I have just spent the best part of the last two days uploading as much stock as possible onto notonthehighstreet.com Hours and hours of waiting for photographs to upload, editing them, and writing out short descriptions, long descriptions, tags, keywords, terms and conditions, links.... I think it will be worth it but boy do I need the hot toddy my husband is preparing for me right now! It's all very exciting, and I feel that things are really beginning to move forward. I needed to spend the time carefully photographing all my pieces to make them look their best and to compete with all the other beautiful things on noths.com
It's been on of those weeks when the 'is it all worth it' feeling begins to creep in. I have a large number of orders to fulfil, and want to get them done early to enable people to give them as gifts at Christmas. I also had a sale on Thursday and was not at my sparkling saleswoman-best, as I was beginning to feel quite unwell. I came away feeling that it was worthwhile in terms of sales, but absolutely shattered. There were some great stalls there - not least the fabulous and very talented Home Is.. lady, whose little wooden houses and address/name blocks are so popular with everyone I know. I don't have her website details to hand but she really does have a brilliant idea and an artistic flair! I'll post her address up as a favourite asap as I think she deserves as much publicity as possible. I have one of her painted houses on my wall at home, together with the numerous addresses I have lived at, children's birth dates, and puppy arrivals hanging underneath. It always draws comment!
So, feeling just a little deflated on Friday, I set to work on the gettymops noths.com homepage, and have given it my best shot given that I'm not the most computer literate of people - I sew well though! I'll be getting their feedback on the images, text and so on in the next week, and then hopefully will have a live link from this blog to my very own shop. Very exciting. Watch this space.... In the meantime, here are pictures of some of the stock I have uploaded, I think the doorstops are new to the blog, as may be the Large Initial Letters. I can also give a sneaky preview of the Rapunzel Tower, which has saved my sanity as I have loved making it so much. More soon!
A boy's Large Initial Letter. I use a basic fabric and then layer on patches in contrasting fabrics using a variety of decorative stitches. Selling at £8 these are a great birthday gift.
The Hot Air Balloon doorstop. Just fabulous in the classic sky blue/navy/white and red colours and a really popular design with customers. £15 for gettymops customers.
The Fairy Toadstool doorstop. Well weighted but still dainty in pale pinks, neutrals and lemons.
Images from the Rapunzel Wall Hanging: Rapunzel and The Witch detail, and the Wall Hanging as a whole. Some tweaking still required, but I am so pleased with the finished result! The figures are all finger puppets and will fit one adult finger or two little-person fingers. Soft colours work really well. I have tried to choose colours that will last a little girl from birth to leaving home for University, and to make it a heirloom beyond that. No sickly pinks thank you! This one hasn't had it's banner sewn on at the top of the tower. This is where I sew on the child's name. Hand embroidered in silks and completed with a button detail it really finishes Rapunzel's Tower off.
Oh, and finally, I have started making Christmas decorations. Stars, hearts and gingerbread men, all in festive gingerbread-coloured linen and red gingham with button detail hanging loops. Now I just have to get started on hand embroidering children's names on to them. Actually I am quite pleased with the way they have turned out. Very festive. I think I shall have a whole string of them on gingham ribbon in my kitchen.
