Photo Coasters - Perfect Christmas Present!

I'm really pleased with these 3 sets of coasters I've made. Well, I say 'made', but I guess I just put my photos in them! Hence the reason I won't be listing them on Folksy, but if you would like to buy a set, then I'll be putting them on my website. Just give me a couple of hours!

Here's the first set. These would make perfect additions to your Christmas table. They were designed using my glass painting and photographing technique:

Then there's this flower set, which would make a lovely gift for your mum or nan:

And lastly, a collection of my children's prints. I call them children's prints, but to be honest, I think many adults would love them too!

I've also finally managed to make and send two decorations in the Folksy Decoration Swap. I'll blog about them once the recipients have received them.

Other than that, am pleased the gift fair's out of the way so I can start on a big tidy up!

At last - my website!

Yes, it's taken 5 and a half years since buying the domain name and about a year and a half since actually doing anything with it, but I've finally got a proper website up and running.

You can view all my photos here (well, quite a few of them) plus some other photographic gifts.

I've also been busy with the Fimo and made a load of Christmas decorations. I'll be taking them to the Winter Wonderland Shopping Fair at Hylands House in Chelmsford on Sunday and any I don't sell I'll be listing on Folksy and my website.

Anyway, off for a second baby scan in a mo...

Shop Handmade Gift Boxes now for Sale!

Belinda at Shop Handmade UK has been working hard putting together some wonderful gift boxes. They're currently for sale on Folksy: http://www.folksy.com/shops/ShopHandmadeUK but will be taken to Oxford Handm@de Fair on November 29th, so hurry if you see something you like!

Each gift box includes a variety of handmade items which designers have supplied at discount prices, so the customer will save a huge 45%!! My items are in the turquoise, jade and purple boxes. Here's Frederick amongst all the other lovely things in the Jade box: Thanks Belinda!

Vintage photos on the way!

After losing out 3 times on ebay auctions, I was delighted when I finally won a 'new' vintage camera the other day. It's a Kodak Duaflex from around 1950. Here it is...

I'm going to try a technique called 'Through the Viewfinder'. It's where you take a photograph through the lens of an old camera to produce images that have a vintage look. I love this effect and can't wait to try it out! I need to make a cardboard tube first, to block out the light. It all sounds simple enough, but we'll see...

Christmas House

OK, here it is...


This is my Christmas Fimo house! It's far from perfect, but it's the biggest thing I've made out of Fimo. It was quite tricky to keep it all upright. I think I should have baked the main structure first and then added the roof and windows.

The Christmas tree has lights that glow in the dark, so hopefully it should all look very festive when the time comes.

I'm not using my macro lens to photograph the house as it will show every imperfection!!

So now on to some Fimo decorations and those magnets...

Time Flies

I am trying to work out how it's been nearly 2 months since my last post. I was going to apologise for not posting anything for a month, then I discover it's actually been two... How time goes this quickly I have no idea! Anyway, a few pics of what I've been up to then...

This is Little W on the pier at Southend. Obviously fascinated by the cracks and the water beneath!







For those not familiar with British seaside places, Southend has the longest pleasure pier in the world. The original pier I think was built in about 1830. It now goes out for nearly a mile and a half. Thankfully, there's a train to take you to the end or back again if you don't think you can make it!

Other happenings:

• I'm expecting baby number two! It's due in April, on my parents' wedding anniversary, which is lovely, although the chances of baby arriving on time are probably fairly slim.


• The porch and front garden are pretty much finished, at last.
  
• I've been making some progress on my crafty bits. I've nearly finished making a Christmas house out of polymer clay. You know the sort, they sell them in gift catalogues and look very festive and traditional, but are a little on the expensive side. So I thought I'd have a go at making one myself.
  
• The Fimo fairies and elves are coming along. They just need heads at the moment. I'm planning to use them to make an enchanted wood scene which I can photograph. We'll see how it turns out. It's a bit of an experiment, but something I've wanted to do for about 15 years!
  
• Other clay stuff I'm making are magnets. I'm using the millefiori canes I've already made and I want to make some Christmas ones too.


• Then there's the Folksy Christmas ornament swap I need to get thinking about (organised by Lisa of NoodleBubble), plus sending in some bits for the UK Handmade sample box.

Phew! That's enough for me to be getting on with I think! I'm off to read everybody's posts now. It's been far too long.

New Photographic Gifts!

I've finally got around to finishing some little polymer clay items I've been trying to make for ages. I've been wanting to sell my photos in formats other than just prints, so I've just listed 3 things on Folksy. There's a flower charm:

A magnet:

And a bookmark:

The bookmarks sold really well at Fun in the Park and were more popular with children than the mobile phone charms, which pleasantly surprised me!

Click on the photos if you wish to buy via Folksy!