Mice and birthday celebrations...

Since I was such a ditz and forgot to take photo's of the swap items that I sent Denise she was ever so kind to allow me to use her photo's. And my what great photo's they are, she's such a talented photographer.

I bought some lovely Christmassy tissue and raffia for wrapping.....

Hello Mr. Mouse.....

A cosmetic pouch adorned with some lovelies.....

I 'LOVED' the fabrics that Denise chose, cotton, my favourite to work with. And I found some purply/lilac'y bits and bobs in my sewing stash to accompany the gorgeous cherry print.

Birthday Celebrations: I will be absent from blogland for this weekend as I am travelling up to Edinburgh in the morning to celebrate my good friend Kelly's 30th birthday. I cant wait, we've got Champagne, presents, a meal booked and lots of other friends too.

Hope you all have a good one. See you Sunday with some photos.

Paperbag Swap

Yesterday I received my parcel from Denise, "hellloooooo" :) my swap partner for Rachel's Paperbag swap. I was sooooo excited to see what she had made out of the fabric I had sent....

Inside the parcel there was this absolutely gorgeous box/tray that is covered with the fabric, which I totally love, cant wait to put it on my table in the studio (it matches the colours of my felt bucket and pencil pot!!!) also there was this fantastic bunting which says "follow your heart". When I opened the package it smelt lovely, when I unwrapped the gifts I found a very sweet pouch which was filled with lavender. A big thank you to Rachel for organising a fab swap and an even bigger thank you to Denise for being a fandabbydozy swap partner :D it really is so rewarding making something totally off the cuff for such a talanted fellow crafter, I was worried if Denise would like what I sent.

We decided to go along with the idea from Rachel to make one practical and one pretty item. So after a lot of pondering I decided to make a cosmetic pouch for the practical item and came up with the crazy idea of making a huge mouse pin cushion/door stop/ stuffed thingy. Which I have to admit was very surprised how it turned out. I also included some gingerbread decorations, a noel mini sign for the tree and some christmas chocolates!! I couldn't resist adding a bit of the 'c' word in there.

Me being the dozy idiot I am at the moment.....forgot to photograph. Hopefully Denise will be so kind to take photo's of them and post on her blog so that you can all see.

Thought I would just leave you with the view of the other side of the studio....the contraption you can just see with the metal arms is the sprung loaded ladders to my lovely, getting fuller, studio.

Drum roll please..........

Drrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! Ta Da!! At long last here it is....my very own studio. Isn't she pretty?

I'm sorry I made you wait so long, I took these photo's yesterday and have been far too wrapped up in getting all my stuff in there. When I arrived home from work on Thursday I expected to see a newly fitted carpet. Well not only was there carpet but Chris had also put my shelves and my desk up and fitted the handles to the cupboard doors.

Well then what do you think to my wallpaper choice? I had 'ummed and arrhhhed for ages over many styles of paper but when I saw this I fell in love with it instantly, I adore the teal and turquoise lillies.

This is my lovely new sewing table, it has a nifty pull out bit on the left and as you can just see underneath there are no power sockets yet.....that is happening tomorrow.

Can you just see the bracket on the wall above the desk?....this is where my TV is going :D I spend a lot of hours sewing so I like to make sure I can at least listen to my fav shows whilst I'm cutting out or sewing. There is so much stuff up there now, the difficult bit is deciding where everything is going. And no doubt I will change my mind a million times before I'm happy with it. But I sure will have fun playing around with it all.

So all is left to say is, the house is soooooo tidy now its unreal (I feel like I have a new house!), lots more photo's to come once I have found homes for my things and lastly I am one happy bunny now!! Chris received a HUGE hug and kiss for all his hard work, I truly am very lucky to have a) him and b) my lovely, brand spanking new sewing room / studio. Ahhhhhhhh!! :D

Fit to burst....

....with excitement that is. Anyone been following my studio updates??? I know its been a while, things kinda got put on the back burner for a little while as work for both me and Chris was taking over our lives a little :(

Well I'm soooooo excited to say that TOMORROW the carpet is being fitted!!!! I know how exciting, that means that tomorrow night I will have photo's for you of the finished room as a shell. I'm then hoping to spend Friday putting the furniture in there! I just cant wait.....its like Christmas Eve. I'm finally going to have my very own room to make as much 'crafty mess' as I like without 'someone' moaning about all my supplies lying all over the house! Yipppeeeeeeee.

POP BACK TOMORROW FOR SOME PHOTOS.

Phew!!

What a weekend!!! Since I'm playing catch up, there is lots to cram in. I feel like time is rushing by so fast but then there are people saying....Oooh Christmas is ages away yet. I wish!! In the run up to Christmas I have:

Christmas Craft Fair at Rufford Country Park

(of which stock to prepare for)

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Bagladee Party

(of which stock to prepare for)

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3 custom orders

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And a few Christmas gifts to make

Tonight I managed to get these and a few other goodies packaged up for StuffedNonsense, hope you like them ladies?

And over the weekend I completed these 3 lovely new bags!! I'm really enjoying making these new designs....

I haven't managed to list them yet and with the time scale its looking unlikely.....but if you are interested in any of the new bags I've been making please leave me a comment and I'd be happy to reserve it for you.

Also tonight I finished my paperbag swap, once Denise has received my parcel I will post some photo's. Time for an early night I think so I can get some more sewing done tomorrow night after work.

Have you met Sweet Harvey?

These beautifully made Christmas cards arrived in my post box last week....aren't they gorgeous. I found Sweet Harvey Letter Press through one of the forums in Etsy and I have to say the second I browsed the shop, I fell in love with everything. I managed to restrain myself from putting everything in my shopping cart and bought 3 of these snowflake cards.

I have to say I was more than impressed when I opened the parcel, the craftsmanship is amazing the snowflakes are printed/embossed onto the most yummiest card and I love the matching envelopes. You really cant buy quality like this in card shops.

I wanted some really lovely cards for my loved ones this year and so pleased I found Sweet Harvey Letter Press. As a favour to Brandi who is the very sweet lady behind it all, she sent me 3 cards to give a little review back to her on price and quality. Again outstanding quality and priced just right. Chris loves the robot card (guess who'll be getting that card for his birthday!!) And the card on the end, excuse my very bad photo, has 'thanks' embossed on it.....the crisp cleanness of the white card with the embossing makes for a very elegant note to send.

Check out Sweet Harvey Letter Press if you already haven't, Brandi's photo's are so much better than mine and really do her work justice. I have my eye on some gorgeous little gift tags!!

P.S. She has an awesome blog too!!

Back on the crafty horse

So after nearly 5 days of no craft related activities due to trying to re cooperate a little....the list of things to do is even more compacted. Tonight I managed to list these 3 pouches in my etsy shop and website. So much more to do...

I love making these pouches, my fav part is the little button in the centre of the flower.

Last weekend I tried to take some photos of the new bags I have made, but when I looked at them tonight the quality is rubbish due to poor lighting. I'm planning on re-taking them this weekend. Here is a sneak peak of one of them soon after I'd finished sewing it.

I love, love, love this bag!! She will be going onto my website this weekend.

Double whammy!!

The sad :( face is now a :) happy face.....I've fixed my laptop!!! YEY ME!!!! I love the Internet, full of useful tips and tricks. A USB stick and a download later, a few buttons held down and Et voila.....one fixed laptop. I'm so pleased I didn't have to send it away to be fixed.

Thanks for all the fab comments about the tags and in response I'd LOVE to do a tutorial for you guys!!! Let me get myself sorted this week and I'll get on it.

And I'm also very pleased to say no migraine today!!! :D

Tags, laptops and migraines

Also completed last week were some more bagladee tags, I had completely ran out so I had a mammoth printing session and ironed half onto twill tape. I love these tags they look professional but sooooo easy to make!

Now for a sad face :( my little net book has decided that it doesn't want to switch on :( I know I am devastated, I don't know what to do with it...I've tried googling the problem but it all sounds way too complicated for me to sort, and I don't want to send it back to the manufacturer if I can help it. I might try one of Chris's friends he is quite handy with computers so maybe he can fix it?

Some of you may be aware that I suffer from chronic migraines and recently they have been taking control of my life......today was the day I gave in a went to the doctors, after a few tests and LOTS of questions I think we may have gotten to the bottom of the problem. In a nutshell its to do with hormones and medication so hopefully new medication and anti inflammatories will rid me of them for good. Now that would be bliss!!!!

Lots of sewing to do, but not tonight, pop back tomorrow I have some photo's of some more gorgeous stash.

Stash and weary legs

Last night it was ravioli and toast and a hot bubble bath.....

And this is some of the stash I picked up from the Crafts for Christmas Fair at the NEC. There were soooo many stalls there, supplies galore and so many talented crafters. There were all kinds of crafters there of all ages......we had a fab day.

I bought a reindeer pattern, some fat quarters of Christmas fabric, some lovely polka dot ribbon and these gorgeous wooden buttons that you can colour in with felt tip pens!!

I also got 3 balls of wool for my Mama, that were a bargain. Hope you like them Mama, cant wait to see them as hats or mitts :D

We walked round for hours so by the time we got on the train to come back to Notts there were definitely throbbing sore feet craving a rest. Well worth the trip, Andrea stocked up on her jewellery supplies and we spent the day having a lovely catch up......

Rememberance Sunday......

Ooooh I just cant wait!

Today Andrea and I are off to the Crafts for Christmas/Hobby Crafts Fair at the Birmingham NEC......I sooooo cant wait!!!

I'm feeling a craft supply splurge coming on :) see you later with stash photo's.

Nights drawing in

Now that the dark nights are drawing in, its impossible for me to take any decent photos during the week. I have a pile of items waiting to be photographed, 3 bags to be listed, some gorgeous cards I bought, more of the paper bag swap I'm taking part in and a few more bits and bobs.

So here's some of what I was up to last weekend....some more flower brooches sewn together and waiting for brooch pins, labels and rhinestones.

And some more jazzy ones to replenish 'Stuffed Nonsense' which are now sewn together and waiting to be photographed.

You gotta see this!

I thought while I was on my lunch break I would read a few blogs. I noticed a comment left on my last post and just had to check it out http://rljbk.blogspot.com/2009/11/i-dont-normally-do-black-but-i-make.html

Rachel over at Three Little Monkeys has used my pattern that was featured in Sew Hip Issue 9 to make this gorgeous bag. It makes me so proud when I see some one has made a creation of mine and her friends like it too, which is fab! I love the stitching detailing on the front and the lining is to die for........pop over and check it out she has lots more photos. Great job Rachel....looking forward to seeing some more.

And if anyone else has made one from the pattern I'd love to see them, just post a link on my blog and I'll feature it here. Or alternatively you can email me photo's to emma@bagladee.com

Cushions, stars and snow.

Playing around with my blog last night I remembered about the starry background I had last Christmas and since I'm feeling extremely festive (I know a bit early!) I thought I'd bring it back.....what do you think? Too much?

Anyway to the cushions, I seem to be listing at a snails pace at the moment. Its mainly due to trying to cram as much sewing in as I can at the weekends. Which doesn't leave much time for catching up on the other stuff like actually selling what I make :0/

These lovely cushions are listed on my website, which has a new section 'cushions' obviously :) black is always a difficult colour to photograph.....so sorry for the amateur photos. They are truly lovely cushions though and I think they make quite an unusual but unique gift for Christmas.

I loved sewing all the detailing on them, I've even made one for my sewing room. And if you do fancy having a little peek at my website I HAVE SNOW!!!! Oh yes I do......its Christmas already at bagladee HQ and I for one am going to thoroughly enjoy the build up this year. A Christmas craft fair scheduled in for early December and an open house at my Mama's house. Yey!!

Winner!!

And the winner of my Halloween giveaway is:

Thecraftytrundler

Congratulations Sharon, please email me with your address so that I can get your prize out to you.

Thank you to all of you who took part, I'm sorry there can be only one winner. And dont forget I still have The Festive Gift Fair tickets to giveaway, I really dont want them to go to waste!