention a couple of wonderful giveaways that are going on at the moment. Firstly is Heather's from The Patchwork Heart who is holding a scraps giveaway - what a great idea, I could do with doing a similar one myself!!! If you would like to be in with a chance of winning a parcel of fabric scraps and sewing bits and bobs, pop over to her blog to read more :)

Also, Andrea from Fin and Gabs is holding a wonderful Halloween giveaway... a set of three fab handmade decorations to decorate your home this Halloween so make sure you also pop across to her lovely blog and enter too!

OK, right I'm definitely off now to get on with something useful... have a lovely week all of you, thanks for visiting as always - and for making it to the end of this super long post - back soon xx

p.s apologies for some of the rubbishy pictures in this post, the light today is awful!

SALE!!!

Yes... it's SALE time!! I've missed the last few NOTHS sales for various reasons so it's been ages and ages since my last one! 

There are lots and lots of bargains to be had... mainly lovely embroidered button sets, prints, cards and cushions! Here are just a few of them, but hop on over to my Not on the High Street shop to see the full range of discounts :)

Cupcake badges - now £3.50 each (with a further saving if you buy the set of three!)

Flower badges - now £3.50 each (again with a further saving if you buy the set of three!)

Seaside button sets - from £3.50 (down from £7.00!)

 Flowers Cushion - now £28.00 (reduced from £55.00!)

Beach hut Cushion - now £28.00 (reduced from £55.00!)

Robin print - now £14.00 (reduced from £18.00)

Toadstool print - now £12.00 (reduced from £16.00)

Cupcake Button Set - £4.50 (down from £7.00!)

 Garden Button sets - now £4.50 (reduced from £7.00)

   Cards - now only £1.75 (reduced from £2.50)

...plus lots more besides!!

Anyway that's all I popped in for today... hope you will be able to find some early Christmas present bargains ;) I will be back soon with some new designs I've been working on... and maybe a yarn update too if your lucky!

Jenny x

p.s. If any of my lovely blogger friends reading this would like a little extra discount on anything, please please don't be shy... just drop me a line or leave me a comment and we'll sort something out (would rather give you guys a discount than pay NOTHS commission!) xxx

Christmas is coming...yay!

It's definitely starting to feel festive around here with the occasional Christmas song now on the radio and all the twinkly lights that are appearing in the shops, I do totally love this time of year! Although I started on my xmas products way back at the beginning of May - crazy world - this week the Christmas production line here also seems to have stepped up a gear as people have evidently started their Christmas shopping. I must admit I actually started mine this week too, which is very organised I know, no more rushing around present-buying on Christmas Eve for me this year!

My sewing machine still seems to be holding up, thank god, so have been sewing lots of Christmas badges and buttons this week...



I did have a lovely chilled out day yesterday though with some good friends visiting. We took a walk in the afternoon, tramping through the muddy fields up the hill to the Dovecot and then back up through town, with a little look in some of the shops. I've got a complete and utter weakness for buying pretty tree decorations, I just can't seem to stop myself, and I ended up buying three little wire beaded hearts to add to my ever growing collection. They are ever so pretty, I can't wait to get the tree up this year!

Today though I've been working hard designing and making some new Christmas-themed lavender bags, featuring Christmas trees, puddings and holly. Will be taking pictures of them sometime this week but for now here is a peek at 'work in progress' of my tree design, which I think is my fave of the three.




Anyway, here's hoping you've had a good weekend too and are enjoying the festive atmosphere that's starting to creep in everywhere! Look out for more info on my Christmas-y giveaway coming up soon too - hopefully I'll have a bit of spare time at the end of this week to work out the details... x