Customer Requests & Happy Birthday Handmade Monday

Firstly, my congratulations to Wendy at 1st Unique Gifts who, despite having a year in 2011 which was so busy it would have killed many of us off (or at the very least put us into a mild coma during the run up to Christmas!), has managed every week to host Handmade Monday which is a year old!   If you haven't seen this before, it has links to blogs of  some of the most amazingly talented crafters who talk about what they have been working on during the previous week.  You should really check it out   Wendy, you are an inspiration and a star!!

Anyway, better get on with this post...

Remember the front door I blogged about last time?  Well I now have the second lot of photos showing the final result with the addition of some small flowers to fill in some of the additional clear space:

Daytime - with blue flowers added

At night - everything still looks beautiful!

 It is so wonderful when a customer takes the time to send photos like these as not only does it show future customers some ideas (I have already sold another of these large central designs) but I really love to see my work in the place it has been purchased for.

Last weekend was my first show of the year and I am pleased to say that we had a great day - not loads of customers but those who were there had either come to see us specifically (which is wonderful) or were in a spending mood (which is equally wonderful!).  It was very cold but I am extremely grateful that it wasn't due to take place today as there is no way we would have got there - yes, the snow is back!  Not as bad as last year but bad enough that Hubby couldn't go to work (not that I suspect there would have been many people about anyway even if he did!)

After the let down of last year's feeble takings at fairs in February, I made the decision not to do any this month which gives me the opportunity to build back up the stock levels and make up some new designs.   It has been slow going so far (always difficult to get fully back up to speed after the Christmas break) but I have some exciting new things planned which I will share over the coming posts.

One of the first new things I have made is a different kind of Chinese Dragon (after the other one was so popular) - this one is slightly smaller and horizontal so would work really well across the bottom of a window or mirror and can be made in any colour(s) you require.

Green

Red

It isn't yet on the website - I hope to add this and a couple of other new things sometime this week - but if you are interested, it is £8.99 + postage and you can order one directly from me - drop me an e-mail or give me a call!

I have also had a request from a customer who has already bought a small red rose and thistle from me and was looking to complete the set with a daffodil and shamrock in the same size.

Well these are winging their way to her today:

I love making designs to a customer's requirements and these will also be added to my stock designs shortly.

Apologies that this post is very late - today really has just flown by and I don't feel like I have achieved anything! Although that isn't strictly true - I posted a load of customer orders this morning along with a bunch of booking forms for craft fairs - with cheques adding up to a silly amount! (shudder...) Must try to get something less painful finished this evening to take my mind off that!  My 2012 fair calendar is booking up nicely now although I still have to add in my Bromley market dates as and when I get them booked...

Have a great week - keep warm & hope that nasty snow has nearly all gone where you are (fortunately it has nearly all melted here, just the few stubborn bits clinging on for dear life here and there!)