Stampin' Up! Colour Refresh

Just incase you don't know yet....

Stampin' Up! is doing a big fancy colour refresh with the new 2013-2014 Catalogue.  It's rather exciting to see so many new, and also some returning colours (some were previous in colours).  Here's what it is going to look like:

But if we are seeing 10 new colours, that means we have to say a tearful goodbye to 10 of our current colours.  

I have seen a sneak peek of how the new colours work into the colour collections, and let me assure you, they look DIVINE!

Looking forward to all these wonderful colours being available to use and play with in my projects!

If you want to order some of your favourite items in the retiring colours, you best get in quick!  And with the new online ordering system, you can order directly through my demonstrator website without having to physically "go through me" for your orders.  So check out my demonstrator website, and scroll down to this logo... 

...and order away!  SO EASY!

New in the shop..

Lots of fun new stuff in the shop.  Check it out!

AND a handful of old favourites back in stock!

The best part is I have ordered a whole bunch of completely new stock.  It will arrive on my doorstep soon and I'll be uploading into the shop ASAP!

Mellow Yellow Feature!

It's always excited to be featured on Madeit!

Loving some of the other featured items too.  Check them out here!

Postage prices

A couple of weeks ago I received an email through my online store from a customer regarding a pair of earrings that read:

"I would love to buy these but the postage is just unrealistic."

The item she wished to purchase is $6. Postage is $6.60.

I responded to her email, and explained why postage is $6.60. I'd like to share this reason with you also, so you can better understand the struggle at times of being a handmadie and what we sometimes have against us.

Australia Post USED to charge $4.50 to send parcels within Australia that were under 500g. Australia Post USED to charge around $6.50 to send prepaid satchels within Australia that were under 500g. Australia Post USED to charge around $10 to send prepaid satchels within Australia that were under 3kg. All 3 are reasonable rates, which customers were very happy to pay and there were no questions or issues. 

A Christy Production USED to send earrings, hairclips and other accessories via the regular postal service in a $1.20 envelope. I would label the envelope each time "DO NOT BEND" or "FRAGILE", depending on what the contents were. 

Australia Post does NOT offer a "FRAGILE" service. If you post something via regular post, it is thrown into a very large mail bag with hundreds of other items. If you post a parcel, or prepaid satchel, it is thrown into a very large mail bag or box with MANY other parcels & prepaid satchels, most of which are bigger & much heavier than the items I am posting. While using the regular postal service, I quickly came to realise that nine times out of ten, the items were arriving to their new owners damaged or broken. I had to replace or repair these items at my own extra expense. 

Australia Post put up their prices. Parcels under 500g now cost $6.60 to send. Prepaid satchels for under 500g now cost $7.85 to send. Prepaid satchels for under 3kg now cost $12.85 to send. 

I now ship all items that can be damaged in transit, as a parcel or prepaid satchel. I put cubes of cork on earring backs so they can’t be bent back. I use copious amounts of bubble wrap on each product to keep them “safe” while in transit. I, like many other handmadies, gift wrap all items purchased before sending them to their new owners. 

I do not charge my customers for any of these extra services. I do not charge for bubble wrap. I do not charge for envelopes. I do not charge for sticky tape. I do not charge handling fees. I do not charge to gift wrap. I do not charge petrol for the copious amount of times I travel to the post office each week. 

With the sale of a pair of $6 earrings which has a postage fee of $6.60, so that is $12.60 in total, can you guess how much money I make? I make $1. Yes, $1. I am not telling you this for pity, or for any reason other than to perhaps open your eyes. Please respect the prices that handmadies charge for their wares. 

If you have an issue with the amount that is asked for postage, remember that your quarrel is not with the person you are purchasing the item from. It is with Australia Post. So feel free to take it up with them.

Buttons galore!

In the past few months I have started to import buttons and other items from overseas to sell.  I am only just starting out so am building up my stock levels and variety.  I am selling items in my Craftumi store & my Etsy store if you would like to check out the full range.  

I just wanted to show you a few of my favourites that have made it into my Craftumi shop so far.

It is so hard to not keep all these buttons for myself!! Especially those metal filigree ones.  Oh my word, they are SO my style!

I even had my sister come over the other day and raid my big baskets of stock and she bought a whole bunch of buttons before they even made it to the shop!  But I can't blame her either... some of them are just too adorable to pass up.

I decided to start importing buttons when I realised I couldn't find the variety of button colours and sizes and styles that I liked to use with my crafts and to make the button accessories I sell in my Madeit store.

So I started to look elsewhere and made the decision to buy lots and lots of them, take a portion to keep for myself for my needs, and then sell the rest.  It is safe to say that I currently have tens of thousands of buttons in my craft room right now!!

If you have any button needs, make sure you check out my store or get in contact with me and I can always order in something that you are trying to hunt down!

30th Birthday - Vintage Tea Party

My sister turned the big three zero two days after Christmas.  She didn't want me to make a deal out of it, but how could I not?  It's a milestone birthday and it HAD to be memorable.  So off to work I went.  A Pinterest folder was created, ideas were being gathered, and off I went thrift shopping!  It was a little tricky getting everything done around the hustle and bustle of Christmas but I got there in the end.  It did mean that Christmas got packed away on Boxing Day and I had to set up for the party immediately!  But it all turned out so lovely and was worth it.  

There were 8 guests and we enjoyed delicious cucumber sandwiches, mini quiches, slices and potato salad for lunch.  We also stumbled on a delicious punch by accident.  We were originally having a jug of water with ice, mint, lemon & some frozen raspberries in it and then another jug with lemon lime bitters cordial and some soda water.  But the lines of communication were fuzzy and we ended up with lemon lime bitters cordial with lemon mint and raspberries in it, and let me tell you, it was DIVINE! Try it next time you have guests over!!

I didn't want the ceiling to be the only thing not decided.  So I made a bunch of tissue paper pom poms, bought some delightful coloured paper lanterns and made paper chains from designer paper that I had in my stash.  I wish I had photography skills because my photos don't show the awesome atmosphere of that room!!  

Dessert was just as lovely.  The main dessert was a creamy chocolate mousse served in teacups with freshly whipped cream, fresh berries & pomegranate & some chopped up Strawberry Intense Dark Chocolate made by Lindt (DIVINE!).  It was just so delicious.  Along with our mousse teacups we enjoyed scones with jam & cream, cupcakes, macarons, chocolate & caramel pastries and delicious herbal teas.   My favourite tea was Turkish Apple!

And now for the finer details.  I raided my fabric collection and made the sweet rounded bunting you can see above.  I love it to much that I am going to keep it stashed away ready for other events in the future.  Just think how sweet it would look at a baby shower!

Sorry about the junk in the corner!

I think this is as good as I managed to capture "atmosphere" wise.  I took these the night previous after spending the day setting up!

And here is the birthday girl.  

I wish I had thought to get a photo of all of attending the party.  Everyone dressed summery and vintagey and looked so nice!  This is the only photo I have with a guest, it's my sister Alicia with our awesome childhood friend Andy (how awesome is her pink hair!!) enjoying some tea!

It was a fun morning and I can't wait for the next event, whatever it might be!

Ribbon Share - Stitched Satin Ribbon

I have been thinking of doing a Ribbon Share for a little while now.  So I have got my act together and here we go!

This first time round we have on offer the 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon Package.

This package includes the 2012-2014 In Colours:

Raspberry Ripple

Midnight Muse

Summer Starfruit

Primrose Petals

Gumball Green

It costs $22 to be part of this ribbon share, and that will buy you a quarter of each roll of ribbon including shipping.  Anyone in Australia can participate in this ribbon share! Payments will be due & the cut off to take part in this ribbon share is 14th February.  

 Email me today to take part!

New year.

Each new year brings new expectations, new ideas, better ideas, changes, goals, happiness, sadness, journeys, and memorable moments.  

This year I:

Will be happier.

Will work less.

Will have a more positive outlook.

Will educate myself on how to run my business more effectively.

Will be better at what I do.

Will be more honest with my feelings.

This year I:

Want to be successful.

Want to go on a holiday with my husband.

Want to find out why I can't get pregnant.

Want to be more organised.

Want to be heard.

Madeit sale - 25% off STOREWIDE!

With school coming to an end, and Christmas so close that we're all in denial, I've decided to do a 25% off storewide sale in my Madeit shop! 

Pick up an awesome deal this week as a thank you gift for one of your kids school teachers, a great stocking stuffer, or a little pressie for yourself!  

Lots of great things to choose from!