Halloween

Happy Halloween! Hope you had a great day whatever you did and got more treats than tricks.

Just wanted to show off what Nick's been up to:

Cath Kidston

As it was a rare dry and bright Sunday today, me and Nick went for a mooch around Leeds. We both studied there and lived for for a few years after graduating before coming back to Sheffield so we like to go back from time to time and see how things have changed.

Well, one new addition to the city centre which pleased me greatly was the new Cath Kidston shop! I have very split feelings towards Cath Kidston. On the one hand I love everything about it - the patterns, the products, the vintage-ness, but on the other, I kind of think of her as the huge international brand that has taken the credit (and success) for the chintzy handmade movement and the many talented crafters out there who also design their own patterns and make equally, if not more, beautiful products. Hmm, maybe it's just sour grapes though.

I can't be that bitter though because I did end up putting quite a bit of cash into dear Ms Kidston's pockets with the purchase of some pretty fabric and paper.

I also managed to get a few snaps before one of the shop assistants came and told me off, so feast your eyes on this my loves:

Love these crates in their pretty coloured cubbyholes.

Lovely teacups.

Lots of gorgeous vintage furniture.

Yummy fabrics.

Loving this vintage frame wall.

Off to go play with the new fabric now. x

New

I have finally managed to get some of my new things made, photographed and listed so figured I should document this on here too. Of course, I was a couple of days later than the anticipated "re-launch" date was meant to happen but ah well.

So the new products that I'll be focusing on are a range bags, pouches, pencil cases and that kind of thing. So far I've not made too many but I'm really enjoying making them and getting new fabrics and ideas. It's really great and I'm having a lot of fun.

I'll still be making magnets and accessories, and probably some jewellery here and there so not a total abandonment of old ways.

So, this is what I've been up to:

Ahoy! pencil case - my favourite! I absolutely adore this fabric, and love the lining fabric too. And it has curved bottom corners - just like a boat!!

Pretty flowers pencil case - very girly. I saw this lace trim and had to have it, didn't know what I was going to do with it but it looked lovely with these fabrics so that worked out nicely.


Envelope pouch type thingy. Could be used for a variety of things I suppose but I thought make-up bag was a good idea.

Scotty zip pouch. Cute.

There's more coming, but I hope you like so far!

Off to put the heating on now. x

Changes

Paper Halo Designs will be going through some changes over the next few weeks. Nothing too exciting, though I'm quite excited by it. Just a slight shift of product.

I've decided that I'm not going to focus on jewellery anymore. Funny, considering I opened a bead shop. It's something that I do enjoy and that I'm sure I'll keep going back to but I think it's time to try something new and different and I'm very excited about it.

Nothing to really tell yet so I'll be back soon with more info and updates, and hopefully some photos!

No pics to post on this one so I'm going to just post some stuff I've been hearting this week:

"Northern Skies" - I am Kloot.

Beautiful photo by LolasRoom.

Looks just like Chowder! By TrafalgarSquare

Pretty shoes from Monsoon.

Yum.

Off to do some work now. x

DK General Store

Sorry for the lack of postage folks. I've been busy working on stuff for the shop and generally trying to get myself organised, as pledged. I had hoped that I would be posting more regularly but I am trying to spend less time on the computer, where I am distracted by pretty things and end up wasting many an hour that would otherwise be well spent doing other stuff.

Anyway, today I have allowed myself to be distracted so here I am. No real new news from me but I did find this amazing shop recently, DK General Store, on Etsy that sells all sorts of beautiful old stuff. I love old stuff so I'm having a hard time resisting but the fact that the postage from them in the USA to us in the UK is costly is both a good and a bad thing.

Some of my favourites:




Makes me hanker for the next car boot.

Off to see what other beauties catch my eye now. x

Car bootin'

I am loving the return of car boot season here in the grim north of dear Blighty. And in true spirit, the drizzly and dull August has not put us off one bit. I have been sacrificing my Sunday mornings snuggling in my warm cozy and very comfy bed and have been dragging myself through fields and cars to rummage around other people's junk.

I don't know that I have a particular aim when I head out for these things but I love all things retro and vintage and I especially love all things cheap and recycled. I have been collecting things for the shop and am always on the lookout for pretty vintage things to deck the place out. So here we have lots of nice cups and saucer sets that I've managed to get my mitts on:

And this really awesome Disney annual from 1981 (for 10p!!!!):




Off to make take afternoon tea now. x

Nina, Coco and Bess

A few newbies to introduce you to:

This is Nina.

Then we have Coco.

And last but not least, Bess.

These all happened in a phase of inspired, motivated, post-pledge activity which is nowhere to be found today so here I am blogging about it instead. Hopefully all I need is an evening of vegging out and crap TV and I'll be back on track tomorrow.

Pledge update: I tidied! The shop is now sporting a clutter-free counter for the first time since its opening back in January. The next step is to tidy the desk and bookcase and area behind it so I can get back to making. I said that I wouldn't make anything until the area was tidy. I don't think it could handle any more stuff as it is.

Anyway, you know where to go for these lovelies if you'd like them. I can't be bothered to link so just go over there (---->) and click on a shop link. :o) Sorry, that's not very pledgey of me is it?!

Off to make a half-arsed attempt at clearing my desk now. x

Penny

I've got these lovely little buttons in at the shop and have been pondering over a way to use them in my jewellery for a while. They are very playful and cute so I knew I had to use them to make something for lil princesses.

So in the end, I just strung them together and decided not to faff with them too much and here's what we got:

Off to watch According to Jim now. x

A pledge

It occurs to me that for all my good intentions and list writing, my plans just don't come to fruition. It continues to be a source of frustration and defeatism. I'm one of those people that will write lists and lists, and lists of lists of all the things that I need to do and want to do. I plan for years ahead and if you asked me what I'll be doing on 5 June 2013, I could probably give you a vague idea of what I'd like to be doing then at this point in time. Makes no sense? Didn't think so.

Anyway, it all comes down to the fact that I am a really, really, really bad procrastinator. It's not that I don't intend to do things, I really do, it's just that most of the time...I just can't be bothered, or I can think of way more fun things to be doing. I know, naughty naughty. Now that I'm self-employed and control how I spend my days and what tasks I complete and ignore, I really should be better with myself and exercise some self-control and discipline but nooooooo. If anything, I'm probably worse than ever!

Well no more! Today I pledge to no longer procrastinate. I will no longer write meaningless lists. I will no longer waste time looking at other people's lives and wondering why it is that my life is nothing like it at all. I pledge to be more productive, more efficient, more not tired so much and more betterer than everer.

Anyway, this has been a bit word heavy. And since a picture is worth a thousand words, I will leave you with a picture representation of the life that I aspire to:

Off to write a list of what I need to do now...just joking, off to bed really (much more productive)! x

Little Time Wasters

I just wanted to tell you about this talented lil lady who I amazingly found in one of Etsy Forum's 5 letter challenges. She's a local gal from Sheffield and she make the most amazing little fimo clay food miniatures. I'm stocking her jewellery at the shop at the moment and they are very popular and received very good responses! Come by Jam Jar Beads one day to have a look at it in person, or go to her Etsy shop to see what other tasty mini treats she has to tempt you!

Off to raid the fridge now. x

Organising my craft space

I'm not a very tidy person. In fact, I'm a very untidy person. I think it all comes from laziness. I do what's easiest and quickest over what will save me time later. Then later when I need to spend time fixing what I did easily and quickly earlier, I tend not to want to, then it all just builds and builds.

Anyway, in an attempt to inspire me into clearing up and creating some semblance of a workspace, I treated myself to a pretty crafty book all about other people's inspiring workspaces.

I love the jars of cotton and the way the rolls of paper are stored in vases here.

It's always in the last one I look in so these parcel tags to label drawers are a great idea.

Love the colours in these buckets.

I love jam jars. They're a great (and free!) way to store bits and bobs, especially for bits like beads and buttons. If you've ever been to Jam Jar Beads, you'll see that I've made great use of this, in fact, that's what the shop was named after.

Off to tidy now. x

Craft Candy mini fair - Saturday 14 August

Yay, this will be Paper Halo's first outing at a fair! A friend of mine is organising Craft Candy's monthly mini fairs which happen at Bungalows & Bears on Division Street in Sheffield. It's a very cool bar which does the best mac & cheese! I will be amongst 8 other crafty talents showcasing, and hopefully selling, their wares to the good people of Sheffield, and of course welcome visitors too!

Hopefully it'll be a nice day so the doors will all be opened up and I can enjoy a nice cold glass of cider in a pretty summer dress that never gets the proper use that it so deserves.

So if you're around, please come show your support to the local indie crafters who have poured their hearts and souls into producing some beautiful and unique things, just for you.

Off to make some stock now. x

Chowder's fault

I'm finally back online now that our new laptop charger has arrived. We were forced to buy a new one after the old one finally died after Chowder got to it and started chewing her way through it. We also found out she has done the same to Nick's Wii and DS cables so she's not in the good books at the moment.

So now that we're back online, we once again have lots to catch up on. Since I've had lots of time to not surf, I've been making lots of stuff instead.

First we have the Davina bracelet. I bought this lovely brass keyhole and thought it'd be a beautiful focal point in a piece of jewellery. So here it is with wood, freshwater pearl and opal aqua glass beads.

Then we have the Molly bracelet for lil princesses.

It's a selection of different beads in lovely bright rainbow colours.

This is the Leah necklace in pastels. Beautiful glass, wood and filigree beads
wire wrapped on a gold filled chain.

Leah again, this time in clears, lilacs and a striking black and pink lampwork bead.
All wire wrapped to a sterling chain.

And lastly, Frida earrings. Amethyst chips and aqua chalcedony quartz
wire wrapped to sterling silver hooks.

So, blah blah blah: Paper Halo, Folksy, Coriandr, Etsy & Dawanda.

Off to make a cuppa now. x

Blog neglect catch up

Apologies for the blog neglect. I've been moving things around between home and shop this week and it's meant that many jobs couldn't be completed because things were in other locations. Today I have finally managed to get the camera and the cable and the laptop in the same place at the same time so we have some catching up to do.

First there's my first accessory! The Darcy kilt pin brooch. Again, predictably, in some soft romantic shades of ivory, grey and pink.


Loads of different types of beads including glass pearls, crackled glass beads, silver plated filigree and Czech fire-polished glass, all attached to a kilt pin with silver plated pins. Together they create a really pretty little cluster of beads and the brooch looks so lovely on.

Then there are the Audrey earrings:


These are silver foil lined glass and crackled glass beads with a gold plated Swarovski rhinestone rondelle, on gold filled hooks.

Then the Esme earrings:

Wood, glass and gold plated filigree wire wrapped to gold filled hooks.

And finally the Sadie earrings:

Nice and simple, these are faceted aqua quartz briolettes wrapped in gold filled wire and hung off gold filled hooks.

So I've been a busy bee. It's been getting quieter at the shop in the past week or so, maybe people are going off on their jollies? But I'm using the time to get some Paper Halo things made and am really enjoying it.

Anyway, all the above are available in the usual shops: Paper Halo, Etsy, Dawanda and Folksy. And now also Coriandr!

Off to eat cake now. x