BACK TO PAPER CRAFTING

 SAM CALCOTTS LATEST DESIGN

If you have read any of my paper crafting posts, you will know I am an avid fan of Sam Calcott - Mixed up Crafts, on YouTube. So while relaxing the other evening I checked out her latest projects. 

I fell in love with this Panel Bridge Card and thought it was a lovely spring look (see link below)

https://youtu.be/O2cqwTTx9GY?si=maUU01t3RFAJn5qo

Here is my first try:

It is a little trickier than I thought to set the acetate in place so I had to try another to get it right. This time I decided to make it an Easter card, as it was perfect to hold a wooden Easter tag, which would give the recipient a card and a gift of the tag that can be used for your Easter decorations.

It just needs an Easter greeting. I cracked the acetate placement and now the bridge is lined up. 

If you fancy having a go check out Sam’s post. 

I will definitely be using this design again. I have a few ideas for mens cards, so I better hurry up and do one for my brother in laws birthday. 

Happy Crafting

Dee

New Style Tote bags

New Bag for 2026

As I said in a previous post, I want to jazz up the tote bags this year and add some new pieces. I started with 2 Tote bags using contrasting plain fabrics to make the design pop. 

I used some lovely embroidered fabric for the first one and took a little while to work out the make-up sequence, but it came together and gave me the layout for the rest of the seasons makes. It requires going through the stash of fabrics and coordinating the prints with a plain that work together. 

This has been made with a beautiful embroidered fabric and lined in matching red cotton, which has also been used for the top contrast. The handles are cotton weave as the embroidered fabric does not make good handles. This is the perfect size.

Next I made the contrast going the other way and although the colour coordination worked the size was not right. So now combining the two ideas I have the template for future totes for this year.

Not only have I changed the look and size I will also be adding an inside pocket. 

First bag redesigned and pattern made. 

Back soon with my craft bags.

Happy Crafting

Dee
 

 

PERFECT LITTLE GIFT FOR A RETIRED FRIEND

 No Changes yet

So despite my New Year challenge to downsize my craft items I am still making regular orders with Temu for some of my craft basics. One of the packs that arrived after my holiday had 20 recycled cotton plain Tote bags.

They were a good size and price so I thought they might be good to use for a challenge at the craft group I attend. Anyone who wanted to join the challenge would have a bag to decorate. We have previously painted similar bags so I hoped there would be some new ideas come forward. 

In the meantime it was a friends birthday and I had already bought a present but wanted something small to give on the day. As I woudl make the card as well I decided to do a matching set.

So taking an iron -on transfer from my stash (so at least one win) I first copied and shrank the transfer to make a card, and then made the bag.

Here is the card I made to match the bag . Sorry about the shadow in the photographs I was having trouble with my iPad and phone synching, but hopefully have it sorted now.

My friend was delighted with the bag and card and will happily use the bag to pop his bits and pieces in when he goes fishing.

I have made 2 more of the bags and they are on Ebay.

Back soon with more makes .

Dee

Can We Really Change

 Back from Holiday 
And Raring to Craft

Well it has been a long time since my last post.

January was busy, sorting out the cupboards and getting ready for a fabulous holiday to Bali, Singapore Thailand Vietnam and Hong Kong. 

I am back and ready to craft. I also am conscious that I need to clear the cupboards even more, and this was my plan for 2026.

My clothes were sorted last week and 10 tops were put on Ebay (3 of which have sold already) so a good start to the plan.

Next I looked at paper pads and found a 12 x 12 pad I thought could go, I checked out the price on Ebay and a similar style from the company was on for £6, so I decided not to sell it, and instead ending up buying the pad I had checked out as it was such a bargain. Not a good start to the plan, but in my defence I did sit down and blitz the 12 x 12 that I had intended to sell. 

I made several sets of notelets with a matching folder/carton, a couple of gift folders and a great scrapbook  with pull out pages and pockets 

Cards & Notlets

Using up Some basic card and envelope stock, including some craft card. I made some sets by adding pretty papers to the front of the cards including some craft card bases, I added no greetings so the cards can be used for general greetings or a greeting of their choice could be added. 

In a couple of the packs have notelets . These use one sided papers so they can be written in and I just added envelopes . I made them to fit a standard A6 envelope. 

The 2 Gift Envelope/folders. Use a full sheet of 12 x 12 and they were filled with 4 mini cards 3.5 x 3.5” with plan paper inserts for writing on. There were secret cards added to the slot on the side .

 The embellishment added to the top flap were fussy cut from the front of the pad. 

The Journal was made using 4 sheets cut to make the basic book and then pull out flaps added to a couple of pages. Oddments of card from the other projects made pockets and tags. 

All these will go to a friend who sells for Cancer research. 

Every page of the 12 x 12 pad have been used, and the only items not shown here, are 2 journal bases and a few odd pieces, so I am happy with the use of the paper pad. I am unhappy about the new pad that has arrived, which has some very pretty pages that will beckon to me to make something with them, and has done nothing to help me reduce my stash. Considering my plan was to destash: the year has not started well. But I have enjoyed crafting so a little win there. 

Happy Crafting

Denise

Craft Fayres 2025 and the future

 Looking forward to Crafting in 2026

Adding to my last post, here are some thoughts on my crafting for 2025, and looking forward to 2026.

Let me start by saying my sewing and card crafts are first and foremost a hobby. So although I read up on the do’s and don’ts of craft Fayres for layout and pricing, (see Made Urban for great advice if you are crafting to sell) it is often difficult to follow the good advice. I do not need to make a profit, and am not really looking to spend a lot on props for the table. I only do local church and village hall Fayres. This has an effect on the pricing of my items. 

My bags are from £4 to £10, so for example my Tote bags sell for £5 for the smaller Christmas totes and £6 for a larger tote. These are fully lined using a metre of fabric in total, as well as the handles. Compare these to Etsy at an average of £14 - £24 and I  realise my prices need to go up. Flat bags are simple and quick to make and I price these from £2.50 for purse size, £3.50 for std make-up bag, and £4 for larger ones. Again too cheap. 

My craft bags were the most expensive item I sold, until the napkin rings) at £9.50 with 4 pockets and lined these take over a metre in total of fabric to produce. 

Shopper bags are £6 and the Christmas shopper bags have a transfer patch on the front. Both are lined.

Over the past 3 years I have also made expanding bags, cross body bags, bottle bags, box bags, gift bag and drawstring bags. 

At Fayres I receive good comments on my bags although more interest is shown in the sewn gifts. Is this because they are cuter or more unusual?? Also bags are being sold everywhere and you can pick up pretty cheap bags in stores like B&M, as well as recycled plastic shopping bags in large sizes for £1.50 to £3.

So for 2026 I have decided to streamline the production and concentrate on 

Craft Bags - New Design 

Tote Bags - New Design

Flat bags - standardise the sizes and keep these at a great price

Cross Body - New Design

Drawstring gift and storage bags small stock and geared toward storage and craft bags.

So I have lots to think about and plan for next year. 

I would love to get other crafters reasons for making and/or selling their items and comments on my makes. If you would like to comment on my blog, please press the follow button at the top of the page, and let’s make a happy group of crafters on line that share ideas and their successes. 

Now for gifts and Cards

I started out doing craft Fayres selling my paper crafts. Cards, Boxes and gift bags as well as scrapbooks and memory albums. I also tried selling cards and scrapbooks on Ebay and Etsy, with a small amount of success. 

Isolation Journal posted Dec 2020

Folio Album posted Feb 2021

As you can see back in 2020 I was still concentrating on paper-crafts , it was not until my husband was diagnosed Oct 2021 I started sewing again. By 2023 cards and paper-crafts were getting difficult to sell as a lot of people had started crafting during lock-down and were making and selling cards, journals etc. It gave me an opportunity to try selling the bags instead, and it worked out well.

Then last year I started taking a few cards to the Fayres and they sold well, and this year I sold 19 Christmas cards at Fayres as well as 32 birthday cards and 5 commissioned cards (these are sold at a premium of £5 each). 

I will continue to make cards and those taken to the craft Fayres will be restricted to 3 styles so I can display and do point of sale info, as they are more unusual styles .

They will sit alongside the 3 gift items I will make. 

Cards I make for a Craft Fayre will be the more unusual styles so that people buying are getting something unique. I find they sell better and at a more realistic price. I sell my cards from £1.50 to £3.50 each.

Sometimes if I make a new design that is unique to me I will make them a limited edition of 12 and this helps lift the price to £3.50. I realise that if I was selling them in a gallery they would probably sell for £9.50 each but I do not live in an area where this sort of price structure would work. Commissioned cards I only make for friends as the time they take to make is not reflected in the price, they are usually elaborate multi-layered and have a lot of embellishment. They have included pop-up cards, 3 layered pop-open box cards, and open book cards 

These are a work of love not profit, and I enjoy making them as they stretch my imagination to come up with the designs to the recipients likes. 

So there you have it: what I have made in 2025 and what I am going to make in 2026 (always open to change and flexibility of course). 

Happy Crafting

Dee

Don’t forget to press the follow button - to comment , or if you wish to send an email my details are on the right hand side in post settings. 

Christmas Fayres 2025

Christmas Fayres 2025

As promised I will report on how I did this year at the Christmas Fayres.

Unfortunately I was unable to attend the biggest one because of family illness. However this was compensated by the amount of sales I achieved at the village hall coffee morning in November, which tripled on last years sales, so I am grateful to all who attended and purchased from me.

Also I had made a conscious decision not to attend 3 Fayres in my local town, as the organisers had decided she would not allow me to sell the jewellery in gift bags, as I did not make the jewellery, only the bags. 

This left 2 Christmas Fayres and the coffee morning, as well as a few sales to friends and family throughout the year. 

So here is the final tally : 

First the items that did not sell.

Cross Body Bags - despite selling a couple at the coffee morning last year I sold non this year and did not take them to the other fairs. But I intend to alter the design and try again, as I have sold 5 from the eight made.

Box Bags - A new item and I was very disappointed that I did not sell them. I think one went to a friend to put christmas gifts in but that was it. So despite having made 8 leatherette and 6 fabric bags these were a bust, and I will not be making more. The stock I have will be given to another charitable cause. 

Alternative Selection box flat bags - I sold a few last year but non this year so these will not be made again.

Expanding Bags, Shoe Bags - Only one sold at the Fayres, I love these bags and find them so useful for my cruises, and use one regularly for line dancing. I have another 9 made and will keep them in stock, but not making any more at the moment.

What did sell 

Shopping Bags - 3 sold. Not many considering the size and they are lined and include Christmas bags that can be re-used year after year. However I will continue them in some format when I have some large bundle of fabric that suits the project and is cost effective.

Square Christmas Gift Bags - 4 sold. These are a good size and I only charge £4 for them. `I have sold quite a few over the 2 years at craft Fayres so I will try to sell the remaining 10 I stock and then rethink them.

Flat bags Including Christmas - 6 sold from makeup to nightdress case size.  These will always be a basic stock item and I look  forward to. Making them to match other bags in the range. There was also one set of matching makeup bags sold.

Tote Bags - 3 Christmas tote bags were sold and I only have 2 Christmas and 2 standard tote bags left in stock. I will be making a new range of tote bags.

Drawstring Bags - 2 Christmas drawstring bags sold. These were only taken to the last Fayre and so was an acceptable number, and among the other bags. 

This is a total of 19 bags 

Gifts 

Christmas Napkins rings in christmas fabric bag - 4 sold . New item. These was the most expensive item on the table and so to sell 3 at the last Fayre and one to a friend, brought in good revenue. I have 5 more in stock which will be taken to next years Christmas Fayres

Scissor/sewing bag - 4 sold New item this year and I may continue then for another year.

Christmas Coffee spoons - 6 sold. These make a great gift for a colleague or to say “Thank You” and I will add more for next year. I think I need a better way of showing them . 

Jewellery & Gift pouch. 32  sold across the 3 venues . Definitely the best seller. They seem to attract people to the table and are sold at £5. People often buy multiples. 

19 Cards were sold plus 2 packs of 8 cards.

So there we have it. I have only managed to do 2 Fayres and the table at the Coffee morning this year. Still I am able to donate £550 to Friends of Bridgwater Hospital, and have enjoyed the challenge of making new gifts and bags. 

I have also learnt that you need to concentrate on a few designs that are unique to you, and with this in mind I have decided to expand my fabric cards next year, and I have an idea to give me a USP for my bags. I will be working on these ideas in the new year. 

Thank you for dropping by my blog. 

Happy Christmas to all the crafters out there 

Dee

New Fabric Christmas Card

 Fabric Greeting Cards

I am old enough to remember padded fabric cards that used to be the posh cards you purchased for special people, they were usually boxed, and cost a great deal more than the other cards in the shop

I had a eureka moment a couple of weeks ago, which resulted in trying a new version  of the fabric cards. My cards updated the idea as the fabric had fun sayings .

These are 8” scalloped edge cards. 

I shall try them out at my last Fayre this year and I hope they sell well as I would really like to expand the idea. 

Pricing is one of the most difficult areas when selling your crafts. If you are a crafter making items to sell as a means of income then your prices have to reflect the materials used and the time you spend to make it, this is a a whole different area to my selling for charity. There is no pressure to make a profit, and yet, you have to consider pricing just as much. Price items too low and customer may underestimate the quality of the item, price too high and customers will walk away. These cards if purchased in a store would probably cost around £4  - £5 but I do not think they will fetch  that at the small fayres I attend. I am pricing them at £3.50, or 2 for £6. 

Once I have finished my last Fayre in December I will post the results for this years sales. I think I already know the best seller. 

Happy Crafting

Dee