Where did the last four months go?!

Oh my gosh it's been so long since I blogged I've almost forgotten how to do it!!! I'm so sorry for the abrupt lack of posts since the Summer, things just got so incredibly busy that I didn't have the time to blog for a few weeks, then I went on holiday, then it was just super busy when I came back and it hasn't stopped since! I've been meaning to write a post for weeks now but it's hard to start again once you stop.

Anyway enough excuses.... it's nice to be back, I've missed blogging! I kind of don't know where to start though as it's been so long and I've added so many new products to my range over the last few months. 

Think I'd best blog about my Halloween things though - if I don't then I'll have a whole year to wait before I can show them!

I haven't gone too overboard but I have lots of Halloween badges and compact mirrors, great for kiddy's party bags as well as Halloween party games - one lovely customer this week bought some to use in a spooky game of 'Pass the Parcel' which I think is a fab idea, way better than sweeties!

Halloween badges are available in packs of 5, 10 and 25 here in my Not on the High Street shop - and if you use the code OCT10 at the checkout, you can get 10% off until this Sunday 28th October. 

I've got lots of fabric covered handbag mirrors too, great for teenagers and older girl's Halloween parties.... available here and here.

You can also purchase direct with paypal through my facebook page, there are some special prices for fb fans too :) Just see the Halloween album for more details...

Anyway hope you have a fab Halloween night whatever you're doing! Ours will be a quiet one I expect, though we will probably get a few trick or treaters calling! Sorry this post's been a bit of a hard sell on the Halloween goodies by the way but at least it's got me back into the swing of writing again! Hopefully I will be back soon, my mission is to write at least one post a week, not sure that'll be possible but will definitely give it a go xxx

christmas and crochet

Hello! Thought would pop by quickly just before I have lunch -  though I've been up since the absolute crack of dawn this morning (way before dawn actually) for an appointment so I'm really feeling this should be early evening by now and not just lunchtime! Anyhow, here are my projects for this month's Crafts Beautiful. They're in the October issue, but I'm a bit late in posting about them - I actually picked up the Xmas special issue today (yes it is only mid september I know!)

I've been designing Christmas projects since way back in May... and this week I've been finishing a couple more Christmassy ones... that's the last of them though then I can start concentrating on my own Christmas products (haven't given them a thought really yet... eeek, quite a lot to do!)

Apart from working on the couple of commissions, I've also been sewing mirrors this week... lots of them - My sewing mojo's back, hurray!! I've been making lots of different versions of my butterfly, flower and cupcake mirrors but haven't got round to taking any pictures yet so they will have to wait for another day. 

I have also been working away in the evenings on my granny blanket though.... and excitement... it's nearly finished!!

I had a lovely weekend actually... Karl had a day planned with friends on Saturday, so I spent most of it working on my blanket, starting with a square or two after breakfast in bed... oh the luxury!  

I still do have a way to go before any ta-dahs... am at the sewing the squares together stage and I have to be honest, I'm really not feeling this bit - I loved doing each individual square but the joining together is feeling tediuos and never-ending! I then need to crochet the border (looking forward to that bit though) so it will be a while yet but hopefully I will have it done quite soon :)

Anyway, have a great week, hope to be back soon with a blanket update xxx

Halloween Invites

I haven't been doing much sewing since I've been back. In fact, last week I spent much of it doing some new Pingg designs. My collection for them has been a bit neglected over the summer but as we get towards the busiest time of year (invite sending wise) I wanted to get some more designs ready, starting with some Halloween ones...

Not sure what it is since I've come back from my holidays but I'm not feeling the joy for the sewing parts of my work as much as I sometimes do. Instead I've loved doing these designs which are entirely done on the computer. I think partly it's just because I've had loads of ideas for them. You know sometimes inspiration is nowhere to be found and then other times you have ideas brimming over and you can't wait to get them all down on paper so to speak... well this was one of those times.

They are obviously a little different to my usual style, although they seem to have come just as naturally. Maybe it is the use of silhouette and the subject matter (I'm not often to be found stitching skeletons and witches) that makes it feel so different. If you had seen these designs out of the blue, I wonder whether you would have realised they were mine?? I doubt it somehow! But then that is maybe a good thing. Things can sometimes get a little samey and to be honest it's been nice to work with ideas other than cupcakes and flowers!

There are still some more ideas that I would like to do, but other work is calling me and I can't put it off any longer. Plus we do still have quite a bit of time before Halloween but it is good to have the designs ready for when people start planning their parties and events. You can see the rest of my collection here if you are interested...

Anyway it has also made me start thinking (albeit reluctantly) about Autumn, and Halloween itself. I kind of wish we British made more of a thing about Halloween like the Americans do. I started a Halloween pinterest board at the weekend and some of the images and ideas are great! For instance I would love to make some of these cute little jam jar lanterns but fear they would just sit looking forlorn and a bit lost in our house with no other Halloween decorations. 

 Source

I need a house like this for them to look at home!

Source

How fun would it be to decorate your porch like this?? Amazing.

Anyway, let's not wish the months away, we still have nearly two whole ones before Halloween so I shall try and enjoy September first! Hope you're having a good week, thanks for popping into see me as always, I'm off to sew some butterfly badges! xxx