After the fair, and a blooming good clear out

Well hello and how the devil are you?

My fair at Crafts in the Pen last weekend went ever so well...it’s always great to meet and chat with customers, other creatives, and interested visitors. I had some great conversations, met some really interesting and interested people, and was lucky enough to have lots of visits from friends and family.

Two absolute nutters  travelled all the way from Wiltshire to cheer me on...four hours in the car to see me. An 8 hour round trip! Oh my heart, one of the kindest things anyone has ever done for me! And utterly, wonderfully bizarre to see them stood before me, and not on my phone screen. Incredible!! Best of all, I got to go out with them at night and chat, in person, like we usually do on IG dms...honestly, so good! Such a treat! I definitely owe them a round trip to Wiltshire sometime in the new year. I flipping love you Amanda and Helen 🥰

Anyhoo, after unloading my car on the Sunday, I decided it would be a great (!?!?) idea to have a good workroom tidy up before putting all my stock and stall paraphernalia away. 

I finally managed to sit back at my desk on Saturday 🙈 only 5 days of sorting, and clearing! Lots gone to the tip, to charity, to a local community craft group...and yeah, there are always those odd bits left that are hard to find a home for but!!! I have space in my room! 

I got rid of a desk, and have given myself the gift of space both physical and head space. I’d been feeling really claustrophobic surrounded by so much Stuff, weighed down by materials I’d accumulated over the years, and felt I had to keep and not waste. Giving them away to a group I know will make great use of them, has given me a double dose of the warm fuzzies - knowing I no longer have to think about them waiting in my cupboards and drawers to be used, and knowing other people will have fun using them and creating their own projects with them.

All of that has meant that I’ve had my head down for a week, to ensure I didn’t get distracted and not finish what I’d started.

But I’m back, and my website has been given the festive touch, and my Christmas shop is now open. There are new cards and products to be added, once I’ve done the photo shoot for them this week...as soon as they’re ready to hit the site, I’ll give all you email subscribers the heads up before letting everyone else know.

There will be a release of a limited run of hand painted tree ornaments...decorated on both sides, that I’d love to think would be kept and brought out every year. They’re made of wood, as usual...I do love to work on wood, the texture is a lovely surface to paint and draw on. The photos show my design sketches, and colour sampling as well as a bit work in progress...and my trusty dip pens, which I always turn to for the really fine details.

Right, well, enough yammering for now, I’ll beggar off and leave you to it, and keep an eye out this next week, for the release of the new pieces.

Cheerio for now

🖤

Getting into the wedding game

I have been itching to get in to designing for weddings for a very long time, but could never decide on what exactly to design. Wedding stationery, gifts for the wedding party, decor for the venue, cards for the happy couple...so many options!

My decision was made for me, through a stroke of luck, when an Instagram friend contacted me to see if I would design some wedding stationery for her wedding...heck yes, said I!

The brief was to create Save the Date cards, in a chalkboard style, and after a quick chat about the format, we settled on the idea of postcards.

I had intended on waiting a couple of weeks before getting stuck in to the initial design ideas, but enthusiasm got the better of me, and I ended up sat on the sofa the next night, sketching out ideas on my iPad.

The initial request came through on the 25th August, and the final design and wording was agreed on the 1st September...seriously fast!

Honestly, it was so much fun, the whole process...coming up with the initial ideas; teaching myself how to create a chalkboard look; hand lettering the text; chatting with Charlie throughout all the stages and feeding off her excitement, and, finally, pulling all the elements together.

Getting to meet Charlie when she came to collect the cards, was such a treat...we've known each other on Instagram for years, and she is just as lovely in real life as she is in her little squares online.

Speaking of which, seeing this a couple of days later on Charlie's feed, had me grinning from ear to ear!

I enjoyed the whole chalkboard theme so much, that I also designed a wedding card. Now, I realise I could do with variations on this, but I'm going to trial this one for now...or at least I will when I get it photographed and listed in my shop, haha!

If you would like to talk me about having some bespoke event/occasion stationery designed for you, do please get in touch! You can message me on Instagram, I'm @ditsybird, or via my contact page on my website here.


Cheerio for now

Bringing things to fruition

Hello there,

For a long time now, I've had the desire to see how my designs would look etched into wood. Back in March this year, I was contacted on Facebook by Dawn of local company MD Laser Works, who were fairly new, and had seen my work on my page, loved it, and were reaching out to let me know they existed, should I ever have the urge to try laser etching.

Fast forward a few months, and we've had a few meet ups, lots of laughs and chats, meeting Larry the laser, and oh my goodness, my dreams have become reality!

Initially, I had put off contacting them, because I know just how detailed my designs can be, and didn't think that they would translate fully through laser etching. How wrong I was! The things that Larry can do!

Granted, there have been a few design tweaks along the way, aswell as a fairly steep learning curve for me, as this is the first time I've sent my designs to anyone for them to be produced, other than as cards.

Once I was educated in the ways of Larry, and realised just how detailed he can go, my mind exploded with the possibilities. A number of samples were ordered, amended, and remade, and I have some striking products heading my way in the very near future..including a Christmas decoration which I am delighted with. Honestly, I'm so happy with how everything has turned out, I could burst!

First up though - and very fitting I believe, it being at the core of who I am - is the most beautiful, etched wooden brooch, with the word Create at it's centre.

Imagine my utter delight, when I realised that my designs could have cut out areas, even on something as small as this. The translation from sketched design to final product has far exceeded my expectations...this small wooden brooch fully embodies my delicate, lace like signature style, whilst being wonderfully sturdy.

I hope you love it as much as I do!

I have placed a small order of these, and have listed the brooch in my shop for preorder until Friday 12th October, at a special price of £8 including delivery within the UK. If you want in on the first batch of these, you can order yours here.

For all of you who love a look at my creative process, I've added photos below of a few of the stages between initial sketch and the realisation of my little but happy dream.

Until next time,

my original sketch on scrappy paper with my thoughts doodled down the side

the first sample

wearing my brooch with a smile!