Folksy Friday Mini Treasury - Be the First...

Folksy's Undiscovered Talent

In my 'Be the First' post in October 2009 I wrote -

...rewire yourself and think handmade one off loveliness, the seller with no sales is a clean slate just the same as the seller with the 100% positive feedback, the only people you should avoid buying from are those with dodgy feedback.

So here is another selection of sellers all waiting for that elusive first sale - Each and every one of these gifts would make a marvellous mothers day present! So why not be impulsive today, treat yourself, your mum and make a Folksy seller very happy - but don't forget to leave great feedback!

The items chosen in todays Mini Treasury were selected via this thread 

- please take a look at all the other sellers looking for a first sale :o)

• jewelbox
• RedMoon
• LittleWrenPottery
• melmoknit
• Pipistrelle
• cardmakingprincess
• agnesbabyknits
• YellowFrog
• CherryDeLuxe
• ladyluckjewellery
• strangelord
• maxineveronica13
• SunshinenSnow
• BlackUnicornDesigns

I'll update this list ! Just let me know  if you aren't on the list and you're looking for your first sale!

REMEMBER TO CHECK MY SIDEBAR FOR THE FOLKSY FRIDAY CLUB MEMBERS POSTS!

A New Award!

I have been awarded a Sunshine Award by lots of brilliant bloggers for both my blogs! Thanks so much to you all, especially for all the lovely comments you have left.


Dinky Daisy
Quernus Crafts
Blue Forest Jewellery
Trinket Box
Fairly Girly
Charlotte Hupfield Ceramics
Sparrow Primitives
Cinnamon Jewellery
Mrs G Knits

So I'm  giving you all back my own pretty flower award to say thanks, it's called the I LOVE CRAFT BLOGS AWARD!  Feel free to pass it on to any crafty blogs you love, oh and make up your own rules, nominate as many or as few blogs as you like - or just keep it for yourself!

Happy Blogging x

(I hope I didn't miss anyone out, I got a bit lost with all the awards flying around)

Giveaway - Win a Month of Free Advertising! (April)

Would you like to win a feature all about your work and a month or more of free advertising on this blog, just like January's lucky winner?  Details are at the end of this post (it's easy peasy and open to everybody!)

The winner of the February advertising Spot is...

Pam Southernwood is the talented lady behind Avril Pam, a successful Folksy shop selling beautiful jewellery, handwoven scarves and intricate felted brooches and purses.  Pam seems to be able to put her hand to any craft!  Pam has also recently created a brand new website - www.averilpam.co.uk where you can see a gallery of her latest work.

These pieces above really caught my eye, I particularly like the background Pam has used for the black and white necklace.  The little droplets of dew reflect the spots on the beads so well!  This felted and embellished brooch would look fabulous on the lapel of your winter coat, it makes me think of a beautiful peacocks feathers all fanned out.

HOW TO ENTER THIS MONTHS GIVEAWAY!

It is so simple!  You need to visit my NEW! blog www.craftbloguk.blogspot.com become a follower and then leave a comment below (on this blog!!!) to let me know what you think of it!  You may also post a link to your blog, shop or website and let me know your latest news, think of it as a mini advert!
OPEN TO ALL!!!

(click here for my guide to leaving clickable blog comments)

How simple is that!

(here's a little tip -  hold down shift whilst you click a link and page will open a new page rather than navigating away from the page you are on - try it! - or if that doesn't work using your browser left click a link to bring up options of how and where to open it, as a tab or as a new page etc)

MORE PUBLICITY FOR THE WINNER!

Entry to this months competition ends at 12pm on the 1st April 2010.  The winning entrant will be featured in a blog post like the one above, which will then become the new entry form for next months competition - so you'll have everyone who enters next month seeing your feature too - it's the giveaway that just keeps giving!!! 

I will make you an advert if you do not already have one - so don't let that stop you entering!

Good Luck!

Sewing and Sowing

Sewing....

I've been asked to do a jewellery roll for one of my fellow Folksy sellers Florio Designs - I had to put it on a bit of a back burner because of the fair I did at the weekend amongst a zillion other things but I'm hoping to get the prototype finished for her soon, if she likes it I can then take the plunge and make it up in some of my Japanese fabric.  I've already had to do a redesign but I think my new plan will work!

Gail sells these beautiful fascinators - I just wish I had an outfit to go with them, haven't had any wedding invites for this spring!  Probably a good thing as I'm way too busy.

I have been invited to write a tutorial for one of my coin purses for Sew Hip Magazine.  The deadline is March 1st, who knows at what point it will appear (if at all!) I'm off to visit my mother in North Wales for half term so I'm going to take all my sewing bits / machine and do the tutorial pics up there, then it's just a case of writing it up when I get back and posting it all off. ('just'! )

I need to do the pics in the day, can't stand flash photos -  my mother has a wonderful light sun lounge I can use to set up in and get some nice bright images - they may also keep the kiddiwinks occupied so I can actually get on with it! Wish me luck!

...& Sowing?

Ok not actually sowing anything yet, I'm Not sure what happens, must be the extra light or the emergence of little green shoots but suddenly I've got back my gardening head.  This dead thing above is my great big Hosta, you have to have a lot of faith in mother nature to believe this will be looking like this a few months (fingers crossed the snow didn't kill them all , at what point will I know?)

Perhaps it's little bulbs poking their heads up for the first time that makes everyone get excited about spring!

The veg patch is a little bare! just take a look at the 'my garden' link at the top to see what they were like last year - all green and lush full of produce.  We're remodelling this area, there will be a new big shed and a kind of deck where the large bed is, leaving us with 4 x 4ft square beds which is plenty, I had the top bed as my salad bed last year and it was too much so I'll scale it down a little this year and concentrate on getting some decent tomatoes.

Arts & Craft Market - Berkhamsted

My first attempt at a more local fair - fingers crossed it's going to be a busy shopping day being the week before Valentines day.  If any of you are near by would love to see you.  Here are the details -

I've been really busy with craftblog uk but now it's launched hopefully things will get back to normal (I even missed Folksy Friday last week - but please check the sidebar as I have links to everyone's in there)  I've been lucky enough that http://www.ukhandmade.com/  have asked if the new blog can be their official blog roll - as they were struglling to manage their own.   I'm really chuffed to be connected to such a great website, they have added my new CBuk badge on their ning and their blog and invited all their new members to add their blogs!

The only differences to this blog will be the blogging tips and tutorials will be posted over there, but I'll link to them on my tips page here too.

I'll also be restarting my gardening posts, actually got into the garden and did some bits and bobs last weekend - there was just an inkling of a spring feeling, can't wait to start the seedlings off, a little while to wait yet I think, we had a massive frost this morning.