Shoplifting, PR and Gardening(ish)

Intersting blog title ay?  Its been a very busy few weeks, as always.  Isnt family life just nuts? do you ever look back at your own mum when you were a child and think "oh I get it now", I do, then I find myself sounding exactly like her, sometimes its amusing, sometimes its rather horrifying!! Anyway, shoplifting.....trip to Tesco recently with 4 year old son, as usual he bounced around most of the store, I said his name at least 50 times, forgot lots of things but finally made it to the chekout, the only one free was right opposite a pick n mix.  Whilst destracted packing the shopping, son snuck over to the sweets and stuffed as many into his mouth as possible, I caught him on the second time around, Tesco caught him on the third....he had so many jammed into his mouth the dribble could not be contained, so as he was trying to say sorry, not only did saliva pour from his mouth like a waterfall, he managed to splutter half chewed sweets at the Tesco lady, who had, very nicely come down to his level. 

I hit apon a new idea too, photo transfer. After our little trip to Badbury Rings (see previous blog post) we took a lovely pic, my house is already full of photographs as it is, so I wanted to transfer it to a cushion.

After some failure,(NEVER use the glue stuff!) I finally managed to make myself this gorgeous cushion that now sits very happily on my kitchen barstool chair.  I love it. It was such a funny moment, setting up the auto pic on the camera and running back to squash everyone! 

Then I had another idea...Oh yes im full of 'em. I needed a present for my mums birthday, and whilst sitting on my kitchen chair and looking at the many pictures the children have drawn, I thought 'EUREKA' how about the kids draw a pic for grandma and I transfer to a cushion.  First attempt drawn with pencils was not so good, but second attempt with crayons was this rather lovely item.  My mum adores it! I adore it! Infact its now a range to the business as everyone adores the idea!  I do have a confession tho, I did direct the children in exactly what was required for such a cute pic. But looks great dosent it? £15? bargain!

Having now learnt photo and picture transfer I figured it was time to turn my hand to PR.  I dont want my business to be all about facebook, I dont think it is the direction I want to go. I genuinely feel I can offer something special to people, I WANT to do something special for people. I WANT to be different. Sooooo, PR! I totally and utterly revamped by website.  Have taken a lot of items OFF. redesigned, everything!  I certainly think it feels fresher and so much nicer www.thesewingcroft.co.uk   Then of course there is the blog, which I am still also working on revamping.  I have also sorted out my Folksy shop and listed lots of items on there, sorted out Etsy also.  In case you dont know, Folksy and Etsy are shopping sites for handcrafted, individual items. Stuff you wont find on the high street. Speaking of Not on the High Street.  I applied to there site, was knocked back. I am determined to make them regret that.  Next on my mission has been a press release, so I did one of those too, spent hours researching who to send it too.  I shall now wait for hoards of media moguls clambering to get the first editorial.

At long last I also have sewed all seeds in the vegetable garden - hooray! Roll on summer. Altho looking out the window at the hailstones pouring down, it seems a long way off.

Funny, with a blog, I put it off and put it off and then when I get started I cant stop! BUT I do have some work to do so I will blog off for now.

Zoe

Cushions, Cushions and MORE cushions!!

I suppose the title says it all,  I seem to be making lots of these type of cushions, pink gingham, red gingham. Applique hearts, personalised applique names.  They have been fairly popular on my facebook page, which is rather good. I do enjoy making them, bit of a variety with applique and bonding on, zig zag stitch, patching together.

I really think I need to do craft shows, problem is im not that keen, I just want to sew things for people.  I know what I do is good, im confident about the quality just need to sell much much more. 

First week of the holidays has disappeared so quickly! I did have a rather disasterous shopping trip to an Asda store, son bounced around the WHOLE time we were in there, and then every child he came across, he roared like a 'Dinosaur Mummy!', needless to say it felt like most of the aged population of that small town, was in that shop! tutting and trying to avoid tripping over said son, and of course the other mummies had perfectly lovely children, soooo well behaved!!! What do they do to them??? I spend ages pondering that one, I really do!  Not to mention, that other children always look so well kept!! My son had Ben 10 wellies on, dirty jeans and his pj top and his hair was just sticking up everywhere!  my daughter was wearing bright pink socks with front open shoes and jeans flapping above her ankles, AND her hair had been brushed since yesterday either! Im just naff.  Im a busy woman! thats my excuse and im def sticking to it.

We went to a place called Badbury Rings yesterday for a good friday picnic.  It was soooo lovely there! The children played up and down hills, climbed trees and we had a lovely picnic and some great laughs! Much needed, as husband back to the dreaded extension, trying to finish it! Another veeery long story, but in a nut shell my superDIY superdad husband has built an extension above our single story kitchen, its been hell, and I will NEVER do self build again! My husband on the other hand is already planning the next phase....... We shall see Mr Croft!!

Have a wonderful Easter everyone, we shall be hiding mini eggs all over the house as usual x

Zoe

Cornwall, Sewing and Designs

Hey everyone!! We have just had a wonderful week away in the North of Cornwall, scenery, weather and company were just perfect.  We found an amazing cove, that, when the tide went out revealed a huge hidden beach and caves. Stunning cliff walks too, altho, my poor 4 year old son could barely move without one of us shouting at him to STOP!!!!!  He CAN NOT be trusted, he has NO fear whatsoever! I think next time I shall just tie him to me, much less stressful.  Husband also suggested walking boots, am I really there yet I ask myself? Walking boots? perhaps one of those little sticks?? Please NO! Im not ready.                                                                                                                                    

Was lovely to be home again, started straight on the orders for the Croft, not masses but enough to make me feel happier about the way its going.  I also made up a dress for my daughters fav bear and a present for a good friends son. Very productive.  The website looking good, but NO sales as yet.  Should I admit that? Not sure.  Now it is the Easter holidays, it will be summer before we know it!  I have also been accepted onto a website WOW Thank You. Thought I would give it a try.

 Realised that I cant get away with doing NO marketing at all, no matter how good I think I am                              

Love Zoe                                                                                                    

 

Fairy doors, teeth and Sewing

Its been a week! Most exciting is my little girl who lost her first tooth, she is 7 and a little behind the other children so there was much excitement, and a little tear from me.  The tooth she lost was the first one that came through, I remember it like yesterday, we all do it, constantly pulling the lip down and showing everyone babies first tooth, and now its come out.  The tooth fairy made a visit with fairy dust leading from the fairy door in our house all the way into her room, and a shiny £2 coin was left.  She had written a note asking the tooth fairy if she could keep her tooth, which I was rather pleased about. What on earth we will do with it I dont know.  

At last the weather is lovely! The winter seems so long sometimes.  I should be sowing seeds rather than fabric, but cant seem to get motivated, no doubt I will just chuck aload into the ground and see what happens.  A carrott is a carrott no matter what the shape :-)

I have also started having some of my items on a wonderful new website www.homemadeinbritain.co.uk its fairly new and as a new venture myself, I want to support them fully.  Even tweeting Kirsty Allsopp about it.  Talking of tweeting, im addicted! I love it! my tag thingy is @thesewingcroft.  I have sold a few items, and am working on some union jack things, I know everyone will, but I am proud to be British and that is why I also want to make things. Not to be commercial, not even to make money, just to be part of the British made movement. 

Mothers Day

Its Mothers Day. Its lunchtime and im undressed and still in bed - with the laptop of course!  Husband wanted to go for a nice walk and picnic today, but do you know, all I want to do - is nothing! Have a slight champagne hangover - such a high roller (nah, just the only alcohol in the house last night!).

I have been tidying my blog, checking out other blogs, facebooking, tweeting and have applied to join pinterest, oh and have aded a few items to Folksy. Very productive really. 

Husband taken children out to get something for lunch, which he is going to 'cook', my eyebrows raise at this thought....Cook and my husband are not ever mentioned in the same sentence - EVER! and frankly, im happy with that.  His coffee making skills however, im not happy with :-)

I should be out planting seeds too, I am also a keen gardener, before my sewing obsession I was a cook and gardener.  I love to create with  my own homegrown, the Croft does give me a little allotment all to myself and presently it is looking awful! So, I need to stop sewing and start gardening. hhmmmm Tricky one!

My embroidered cushion - 'And then there were.....' has received lots of praise, which im very pleased about.  Right, I can hear screaming and shouting from my very excitable children so I must blog off!

Obsessed with Embroidary

OK so first im obsesssed with sewing and mending, then making, then fabrics, HUGE obsession with fabrics!  Then embroidery.  I love it.  I love that I can 'write' anything, it always looks so beautiful. I love that I could have my cushions in peoples homes.  I love my new design, ive named it 'and then there were.....' cushion.  Totally my idea, have searched the net and dont think there is anything with this exact concept.  Really pleased and absolutely love it in my old house :-)

Yay!! I CAN embroider

Very very very very pleased with myself, after researching, reading, thinking, rethinking and finally finding some time, I have learnt to embroider and applique.  So today, I made MYSELF a present, I love it, the kids are totally unimpressed, preferring to rub their snotty noses over me instead.

And here it is...............