9 June 2014

The slow moving blog hop

Welcome to the slow moving and gradually expanding blog hop. You may have seen a few of these posts floating around in the last few weeks. I was asked to join in by the lovely Alice whose beautiful blog you can findhere.

The idea is simple: talk about your craft.
This is what I am working on at the moment and what I have planned for the next few months…

At the moment- Project Life
This project has changed slightly for me this year. It feels less pressured, it is easier to create pages and I think they are simpler. I like that I have found my style with this project.
I no longer have to actively think about doing project life because after eighteen months with this project it is a very natural part of the pattern of my weeks.


As the second half of the year dawns I want to challenge myself to use my graphics tablet more and possibly post a few beginners video tutorials in starting out digital project life. I know that Photoshop can be a minefield but once you have mastered a few basic ideas digital PL is actually quite simple.

I am also looking forward to an opportunity this summer to try my hand at the paper version of project life. I am in turn excited and terrified. I think it will be like starting an entirely new craft! As a heads up, do any UK project lifers know where I could buy the page pockets?

At the moment- Hand lettering
I am always more inspired when I haven’t the time to be. I decided halfway through my exams this year that I would make it a goal this summer to practice hand lettering.
I have seen some beautiful examples across pinterest and filled with enthusiasm bought a fresh notebook, nice pen and a sharp pencil.



Lesson one. Pinterest makes it look easy. This craft is hard! I can’t count the number of times I rubbed out dodgy letters or re drew the flicks on the ends of words. Nevertheless the summer is long and I am determined to write beautifully by the end of it!

Planning- small business idea.
This idea is not a new one. I have been thinking about selling handcrafted for a long time now. My problem has always been what to sell. The crux is that whilst my holidays are long, I haven’t the space at uni, both physically and mentally, to create. I therefore needed a product that I could make in batch at home and easily take and sell up in Durham.

I think I have finally landed on a solution and I am hoping that it is something that is simple enough to make and nice enough to buy.
I am excited by small business ideas but it is definitely a risky and daunting adventure. I am hoping a long summer will let me fine tune ideas and see whether it something I could pursue.



For now I am keeping the plan under wraps until it is more of an actuality. Those of you with small business though, where do you sell? Crafty, Folksy? Did you find it was easy to sell handcrafted? What tips would you give?

I am always excited by crafts. I like the crafts like Project Life and quilting that are now familiar to me.  I like trying new things even if they are hard and I want to push myself a bit more and try and create a product that can be sold.

Thank you Alice for asking me to chat about crafting. I am passing the baton on to three other bloggers and they will continue the hop next Monday.

Do go check their pages out. They are full of inspiration and you may find a new blog to follow.

Sinead is a friend I have met through blogging but has since become a dear friend in real life. Her blog is lovely mix of her life in beautiful Ireland and her scrapbooking.

Miss Smith at a journal of curious things
Miss Smith’s witty writing and gorgeous scrapbook pages always brighten my day. She tells wonderful tales of life in London and funny stories of the school she works in. 

I first met Lea through the swap of small things organised by sian. I have since followed her blog and instagram feed and am always inspired by her clean bright style.


16 comments:

Sian said...

Yes, I've been seeing and enjoying these posts and am now starting to regret having to turn down an invitation myself due to time pressure. It's a very clever idea and I have loved seeing what you and the others have come up with. Long may it continue its journey through blogland

Sian said...

Oh, and best of luck with your exciting project!

Maria Ontiveros said...

I have been asked to participate but haven't posted mine yet (love the slow moving idea of it!) I'll get to it in due time, but your answers really helped me begin to formulate my post.
So, thank you. And best of luck with the business idea. I've toyed with ETSY, etc. many times!
Rinda

alexa said...

That sounds very exciting, Abi, and I am also Intrigued by your wanting to try a paper version of PL - this has been a very interesting read :).

Lea Lacoste said...

so excited to take part in this blog hop next week (thank you!) I have been "hopping" for a few days and found so many new inspiring blogs to follow!!

regarding PL, did you check your local Amazon? i think they carry PL page protectors! Also, GOOD LUCK with your project, it's so cool can't wait to read more about it!

Anonymous said...

Hobbycraft sell the page protectors and I think they allow you to order online. The website is a pain, but I've found them very helpful when I've rung to enquire about a product. They are expensive though! Was so excited to see PL here in the UK in real-life when it arrived last year, but constantly chicken out of buying it because of the cost. For the time being I'm sticking to digital, hopefully someone else will comment with an affordable option!

Anonymous said...

... just a thought -have you thought of trying out for a design team? I always assumed they get free/discounted product, and your designs are certainly beautiful, and unique to your style

Anonymous said...

That's a very interesting post Abi. I hadn't seen any of them so I'm off to check others out. Good luck on your small business project.

Lou said...

ahh I enjoyed reading this post.I done one today too x good luck with your business venture x x

Becky said...

Very interesting post. Good luck with the business venture. I get my pocket pages from Sarah's Cards - they are a sponsor on UK Scrappers and stock loads of PL 'stuff'!

Karen said...

I think you do marvelously well with all you do plus your school work. I've fallen behind with Project Life and next week vow to get caught up. I've also caught the handwriting bug, but haven't yet produced anything I'm willing to post on my blog. You're right---it's a lot harder than it looks.

Kirsty.A said...

Looking forward to seeing your paper PL. Hobbycraft stock the page protectors

Fiona@Staring at the Sea said...

How funny! I am taking part in a very similar expanding blog hop/tour. I didn't know there were two. Good luck with your business venture. I used Folksy when I was selling my hand made jewellery and found it very straightforward. I think more people use Etsy these days though. I was excited when Stampin' Up announced that they would be partnering with Becky Higgins to bring out a PL range. Only a small selection available at the moment, but it includes pocket pages. If you're stuck let me know.

Sinead said...

Really enjoyed reading this post Abi, and finding out about all your creative endeavours at the moment :) I'm SO excited to see how you get on with the paper version of PL! Thanks so much for inviting me to join in the blog hop - need to get my post planned now. Oh, and I'm off to email you back now! Thanks again xxx

Susanne said...

Wonderful post - best of luck with your crafty endeavor.

Barbara said...

Hi Abi - I am catching up with reading blogs. I get my page protectors from Sarah's Cards an online store, they have a very good range of all things project life and lots of other crafty items too. I find them very quick and reliable. Hope this helps
Barbara (starnitesky)