New stuff!

Yes, really!

I’ve started sorting out the PennyDog site and I’m making good progress, I found a load of stuff this morning that I’d made ages ago but hadn’t put online, so rather than it gathering dust I thought I’d upload a few bits and get them online gradually. I will also be updating the supplies soon to sell my ribbon, buttons, etc that are currently only in my Folksy shop.

Things are now in categories of “made to order”, “one-off” and everyone’s favourite- I have a sale section! There are quite a few discounts on there so please have a look, including this necklace you may remember me working on last week…

It’s in the sale because there was a tear in the top coat of resin and when I refilled it it isn’t totally even (you might be able to see this in the picture where the jump ring is). It still looks pretty though. Normally I’d list it at £15 but because of this I’ve put it at £10 🙂

More will continue to be added until I run out and the next step is to start listing one-off handbags and bound books – though I need to make some first!

 

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More moulds, resin and stuff back in stock

In case anyone who reads this has been waiting the two months it has been since I had resin in, I now have it back in stock (albeit without measuring cups, need to track some of those down from somewhere) and some colourings and new moulds as well. My supplier is selling the business though, so I’m not sure if I will be able to continue selling these or not so grab what you want while you can. With any luck I will be able to continue buying but through the new purchaser, depending on what the terms would be like. I am worried that my prices will go up and a hefty minimum order be implemented, which will mean I will have to pay more customs charges, so I’m really not sure what will happen.

trufflepiglet is now open!

Trufflepiglet is now ready to take orders! Boxed chocoaltes and other goods will come later and gradually within the next two weeks as I am waiting for photographs and packaghing, but loose chocolates can now be ordered! I have a discount code for you until the end of March that allows you 15% off all orders of £5 and above: BLOGFAN

www.trufflepiglet.com

Shop restock and Chocs Away!

Sorry I have been away so long. This time of year I get very busy, and as a result a lot of my shop has been marked made to order. However I have this morning restocked the site (and also Etsy and Folksy where applicable) and I now have the following available for immediate delivery (there are other immediate delivery items on the site, so feel free to have a click through!): 

 

 

In other news, I am going on my food safety course on Tuesday, taking me a step closer to opening my chocolate business! The web designer thinks we will be live by 15th January, but I reckon it will be the end of Jan by the time I have had my kitchen assessment, etc. Here’s what I was up to last night…

(Bailey truffle centres- my own recipe 😉 )

(Oozy praline centres)

(Dark chocolate truffle centres- everyone’s favourites!)

Getting my act together!

I have very recently done a bit of housekeeping to keep my sanity, and gone through my entire catalogue and discontinued many items. This is either because they were slow sellers, they were prone to design faults, or I just didn’t enjoy making them anymore. Also I’ve had to list items as made to order where necessary. These are the popular lines that I do want to keep selling, but just haven’t had the time to make a batch available straight away. Since I won’t be doing any craft fairs next year (!) I don’t want to be sitting on a lot of stock either, at least for the time being. So you will notice that there are now turnaround times on a lot of things- please take this into consideration if ordering for Christmas. The reason these dates vary is so I can make sure I am sending out good quality products. I was starting to want to stop jewellery making altogether very recently because of breakages in the post, items arriving with strong smells and generally not doing the best I could because I was being pressured by time. With these dates it means I can send out the best quality pieces and avoid disappointment. However where possible I will send out sooner if I think something is ready to go. This also means I will have a minimum of 28 days lead time on all wholesale orders and 7-14 days on custom orders.

Just so you know… 😉 Oh and I may well be changing the resin I use soon so that I get a nicer result anyway…. will let you know if and when that happens!

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Christmas Posting Dates are now on the website homepage, please bear these in mind as these are the very last dates to place your order for guaranteed delivery before Christmas:

Items available immediately:
Australia and other countries not mentioned: 5th December
The US, Canada, Eastern Europe: 9th December
Western Europe: 11th December
UK: 20th December

Items with 3 days turnaround:
Australia and other countries not mentioned: 2nd December
The US, Canada, Eastern Europe: 6th December
Western Europe: 8th December
UK: 17th December

Items with up to 5 days turnaround:
Australia and other countries not mentioned: 30th November
The US, Canada, Eastern Europe: 4th December
Western Europe: 6th December
UK: 15th December

Items with up to 7 days turnaround:
Australia and other countries not mentioned: 28th November
The US, Canada, Eastern Europe: 2nd December
Western Europe: 4th December
UK: 13th December

Items with up to 10 days turnaround:
Australia and other countries not mentioned: 25th November
The US, Canada, Eastern Europe: 29th November
Western Europe: 1st December
UK: 10th December

As it is also my birthday, I will be closing my shop a day or two early 😉

Shop is closed!

My Website and Folksy and Etsy shops are currently closed whilst I take a holiday, they will be open again on Friday 8th October!

Blog and run…

Another uber-quick post, just to let you know that the white bezels are now in stock. These are now not just poly-cemeted togehter, but are extra reinforced around the edges, eliminating any leak problems you may have previously experienced! Don’t forget the bezel competition if you fancy having a go with any of the range!

Also I now have one trial run of pigment to see how it goes and if you guys want more colours!

Two online stockists

Thought I’d plug two of my new stockists online today (I am looking for more on and offline shops too so let me know if you’re a shop owner and interested!)…

Firsty there is The Oriental Magpie: http://www.theorientalmagpie.com

 

Loads of lovely goodies, I especially like the bird brooches from Hungry Designs.

Also there is the Beach Hut Boutique: http://beachhutboutique.com (there’s me 2nd one along!)

Lots of variety here, I have chosen to show the skeleton cards from Dr Zorlock. Different and anatomically correct!

The start of something wonderful…

I got the keys to this place on Friday! Yes, all of it (except the Lexus 4×4)!

All of the rooms are huge, including the kitchen…

The breakfast room (which will be the pie room as OH is going into business with a local chef)…

The man room (where OH will go to think upon manly things- see deer head for scale!)…

The living room (which was once the full house, back when it was a boarding house for monks back in the 12th Century)…

This is the courtyard area for parking, behind the pig sties (where we are going to keep chickens) is the garden. We even have a well!

And of course the bit you all are waiting to see… here is my workshop/studio room! By the way those chairs are definitely not staying.

Not sure about the carpet- it’s in good nick and sort of the colours I want, do I pull up and replace with lino, or do I cover it with clear plastic (either way it needs to be resinproof)?

This is the sewing machine desk in the corner, though the plug isn’t compatible, so don’t think I’ll be using it. It has been untouched for years, and so I felt bad rifling through the stuff of an old lady who passed away. This includes what I like to call “the embroidery of guilt” which after finding it half finished, I feel I owe it to the lady to finish it. Or maybe I should frame it half done? What do you think? I have lots of questions!

And this is the shop area! The picture is taken from the front door, which will be the “trade entrance”, the room to the left of the grandfather clock is the workroom. The other doors aren’t in use, the closest one is mysteriously locked, and the other one is full of old trinkets and mouse poo (including a hip flask I found that still has alcohol in it)!

I plan on moving this mirror from the bedroom down into the shop too…

Also today I went to Breedon Priory again and came back with all of this stuff!

Lilliecup Green

I’ve been wanting to blog about this place for a little while now, but my cameraphone is completely useless at communicating with any other device, so I had to go back and take some pictures with an actual camera last weekend.

Lilliecup Green aims to stock 90% handmade (Gina- the lady who runs it- also makes her own soft furnishings, which may come in useful when we move!) and is based at Breedon Priory, Breedon-on-the-Hill, Leicestershire in a couple of conservatories next to the Garden Centre.

I seem to be having some success there already and my goods have only been on display for a few weeks, which is great news. She also stocks buttons and accessories from Incy Wincy Stitches, though we’ve yet to bump into each other there accidentally 🙂

It’s quite a small shop that sells everything from balloons to curtains, money boxes to soaps, and a new room is in development (and nearly finished!) which will showcase creative painting techniques for the home, with a secondary building located across the car park which holds painted furniture.

There are interesting collectable stalls on the site every weekend, as well as a knitting shop (which also stocks my knitting needles), old fashioned sweet shop and other little independent retailers dotted around. Please go for a visit, it’s a nice afternoon out, but please note thatr most shops are closed Monday and Tuesday.