Business cards

Handmade Happiness business cards from www.moo.com

 I have run out of business cards so must order more this week. These mini cards from moo.com are the kind of card that is hard to throw away. They feel nice and I like the fact that I can order 100 cards with 100 different photos on them. I usually order them in batches of 400 as there is a slight discount when you order that many.

On Saturday my daughter collected nearly all the handmade wedding stuff. Still got to finish off glitter star garlands and I'd like to make some really pretty broderie anglaise bunting this week.
I'll be leaving the shop in the capable hands of Roly Phillips when I'm away at the weekend. So if you want to see me personally visit tomorrow (Tuesday) Wednesday or Thursday. 

A collaged life

Collaged card by Jenny Stacy

Collage card by Jenny Stacy

Collage card by Jenny Stacy

One of my favourite things to do is to paint paper to use in collages and then to work on those collages spreading out torn pictures from magazines, glue, glitter and papers all over the kitchen table. I do the best job I can but if a bit goes wrong I can put more paper over it.

A bit like life really. You do the best you can and if something goes wrong you try to 'paper over the cracks' to make things right again. 

As I get older I realise that to live in the present, the here and now is important. No point being sad about or regretting the past. You can't change it so you've just got to let it go. No point either in living your life in the future and hoping that everything will be rosy then. Today is what counts. Find your happiness now. Carpe diem - seize today! Enjoy your Sunday.

Handmade Happiness this time last year

Love the singing orange in this picture

Fairy boxes by Jenny Stacy. Want to make these again soon.

Handmade Happiness window at the start of autumn

 Forgot to take pictures in the shop yesterday so this is last year. In theory Handmade Happiness should get better and better as I learn what sells and what people love the most. In October HH will celebrate it's second birthday but it still feels new and exciting. Like a work in progress that improves with age.

 I'm still finding my way and I truly appreciate any advice, comments and ideas shop visitors share with me. Because for me, one of the best bits about having a shop is the wonderful people who come through the door and the conversations we have. That makes every day at work a pleasure.

Post wedding I will sort buttons

Some mother of pearl buttons

When I have stopped making paper flowers I look forward to sorting buttons and puting some out for sale in the shop. Soon there will be new shelves up to take more things 'to make with.'

My friend Jane has been dyeing with avocado skins. (When you boil them in water and add fabric/lace/ ribbons etc. you can achieve a pretty dusky pink.) She sent me a couple of pictures which I tried (and failed) to share on this blog. Wish I was better with technology!

Yesterday Kate Box brought in a striped baby blanket she has made. Remember her others in Handmade Happiness? Picture tomorrow. Love her things.

Just time I reckon for a few more flowers before work...

The past, the present and the future

Two dolls by Jenny Stacy

Yesterday I had an interesting conversation with local artist June Heap about things creative and it set me thinking about making and how we decide on what we make and when we make it. I find it is easy to lose sight of where I've come from creatively in the rush for the new. I want to experiment with new ideas before fully exploring ideas that have only been half looked at in the past.

It's helpful to look back at old notebooks where I've recorded everything I've made or tried to make to see what, if anything I can re-visit. Do you record ideas and experiments in a notebook? 

Sometimes a customer will ask if I have any fairy boxes/ childrens' jewellery/ collage cards/charm bracelets or whatever and I'll realise I stopped making that thing a while ago... But why when it still sells?

Now in September when it's the start of the run up to Christmas it is important to focus on what we want to make and in what quantity. What sells best? What do we enjoy making best? Hopefully this will point to one and the same thing. Or like me you will want to make lots of the things you have made before and enjoy the excitement of experimenting to come up with some new gift ideas too.

Paper flowers and silk ribbon

Flowers I made in Handmade Happiness yesterday.

Silk ribbon from $6-43 at www.darngoodyarn.com

Garlands of flowers are still in progress for the wedding. 20 flowers equals one garland. Yesterday was quiet in the shop so I managed to make quite a few and today I'll focus on paper flower making again once I've glittered the last batch of bottles the bride gave me at the weekend. I still haven't found any nice silver or gold glitter. Shops say they'll have it at Christmas...

What I did find online is this reclaimed sari silk ribbon in lovely colours. The roses would look so pretty strung from that! I'm imagining this ribbon in embroidery, in jewellery making, in collage or art. You could knit or crochet with it or weave with it. Do you like it? I'm also thinking you could rip up an old silk shirt or re-dye it and then rip it up to achieve something similar. This is just the sort of unusual craft product I would like to sell in the new 'to make with' section of Handmade Happiness... 

I love old stuff

A few of my old green buttons

Old stuff has so much personality. I don't like the word 'vintage' as it just seems another word for 'old'. Now that I'm going through old fabrics to see what I can put in the shop for others to make with I'm really appreciating the quality of some of it.

 When I've finished writing this I'll be ironing the stuff I washed yesterday and had on the washing line outside overnight.

 The more I think about it the more it seems to make sense to have the smaller of the two rooms of Handmade Happiness as a place to buy nice things to make with. It's all about quality. It's not worth puting in a lot of time and effort into making something with materials that are not your perfect choice. 

How often have you seen beautifully made baby clothes at craft shows and thought if only she had not used acrylic. Yes wool is more expensive but you can charge more for something that feels and looks soft and luxurious. 

Similarly using nice old fabrics in their natural cotton or linen bring personality to even the simplest bag you could make. Can you tell this subject is a particular hobby horse of mine?! You know I'm fussy but I'm sure you agree with me that the best materials make the best items.   

More dolls like this

Simple doll by Jenny Stacy. sold.

When I have time I'd like to make more dolls like this. With an ordinary rag doll you have to stuff the arms and legs and that's the worst bit. So I remember trying to simplify a doll design down to its bare minimum. Face and body. No hair to speak of, no limbs. The pattern I drew looked like a hand grenade because she had to be clutchable! That pattern on an old manilla envelope is pinned to my noticeboard.

 This design is fun for me to make because the bit I enjoy most is painting the face and deciding on her outfit.

Do you remember playing with dolls as a child? My brother had an Action Man and I had a Sindy. I remember knitting her a red polo neck jumper when I was seven or eight but I can't remember actually playing with her. Perhaps she'd got blown up by Action Man!  

Pretty cashmere

Softest cashmere from Shauna Noble

Lovely back detail on the grey cardigan.

Shauna Noble's cashmere cardigans in a range of pretty colours.

It's that time of year when days are still warm but you need to cover up in the colder evenings. Shauna's cardigans are best quality cashmere. They really are super soft. Tricot Too used to sell them and more recently Haus in Haslemere. Prices start at £95.

Happy September to you! Can you believe it's September already? The back to school month and the last month of summer. My family's big day is September 14th and the bride is looking for a warm wrap to put round her shoulders in the evening. One made in this gorgeously soft cashmere would be perfect!!

Making flowers

Pink flower from old linen shirt

 The bride likes this one but is less keen on the red velvet roses (too wintery) and the pale pink flowery linen roses (too girly) so after some discussion and re-manipulation of fabrics I'm back to making white crepe paper flowers (see previous post) for long garlands which the bride really likes and I think will look great hanging from the beams of various outbuildings at the farm where the wedding will be held.

Making flowers has been a good learning experience for me.  Basically they've got to be fairly flat or they stick out unnaturally from the lapel. Adding two or three individual hand-sewn petals works well and use your fabric double. 

You should be seeing fabric roses as brooches in the shop fairly soon! And I think the rich red velvet ones will look fab on coats this winter. But if you come into the shop today you'll see me glueing white paper petals together for flower garlands... it's the final countdown - just two weeks til the wedding now.

Little things in the window this week

A selection of small things for sale in Handmade Happiness now

Pictured above are: silver bracelet by Paul Drake; key rings by Sue Inglis £6-50 each and ceramic dove by Eileen Brown £6-00; decorated hair grips by me £3-50 each; sheep by Michelle Green £2-50 each; knitted cup cake by Sue Inglis £4-95; sugar tong bracelet by Jenny Shutler £30-00; owl and bracelet by Glen Wellstead £6-00 each; hedgehogs by Sue Inglis £7-50; cat toast rack and strawberry mug at £18-00 by Kate Hackett; set of slate coasters by Eve Deary £16-00. 

Also in the window this week are Samantha Robertson's green and blue bowls and mugs and Ann Hutchins embroidered scenes with sheep.

Interested in selling your beautiful work?

Girl brooches painted by Jenny Stacy

What do you make? Handmade Happiness stocks well-made original craft pieces and is looking for more beautiful things to sell in the run up to Christmas. 
If you think your work has the 'wow' factor please email me with images and I'll get back to you straight away*. jennystacy@tiscali.co.uk   

I'm loving the look of Japanese 'Boro' fabric and would love to stock little bags/purses inspired by this technique - see thewoollydogblog.blogspot.co.uk  Little boats/ houses made with drift wood; baby/childrens' clothes knitted or sewn though no man made fibres/ acrylic yarn please; blown glass. Just a few ideas but you've got your own ideas and I'd love to see them! 

Yesterday I had a delivery of some utterly soft cashmere cardigans in pretty colours. Come and have a look.
Meanwhile I'm still working on mens' corsages. I'd like to show you but the camera still hasn't turned up. Bear with me!!
*sorry but I can't sell work made outside the UK.

Button fun

Handmade buttons by Jenny Stacy. £1 each. Machine washable.

 I have been making buttons like these for over 20 years and I still love to make them. It feels like playing. People who make things are lucky. They get absorbed into what they are doing and time stands still for them. It's a bit like being able to step into something else if that doesn't sound too weird. 

I suppose it's a bit like a man and his shed. He can go there for a bit of 'me time' to focus on things outside of his job and his family. Hopefully nowadays a woman is as likely to have her own 'shed' as a man is. Only she might call it her 'studio' and think about pretty ways to decorate it!

Walk round Petersfield lake

Petersfield's lake at twilight.

  We walked round the lake late afternoon. Families were picnic-ing; dogs running into the water after sticks; boys paddling canoes and couples  rowed boats. I noticed that the modest little shed which sold ice-creams and soft drinks has been turned into 'The Plump Duck', a far grander business offering paninis and filled baguettes, even jacket potatoes.

 You can walk the path round the lake in 20 minutes, some people run round, children ride on shoulders round or scoot their scooters round. It's a nice little excercise which I always intend to do daily but never do... The views across the lake and the swans beside the lake always make me wish I'd brought my camera. But I can't find it at the moment. Hopefully it's on the shop desk.

There'll be no drop-in craft session tonight. I'm too busy with wedding stuff. Let's take a break and start again at the end of September when we'll start making for Christmas. 

Chanel wedding inspiration

White paper flowers on the catwalk at Chanel

 This picture is inspirational. To make big paper flowers like this you need to be courageous! I love the look though as a wedding backdrop!

Why do shops not stock wedding colours?

Wedding style mood board by Jenny Stacy. Made and sold a while back.

I looked locally and I looked in London for pale pink crepe paper. I don't want salmon pink or Barbie pink or hot pink I want pale pink. I can order online but I am thinking that with so many people wanting soft, vintage colours - pale peach, cream, tea-stained for example for wedding decor why have the shops not cottoned on? I had the same problem finding nice colour glitter. Lots of red, blue, green and yellow gold glitter but no pale gold or white glitter.

Is it just me or do you go in shops and find the colours are too hard? I'm talking about clothes in hard electric blues, turquoises and neon pink. Or black. So much black in the shops and ok some women like to wear black for work but what about the rest of us? Where are soft pale blues, hydrangea colours, pansy colours, rose colours? 

The mens' wedding corsages are underway now. Hurray! 15 to make but at least I know what I'm doing now. Amy also wants giant flowers. Hence the search for pale pink crepe paper. I've found it on Amazon but I am thinking that maybe I should stock some of those softer coloured crepes/tissues/glitters in the soon-to-be-up-and-running Handmade Happiness 'To make with' section.

Crochet lace - uses for

Assorted crochet lace bundles for sale

 This morning I've been ironing the crochet lace I washed yesterday.  Originally used as pelmet lengths or to go round bedding and shelf trims now it will go into Handmade Happiness as part of the 'To Make with' section.

Thinking about what can be made with this lovely stuff my first thought is bunting - layered on other fabric and used as edging. Also it would look really romantic sewn just above the inside edge of a jacket so you had a lace layer showing. Pillowcase trim and part of a tote bag. Coiled into lace roses. It's uses are endless.

I'm wondering about dyeing some bits of it. What do you think? In the past I've dyed crochet lace pale blue and it's looked really pretty. You could also paint over it in art works or collage...

To make with

There is a shop in Arundel that used to sell hand made things and now sells vintage clothes. I heard on the grapevine that another shop in Chichester which sells handmade is closing at the end of this month. This is telling me that to survive in the present economic climate you have to be willing to change. 

I might have said before that my shop has two types of customers. Firstly and mostly the customer who is looking to buy something highly individual and handmade as a present or for themselves. Secondly the person who likes to make things for themselves and is looking for new ideas. It is this second type of customer that I want to appeal to more. 

This week I am, as usual, going through my treasures, collected over the years which I use for making things with. Ancient bits of gold braid, antique buttons, old lace, bits of vintage fabric and colourful beads. I love this stuff and so do many other women. Witness the Knitting and Stitching show where I see the carrier bags full of lovely and inspiring bits and pieces that women find there to make things with.  So, in short my idea is to have an area in the shop 'To make with' where my finds and collections can be bought. Now I have to find or make just the right sort of packaging!! 

Glitter jars

Done. 70 jars and bottles glittered. I ended up using silver glitter for some of them because I ran out of  nice gold glitter and the gold glitter I found in the shops was too yellow. I mixed gold with white glitter for some of them to achieve the right pale gold. The bottles and some of the jars are for flowers and the rest of the jars are for night light candles. I think they'll look pretty.

Today I'm making jewellery for the shop with some time to be spent on making the mens' buttonhole flowers. Sophie's in the shop today and I'm at home. 

Bits and pieces

Attempt two on fabric peony flowers - better but not good enough

Orange dahlias in a neighbourhood garden

 Cute bunny lamp seen in Fenwicks yesterday

A wall of Prestat chocolate in Selfridges

 Yesterday we found my 'mother of the bride' dress. Hurray! Another job crossed off the list and I'm pleased with it and it cost far less than I was fearing! What was weird was seeing that very dress in the Evening Standard's Stylist magazine on the journey home in a fashion feature on florals for autumn. No-one would normally accuse me of being a 'fashionista'!!

As usual we walked our feet off in London. But this time we were on a mission. No time for Liberty or John Lewis. It was great to be with Amy who can be relied on to give me an honest opinion of what suits and what doesn't suit!

Today I have some making time to make up. Sophie is in the shop again and it's my chance to get cracking. I'll report back to you tomorrow! Enjoy your day.

Arundel Gallery Trail

A wicker bunny perched on a house in Tarrant Street

 The trail is open daily until August 26th. Weekdays from 2-5pm and weekend from 12 - 5.30pm. If you live near Arundel go round. It's an experience to see the lovely houses the art work is as well as for the artwork itself. 

Mostly paintings - I like the work of  Karin Moorhouse, Andy Waite,Emma Rimer and Frances Knight in particular. Some craft: Vanda Zebrak is brilliant with her embroideries and glass pieces mostly depicting light through trees; I also like Fanny Peppercorn's white porcelain and Jacqui Watkins' lino cuts. (Jacqui's cards are very popular with Handmade Happiness customers.)

It was nice to go round accompanied by my younger daughter. Her real appreciation made it even more of a pleasure. Sometimes I think it would be nice if I could sell more paintings but it's a price thing. Most items in Handmade Happiness are priced at well under £100. These paintings are priced in the hundreds or in the thousands. I would have to evolve into a very different type of gallery to accomodate paintings and at the moment I'm going down a different path.

Sussex views and making time

Heavy clouds just before it rained.

 I took these pictures yesterday when my mum and I went on a drive through the countryside. She likes being driven but she doesn't like getting out of the car. Luckily you can see most of these views from the car park.

This week is my making week. Before I had my shop I made in a much more disciplined way.
Had to make £60 worth (or more) of stock per day, especially in the months before a big show. So thanks to my daughter manning the shop for a few days I'll start that up again and be able to get on with wedding making as well. Pictures to follow!

This afternoon I'm off to Arundel for the gallery trail - it's each afternoon this week from 2pm to 5.30pm. So I'd better start the new making schedule right now!

London, Paris, Petersfield

Beautiful painted and collaged walls at Sketch, London. Photo from their website www.sketch.uk.com

 My friend Bee and her husband are in Paris this week and I must admit to being envious. Walking the streets of Paris and coming across all sorts of unexpected wonders is an exciting thing to do ...maybe next year. Meanwhile I am lucky enough to visit London where two of my children live, quite regularly.

When I lived in Chichester I used to hop on a train and visit Brighton for that injection of city excitement. Brighton shops and the colourful individuals in the street. It's like a wake up from the everyday. And it's inspiring. To visit an exhibition or a handful of shops in London now is to bring back a camera full of pictures and hopefully, a few new ideas triggered by things seen. But isn't it good to get back home? Back to, in my case, Petersfield, which I love. 

Dream-like afternoon at Sketch, Mayfair

The memorable high tea at Sketch

We walked through Mayfair, past all the beautiful expensive shop windows and into the club called Sketch. (Members only in the evenings.)  

We sat in 'The Glade' a room painted and collaged by Carolyn Quartermaine and Didier Mahieu to look and feel like a woodland glade at twilight. The sky painted turquoise and layered leaf trees on the walls making a dream-like setting.

Pictured is what we ate. Not pictured are the scones, clotted cream and jam which we didn't have room for. This was the first part of Amy's hen do. It carries on through today and tonight but I am back to normality at Handmade Happiness. But before I get ready for work I must just mention the incredible loos at Sketch. Imagine a large, white shiny room in which white shiny upright pods stand (as if about to hatch space monsters). Each pod is a cubicle and in there you really feel you are on board a space craft in another reality.

I love London. To see places and people and do things which are so far removed from
everyday life gives a glimpse into what is 'normal' for other people. But to me it sometimes feels like a dream. A pleasant memorable dream but not really real if you know what I mean.  

Covered hangers

Hangers - some crocheted and some covered in vintage fabric.

 Can you remember those vintage fabrics I bought from Penny Baker a few months back? This is what happened to a little of it.

Today is the start of Amy's hen do. I'm off up to London and Tara will be looking after the shop for me. So if you need to see me personally don't visit today! Back to normal tomorrow.

Getting organised

Lovely roses

 Yesterday Sue Inglis, knitter extraordinaire, came in to Handmade Happiness to re-stock and we talked Christmas plans. Sue is already knitting Christmas decorations to build up a good stock. And I am planning what the shop should sell and how it should be decorated to make 2013 the best, most magical Christmas ever.

Next week I have a window of opportunity to get organised for the Christmas run up. Younger daughter is keen to work in the shop for the week, giving me a chance to make from home, finish off making things for the wedding and get my house and shop organised for the busiest time of the year!

It's a good thing there is nothing worth watching on the tv, only 'Top of the Lake' on Saturday night. Nothing to distract me from making. Last night it was bunting which I must finish off now before getting ready for the shop.

On Tuesday night we had a successful and very enjoyable felt making session at the night drop-in. Please note there will be no craft session next Tuesday night. See this blog for details of the next one.  

Handmade Quilt by Pam Dew for Handmade Happiness customer

The finished quilt held by Liz Dore and Pam Dew

The inspiration was this picture of an Amish quilt

Liz Dore wanted a quilt to celebrate her newborn grandson. She showed Pam Dew a picture in a calendar of Amish quilts but she wanted it a whole lot bigger, to cover a single bed. Pam has fantastic quilt making skills and has interpreted the customer's wishes by inventing and calculating measurements for a much larger piece while staying faithful to the original design.

Pam makes cushions, wall hangings and quilts which are regularly sold in Handmade Happiness. She also runs classes on patchwork quilting and applique here in Petersfield.

Dyeing with avocado and attempting a peony

Tattered white lace after dyeing

Tattered lace with white lace so you can see how subtle the dyed colour is

First attempt at a peony (with shell button). Maybe 4 out of 10?!

I read somewhere that you can achieve a dusky pink with avocado skins. I boiled up one torn skin in water and when I could see colour added the lace and some calico. The effect was subtle - a bit like tea dyeing but prettier and the calico has turned a good skin colour for dolls.

Less successful is the attempt at a peony. It lacks fullness. To make it I tore a strip of fabric about 40 inches long and three inches wide. Then I folded the strip in half, in half again, in half again length ways until there was a bundle about four inches wide. Then the top corners were snipped off and the top edge cut into to suggest ruffly petals.  The whole length was then stitched and pulled to gather it up to about a quarter of its length. Then I wrapped it round my finger, stitching the bottom edges together.

Next time I'll tear a longer strip or stitch two strips together to make a longer length to start off with and then achieve a fuller, more even flower. Hope it looks better. You be the judge!

This morning at the shop Eve Deary who cuts slate boards and hearts is coming in to re-stock and this afternoon Pam Dew is coming in to show us a special quilt she has been making for a customer.
This evening we're making felt bracelets/ buttons / beads.

Real flowers and handmade flowers

A real white peony in the garden

 There is now a carrier bag full of white crepe paper flowers for wedding decoration. Today I want to wire them into a garland or two and cover the wire in green florist's tape. Looking at this real flower with its jaggedy edges which are so un-uniform makes me realise that we can only do poor imitations of nature. It's just lucky if one or two of the things we make come out anything like the real thing.

I was thinking of going to London today but the trip has been postponed to next week when younger daughter will be working in the shop for me.

Instead I'll get going on the mens' buttonhole flowers which will be made of fabric. And looking at this peony there will be a more jaggedy edge than I first envisaged.

Balloon weather

Right over our heads!

Gaining height.

Big balloon, small plane

 Last night, after a very busy day in the shop, my son and his girlfriend came to visit.  As we walked (yes, we saw the deer again) this balloon passed over us. Imagine floating peacefully in a balloon when a small plane passes underneath you. Must be a weird feeling. 

We ate at Fez Petersfield's Turkish restaurant. We all agreed that the food was perfect. I like communal eating when you all take from the same large plate. Hummous, aubergine in a tasty ratatouille, feta and halloumi cheeses, taboulleh, vine leaf parcels, with flat bread. All delicious. There are lots of meat options too but Fez is an ideal place for vegetarians to eat.
In the shop I often get asked to recommend a local cafe or restaurant. Natural Apothecary I recommend as the best cafe.

This morning and late last night saw me glittering more bottles and jars. I'm meeting Amy and her partner this morning where my mum lives to pass across wedding stuff. But I still haven't cracked the problem of how to transport those things without the glitter falling off. Perhaps I just have to accept that some glitter will fall off. Hopefully they'll still look pretty!