'A happy, dreamy nursery... :)' by meganwsintdesign

Dot QUILT by PETUNIAS - vw r... PETUNIAS $106.00	Elephants in circus in black... Machookahandma... $65.00	Cloud Wall Shelf - Large ShopLittles $42.50
Child's scandinavian sof... Janefoster $27.00	The Raining Mister Elephant ... JAustinRyan $16.00	Baby Shoes, Toddler Slippers... WoolyBaby $48.00
Awesome Rain PRINT KathyPanton $15.00	You Are So Loved- 8x10 print thewheatfield $18.00	Mirror Bunting Large Half Ci... fluxglass $78.00
Luxurious Babys Elephant Gif... acraftyhen $21.50	Soft Sole Baby Shoes, Baby B... ParkerAndPosie $18.00	Uncharted Waters Waves Pictu... Mmim $17.00
Little Lion Man NiftyKidstuff $24.00	Linen Throw Pillow Cover, De... thehighfiberco $29.00	Ella, Valentine's Needle... MiloandBen $30.00
Modern Baby Blanket, Lattice... littlehipsquea... $44.80

Treasury tool supported by the dog house

I love this Etsy treasury that my Luxurious Elephant Gift Set has been included in. 

It's such a lovely cheery collection of handmade goodies, perfect for brightening up a dreary February day!

2013 & Decisions!

Happy belated New Year, I'm sure most of you are just like me, and are only just getting back into the swing of the everyday routine! We had a lovely Christmas, and though I always feel sad when the holidays come to an end, I do {the majority of the time} enjoy getting back into a routine. And this year 2013 things are a little different as my youngest is now spending more time at pre-school, which frees up my mornings or so I thought. I can't believe how quickly I seem to have filled up my 'free' time, but what I 'want' to do is fill up some of the time with sewing for 'a crafty hen' so I can take some of the pressure off myself, and not spend every evening sewing past 10 at night. I also have decisions to make regarding work, especially about where my online shops are going, how much wholesale I can take on and also about keeping customers informed and engaged. 

Which leads to my first announcement!!

I have decided to start another blog. I have been mulling this around for some time, I've been wanting to blog about my work and what I am up to, though are conscious that many of my readers stop by for posts about my family and personal things, thrifting and sewing more for myself and family, and wouldn't want to constantly see baby bibs and hear about 'a crafty hen'. I maybe wrong and please anyone who would like to see what I am sewing everyday please pop by my new blog! I also wasn't sure whether I wanted customers to read about my personal life to the extent that I have displayed it here. So I have decided that seeing as I started this blog up to follow myself and my family in our everyday lives that is what this will stay as and I will try and keep it up to date. So with decision made, I have joined Tumblr. It feels at the moment quite alien to me and I wonder if I am not young enough or hip enough to quite get the spirit of it. Tumblr is for snippets of life, a photo here, a comment there! It reminds me a little of Twitter, which I love so I am hoping it will suit. I hope to share regularly photos of current work, new fabrics as well as things I am loving on folksy and etsy and other things like what I listen to while I work or even think about whilst I work!
So here it is!

http://acraftyhen.tumblr.com/

I have started January as December finished, very busy and are working on another batch of bibs, blankets and lavender raindrops to be sent to the Pop Up Design shop in Winchester, as well as a handful of commissions. I haven't yet opened all my online shops back up, though are hoping to soon.
I have also made a decision to start up a newsletter, to keep followers up to date on current work, what's in the pipe line, to offer special promotions and to try and link my three shops together as some items only ever appear in one shop. So I thought it would be good if I do a monthly newsletter highlighting special items, and one offs, so please if any of you would like to receive this please sign up by entering your email address in the box top right and follow the instructions!
Right that's enough news for now, I have a pile of bibs that need press studs hammering into them, so best go!

Popping Up In The Pop Up Design Shop

It's been a busy few weeks, but I'm pleased to be able to finally announce that you can now buy 'A Crafty Hen' items from the Pop Up Design Shop 
in The Brooks shopping centre, Winchester, from now until Christmas Eve.

Source: scribd.com via Jenny on Pinterest

The shop looks amazing, full of wonderful pieces and I feel very lucky to have some of my things in there. It's the first time I've been involved with a 'Pop Up Shop' but I think the concept of these shops is great. Such a good way to fill up empty high street shops. And Suzie the owner of the shop and of  Urban Bird is so passionate about showcasing what is out there that it's been a delight to dedicate the last couple of weeks to sewing stock for the shop.

I have sent a selection of baby bibs some new and some of my favourites. 
There is also a selection of my cushions and large cosy blankets.
I hope to get these into my web shop soon but it probably won't be until the New Year, as this year is quickly disappearing!

 Oh and Lavender Raindrops are on their way!

So please if you are in the area, do stop buy and have a browse.
I wish I could!

Cyber Weekend Sale

Cyber weekend is happening in my Etsy shop

10% off everything,

with code HAPPY10

I am also offering a 10% discount off all Christmas items in my Bigcartel shop

with the code XMAS12

Can you believe this time next month it will be Christmas Eve?!

No neither can I!!

You Just Have To Laugh!

Sunday was a glorious day bright, sunny even quite mild,

the kind of day that is perfect for going for a walk in the woods,

An exploring a new woods kind of day!

Stumbling across hidden gems that get you wondering of the past.

Even #1's homework 'Autumn Finds' was a joy to do.

And then there is always the compulsory refuelling stop of cake and hot chocolate!

All in all it was the most perfect family Sunday, just a shame about the nit discovery at bedtime! Which then saw us washing and combing the kids hair way past their bedtime. By the time we had finished it was nearly ten o'clock and it wasn't only the kids who were exhausted! It's the first time the kids have had nits which I guess is not bad considering #1 is already in year 3. Not quite the end to our Sunday that we had expected oh the joys of parenthood!
Sometimes you just have to laugh!!

Returning To Normality?

Since having children that go to school I have found September to be a mixed month, often the weather remains nice and I do love Autumn and the colours that the season brings. But I struggle with the kids going back to school and the whole routine that it brings upon the family as a whole and I struggle with what so many parents seem to class as 'normality' the amount of times I have heard parents in the playground discussing how pleased they are to 'Be back to normal - now that the kids are back at school!" amazes me!

This September has been a big one for our family as my oldest has entered key stage 2 of school and thankfully has taken to his more independent role well, and my youngest son, our middle child has started reception class in the same school. This time round we are lucky that he has shown signs of being ready for school, and actually started school just days before turning five. So I feel like I should be writing a post about his birthday, a glowing post telling you how much I love this little man, but unfortunately the last few weeks haven't been the perfect start to a school life and I have spent so much time lately in tears, with a stomach full of frustration, anger and hurt, and that's just me.

Yesterday finally I had phone call from the head teacher to say that the school's procedure they follow when tackling bullying has been put in place and that the matter will be dealt with as quickly as they can, and apologises have been made to my son and to us as a family, so now we wait and see.

As I dropped my son off in his classroom yesterday morning, the three boys in question, four year olds, started talking about hair cuts, you see this 'problem' is all because my son has shoulder length hair. They continued in front of my son and I to discuss whether they had been to the hairdressers over the weekend with one of the boys saying that "I haven't been to the hairdressers this weekend but I am going next weekend as I don't want yellow long hair" the other boys response to this was to agree "Yes you don't want long hair as you will look like him (glances at my son) and you'll look like a girl". I stood and listened and the emotions that went through me, everything from wanting to get hold of these boys to yelling, and screaming at them and the assistant in there who was blissfully unaware of the conversation, I wanted to pick my son up and to run as far away from the school as I could physically get, I felt confused, betrayed  and helpless, and I settled my son playing with another child and I walked out of there with the three boys laughing at me, yes they are only four, and I cried all the way home. And I felt horrible, I felt guilty for leaving my son in that environment and I felt guilty for putting him through it and for not being able to defend him.
 So I wrote, I wrote a very angry, a very heart felt email to the teacher, explaining that even though we had already had many conversations about these boys and there behaviour, what I had seen first hand that morning had shocked and appalled me and that I wasn't no longer going to sit back and put up with it and hope that they got bored and they taunting and teasing of my child would stop. And that yes these children are only four but they are behaving as bullies and they should be dealt with. And hopefully fingers crossed, touches wood, this is now the case.

No child however young should be put in a position like this, no child should have to question why there hair is a little different or worry about which toy they pick up to play with, or where they choose to play in the playground, or sit in the class room. No child should cry themselves to sleep, so worried to go to sleep because the nightmares will begin, no child should want to change themselves so that they can fit in to what a bully believes they should be like. My son is beautiful, he is determined to succeed in what he does, he loves to understand how things work, and questions everything! He loves to laugh and tell jokes, he has a very matter of fact way of looking at things, so much so that it can shock us at times, he likes to have a kiss on his lips at night, and he must say to you before you leave the room, "Goodnight, sleep tight I love you" and best of all he gives the most amazing hugs, that make you feel that everything is all right.

For the love of Organic....Part 1!

I've been slowly reopening my 'shops' back up after closing them for a while whilst we went on a camping trip, and as I've opened them up I've had a good look at them and it's made me question a couple of things. At the moment I have a folksy shop, an Etsy shop and a Bigcartel shop but I'm beginning to wonder where I'm going with a couple of them, more on this later though, as I think I have a lot of pondering over it first to do! The other thing I have noticed is how many of my items are now made using Organic cotton fabric, especially in my Etsy shop which has become the shop that I update the most and put my 'one off' items in.

Luxurious Baby Bib Set Bunting

The use of organic cotton has not particularly been a concious decision. I spend a lot of time browsing fabric sites and making notes on forth coming collections that I like and prints that suit my work and more and more I find that the ones I like tend to be organic. 

Luxurious Baby Burp Cloth Set Bunting

I am drawn towards nature and animal prints so its not surprising that the first collection I fell deeply in love with was Circa 52 by Monaluna for Birch fabric and especially their Woodland Party print. It came a firm favourite in my Etsy shop as well, selling well and I was so disappointed when I came to order more and found that it had all sold out! I have since managed to find and buy 1 yard! and have started to make one off bibs using it like the bib below and I hope to have the sets above back in stock before Christmas.

 Baby Bib Woodland Bunting

Luxurious Organic Baby Set Forest Animals

The second collection that I was drawn to was Ed Emberley's first fabric collection 'Happy Drawing' which was brought out my Cloud 9 fabrics. I love the quirky animals and his scribble print has become a firm favourite. From the moment I heard Cloud 9 were releasing this collection I knew I would like it as his 'How to draw' books are a favourite in our house with the kids and myself, they are just perfect for any parent who gets asked by their child
'Can you draw me a............"! 

 Lavender Raindrop

We own 3 of his books and have a fourth Ed Emberley's Drawing Book Of Halloween on it's way for my Halloween obsessed son! I love the drawings of the foxes, raccoons and elephants and what is so lovely with his 'Forest Friend' print is that you keep spotting animals that you hadn't noticed before.

Organic Baby Bib Grey Elephants

At the moment I have a selection of baby accessories made using Emberley's prints available in my shops with more on their way. Cloud 9 are also releasing Ed Emberley's 2nd collection 'Happy Drawing Too' in October, so I'm looking forward to seeing that. Cloud9 also have a lot of new fabric designers working with them with collections due out towards the end of the year. It seems to be a very exciting time in the 'Organic Cotton' world!

Part II of my 'For the love of Organic' coming very soon!