Friday 22 May 2009

Storeyshop Gets A Bit Older

Sorry I have been letting the ol' blog slip a bit but I have the perfect excuse. It was my birthday on Tuesday! I had a fab day with lots of lovely cards and presents and a surprise day out on Holy Island where I have always wanted to go. We even got (mostly) blue skies and sunshine so going east was a good choice by Dave!






















A white butterfly kept fluttering around while we were having a picnic on the beach and settled on my shoe. I love butterflies! She's in the top left of the grassy photo above too.




This photo is a bit blurry as I took it from the car as we were driving on to the island but the horses galloping through the sea was very cool!

I missed 'I Want Wednesday' this week so next week I will be posting a special 'I Want' collection and the theme will be 'baby goodies' in celebration of one of my best friend's recent announcements that they are expecting the pitter patter of tiny feet in early December. Woo hoo!!

Happy Bank Holiday weekend!

Friday 15 May 2009

Storeyshop Loves Vintage

My daily blog mission has failed a bit lately but I've had a busy old week. Lots of Storeyshop card orders and monkey making in time for birthdays and hospital trips. All good fun. I also had a cheeky day off yeserday and went and got my hair cut and coloured ready for my birthday next week and my trip down south coming up soon. The new hair is a bit Paris Hilton but in a good way. I think I like it but I always reserve judgement on these things until I have washed and attempted to style it myself a couple of times!

I have also been vintage treasure hunting on eBay and in the local charity shops again. Last weekend we picked up a vintage tile with a cool, old-fashioned graphic design poster on it and also this big old trunk which I love. It was 99p! I'm not exactly sure where we're going to put it but it will hide lots of my stuff away. It has a key too which is always nice. It's massive, I can get in it! (check out my hand in the pic)




I also bought a glass vase in the charity shop in Haltwhistle. It's one of those things I thought I liked but I wasn't sure. The money goes to charity so I bought it anyway and it has really grown on me. It's in the hall on my new manga comic page-covered table at the moment. I think I might fill it with coloured buttons or something and have it in the office when we decorate it. Here's a photo of Seb trying it out for size!




Excuse the horrible kitchen lino. That's why I make lots of my photos black and white to try and hide the manky decor. The trunk pic above is sitting on a slightly stained rose pink carpet. One day it will be all nice and lovely!

Another fab find were these cardboard letters. They aren't vintage in fact they are currently for sale in Hobbycraft! I bought a H and a D and had plannned to cover or paint them but I plonked them either size of the window on the stairs when I bought them home and they actually look quite nice just with their natural brown paper covering. I think they were £1.99 each so a top buy. I do love my H's. You can't see them very well in these pics but I had to pick the cute ones with Seb in!







On my travels I have also picked up the odd really nice vintage purse, scarf or belt and it has got me thinking. I might start up a second Etsy shop for vintage finds. I could have 'Storeyshop Handmade' and 'Storeyshop Vintage'. I already have absolutely loads to do with my time as it is but it would be good fun and the perfect excuse to go shopping one day a week. Dave is all for it. I think he's just hoping it will mean less bits and bobs will end up in our house and that it might make me bored of shopping. Never!

Happy Friday everyone. Have a lovely weekend!

Wednesday 13 May 2009

I Want Wednesday!

I am continuing on the local theme for my pick for this week's 'I Want Wednesday'. Check out these beautiful and intricate brooches by designed by jane. Each one is individually hand sewn and features the neatest and most amazing freeform embroidery. They'd look fab on a white top in the summer or on a jacket or bag. Love them! Jane is another fellow maker in the north east of England too.







I'm excited today too as my 'Top Dad' Father's Day card was featured on the front page of Etsy earlier today and is also included in the Father's day Gift Guide. Woo hoo!

Thursday 7 May 2009

I Want Wednesday (on Thursday)

I've been so busy that I haven't blogged for a few days and missed 'I Want Wednesday'. Always nice to mix things up a bit though, so here it is anyway. On Thursday. I love this Cone Book Sculpture by Paperfaerie! I think it would look so nice in a minimal hallway or lounge. I found Paperfaerie's shop by using Etsy's Shop Local feature where you can search shops by location. It's great to find new makers and shops especially when they are nearby. There are lots more unique and interesting sculptures in Paperfarie's shop. They could make great, original gifts too...definitely worth a look!













I'm being bad and blogging rather than swimming. The outdoor pool has opened again for the season near our house now. Dave and I have been assuring ourselves most days that we will finally start our swimming practise, for the Great Swim in September. We were going to go yesterday, but it was raining and freezing cold so we decided we would go tonight, but it's very windy out there! Must. Go. Tomorrow.

Etsy Front Page!

Woo hoo! I made a new treasury a couple of days ago and have just found out it was featured on Etsy's front page! There weren't any of my own items in it but I always think it's a bit wrong to include your own. The items were all fab anyway and I hope the lovely makers have had sales from it. The treasury is about to expire but you can still find it here on Craft Cult, my new favourite website! (If anyone with an Etsy shop hasn't found this brilliant website yet, you should. You can see if you are featured in gift guides, have made it to Etsy's front page and find out which of your items have new hearts quickly and easily.)




Apologies for missing my weekly 'I Want Wednesday' spot yesterday. I am waiting to hear back from the shop I would like to feature. If I don't hear back today, I'll find another lovely shop/item to feature very soon.

Happy Thursday!

Friday 1 May 2009

Storeyshop Grand Prize Draw!

Woo hoo, it's officially May. May is my favourite month of the year, it means summer is well on the way also my birthday! Friday 1st May was also the day of Storeyshop Grand Prize Draw. The ceremony has just taken place and the winner is Big Blue Bed! Congratulations to Alix who wins a personalised, hand-cut card.




Thank you to everyone who left comments and clicked to follow Storeyshop. I will be doing more giveaways soon. For now though, if any of you would like to order a personalised card, mention this giveaway to get free postage!

Have a lovely weekend everyone. Enjoy bank holiday Monday too if you have one! I hope it's sunny. We have gardening to do and our new vintage deckchairs to get some use out of. It's not very rock and roll but there's also a knitting exhibition at The Alnwick Garden. We've been meaning to go and have a look around the gardens for ages so we might do that if the sun's out tomorrow.

Ta ra!