What Have I Been Up To?

Wow, I can't believe it's been over a month since I blogged. What have I been up to? What have I achieved? The answer? Not as much as I should have!!!

I haven't been completely lazy this past month, I have made a few bits and pieces (which i will be listing soon) and had a couple of custom orders but overall I haven't been feeling particularly inspired lately (it didn't help that I have been completely distracted reading an awesome series of books).

Here is a few photos of one of my custom orders. I was contacted by a lady in Louisiana who's cousin was having a baby and wanted to decorate the new nursery with a cutesy skull theme. Seems a little unusual I know but I thought it sounded like a fab and unique idea for a baby boy's nursery.

I was asked for two large squishy skull decorations in light blue and black. It was slightly intimidating as I've never made a skull this big before so wasn't sure how they would look but I think they turned out alright in the end.

The other thing my customer wanted was one of my long skully ornaments but in light blue, black and white felt. I had to play around with the colour combinations (usually my skullies are brightly coloured with black eyes and nose) because one of the skulls was going to be black. This was the end result and I'm pretty pleased.

Also this month I also sold four skully and two heartfelt brooches, two totes and two cushion covers. So it was a pretty good month here at CloudberrySkies.

Alternative Christmas.

I have been toying with some ideas for alternative Christmas decorations and came up with this skully wreath. I'm not sure how successful it is so I would appreciate any feedback you guys can give. So let me know what you think!

Fat or flat?

Made a start on my Christmas decorations. These are my first attempt at gingerbread men but I'm not sure which looks better? The one on the left with stuffing or the one on the right without? Feel free to let me know what you think!

New Red Button Heart Tote

Wow!!!

A Cloudberryskies record!!! I thought the last tote I sold (after three days) was a quick sale but I sold this Green Button Star Tote in less than three hours!! It has made me a happy girl indeed!!

Oh and.....

... I made another one of these. This time with lovely blue buttons.

Harry the Heron.

This is Harry, he is a felty heron and a present I made for a friend at work's leaving present. He is hand sewn and it took me 6 and a half hours to make. Why did I decide to make my friend a heron? Well that is a long and rather unfortunate story!

   

I also...

I also made this buttony heart tote (this time made from lots of lovely orange and yellow buttons) but I've decided to keep it as it was my prototype (and I like it).

Feeling More Positive.

In my last post I was feeling a little negative, talking about shutting up shops but since then I've made 2 Etsy sales (one of them was a custom order for 4 Camo Star totes) and a couple of days ago I sold 2 skully brooches on Folksy so I'm feeling a lot more positive. 

Also I added a new tote to my shop. It has a pretty star made up of lots of lovely pink and purple buttons of different shades and sizes. I have high hopes for this one. 

It's Off To The Land Down Under.

I sold my tartan heart tote to my first ever Aussie customer! Seeing as I made all my totes half price with half price shipping I was a bit worried about how much it would to send but turns out I had nothing to fret about as it only to cost me a whole £1.93!! I know it seems mad to charge so little but I made most of the totes a year ago and I've got a bit fed up with having them taking up valuable storage space in my flat. I'm hoping a clear out will inspire me to make lots of new stuff that will sell better but I'm seriously thinking I might as well just shut up shop! 

Feeling Autumnal Already.

Having a break from the pirate theme (I was being to see skulls in my sleep) I decided to dig out some of the lovely fat quarts of fabric I bought a few months ago and have another go at bunting. I loved the autumnal browns, reds and greens and has got me thinking about my favourite season. It's also got me thinking about Christmas and I should really start making some decorations as I left it too late last year! Where has the year gone?

Also I don't think I'll be selling this lot of bunting as my flatmate entered the room whilst I balanced precariously on a chair hanging it up and said 'Let's keep it up there forever!' So I guess I'll need to make some more if anybody wants it.

 

Oskar The Drunken Owl...

Thought I let you all see my first attempt at a plushie - Oskar the owl, he is made from felt, flower fabric and buttons. Not too bad (for me anyway) but he doesn't stand up on his own (hence him being a drunken owl) so I've propped him up next to some dvds on top of my tv.

Seagull Cushion.

I just love it when people buy a lovely piece of furniture or ornament and then decorate the rest of the room to match!  My boyfriend's mum ordered a lovely custom-made driftwood shoe rack a few months ago and when I went over to their house on Monday I found it had arrived and that they had a new beach hut themed hallway! I think it looks really sweet (although I don't think the boyfriend's dad would agree!) so when I came home yesterday I thought it might be nice to make something 'seasidey' to go in the lovely bright hallway. I decided on a cushion and I remembered I had the perfect material to use! I bought some lovely seagull fabric from Ikea ages ago to make into tote bags (I'll be making some of those as well) but also realised that 

it would make a great looking cushion cover.

Pirate Bunting

My lovely new bunting!! The main problem I have with this is I don't really have anywhere to hang it in my flat to take photos of it! In the end I had to settle for the small bit of bannister on my landing - doesn't really do it justice but it's the best I can do with what I've got!

Been A Bit Busy Today.

You can tell I've been a bit busy especially seeing as I've blogged 3 times today.  Just listed my new Skully decoration on Etsy, it's made up of 8 purple, lilac, baby pink and rose coloured skulls linked together with black ribbon. It measures roughly 48 inches (122cm).

Another Treasury!!

What's going on? I haven't been in a treasury for about a year and now I've been in two in the past week. This time it's the turn of my electric blue skully brooch in a 'Feelin Blue?' treasury created by CustomZombie.

New Skully Brooch

Arrr. This Be A Pirate Cushion.

Yay! I'm in a treasury.

It's been a while since I've been in one but my Camo Razor Blade Tote has made it into a 'make fun not war' treasury! The lovely curator of this treasury madebyjoy even convo'd me to let me know that my bag had been chosen, which was really nice as I probably wouldn't have known I was in a treasury. I think the next time I'm lucky enough to make a treasury I will do the same.

Sewing Skullies & Making A Mess.

I spent the day making... 

...Skully ornaments....

...Skully keyrings...

...and a mess of the table in my living room.

Arnold, Arnold, Arnold Rimmer more reliable than a garden strimmer.

It's been a while since I posted anything on here, mostly due to the fact that I haven't made anything, but due to a few people leaving work I've been working on a gift or two. Here is the first one....

It's meant to be Rimmer from Red Dwarf (one of my favourite shows). I'm not sure it looks much like him but the person I made it for really liked it and that's the main thing (although if I hadn't sewn the name tag on I don't think he'd have known who it was meant to be!)  

 

Cushion Crazy

Quite some time ago I helped myself to many sofa fabric swatches from Marks and Spencer. When I liberated them from the shop I wasn't exactly sure what was going to what I was going to do with them, eventually I decided I would use them to make a patchwork cushion. I started making it about a year ago but it ended up in my 'to be continued' box but i finally finished it today! I made an envelope back made light browny grey (I'm thinking mouse fur) coloured cord, I'm really pleased with it although I don't think my sewing machine would agree, the fabric was probably a little too thick for it, so I don't think i'll be making any more!!

Woe is me.

It seems all that stress and worry about my job has taken it's toll and has made me ill (my immune system seems to be getting more rubbish every year)!! I've got a really bad cold and this is my third day off work feeling like c*@p.  First of all it was a bout of the sneezes then a sore throat and after that... you really don't want to know!!!! All I want to do is sleep but when I lie down I can't breathe as my chest feels like someone is standing on it!!! So here I sit in self exiled quarantine (I don't want to give this to my housemate) propped up on many cushions wishing I could just sleep it off  but instead I'm browsing Etsy, being tempted to spend money I don't have and generally feeling sorry for myself! 

Lovely New Fabric!!!

I bought some lovely blue spotty fabric today to go with my red stripey and black skully fabrics. Now have everything I need to attempt some pirate bunting!! Arrr!! I'm hopeful the colours and patterns will look great together.

While I was queuing up to buy my spotty fabric I couldn't help but notice this lovely cherry fabric. I only bought a metres worth as I have no idea what I'm going to do with it but I couldn't resist.

Trying New Photos.

Bit of a bad day.

Today I found out that I'm rubbish at my day job! Last week we had interviews at work to find out who would be made redundant, who would lose some hours and who got to keep their job as is. Even though I didn't get made redundant (which I guess I should be grateful for) I lost 5.5 hrs a week because I sucked in my interview which seems a little unfair to judge me solely on that after 5 years service! So if my experience counts for nothing then the only conclusion I can come to is that I must be rubbish! You could look on the bright side, like I originally did and say 'Hey that's not so bad, at least I can spend more time crafting!' But this loss of hours means not just less money but no more weekends off! I will have to work every single weekend and I usually do my best crafting on a Saturday afternoon, so this really sucks!!! My main point is that I need to really get working on my shops as I'm really going to need to supplement my income now as I can barely manage as it is. Overall I think I'd rather have made redundant!!

Anyway on the bright side my flatmate and I had some friends over on Saturday to watch Eurovision and I managed to sell two brooches!! Before you think it, I don't try to flog my stuff to every friend and visitor who comes round to the flat!! It was just that I had a lot of my brooches on display ready for photos and everyone commented on how nice they were and asked how much. It was hard, I really had to restrain myself from giving them away but in the end I sold a Skully and a Leafy Ladybird brooch. Result!

HULK SMASHED....

I made little fella for a friend's 30th birthday. I named him Hulkenstein as he was meant to be The Hulk but ended up looking more like Frankenstein (or Frankenstein's monster if you want to be a little pedantic!) He found he was very popular at the pub and was looking rather worse for wear when the evening was over as was the person who's birthday it was!!

Holiday. Celebrate.

Well I've closed my Etsy and Folksy shops and tidied away all my crafty things so I think I'm just about ready for my holiday to Egypt. I leave tomorrow and it will be my first trip out of the UK in four and a half years and I'm starting to get a bit excited (it's about time!). I'm sure I'll have a great time, though I can't help feeling a little nervous as it's the most money I've spent on anything, so I have this weird vision of it all going horribly wrong - like some Watchdog holiday from hell!!! I know I shouldn't be so negative but I really want it to be great so it will live up to my mum's expectations (as she is very excited). With all the running around, sorting out money, buying suitable clothes etc I can't help the slight feeling of dread especially when people keep saying things like it'll the 'holiday of a lifetime'. Too Much Pressure!!! I think my main problem is that I find going on holiday abroad extremely stressful! For a start I think my expectations are usually too high so the place can never quite live up to what I've imagined! (this is my biggest worry about Egypt as I've wanted to go there since I was a little kid!) The other problem is I always want to do to much, fitting in as much I can (with the thought going round and round my head that I have to see everything because I may never get to come back again!) so I'm not really enjoying the holiday experience. I'm pretty sure this time it will be very different and I can relax! As it's a proper package holiday with all the food and excursions included, it means that all the organising is someone else's problem and all I have to do is just follow along (which will be really, really nice!). I think what I need to keep telling myself that this is my mum's holiday as long as she enjoys herself then it has been a great holiday!  Well I'd better be going as I still having packing to do. 

Bugs, Buttons and Brooches.

Simple but I like it.

I was just replaying in my head a conversation with a colleague at work from a few weeks ago. Basically she was hinting (very unsubtly) that she wanted me to make her a brooch. I was talking about the Buttonfly Brooches I was making and she seemed very interested in seeing them when they were finished. She attempted some flattery by saying she'd really liked some of the brooches I'd made (presents for other friends at work). Basically she was asking if she could have one but didn't mention anything about payment, I know that seems mean (but even if it's just a gesture) as I probably wouldn't have taken any money but you have to at least offer. (I've decided to stop giving things away for free unless it's a special occasion it feels horrible to be mercenary but I guess I'll never get anywhere otherwise!) Anyway back to the story, I decided I wouldn't give her one of the buttonfly ones but as I'm easily guilt tripped I decided to make her a simple heart brooch like the ones in the picture below. It was actually really worth it as I've never seen anyone so secretly chuffed in my life (even though it was only something small) It felt pretty good to see someone so pleased with something I've made, I guess it's a selfish thing - giving gifts - we feel happy because others are happy. It's weird!

Anyway the reason I mentioned this was the woman at work in her hinting said something that was sort of a back handed compliment - she basically said (though not as tactfully) that she liked my work because it was 'simple' (my word here not hers). I must admit I was a little taken aback at the time (especially seeing as she was trying to get something from me) but she's right my stuff is simple, it's not perfect, it will probably never look professional but it looks handmade because it is handmade and I'm proud of that fact.  

Heartfelt Brooches

Today I mostly made some little heart brooches. Unfortunately my photo taking skills don't really do the lovely colours justice. I'm still deciding whether or not add them to my etsy shop.

Yay! I'm famous!

I was interviewed for an American blog here it is - http://indianaetsy.blogspot.com

Wonder Woman

Butterflies....buttonflies.

I love how these butterfly brooches have turned out, they are so cute (even if I do say so myself!) I'm hoping everyone else will love them too. I've decided to call them Buttonfly Brooches (see what I did there! Lame I know!)

Dinner Dinner Dinner Dinner Batman.

I made this felty batman for a friend at works birthday. As it's a 'him' friend I found it hard to think of something I could make (as everything I've made so far is a bit 'girly'). Now I could have given up and bought him something but I was determined to make something and I know he loves comics/ graphic novels, so I thought what could be more manly than BATMAN! He is my own design, completely hand stitched and took about 2 hours to make. I'm really pleased and he's probably the best thing I've made. I've ordered some new felt and I'm going to attempt to make Robin.....Or Wolverine!!!

Felty Hearts for Valentines

Can't catch me....

....I'm the Gingerbread Man.

Sew help me!

After seeing my last post Alix from bigbluebed contacted me (thank God I'm not the only one struggling with motivational issues!). She had a idea - how about setting up a group online

for other local crafters where we can motive each other and people like us who are struggling with getting 'crafty'. I thought this was a fantastic idea and Sew Help Me was born! We are on flickr - it is a private group but if you are in Hampshire and are in need of some motivation, moral support or just after crafty chat then leave a message for me or Alix and we can send you an invite.

The group thing maybe working as I made two felt items for a friend at works birthday. The above is a Skully brooch (which I'm worried maybe a little to big but it could work!) and below is a Mario power up star (which I'm actually quite pleased with!)