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5:50 AMon Friday, December 6, 2013
This Saturday is 'Small Business Saturday' and it's all about encouraging people to support small businesses across the UK, both on the day and beyond. Being a small business ourselves we're strong believers in supporting local companies and other makers and will be doing our bit to spread the love by investing in them throughout the Christmas period rather than choosing big companies.
It might cost a little bit more, but it makes such a big difference. The world would be such a boring place with only Amazon and iTunes, don't you think?
pretty packages all wrapped up to be sent out!
There would be no personal touches, less new ideas... Have you ever seen Wall-E? Who want's a future like that? So, instead of ordering from Buy N Large make someones day and support a small business and your favourite local shops, restaurants and bars on Saturday the 7th December. You'll find the experience is much more enjoyable and personal... plus you might find something extraordinary too!
If you have your own small business you'd like to share a link to, please add it by commenting on this post - it's good to stick together and share the love :D
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10:00 PMon Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Wooohooo! Check out our festive Christmas pug! That's right, he's just made his debut as our first ever window illustration for Sofi's in Edinburgh. Doesn't he look fabulous?
A short film we created on the making of our window... it's the best film you'll see this year!
Our exhibition has been going down exceptionally well and has gone far beyond our expectations for selling our work and getting kudos from lovely visitors. The staff at Sofi's have particularly been enjoying it all - so much so they asked us to come in and illustrate their windows for Christmas!
We only had a few days to get things together - we were initially going to do a sausage dog accross all the windows but as time flew by it seemed just a tad out of reach. We decided to use our Christmas pug instead as he's been so popular this year. Looking this dapper, it's easy to see why ;)
Having never done this before we were a little anxious as to what we got ourselves into! I figured the best way to draw our wee pal so large was to blow him up on a photocopier first. It's really tricky to scale up images this big without a graph and scale to work do, so this was a great way to get him up and perfect in snap. Once we got him to a decent size, we pieced all the paper together and stuck it up on the outside of the window...
And started going round all the outlines inside! Obviously the ink is inside the building as it's wipe clean and it would have come off in the rain otherwise. As we're working on the inside we need to do everything backwards too - hardcore!
As I was outlining all the windows, David was the ultimate colouring in machine. It took us about a couple of hours to do it all and we needed to run in and out a lot to start with to check it was all looking right on before we filled it in. I have a new found respect for the people who do these all the time! It's a lot of work and problem solving, but what's totally amazing about it as you can see how wonderful it all looks as you're working which is nice :)
Supplies needed for creating your own window display: Posca pens, cameras, bananas and diet coke!
How handsome!
I actually started writing the 'Merry Puggin' Christmas' window free-hand but it was just looking a little pathetic because I couldn't get the scale large enough by eye. That may sound silly, but when you're working around 5 times larger than you're used to -- and BACKWARDS -- you'll quickly realise it's a different kettle of fish entirely. After deciding it wasn't good enough I illustrated the replacement text on sheets of A3 paper as before and re did it all. It meant spending longer working, but I'm so much happier with the results!
Sofi's at night... there's homemade mulled wine inside and dogs are allowed in the pub; you can imagine this place is the perfect setting for a festive evening!
I think this is one of the projects I'm most proud of this year. Being dyslexic I have a lot of problems with spelling so writing everything backwards on a window was a big task for me. You have to concentrate really hard on spelling the word backwards (I wrote it on the window first to keep me right), then writing the letters backwards (SUPER HARD! I've been training myself all my life not to do that!), and on top of all that, write it straight, spaced well and legible. It took a little while to write these simple lines, but my god am I proud of them!
Our window will be up till January at Sofi's Bar in Edinburgh, as will our exhibition 'You Want Fries With That' which is conveniently hanging up inside. We're really proud to be donating 10% of every pack of pug cards sold to Teenage Cancer Trust this year too. Visit our Etsy shop to purchase a set and make someone smile :)
A big thank you to everyone at Sofi's for your support and giving us such an awesome opportunity!
We'd love to hear what you lovely readers think :)
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10:00 PMon Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Check out my new tape collection! With so many packages going out (we reached our record at 25 orders in one day on Monday!) we've been going through more rolls of tape than hot dinners. That meant I got to buy in some new colours to replace my dwindling collection - Happy Days!
I spotted this incredible dog cookie jar in Anthropologie and I fell in love. So kitsch! He's not quite as cute as Owly, (my giant owl cookie jar from David), but he's a close second. If only we had the space for him... and the money! These ceramic wonders cost a pretty penny, but they make incredible ornaments :D
Drive by night Krispy Kreme! This little midnight snack was a real treat...
Especially because it's a Mince Pie Donut! That's right, it's Christmas-tastic... and its a taste sensation for those who want to try them!
A little peek at a wholesale order we sent out this week too... told you we've been busy! I'll be blogging about this secret project shortly. We've had so many wonderful secret projects that we've had to keep under wraps recently - keep your eye out for an unveiling of what we were upto over the weekend tomorrow!
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11:00 PMon Monday, December 2, 2013
Check out all our swag! This year we decided to go all out for the sales... Well, online sales that is! With so many of our favourite shops participating this year, it was difficult to keep to a budget. It's not often we get to splurge like this - we had quite a wish list collated for the event and we're really happy that we managed to bag a few things at a fraction of their cost.
I've been looking for a pretty vintage style day dress for some time and my heart skipped a beat when I spotted this on at Mod Cloth! As you know I have an obsession with illustrating buildings - it was like it was meant to be. I also picked up a new pair of earphones in the Kate Spade sale which are a) super practical and b) super cute. I can't wait till they arrive and I can use them - whilst I love my big headphones they can be a little unwieldy when out and about. And no outfit is complete without a pair of birds pinned on somewhere! These swallow earrings by Tatty Devine are a really classic rockabilly accessory which are going to look amazing with my breton (stripe) jumpers! So chique!
Whilst I did particularly well for *ahem* gifts for myself, David got a new set of Copic pens that he's been going on about for an age (I foresee myself using them when he's not looking HA!) and a little gift for Vivid HQ - Fin & Jake illustrations for our studio! David and I are big fans of Adventure Time and when we discovered these beautiful prints on Etsy we had to get them :D We're back to being broke, but we're both very happy!
I can't wait for the post to arrive next week - after spending so much time wrapping stuff up to send to other people it's going to be a delight getting some fun post to open ourselves :) Snail Mail Forever!
We've been chosen as a Featured Brand on Storenvy! Out of hundreds and thousands of sellers on their online market place, we couldn't believe our eyes when we got asked by their team to become one of their featured brands. How incredible is that?
Much like Etsy, Storenvy is a market place where you can set up a shop amongst other makers. There's much more clothing on Storenvy, but there is still a huge amount of incredible designers and inspirational shops to discover.
With so much tough competition on the site, we never expected to make such an impact with their team! The Featured Brand section is brand new to the site, so we're totally thrilled to get the opportunity to participate during the launch. It's part of their first ever exclusive Black Friday - Cyber Monday market place sale where you can get 30% off trendy gifts picked out by the team. Whilst we're running our own sale in our Etsy shop with the same discount, this is the only place you can get goodies like our iPhone cases for a fraction of the price! Woop woop!
What an amazing weekend we've had with them too - it's been such an honour to have our work shared through the site and we've gained so many lovely new fans and followers from it :D Thanks team!
CYBER MONDAY For those of you wanting to snap up some amazing deals, visit the Storenvy Exclusive Sale here. It's also your last chance to get 30% off in our Etsy shop! All you need to do is enter the coupon code SANTA13 at the checkout to redeem your discount.
We hope you've all had an amazing Black Friday - Cyber Monday weekend - we've bought quite a few goodies ourselves this year which has been a total treat! Keep your eye out for a 'swag bag' post coming shortly. . .
Elbows at the ready ladies - lets get those last minute deals!
Today we're thrilled to be featuring the wonderful maker and blogger Claireabellamakes! We became friends with Claire a while back through Twitter and we're absolutely delighted to get the chance to meet her at the Renegade Craft Fair earlier in the month. Claire makes really simple and beautiful jewellery and has a really awesome blog which is busting at the seems with creative ideas and inspiration. Ready to meet the maker and find out more? Us too!
Give us the low down! Tell us a little about who you are and what you make:
I'm Claire, otherwise known as Claireabellemakes. I live in Cambridge, UK which is the most ace city to live in. I make quirky accessories including Scrabble Jewellery, Macrame Bicycle Bracelets and fabric covered rings and cuff links. I love to crochet and knit and will never let my glue gun get too cold.
How do you stay inspired?
I get out and about in my city! Taking a walk or chatting to local creatives keeps me inspired. I love reading craft books and magazines or getting lost in Pinterest (my favourite hobby). But I never feel more inspired that when I've been to a craft market. Seeing other makers succeed pushes me to improve my blog and business and being part of the creative world is just awesome. I went to Renegade in London a couple of weeks ago and came home SUPER excited and motivated.
I mostly read craft/creative blogs, with the odd baking, lifestyle and migraine blogs thrown in. My current favourites include Studio DIY, Little Things Blogged, Skunkboy and Miss Jojangles which is written by the best 18 year old I know.
Why do you like being a maker in 10 words or less?
Why buy when you can DIY?!
*ahem* That's the best 10 words we've heard all week!
You can so no sometimes! I used to be a 'YES' girl until someone pointed out to me it's OK to say no sometimes. You've got to cut yourself some slack when life gets busy, and juggling a full time job, migraines, blog and business can be overwhelming for little old me! I really believe in work-life balance and if you can find a job which is your passion, you will never have to work a day in your life :-)
What question would you most like to be asked?
Eek this is a tough one! I'd quite like to be asked to "describe your dream weekend". I like to fantasise as if I had endless money and time! It involves cake, cats, spa, crafts and blanket forts.
What's your guilty pleasure? (Chocolate doesn't count :P)
Ha I am not guilty about eating chocolate! I am fueled by Double Deckers most weeks. I would say my guilty pleasure (aside from Pop Tarts) is watching cat videos on You Tube. I'm a total crazy cat lady and often get stuck in cat video You Tube loops. We have the cutest persian cat which your cat card prints remind me of!
Jay Jay! That's the name of Davids persian cat. They look so grumpy but they're totally adorable! Hooray for persian cats! We are totally stocked up on Pop Tarts here too - I can go through a box in seconds. So glad to know I'm not the only one harbouring that secret! Such great advice too, we're terrible for saying yes which tends to lead on to a lot of long nights and working weekends! I'm going to try and take a page out of your book this week and start saying no. Well... maybe after the holidays are over ;)
Thanks so much for hanging out with us today Claire! It's been an absolute delight having you round for tea!
For those of you who're ready to nab yourself some awesome Christmas gifts (most of which are under £10! Hello stocking stuffers!) you can visit Claire's wonderful shop here.
Visit her epically good blog for inspiration, banter and good times here
Also, if you're in Cambridge on the 30th November you can visit Claire and spy her wonderful goodies at her stall at From Cambridge With Love! You can read all about the event and get the details here
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2:16 AMon Thursday, November 28, 2013
We're having a massivesale to get in the spirit of Black Friday and Cyber Monday this weekend! From Friday 29th till Monday 4th December we're offering a whopping 30% discount on the majority of items in our wonderful Etsy shop. Amazing, right? All you'll need is our magical coupon code to get involved... It's our last sale of the year so if you fancy treating yourself or grabbing a few bargain's as stocking stuffers or gift's for 'secret santa's' now's your chance!
There will be a limited number of each item available with the discount - once they're gone, they're gone - so if you've seen something wheely special that you'd like to buy with 30% off you'll need to get in there quickly! We'll have prints, our keepsake cards, brooches, a selection of our awesome stationery and a few of our lovely little pug mirrors available during the sale...
Excited? Us too! Take note of the code and get your elbows at the ready:
Those of you who're ordering gifts for Christmas will need to place orders before the following dates to ensure delivery. Obviously the post can be a little unpredictable over the holidays and we don't want to be disappointed!
International Delivery - 9th December
UK Delivery - 18th December
We usually turn around orders in a day or two and will try our best to get your package in the mail as soon as humanly possible, but if you require an upgrade to special delivery please give us a shout and we'll do our best to help you out. We cannot guarantee there will be no post office strikes or bad weather, but we can guarantee that we'll be working extra hard to get your goodies into your hands as quickly as we can :)
