SAY IT WITH FLOWERS

Depressed and deflated are the only words I can muster today.

End of November last year I was made redundant from a quite well paid job, on the same day I found out my twin brothers father-in law had bladder cancer, unfortunately he is back in hospital this week and unlikely to leave, and my thoughts are with John. My father also 2 days later was take to hospital after gradually losing the use of his legs to find out he had spine cancer, which also could only be controlled not cured, we were given a hope of 2-4 years but again today further news is he has a tumour in the brain, kidney and lower abdomen, and we now have another waiting game till next Thursday to find out treatment, which the doctor seems to think there will be........

So for dad who loves flowers in the garden and misses being able to do the gardening, my own Chelsea flower Show here on the blog, and as I have just completed an oil painting of a poppy I thought it fitting my flower show to be of poppy stuff from Folksy.

http://www.folksy.com/items/27827 The Tinderbox

http://www.folksy.com/items/10149

Perfect Little Purse Company

http://www.folksy.com/items/29543

Jellybean Jellybrain

http://www.folksy.com/items/33481

Gooseberry Moon

http://www.folksy.com/items/30391

I do take U

http://www.folksy.com/items/29543

Nuada Accessories

Blueberry Pie Refashioned Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Blueberry Pie Refashioned Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Facebook Giveaway 1st June

I have been trying to do a monthly give away from my facebook page, and so far the giveaway's were Ollie & Olive egg cosies. This month the give away is a one off green spotted sack dress to fit from 3-6 months, but will fit older and can be worn with cute pants.

Go to my facebookpage the link button is in thew top left hand corner of this page, and become a fan!

TREE TOTES'

I have been trying for a while to come up with something a bit cheaper that everybody needs and I half half a chance of selling and selling at craft markets, and thought about quick designs on tote bags, as I have found making tote shoppers fully lined and spending a few hours sewing adding detail is not worth doing for the money, nobody wants to spent £20 on a cotton shopping bag, having spent the last few weeks checking out shop versions to get ideas, I have come up with my tree totes, which will be soon followed by my bird totes, next thing to get the price right...............

THOMAS DINOSAUR CUSHION

Completed my nephew's personalised cushion last night, hope he likes it! Will pop in to see him on Sunday.

I will be selling these on www.folksy.com/shops/babyblondedesign and will be doing other designs, but will be open to suggestions depending on the childs room colour and theme; be it a boat, car, truck, fish, butterfly, shoes, snail, football....... the list is endless.
Kx

UK HANDMADE MAGAZINE & BLOG

Well if you haven't all ready found UK Handmade an online mag and blog then sign up now......

I am featured on the blog for my pirate stuff! next step to feature in the Magazine.

http://ukhandmade.blogspot.com/
- for the blog

http://ukhandmade.co.uk/
- for the on line mag

CUPCAKES AND PIRATES

I have been busy putting together 'themes' for childrens rooms, the first two are Cupcakes for the girls and Pirates for the boys, I am also sorting out Dinosaurs for the boys and the girls one I am still thinking about........ Anyway as well as the style cushions you see I will be doing named cushions! So watch out Thomas (my nephew) my first one will be for him with his name and a dinosaur on it.

Kx

FOR THE LOVE OF KITSCH

I just love kitsch, if I still lived on my own my kitchen would most definitely be 1950's American diner crossed with the English Rose Cottage more tea Vicar! and a big splash of 1970's Tupperware.
I stumbled apron 'A Resin Revival' http://www.folksy.com/shops/AResinRevival and I am in love with the kitschness (is that a word) of their necklaces. And I want one just not to sure which one to choose.............
I am heading towards the 1970's blonde girl and red heart, as I am tending to go for the 70's yachting look at the moment, and with a bit of practice and a set of rollers my hair style could mirror that

MORE FROM HOLLINGDALE DESIGNS BUTTONS

I seem to have lost the time to blog!! I went for a bike ride, but rode too far in one direction only to realise I still had to get back!! Somehow I will not beable to walk up the stairs tomorrow.
I have been trying to seperate my baby booties and baby bib aprons from the rest of the bits I make, but seems to have taken around 3 days! just to set up another shop on Etsy www.babyblondedesign.etsy.com and another shop on Folksy http://www.folksy.com/shops/BABYBLONDEDESIGN, I am hoping it will stop things getting lost within the shop!



So another pair of booties using hollingdale designs buttons, I have made a pair of booties using incy wincy buttons, but need to photogragh them and upload them.
If we really worked out how much time each item we make takes to make from buying the fabric to uploading, my booties could be well in excess of £50.00!!

Incy Wincy Stiches Buttons..........

Opps I did it again, buttons from Incy Wincy

But they are adorable, and so in right now, darling! If they are wearing the 'folk' look on the catwalk then my booties must also have the catwalk look

http://www.folksy.com/shops/incywincy

RE-read: Think Global ... Shop Local Thursday

RE-read: Think Global ... Shop Local Thursday

HOLLINGDALE DESIGNS BUTTONS

I have finally used 4 of the zebra buttons I brought from Hollingdale designs, my photos are not to good today! but I need to make a couple of baby booties in white, with black soles and a red heart on sole!

I have just brought these beauties from Jill (I have a feeling I am going to be one of her favorite customers), I will wait till they arrive before chosing the felt to match, but I feel a 3 stripe (vintage addidas) look going on.

What do you think of the baby bib apron? now all I need is a baby to photograph with my clothing! Mmmmmm my Hubby thinks I am going slightly mad, he knows I am sooooooo clucky, so cross the little fingers in hope.

I have started to separate my baby items from http://www.blondedesigns.etsy.com/ to http://www.babyblondedesign.etsy.com/ as I feel there is so much going on and I make to many things. Most people have very pretty web pages and I am now beginning to believe in the old saying 'keep it simple stupid'

WIDJAW WENT TO THE BEACH

Widjaw the sockbunny came to live with me last week, and today we popped to the beach! he got a bit wet, but we soon had him drying out on the radiator back at home.

ZEBRA BUTTONS FROM HOLINGDALE DESIGNS

What is it about animal print, I love it, must be that Essex girl coming out in me!!!

I just purchased some buttons through the comic relief shop, which will be adorning some baby booties, I am thinking red soles and black and white felt uppers?! with the zebra button on the front, cute!

COMIC RELIEF BABY BOOTIES!!!

I have put a pair of baby booties in the comic relief shop, for Charity.

http://www.folksy.com/items/22517-Ladybird-Soft-Soled-Baby-Shoes-0-3-Months-FOR-COMIC-RELIEF?shop=yes

So if you know anybody who has a baby, buy them a prezzie without guilt! as all the money goes to comic relief, I don't see a penny.

Baby Bootie Boxes

I have recieved some little display boxes for my baby booties off ebay, as I wanted to start taking a few around to shops in Eastbourne maybe Brighton (although to much there already!), and Tunbridge Wells but didn't want to jusat take them in a carrier bag! What do you think, I have designed a mini logo to go in the corner now all I have to do is print on to labels, although the idea of printing on clear labels would be better, just don't want to spend a forturne on the packaging!!

SN Girl Plump

SN Girl Plump, originally uploaded by bexsbuttons.

I seem to be drawn to all things pink at the moment! But she is cute, not to sure if she is going to be for sale, but she is made by Rebecca Smith of bexsbuttons - check out her folksy page http://www.folksy.com/shops/bexsbuttons

The 2nd Generation 'Ollie & Olive'

Meet the 2nd generation of Ollie & Olives, some of them I will sell on line on Etsy & Folksy the others I will be taking to various outlets in Eastbourne, Brighton and Hastings to start selling.

A selection of them will be retro Ollie & Olives as I will be scouring EBay and second hand shops in Eastbourne for that all important 70's fabrics!

FACEBOOK GIVEAWAY

I have been trying to come up with all sorts of ideas on promoting myself, and getting my 'stuff' out there for all to see and buy.

The biggest problem I have is I have many fans and friends but I still need to sell my wares! Could be a number of reasons; my goods are ''extras' not essential items needed within the home / my friend's have not seen or touched some of the items in the 'flesh', so have yet to spend their hard earned cash on a "I want one of those" items / or my stuff is like Marmite you either love it or hate it.

Sooooo to get the word passed on and to promote myself I need to get into peoples homes, put myself on display, and to start off this idea, I will be giving away an Ollie & Olive Egg cosy on 1st March. I will do a give away each month on the 1st of the month, and the prizes should get bigger and better, if my sales get bigger and better!!

To get a chance at winning the egg cosy, go the below link, the name will be drawn from a hat (or something of similar elk), a name from the fans of blonde designs on the face book page will be picked.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Blonde-Designs/16996209109#/pages/Blonde-Designs/16996209109

K x

Molly & Izzies Package

Finally got around to sending off a few bits to Molly & Izzie's shop this afternoon, which include Ollie & Olive (I will be making more of them this week to sell on etsy & folksy), As well as bunting and aprons, I made a couple of lined tote bags (in the pictures), and velvet 10" cushions (in pictures).

I'm in the middle of making a few more cushions to sell as I received a huge bag of new cushion inners on Saturday, which was approx the height and width of me, my hubby thought highly amusing to keep using it as a battering ram, Mmmmmm do men ever grow up?

Well hope Sarah likes the selection or more to the point the customers do! as we all have to make some money!! I'll upload close up pics to my face book page Blonde Designs.