BBC online magazine features Folksy and Etsy

It was great to see some real publicity for Folky and Etsy in the BBC online magazine this week. The report was really good and I recognised some very familiar names in the interviews with Folksy sellers, so well done to them and good news for all of us with an online shop on either site.

Here's a direct link to the magazine article:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19599168

and here's a direct link to Folksy

http://folksy.com/

so check out some of the brilliant handcrafted items available there.

(And there are links to all my shops on Folksy and Etsy on this page already, so no excuse!)

Up to my eyes in vintage linen & lace

I've dragged it all down from the loft and have sorted it into separate boxes...traditional white/ecru embroidery, colourful embroidery, crochet lace and other laces. Then there are the damaged pieces, which are beyond salvation but perfect for projects - sad to see them torn and stained, but at least parts of them will be admired again.

What prompted this massive vintage sort-out? Well, it was a request for specific types of embroidery and lace, and I had to admit I had no idea what I had up there in the loft. It wasn't until I started going through it again that I realised just how much there was. So in between painting, felting, stitching and making - not to mention the photography and a bit of selling! - I will be working my way systematically through it all, taking photos and recording each piece before it goes into my Etsy shop to (hopefully) find a new home. That will keep me busy during the long, dark winter months ahead!

If you see something here you'd like to buy, contact me directly as it could take a while to get them all listed on Etsy.

part of a set of 13 matching cutwork pieces

delicate lace doily

one of a pair of rectangular lace mats

a beautiful lace table cloth

part of a large set of matching butterfly doilies

one of a pair of beautifully worked lace doilies

five tiny little embroidered mats

What's the secret of selling?

Don't ask me...I have no idea! I had such high hopes for my first craft fair of the festive season - it was a good venue, well-organised and advertised, usually very well-attended by a good mix of buyers, but still I didn't do very well. I could blame the roadworks on the A27 on the Saturday (not supposed to be there at the weekend), which caused long delays and massive traffic jams for visitors, but even on the Sunday when there were plenty of visitors, I didn't manage to sell more than a few items. The recession maybe? Well, that may have had an impact, but people were buying - mostly jewellery and gifts for children - just not from me!

Perhaps I need to re-evaluate my products, my prices, my presentation. Obviously what I'm making isn't what people want to buy (not in this neck of the woods anyway - hmm, maybe that's the problem) - so what do I do? Do I change what I'm selling, where I'm selling, or just carry on and accept that I'm out-of-step with the rest of the world? You see, the problem is, I love my bags and scarves and everything else I make, and I love making them. Each piece is unique and very special - it has its own personality and it's made by me with a lot of care and love. Some are troublesome and won't do as they're supposed to, others are just so easy and a joy to make. I hate parting with them, which may be part of the problem...maybe I'm subconsciously putting buyers off because deep down I really don't want to sell them...?!!

Well, I have a few more fairs lined up before Christmas, so let's see how those go - I'll give it my best shot, I promise. In the meantime, here are a few new items I listed on Folksy today...

Make up bag £12.50

Make up bag £12.50

Pink felt clutch bag £25

Blue silk clutch bag £45