The Trials and Tribulations of attending Craft Fairs

I have been doing Craft Fairs for a few years now and am invited to do lots. I generally do them around Christmas as sales are good but recently I have been trying them at other times of the year with mixed results. The last one I attended had no visitors to it and the only sales I made were too other stall holders, thankfully there was no charge for the table you just had to give a percentage of your takings. I don’t think the organizer was very happy as she vanished before the end of the event and we all left without paying her!

It has made me think though about checking events before attending to make sure they are worth doing. So I have compiled a list of questions to ask organizer before saying I will attend and I thought I would share it with you:

Have you run an event like this before?
If yes how many people attended?
Where do you plan to advertise the event?
How much is the table hire?
Do you expect to get a percentage of my takings?
How big are the tables?
How many other stall holders will be attending?
Do you ensure there is no duplication of goods for sale?
Do you expect a raffle prize?
Is there parking nearby?
Is there anyone available to help with unpacking the car?

I’m sure there are more but I think that covers it for now! I hope all the events you attend are profitable for you – Mrs Bath xx

Still confused about doing your tax return?

The dread of the Tax return

About a year ago I did a blog on “Do I need to be self-employed”.  That blog was on the accounts side of things and I am hoping this blog will be more about filling in a tax return for self-employed businesses.

I will set this out as question & answers.   If I do not cover something you wish to know please comment and I will try to help.

Q1. Tax return paper or computer?

At this present time you can still file a paper tax return but they are phasing this out.  I personally would recommend using the Revenue & Customs own software on their website to complete your tax return.  The software works out the tax due for you and you can even pay online.  You will need to register in good time to use this service however.

Q2. How do I register on-line?

To register online is easy.  Just go to the following link and answer the questions.  HMRC will send you a code through the post in about 7 days.  Once you have this you can log onto the online services and pick the services you wish to use.

https://online.hmrc.gov.uk/registration/

Q3. What sections of the tax return should I fill in?

On the first page of the tax return it will ask you to cross the sections that apply to you.  The most common sections are employment and self-employment.  There are two sections for Self-employment.  SA103S is a short version to be filled if your turnover is below £77,000 or SA103F which is a full length version to be filled in if your turnover is £77,000 or more.   If you have more than one business you will need to fill in a separate self-employment page for each business.

The employment section is easily filled in.  All the information you need will be on your P60.  You will only need to fill in your gross wages and the tax deducted, these should be clearly indicated on your P60.  If you have more than one employment you will need to fill in a separate employment page for each one.

There are other sections you may need to fill in.  Like interest received.  You will get this information from your bank accounts.  If it is a joint account remember to split the interest evenly between all account holders.   If you have a number of bank accounts add all the interest together.   If you have received any dividends in the year you will need to put this information on the return.  You will normally receive dividend vouchers showing the information you need.   Pensions, if you receive or pay into a pension you will need to fill this section too.

Make sure you read the form well and that nothing else applies to you.   If you have a refund then remember to fill in your bank details or indicate if you would like to receive a cheque otherwise your refund will be kept on account and go against any future tax payments due.

Q4. How can I pay my tax?

There are a few ways to pay for your tax.  If you fill in your tax return early enough then you will receive a tax calculation through the post with a payment slip attached which will tell you how to pay.  If you do your return online then you can pay online.   You can also pay via standing order or direct debit but unless these are payments made in advanced then interest may be incurred.  The last way is through your coding notice, if you are employed then you can pay the extra tax through your wages or if you have a taxed pension it can be taken from this.   You can pay lump sums off your tax bill at any time you do not have to wait till the deadline to pay your tax bill.

Q5 What are the deadlines?

The deadline for filling a paper return is the 31^st October, to file online is the 31^st January.   If you do not fill the return in by the deadline then you will incur a £100 fine, after 3 months this will increase see line below for details

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/sa/deadlines-penalties.htm

Deadline for tax payments are 31^st January for the first year tax due plus the first payment on account.  After the first year you will have to pay the first payment on account and any balancing payment due by the 31^st January.   The second payment on account is due by the 31^st July.  Payments on account are worked out on the following year’s tax.  So if your tax in 2011/12 being your first year of tax was £100 then in January you would have to pay £100 plus the 1^st payment on account of £50 totalling £150.  In July, the 2^nd payment on account is due and that would be £50.  January 2012/13 your tax due ends up being £200 the Revenue would deduct your payments on account of £100 and ask you for the balance to be paid by 31^st January.  So in January you would pay the balance £100 plus the 1^st payment on account £100, in July the 2^nd payment on account would be due of £100.

Q6. What is overlap relief?

A tax year is from 6^th April to the 5^th April, to make life easier I would try to have a yearend of 31^st March either by starting your business on the 1^st April or by doing a short period on your first tax return, I.e. October 2012 to 31^st March 2013.   The following year would then be 1^st April 2013 to 31^st March 2014.   If you do your accounts as 1^st Oct 2012 to 30^th September 2013 it will be overlapping two tax years then you will need to work out overlap relief.   This means taking out the portion of income and expenses that goes over the year from 6^th April 2013 to 30^th September 2013, this portion will need to be added to the following year’s tax return.   On your first years accounts you will pay tax on the whole period i.e. October to September.  The April to September portion of tax will affectively be paid twice but the overpayment will be carried over year upon year till you cease trading then the tax paid in the first year will come off your tax bill.   There are boxes on the self-employment part of the tax return that you will need to fill in

Well I hope this has been helpful and if you have any questions please comment below.

Mrs Jewels

Can you juggle?

I never thought I’d be able to juggle, catching one ball is hard enough let alone two or three but somehow I have managed to perfect the art even though there isn’t a ball in sight!

I’ve realised that my whole life is spent juggling.

I am a single mum with two teenage boys and I’ve been juggling for years – juggling my three jobs which can sometimes lead to a diary nightmare. I have yet to work out why everyone wants/needs you on the same day and at the same time, take last week for example had three things to do all on the same day at almost the same time! End of May have been invited to three events on the same day, why am I never asked to do something when my diary page is blank? Why do I always have to juggle?

I juggle the children and my boyfriend now that is tricky how do you manage to keep them all happy? Same problem - they all seem to need/want me at the same time.

I juggle shopping, house work, homework and gardening! That can get messy, especially while bath bomb making!

Then there’s my sisters and my friends oh and must not forget my lovely Dad they all need juggling too sometimes I think I should be an octopus! I do wonder if they realise they are often up in the air so as to speak or do they juggle too?

Mrs Bath

Do I need to register as self-employed?

I have noticed reading some of the network pages on Facebook that a lot of questions come up about what to do when you want to start selling your craft. Well I am hoping to answer some of those questions in this blog.

I am a Certified accounts technician and associate member of the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers. I have worked in chartered accountants for almost 10 years and for the last 5 have been a self-employed bookkeeper. However I must say any advice given to you by your accountant or the tax office should be listened to.

I will set this out as question & answers. If I do not cover something you wish to know please comment and I will try to help.

Q1. Do I need to set-up as a business if I wish to sell my craft?

Yes. As soon as you are actively trying to sell your craft you should set-up as self-employed within 3 months or you could end up with £100 fine. This applies even if you do not sell anything you just need to be looking for sales.

Q2. How do I set-up a business?

Firstly you need to decide what type of business you want or need to set-up.

If you are unsure as to what type of business i.e. self-employed, partnership or Limited company then you should see an accountant to advise you.

If you wish to set-up as a Limited company, I would again employ an accountant to help you complete this process.

Setting up as a sole trader or partnership will mean registering with the Inland Revenue. You can do this by filling in an online form.

https://online.hmrc.gov.uk/shortforms/form/CWF1ST?dept-name=CWF1&sub-dept-name=&location=40&origin=http://www.hmrc.gov.uk
Once you have registered, the Inland revenue will send you a UTR (Unique Tax Reference) this is a 10 digit number that you will need to have for any correspondence with the revenue. I would also urge you to register for the online services so you can fill in your return online. This link gives you all the information on doing this:

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/sa/understand-online.htm
Q3. Do I need to register with Companies House?

There is no need to register with Companies House as a sole-trader or partnership. However it is a good exercise to check the name of your business with Companies House. This is free and easy to do. No registration is required. Just pop your business name in the box and click search:

http://wck2.companieshouse.gov.uk//wcframe?name=accessCompanyInfo
Q4. Do I have to register for VAT?

No. You will only need to register once your income reaches £77,000 in a 12 month period. There is more information on this on the Inland Revenue website:

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/vat/start/register/when-to-register.htm
Q5. Do I need to pay NI?

If you are self-employed you need to pay class 2 national insurance this is £2.65 a week (2012/13). You register for National insurance when you register for tax. However if you earn less than £5,595 per year (2012-13) you might not need to pay. You can apply for a Certificate of Small Earnings Exception and not pay Class 2 National Insurance contributions: http://search2.hmrc.gov.uk/kb5/hmrc/forms/view.page?record=yKpjabZqCc8&formid=433
You will pay class 4 National insurance on your tax return and you will still pay your class 1 National Insurance via your PAYE.

Q6. How do I keep Accounts?

You should keep a record of all your sales and all your expenses. The sales less your expenses gives you the profit. The Inland Revenue works out the amount of tax you owe them from this profit figure.

Expenses can be anything that has been incurred in the process of selling your product.

List of expenses:-

Materials used

Postage

Packaging

Stationery

Parking

Electricity used (usually a reasonable portion of your household bill)

Internet costs (usually a reasonable portion of your household bill)

Phone (usually a reasonable portion of your household bill)

Storage used for business

Stall

Protective clothing

Equipment / Tools

There are many more depending on your business but these are just an example.

The best way of keeping track of your expenses is to keep all your receipts. List them in date order on a spreadsheet. A computer program is best, as you can then set the software up to calculate the totals, but if you prefer to use a book. You can get cash books from a stationers that are set out to help you keep track of your accounts. You do not need to have a business bank account as a sole trader but I personally think it is a good idea, that way everything is separate and if the Inland Revenue ever want to look through your accounts they can see from the bank statement what has been happening. If you misplace a receipt do not worry or miss it out of your accounts. As long as you have put it in your spreadsheet the Inland Revenue will accept this. Also if you have paid on card it will appear on the statement.

Well I hope this has been helpful and if you have any questions please comment below.



Mrs Jewels

Wrapped In Colour

Wrapped In Colour

OK so now you can start thinking about Christmas!

I’m no Grinch but my local supermarket was selling Mince Pies just after the children went back to school, seriously the sun was still shining and Christmas was the furthest thing from my mind. If I’d started buying Mince Pies then I’d be the size of a house by now, there is no way they would last until 25th September let alone 25th December.

I personally don’t think about Christmas until after Bonfire Night, there are so many things to enjoy in the autumn before the mad panic when the realisations that lack of planning means the bank balance will barely survive the coming onslaught.

What is there to enjoy pre Christmas? Well first the joy of the end of the summer break and if like me you have to work during the school holidays that brings the relief of no longer having to juggle childcare and work, then we can look forward to all those autumnal treats, the beautiful colours of the trees, the crisp mornings, Halloween and Trick and Treating – very American I know but the children love it so why not indulge them? Then my favourite thing Fireworks it seems such a shame that this activity isn’t done throughout the month of November rather than just one day! I know not everyone will agree especially those with nervous animals but a clear sky filled with colour is a wonder to behold.

But now that is over we can think about Christmas, deciding which relatives to visit, gifts to buy, menus to plan and presents to wrap! Not forgetting to send cards to remind those friends you have been too busy to see all year that you do still exist and remember it’s a time to celebrate and enjoy your family, sit back and take a few days to relax before you start working on that New Year’s resolution list!

Why do I always have so many lists?

Ok so I am getting older – aren’t we all? But my poor brain is getting so full that things often slip out of it, how do I solve this problem? I make a list! The only problem is these are getting slightly out of hand I now have so many lists I need a list to keep track of them.

I have a list in my kitchen for shopping, things I’ve run out of, things the children have asked for to have for dinner, things I’ve seen on TV and think I fancy trying that.

Then there’s my to do list - phones calls, housework (how can I forget to do that?), letters to answer, emails to reply to, birthdays and bills to pay.

I also have a Caroline’s Creations list – orders to make, ideas to try and things to buy (you all know about my ice cube tray obsession!)

Then there’s the list I have at work well actually I usually have two lists, things I really must do today and things I really must do soon.

Oh and I nearly forgot, sometimes I have one by my bed for things that keep me awake, I lie there worrying I’ll have forgotten them by the morning so I write them down.

Some of them are written on the back of an old bill or letter but some of them have their own little note pads, some plain but one is really pretty!

I googled list making obsession and the results were varied including it’s an ok thing to do to I have OCD – lol! Anyone who knows me will not believe that!

But I think I should try and calm my list making but how? Maybe I should make a list of suggestions?

Help me please!

Mrs Bath

Crafting With Children

Having two young children - 4 and 3 years - it is difficult to find the time to get some sewing done. I love sewing on the daytime due to the natural day light and the fact that I am not as tired as once the kids are in bed. But finding the time to do it is like guessing the winning lottery numbers!

If the children are at preschool it is great, I can get it done then, but I still have to get it all packed away before I pick them up. Or if Daddy is off and home and they are all playing together I can get on then. I get about 5 minutes of sewing in peace before either one or both of them come in to

A) complain that the other one is being horrible to them

B) Want something to eat, despite having only just eaten a big meal

C) See what I am doing as they are missing me!

Once they are in my sewing room aka the dining room/their playroom they are suddenly fascinated in all my stuff, my 4 year old son wanting to know what everything does, what it is called, if it is dangerous and what I am making whilst my 3 year daughter is asking if I am making her anything, if not is it for friends and then diving head first into my fabric boxes to see what "beautiful fabric for my babies" I have and then starts pulling it out and telling me that I need to use that to make something for her babies.

By this time I have steam coming out of my ears and am practically shouting "DON'T TOUCH, DON'T TOUCH, GET YOUR HANDS OFF, NOOOOOOOOO" whilst my husband is still oblivious to the fact that the children are hassling me and daring to touch my equipment!

If I do manage to get more than 5 minutes to sew I then start to get the inevitable 'mummy guilt', despite the fact that the children are happy and occupied with what they are doing I still feel guilty that I am not entertaining them and doing stuff with them, despite them and me knowing that I am working to pay for their treats and days out as well as contributing towards the household bills!

So once I have finished the nightly marathon of getting them into bed and making them stay there (bedtime has completely gone out of the window thanks to the Olympics and the summer holidays!), been on Facebook AGAIN to do my networking it is far too late to get the machine out as I am far too tired and the light is not great. So I will definitely find that hour to do it tomorrow... Maybe give the children a bowl of fruit and tell them there is there food, play nicely and I will give lots of cuddles when I am done.... Could work, stranger things have happened!

Mrs Fabric

You are not on Facebook AGAIN are you?

Having a business page on Facebook is not easy, having a Facebook page and a partner/family is impossible! To make a business page work hours and hours of dedicated networking and self promotion is needed.

Many an evening or afternoon if the children are out/occupied is spent on Facebook networking and promoting my page which causes the now well known phrase in our house "You aren't on Facebook AGAIN are you?" from my husband to be said over and over or "you still doing your work mummy? I want to play a game on your iPad!" from the children.

What looks to the uninitiated as just spending time chatting and socialising on Facebook (which ok hands up, we do a lot of over at the Village), is actually us working and actively promoting our work. Visiting networking page after networking page to promote our makes, get more likes and interact with other page owners and potential customers takes time. Always having to be professional on these pages means replies have to be thought out and sound/look correct, after all you are reaching a huge audience and every single one of them is a potential customer. First impressions and all that...

Although I have met many good friends through networking my business page on Facebook, believe me when I say that I would rather be sat at my sewing machine creating or fulfilling orders rather than being on Facebook AGAIN, but without the networking and self promotion where would the sales come from? Facebook is fast becoming the place to sell your items, getting a much bigger footfall than craft fairs so you need to be in there getting yourself known.

Until I earn enough from my business to employ a PA to do all my Facebook networking I am sorry husband, but yes, "I am on Facebook AGAIN!"

Mrs Fabric   

https://www.facebook.com/TheCraftyholicsVillage

It Changed My Life!

Crafty is what I have always been called amongst my close friends and ‘Linda will be able to use it or make it’ is an all too familiar phrase. To a certain extent this is true, I do see a use in most things fabric, and I will have a go, although not always successfully, at making anything. The problem is that once you start making things, and in particular quilts, you are always on a quest for something different, and these ‘lightbulb’ moments can happen at the most unexpected moment of an ordinary day.

The most recent inspiration happened when my son and daughter in law moved into their new house. We went to see it, before any furniture had been installed, and yes the architraves and light fittings were beautiful, the fireplaces were ‘period’ and the staircase was fantastic. However, the thing that jumped up and shook me was the floor. You might have guessed it wasn’t wooden, lino, cushion flooring, and no it wasn’t carpet. It was an original Edwardian Mosaic Floor. I could see stars, squares, triangles and rectangles – a perfect quilt block! I have bought the fabrics and intend to make either door stops or cushion covers (or both!).

I am not a person who very often sits in front of the tv to watch a film. If I do I am always sewing or knitting or crocheting to keep busy. Westerns have been a pet hate of mine for as long as I can remember. Not anymore!!! My war cry is ‘QUILT ALERT’, and with sketch book at hand I draw out the block from a 5 second flash that appeared on a bed in a log cabin in a 1950’s film (colour if I am lucky). My family now help me spot quilts in films. Mary Poppins and Nanny McFee I think have both got examples, but Downton Abbey, Larkrise to Candleford, Upstairs Downstairs have all – I am pretty sure – display fine examples.

I think the strangest time I noticed this happening around me – not to me this time – was in a restaurant in Birmingham. My friend and I had been staying at a hotel while visiting the NEC Festival of Quilts. We had spent two days looking at beautiful quilts, spending copious amounts of money on goodies from the hundreds of traders, buying books with new patterns and generally being overwhelmed by the designs, craftsmanship and variety of quilts. We were eating breakfast. I noticed a group of ladies sit down at the table behind us. They got comfortable and started talking as you would expect. Then it happened. They all got their cameras out and started pointing. Trying not to stare I followed the direction of their stares. It was the floor – again! This time it was the carpet! Circles, lines, oblongs, triangles squares, different colours. We all photographed the carpet with the full intention of making a quilt with the pattern. So quilting and patchwork has changed my life, I now watch westerns – much to family’s amusement – and wonder now if you will too. I also walk looking the floor far too often for my own safety!

If you find yourself shouting ‘QUILT ALERT’ think of me x

Mrs Goose x

From a Piece of Fabric to a Blanket

The journey from being a lonely roll of fabric in a shop to a part

of a patchwork blanket is long and time consuming.

Decide on the colour and theme of the blanket.

Go through all the boxes, cupboards and shelves of fabric I have in

the house before deciding:

a) they aren't quite right for what I want,

b) they are too nice to cut up,

c) I need to buy some more.

Head off to the shops feeling like a kid at Christmas and buy the

fabric I need plus plenty more I didn't realise I did! I then have

to try and sneak the extra fabric into the house without hubby seeing

or the kids telling tales on me to my husband!

Send the kids off to bed nice and early despite their protesting so

I can get the said fabric out and begin cutting. Then the fun begins

by spending an hour wishing I had paid more attention in maths when

we were using protractors whilst trying to work out how to use my

quilting ruler. Once the air is nice and blue I work out how to use

it and begin cutting, rotary cutter permitting! Many a time mid

cutting a rotary cutter blade has bent, become blunt or the whole

thing breaks - I really should bite the bullet and buy a more

expensive one a it will save me money long term! As the pile of

fabric squares begin to grow so does my imagination, mentally placing

the squares in order ready to sew. After an hour or two of back

breaking cutting I finally have enough, plus extra to start making.

With relief the cutting matt, rulers and rotary cutter is put away

and I can begin to play!

Although the blankets I make appear random I spend a good few hours

playing with the squares until it feels and looks right. Again this

is all done in stages:

Clear and re clean the table,

Fully extend the table and clean the middle,

Pile up the squares into matching piles,

Look at all the different fabrics and visualise it in my head,

Check how many rows and columns I need,

Place the first one,

Look again at all the squares,

Choose a square that compliments the first one - either similar

shades, lighter/darker, complimenting colours and feels right,

Place it,

Look again at the squares,

Repeat process until all the required squares are in place,

Step back and look at the full layout,

Take a picture,

Realise it doesn't look quite right so start moving a few squares,

Take a picture,

Still not happy with it so rearrange again,

Take another photo,

Repeat above steps another two or three times,

End up with a layout very similar to the first one,

Step back, look at it,

Yes, it looks and feels right (hey it is the same as the first bar 2

or 3 squares but I need to be sure!),

Take a picture,

Begin to pin,

Stick a post it note on the top of each pile stating wherein comes

in the blanket - top left square, top row, left hand side 2nd row

down etc,

Clear the table,

Get the sewing machine out and set up,

Get extra equipment out,

Begin sewing,

Finish sewing 2-3 hours later depending on size of blanket,

Iron,

Take another picture,

Cut backing,

Pin in place,

Sew it on,

turn the right way round,

Seal,

Iron,

Take completed picture,

Admire it,

Email customer to let them know it is completed,

Tidy away,

Get a glass of wine to celebrate!

Post the item,

Wait in anticipation to hear the customer has received the item and

likes/loves it,

Big sigh of relief when they do,

Stick a picture and their review on your business page for others to

see and read.

So the journey from a piece of fabric in the shop to bring part of a

beautiful patchwork quilt is long, time consuming and well thought

out. So when you see a handmade blanket for sale, balk at the price

- "£70 for a single blanket?!" think of this - if I were to pay

myself £10 an hour, you would be paying more than £70 for my labour!

At this price I am getting only a third of it for my labour!

Mrs Fabric

Upcycling.........

I love things that are upcycled and I hate waste. I love to cook and garden but most of all I love to sew. Not clothes, although I have the deepest respect for those that can make their own clothes. No, I love making bags. I dabble in other sewing bits but mostly I make bags. I love vintage and retro fabrics and try to use them wherever I can. If I can't find (or afford) any lovely vintage or retro then I will use remnants or bits of fabric donated by friends and family.

Sew (that was a play on words, did you get that?) why bags? You ask. Let’s just pretend you did ok? A few years ago a small town Westcountry town, let’s call it Modbury because that’s its name, banned carrier bags. The local supermarket reckoned that on an average day it gave away 1000 plastic carriers. A wildlife photographer who lived locally, launched a campaign which was enthusiastically embraced by all 43 local traders and now if you buy comestibles in Modbury, you will not be offered a plastic carrier bag. It is a plastic bag free zone. Even the local florist uses biodegradable sheets and raffia instead of cellophane & ribbon.

While most supermarkets accept bags back for re-cycling, a lot of plastic bags still end up in landfill or worse still, in hedgerows or floating in the sea. It is reported that plastic bag litter kills over 100,000 seabirds, dolphins, seals, whales and turtles every year*. Now, this really struck a chord with me and I started upcycling used fabrics into pretty re-usable market bags. Re-using fabrics keeps textiles out of landfill and is definitely a whole other blog subject.

Well, one thing leads to another as we all know and the more bag patterns I found the more I wanted to make. It has got to the stage where I mentally unpick a lady’s bag as I follow her down the street. I’m not even discreet. I hasten to add that unpicking a bag should not be confused with the ‘Artful Dodger’ style of ‘picking a (bag) or two’. ‘Bagging’ has become my obsession and it might sound a little unsavoury, but I can assure you, in this context, it really is quite harmless

*Ban the Plastic bag- A community Action Plan by Rebecca Hoskings

Butter...you spread it on your bread

But did you know you can also use it to make body products? Not cow’s milk butter silly that would be far too weird though I expect it has some good skin healing properties... I might have to Google that later.

The butters I use are naturally sourced, hard vegetable fat obtained from kernels (nuts) of plants that are usually solid at room temperature. Some occur naturally and can be obtained straight from the plant, such as cocoa, mango, and Shea. Others are obtained by first cold processing the fruit then refining them, these include coffee, hemp and macadamia. The resulting oil leaves behind natural waxes and fatty fractions that contain vitamins and moisturising properties and when blended with oil they produce a butter.

Some of the butters can be used alone and will melt on contact with the skin – Shea butter is an example of this and I often use it in this form on my youngest son’s legs when his eczema is playing up but some butters that are harder such as cocoa have to be melted and blended before they can be used. I use them in bath melts, balms and bath bombs.

Under EU regulations all producers of handmade bath and body products have to hold the correct documentation (I won’t bore you with all the details but it is worth checking with any company you buy from) and the ingredients have to be written on the product using their Latin names. Very confusing and how can you tell which butters are being used?

Here’s a short list for you to use to check what butter is in your body butter;

Aloe Barbadensis – Aloe butter which is extracted from aloe vera and combined with coconut oil (cocos nucifera), this butter is very soft so can be applied directly to the skin where it will melt on contact. The butter is very good for treating dehydrated or sunburnt skin, eczema and psoriasis.

Persea Gratissima – Avocado butter is a rich soft butter is obtained from crushing the flesh of an avocado fruit; it is rich in vitamins A, B1, B2, D and E. It provides a wonderfully nourishing and hydrating treatment with natural sunscreen properties. It melts very easily and it beneficial for dry skin and also for damaged hair.

Theobroma Cacao – one of the most common and versatile butters, cocoa butter is the fatty component of chocolate, need I say any more? It is a fairly hard butter and is used in many cosmetic products. It is known to provide a protective barrier to retain moisture in your skin; it is also a source of natural antioxidants which help ease dry skin.

Coffea Arabica – a light brown butter with a delicious roasted coffee aroma it is made from hydrogenated coffee bean oil. It offers a natural protection from the sun and is excellent at moisture retention. It makes a fabulous lip balm and body butter.

Macadamia Ternifolia – this butter is made by combining natural waxes and hydrogenated oils from the macadamia nut. It is a highly absorbent, moisturizing and nourishing butter providing excellent skin protection.

Mangifera indica – obtained from the fruit kernels of the mango tree. The butter is used for many applications including treating dry, sunburnt skin, providing protection from the sun and treating rough skin, scars, wrinkles, eczema and dermatitis.

Olea europea – obtained from cold pressed olives with all the legendary properties of olive oil. It has a low melting point and can be used on it’s own, massaged directly into the skin, or added to balms, body butters, bath bombs and soaps.

Butyrospernum parkii – this naturally rich and creamy butter is obtained from the fruit of the African karate tree. Shea butter is highly emollient, rich in nutrients and has great anti aging and moisturising properties. It is used to diminish the appearance of skin scars including scars, stretch marks, burns, rashes and eczema.

Ooh what lovely natural skin delights there are. I hope after reading this you will pick up the current skin cream that you are using and see if any of these gorgeous ingredients are in it!

Here’s to natural happy skin!

Mrs Bath

I am going to make a quilt!

I am a quilter and a patchworker, so I am going to make a quilt. 

I have fabrics, of course, and I keep them in a kind of order. Fat quarters, smaller than fat quarters, scraps. Oh and I have a Christmas box, a denim box, a  box of plains, a box of shirtings, a box of  boys’ metres and a box of girls’ metres. (I won’t mention the ‘special’ box with fabrics in which I am collecting for ‘special’ projects.) .........and don’t ask about the wadding and the fleece!!

So, where do I start?  I have a pattern in mind.  It needs a couple of metres of fabric, a few fat quarters, bit of this, bit of that.  So I start to go through my fabrics and pull out the ones which I think would work, and put them on the table.  This of course is no easy task, because as I am going through my boxes, I find fabric I had totally forgotten about, start reminiscing where it was bought, how much it cost, who gave it to me, what did I buy it for originally..........

Three hours later, I have a pile of fabric on my table. It is actually a remarkably small pile because as I have gone through my vast collection  the phrases ‘no I can’t use that’, ‘no I like that too much to put in a quilt I am going to sell’, ‘no that’s one of my favourites (this piece usually has holes cut from it and is actually no good for anything anymore, but I still can’t part with it), ‘no, that’s too girly’, ‘no that’s too boyish’ ‘no I have never liked that, whatever possessed me to buy that in the first place?’ So I am left with a small but hopefully adequate pile of fabrics and I settle down to work out the pattern. 

Recently most of my quilts have been made up by me, I have drawn them out roughly in my design book, and then transfer them onto graph paper.  If it is a commission I regularly post photos on my page of how things are going, the fabrics I have finally chosen – well probably chosen – all for the clients approval.  I colour in the chart according to the fabrics I have chosen and gradually build up a picture of how the quilt will look.  This is when the problems start. All the fabrics are fine except one piece – it just doesn’t ‘fit’, it’s the wrong shade, it’s just not right. I just need a piece of fabric in a certain shade of a certain colour to finish off the design of this quilt.

After another 3 hours, going through the boxes all over again, even looking into the Christmas box in case I put some in there ‘by mistake’ (this ends in disaster because I realise I need more Christmas fabrics). I actually even look into my special fabrics – do you realise just what a sacrifice this is?  Nothing. Not one piece of fabric in the whole of my stash will do.  Not a single, solitary piece. What am I going to do?

I am going fabric shopping because I NEED this specific piece of fabric, nothing else will do, the quilt won’t work without it, so I have to go, besides, I need more Christmas fabric to don’t I?

Mrs Goose x

My jewellery making started about a year ago now when I saw a bracelet I really liked on Neighbours (I know, I know its my guilty pleasure!).   I started to have a look around to see if I could get something similar, when I happened upon a memory wire bracelet making kit and thought hay I could give it a go.   Well that was it, I was hooked.

I bought some books and watched youtube videos on the different techniques and the different types of jewellery.   I bought some beads, well when I say some I mean loads.  They do normally come in big packs!   Then I practised making jewellery for myself at first, then my lovely Mother-in-law wanted something to go with a dress for a wedding and she couldn't find anything in the shops.  So she   asked if I could make something.   I loved that, making jewellery to fit an outfit as well as to the persons tastes.

After that I set up a Facebook site hoping to be able to make custom jewellery for other people.  I came across the Jewellery Making channel on TV which I got addicted to.   It has so many ideas on how to use different shaped gem stones and that’s how I moved from just glass beads to real gem stones.   Sometimes I wish I had never found the channel as gem stones are so much more expensive!    I have had to go cold turkey since my 15 month old son has gotten into TV, but I still have a sneaky peak every now and then!

I must say jewellery making is never going to make me rich, I still make mostly for friends and family but I don't mind.   Its so nice to see something I have made being worn!

Mrs Jewels

Confessions of a Craftyholic

It’s official, if there was a law against crafting, hands up I would HAVE TO break the law!...in fact you would have to lock me up in a nut house and tie me up in the nice warm white jacket, handcuff or give me serious prescription drugs to knock me out! ‘cos I WOULD compulsively have to make something …anything to stop the twitching, otherwise I would be doodling, designing, reading and generally ‘putting stuff together/ or apart’ either physically or mentally.

I am officially away for the week with t’other ‘arf AKA his Nibbs (H N) and princess Dizzy dog (PD)…I have brought 2 x reading books and a crossword book, a ‘small selection’ of crafting items in a basket (to play with ‘cos I know there is something called the Foot Ball on TV… - two x four letter words to me … but I digress) along with the foot ball and a shed load of other sports on TV at this time of year H N will be glued to the closest one!...he will be transfixed like he has been transfixed by the snake in Disney’s ‘Jungle Book’…I’ll be honest a complete tribe of alluring Vestal virgins bobbing past dancing with all those floating veils, would not distract him…so even though me & PD are prepared to be sports widows we trail along hoping for some respite with fellow sufferers ehem, hoping them to be fellow crafters, sometimes taking something portable.

This is not all gloom and doom because the upside of this is that it triggers the ‘guilt card’ into action! Yeaaaah ….sooo this means that between matches I am able to spend as long as I like in book shops, craft shops and charity shops. In fact he is positively brimming with questions for the locals, as regards the nearest craft shop! Only problem is the local craft shop is already full of crafted stuff, and although I love ALL things crafty, and it is great seeing other people’s stuff…my hands are itching to get hold of some more items for my moderately small stash, as this is not getting my mojo going! So it is a trip to ‘hobby craft’ and to ‘the range’, including a series of visits to charity shops for some fab craft books and I now think I have sated my appetite (for the moment at least!)

Anyway tomorrow is ‘Fathers day’ and I cannot, not celebrate it for HN…- even I’m not that mean, contrary to popular belief!...and besides, there will be sport of some kind on TV later…n we are coming home Monday…I don’t have to navigate home!

Mrs Bee

Shirt Buttons!

Isn’t it funny that over the years I’ve laughed at friends when they’ve complained about leaky loos and having a plumber for a husband or a decorator who never gets round to hanging that wallpaper at home.

These poor men have been the butt of our jokes for years and the reason for many a girlie chat over coffee.  But AARRGGH I seem to have become one of them!!!!!

If you ask my children and  family about my creations  and  sewing abilities  they will become sales reps  immediately raving  about them and  urging anyone and everyone to buy them . Does that make me proud? You bet it does!

But...........

Ask them about general repairs ie holes, tears, frayed cuffs, missing buttons etc and the story changes.

I become the most useless person ever and always forget the simplest of repairs.  A simple shirt button takes 5 minutes to replace.   A dress takes 3 days to cut, pin etc  

It has been known for me to take 3 weeks to replace a button!!!!

My son’s school trousers ripped and it took him a week of asking me to repair them and him eventually plonking them on my lap for them to be repaired.

Is it just me or are there others who overlook basic repairs because being creative is more interesting?

Right enough said I really must find those shirt buttons………………………………………………………………………..ooooh that’s  nice  wonder what I can make  from that?

Mrs Knitwit

Handmade. What does it mean to you?

There are so many questions that surround it, questions that you may or may not be able to answer.


Why are the majority of people sceptical about handmade items, do they hesitate to buy at craft fairs, reply with sharp straight to the point answers when you announce your price, does their expression look slightly shocked? 


I personally believe this is because it doesn’t say ‘made in China/Taiwan’. It wasn’t until I started making that I realised so much more went into an item. The hours and cost etc. I am a member of a lovely craftyholics group and we post the trials and tribulations of crafting and everyday non related stresses. 


It was a member that received a shocked reply about the cost of one of her items that prompted me to write this blog. It made me realise that some people just do not understand the prices of handmade items. It was the same day that my other half was disgusted at an item I had purchased for £25.00 – it was fully handmade right down to the little hat.

It’s quite obvious that we come up with a price suitable for the handmade item whether it be £20, £60 etc. We do this because we know the history behind the item, we do not mass produce, we do not have people that work for peanuts and we do not have robot machines to do everything for us.

What are the other factors that seem to put people off?

Where did it all begin ......

My earliest memory of crafting is when I was at primary school. In the 50’s and early 60’sewing was still a strict boy/girl divide in the classroom and I have no memory of any boys sewing with us – if they had it would have seemed very ‘odd’ to me. I made the traditional embroidered binca needle case and remember starting to knit a royal blue tea cosy which was never finished because I wasn’t considered good enough at knitting (oh how I would love to meet that teacher now).

When I was about 9 I got one of the best Christmas presents ever, a sewing machine and that was it, I was hooked. I played with bits of my mother’s scrap bag sewing them together and making blankets and simple clothes for my dollies. I thought I was wonderful, and my friends were very impressed with the machine. I still tried to knit, but just couldn’t get it right. I had now become aware that my grandmother – who lived with us and was very, very old! – could crochet and made beautiful doilies, my mother made clothes for me and for my dolls on her electric machine (very scary) and I just trundled along messing about with fabric, felt and binca.

My first day at secondary school arrived. It was an all girls school so no woodwork or metalwork, just cookery and needlework, but the sewing machines were electric. I couldn’t use one until I had made my school apron and cap, and embroidered my name on the apron too and then I was off! I never looked back from that point on, and at the same time, I learned to knit. Crocheting in the playground became fashionable when I was 14 and I became one of the ‘elite’ group who could. (Hold up stockings were also the most important accessory along with a crochet hook – there were still no cheaply available tights!) I sailed through my GCE Needlework with an A pass and went on to take A level, but that’s when it all went wrong. I loved sewing, designing, creating .... but I hated the reading, research and exams. Consequently I failed .... or did I? I was knitting 4 ply layettes, jumpers for myself, crocheting and knitting baby blankets. When my children came along I recycled clothes to make shorts and trousers for them, and knitted nearly all their winter jumpers. Fancy dress costumes, school play costumes were all made at home. I discovered patchwork, card making, and dabbled in any craft I could lay my hands on. While working as a Teacher’s Assistant I made the entire caste from Biff Chip and Kipper in rag dolls for a wall display, dressed my class of 32 plus 3 other classes in costumes for a 60’s production. By now, friends realised I had a ‘habit’ and any fabric they found at the back of the cupboard they ‘donated’ to the cause!

So where did it all begin? Well when my mum died 4 years ago, I read one of her journals; in it I discovered I am a fourth generation quilter. My great grandmother was born in about 1870, my grandmother 1890, my mother 1917 and myself in 1956. My daughter has taken up the mantle I am pleased to say and enjoys sewing and crafting so the 5th generation is already on her way. So I think it’s ‘in my genes’ and something I am only too pleased to pass on! (My granddaughter is 2, and I am waiting ‘til the time is right!!)

Mrs Goose