Plethora of Patchwork

I have a good customer, a local lady, who decided this year to give all of her friends and family one of our patchwork cards for Christmas. She started weeks ago in a small way, buying about 10 each week to spread the cost, because at £2.00 a pop it would soon become a hefty bill for Christmas cards. All was going well until yesterday when she turned up in a bit of a lather because she had seriously underestimated the number of cards she needed. ( She must have a LOT of friends). I had 25 in stock which she snapped up and begged for another 50 more by tomorrow.

So.... I had thought that things were slowing down and I could at last start my Christmas preparations. But that was shelved tonight while I made up these little darlings - 60 of them so she can have a choice.

It's not finished yet though. Because I now have to paint them. I outline them with gold and paint a little motif in the middle square - holly, tree, bauble, whatever I think suits the card. Another late night I suppose.

And this is my business Christmas card for this year. The one I send out to trade customers, suppliers etc. That job is done at least - Christmas cards written and posted.

Spring Colour

The weather may have turned a bit colder today, but I thought some pretty florals would remind us that it's nearly April. These are the Floral Patchwork cards which are going on to the website soon. They are available singly or in sets of six ( for only the price of five!) We have great fun making them and there are never any two the same. Full details will be on the website.

We 'll be adding a lot more to the website for the new season, including the Triple pictures below. The first is for a birthday - it can be any age - and there will be a choice of colour schemes.

Then a new addition to the baby range. It's already proving popular here in the shop, and there will be a little girl equivalent too.

And for today's job, a large card for a granddaughter's Christening. I hand stitched the garland of flowers which the dove is trailing with pink french knots interspersed with mother of pearl sequins and appliqued the white satin dove on to a beautiful old fabric in the palest shell pink.

It has also been a "wedding" day, as we regularly do a batch of cards for a hotel near Gretna Green. They always take a selection of different designs and colours and I've been painting them tonight. Another job in the bag.
A close up

Finally, today's guilty pleasures - an Eccles cake ( when did I last have one of those) with my coffee, a browse through some celeb type magazines while waiting for my Mum at the dentist -( I always pooh-pooh these rags and never buy them, but devour them at the dentist or the hairdresser!) and spending more time than I should have tweeting on Twitter - never thought I'd see the day.......