I’ve been busy making Coptic-bound notebooks lately – and they’re all up for sale in my Etsy store. All hand stitched, I’ve done an A6 one and a couple of A5 books; use them for what you will – notebooks, sketchbooks, guestbooks, journals – they’re all very versatile! Here’s a peek at the newbies:
As well as stock, I’ve been playing with my new origami paper – making these gorgeous gingham elephants!
I’m thinking they’ll make lovely greetings cards – what do you reckon? What other things do you think I could use them for?
Last but not least – I’ve booked a summer fete for later in the year. It’s a local affair for a good cause; my stall fee went straight to the hosts Just Giving page for SWAN – syndromes without a name, supporting undiagnosed children. It’s on July 24th at The Elgar Centre in Northampton, more details on their Facebook page.
The late May bank holiday will be my first craft fair of the year, a two-day event set in the lovely Castle Ashby Gardens. I’ve got my stock, I’ve got my table cloth, I’ve got my usual little baskets and things I’ve always used to try and display my wares appealingly; but I feel it’s time for a change.
A rather flat notebook display!
Now I’m doing this full time, I really need to step up my game – I actually have time work on the appearance of my stall and I intend to make the most of it. First stop – Pinterest! Obviously. I mean, where else?
My main issue is height – I sell mainly notebooks and want to have them all stood up so you can see the covers or the spines at least. This would take up a lot of space, so I started searching for ideas for little shelves or boxes for my books to go in/on. Height is great for any stall display, creating a more focal point for the browser. Remember, they’ll be going past rows of stalls and if everything you have is laid down flat on the table, they may well just walk on by; you need to get something in people’s eye line.
So. What did I find?
Stack ’em up! Cute little crates:
You can often pick these up as leftovers from market stalls/supermarkets, if you’re on a budget, and paint them up or leave them plain and rustic. Even one would create a great feature, and could be used to display things inside as well as on top for that extra level.
Vintage Suitcase:
This person has done a great job of using the suitcase to maximum effect, creating levels of different items. The little sign strung across the top will catch the customer’s eye! If using a suitcase, be sure to make sure the lid is sturdy and doesn’t flop back.
DIY display stand:
This blog post is a great tutorial on how to make your own display stand – with just a few everyday craft tools and some cardboard.
Stacked trays and candlesticks:
The initial costs for this one may be a bit higher, but this tiered stand made from painted trays and candlesticks will really stand out! (Click here for a little how-to from the creator)
Want more? I’ve just created a board on Pinterest dedicated to craft stall inspiration. YAY! Here it is.
There’s so much talent online at the moment it can be a bit overwhelming when searching for handmade things. Making your brand stand out can be a real challenge, especially when you’re just starting out. Having opened my own etsy shop at the end of January, I know how hard it can be; so I thought it would be a nice idea to give a shout out to other people in the same situation!
Here, then, are a handful of recently opened etsy shops – show them some love and support! I got a huge response in my request to feature on here and couldn’t include everyone (much as I’d have liked to!), so at the bottom you’ll find a ‘further reading’ list 🙂
Homespun Wonders– this mother-and-daughter team create beautiful knitted, crocheted, felted and embroidered things. They have quite a range up there so grap cup of tea and go take a look!
Rosie Frecklesmakes baby quilts and play mats as well as very pretty notice boards. I really like the whole look of this shop; the name and logo fits really well and compliments the range of products sold.
Wee Sleepy Bee Craftsis super cute. My favourite items are the kawaii puffy star charms. Oh and the mermaids. And the ponys! And… well, most things really.
The Crafty Red Buttonshop sells quality envelopes and letter sets – really unique and interesting! There are some sweet buttony items too 🙂
Slada Homedoes ‘pretty little things for your home’. And they certainly are. There are just a few things in stock at the moment but I can’t wait to see more!
Ip Dip Designis home to fun, colourful prints sporting fun slogans like ‘When in doubt doodle it out’ and ‘Creative Cat Lady at work’ (yep, that’s me!). The lettering on these are superb, the layouts and designs original and fun. Keep up the good work!
Over atMakka Beadsyou’ll find some unusual and wonderfully detailed beaded delights. Clearly a lot of hard work goes into these creations.
Silvicultrix Shophas the start of what will clearly be a fantastic range of illustrations. The style is very personal and unique, and though there are only a few up at the moment, the style and quality of these means they’re sure to take off.
Canvas Magicby Melanie creates beautiful hand-lettered canvases, wall art and more. Her style is really beautiful and she offers custom orders too!
And the rest… well worth checking out and sorry I didn’t have time to write about all of you… but crafting calls!
Lately I’ve been working on my wedding stock and I’m pleased to announce that I’ve got the first handmade guest books up for sale on etsy!
These have both been covered in beautiful paper, with lovely open-view hand stitching and ribbon fastenings.
These ones are A5 and are £18 each – P&P is £2.50. You can order these ones from my etsy shop, or contact me directly for custom orders if you would like a particular colour/style.
There are many, many tutorials out there, covering all your beginner bookbinding needs; and so I thought I’d do a hints & tips section to complement them! These are things I’ve learned and picked up along the way.
Invest in a bone folder. This will be your new best friend.
You can use grease-proof paper for waxed paper. It’s very handy for pasting onto.
PVA is great while you’re learning. Proper book paste can be quite pricey, and when you’re just starting out PVA is absolutely fine for practice work.
Get a basic set of different size brushes. You can pick them up fairly cheap from places like The Works, and it’ll help you get a feel for what you need and what you feel comfortable with.
Always have a couple of pieces of clean kitchen roll to hand! It’s sturdier than tissue and less likely to shed little bits everywhere. It’s good for wiping down surfaces and hands and things. Keep a sheet separate for using on your books to avoid smearing.
It’s best to use waxed thread. If you can get a block of beeswax from somewhere, you can wax your own thread. This works out a bit cheaper and gives you more options.
Get into the habit of fraying the loose end of the thread after a knot. This will keep it from coming undone- I use my needle for this and just tease it gently.
As with everything, the internet is a wealth of information when it comes to bookbinding tutorials. Here are a few good ones:
Spring is one of my favourite times of year. There’s so much newness going on it’s hard not to get inspired! From colour palettes to tutorials, I’ve started scouring the web to find the best ideas of the season. Here are a few of my favourites:
Painted twigs
So pretty – and such a simple idea!
Edible flower lollies
Adding edible flowers (e.g. rose petals, lavender) to your homemade lolly molds looks gorgeous. Hopefully it will be warm enough for ice lollies this spring…
Pom pom bunny
Because pom poms. And because bunnies. Tutorial found here.
Spring weekly planner
Oh planning, I love planning. This pink spring set is available from WendyPrints over on etsy. Time to get those to do lists looking fabulous!
Plant shelves
This idea of using an old ladder as shelves for your potted plants looks stunning. A great way of adding some spring colour to even the smallest garden.
You can follow my spring Pinterest board here for more ideas.
I’m pleased to announce that The Craft Fantastic has a stall at the Castle Ashby fair the the end of May! This craft fair falls on the Bank Holiday – Sunday 29th and Monday 30th May. Also, THERE WILL BE FALCONS. Falcons!
Run by Palladian Events, the fair will be set in the beautiful Castle Ashby walled gardens, and over the 2 days there will be a fantastic range of quality crafters from all over the country, plus food, music, demonstrations, a falconry display… what more could you want?
I’ll have a full range of handmade notebooks, journals, sketchbooks, miniature notebook necklaces, as well as origami flowers for all occasions.
It will cost just £5.50 for adults (£5 concession, under 10’s go free) to gain access to the show and gardens. Cross your fingers now for good weather!
Up till now, I’ve been making simple notebooks or amending existing templates to create my own notebooks. But now I’m working for myself, I’m starting to have time to create my own designs and templates. This is the first!
Friends and family have kindly donated old leather bags for me to up-cycle; as soon as I saw this yellow leather, I knew it would work beautifully with the map print paper I bought in Amalfi a few years ago. I’d been hoarding the paper for the right project and this was definitely it.
Taking what I’ve learned over the years I’ve been making notebooks, I combined a flexible leather spine with solid boards front and back, covered in that beautiful quality map paper, finishing off the corners with leather for durability (and because it looks gorgeous!).
Hope you like it as much as I do! I’ll be making more of these and also designing new books, so keep a look out 🙂
With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, there’s not much time left to order your gifts! There’s a range of handmade goodies over at my Valentine’s page. As Valentine’s Day is on a Sunday this year, I suggest ordering by Monday Feb 8th to guarantee getting your items on time.
