Merry Christmas!

Finished all the shopping & presents all wrapped. Early for me this year! Hoping for a bit more snow to have a white Christmas.

Happy Christmas to all my blog readers & to the bloggers I follow, have a great time!x

Upcoming fairs.

Just a quick note to mention my upcoming fairs . The 1st is at the Red House Glass cone in Wordsley on 22nd Nov & the other is in Quinton, Birmingham on 5th Dec. Full details here

The Red House Glass Cone.

We have eggs!!

Just a quick update, we went away at the weekend & came back to 2 eggs & another one this morning. Here's the finished results!!

Back to School & Poultry Farming!

Wow! I didnt realise it had been that long ago that I last blogged! I didn't really blog in the summer holidays as I hardly did any crafting as I wanted to spend all my time with the boys. They are all back at school now & really enjoy it, the middle started reception & my baby started pre school so I have free mornings now. Dont they look smart on their 1st day!?

Finding it hard to motivated again now, I've been doing the recycled jewellery still as always have orders for that but couldnt be bothered with anything else. I have a few craft fairs coming up though so that has started to motivate me to get cracking!

We've also bought a couple of chickens! Speckle & Gracie have been with us for a week now, not laid any eggs yet as I think they are not quite at laying point but its been fun having them. I let them out in the garden free range for the 1st time yesterday & was worried they would manage to escape but they were fine so I will let them out more often now.

Hopefully they will lay us some eggs soon. I'll keep you posted!

The Great Escape!

The lovely Sarah of Photo Fairytales used my hubby Dean for one of her delightful images on her website. Check him out & have a look at the wonderful other gift ideas, I think they would make terrific personalised birthday gifts for someone, isn't she talented!

Busy times & holidays!

I know I've been a bad blogger recently & not been posting very often, I do try to read everyone elses though! I had a really busy time a few weeks ago as I have some suppliers of my recycled bead jewellery & had a job keeping up for a time which is a good thing business wise but I didnt have a lot of time for anything else. The first supplier is Planet Trash who have a lovely range of eco friendly & recycyled goodies.

We also went on holiday the 1st week of the school holidays to the Lake District. We were quite lucky weather wise as we didnt get that much rain & had some lovely trips out. The boys loved the Laurel & Hardy museum & have been watching DVD's of them ever since!

Been trying to keep them all busy for the rest of the holidays what with the miserable weather so thats another reason for my lack of inetrnet presence as I am nagged to play as soon as I switch the laptop on! They are out with their grandparents today hence I am able to blog! Hope you are all enjoying the holidays too........

And the winner is.............

My lovely eldest son picked Knitwit Elaine, will get the little hairclips off in the post to you, sorry to the rest. They are always available to buy on MISI! Thanks to everyone for your lovley comments & taking the time to enter.x

Cupcake Giveaway!

These little cakes are becoming so popular these days! I have been selling so many of my polymer cupcake earrings & phone charms at craft fairs & sold out at the last school fair with the kids asking for more! So I have launched a range of cupcake items & to celebrate I am offering a givaway. Just leave a comment on this post telling me what item you would like to win, a phone/bag charm, dangly earrings, stud earrings, brooch, hairclips or a ring. I'll get one of the boys to argue over who is going to pull a name out of a hat on Friday 10th July. Good luck!

I have also put this cupcake charm bracelet on MISI as well as the other items.

Pixies Playhouse

I jaust wanted to thank Vicki of Pixies Playhouse in Brierley Hill for displaying one of my Baby Gift Baskets & leaflets. Vicki, Donna & Liz took over a local kids indoor soft play area & transformed it into a far better place! They have great deals on parties & Toddler Time deals. There's plenty of seating room & the food is good & very reasonably priced. Check out their website for full details.

Baby Gift Baskets

I have added baby gift baskets to my MISI store. The pic here is for a boy & contains a fleecy spotty blanket, hooded cuddle & dry towl, 3 vests, 3 pairs socks, 3 bibs, Johnsons baby shampoo, Johnsons baby wipes, 8 Pampers nappies & a pair of bootees. In a cotton lined wicker basket & wrapped in cellophane with ribbons & a gift card. 

I'm going to make them to order (hoping I get an order that is!) in blue, white & neutral beige/lemon.

Whaddya think then? I though they would make great practical gifts as I like to give practical gifts rather than the usual 'cute outfit' that you get so many of they cant all  fit in the wardrobe! I wouldn't like to give a new Mum a pile of vests & socks etc though but it looks so pretty this way I would love to give & recieve this as a gift. Well I think so anyway!

Fair Time

I've been really busy the past few weeks with a craft fair at Hatton Country World & my chalet I have taken on for a month at a local craft market. Still working on my display in the cabin as looks a bit bare inside & I need to make more bits to put on the shelves inside, went to a car boot sale yesterday & got some nice wicker display units that I have sprayed

 white & want to put a table outside to put more on. I may make it a more long term thing its just having the commitment to be there every Saturday, perhaps I shall have to employ staff! I did think of asking an other local crafters if they wanted me to stock their things in return for them helping me out occasionally, just a thought. Theres still some more crafts I want to try out. I saw some lovely knitted cakes at a fair recently & with my very limited knitted skills fancy having a go. I also want to try paper mache boxes but I cant find any instructions on how to make one from scratch, only about covering ready made boxes. 

The Hatton fair went well, especially my felted scarves that sold out & people wanting different colours that I didnt have, also sold some of my candles but not so much in the way of jewellery, I think there is perhaps too much competition at fairs from jewellery sellers so just as well I want to try all these different things!

More different crafts......

OK Mrs Sausage I'll update my blog ( you know who you are!) I don't get much of a chance to get on the computer when the kids are on school hols, even the 2 year old asking to look at You tube! Not much chance of crafting either but have done a bit the last week or so I could share. I had a go at sewing & made a pump bag for my 8 year old from some jeans I got in a charity shop. May not be impressive to you sewers out there but for me whose hubby usually has to sew his own buttons on & this was my 1st attempt I was impressed!I also had a go at altering a charity shop skirt but just don't mention that one!

Still experimenting with felting & had a go at needle felting these flowers 

 

          Still having a go at candles following a recipe from a book. Now I've got them to look all nice but didn't really bother to follow (or actually understand) the instructions about wicks so although they look & smell very nice they don't actually burn properly!

I have got premises now! My own little cabin at a permanent craft market. I have just taken on a months rent to see how it goes for now & if any good I will rent it full time. I move in on 18th April so hope it goes well!

Trying Felting

I've been having a go at trying different crafts & here's my attempt at felting. The scarves are nuno felted onto silk chiffon & I'm quite pleased with them, my photography isn't so good though & doesnt do them justice! I have also made flowers using needle felting & will get round to showing you them soon.I've also been having a go at candles which has been great fun. So many crafts & so little time!

                                                                                                                       

Happy St Patricks Day Patrick!

                                                                  

My 8 year old son Patrick always gets excited on this day as eveyone celebrates HIS day he says. His brothers are most put out that they dont have 'their' days! I'm sure there was a St Aaron & a St William somewhere!? 

Happy St Patricks Day Patrick!

Good enough to eat?

Just finished these earrings & brooch made from polymer. Mmm, makes me feel hungry! Both in my Misi shop.

Other Hobbies!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

I haven't been doing much crafting recently as been busy with 1/2 term & taking the boys out every day & fulfilling other commitments hasn't left me with much spare time! I used to do a lot of sugarcraft flowers & cake decorating a few years ago but it became increasing difficult with the kids 'wanting to help' so have really just been doing the occasional cake for family & friends. I was asked by a colleague of my husband to make a dalmation cake for his grandaughters 4th birthday. I finished that yesterday so did a bit of crafting last night & made a wire wrapped denim pendant & brooch. Hopefully I can get back into the swing of it when the kids go back next week.                                                                                                                                                                      

More Recycling!

This time I have been making denim beads out of old jeans. Lets hope hubby Dean doesnt wonder where his jeans have gone!? I have made a few things with them as I have a craft fair on Saturday but have put some on my website as well.                      

Been very cold here this week and we have had quite a bit of 

snow over the past couple of days. My sons school has been shut so we made the most of it & have just comeback from sledging down some hills just round the corner, 

                                                 hoping for yet even more snow later!

Fabulous Blog Award

          Today I have kindly been awarded the 'Fabulous Blog Award' by Buffy from Buffys Charms Blog  who I am a follower of so thanks for that Buffy! I have to choose blogs I like, to be linked back too so I have chosen:

Kathryn at Lazy Daisy Glass

Izabela at Blue Fish Handmade

Sara at Saraeden

Amanada at Maygreen Fairies

I hope they all enjoy their awards too!

Recycling Time

We've all been struck down with a sickness bug the past few days so not managed to get much done but I have been making up some jewellery with some beads I made from recyled paper They have come out OK, the beads are nice & sturdy as they have several coats of varnish so it can be worn out in the rain! Heres some pics, what do you think? I've put them on my website & MISI site.

Happy 2009!

Happy New Year to all Pearls & Whirls blog readers. We had a nice quiet, calm New Year after the excitment of 3 young kids over Christmas! 

2008 was an excellent first year for Pearls & Whirls & did far better than I had hoped & expected, we had several successful craft fairs & only one failure the week before Christmas which was very quiet. I managed to set up a website & this blog. I have decided what I like making & what sells the best & have lots of ideas for new designs that I hope to get started on soon & hope to get some pieces stocked in shops as well. I think I am very fortunate to have done so well during the 'credit crunch', I think perhaps many people prefer to buy handmade products, I know I do! I can only hope that Pearls & Whirls will continue to be a success in 2009 along with the other crafters whose blogs I visit who make such lovely things, a lucky 2009 to you as well!........