Change of heart - 

the right decision for me and mine!

Oh dear, you think you've made the right decision and then you realise it was the completely WRONG thing for you. 

After thinking I could make a go of a paper craft business I have decided that it isn't that I couldn't do it, but that I don't WANT to do it - I am no where driven enough for that. I love being at home, looking after the house and my men, cooking and baking. I could not do all of that if I had to really concentrate on promoting my handmade things to the extent that is necessary to make a success of things.

I am happy to craft for pleasure and take part in the fantastic events put on by the amazing Saddleworth Creative Network. The next event is the Spring Craft Festival in March - more details will follow! I'll be there supporting their fantastic promotion of local crafters and artisans, whilst selling cards and paper craft lovelies along with cakes and preserves - for fun! Hope to see some of you there!

My blog will not really change as it is what it says, ramblings of a non-blonde blonde who loves creating and baking. I really think my blog represents me as a person more than Paper Craft Junkie as a business ever could.

Hope you will continue to stop by now and again to see what I'm getting up to and whatever it is I am rambling on about!

Catch ya later!xxx

Organised to achieve more - hopefully!

Well, after deciding to give it one last go at making money from my crafting I realised, even though I am a very organised person in general, I can get a bit distracted when I am in the chill room. 

(This is what we call where I craft; it has all my craft supplies plus the computer, which can be a bad thing in itself plus my other half's guitars, household paper/documents stuff and a very comfy sofa!)

I also thought I needed to tidy/pretty up my environment, so decided to re-hang my bunting for a bit of brightness on a January day! Here is my little crafting space, and I love it!
Please don't mention the sewing machine! I am so determined to get to use it, at some point but I also would like to try harder at crochet projects, too. So many things and so little time!

So, I now have a timetable that plans the tasks I need to do that I am going to do my very best to stick to. I need to split my time between crafting, especially if I am working on an order as I am doing just now, social media catch up which can be a real distraction and then there is this, my blog. Plus, I have to get my house work planned in, baking and things to be ready for tea. I only have until just before3pm when I fetch the boys from school so I have to be quite disciplined to make sure all that needs getting done gets done.

Right, hopefully I will get back to you next week and let you know how I am getting on. Catch you later and thanks for stopping by.xx

New Year, new plans!!

Well, here we are then! My boys are back at school and I am almost in my regular routine and looking forward to working on my decision to give it one last go at making some real money from my crafting. This is my new business card I have on order.
 
 I have been looking at lots of things today including trying to find a bulk supplier of the journals I use and failed, gift bags for my first order of goodie bags for a friend who runs a wedding and party planning business - eek - and expense spreadsheets, just stuff!

I am gradually trying to promote myself more using pages on Facebook and also looking at some online free business directories, but you really cannot beat word of mouth so now have a "tell your friends" button on my Facebook page, too.

I see lots of other blogs promoting blogs they themselves enjoy so I am going to try and do this myself now and then. I am starting today with  Henhouse.

I saw this love lady in Home Style magazine and thought she was very talented, plus she loves decorating at Christmas, and so do I as you know!

Well, must dash and get some crafting done now I have finished my R and D few hours!

 

News, news!!!

Hello! Some news about my crafting Facebook Page. 

I have come to some decisions and decided to make a last attempt at promoting my paper craft items and so to help this along I have changed the name of my page. You can now find me on Facebook at Paper Craft Junkie. (My URL is still showing as Cards, Cakes and Bakes but I hope to rectify that at some point.)

I have also decided to put my cakes to one side, apart from when I have a stand at craft festivals as I still think people love a home baked cake.

So things are hopefully changing a bit and I would love you to visit Paper Craft Junkie when you have time.

I will be back again once the boys are in school again and we can get back to some more non-blonde blonde ramblings!!!! xx
 

Super quick post!

Just to say a very Happy New Year to my followers and anybody else who I am grateful to for stopping by. Hope more followers will join next year. Hip hip hooray!!! xx

Crimbo Limbo!!!

Well we are now in that strange time during the festive season - after Christmas but not New Year yet. 
My oldest boy just asked me if it was still Christmas Week so I said not really as we are now in the run up to New Year. He went on to ask what we do on New Year's Eve so I explained we look back at the year gone by and look forward to the things we hope to do in the next one. 

I love the feeling of New Year when you can start all over again and try new things.

This year I think I will be doing the same as a lot of people ie. trying to lose a bit of weight! But on a lighter note, excuse the pun! I am really looking forward to getting back to crafting and maybe trying new things. The sewing machine that I look at every time I am crafting needs to be made use of and I made a start at a crochet project and have a fairly good grasp of the basics but need to find time to concentrate on that, too.

I feel my paper crafting has really come on this last year so I look forward to trying new techniques with that. I received some lovely new stamps for Christmas so look forward to creating some pretty things with those.

Well, that is all just for now - thought I would catch up but I will be back in the New Year with more so, Keeeeeeep Creating and Baking!!!! xxx

Christmas Craft Festival Fun!!

Well, I had great fun seeing everybody at the Saddleworth Creative Network Christmas Craft Festival yesterday.

Here is my table for the day!

 

I had as much fun dressing the table as anything on the day!

Back to getting the house and everything ready for Christmas now, although have one journal to make by the end of next week, a couple of cakes and other foody sundries to send to my sister plus putting together teacher presents! Because I had some stock left after the festival it means I can make up gifts with those things! 

I am looking forward to making our mince pies, yummy homemade mincemeat, too, and so I have a lot to do but it is nice stuff.

The boys start with their school Christmas productions from today, which is very exciting, I have a couple of nights out this week and we have booked panto tickets in Manchester and a Christmas show at The Lowry. Phew!

So, there will be a couple of posts, maybe, before the big day but lots to do so will definitely be back in the New Year. Hope to catch up before then, though.xx