Etsy team collaboration

This week launches an exciting collaboration between Steph from Perran Yarns and myself. Myself and Steph met on Etsy the on-line selling site for all things handmade. 

She hand dyes and then sells beautiful scrumptious yarns that knit up gorgeously!

I was utterly surprised when she approached me to ask if I was prepared to knit up and re-work one of my new patterns in some of her hand dyed yarn.  Her idea was to sell the patterns at craft fairs and in brick and mortar shops alongside some of her yarns. We also discussed the possibility of selling the pattern and yarn in kit form via her Etsy shop. 

Above you can see the transformation from the Noro yarn I chose to show off the lovely flower pattern to one of Stephs yarn , a lovely Knit in Perran Yarns (50% baby alpaca, 25% linen, 25% silk) in sweet pea shade. You can buy the finished scarf here if you don't fancy the knit. 

Well the kits are ready folks! All for £20. Of course you can buy the knitting pattern and yarn on its own but there is a saving if you purchase in kit form.

Its a lovely knit for a christmas gift or just for you.

We are hoping to get together in the near future to bring you more exciting collaborations. 

See you soon from Steph and I

Launch of the 1st Craft Britannia Promotional Video

Today I'm launching the 1st of the Craft Britannia's team videos.  We talked about it in one of my earlier blog postings here.

This is a collaboration by the Craft Britannia Etsy Team to show some of the things we offer that can make your wedding day extra special. 

To find each item shown in the video, go to https://www.etsy.com/uk/pages/craft-britannia or find the team at craftbritannia.com.

The 4 amigos

I found the most delightful photograph of my daughter Michelle when I was leafing through her friends wedding album. 

I was looking for photos to use on my web site that would really show off the beautiful mohair wraps that I hand knit for the bridesmaids to wear. This photo so stood out.....

These 4 young lady's had been best friends at school. They had split up at 18 to go their separate ways , each of them to University in different towns , some of them coming back to live locally and then going away again. Each time they meet up its like a breath of fresh air to see them together. This photo portrays that.

Now here's one of the "real" wedding photos that shows off the wraps.

 
and a wedding montage that I have put together

PS Wonder how the photographer managed to sneak into the ladies

Getting those UK sales

 

New to Etsy store - chunky hand knit infinity scarves

Up to now I wasn't really bothered who purchased from me or where they were from , I was just very happy when a sale came my way. Since selling on Etsy I have always known that very few people in the UK know that Etsy even exists and those few people sell on Etsy anyway. 

Wherever I can , on Etsy forum threads etc I have stated this probably obvious fact and maybe Etsy listened or maybe they knew anyway but..........


they have created their very first TV advert aimed at The UK market.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_KKSZgDuDk

I have yet to see the advert on TV. I have never taken such a keen interest in TV adverts before , always using the advert time to go make that UK ritual of the "cup of tea" or make my way to the bathroom. But ever since a few days ago when I found  out the advert was to be aired I have been glued to the "box" during advert time. 

Along with giving all the UK sellers chance to have to have their own customised advert , Etsy tell me 

"We're featuring all of the sellers that took part in the ad here: https://www.etsy.com/pages/peoplemakeetsy - we're sending a lot of people here through our UK promotions around the TV ad. Also, our UK homepage is featuring only UK sellers and their products for the next few weeks to support our amazing UK seller community :)"


I'm hoping for an increase in UK people taking a look at Etsy , I'm sure they will be pleasantly surprised at the diversity and quality of products on the web site. If only they knew................... 

Home Sweet Home

My daughter Michelle moved in to her new home in January and this weekend was my first visit. Just thought I would share some of the crafty things I spotted in her house. It was lovely to see how she showed off her work (and mine) for her friends and family to see.

1. One of my knitted cotton peg bags , well used and full of pegs. You can buy these here or best of all , you can knit your own with your very own knitting pattern

2. Framed pieces of fabric. Very stylish and chic and best of all - cheap !

3. One of my fair isle knitted cushion covers snook its way into this woodland display.

4. One of Michelles "HOME" buntings hung over the fireplace. [NB. Don't worry the electric fire never gets turned on].

Just had to share

Thursdays ColourWays - Coral

Most people instantly think of an orangey-red colour when they get asked ‘what colour is coral?

Many people remember it from when red coral was popular in the 70's and 80's. However coral can be found in almost any colour you can imagine.

Natural coral comes in a large variety of colour's: red, orange, pink, blue, white and black. Discolouration further increases the number of colours naturally available.

 

 
Precious coral or red coral is the common name given to Corallium rubrum and several related species of marine coral. The distinguishing characteristic of precious corals is their durable and intensely coloured red or pink skeleton, which is used for making jewelry.

 The first recorded use of coral as a colour name in English was in 1513.

It can range from a shade of pink to a soft terracotta. It is also referred to as salmon, peach, apricot or melon. 

 A shade is achieved by adding black to any pure hue, 

while a tint is created by mixing white to any pure colour.

 I have tracked down the perfect clothes and accessories so you look right on trend wearing Coral and you help support the British handmade community too.

Mohair Scarf - TheFeminineTouch
Leather Shoes - FairySteps 
Silk Purse - RedRubyRose
Lace Cocktail Dress - Alexandrakingdesign
Denim Coat -13threads
Long Earrings - Chikakojewellery


Did you know? - Coral is a female first name of Indo-European origins. It was the 943rd most popular name in the United States from 1900-1909, the 977th in 1991, and 988th in 1992.

Thursdays Colour Ways – Radiant Orchid

I’m getting ready for the International  Colour Day on the 21st March , by writing my first “Colour” blog posting.

You will see my “Colour” blog postings always on a Thursday , and I’m going to call them “Thursdays Colour Ways”

And no surprise to you all , but the first colour I will be writing about is the gorgeous outstanding Radiant Orchid. Chosen by Pantone it’s the colour of 2014, it is both striking & beautiful . Its one of those colours where you have to have a lot of self confidence to wear it or have it in your house. But just think what you are missing out on if you don’t have anything in this colour.

I have scoured my favourite on-line site , one where I both sell and buy from – Etsy , its full of handmade & colourful goodies.  Below are some radiant orchid items you might buy and wear.

 Vintage Wool Hounds-tooth Draped Cocoon Cape - http://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/KheGreen

Big bold oversized statement handmade ring - http://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/StudioLeanne

Lace Collar Necklace - http://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/callmemimi

Geometric Acetate fabric String Bikini  - http://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/sunclassixx

Brass Book Locket Pendant - http://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/Blucha

Purple hand knitted scarf - http://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/TheFeminineTouch  ME!

HEART Personalized Leather Key Fob - http://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/Sakao

Extra long fingerless gloves hand knit armwarmers - http://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/irmasknittings

WoW , totally stunning and No , you wouldn’t probably wear more than 1 of these items at one time.  Statement pieces to show off the rest of your wardrobe , perhaps.


 I also found these lovely cushion covers on Etsy and its plain to see , the designers have decided that you should  incorporate radiant orchid with other stunning colours. They have chosen green, white and grey. In this way the colour doesn’t overwhelm you , but it does bring the cushion to life , bringing it to another dimension.

Waverly Radiant Orchid and Green Pillow Cover http://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/ChloeandOliveDotCom

Lavender & Linen Colorblock Pillow http://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/JillianReneDecor

Then putting my Interior Designer hat on (I’m only part way through the course but that’s another story) , I thought , let's find some room layouts that incorporate the colour. Here are a few of my favourites.

 Image from Decor6blog – Holly Becker best-selling author, pro-blogger, stylist and founder of decor8blog.com .  

More wonderful room images using Radiant orchid - http://decor8blog.com/2014/01/21/how-to-decorate-radiant-orchid/


I love the subtle use of the colour , yes the rug that takes up most of the bottom half of the photo is in the glorious radiant orchid , but have you noticed the geometric cushion?  or the book covers in the background? And.....just think what this room would look like without this colour included , boring and bland.

 Decor Decom - http://www.decordemon.com/

From one extreme to the other , this room layout is transformed with beautiful geometric  wall coverings  in the gorgeous radiant orchid , along with white and greys . Silver and Black in the mirror and cabinet accentuate the wall too. Stunning !

It doesn’t just have to be living rooms that can be brought to life with radiant orchid. Just look at this kitchen ! It so makes you want to cook AND bake !




 WA Designs - http://www.houzz.com/photos/461005/Stinson-Beach-House-beach-style-kitchen-san-francisco

And a simple rug , lamp and throw out in the garden , porch or conservatory

 Bo Bedre - http://bobedre.dk/article/164526-nye-behov---ny-have/gallery/689090

This is my favourite ! 

Radiant Orchid blooms with confidence and magical warmth that intrigues the eye and sparks the imagination. It is an expressive, creative and embracing purple—one that draws you in with its beguiling charm. A captivating harmony of fuchsia, purple and pink undertones, Radiant Orchid emanates great joy, love and health.
From http://www.pantone.co.uk/pages/index.aspx?pg=21129

Life after full time IT work

Its been a long time since my last blog posting and my life has changed so much since then.

My full time work , that I did enjoy so much has come to an end. After a lot of heart wrenching discussions with family and friends I decided to take voluntary redundancy from my full time job in June 2013. My job was with the local council looking after a team of IT developers and support people. I have been in IT since my twenties (over 30 years ! Yipes) and thought I was there to stay well in to my sixties but life is about living ! and its about time I had a change and leave all the new emerging technology to the youngsters.

4 and a half months later and I'm still trying to decide what to do for the rest of my life.

Do I try and find another full time job in IT? My professionally written CV is out there , I have job agencies contact me with jobs they think I'm suitable for and I have applied for a few jobs. Am I bothered that I don't get interviews? I think the longer I'm out of  a job , the more I don't want to go through an interview process and the more I'm scared of the 1st days at work , getting to meet new people , being tested on my IT skills (which will be diminishing as technology changes , month on month). 

 Do I try and make a living out of selling my hand knitted items. Well we all know that's impossible! If you calculate the amount of time it takes me to hand knit an item x even just the minimum wage then I would be pricing my hand knitted items right out of the market. So even though I love knitting and love selling on-line and the on-line community , hand knitting will always stay as a hobby. Saying that, have you seen my new "mug hugs" , little fair isle wool mug cosies using some techniques I picked up at a Rowan workshop. These are adorable , brilliant gift ideas for Christmas presents. I would really like these to take off , I have some really cool ideas for designs for the whole year , for kids and adults alike.

Within the 1st month of being at home , I developed 2 little web sites , one to celebrate TheFeminineTouch , linking to my Etsy shop. Here I try and give potential customers some background information on my designs , what I have been working on recently and how to buy from me. The other one - UniquelyUK, is one that really excites me is one I developed in collaboration with a team of UK artisans from the Etsy community.  here I used my team leader abilities to bring a team from all over the UK virtually together to develop an on-line presence. I am finding that each individual in the team has unique skills to bring to the table. For example, one young lady is brilliant at manipulating photographs into montages to use on the web site and another is a lovely poet and we have used her skills in bringing together an introduction poem (more of that in another blog posting).

So how do I incorporate my knowledge and skills in IT, my team leader abilities and my knowledge of on-line selling and crafting to make a living for myself? Read my next blog postings to follow me in my journey.........

Be original , Be unique

Uniqueness is a rare commodity these days, what with mass produced items and people wanting to be fashionable / wear designer clothes and well know brands. Yet fashions come and go, they come round in circles, gypsy skirts, hot pants, flares, platforms, big floppy mohair jumpers come and go with the trends of the day. Whether you were a biker, a mod, a punk or now a Goth, what you wear is geared around what you are; what trend you are following; who your friends are. These trendy followers are full of individuality, putting their unique twists on their outfits, adding a bit of fluff or an added sparkle, great for those with a creative edge.

But if you are not a trend follower or not in any way creative, how do you go about being who you want to be, just wearing what you want to wear. Like me , do you go to the fashion boutiques looking for that yellow fluffy cardigan or that black lace top , just to find that its not available anywhere , what you actually want is not out there. Its’ not in fashion so no one is making it! So frustrating. I have come home from a shopping trip so many times with my bags emptyish (empty sweet packets that’s all), I have physically wept when I can’t find something to wear for my friends wedding or even just an accessory I’m looking for to go with that stunning red dress I bought last week.

On the other hand, have you gone to a party and seen someone across the room wearing the very same dress that you have on, grrr. It’s never happened to me, but I’m sure I would just walk out there and then. Many years ago when I was in my early 20’s (yes many years ago) my best friend bought a t-shirt, same style and colour of my best t-shirt I had bought a few weeks earlier. I was so mad, I immediately put mine in the bin.

2 years ago, I found a place on line that would help me (and you). If you don’t have that creativeness inside you, or you can’t find that fashion accessory that you have dreamt about for so long, then Etsy is the place to look. It is full of uniqueness, fulfilling every taste imaginable, for the Goths, the country and westerners , the steampunkers; there is always something to compliment these styles. And for those of you that want distinctive classy accessories, unique to you there are a range of shops to fulfil you too. Of course there is TheFeminineTouch that falls into this arena. I’m happy to knit / create accessories to your specifications, which I have done on numerous occasions for some very happy customers. All the accessories in my shop are unique, designs are brought together each time I start something new.

 Anyway enough of my talk, I’m here to bring you some of that uniqueness I have found on Etsy

'Be orginal , be unique' by TheFeminineTouch

Steam Punk/Gothic Style Top ... FairheadsHeadw... $65	Black Lace Ruff Victorian Go... PaperCatsPL $15	Pink dress purple lace prom ... xiaolizi $69.99
FETISH tie dye goth mini ski... PrettyDisturbi... $19.99	Tribal Shoulder Bag Remade F... orientaltribe1... $55	Classic Black Peacock Kimono shevamps $99
Summer Scarf, Little Flower ... scarfarts $34.5	A-line pink Dress - Peter Pa... ShopMissElla $65	Majestic Feather headdress I... TheVelvetVilla... $35
Wedding Hair Flower - Blush ... RainwaterStudi... $20	Steampunk Bronze Gunmetal To... pegasus22 $6	Steampunk Hair Accessories /... MiaettiaCreati... $40
Petticoat Black Red stiff n... AnnabellaDesig... $87	Dress Murcia, victorian, edw... SomniaRomantic... $269	Figure Skating Dresses Roma... DesignByNatash... $519
Women Medieval Renaissance F... armstreet $545

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Mother's day gift ideas from the UK on Etsy

I've picked these glorious pastel mothers day gift ideas from other UK sellers on Etsy. It took me a long time to choose them , all stunning. Please take a look into each shop as I'm sure you you find something equally gorgeous hidden inside. During March , all these shops are offering free shipping to the UK. Just use the coupon code FREEMARCH13

'I'm not stuck for mothers day present ideas' by TheFeminineTouch

Freeshipping too , just use the coupon code FREEMARCH13

Letterpress Mother's Day... CeruleanPress $3	Silver Spoons set of Seven V... muntjacvintage $10	vintage French/ shabby chic ... Bellecardsandg... $10
Newlyn Fish Red cushion cove... ThirtyfiveFlow... $20	Pride and Prejuduce 'Des... MrTeacup $36	Handspun yarn uk knitting su... thefibretree $9.99
Long Gold Necklace Glass Pen... Annyse $17.5	Origami Rose Necklace Fabric... bYMi $24.5	Fabric Apple scented green a... MissWinnieMake... $5.5
Mothers Day Gift Cosmetics W... olganna $16	English Rose Scented Organic... SudsNSparkles $3.4	Flower of Life, Sacred Geome... Kaledo $42
Textured Silver Heart Shaped... greenriverstud... $35	Handmade Crochet Pineapple ... PureCraft $20	Mothers Day Home Decor, Gift... renphotography... $31.5
Frida silver plated floral b... stellamystar $45

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Stuck what to buy for mothers day

Confused as to what to buy Mum this mother's day (10th March , yes so soon)? , want to buy her something a little different , yet special? Today I bring you some examples from my woolly shop. In the next few days I want to bring a special collection together of other feminine woolly gifts that mum will adore. So if you are selling or know of someone selling that special something (ideally in the pastel shades below) then let me know. And please remember to join in the Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop --------------->

'Mothers day Gift suggestions' by TheFeminineTouch

Delicate mustard and cream f... TheFeminineTou... $60	Turquoise Messenger shoulder... TheFeminineTou... $52	Womens winter lace scarf han... TheFeminineTou... $50
Hot water bottle cover Cozy ... TheFeminineTou... $30	Petite shawl / neck scarf ha... TheFeminineTou... $50	Mustard Tea Pot Cosy hand kn... TheFeminineTou... $35
Purse Case yellow mustard cr... TheFeminineTou... $15	Chunky Light Green Womens ha... TheFeminineTou... $34	Yellow wristlet bag , stripe... TheFeminineTou... $34
Feminine dusky pink hand kni... TheFeminineTou... $26	Blue & Lilac 2 hand knitted ... TheFeminineTou... $76	Baby blue handwarmers / Fing... TheFeminineTou... $19
Spectacle case in Duck egg b... TheFeminineTou... $14	Gold Lace scarf - hand knitt... TheFeminineTou... $63	Mohair drawstring bag, hand ... TheFeminineTou... $12
Gift Voucher 20 dollars gift... TheFeminineTou... $20

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