thank you plaque

The customer wanted a pink heart on a plaque and a personalised thank you message.  I think it makes a lovely thank you – a little bit more than a card and quite a nice keepsake.

Because I make almost everything to order, these can be made with any colour heart.   Find out more on the website.

In painting news this week, I was asked to make some Union Jack themed clocks for Swanky Maison.

I tried, I really did.

But I know now why I’ve never got into this whole Union Jack thing.  Partly because (to me, anyway) it seems a bit overdone in the gift world and I’m more about things that are a little different (I hope).  But mainly because it’s such a damn fiddly flag to paint!

I did actually make a Union Jack teapot clock and I even painted a double-decker bus, which was going to have a Union Jack where the destination sign is at the front (I soon gave up on that idea).  They both still need finishing off, but this is where they’re up to:

not finished yet!

As it turns out, they were both far too fiddly to paint be able to reproduce them in any quantity – it just wouldn’t be viable in a business sense, really it wouldn’t.  And it would drive me completely bonkers to have to reproduce these in any quantity!  These will remain one-offs and might accompany me to a couple of craft fairs in upcoming weeks.  I suppose I could even pop them on the blog for sale – but they definitely won’t be making it to the website.  Sorry!

So, it’s back to the drawing board (and the customer requests – there are a couple which I’m itching to do this week!).

But, before I get more painting done, there’s something else: it might be the 66th Handmade Monday this week but it’s the first one over on Handmade Harbour – pop over there now for lots of inspiring blogs to click on and discover!

A customer recently asked could they be done with two glasses – one red and one white.  It’s for a husband and wife – one drinks red wine and the other drinks white wine.  And the wine o’ clock saying is a regular one in their household.

it's wine o clock

I really do love that I can personalise things so they suit the recipients – it’s one of the lovely things about buying (and making) handmade.

If you want to order one of these, or maybe one with white wine instead of red, you can do it on the website here – just let me know your preferences (email wendy@1stuniquegifts.co.uk just after ordering if you miss the box that allows you to add a message to me during the checkout process).  If you have any questions, I’m only an email away.

Meanwhile, there are several new clock designs on the way.  They’re all half-painted, but they’re currently waiting in a queue – there are lots of orders to go out in the next few days before I can concentrate on these new designs.  If all goes to plan, you can expect to see beach huts, buses and teapots, possibly with a bit of a patriotic twist to them.

You’ll hear about them on here first!

the surfing plaque was finished and sent out

Thanks so much for all your feedback last week – all your comments were really useful.  It’s so good to see things from another perspective sometimes.  I hope the comments section now works for everyone on Handmade Harbour now  (I changed the settings so “anyone” can comment).  Please let me know if it doesn’t work for you.

I’ve made the decision that we will try out Handmade Monday over on Handmade Harbour, which will free this blog up for posts related to painting and gifts (and general ramblings – you know how it is!) and kind of separate it all (in my head at least).  I will of course join in just the same as always because I love Handmade Monday!

I plan to give it a month’s trial over there (if it’s a real disaster it might not last that long) – we’ll start next week, hopefully.  There will be lots of links over here to direct people who might get a little lost along the way.  I will monitor the number of clicks and visitors, to make sure things are going OK.  The interviews I’m doing on a Sunday over there will move to a weekday – probably Friday.

This week has been a busy one.  Not just with customer orders (although there have been plenty of those!) – there’s been a trip to London where I was actually paid to chat about personalised/handmade gifts and blogging!  How cool is that?

I also got the chance to try out my new travel sewing kit on the train journey down there – click the link for the tutorial.

sewing on the train

I found time to pop into a bustling art/craft market at Covent Garden

covent garden art craft market

and see my daughter and baby granddaughter who live in London.

Actually, it was brilliant to have them meet me off the train at Euston station in more ways than one, as my daughter knows the tube system well.  Would I have got to my appointment on time without her?  Who knows!  I could still be wandering around the underground now!  We both managed to get lost in Covent Garden though – I only had a little Google Maps printout of the area and taking a wrong turn out of the tube station took us right off the map immediately!

I wish I’d had more time there, but I needed to get back here.  I think one of the main drawbacks of a craft business is that it’s so demanding of your time – especially when almost everything’s made to order.

OK, so you know the drill.  If you don’t, check out this page for info about Handmade Monday and how you can join in.

Pop over there and read it now if you’d like to find out a little bit more about me!

I actually made this clock for my dad, but I like it so much I’ve just put it on the website.  I know he won’t see it online – he’s 84 tomorrow and has lived his whole life in a computer-free zone!

tandem clock

There’s a little story behind this clock.  Sadly, my dad’s memory is not so good nowadays, although he still remembers his younger days.  When he and my mum were courting, way back in the early 1950s, they went everywhere on a tandem.  My dad’s always loved cycling  and despite my mum being a willing back-seat passenger on the tandem back then, she’s never actually learned to ride a bike on her own.

I hope the tandem clock might remind him (both of them, actually) of happy times they had.

I hinted in the title there was a bit of a love story here.  My mum and dad have been married for 59 years, which is a massive acievement, when you think about it.  I think that 1950s tandem had a lot to answer for!

surfer plaque

I have a question for you.

How would you feel if Handmade Monday were to move house?  I was thinking it might make more sense for it to live over on Handmade Harbour, seeing as that’s all about promoting handmade.

Would it bother you?

Handmade Harbour isn’t quite as busy as here yet (although it’s catching up pretty fast, to be fair!).  I do think a lot of the interest generated by Handmade Monday would probably continue over there.  And I do have lots of plans in place for promoting Handmade Harbour – some are already underway, others are a couple of months off.

How about we trial it for a couple of weeks?  What do you think?  If you have any objections, questions, worries, etc., please feel free to air them in the comments on this post

The surfer plaque above is a work in progress – a custom request.  I think it might eventually make its way to the website.  The customer likes it and it’s about to be personalised – and then it’s off to Australia for a birthday.

Over to you!

wet garden border

The rain has been pretty incessant and I don’t know whether I have a garden or a paddling pool.

wet grass

It’s not making me happy, but the frogs are loving it.

conjoined frogs

Although if you look closely, you’ll see these frogs are actually one.  They’re conjoined and they live in my garden.  They seem to be doing well, although there are such a lot of frogs here I don’t see them all that often.

conjoined frogs 2

And the wet weather has been nice for a bit of Grandma/Granddaughter sewing.  She’s made a hanging heart and a cushion and has many grand ideas for lots more – it’s so lovely to see her excited by making things

sewing

I didn’t get a shot of her on the sewing machine as I was too busy watching her fingers didn’t go too close to the needle (yes, I’ve sewed right through my own before  now!  Bit of a nuisance as it breaks the needle )

They’ve been busy updating their workshops and the campervan loo signs are now in situ on the loo door – pink for the ladies (of course!)!

freedom campers loo door signs

They sent me the photo on Twitter (seriously, how cool is Twitter? – so easy to send images as well as messages!).

These plaques are versatile!  They have been bedroom, office, bathroom and toilet door signs.  I even sent one out without writing so it could be converted to a tea towel holder by the recipient!

They can be anything you like really (but only indoors, sorry – not suitable for outdoor use).  You can buy your own version here – just let me know if you’d a like a  colour choice that’s not on the website.  I paint to order, so you can have any colour you like (oh, and you get a personalised numberplate as standard!!)

campervan door plaques

This week has flown by.  I seem to have been one step behind where I want to be all week – do you have weeks like that?

As usual, I love the spin my customers put on things sometimes . . .

welcome to chateau tommo

although I usually forget to photograph them before they’re packed  – and it’s not much use photographing them after they’re packed!  This one was lucky

I’ve been doing lots more sewing too.    In true handmade and upcycling fashion, everything has potential . . .  as this 2009 diary can testify (and what a bargain it was at the time, huh?).  It didn’t actually see a lot of action in 2009 but I think it might see plenty in its new incarnation!

2009 diary

I’ve made something really rather useful with it today, involving recycled fabrics, my sewing machine and a glue gun.  It’s not quite finished yet – so you’ll have to wait for the great ta-dah moment – it’ll be on Handmade Harbour soon as a tutorial – I’m sure someone might guess today what it’s going to be when it’s grown up!

What’s your handmade week been like?  Leave your link and we can find out!