New Brooches!

So I've been working on some new brooch ideas this week and these are the first to be made up. I really love how these came out and I think I might have to borrow one or two to brighten up some outfits!


They come in four different colour ways. I think my favourite is the lemon/grey one. What about you? Let me know in the comments!

I'm working on a 2 part tutorial this weekend which will lead to a giveaway which I will announce on Sunday/Monday so be sure to check back for that!

Seller Spotlight: Chocolate Cupcake

Seller Spotlight: Chocolatecupcake @ Etsy

* Tell me a little about yourself?
I'm Fiona, a 31yr old wife to a great husband and mother to a 14yr old boy and 3yr old little girl. We live with our one eyed cat, Rupert, in a little village about 20mins from Glasgow.

* What is your shop name and what do you sell?
Chocolatecupcake. I sell cute handmade felt and button embellishments, paper flowers, felt flowers and more. You'll just need to stop by and see for yourself :)

* What inspires you to create?
Lots of things! Nice fabric, gorgeous scrapbook papers, vintage ephemera, cute buttons. I also think there is nothing better that a beautiful sunny day to make you feel good and inspre new creations!

* What is your favourite item from your shop?
Hmm, I think it has to be this pin cushion....


* How and where do you promote your shop?
I try and visit forums when I can but it can be diffuclt finding the time. I also have a Twitter account which I have neglected for a while but I have promised myself I must Tweet at least once a week. My link is http://twitter.com/stickytoffeepie.

* What do you find to be the biggest challenge of running your own shop?
Time! There never seems to be enough of it!! I have just over 2hrs every weekday morning to work on orders and new creations while my duaghter is at nursery. After that, any extra time I get is a bonus.

* What advice would you offer to new sellers?
Have confidence in what you do.
Be positive...a lull in sales is a great time to create new goodies!
Don't give up, opening a shop isn't going to make you millions straight away, you've got to work at it!

Fun Questions -
* Favourite Colour? Blue
* Favourite Book? Hmm, that's hard becuase I love so many books! Ok, my favourite recent book is Making Your Mind Up by Jill Mansell
* Favourite Music? I love Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra
* Favourite Season? Winter, it's an excuse to get cosy, watch a movie and eat junk.
* Favourite independant sellers? Booksbyjme, StrawberriesandCream and Mqsquare.

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I am looking for sellers to be featured throughout the month of May! If you are interested in answering a few questions, please send me an email: titchables(at)gmail(dot)com!

New Goodies!

Some new goodies have been added to the shop today! I'll be adding them over at my etsy shop too so keep an eye out (felt trim now available!).


Felt Floral Trim - Yellow - My new favourite product!!


Rose Shank Buttons - Pack of 20


Flower Heart Pins

Website Revamp!

I fancied a bit of a change over at the Titchables webshop. As you can see I've given it a nice extra bit of Spring colour as well as changed the front page a little bit by adding links to my twitter, facebook and blog there.

Another new feature is the "What's New?" section which will tell you about any new products I have listed to the website recently. Obviously I will continue to update here with all the latest and greatest, but some may be going to the shop for the first time without coming here.

I would love to know what you think! I plan on doing a revamp to match this blog too, hopefully tomorrow while I wait for my new big felt delivery!

And a final note to say the Heart Pin Rosettes are now back in stock over at the etsy shop. I'll be doing a big stock update on the main shop tomorrow afternoon when I've re-done my numbers!

Felt Buttons!

I've been wanting to make some of these for a while now. Felt buttons with all 50 of the colours in my range! I'll be selling them in the same themed packs as the felt packs (Spring, Pastel, etc) as well as colour varients too! I'll let you know when they go live. They'll come in packs of 5 and 10 and they'll be a bit cheaper than the other button sets I do.

I also have a tutorial on how to make these on the way. Took the photos while making these earlier and just need to write it up!


Also, now available in the shop are some cabochon mixed grab bags. These are leftover stock from my jewellery making (which I've decided not to do anymore!) so if you want to grab a bargain, check out the first set at the shop. Four more sets will be added soon too! Once they're gone, they're gone!

Weekend Offer

I have set up another Weekend Special Offer over at my etsy shop! This weekend you can grab all of the $8 felt packs (spring, pastel, basic, natural & dark) all with FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING! These are the most popular items in the shop so if you were thinking of stocking up on felt, or would like to try some new colour combos - NOW is the chance to get a great deal!!

I have plenty in stock (as well as more on the way on Monday) so make sure to take advantage while you can! :)

Seller Spotlight - PurplePumpkins

Seller Spotlight: PurplePumpkins @ Etsy

* Tell me a little about yourself?
I'm Jennifer Wise & I live in the ancient & wee city of Chester. I've been making things for years - as presents and for myself - and decided to become self employed after my 6th redundacy last year. Although I have 2 stores Etsy, I'm also a hands-on business consultant (or will be again when my husband is better).

* What is your shop name and what do you sell?
Sildara is my collection of one-off pieces of jewellery and accessories. I'm quite the hoarder, big on recycling & repurposing and a firm believer that everyone should have a piece of jewellery which is completely unique to them.
PurplePumpkins is my vintage hoardings - mainly trims & laces but with clothing and accessories coming soon (what out for a crocheted wedding dress complete with train!)

* What inspires you to create?
Pretty much anything and everything! I have a habit of seeing something and mentally changing it into another. Sound, colour and texture are an important part of my memory recall so much of that seeps back out of my fingertips.

* What is your favourite item from your shop?
Oof! This one took me ages; asking me to choose my favourite is liking choosing between children! From Sildara, I really love versatility & uniqueness of the Oversized Pins I make, with this being my current favourite:

Of PP - I'd pick this as I'm dying to make a funky pair of pants with it:


* How and where do you promote your shop?
As I'm currently caring for my husband, I've restricted my online promotion to Etsy, Facebook and my (small!) blog. Wearing a piece and carrying business cards has always been very effective - especially with the leather clothes clips I make. It's much more effective to see pieces in person than online & I've had people literally buy pieces off my back.
Blogspot, Facebook.

* What do you find to be the biggest challenge of running your own shop?
Visibility, definately. Visibility without spending lots of money on advertising such PPC. With so many talented artists offering their wares on Etsy it is difficult to be found. When you have niche items it can be tricky choose the right keywords & tags to make yourself searchable. There are many other forums out there which I've just not had the time to explore yet which may well be effective.

* What advice would you offer to new sellers?
Dont spread yourself too thin. Focus all that enthusiasm into a couple of workstreams and be organised from the start. Research and get feedback but dont get too caught up on other peoples opinions - you cant please or service everyone.

Fun Questions -
* Favourite Colour? I'm an awkward mare - I have a favourite colour combo; bright pink and vibrant orange! I love colour but largely wear black or white (accessorised with colour!)
* Favourite Book? A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
* Favourite Music? I'm very eclectic but my all time favourite piece of music is J S Bach Preludio in D major, Wq. 70/7 - and has to be played loud so you can feel it.
* Favourite Season? Tricky again as I love different aspects of each of them but if pushed I'd have to go for summer; long, hazy days and sitting out under the stars until the wee hours.
* Favourite independant sellers? Off the top of my head: http://www.etsy.com/shop/LaughingBird - I love her pieces and she is sooo lovely. http://www.whatkatiedid.com/ - every women should have at least 5! http://www.nicholstyle.co.uk/page7.htm - sadly the website is half empty. But there are so many waiting to be discovered.

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Wales

I had a good time in Wales. It was great to see my Dad and Grandad again, and the weather was very kind while we were there. I don't think I've ever had a vacation in Wales where it didn't rain before, and I have been quite a lot!

I didn't really take that many pictures. It was only on the Tuesday where my Dad gave me the opportunity to be a bit of a tourist and stop and take photos, but here's a few of my favourites!


Lake at Tan Y Bylch.


Look how blue the lake is, gorgeous!


Snowdonia mountain range. Snowdon is the pointy one in the middle with the snow.


Better view of Snowdon. Not very often you get to see the top of it!

I went for a big long walk on Saturday with my Mum and Step Dad. They were supposed to go to NYC for my Mum's birthday but obviously their flight was cancelled. Bit of a shame but I got some lovely Spring pictures which I'll show you later in the week!

Weekend Special!

Hi all! I'm back from my holiday. I had a lovely time. I will show you some pics in my next blog. For now, I wanted to let you know I am starting up a weekend special deal. This will feature a new item in my shop each week and will either have a discounted price, free shipping or something just as fabulous!

WEEKEND SPECIAL - 16 APR-18 APR 2010

Free Worldwide Shipping on the Large Felt Bundle! This bundle features all 50 of the felt colours I stock, the squares measure 9x9 inches. Comes wrapped in tissue paper and lovely ribbon! Discount is already applied! :D

Seller Spotlight: Rustic Rainbow!

Seller Spotlight: RusticRainbow @ Etsy

* Tell me a little about yourself?
My name is Jennifer. I am 30 years young. I live in the central Pa mountains. I have a loving and supportive husband. I have 3 rescued animals. 2 dogs and cat whose names are Max,Dazey and Stinky.

* What is your shop name and what do you sell?
RusticRainbow. I create whimsical felt adornments and wall decor

* What inspires you to create?
I have had many types of crafts that ive loved,but making felt goods are by far my favorite art form! it alows me to combine many of the loves I have in the craft world,such as fabrics,felt,embroidering,beading,combining colors. It all wraps into this wonderful and fullfilling art form!

* What is your favourite item from your shop?
The item that I create at the present time.


* How and where do you promote your shop?
I promote my shop in Etsy forums and chatooms. I use twitter. My username is Barefootchickie on Facebook!

* What do you find to be the biggest challenge of running your own shop?
Having Patience!

* What advice would you offer to new sellers?
Dont ever give up on yourself! If you arent selling or its just not working out,figure out why and do something about it! Be unique and find your niche. Make items that stand out. For instance if something sees something of yours,they should know you made it before seeing that you made it? know what I mean?
Take a camera class if you need better photos,they are the main thing that people have to go by before they buy something,so you really do need good item photos. Learn how to network and make friends with other shop owners.

Fun Questions -
* Favourite Colour? Rainbow!
* Favourite Book? Any books having to do with crafts and also Aromathereapy and essential oils
* Favourite Music? Underground Hippie Jam bands
* Favourite Season? Spring time
* Favourite independant sellers? Titchables.Etsy.com (*Wink*) (Titchables note: No, I am not bribing anyone - honest!), Birchhillhappenings.com Essemtial oil supplies. I love any shops that I can find wonderful supplies for my items!

Thank you Jennifer for taking part!!

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If you are an independant seller and would like to be featured on "seller spotlight" in the future, please send me an email: titchables(at)gmail(dot)com!

Holiday Sewing!

So before I went away, I prepared a few things to sew in case my insomnia kicks in. I normally have the internet to kill off my brain cells, but alas it has to stay home. Anyway, here's what I hope to have made up by the time I get home!


Panda Series Keychains - these seem really popular!


Rainbow Plush! I love this, and lots of you do too!

Yes, doesn't seem a lot actually. But it's the little things that help out a lot, especially when it comes to backstocking items!

My Year So Far

I thought I'd show you a little picture overview of some of the things I've made so far this year! I've actually made quite a lot in 3 months, it's hard to believe how much in such a short space of time. I am definitely at my most inspired right now!


1. Red Mushroom Plush, 2. Felt Skull Brooch, 3. Panda Keychain Series , 4. Skull Heart Patch Keychain (3), 5. Lollipop Brooch (2), 6. New Button Sets, 7. Flower Brooches, 8. All Together, 9. Rainbow Plush

Flickr Friday

1. Felt Mushroom with cork stem, 2. Pink mushroom, 3. bright & cheery mushrooms, 4. natural burlap mushroom shaped pincushion w/felt flowers, 5. Felt Mushroom and Toadstool, 6. Felt Mushroom Cottages, 7. Mushroom clips, 8. Mushroom 1, 9. MacSpigott and His Magic Mushroom

Going away!

I'm off to my dad's in Wales this week which means no internet (he still lives in the dark ages!). I will have limited access, but only to my gmail email account and twitter - that's about it.

I've put up a shop announcement at Titchables @ Etsy and Titchables.co.uk.

Basically, the shops will remain open however, I will not be able to send out any packages until I get back on the 15th (so I anticipate I will get everything out on the 16th at the very latest.

Apologies for any delay this will cause, I'll be popping in a little extra something to any orders during this time! :D

The blog will still be updated every now and then as I have scheduled some posts.

Until the next time! :D

Seller Spotlight - Glamasaurus

Seller Spotlight: Glamasaurus @ Etsy

* Tell me a little about yourself?
My name is Andreanna. I live in Fribourg, Switzerland, but am originally from the states.

* What is your shop name and what do you sell?
Glamsaurus. I sell all things cute but mainly jewelry and accessories.

* What inspires you to create?
The enjoyment I get from making things.

* What is your favourite item from your shop?
My shrubberies are my favorite since they are an homage to one of my favorite movies and always make me giggle.


* How and where do you promote your shop?
Mainly my blog, My facebook page, and of course twitter.

* What do you find to be the biggest challenge of running your own shop?
Not getting too disappointed when I love something and no one else does.

* What advice would you offer to new sellers?
Don't get descouraged and always work on your photos.

Fun Questions -
* Favourite Colour? Changes right now I like green
* Favourite Book? American Gods by Neil Gaiman
* Favourite Music? I listen to all types of music
* Favourite Season? Fall
* Favourite independant sellers? RusticRainbow her shop makes me squee with delight all the time. Love and a Sandwich I love her Yetis! Rocky the Zombie I have 2 of her paintings for Isabella's room.

New Brooches!

Added the new Alice in Wonderland brooches to the etsy shop and titchables.co.uk today! I love how these came out!! I hope you like them too.

Working on getting all stock numbers current on Titchables.co.uk at the moment. I have been putting it off for a few days, but it really needs to be done before I go away!

Happy Easter!

I had a restock of felt arrive earlier this week, so I spent a bit of time sorted all of that out and making up some more 4.5 inch bundles. I loved seeing them all made up into a giant felt tower, very satisfying!

Of course, you always get a mad rush on the one item you didn't restock even though you thought about it before you placed an order. *sigh* So unfortunately, the very popular heart pins will remain out of stock for at least a week or two. Sorry about that!

I am going away on Thursday so a shop announcement will be coming this week. More on that later.

Just wanted to wish you all a very Happy Easter! :D Even if you don't celebrate the biblical side of things, hope you are having a lovely weekend regardless!

Wholesale

Back in January I got my very first request for a wholesale order for a shop in Brighton. I showed you some pictures of what I made before I sent the first batch off. Anyway today I just finished my 3rd order for the shop and the owner has kindly sent some pictures of my items in her shop. So exciting to see my little mushroom plushies in a shop window!






If you're in the local area, you can check out the shop in Brighton. It's called Mama San and is located on Gloucester Road. :)