I haven’t written anything for such a long time! But I’m here, I’m back and I’m inspired and motivated to do and to create and to write. Card-making : too tired to make but actually just wanting to get on and make. I have so many ideas buzzing round my head I really just need to do the making and I will feel so much better for it. I have ideas for new card designs and new occasions to cover and gift ideas but I have been stuck and haven’t got on. That is changing. I have a bit of a boost of motivation in me so now I must create. Last couple of months : amongst designing and making my Valentine’s Day card range I have had a few commissioned pieces and have also been challenged by the demand to cover more occasions. Being a full-time Mum means most of my time is spent on bringing my 20 month old boy up so I have had to pace myself in developing my business. There are so many things I could do and want to do, so many occasions to design cards for and a pressure to have these readily available but I have had to keep focused on taking each step at a time. Creating a basic range allowed me to start my business and from there I have been able to gradually add to that. This approach has been so valid, helping me to manage my time well and has given me realistic goals along the way. It’s helped me not to get stressed or confused about what I’m actually doing and where I’m going with it all. It’s helped me think carefully about my designs and I hope this has meant quality rather than quantity. I enjoy my business but it requires that commitment, that extra step, those few hours in the evening. It’s worth it…the satisfaction and the achievement of doing something you enjoy. My Elijah : as mentioned above being a Mum is what I am every day and every night and it’s another something that I love doing. It is truly hard work but again it is so satisfying and rewarding. Elijah is so much fun and is the cutest and the most precious thing. Such a fascinating thing watching your baby grow into a boy, running and talking and exploring the world. Bye for now x

I feel so excited about my card business! And I feel I can call it that now as I have sold over 150 cards!!

I wasn’t really prepared for the mad rush for Christmas cards and thought my head might explode with the amount of cards I had to make…but it didn’t thankfully. Amongst madly making these I had a commission to make 50 house cards for my friend so I have spent the last week or so surrounded by cards galore!! It’s been slightly crazy! But I’ve enjoyed it. I love it when I’ve made all the cards on the order and I start to put them in their cellophane bags. The sealing of the bag is the best bit…complete satisfaction and slightly proud too. I then get them all together and package them up nicely with a little hand-made ‘Thank you’ card and I post them and I hope the buyer loves them and enjoys them.

I am in the middle of completing my latest order which I think will be my last before Christmas so, I’ve been starting to think about my next steps. I have some ideas brewing around my mind and I’m looking forward to making them and showing you.

I’ve had these photos ready to print for months now but I’ve been too caught up in all my other card designs to get round to printing them out! But at last they are here and ready to go. After a little late night designing (when I should be going to bed) I have put together 3 new designs using my flower photos. I really like them. Simple is sweet.

With my Christmas cards sorted and all my orders sent, I am ready to start designing some new cards. I want to have a good selection for all occassions and I also want to create a range of cards that have a different feel/style to what I have done so far. The photo cards kind of do this but I want to do something even more different. Fun. I will let you know when I am done designing and making all things new.

Well, I’ve put myself out there and my Open Day’s are over, as the last one was this morning. After no-one coming on Thursday I felt a bit dissappointed and I think I prepared myself for not many people coming today too. 4 people came, so not a lot but I enjoyed catching up with them and sold 21 cards from it so, all in all quite a good result. I’m not sure I’d do it again but I think it was a good thing to do as I’m just starting out and I love having people over anyway so, it was a good excuse to chat with friends. Especially as me and Elijah have been house-bound for the last week (due to him having Chicken Pox) and haven’t seen anyone (apart from Luke of course)!

I think I owe a big thank you to everyone who came today though, I’m SO grateful and thanks for buying my cards!

Thank you!

My friend Maria and her family and some of their friends have just started a Community House. I think the idea of this is to open the house to people and really be able to bless them and build up community. One idea they have is to give the people that come through the house a card as they leave, which Maria has asked me to design and make for them. I have had a little play and the above picture is the design I have come up with. What do you think? I think it’s quite cute. I have no idea what Maria will make of it – hopefully it’s the kind of thing she’s after. I’ve emailed her the design so hope to get some feedback from her soon.

I also had my first Open House event today. No one came. I feel slightly silly and embarrassed by this. BUT Elijah has the Chicken Pox so I think that put people off and I didn’t really expect anyone to come today because of that. I just hope they all come on Saturday instead!

2 things…

1) I love my family. I love being wrapped up, walking through the fallen Autumn leaves with Elijah, better still – with Luke too. Elijah loves it. I love watching him enjoying himself so much. And I love that I can share those moments with Luke.

2) This week I am opening my house up for 2 mornings for my friends to pop in, as and when, for a cuppa and a mince pie…yum. I will have my cards and specifically my Christmas cards available for people to see and buy if they’d like to. No pressure though – they can just pop in for a cuppa and that’s totally fine! I thought it would be a nice reason to get some people together. I’m excited but I’m apprehensive, hoping that people will turn up!! It would be nice to sell some cards too.

Card Update – I think I’ve sold about 50 cards and currently have more on order.  That’s quite impressive I think!

I’ll be back to give an update on how my Open House event went.

xx

My Christmas cards are now available to buy! Check out my Card Shop blog page and email me if you’d like to purchase any!!

I have 7 designs available plus the option to create a personalised Christmas card. All you have to do is send me a photo by email that you would like included in the design. If you would like to order some of these personalised designs I will need your order in by the end of November so I will have time to process the photos and then make up the cards and send them to you.

I will price them up today and I will also have an offer to save money if you buy a bundle of cards which will be available from tomorrow so watch this space!!!

Enjoy!

It’s been a busy couple of weeks. Elijah my gorgeously cute son hasn’t been well, what with his teething, his sore throat, cold sores, runny nose, cough, the most terrible nappy rash, a constant soggy neck due to dribbling (due to the teething) and a massive bump on his head oh, and lets throw some sleepless nights in there too! Fun. Thankfully he’s getting to the end of it all and I can breathe a little sigh of relief as things start to settle again.

During this not so great time I have found dipping in and out of making my cards has been brilliant and has got me through some of those tougher days! I’ve had to get making making making since the launch of my cards so, every spare minute is spent at my little white desk cutting and sticking and printing.

I’ve only had 2 orders so far. I say only but actually they’re very significant orders and hopefully will be the start of really getting things going for me. The first order is for my sister Katie who lives in Germany. She’s great. She’s always so supportive of what I am doing and I’m so grateful to her for that. The 2nd order is for my lovely mother-in-law Sue. She owns a great cafe in Brussels called Lounge 81 and over the summer she asked me to make some cards that she could sell there so, here I am on my way to doing just that. This will be my main outlet and main focus for my cards at the moment. It’s such a blessing to have such a wonderful family.

The last couple of days have been the most exciting so far. After all the designing, the making, waiting and waiting for orders to come through so I can carry on making, the late nights and the sleepless nights as all the ideas go round and round my head, I was finally able to start packaging up my cards. Envelope: check. Card: check. Card in cellophane bag and sealed: check. Ahhh. It’s so satisfying seeing it all made up and ready to go. And they look really good.

Very proud of my first completely completed, cellophane sealed card!

My completed orders - very exciting!

The tired card-maker...getting ready to make more cards tomorrow!

Tomorrow a trip to the Post Office – sending order 001 to Katie in Germany and order 002 to Sue in Brussels.

On my last post I told you about my Card Shop found on my blog. I have done some re-thinking since then. The Card Shop (on my blog) will remain, as it’s a great point of reference for you but I have also set up a shop on www.folksy.com which will now be the place to order and pay for my cards. And it will be the place you’ll be re-directed to if you go to my blog shop. Keep using my blog shop though as I will keep it updated. If you have any inquiries about card orders or would like some stock for your shop then please still contact me on natalie.cathie@googlemail.com.

www.folksy.com is like an eBay site for artist/craftspeople. It’s great. I love the concept. I love browsing and discovering the treats…the lovely things people are making out there in the UK. It’s a UK version of www.etsy.com which I discovered first and also love! One my favourite artist/illustrators (Creative Thursdays) on Etsy has been a real inspiration, as I just love her style, the creativity she has and all the arty things she gets up to (see her Blog) and it has made me want to do my own thing. You can also check out her website www.creativethursday.com – if you do then you’ll know what I’m talking about!

Etsy and Folksy are inspiring places.

I think I need to take this moment to say a HUGE thank you to my gorgeous husband Luke! He has been such an amazing support! I’ve been inspired by artists, encouraged by friends and family but Luke’s at the top of the list for sure – pushing me on, listening to me, giving me advice and sharing his wisdom! I know this is just the beginning of things for me…there are a lot more cards to design and make and paintings to paint. I have a long way to go. And, who know’s all of this might not even work! But Luke will be there. I like that.

So, here it is…My Folksy Shop www.folksy.com/shops/2dream

I have been struggling with technology over the last couple of weeks so I still haven’t been able to add to my current card designs but they will be made and soon, I hope! So for now I have 9 designs with lots more to follow.

My goal is to have a website set up, full of cards and paintings and lots of nice things I have made that you can browse through and buy! But until things are a bit more established I am going to be selling through personal contacts and for now, I’ll be using my blog page labeled ‘Card Shop’ as a reference for you to see the designs and then order via email.

Well, I shall leave you to have a look through my cards and I hope you like what you see. I have already had an order come in for 10 cards so best get on and make them!!