:: number 2 ::

i got a little feeling of what it must be like to win an oscar or the like yesterday when i discovered that my advent calendar kit was voted as number 2 in BT lifestyle's best advent calendars. 

we will just sidle past the question of who actually goes on the BT lifestyle website to see it shall we?

actually i think plenty of people surprisingly have as i have been printing these kits ad infinitum as alice of backstitch will testify.

with regular weekly emails of "help, need more red Klona!"

what makes me particularly excited more than anything is the thought of so many people a week on Sunday hanging their advent calendars, filling with them with their choice of treats until xmas eve.

i thought i had printed my last panels last week. i even told alice so. but no, with just 8 days to go until the start of advent orders are still coming in fast and furious.

and panic upon panic...alice has run out of klona crimson! i've run her dry!

thankfully i have managed to secure another source who have guaranteed me delivery tomorrow...printing on sunday...mailing on monday...happy people making kits on tuesday.

i may have ordered just enough if anyone else still want one...shout now because this really is the final order.

and if you don't fancy making one up i do have one available to buy ready made. i guess i felt i was missing out on the sewing up fun and wanted to join in. anyway it's available here and the kits are available here.

Swimming against the tide

I guess we are all doing alot of this at the moment. Swimming against the tide. Getting busy for craft fairs. Increase in sales as people get ready for Christmas. And still the same amount of laundry, cooking, cleaning (we'll forget about that one). I don't want to turn this into a moany post - just wanted to explain my absence.

In the meantime I'd love to show you the final pre-Christmas arrivals that are all now available at Blueberry Park. It's been lots of fun sorting everything out and getting it all ready.

Firstly there's the exquisite Make and Do Cards from Lucy Jane Batchelor. Her illustrations are just irresistibly stunning. I could have stocked them all, but after much deliberating have settled on the Advent Calendar (a few left), Christmas Decorations, super cute Miniture Dolls' House, Tooth Fairy Envelope and Love Tokens.

Next in was the truely sumptuous Catherine Tough Lambswool Bed Socks. I could honestly live in these and never leave the house again! I want one in every colour. And a couple of manly ones that I think will go down well.

More for the men with fab cufflinks from Steph Jones. She does so many fantastic designs that it was hard to whittle the choice down. but hopefully we've got something for everyone here.

I've had these great leather brooches from Magpie and Me for a while and keep oohing and ahhing over them and I'm finally ready to share them with the world! The leather is so soft and tactile and they come in a range of striking colours.

Last, but by no means least I have my office smelling devine thanks to these Bath Melts by Purple Sparkle Craft. Utterly dreamy.

So that's one reason I've been away for a while. And I'm still ploughing through the Christmas Card orders, so there are piles of these everywhere!

I hope you are all well whatever you are busy with and managing to avoid those mega big waves.

Shop Update

I'm not sure how I am managing to get anything done this week because Ruby and Noah are off school AGAIN for 2 days. But for some reason this is being my most productive week for ages - and it's still only Tuesday.


I wonder if it's that age old scenario of working best under pressure. I've loads of deadlines this week and even though I have very little time, it just HAS to get done. So it is! Okay, so the house is a mess, washing stays in the machine for days, but work is looking great.


I'm very aware that Christmas is round the corner and so have been very conscious about getting everything in the shop so all my lovely customers have something to buy. So today I managed to upload the christmas cards on to Blueberry Park as well as these lovely babies. I've been delighted that the delightful Kristen has let me be a stockist for her words-can-not-describe-how-gorgeous-these-beauties-are Matryoshka Making Kits. Go take a look and grab one while they are in stock, because honestly, with them being featured in Sew Hip too, they aren't going to be around for long.


Not only do they make a fantastic gift themselves, but you could be really creative and make some gorgeous christmas presents with them. Brooches, purses filled with dolls, magnets. Just let your imagine get carried away while gently stroking this beautiful fabric. Ok, maybe I'm getting a little bit obsessed now :-)


Also new in the shop is this fun Advent Stocking Calendar Kit. I realised this really had to get listed in the shop so you've all got time to make it before December 1st arrives. I think this will be a really fun thing for a family as a whole to do. How exciting will it be to see whose stocking it is that day? And what a gorgeous heirloom to get out year after year.


So, busy times, busy actions and still loads more exciting things to come. Don't worry...I'll keep you posted.

Ready for Christmas

This is what I have been working on for the Crafteroo Christmas Decoration Challenge. A Mini Stocking Advent Bunting. Mini felt stockings hooked onto a buttoned ribbon that are just big enough to hold a daily treat. Not so big that we are all going to be rolling our way to our Christmas Dinner.

It's such a great idea (the competition - not my entry!) and there are some fab interpretations? Everyone is getting all festive. We're probably going to be bored of Christmas before it even arrives :-)

Join in the fun and post an entry - there's a £20 Amazon Voucher up for grabs for the winner.