Happy Birthday to Me, One Year of Blogging!

Wow!  This year has gone really fast and has been amazing, exciting and scarey all in equal measures.  When I began this adventure I have to admit I wasn't in a really good place.  My plans that I had made,  had shall we say gone awry and I had to regroup and rethink quickly.  I had always had plans to sell my work once the art and design retraining had finished, however, that wasn't to happen for at least another 2 years.  I think that by signing up for another course I was holding onto my security blanket of college and postponing going out there into the big wide world and asking others what they thought of my work.  As it turns out this was the best thing that could have happend to me as I am now a lot happier planning my own future and am constantly excited by all the new things that I have learnt along the way.

So here is a recap of all the wonderful things I have learnt along the way!

First of all the wonderful, helpful people out there in web land. (In my next post I plan to mention those who have made the biggest impact and helped along the way.)  There is such an amazing array of people who are willing to help out with any information you may need and boots up the bum when I have moaned and said this is never going to happen!

Craft fairs are wonderful if you manage to get the right ones.  Through trial and error you discover which ones you should be booking as they are the right arena for your goods.  However, the really dire ones are fun to look back on just not so much at the time.

Putting your 'stuff' out there is scarey as you invest such a lot of time and emotion in creating it.  When I first did it there were a lot of times when I thought well just because I like it doesn't mean anyone else will?  This eases after a while, however, nothing beats the feeling of getting really good feedback.

Contacting the tax office is not as scarey as you think and very necessary.  There is no such thing as hobby status, if you are selling your goods and receiving money for them this is a business.  I must admit I was in that category as I thought well I am not exactly making Prada quake just yet.  However, if you have a shop online or are selling at craft fairs you need to contact them.  They don't shout and are actually quite nice, mind you I haven't had my first tax bill through yet so that opinion maybe subject to change.

More recapping in the next post.....

After making the ticking tote campervan my daughter decided that she would like one made for school.  However, we had to make a few revisions, first of all the rope handles had to go as the amount she carries in her school bag is silly.  In fact thinking along those lines I should have put wheels on it as well.  She also wanted a zip putting  on it, talk about picky!  So here it is and she is very pleased which is not that easy to do with a 14 year old.

I have been really enjoying the applique so here is a sneak peak at some more I have got coming up involving some flowers and birds, excuse the pictures as sun wasn't coming out to play!

Hope you are all having a good summer holidays!