Then...and now

Back then...

As a teenager I visited local handmade markets in my city a lot. I was always so inspired by all of the wonderful handmade wares that I would go home and find ways to make my own versions of what I had loved at those markets - fabric covered boxes and notebooks, handmade paper, soap and greeting cards. It didn't really matter what I was making, if I was doing something creative, I was happy. And as a teenager I was dreaming of my own designs, my own products and my own market stall...and as the years have gone by, nothing has really changed.

At the age of 20, my friend and and I decided to dive into a business making and selling greeting cards. We had so much fun, but of course it failed...a lack of experience and commitment to running a business made sure of that...but it didn't dampen my courage to dream.

Nearly 15 years later, for the first time since the card design business, I started selling my handmade wares again, on Etsy. That took courage too, as did deciding to start all over again 14 months later with two new online stores.

And now...

Every day when I disappear into my craft room for several hours, lost in my little world of handmade goodness, I am blissfully happy. I am designing, making, creating and packaging, and every part of it is satisfying. And it is a real sense of happiness and satisfaction that comes with doing what you love, and it is well worth working hard for.

I hope you love what you do too, and that you have the courage to follow your dreams xx

Lollipops And Love

It's Goodbye Etsy (for now)...and Hello Made It!

I have opened a new store, this time on Made It, called

Lollipops And Love...sweet stuff for cool kids!

I am slowly transferring the bulk of my Etsy products across to this new store, and there will be new products coming soon too. My crochet-obsessed mum (thank you Mum xx) is currently keeping up stocks in the crochet department, while I have been super dooper busy working on orders for my craft supplies store Paper :: Cotton :: Love.

For updates on new products, giveaways, sales and special offers, become a fan of Lollipops And Love on Facebook!

Cheers! Tracey xx

The sweetest Valentine

Miss A surprised me several times today with little envelopes, each one filled with love hearts, butterflies and cute hand drawn pictures...and all done without her having any knowledge of it being Valentine's Day.

The sweetest part though was seeing 'mum' scrawled across each envelope, in her four year old handwriting. It was one of those proud, warm and fuzzy Mummy moments.

Hope your Valentine's Day has been warm and fuzzy too xx

Crafting Together

I was so pleased yesterday when two little budding creatives joined me at work in my craft room. They brought their own chairs, and Miss A set up a little table beside me.

I was busy die cutting butterflies from pink card, and as I worked Miss A happily collected the scraps and began making butterfly bookmarks for us all.

Master R discovered some new punches on my desk, and it was serious business for him as he worked out how to use them to punch decorative borders around his pictures...one for each of us.

I love that they love to make things. I love that we make things together!

xx

Babycinos

We took two excited kiddies to Kings Park this morning with the promise of visiting the new Naturescape play area, only to discover it temporarily closed!

We had two very disappointed kiddies to contend with then...but it was nothing a babycino and scones with jam and cream couldn't fix.

We followed up with a walk through Kings Park (well, a walk for the grown-ups at least...kids just run everywhere don't they?) and we were enjoying the amazing views, the surroundings and the beautiful weather...until Master R decided to run on a stone wall...resulting in two grazed knees, a stubbed toe and a grazed elbow...well, they will run everywhere!

So the walk was cut short to take the hobbling boy home to his Transformers bandaids. We had him patched up and running around again in no time.

Hope you had some (safe) adventures this weekend!

xx

Settling in

The last few days of our school holidays were just lovely. The weather was (stinking) hot and we finally gave in to the kids nagging and filled up the pool.

There is something about water that evokes calm and relaxation...even just water in a (big) blow-up pool! I found myself really relaxing while I sat and watched Miss A and Master R paddle and play in the pool, and listening to the sounds of splashing water and my children laughing made me smile.

It made me feel happy, and it made me grateful. Grateful for the time we had just spent together as a family over the holidays, grateful for my happy home, and grateful for my happy children.

But then, just a few days later I found myself feeling really quite sad and overwhelmed with thoughts of the holidays ending and the new school year beginning. With Master R beginning Year One, and Miss A beginning Kindy, it suddenly seemed like a really big deal. I wanted to continue on as we were: together, at home, on holidays.

But of course we couldn't, and on Wednesday I let them go. It wasn't easy, but I did it. And I surprised myself and felt ok. They were brave, and confident, and excited, and so I was too. I was grateful for the lovely classrooms and teachers, grateful to my man for being there with us, and grateful for the friends who were there (and elsewhere) doing it alongside us too. And the fact that we got through it ok made me smile.

While we are still settling in...to school and new routines....I know it won't be long before it's all familiar and comfortable, and for that I am grateful.

Bird Embellishments Paper ::Cotton ::Love

Felt Flowers Paper ::Cotton ::Love

And then there is that little bit of extra time...time for me...time for craft...time that I caught a little glimpse of on Wednesday, and time that I have again today. After six and a half years as a SAHM, I know I will be grateful for that too...once we are all settled in.

Today I am linking this post to Maxabella Loves 52 Weeks of Grateful at Kidspot

Hope there are plenty of smiles in your week too

xx

Finding a focus

Twelve months ago I opened my store on Etsy, Cotton And Card. Even with the massive amount of stores on Etsy, I managed to make sales, and my store has steadily grown.

Over the past couple of months though, a few issues have caused me to feel a little dissatisfied with Etsy. Over the year I have sold a bit of everything, but not enough of any one thing to help me to direct my focus...some items in my store take months to sell, often resulting in a lack of motivation to make the item again...photographing many different items of all shapes and sizes has been a headache...and I haven't been able to create a consistent look and feel that I am happy with.

As much as I enjoy sewing and crochet, it was my love affair with paper and card that started me on this path many years ago, and is often what gets me the most motivated to 'make'.  For quite a while I had been considering adding some handmade paper-craft supplies to the mix at Cotton And Card, but I hadn't done so as I felt that it would only make the shop window look even more random and inconsistent.

And then, a couple of weeks ago I discovered Craftumi, a site especially for selling (handmade) craft supplies, and I knew instantly that it was what I was looking for. 

Two days later, Paper :: Cotton :: Love was born!

Paper :: Cotton :: Love sells handmade embellishments, die cut card, card and gift tag blanks, Kraft card and other unique and sometimes quirky 'bits and bobs' for craft projects.

There is something really satisfying about selling my handmade craft supplies, to other crafty folk, who will make something nice, maybe even something they can sell in their own shop!

While I might not be getting a lot of sleep right now, the constant flow of ideas swimming around in my head at 2am is making sure of that, I am focused. And focus is what I was looking for. I know exactly what I want to make. I am enjoying the complete process from start to finish, and I am completing projects quickly and easily despite the constant (usual) interruptions from Master R and Miss A! 

It's only early days, but it feels good, and it feels right for me. Maybe I have found my niche. Only time will tell. I have definitely found a focus, and that is making me happy for now.

I hope you are focused and happy too xx