05 June 2011

i can sing a rainbow, um, i can make a rainbow

Greetings all,
Well i can't sing a rainbow, i have an awful singing voice (tone deaf & fortunately i know it) but i can see all the colours of the rainbow around me right now . . . which is handy as it's ONE stressful week with major production for Handmade Market on Saturday.  An impressive list of bloggers are coming as new stall holders or visitors, including Maxabella Loves - thanks for your support!! 
Last night i picked up my girls from a sleep over at a friend's farm in Murrumbateman (thanks for all the lovely comments about the last post on twins, yes, i embrace my good fortune!!) & look what they have been busy picking . . .
crabapples in varying degrees of ripeness & . . .  
 quinces, my nightime photography not doing their greeness justice.
 Then home to finish off a rainbow of products for the market, like children's necklaces.
 Just in time, a shipment of amazing craft-enabling Tasmanian Oak knitting needles.
 Lounge craft = hand stitching penny wheels & buttons onto headbands.
 A splash of pastel, i'm thinking of doing up lucky dip jars with pom poms, bias, ric, rac, ribbon & other trim, plus buttons for a basket of fun on my stall.  Brilliant way to share the love & offer up cost price haberdashery i can finally part with.
 Today was spent making . . . 300 Liberty of London badges.  I cut the fabric sitting in the car park outside school each afternoon last week & now i've sorted them into sets, plus some singles.  I have this fabulous 1950s travel case to display all my Liberty printed goodies in, including hair clips, hair slides & buttons too.  Kind of hoping it will be a show stopper. 
 I've made 16 tulle ruffled bottom bloomers, they took ALL Saturday & i'll thread the elastic in the carpark outside school this week (you safety pin the ends together, then do a mega elastic sewing session in one hit when you're next at a machine).  Pricing these is difficult, they use expensive materials & take at least an hour a pair to create (as i restitch the tulle ruffles to the actual fabric).  I've done 3 sizes but want to try to do another dozen, especially in the larger sizes.
 Last market i didn't take headbands, new hair clips, coin purses or cosmetic purses - um, 4 of my biggest sellers, so this time i've come prepared with a tonne of each.  The Hello Kitty fabrics sell well at Shop Handmade & the new hair clips will all be in Liberty prints!!
Another no brainer product i've managed to neglect for a while are simple gift tags, i normally have them with fabric but this time i'm doing stamps - vintage, Euro & quirky - in an 8 for $5 pack, mixed up colours & styles.
Phew, yes, exhausting & a very busy week ahead, but making the most of my rainbowy outlook, or i'd crack under the pressure i put myself under.  I need to cut about 100m of fabric to feel like i have filled up my baskets from the last market.  Have a beautiful & colourful week too, love Posie

PS the winner of the Handmade Business Summit All Inclusive Pass for this Friday in Canberra is Fiona, who is just starting up a small business now, Congratulations, you were randomly selected by Julie, Queen of Handmade, thank you to everyone for entering!!
EDIT: just found this drawing on my sewing machine from my rainbow boy!!  The children were drawing & painting up a storm today.  Bliss. 

18 comments:

Felicity said...

Well you've succeeded to pop my mind with all of this activity!

What a wonderful event to look forward to when you've put in so much hard work and we all know that this is only one element of your very busy life.

I bet your head will hit the pillow with great contentment tonight!

xx F

PinkPatentMaryJanes said...

Oh all of those gorgeous colours have brought a smile to my face - what a wonderful collection!

All For Love said...

You are a machine Posie, you really are! I love how you utilise every spare minute... cutting up fabric while waiting at the school gate, genius!
Looks like you have a beautiful array of delights for the market, everything looks gorgeous. I do hope you have a successful day there... and are not too stressed out this week prepping for it.
Drawing and painting is big in our house right now also, it keeps my Mr3 amused for ages! xo

polkadotpeticoat said...

Look at all that fabulous color!!!

Brenda said...

I'm exhausted just looking at what you've been up to, simply gorgeous Posie! I'm loving the Liberty of London badges.

Hope you have a lovely week.

gretbert said...

The badges are beautiful! Love all your rainbow wares, please post photos of your table afterwards. :)

Becky said...

Wow, so much beauty!

Sarah B said...

Wow, you are a crafting machine Posie! Those liberty badges are gorgeous. Your market stall will look amazing :)

Kylie said...

Lots of lovely colours there jennie and a hive of business - ogod luck getting it all finished.

Leonie said...

wow, lots of gorgeous things!! I am swooning over those knitting needles..

Beck said...

I love your Liberty brooches, I bet they'll be a real winner. You have amazing time management skills Jennie, I'm alway impressed with how you get so much done. I love rainbows, all your colours are gorgeous. Hope you have a happy week x

Brenda @ 13 Acres said...

wow look at all that colourful creativity!!! do you love the madness in the lead up to the market?? i had a market last weekend but had to cancel ;-( just too much going on and the mad rush would have sent me craaaazy! hope you sell up a storm (make sure to take lots of pics!)
xx

Hosted Exchange Email said...

Nice photos!

Tas said...

Wow. So much lovely stuff. Those badges, those knitting needles...mmmm!

Unknown said...

Oh lucky you with the quinces. I made a few patches of poached quinces this autumn but can't seem to find anymore.
Good luck on Saturday!

Tiff said...

Your array of hand made goodies look so so wonderful! You are amazing! Good luck at the market! X

Vanessa said...

Phew, I am exhausted reading about your life! Wish I lived closer to check out your market (not your weather though).
Thanks for visiting.

AllIsClear said...

Holy cow - you are one busy and ispirational lady... I'm worn out just reading about your week. Must get stuck into all the half-finished projects I have going on at the moment, thank you for getting me fired up about them again! Alice