New handmade gifts

Chicken cushion made by Petersfield textile artist Pam Dew £39.50

New spring flowers designs and bunny mugs by Kate Hackett

As promised here's a look at Pam Dew's latest cushion and Kate Hackett's new ceramics for spring. What is special about Kate's work is that she is an artist and a potter. She buys clay, throws it, shapes it on the wheel and creates her pieces. Then she is equally adept at painting her own designs on them.  These spring flower pictures are particularly pretty. Handmade Happiness also stocks Kate's handmade decorations - lots of new hearts, chickens, bunnies and chicks for Valentine's Day and Easter tree decorating.

So many new things in the pipe line. The talk continues about womens' clothes and baby clothes for the shop. I know the kind of thing I want it's just a matter of persuading someone a lot more talented than me to make things!

My idea for setting up a work table where I could create during opening hours has not happened. I was forgetting that January is tax month and I seem to have spent most of that month doing paperwork.  Hopefully February will be the time to put those New Year resolutions into effect.

 Let's use Valentine's Day as a signal to Be Kinder to Ourselves day. Yes, lots of love to nearest and dearest and to everyone that comes within our radar but also, sometimes we have to remember that if we treat ourselves well everyone else benefits! 

For example how many times a day do you hear yourself saying no to yourself? 'Yes I need some more shoes and those ones in the sale look fine but no, I'd better not spend the money right now.' Sound familiar? The silly thing is that the financial position is not likely to change. It's the attitude that needs to change. 

With Spring on the horizon I feel the urge to decorate the house. It would be lovely to rip out the kitchen that I've disliked since I moved here and re-design the space. But new kitchens cost thousands of pounds. Maybe a fresh colour on the walls and some extra shelves would be enough...Now I'm saying no again!

 I once read that if you truly believe you deserve to have money that attitude creates wealth. On the other hand if you believe you aren't entitled to have money your money will never accumulate. You will somehow self-sabotage your chances of ever becoming wealthy! Now all we need to know is how to change the attitude!!