New Cushions- Dippers and Herons

I've been working on a new collection of products- for starters Dipper and Heron cushions. Scented of course.....some things don't change. Any whoo, I thought I'd show you a sneak preview.

Since deciding to stop making my lovely Russian Doll cushions I've opted for a bit of a change of direction. So its guns-a-blazing as I embrace my beautiful surroundings- I often see Herons as I'm driving to my unit, I regularly see Dippers.....Blackbirds, Robins, Crows, Swallows, even game birds.....oh how I could go on and on. I'm very lucky!

I'm taking my new cushions to the Borrowdale Shepherds' Meet this Sunday which is right in the rainy heart of the Lake District, hopefully I'll sell them all if not I shall list them in my Etsy shop. I was hoping to make a few Swallow brooches and country house key charms but I think they'll perhaps be ready for my next Craft Do!

You can see more pics on my FB page- http://www.facebook.com/pages/Once-Upon-a-Time-in-the-North/179020078849068

I was hoping to upload a few to Flickr but they've changed it and I don't know whats going on.........I do like change by the way!

This week I've.........

....moved back into my unit after been away for quite some time. This was quite scary and I was full of anticipation, it was like going back to work after a long enjoyable holiday, or the start of a new job. But I have no choice as my sewing is taking over the house- which is no fun for my family! Anyway it was great to be back and even better to get out of the house...although I do miss BBC 6 Music as I have no DAB radio there! I work at Brougham Hall near Penrith which is an on going restoration project, see here- http://www.broughamhall.co.uk/. 

......I hiked up Catbells near Keswick and after working solidly since January, with barely any exercise, this was hard work at first. To think I used to stride up here when the girls were younger, in the days when I had a proper job and made a point of going up some local mountain at the weekend. Oh the joys of being self employed! At least I'm happy now and look at the view of Derwent Water- which is only part of the lovely scenery you enjoy right at the top, well worth screaming lungs and wobbley legs!

....after reading a really useful and inspiring article on Etsy  I've had a serious rethink about packaging! I'm not a graphic designer, as you can tell, but boy what a difference even just the simplest of packaging has made to my products.I think my 'Make Your Own' Bunting kits are presented with care and thought.

I spent a few hours playing around with Microsoft Publisher and produced these very simple packet headers. When I have a little more time I intend (I always intend) to improve the packaging. But right now I'm very happy with what I've achieved here and everything is kept neat and tidy which is great for transportation to craft fairs.

I'm particularly pleased with my 'Make Your Own' Prize Winning Ribbon kits, which I've made for the Borrowdale Shepherds' Meet next week in Borrowdale (funny enough) which is not far from Keswick. It took no effort to sew my buttons onto the tags and I think it looks great- they're presented nicely and you can see them!

I haven't stopped with Make Your Own kits...oh no! I now sell these spotty heart buttons in lovely little boxes! There's no stopping me now and I'm not ashamed to admit I think I have a packaging obsession.....it could worse!

Big link for the article I read-  http://www.etsy.com/blog/en/2012/packaging-ideas/?utm_source=etsy_success&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=etsy_success_082312_0&link_clicked=4&euid=s7-rRFJ4Xlx8EmIBXn4sCHmp09Wb

FREE Felt Pack and FREE Buttons when you purchase Gutermann Textile Glue

I have listed in my supplies shop  http://www.etsy.com/shop/onceinthenorth2 two tubes of the excellent Gutermann textile glue. I have priced it at £4.60 which is a good retail price.

This is new textile territory for me! I use this glue a lot- it is excellent quality and good and strong. However I have never sold it. So believe me when I say it is the best textile glue around. 

Personally I love this Gutermann Textile Glue and I've used it myself in many textile projects. I use it when work gets tricky and far too intricate for a sewing machine or even a hand held needle, such as gluing purses to their frames, gluing teeny buttons onto brooches and recently I've used it to glue buttons and bows onto my new Matryoshka Badges.

With this glue I am GIVING AWAY a felt pack of 25 pieces of various colours. Each piece measures approx 4inchX4inch, these small pieces are big enough to make a brooch, a pin cushion, a lovely decoration, a small appliqued lavender cushion........lots!

I am also GIVING AWAY a 30g bag of random buttons-

WHAT a generous offer me thinks! AND WHAT are you waiting for! To be honest if I could give away the glue too then I probably would, maybe another day, but right now this mother of two has to earn a living!!

I'm also doing a bit of product testing. If the glue sells then I will stock more and if this craft felt is crafty and textiley enough then I will add this to my shop.

This is a lovely bundle of ....well loveliness.

I've used the Gutermann Textile Glue here....

 

.......and here. Good for fiddely projects!

Ribbon Joy Worth Shouting About

Feast your eyes on these.......

WOWEEEEEE!!!! How gorgeous are my new ribbons? I'm just excited about their deep richness of the colours and their vibrancy tis all and you deserve to be excited too! If you could only see me, I love them so much that I'm doing a little jig!!!!

Just one thing! Has any one noticed how many spotty supplies I stock?

Latest Edition

Those of you who know me or who read this little blog.....that's not very many of you lovely folks but I do cherish those of you who put time aside to read my ramblings. Anyway those of you who are lovely enough to follow my blog and pass comments may have realised a common thread either within my work or with the supplies I sell? That common thread is COLOUR!! I think I have discussed my passion for colour in a previous post so I won't bore you any further with the topic of colour- I really want to show you my new colour scheme of button bags.

I have put together a collection of one type of button in a single colour- I don't do this very often as I like to have good mix and variety of colours and size. However this new buttons range is so beautiful and I think pretty classy I felt it a shame to mix the buttons.

This is my classy black, white and red range and available for sale now at onceinthenorth2.etsy

 

Chunky Round Red or I might call them cerise buttons 

 

These little beauties look like they are made from shells or pearls......extremely cute! 

 

I love these clear pink buttons- I think it's because they remind me of jelly fish!

 

You have to agree that these are very beautiful. 

 And these big beauties are sublimely super frilly and fun!   

 I think these would be ideal for big button brooches or I would probably use them to embellish a bag.

Finally, I want you to watch this space for new button and supplies news coming soon........I'm talking about a proper shop!!!!!!!!!

GRAB THIS SPOTTY BUTTON BAG

I'VE REDUCED THIS BUTTON BAG FOR A QUICK SALE- I have reduced it by approx £2.50/$4.00 (I think). You will receive it for less than its R.R.P and you will also be getting about 20 buttons for free.....nawt.....zilch!

WOW! What are you lovely crafties waiting for.....

FREE P&P TO THE UK- on 30g button bag collections

I really should post more blog updates........that's a note to myself!!!!

So over at Once in the North 2  we have decided to offer FREE P&P 'on 30g button bag varieties' TO THE UK ONLY...sorry lovely folks in far away beautiful lands. This is for a limited time only. Why are we doing this? Well we have neglected our lovely shop for some time as sewing and sewing has taken over our lives, but now we have free time to dust the cyber cobwebs, invest some TLC and add new buttons and new life into our shop. This is the first of many promos as buttons are so forgiving and they should be part of every ones life.......come on button lovers let me hear a cheer!!!!!

Lovely RED, WHITE and BLUE  buttons. So royally majestic and oh so proud- each bag (which means each colour) is a 30g mixed bag of beautiful buttons.

Colour, colour, colour lots of lovely colour that's what my second button bag promo consists of

six bags/six colours each one with 30g of mixed glorious scrumptious colourful zesty buttons!

Please note if I could give these beauties away I probably would but I have growing girls so I have to earn a living, it takes time to sort them and weigh them but I'm happy to pay for the postage if you take them off my hands.

Thank you very much kind crafting sirs.

Very happy with my ribbon pics!

So here we are as promised..... after many hours, various poses and a multitude or props I have taken hundreds and hundreds of new ribbon pictures. Phew! They're delightful and wonderful little creatures but impossible to take a great picture of. Well for me anyway!!

However I am very happy with new my pics and feel confident enough to list them in my Etsy shop- http://www.etsy.com/shop/onceinthenorth2

Here we go-

Ta! Dah!!

Polka Dot Grosgrain for all craft lovers

Pinks and Greens to brighten up your day!

Delicate horizontal stripes for scrapbooking and card making, me thinks?

I am currently selling them in 1metre pieces just because I want to see how well they sell, but I promise to  list them in larger quantities soon. We all know I keep my promises!!!!

Please get in touch if you would like any more fantastic ribbon info or want a bigger quantity. More ribbons on the way! What? Oh Yes....this is NOT the end my friend!

I Heart Shell Buttons!

I've managed to source a collection of super cute shell buttons to add to my shop on Etsy.

Take a look at the loveliness of this teeny fish buttons.......I lurve them!

Let me see more!!!

I have named this collection the Bikini Bottom Mix.......I'm sorry there are no SpongeBob yellow looking shell buttons in this teeny mix. Its half term next week and that means one of a number of things will be going on in my house, SpongeBob will definitely be on in the background!! So I think that's why I have given them this name.

In this mix we have Oblong Shell Buttons, Pinky/Red Round Shell Buttons, Blue Round Sea Shell Buttons, Burnt Orange Round Sea Shell Buttons, Fuschia Pink Round Sea Shell Buttons, Ruby Red Round Sea Shell Buttons, Square Smoke Agoya Shell Buttons

My shell buttons are in a limited supply at this precise moment so I will only be selling them at www.etsy.com/shop/onceinthenorth2. (I will hopefully list them on Folksy eventually.)

I am selling them in little lovely bags of 35 thats 5 of each variety

The oblong ones are my favourite- they are tiny wonders of the sea and oh so pretty!

Let me know what you think? I do endeavour to supply bigger quantities of these beauties.

 

Newness!!!!

Happy New Year to all- my lovely, jubbly, bubbly followers!! Here's to a NEW start and all that.

This is a NEW blog post, the first of the year and I want to share a few NEW items with you.

These are my new, fun and functional lavender pillows. I think this little patchwork bird is here to stay and you will be seeing him a lot over this beautiful new year (I'm trying to be positive here- I'm not a fan of Jan)

WOWEEEE! BIG buttons! These I love a lot so much so they give me tingles every time I look at them. They are also new in my Etsy supplies shop

These are medium sized buttons of the same kind- soon to appear in my shops.

Beautiful new ribbons of all varieties- grosgrain with polka dots, fine woven gingham ribbons, satin cutout ribbons and very fine ribbon with thread stitched through. Each one as lovely as the other. They make me buzz with excitement and this is why I felt the need to share them now. I promise to list them in my shop, I won't keep them all to myself!

Finally....a NEW do! MMM! Not the most flattering of pics and especially with no make-up on, but in my defense I had just returned from a gruelling two hour walk. My hair is mainly purple by the way! My favourite colour.

Our New home....not really, I just love this little gingerbread house I made with the girls over the festive hols and thought it was worth sharing.




See you all soon.

 Have you noticed the new look blog?