A complete day of creating today as Pete had the boys for home school and Harry was at work. I do not advertise any of my craft work anymore as it is all word of mouth. I have a lovely collection of very loyal customers who keep me in tea and dunking biscuits. This morning I finally found time to make 32 wine glass charms for a June wedding. Once my fingers got with the programme it was a fairly swift job except for a kitten trying to help. Mimi is as naughty as ever and this morning she also experienced her first downpour and came in resembling a rat. One unhappy kitten but tis life!
The boys watched the first programme from the Islands on the edge series on the BBC. We may not be a fan of the narration but we are a fan of the filming. I avoid nature programmes as the trauma of all the deaths is too much to bare. However, as Molly and I are off to the inner Hebrides (Isle of Eigg) in July I felt rather obliged to watch. Last night's programme was better than the first episode if we ignore the abandoned owl chicks. Of course the arrival of the Puffins was my highlight and I think when I return for my next life I would like to be a Puffin. I have no idea what draws me to Puffins but I hope to see some in July otherwise I will stamp my foot. The Hebrides are the land of the Eagles and I am not sure it gets much more majestic than that in life. All you can really do is stand and watch. Pete showed the boys the first programme with lots of pauses to answer Max's questions. Then the boys did a creative writing exercise based on the programme. Such an engaging morning for them.
Meanwhile I had retreated to my studio to create some cards for my vintage collection. I make candles and present them on vintage tea plates and they sell out far too quickly. It is always a good idea to have greeting cards to support your gifts as you are then on for a possible double sale. Now I have the cards but no candles! I will get there.
Using the flowers I pressed last year as a focal for a vintage design each card is unique and I think that is important. More and more I do orders for customers that have a degree of personalisation about it. I think the days of the mass design are coming to an end as the discerning buyers are looking for something unique. It is a natural way for my little craft business to go now that it is a much smaller part of my life. I have watched, with interest, a number of fellow craft businesses turn their back on wholesale and concentrate on selling direct to the public. That is, of course, a direct result of the bottom falling out of the gift retail market. You feel you have more control when selling direct and, of course, your profit margin is higher. My difficult decision not to open my etsy shop this year has proved to be the right decision. I have more than enough work coming through from the island and that allows me to concentrate on my writing and teaching. The plan is review at the end of the year.
Pete is, bravely, still outside despite the cloud of midges surrounding his head. He can be a determined soul as he aims to complete three raised bed planting. Finally, we have plants going in the ground! Outside the studio I have lupins, snapdragons, salvia, beetroot and nasturtiums and Pete is now planting borage and sowing peas. Because we need to create so many new beds to accommodate all the plants in the tunnel we are mixing up my cut flowers and veg plants. The heavy work is down to Pete and the boys while I do the potting on watering and singing in the tunnel. Seems like a fair deal to me....
Using up the last of my pressed flowers I managed to create a page in my art journal. This does not happen as often as it should so I am always chuffed when I manage to fit it in. I use visualization an enormous amount in my meditation practice and I can now report that every time I see a butterfly I think 'hope'. That is, of course, from all the work we are doing with the Butterfly Tree charity that supports communities in Zambia. I saw two butterflies outside the studio today so that must be double hope. Excellent. I am finally at the stage when I am rolling butterfly trees and associated crafts out to retail units on the island. Thank you so much to everyone who has helped make the tulle butterflies. We are making good progress with this campaign and tomorrow is the penny count up as part of school. How exciting!
My little quiz for my giveaway to celebrate 10,000 page views will be published on Friday in the hope that some of you will give it a go over the weekend. I hope to announce the winner a week later. If I am really honest I am still struggling with 10,000 page views as I could never have predicted that. But the 10,000 is not as important to me as the fact that some of you read this little blog everyday and I have made some lovely new friends through it. I have also reconnected with some old friends. The community spirit that drives this blog is truly special so I gave up thinking of it as my personal blog a long time ago. It is lovely to share all of this with all of you and look at what we are achieving together! It always makes me smile to think of people all over the country making little tulle butterflies and they have become our little symbol of hope.
Until tomorrow. xx
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