Wednesday 24 October 2012

Lusting and Coveting


I am sure we have all been there when we have seen something in a shop, on line, or elsewhere, and we have just had that overwhelming feeling that you have just got to have it!  Looking at it, we feel this urgent need to possess, own and hug it to ourselves!  I am talking about something that is both attainable and obtainable!  You can’t stop staring at it and your whole body craves for it – You have got to have it!  You have got to have it!


I know regular readers of my blog may think I have lost it, but what I am talking about is not something I feel very often, strangely enough!  But, I was struck with this longing quite suddenly recently and it took me by surprise.  I was weighing up whether I could purchase said object, and there was a fierce debate going on inside my head. “Don’t forget you have got to pay out that £75.00 on the car this month!”  However, all arguments are lost because you know no matter how hard you want to walk away, you can’t!  I was totally consumed with the idea that I had to own it – it had to be mine and I couldn’t bear the idea of it belonging to someone else!

So I purchased it!  The deed was done and soon the item would be winging its way towards me – I felt relief and excitement!  Have you ever felt like this?  How often do we lust after something?  How often do we covet something?  I know when I look at some of the beautiful items on folksy and I can’t help myself “WOW”.  Gorgeous, fabulous, amazing, beautiful etc. etc. and it is the most wonderful place to visit on a daily basis.

Regular readers will be aware of my obsession with fabric, lace and buttons – I have no idea where it came from!  But I just love them – no I don’t just lust after them or covet them.  I LOVE THEM!  Fabric is such an extraordinary thing, so many designs, colours, textures, and all different!  I just don’t know what it is about fabric that intoxicates me – but it would seem I can never get enough of it!

Well, you must all be wondering what I purchased? Yes? No?  But before I tell you I thought I would mention that today I chose to illustrate my blog with bags – lots of wonderful bags from sellers on folksy.  Aren’t they all gorgeous?  Bags are strange things – we can’t live without them – us girls, (women) – can we?  I hope you will take a proper look at them and click on the photos which link directly to the seller’s folksy shop.  I enjoyed making the selection and I hope you enjoy looking at them too!

Finally, what consumed me so much that I had to purchase it?  Would you be surprised to learn that it was a BAG?  I was.  I am a bag maker!  What am I doing buying a bag?!  But, I tell you this is no ordinary bag, it has the most fabulous fabric and it was the fabric that drew me to the bag.  I can’t, won’t show you a picture of it, because I want you to imagine in your head what would be the most fabulous bag in the world – well, I am the proud owner of it!

So, a brief message to all folksy sellers – we need more lusting and coveting of our items for sale – that will tempt the buyers to part with their money!  Don’t you think?

BFN

Edwina
 
PS  The bag has arrived and it is fabulously gorgeous and I love it to bits!!!
 
TOP TO BOTTOM: HandmadebyEdwina, Lynwoodcrafts, Beledien, Crafty Bags, Wild Rose Designs, Gerda Bags, Handbags by Helen

Sunday 21 October 2012

One Year on Folksy: Giveaway time!


I love giveaways as many of you will know!  This one is particularly special because I am celebrating my first complete year of selling on Folksy!  Today, I have chosen to illustrate my post with vintage inspired or vintage items from Folksy sellers and they are all under £20.00!  Don’t forget to click on the photos and they will take you directly to the shop.  Enjoy!


I don’t have any idea how I have arrived at where I am.  I have sold 121 items in my folksy shop! However, I know I aim to do three important things:

First, make high quality handmade items.  This is essential.  I have high standards and I don’t compromise.  I think about what I am making and ask myself “will this fall apart in five minutes time?”  Quality and unusual fabrics are also essential. This also applies even when I am upcycling!  I use strong threads and repeatable stitching in parts that will receive a lot of wear and tear. Interfacing, careful attention to detail and so forth...


Second, I believe my hard work and more hard work have helped!  I like to list daily and that is always a challenge because of the length of time it takes to make an item. Sometimes I give myself a break from the pressure!  I don’t involve myself full- time in the daily listing club on Folksy, but have month long breaks when needed.  I promote my items on Facebook, Flickr, Craftjuice, Stumble Upon, Pinterest and this blog – I am sure there is a lot more I could do, but time is precious so I only do what I can!



Finally, I feel having a variety of items in my Folksy shop is important, and I think this is a key to what I have sold.  I don’t sell just one type of item – I started with bags, but they are not big sellers (any bag maker will tell you) sure, from time to time I do sell them and that is always pleasing.  However, I love making my notebooks and journals and they have been surprisingly successful, also my purses have done quite well too.  Important to me is to make my items different from what else is being sold on Folksy – not always achievable because I don’t spend my time wading though the thousands of listings to see if someone else is making and selling the same item!!!


Is there a secret to my success?  I haven’t a clue.  In these times of austerity, recession and a negative economical climate, I think selling is really difficult.  I wonder what things would have been like for me if it had been a different time?  I am grateful for the friends and support and people I know on Folksy – my virtual family have made selling a pleasure for me – not a chore.  But, finally I am super grateful for my customers – they are fabulous – so wherever you are – a BIG thank you!


GIVEAWAY!

Now to the important bit that you have been waiting for! I am looking for a WINNER and a RUNNER UP for my giveaway.  I suspect you are wondering what I am giving away?  Well, the lucky WINNER can choose anything; I mean anything, from what is currently listed in my Folksy shop.  The RUNNER UP can choose anything up to the value of £15.00.  Unfortunately, each can only choose ONE ITEM.


What do you have to do?  I want you to have a browse in my Folksy shop and choose the item you would like to have if you were the WINNER.   (If the item you choose is £15.00 or under and you are the RUNNER UP you can have that item or choose another.)  However, if you choose the same item as the WINNER then you will need to choose another item.

I would like you to leave a comment on this blog saying which item you would like and why – please copy the item’s URL as it helps me to know exactly which item you are referring to.



PLEASE ENTER.  You never know if you are going to be the winner!

This giveaway will expire on Tuesday evening 23rd October 2012 at 9pm.  Soon after that I will announce the WINNER and RUNNER UP.  The method will be random and completely fair.  I want everyone to have an equal chance of winning.

Good luck!

Edwina
 
TOP TO BOTTOM: Tinker Prince, Blue Forest Jewellery, sew amy, Natalie Farrell, Adien Crafts, picocrafts, Say it, Handmade by Edwina

THANK YOU all for entering my giveaway to celebrate my first year on Folksy.

The WINNER is Kimberly Rampersad - Congratulations!
The RUNNER UP is Susan from So Choosy - Well done!
 

Saturday 13 October 2012

Highs and Lows


Life is full of highs and lows.  That’s the way it is.  Yesterday at my Drawing Class the tutor said my drawings were full of energy and visceral.  (Now I have to confess here – I had to look the meaning up of visceral – still not absolutely clear what it means!)  But one thing I am sure of the tutor liked my drawings and that is very pleasing.  Today, I learned that one of my beautiful handmade journals purchased by a customer has gone astray in the post, and I was quite upset.  I have heard of it happening to other people, but this was the FIRST time it had happened to me!  Highs and lows.
 
I have rather neglected my blog lately.  No particular reason, I just could pin an idea down!  My head is full of ideas and I am constantly thinking about themes to write about, but it is no good having a theme and nothing to say!  Earlier in the week I had lunch with some friends.  We talked about our lives, about Art, Exhibitions we had visited and shared what we had been creating.  We had a fabulous meal and a very enjoyable time.  These are very special moments in life and cannot be recreated – just like my lost handmade journal that was totally unique.

One thing I have recently become totally obsessed with is creating new Pinterest boards!  It is quite enjoyable and you find things by accident that you probably wouldn’t find otherwise. It isn’t unusual for me to subsequently make a purchase after stumbling across an item!
Here are a few recent ones:
o   The Office
Of course, none of them have been chosen for Folksy’s front page, but that is a tough nut to crack and they have so many good ones to choose from.  Not complaining, because I have been VERY fortunate to have had two boards on the front page, so still basking in the glow of that minor achievement!
Of course, the other thing I have been doing, in case you were thinking that all I was doing was having lunch with friends, going to a drawing class and creating Pinterest boards (!) is I have been making some beautiful items to list in my folksy shop.  I have made journal covers, journals and notebooks, a tote, (see below) purses etc. and currently have several projects I am working on (as is nearly always the case!)  I recently rearranged the sections in my shop and I am now much happier with them.  I think they give a browser a much easier task of finding something they may be interested in purchasing.
I am hoping the Christmas shopping season will begin in earnest soon and people will come to my folksy shop looking for gifts.  I don’t have anything Christmassy as such.  Last year, I made some fabric Christmas cards, but I decided this year just to focus on gifts.  Gifts for everyone, children, women and men!
So to sum up – life is full of highs and lows and probably the best thing is to enjoy the highs and not worry or focus too much on the lows – they are just part of life. 
 
Hope you enjoy the selection of goodies I have chosen to illustrate this post.  They are all from the October Optimists Daily Listing Club on folksy and I chosen items that I like. Don’t forget to click on the photo which will take you directly to the sellers shop!  Enjoy!
BFN
Edwina

FROM TOP TO BOTTOM:
Midnight Star Designs, Abyjem handcrafted jewellery, Lynwoodcrafts, Helle Belles Cards, Lampwork beads by Jo, Disco Diva and Handmade by Edwina.