What to get the crafty one for Christmas

It can be hard to pick a present for people for Christmas and even more so for the creative person in your life. As a crafter I know this and the problems I cause people like my poor husband when picking out presents for me, so I have done a little research and found some wonderful items.


For the little yarnbombers in your life I am loving these Pom Pom makers which are on offer for €7.49 in Smyths at the moment.

Stick, Pull and WOW! Decorate your room, stuff and style with the Pom Pom Snap and Decorate set in 3 simple steps. The Snap & Decorate Set, allows you to snap, create and decorate with cool Pom Poms. The set includes; 18 plastic letter snaps so that you can create any word you like and decorate it with Pom Poms. There are so many ways to decorate, Pom Pom your World!


Top of my list last year was a light up crochet hook. I bought mine from a shop on Etsy but they can be readily sourced on the internet. Great for anyone working in the evenings or with dark colured wool, it helps take the strain off your eyes.

storage is always a problem for a crafter and keeping all your supplies together. I spotted this in Homestore and More and it would be a steal at €4.99 for holding, wool, needles, glue gun etc.

 

Even when crafters are taking "a break" sometimes they need to be at something. These adult doodling books are great. There are loads of designs on offer from the Book Depository website at the moment and all with free shipping !!! 

and for me personally I love anything that is handmade, be it a cookie, piece of jewellery or crafty.

Also I cannot stress the importance of buying locally especially this time of year. I know not all items and gifts can be sourced locally but I would encourage people to have a look around their own towns before they go online or into their cars.

My own local town is Mountmellick and it has a great selection of shops and services with something to suit everyone and suit your pocket. Check out their page:

https://www.facebook.com/christmasinmountmellick

Mountmellick has been "Bombed" once again

What a great weekend to wake up to or is it all a dream. If your traveling through Mountmellick you would be forgiven for thinking so with all the dream-catchers and colour about the place.

Once again a great group has come together in Mountmellick to brighten up the town. It really is worth a visit and there is something for all ages. My daughter Isobel's favourite area this year is the picnic area out the Rosenallis Road. It really brings out her imagination and her special teddy came along to enjoy a picnic.

I love the whole town its hard to pick out one particular area, but at a push I have to say I LOVE the wishing wells. There are three (I stand to be corrected on this!!) One at Derrycloney picnic area, which is on the main Mountmellick to Portlaoise Road.

One at the picnic area on the Rosenallis Road.

And a third at the picnic area at The Commons, this is on the road from Mountmellick to Emo.

The truck is a great idea and the kids are queuing up in force to have their photos taken.

This year has seen the addition of some larger pieces which really feed the imagination. One seaside piece is at the entrance to Ashgrove

and another beautiful piece is on the wall of the Old Bank House. What great works of art.

Please check out the groups page at: https://www.facebook.com/yarnbombingmountmellick

And they are always looking for people to get involved, so get in touch if your interested !!

Thank You

Well Friday has come and gone and we are sporting our new hair, getting lots of compliments and well done's on the event. Our hair is making its way to the Little Princess Trust who make wigs for children with cancer.

Thank you to all who have supported us and the donations received to date.

The idonate page is open till the end of March so there is still time to support our event. Monies go to the Irish Cancer Society and the Ben & Jake Connolly Trust.

Donations can be made using the following link:
https://www.idonate.ie/fundraiser/11258419_siobhan-and-isobel-duff-s-fundraising-page.html


A special thanks to Michelle and the staff of Christle Hair Company for cutting our hair and running a competition to raise funds also. Cathy Bishop also gave her time on the morning to come and take pictures, thanks again Cathy. If you want to see more of the pictures from Friday check out this link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJMDphTVpmY

Some of our Cousins came in on the day for support, as Ruth had donated her hair last year also for kids with cancer. Pictured below are Ruth, Isobel and Roisin.

I have to say I am tremendously proud of Isobel, it was such a nice and brave thing for a little girl to do. When I explained I was doing it and where the hair and money would be going she also wanted to help out. I asked her why she wanted her hair cut up so short and her theory was that she could give enough to make a wig for a boy and a girl.

The spirit of my dad will always live on in her, she has such a big heart and always wants to give.

Ready, Steady, Cut .............................

On the 18th of March myself and Isobel will be donating our hair to the Little Princess Trust who make wigs for Children with Cancer in Ireland and the UK. It is something close to my heart as my dad underwent several rounds of chemo during his battle with cancer. The day he was diagnosed I was with him and his only question was would he lose his hair. It has always stuck with me, you think a man wouldn't mind as much as a woman, but I suppose it takes away your privacy and way of dealing with your illness.

****UPDATE*****

I have now set up a donations page on idonate: https://www.idonate.ie/fundraiser/11258419_siobhan-and-isobel-duff-s-fundraising-page.html

********************************************************************************* 

As part of the process I hope to do some fundraising during the Month of March for two great causes.
The Irish Cancer Society and the Ben & Jake Connolly Trust. They are two that are close to my heart.

Everyone unfortunately has had someone they love have to battle cancer. My own dad passed away after a six year battle. You can make a donation to them at: http://www.cancer.ie/get-involved/fundraise/how-to-donate

The second are two little boys who live locally, Jake unfortunately passed away recently at the age of two; which devastated our local community.

To read up on the boys and the trust please visit their website: http://www.benandjakeconnollytrust.com

Donations can be made to the trust from here: http://www.benandjakeconnollytrust.com/donate

You can also donate by text:

Locally, if you want to donate you can contact myself (086 8407359) and also collection boxes are in the following locations for the month of March.

Christle's Hair Salon
McElwees Pharmacies in Mountmellick



Thanks in advance for your support.

Siobhan & Isobel

Craft Fairs

There is great nerves and anticipation for Craft Fairs. Its a great time to showcase your work but can be nervewracking meeting new people and having them stand and examine your works. I have taken part in a few over the last few years and along the way I have picked up some tips which might help other crafters out.

As I make crochet items most of my fairs are Winter / Christmas period.

Promote:

• When booking ask the event organisers if they have any advertising budget and plans. I have gone to a few  fairs where the organisers had done no advertising or promotion of the event and I in return didn't even make enough money to cover the price of the stall.
• Create events on your page for the upcoming fairs and invite people. Make sure and let them know all the details and website / Facebook page if available.   https://www.facebook.com/littlelidssiobhan
• Promote yourself on selling pages / local pages for that area so people will know you are there.

Location Location:

• Is your event inside or outside, make sure and dress for the occasion and the weather. I find for outdoor fairs (which I usually do in around the Winter / Christmas period) that layers are best. That way if you get hot or cold you can work accordingly.
• Bring a spare pair of socks in your bag, they will help if you get cold or you can change during the day to freshen up. 
• Research the area if possible and ensure you have parking space and change for if it has to be paid for.

Essentials

• Scissors
• Markers
• Business Cards
• Sellotape
• Bags - I usually keep any shopping bags / gift bags I get during the year and reuse if anyone asks for a bag.
• Banner
• Chair / Stool
• Food / Snack and a drink
• A project to work on. I always try and make some items if it is quite. Also I find people like to see you at work and it helps engage them into your stall and products.
• an essential for me is a mirror for people to see the hats on themselves.

Don't :

• Don't chew gum, its just bad manners when people are speaking to you.
• Don't ever argue with a potential customer, even if you don't agree with their comments or opinion try end the conversation on a positive note. 
• Don't leave any litter or belongings behind when you leave.

Do:

• I know it can be a long day but I do find it better to be standing at your table. It is easier to see people and greet them.
• Say hello and interact with as many people as possible.
• Make sure you are clean and presentable, exercise hygiene where appropriate i.e handling food and money. 
• Say hello to other stall holders, swap business cards and later check on their website, facebook etc and make connections. That way you can build a network and help promote other businesses. You will also find out from other stall holders other events they have attended and if they were successful or not.
• I encourage people to try on my hats or feel the wool. I find its easier to make a sale with someone who is holding your item and engaged with your products.

Don't be afraid to give that personal touch or attention to detail, this is exactly what will make the difference and help boost your sales.

A Crafty Business

As with every little girl at some stage all those pretty dolls end up with their clothes lost or washed and shrunk, but thankfully I had my Nanny to crochet them their own little outfits and bonnets. I always thought they were so pretty and no one else’s dolls had them. Even then my little fashionista was bursting out of me.

Then there was the interest in my mam who makes beautiful bed spreads and does lacework as well but she never thought my patience would stick the crochet. So out of pure stubbornness and about 2 years of giving up and getting back at it, i produced a bag of granny squares to her one day to put together and low and behold my first bedspread was born.

Then more important stuff came along like playstations, boys, going out and it was put in the back of the press again. But on the news that I was going to have a beautiful little doll of my own, my idea of having her own blankets and hats and clothes came floating back so I got busy again. From there friends asked me to make items, then people who had received the items asked me to make more and my little business has grown from there.

I have often been told I could charge more or use other quality items. But as a parent and in the current economic climate, I like to think that I am being fair and leaving something affordable and to a standard that will last. Each item is handmade and where possible I like to keep items unique. When I don’t have the needle or glue gun in my hand, I can be found with a pencil sketching new designs or online doing some research. 

Now my own daughter who is only five is ever so eager to help out. While learning to crochet is taking time she is quite handy and happy with the pom pom maker. When her cousins come to play, they don't want to play with any of the toys they want to have a wool party. 

It takes balls!!!

Literally it takes a lot of balls to keep this business going. I have wool stashed everywhere.

My latest investment was a kitchen dresser with glass doors on the front to keep my collection nice and clean. Also I love all the colours and textures and believe they should be on display and not packed away in some dreary corner.

I plan on emptying it all out in the near future and painting the dresser to make my wool collection even more of a feature in our home.

And no matter how many balls of wool you have, you are constantly buying as some colours have more use than others and popularity can vary. Like for instance I went through about 30 balls of neon yellow wool when Minion mania took over last year. It was not a colour I had ever imagined buying in bulk.

I try work ahead of time especially for school time and then Christmas Markets, usually starting a stock of hats in August to be decorated later in the year.

Ive also accumulated a lot of embellishments such as ribbons and buttons.

Do you want to hear a yarn ..........

Crafting for me isn’t just a hobby it’s a way of life. The crochet is top of my list at the moment and I am forever working on new ideas.  My friends often bring me in broken jewellery, buttons or items of clothing as they know I will have something in mind. Nothing will go to waste. I even keep a notepad beside the bed as the best ideas always seem to come just before I go to sleep, the “ten minute madness” I like to call it. I also like to make jewellery and am dabbling with the sewing machine at the moment, so watch this space for more new designs.

When you buy from my site, you are buying handmade, you are buying Irish and in many cases you are buying local. It’s not from a shop or a long production line, it’s something I have put together once “she who must be obeyed” has gone to bed and all the household chores are done. I appreciate each sale and should anyone have any problem with their item, I would appreciate your honest feedback and ask that you contact me so that any issues can be resolved.

 https://www.facebook.com/littlelidsssiobhan