Tuesday, November 30, 2010

End of term and exams...


So the end of term is ever moving closer and this week is exams. My poor students!

So far, so good and some real surprises (nice ones) over some of the grades :)

But because the day job is (yet again) taking over my life (so much for a part time job!) I haven´t been able to be crafty or get sewing! boo! Only just about able keep up to date with orders! So I promise over my next weekend (when I get a long bank holiday - yay!) I will bring you all up to date with my shenanigans!

Until then! Have a nice week guys and girls! x

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Self promotion....


So....as you all know, my gingerbread MEN have been all around the world and flown out of my shop! and after a suggestion by a friend of mine...I made the lovely gingerbread MRS :) She doesn´t ever seem to get as much limelight as she deserves...until now!
The lovely Nina from Finland has included them in her blog :)
and this blog as well by a place for twiggs :) www.aplacefortwiggs.blogspot.com
OH! and Happy Thanksgiving America! x

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Good Morning Starshine...the world says hello!


Good morning world! So today is the day the schools inspector goes and we can all breath a little better. I took my horrible class yesterday as well. although they still made snide comments and questioned me at every turn....I did good. I have decided that class has to be purely a business decision to do - I do not enjoy it but we need the money! ;)
Luckily I had my 4-5´s last night, who although were hyper....always make me smile and I get the added bonus of free cuddles! :)
The shop has been dead all week. I shouldn´t complain as I am managing to somewhat catch up with all these custom orders! But now I am having a ribbon dilema....I have nearly ran out of gingham ribbon and although I have ordered 15 metres of it over the internet, the post has been so slow recently and I just can´t trust it. I have been everywhere I know to try and source more...but no luck! Whats a girl to do?
Fingers crossed I get lucky and it comes today! I am however, expecting my new Moo Business cards today :) Same design for christmas...but I ran out of the others I have been that busy! :)
I have been cracking on with my Christmas shopping too! :) I have nearly bought everything...just a couple of really big things to buy and I am almost there! My favourite present is for my niece Lola, but then she is the perfect girlie girl and having an auntie who is the same....(moi) it is super easy to buy for her! I can´t wait to see her face when she opens them! :)
Well....I better get on with these custom orders! Happy Wednesday everyone! (nearly the weekend!) x

Monday, November 22, 2010

Oh to be a cat....


...and have no worries. Spend your day dozing away, getting up to eat or to just move a inch further into the sunshine ;) Lucky cats!
This is a picture of Milo this morning who generally, each morning will come and lay like this happily purring away next to me while I work at "shop" - either convo-ing people, answering queries, updating orders or such like.
I have an exceptionally busy week this week. Lots of orders to get out by Friday, an Ofsted/Quality control man in work for the first half of the week (meaning...observation!) and a particulary difficult class to try and get back to a controlable level. So if the week fairy approached me and asked me if I would like to rub out this week and skip along merrily to next week I would jump at the chance...but considering I haven´t ever seen the week fairy, I think my chances are rather slim! :) lol
So here´s to positive thinking and having a productive and positive Monday!

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Thank goodness for tea!




So, very cleverly this morning I locked myself out the house. Even more clever than that I managed to leave my mobile in the house too! and to totally top it all off...it was raining! :) lol

Thankfully and unbeknown to me, I have very nice neighbours (who before this I had seen maybe once or twice in the hallway of the apartment block) and they came to my rescue whilst I was sitting outside the apartment on the floor! :) They took me in, got me to ring my boyfriend at work and then duely drove me to his work to pick up the other set of keys. How nice was that?

So I now know that José and Mari, my lovely neighbours are indeed that...lovely neighbours! :)


I managed to photograph this lavender heart before the commotion :) lol although my camera is blurring a lot these days so I need to have a technical play with it I think. That or ask the boyfriend to sort it out ;) and I am aiming on creating something new today. I have a mountain of orders to do but they can wait till tomorrow when I have a full on sewing day...today is cleaning, washing and creating day :)
Happy Saturday! x

Thursday, November 18, 2010

I know I am poorly when....


...I go to bed early with no tea, (I eat a lot...so not eating is a real sign I am unwell).

It appears I have been buring the candle at both ends (what with the shop being as busy as it has been the last few weeks) and working "part-time" as an English teacher, (I say "part-time" as I am in EVERY morning and EVERY evening...go figure..). I was violently sick yesterday after lunch, which unfortunately seems to becoming something of a habit....and then cleaned myself up and went to work. I should have however, rang in and not gone in as I really wasn´t well. Let´s see what today brings....



On the positive side however I may have been burning the candle at both ends...but I have caught up with a lot of orders and even started designing some new stock :) That´s the best bit...designing the new stock ;) I am awaiting a button, ribbon and brooch bar delivery...once they arrive I´ll be one even happier bunny! :) I am aiming to finish orders this weekend and then have at least half a day to myself where I can freely create or just chill out....depends on which mood takes me.....I´m guessing the creative mood will win over ;)

Happy Friday everyone! x

Monday, November 15, 2010

Orders...orders....orders...


I
I got an order from a work friend to customize one of my blue cupcake magnets, for her sister (see photo) and I think they look quite cute! I might make some up for friends and family for Christmas! :)

There´s a gingerbread frenzy! I have three big orders of gingerbread men and women to make up before the month is out...I´m talking 71+ gingerbreadmen and women to hand sew!!! I am going to be a busy bunny! Luckily I have a couple of hours inbetween classes today so I can crack on with a few...


Happy Tueday everyone! :)

Milo...




Milo made me smile today :) I was packing orders in the studio and he decided he would get into the washing basket and make himself comfy! lol

The funniest thing was that when I got the camera out to take a photo he kept batting it, like he was embarrassed :D
hee hee
Silly kitty!

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Welcome to the world Charlie!!!


My nephew was born this morning! 9lbs and 2ounces big! I am totally in love with him already and we haven´t even met yet! :) Being in Spain and them being in the UK, I can´t meet him till Christmas...which is a killer....but look at that gorgeous boy! Every second I have to wait will be more than worth it!
Welcome to the world Charlie Matthew Edward Boyle :) The 14th November will never be the same again!

Friday, November 12, 2010

Strange day...a mentally disturbed woman started a fight with me....


...I have to add...she won! :) lol

No, seriously, a woman approached me and got very cross and distressed when I told her "I´m sorry, I don´t smoke". All in all she showed herself to be disturbed and ran away when I opened my bag. Very strange and very random, made more scary in a foreign country and a foreign language!
So, I uploaded this image of my bitten gingerbreadman...this is how I feel right now! :) lol thankfully now, however, I am back home, safe and sound and with wine! I rang my mum (good old supermum to the rescue), had a cry, had a moan and feel much better! Unfortunately though, this has made me loose a few hours pulling myself together when I should have been sewing orders! Hey ho...tomorrow and Sunday will be busy days! :) The shop is doing well at the moment and I am on the verdge of turning away work (something I REALLY; REALLY never want to do) because I have been unindated. I´ll just have to make these fingers sew faster!
Hope your all having a lovely Friday! Happy weekend everyone! x

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Holidays are coming....Holidays are coming...


Yay! to Christmas! This is my newest item on my shop :) www.samsshenanigans.etsy.com
The shop has been manic this month (even bigger Yay!) people are obviously starting their shopping early! 3 nearly 4 (currently convo-ing about setting up a custom order) all in one day! Wow! I´m going to be a busy bunny!
.......and tell me...where has this week gone?? Thursday tomorrow already?!? Crazy! I suppose it is going to do this from now on right? :)

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

You can´t catch me...I´m the gingerbreadman!




.....literally! I can´t seem to keep up with Gingerbreadmen orders :) I am not at all complaining though. I just never imagined they would be so popular! I have two big orders to rattle through this week and at a push next, and then I want to get creative as I haven´t had time to do anything new...but I had been stocking up on fabric over the last few months, so I have lots of things to play with when I do get a moment. I also recieved my gorgeous new business cards (see the super quick snapshot) and they are sooooooooooo cool! Very impressed with them...so much so...I ordered some more! You can never have too many business cards! ;) lol. I am quite amazed at how fast the week is going this week...it´ll be Christmas before we all know it! Happy Tuesday everyone!

Monday, November 8, 2010

Steph cae to stay...


I had the pleasure of my best friend to stay this weekend :) It was wonderful to see her as i haven´t seen her for nearly 6 months. It was nice to show her the sights and introduce her to important people over here. It´s just always so sad to say goodbye. Living abroad has any positive things to it, but the major downside is not seeing those important people as much as you want to or need to, and goodbyes are rubbish! :( I´m going to have to work hard to keep my sad face at bay today!

Monday, November 1, 2010

Bank "holiday" Monday...


So today was a very welcome bank holiday here in Barcelona. Unfortunately, i had to spend it catching up on the shop orders...I say unfortunately...but I really enjoyed it and get a great deal of satisifaction from it :) So, so far I have made 16 gingerbreadmen (I need 39 for orders and at least that again for a craft fair...!) and finally finished off my friend table runner...which I really hope she loves as it was a bit of a bugger to make! As per usual little Milo has spent the entire day sat sleeping and purring next me while I sew away...#gorgeous cat#
Tomorrow back to the day job, I have an early class at 9.30am and quite a busy day there after so no rest for the wicked! But roll on the weekend as my best friend is coming to stay :) YAY!
Happy Monday, oh! and Happy Novemebr everyone! I can nearly smell Christmas!! :)