Christmas and a Happy New Year

So thats another Christmas done and dusted, did you have fun? We spent ours in Bristol with family and I have to say it was the best Christmas in years!
We love Bristol and the surrounding areas, it is somewhere we would love to live one day. *insert dreaming face here*
But here we are at the start of 2015 and my mind is already spinning overtime about plans for our year.
I spent a lot of time in 2014 taking about a website,  my husband went as far as buying my domain name. I am utterly hopeless at anything technical so am going to have to make a concerted effort this year to enlist someone who can help (do it for me!).
I was super busy in the run up to Christmas with lots of orders for personalised name hoops, I really enjoyed making these. Here are a few for you to take a look at :D

 

 

 

 

Ladybird Likes and other Stuff

As per usual I am long overdue an update, so hold onto your knickers, here we go …

First things first, Le Studio! My long suffering husband is building me a studio at the bottom of my garden. I am beyond excited, its going to be amazing, its also a looooong way from finished.
(note for husband: I AM NOT MOANING)
This means that in the meantime I am not working, all my 'stuff' is in boxes and I am having actual withdrawal from the sewing machine. Who knew that was actually possible?!
Of course we are now rapidly approaching summer holidays (its two weeks today in case anyone was wondering) so I am now considering leaving things as they are until September and re-launching Violet & Green then. This will mean that all 3 of my children will be in school and I will have the time needed to really go for it.
(Yes my youngest starts school in September, I am in total denial so will be mostly brushing over that little fact).

Here are some Studio pics so you can see progress so far …

 

This brings me nicely along to my next subject. On Sunday I travelled up to Islington to Smug, where I attended a talk by Ladybird Likes all about setting up and running a creative business.
I have to say it was really good, Zoe (the lady behind the business) covered so many topics and it really made me think about some of the things I really need to give some time to.
Not least of all, a business plan.
Do you have a business plan? Where did you start? I think I am going to hit google and see if I can get some clues. Its the businessy side of things that is not my strong point, which is obviously something I am going to have to work on.
Right, apparently you aren't supposed to make these blog posts too long, or people can't be arsed! So Im signing off for now and hoping you managed to hang in there until the end?!
Georgie X

New work!

Helloooo!
I am going to make a conscious effort not to start every post apologising for my lack of posts, lol!
Instead I am going to approach this blogging lark from a different perspective. No, I don't blog that often, I don't think anyone could argue otherwise. Writing doesn't come easily to me.
But rather than feel guilt about it, I am instead going to acknowledge that this (in reality) is going to be an occasional blog.
There may be times when I blog almost frequently, but if I am going through a time when that is not the case, I will try not to feel bad about it and then pop on apologising for it.
So, here we go, the occasional blog!

Now Ive got that out, here is a peek at some new work that I am going to begin listing in my Etsy Shop tonight. If you have an Etsy shop you will already be aware of the length of time it takes to upload photos and write all the 'stuff'. If you don't, well, it takes a bit of time!
So these pieces may all appear tonight, or they may appear over the next couple of nights, watch this space …

  

The Facebook Quandry!

I have been running my Facebook page for quite awhile now. And (I think) this is quite a widely reported 'thing' already, but, FB have decided to slowly reduce the 'reach' of business pages. This is certainly something I have personally noticed with my own page.
In case you aren't aware of this little ploy by FB I will give you a quick rundown, if you are already aware, feel free to skip this bit ;)

If you have an FB business page you are free to advertise your services, your stock or anything you fancy via your posts. Over the years this has been a really good way to get your brand known and a good way to generate interest and sales. But things are on the change! Mr FB has decided that the business pages have had a good deal for a bit too long, so has decided to slowly reduce the 'reach' of business pages unless you are prepared to pay to advertise your posts.
Your 'reach' is basically the amount of people who actually see your updates. Mr FB is slowly hiding these posts from more and more people so the only way to get your posts seen, is to pay for it.
I understand the thinking behind this ploy, at the end of the day, Mr FB is a business and therefore they want/need to make money. But, Im wondering whether this idea has come at the worst possible time. According to recent figures, young people are taking a step back from FB and are using other methods to stay in touch. And with businesses having to make a decision about how to progress with their pages on there, could this be the beginning of the end for FB?

And that leaves people like me in a quandary, I need to think about the future of where my work is going, I don't mind admitting that I have relied on FB quite heavily in the past and with the new low reaches my posts are getting and my reluctance to pay for them, what do I do next?!
(At this point I will simply say that I am open to suggestions, comments, words of wisdom!)
I do use Twitter although I have to say that I am not mad in love with it, I have bought a domain name and hope to open my own website in the future, but, as a person who is totally computer stoopid that feels a bit of a mission at the moment.
So there you go, my quandary, what next?!

Apologies for the lengthy post with no pretty pictures, I will make the next one a visual delight :D

Lately …

Helloooo!
Well we've (I've) done it, survived the first week back at school after Christmas holidays :D
Not only did I survive the week I also managed to squeeze in a couple of orders, go me!
Last week I made some personalised bunting and a co-ordinating personalised heart.
I just loved making these and am hoping that I get some orders for more, I can personalise either with any wording and in any colour.
Here are a couple of pics …

In other news I have purchased a website name, now I just need someone to make me a website! If anyone has any words of wisdom, recommendations etc, feel free to let me know. (I am officially computer rubbish).

I have been on a wreath making mission. I Love wreath making, it is without a doubt one of my favourite things. Saying this, I have totally overdosed this last couple of weeks and am now looking forward to some time with my sewing machine! 

If you want to keep up to date with what I am up to follow me over on Facebook, I am much better behaved at staying in touch over there!!

I have some ideas for new sewing projects in the new year, but for now, here are some wreath pics.

(apologies for photo quality, this is something I really need to learn about!)

  

Some time out …

 

I can not recommend Disneyland highly enough! We went with my parents and I don't think any of us wanted to come home. The whole weekend was just magical, if we go again I think we would go for a Monday to Friday stay so we could fit more in. There is just so much to do.

I always under estimate the craziness of Christmas! Wreath orders, Christmas card orders, present orders. It all amounts to one thing, Ive not done a single iota towards organising my own Christmas 'stuff'. This is my usual state of prep at this time of year, for the last two (possibly more, definitely more) I have the done the entire Christmas shop on Christmas eve, gasp! lol!
It all turns out fine in the end, and I hang onto that mantra as the days tick by!
My latest and newest makes are door stops, they are going down a storm, so I thought I would put a couple of photos up to show you.
To follow what I am up to on a more regular basis (you may of noticed my blogging regularity is not great!) then please pop over to my Facebook page and hit the 'like' button. I am much better behaved at updating there ;)
Xxx

An enforced break and a sudden return!

OK so its quite apparent I haven't been blogging. There are numerous reasons for this, here are a couple  of them ...
I took an (enforced) break from lots of things over the summer holidays, blogging being one of them. Looking after three children over the holidays is a full time thing and you just have to let other stuff slide! Its the only way to keep your sanity.
When the holidays were over, I kinda lost my voice. I wasn't really sure what I wanted to chat about, so rather than just drivel on I decided to wait until I had something I wanted to say. (this took longer than I had envisaged)
But here I am again. I have a little something that I would rather like to chat about, shocker eh?!
I have been quietly squirreling away on numerous projects but here is one that is now 'out there'.
I have made six mixed media pictures that have been accepted into a lovely workshop & gallery locally to me, whoop whoop.
The shop is called Faux workshop & gallery and it is run by a crazy talented artist named Emma Bell. She shows her own work in the shop as well as other artists, her current show is based on the RIBBA Ikea frame. Here are some pics ...

Here we go, 5 sleeps to go! Ive mocked my table up and of-course I need to make more, eeek, I always have a last minute panic to make a few last minute bits. 

I have mini-bunting, cards, hoop art, lavender bags, decorative hearts and birds, cushions and Im going to be adding a few more bits to that list, phew!

Once Saturday is finished I will be opening my Etsy shop, I know, promises promises. But I really am going to get on top of it this time.

I don't know how people fit it all in, I read other blogs with my mouth agog at all the wonder women. Juggling children, careers, businesses and not to mention the long lists of weekend activities! 

I am just about holding it all together, lol! 

Well I had better crack on, hair clips to sew and all that jazz.

If you are a local reader and are free to pop in on Saturday, Please do come and say Hi, it would be lovely to meet you. 

See you all on the other side,

Georgie X