i think i've just about got it sorted.......

packaging and presentation are two things that are really important to me 

- yes, i will buy a book just by the cover!

i always try to take the best photos that i can - i do re-do them every now & again 

- and everytime think "how did i sell any of them with photos like them before?!"

so when "Postage-Gate" came about, i took it as a good opportunity to re-brand and re-juvenate my shops!

i designed my logo a long while ago when i launched my new website 

(which is currently offline while i update it)

and now i've finally got round to ordering some business cards with the same design!

i can't wait to use them!

i've added some new products to my NOTHS shop, 

that i made at Christmas as special orders, 

these chunky bracelets & rings have gone down really well :)

i'm rocking the polka dots at the moment 

 realising i can use them in a whole host of other ranges that i make - it ties them all in together, & creates matching sets of things that can be given for gifts

(more polka dot hair accessories on their way soon!)

and my favourite thing i've been mostly doing this week is decorating these gift boxes for my earrings

i realised to cut postage costs, i can package earrings in boxes

and so i just had to buy some stamps to decorate them with!

My friend Fran - Little Gift Store makes the most gorgeous rubber stamps,

 so i asked her to make me some buttons! 

i think she's excelled herself-they are so intricate 

(she even had to make her own tool to make them!)

i hope you love them too!

so as i was saying, i think i've just about got it all sorted on my NOTHS page

still to come is my own website - but i will let you all know when its back up

and i think i'll do a SALE or something to reward you all for your patience!

lots of love & buttons, michelle xxx

 

lately i've been mostly....

.....very busy doing grown up things!
button it has kind of gone on the back burner for a while, which is frustrating me in a way - i'm happiest when i'm creating, but sometimes exciting things in life have to take priority!

firstly, back about a month ago me & my fiance went to see where we're planning on having our wedding -

a waterfall in Scotland near Fort William called "Caig Falls" where Bonny Prince Charlie was rumoured to hide out in the olden days. We'd already had our hearts set on this place since seeing it a couple of years ago, but we needed to find a hotel to have the reception at.
So we enjoyed the hottest week ever in Scotland and found the hotel straight away!
Lots of walking and eating at gorgeous restaurants later we were driving back to Northamptonshire planning our guest list for May 2014!

Next up on the list.... (wedding, house, dog then kids - thats just how life goes)
We've been house hunting recently since we saw a 1930's bay fronted semi go up on the market and then sell before we could see it, we looked around the next door & put an offer in for that - which was beaten just before we went to Scotland - so frustrating, but as everyone said - everything happens for a reason...
Last week, the original house came back on the market - and we got first dibs to see it!
Our offer has been accepted and we're going to arrange our mortgage on Friday! Eeek!
Fingers crossed everyone! :)


So after all that, I hope you'll forgive me for being a bit quiet!
I am still busy sending orders out, and I will soon be re-jigging my shops due to Royal Mail price increases - which needs a whole blog post to itself!

I have also just been accepted onto 2 big-ish craft fairs in September & October, which will keep me busy preparing for - i'd better get those knitting needles out again ;)

catch u soon!
lots of love & buttons, michelle xxx

this week i 'ave been mostly...... trying to catch up

time has been running away from me lately...
working part time, selling online, and attempting to have a social life is a bit too much sometimes!

since my last post we've updated the Warkton Village Craft Market blog (see last week)
with photos of the lovely day we had...

i loved having an excuse to wear my vintage apron made by Billie who has been to Warkton before

as anyone who has had a stall at a craft fair will know, it is knackering!
all you want to do afterwards is slob on the sofa and have a takeaway
its even worse when you're the organiser and have to pack everything away and collect the signs from the grass verges around the village!

so last week was spent relaxing and getting over the busy market weekend...
still the orders kept on coming through Not on the High Street so there was no rest for the wicked!

i have also been making new products, which need photographing and editing, but up til a few days ago i didn't have any bulbs for my halogen studio lamps - silly me let one fall over and the bulb broke!

luckily mr button it ordered some more (they are actually his lamps!) and decided to buy a light tent too - which helps me out no end now!

i only used one light, and will probably use another from the right side to even out the shadow,
but i am loving the way the tent diffuses the light
and i absolutely love these buttons i found in my stash - proper vintage!

this week i 'ave been mostly...... preparing for the first craft fair of the year

not a craft fair i was selling at though,
this was the first Warkton Village Craft Market of the year!

i organise this market with my friend Deanne Quirky Boots
in the gorgeous setting of Warkton, nr Kettering
and we LOVE it!

we used to panic every month, "have we done enough advertising?", "have we got the right stalls?", "have we got everything?"...
and with it still being a cold and dreary February day, we did wonder if it would be slightly too quiet, but soon after 10am people started trickling in, and it was pretty steady all morning!
by 2pm the cakes had nearly all run out!

our dream is finally coming to fruition,
a monthly handmade event that supports local artists and crafters, in a friendly environment
providing an alternative to high street shopping for visitors to come back every month and see different items

it really does have to be seen to be believed though - lots of people think "craft fair" they think granny knits and pocket money toys, not our market!
we strive for the best top quality stalls with lovely crafters who will help make the friendly atmosphere for the day,
everyone chats together and makes new crafty friends, and helps each other out with tips & supplier info.


like i said before, we LOVE it! and i hope it shows! :D
(photos from yesterday on Deanne's camera still - will post them soon!)

this week i 'ave been mostly...... taking time out

after finishing a stack of valentines day cards ready for posting on Saturday, I set about giving myself a bit of me time :)
lying on the sofa on friday night watching telly, I was very nearly falling asleep - so I got my crochet hook out and got a couple more squares for my blanket done :)

Then Saturday came around and I had a day of doing lots of lovely things - firstly was going to look round a craft fair a friend was organising - Little Gift Store - where there were lots of Warkton stallholders - so in true chatterbox style I had to renew my car parking ticket twice!
This is how Warkton looked from Kettering - all pretty in the snow - hope it warms up before this Saturdays market there!

And after all that me time, it was time to go out for the night with the boyfriend to see Sarah Millican!
I kinda billed it to him as our Valentines night out - even though I knew he probably wouldn't really appreciate her humour as much as if I was to take a girlfriend, but he laughed quite a bit and said afterwards that  it had been funny :)

the highlight for me was the woman sat in front who shouted out (after being asked why would you take spare pants when you go away for the weekend) "i've got a pair in my handbag right now!!"

We went for dinner beforehand too, to Little Tokyo in Leicester - very scrummy Japanese food - if you havent tried it yet, you really should!

Now, after such a busy Saturday I was going round to a friends house yesterday to have tea & cake and general girly chat....
but knowing that she has just got into sewing, I took a dress pattern round that a friend gave me years ago for my birthday-with some GORGEOUS fabric, and thought we could "have a look" at it, and just ponder actually making it....

this is what I came home with!
8 hours of trying to decipher an American dress pattern, 1 of those trying to work out one of the steps and why it wouldn't look like the picture,
lots of tea & cake later, we have made a DRESS! :D

so chuffed with myself and so thankful to lovely Lisa for helping make sense of a scary pattern!

what a lovely weekend! didn't really want it to end....

this week i 'ave been mostly...... making valentines cards

i am really enjoying the messages i'm being asked to write on peoples cards, and getting repeat orders from men who ordered one last year has really put a smile on my face :)

this is how my desk looked yesterday...

i've had to buy more little red buttons due to the high demand!
and i've also had to set a last order date for guaranteed delivery for Valentines Day
= 8th Feb (get your orders in quick!)

i can happily report orders have also picked up for heart earrings, and probably due to the snow last night I sold a beret today!

also this week, i 'ave been.....

• dreaming up new ideas
• getting home from work very tired and not wanting to do much
• trying to banish the winter blues 
• and eating a lot of cake

but now the snow is here my winter blues have gone! :)

this morning i am sitting in my armchair watching all the people out walking, or rather sliding in the snow, while i sit in my dressing gown knitting, and my boyfriend keeps me topped up with tea - perfect sunday if u ask me!

hope everyones enjoying the snow (if you were lucky enough)
happy sunday xxx

this week i 'ave been mostly......

....thinking about blogging.

it just doesnt come naturally to me, talking about what i have been doing, or what i want to do is generally saved for "actually talking" (my favourite thing apart from buttons)
i just never really put the time aside to write a blog, or read other peoples, as i always feel i should be being creative in other ways instead, like- write a blogpost VS crochet a granny square!

but new year, new beginnings, and since the new year began, i've been following my lovely friend and fellow crafter evajeanie's blog as she is doing "a post a day" about something she has handmade each day.
now, i am definately not productive enough to do this, and also, i'd forget! but it got me thinking i should blog more regularly, so you can get a bit of an idea about the girl behind the buttons.

now, on a slight tangent (i promise you will get to used to my random brain!), the famous "Fast Show" comedy program was a staple for me growing up, and one of mine and my brothers favourite sketches every week, was the guy who would say..."this week i 'ave been mostly eating......" 
so i have decided every week i will be tellng you what i 'ave been mostly "doing" this week!

and maybe i'll tell you about what i've been eating too - i do LOVE food!

so to get things kicked off...
this week i 'ave been mostly... buying lots of wool to make a crochet granny square blanket for myself, and been crocheting some bright spring coloured brooches to put on my website

 and i made broccolli & stilton soup from scratch.....it was rather yummy

stop by next week, and see how the blanket is coming along!
lots of love & buttons, michelle xxx

can't quite believe its been this long...

...since i blogged!

i'm not the most organised person, and i dont leave very much time in my budget for advertising and connecting with my followers, except for updating my facebook page
i very rarely tweet either, it's just never really grasped me

i've been thinking of turning this blog into a more general me blog, instead of just button it, i'll post my thoughts on things, places i've been and things i've seen, not just buttons!

and first thought of all is........ s**t its gonna be christmas soon!
its sneaking up on me rather quickly, and i dont like it!

that might explain why i'm still up at half 2 on a sunday night, not able to sleep
or it might be something to do with a long lie in this morning, and an afternoon nap after i'd finished off some scarves and crocheted lots of poppies!

hopefully i'll be able to sleep now i've just brain-dumped, and written my to-do list for tomorrow!
lots of orders to send out before i go to work at 1pm....... man i love working afternoons!

a little insight into my buttony mind

A lovely lady who attended our craft market at Warkton last month, 

(she makes gorgeous journals - Dab and a Dash) asked me to contribute to her blog 

with some answers to her questions,

Now I've finally got round to it-nearly a month since she asked me, I thought I'd share it with you guys too!
(I know I promised to share some photos of my market with you, and I will, I promise!)

What is Button It?

button it is my way of controlling the obsession i have with buttons!

i made a bracelet for myself out of some really gorgeous chunky teal buttons i found in our local haberdashery shop “button boutique”,

when i wore it to work, lots of people loved it and wanted one themselves, and so “button it” was born!
 

 

 

How long have you been doing Button It?

That was back in 2008, since then I left my job in the local card & gift shop, worked on “button it” full time for a while and got my product range properly sorted,

I loved the free feeling of working full time for myself, but the pressures of earning enough to eat, and put a roof over my head, as well as buying more buttons, distracted me from the creative process,

Now I work part time, and have enough time to be creative, as well as having money to pay the bills each month!

 

How did you come up with the name?

To be honest, I just thought around the word “button”, and it was the first thing to pop into my head!

I did consider “button knit” too, as i do a lot of chunky knitted items as well as jewellery, but it isn’t as simple as “button it”... thats my theory, simplicity is key

 

Where can you be found?

My main sales avenue is Not on The High Street, I joined in October 2008 when it was still in its infancy, so I was the only one on it doing button jewellery then,

I get most orders through my page on their website, but I do have my own website which I have recently re-designed myself, and I aim to market it much more in the future.

Also I organise a local handmade craft market every month – where I have a table every other month with my goodies for sale

 

What's you favourite thing about Button It?

I love the fact that other people love what I make, the trend of buttons has gone from strength to strength since I started – at first I would get people walking past at craft fairs saying “hmm thats different isn’t it!”, now they flock to me and coo over the brightly coloured buttons and wool I use!
 

 

 

Any plans for the future?

I’m gearing up already for the best Christmas selling season I’ve ever had – getting knitting done early so I’m not clicking away every night in November to make Christmas orders!

And for further into the future, I’d love to open a shop, or own a “button bus” – a campervan which would double as a trading stand for outdoor shows, and my bed for the night!

Oh and I really should get my arse in gear and get on etsy & folksy too – just not enough hours in the day to do it all though!
 

 

 

Any links to Facebook?

www.facebook.com/buttonit.co.uk

 

Blog? etc

blog - http://michellebuttonit.blogspot.com/

website - www.buttonit.co.uk

not on the high street store - http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/buttonit

warkton village craft market - http://warktonvillagecraftmarket.blogspot.com/  &  www.facebook.com/warktonvillagecraftmarket

Anything you'd like to add....

I think i’ve probably said too much already, sorry for waffling, but I am really busy, and really proud of what I do!

 

much love & buttons,

michelle xxx

its been a while!

i have been super busy recently :)

i started a new part time job last week!

something to keep me and my brain active,

and to keep money coming in regularly enough

so i can carry on enjoying making :)

i'm really enjoying it, 

i can fit in crafting time as well as exercise and me time :)

i have been busy making special orders for my Not on the High St customers

such as cards like this one...

with a lovely reading inside...

it really was a pleasure to make :)

i've got some flower cards on their way to my website very soon, 

with a lovely choice of coloured threads

oh and i bought myself some flowers the other day!

gorgeous tulips :) i love them!

you'll be pleased to know my other flowers (of the felt variety) 

are multiplying!

i am busy preparing them for my display at our market on saturday

i really hope people love them as much as i do! :)

this is the board i painted this weekend ready for saturday's market,

i really loved doing it, well, as soon as i'd got started, 

and stopped faffing about what to put where!

i just let it flow :)

i hope it will make a great welcome for our visitors

it adds some of our personality to the already gorgeous village hall :)

(i will remember to take some photos this time!)

we're really looking forward to saturday, we've got some lovely stalls lined up

and i can tell i'm going to be spending some of my new wages before i've even been paid!

if you're local, please pop by,

and if you're not, dont worry, i'll post plenty of piccies, 

and links to sellers websites so you can still see all the gorgeous goodies yourself :)

catch you soon

love & buttons

xxx