I'm building a website...!

Yes, you read that right! In fact, I'll repeat it for all those in denial: severely technically-challenged little old me is building a website. The platform is Weebly, and I have to say it's a darn sight easier to use than Wix (which I gave up on after a couple of hair-tearing days!).

Having said that, I did have a hair-tearing morning yesterday. I bought a domain name (after reading somewhere that Weebly addresses don't float to anywhere near the top in searches) so that I could change my URL and lose the 'weebly' bit. Weebly have brilliant instructions on how to 'point' the new domain at their site, but their sample screenshots bore little relation to my domain registrar's. So, rather than run the risk of destroying the entire internet with my ineptitude, I begged the registrar to do the pointing for me. Which they did, thank goodness, so I'm now www.baggieaggie.com. There's lots to do and change still, but I'm getting there!

In the meantime, I've struggled to get any new items made, but yesterday afternoon I managed to get this Kindle case with an African flavour listed in my Folksy shop. I love this fabric. If you do too, and you fancy something other than a Kindle case, just ask. :)

Passport Holders now available!

I was recently asked to custom-make a fabric passport holder / cover, and have since decided to offer them permanently in my Folksy shop. 'Pink Flower' on the left is now available, and more will follow soon, including some in fabrics more suitable for men.

In the meantime, custom orders are very welcome. Just contact me through my Folksy shop. :)

Paypal Micropayments account - pay lower fees!

As most online sellers know, charges for a normal Paypal macropayments account are 3.4% + 20p. What Paypal doesn’t shout from the rooftops, and which I only found out when I registered as a designer on Ravelry to sell my felted bag patterns, is that they also offer a micropayments option for sellers of low-value items. The charges for this are 5% + 5p. For example, if an item (including p&p) sells for £3, this is what you would pay in fees:

Macropayments: £3 x 3.4% = 10p, plus 20p = 30p

Micropayments: £3 x 5% = 15p + 5p = 20p

A big difference, especially when you work out what you might sell over a year!

The breakeven point is somewhere between £9 and £10, so if most of your items (including p&p) sell for less than £10, it might be worth converting your existing premier or business account from macro to micro by following the link at the foot of this post. The lower your prices, the more money you'll save.

Alternatively, you could open a second Paypal account. Paypal allows each person to hold two accounts, one macropayment and one micropayment (very useful for eBay sellers with a mix of high and low prices) but it's not possible to link them both to the same bank account, sadly.

To switch your current Paypal account to micropayments, follow the link below, click 'Signup', choose your country from the drop-down menu, and take it from there. You should receive confirmation of the switch within 48 hours. I say ‘should’ because I didn’t – it was only when I checked my Paypal account a couple of days later that I noticed I was being charged at the lower rate!

If at any time your circumstances change and a micropayments account is no longer viable, you can simply switch back. :-)

https://micropayments.paypal-labs.com/

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!

Views through the back windows at approximately 9am:

Crafting and Pricing - how do you get it right...?

As promised, Phone Pockets will now begin to appear in my shops, and this fab purple one is available at Folksy now.

As so many crafters find, pricing in the hours taken to make an item is rarely a viable option. If we did, we'd never sell a thing! So I think I've priced this competitively, but I'd be interested to hear your views. :-)

Itsy, Bitsy, Teenie, Weenie, Yellow Polka-dot Bikini...

What is it about polka dots that's made them so everlastingly popular? They've been around since at least the 1950s (I vaguely remember the above song, which Google tells me was recorded by Brian Hyland in 1960). Polka dots appear to be as popular today, if not more so. Even my blog background is dotty!

As you can see from the pics on the right, I've made items recently to reflect our love affair with the perennial polka dot. I also began a thread on the Folksy forum yesterday, titled Show me your POLKA DOTS! So why not have a peek at the wonderful items the talented makers there have to offer? You won't be disappointed. :-)

Gorgeous New Card Wallets listed on Folksy!

Coco-Loco was a custom order for a Belgian jeweller, so the scrumptious chocolate-coloured fabric was the perfect choice...! Seriously, the quality cotton fabrics were picked to match her business cards - brown, red, and modern but elegant. I chose a delicious cherry-wine fabric for the lining, and I'm so pleased with the results I've made another for my Folksy shop.

The second new wallet is Owls. I adore the fabric, a quality Michael Miller design, and decided to line it in plain black cotton to match the owls' wings. Available here but it's so cute, I can hardly bear to part with it!

They hold 30 business cards or 8 credit/store cards, and would make lovely gifts or stocking fillers.

Peeing by torchlight... and other stuff...

Well, the bathroom ceiling was repaired and plastered just over a week ago, and the cheque has arrived from the insurance company. Hooray!

The ceiling's dried out nicely, and we're looking forward to getting some lighting at last. (The novelty of peeing by torchlight has long since worn off!)

Having decided exactly where the new suite will be positioned, we've booked an electrician to install downlighters and extractor fan on Saturday. (Have also booked him to do some other overdue electrical work elsewhere in the house.)

Now need to make final decisions on loo, basin and tiles so that our builder can provide an accurate quote. (Unfortunately, OH has been tied up with other things this week and has another physio appointment tomorrow, so we've been struggling to find time.)

However, while he's been otherwise occupied, I have managed to get some sewing done - more party gift bags, and two gorgeous business card wallets. (See pics.) All now available at BaggieAggietoo.

Am hoping to get some more items made before the sewing-machine's put out of action by Saturday's electrical work!

Storm-damaged bathroom + eco-friendly party bags

This is the first chance I've had to blog for over a week, but at least we've managed to get quotes for our storm-damaged ceiling. Unfortunately, water also got behind the wall tiles, causing a bit of a dilemma, the details of which I won't bore you with as they'll only interest builders and tilers! To cut a long story short, we've decided to bring forward the bathroom replacement (originally planned for 2012). Can't say I'm sorry, as the current one, though only just over 5 years old and fitted just before we moved in, is ghastly - black wall tiles, cheap fittings (we've already had the loo repaired three times), poor workmanship, and badly planned (the door when only partly-opened bashes against the front of the basin). So, bathroom stores, here we come!

Miraculously, I did manage to get some sewing done last week - the fabric party or gift bags above. As I wanted them to be washable, reusable and durable, I decided on French (enclosed) seams and a double-hemmed opening (so no raw edges). I've set the satin ribbon in the back seam and triple-stitched for extra strength.

These bags are attractive gifts in their own right, I think - not only will children have reminders of wonderful parties long after they're over, but they'll be able to use them to keep their little treasures safe. I've found that adults too like these eco-friendly and green alternatives to plastic - I know of someone who filled one with lavender to scent the bedroom. Fab idea!

So if you're planning a party and eco-friendly is important to you, you can find 4-packs of these in my Folksy shop. I'll be adding more designs very shortly - unless, that is, we have any more natural disasters to cope with!

The Edinburgh Festival Alternative

It's been a bit of a crazy week, mostly thanks to the weather, which has put me all behind. Why, I hear you ask? Well, here in Wales we've had the worst torrential rain I've ever seen. It caused damage to our roof and consequently to the bathroom ceiling, which collapsed. Excitement we could definitely have done without. So most of our days have been spent dealing with the mess and various tradesmen tramping in and out. The roof itself was repaired very quickly and efficiently and we've found a good electrician who's disconnected the electrics and is ready to begin work once the ceiling's been replaced. (Both tradesmen recommended by a neighbour.) But finding a builder/plasterer who doesn't think he's taking part in the Edinburgh Festival (ie.
quoting comedic you're-avin-a-larf prices) is proving to be troublesome, so we could be living without a bathroom ceiling for a lot longer than planned!

Even surrounded by all this mayhem, I did manage to get some sewing done - the fab and funky business card wallet and cute child's backpack pictured here.

Blogging about anything else, though (the nice exciting things that have happened to me, and yes, there've actually been some, lol!), I'm afraid will have to wait for a day or two, till I've caught up with some housework and got my breath back!

Fast Fiction Friday 9

Apologies for the delay, but here it finally is - The Wrong Room. ©opyright, as always, remains solely with me, the author.


THE WRONG ROOM

His current name is John. John Dale. An ordinary name, an invisible name, plucked from the air for that very reason. He lives inside his head and rarely speaks. He keeps himself to himself. It wasn’t always so, not before that last night in Basingstoke.

He sits at a corner table for one, on a busy terrace overlooking a sea the same shade of blue as the Miro print on the whitewashed wall behind him. Though he belongs now on the fringes of society, he seeks the company of crowds. They shield him, like a locked door, from the horror lurking in the basement. They keep him anchored in the present. For a while, at least. Alone at night, in cheap no-questions-asked hotels, the past always wins, unless he’s drunk himself into oblivion.

A black and white figure in a ridiculous oversized sombrero flits by his table, a tray of chinking glasses held aloft, blond sweat-dark hair fastened in a stubby ponytail. John lifts a hand to his own hair, blond too beneath the mouse-brown L’Oréal.

Hey! Waiter! Any chance of some service here? Natives gone for a kip and left you to it, have they? Bleeding siestas. Good job you student types come here for the summer or we’d all die of thirst.

Do they make you wear that hat for the tourists, then? Or was it your idea, to keep the sun off? Can hardly see your face. Good idea if you’ve only just arrived, mind. Sun’s bleeding strong here, even in the late afternoon. Course, I’m used to it. Almost a native now.

Hey! I was here before them. Or was I. Maybe not. And anyway, they look like they need a drink even more than me. Frying on the beach all day, I expect. Can smell the suntan oil from here. Deep meaningful looks and holding hands under the table. Just wait till later, when the pink turns red. That’ll put an end to the shagging for a day or two.

Speaking of which, it’s been a long time. Two years, to be exact. Can’t get it up any more, not since… Hey! Where the hell are you going now? No, no, you’re right. That old couple was already here when I sat down. Germans, aren’t they? Or maybe Dutch. Never was much good at languages. Well, what’s the point? Everyone speaks English. Except the bleeding French. They do it on purpose, you know, to piss us off. If I’d known, I’d have bought a phrase book at Dover. Needed all the help I could get, with the cops on my tail.

Ah! You’ve noticed me at last. An apologetic glance that says ‘on my way’. And about time too.

What the…? No, it can’t be… But it is, it is! Those amazing violet eyes, just like your ma’s! Scarred chin. Happened when you fell off your trike that time. Jesus Christ, you’ve come searching for me like I always feared you would. Close up, you’ll see through the dyed hair and brown contacts, right into my soul, what’s left of it. I have to – need to – get up and run. Run and run, across the sand and into the sea and swim to Africa. But I can’t. I’m frozen solid from the inside out.
I love you, son. Please believe that. And I loved your ma, even after what she did. If I hadn’t got wrecked again that night, maybe we could’ve worked things out, me and her. She always said drink’d be my downfall and she was right.

All that blood, so much blood. Everywhere, it was. Splattered up the walls, soaked right through the mattress. The Butcher of Basingstoke, they called me. Bleeding tabloids.

I had no idea. No idea your ma was having an affair. I should have done. Even your Uncle Jack knew, and he was permanently bladdered. He told me, in the Feathers that night. Her boss, he said. Been going on for months. When I got home, there he was, her bastard loverboy, stretched out in our bed like he belonged there. At least, that’s what I thought. Bleeding drink messed up my radar good and proper. You have to believe I didn’t know. I didn’t know. Please, if you leave me be I promise I’ll never touch another drop, I promise I promise…

I can’t stand it any longer. Do what you’ve come to do. It can’t be worse than all those terrible dreams and sleepless nights. Put me out of my misery. I’m ready, ready as I’ll ever be. Just make it quick, please make it quick…

Wha…? I don’t believe it! You don’t look anything like my boy! Apart from the hair. Not even a hint of a scar. And I could’ve sworn, bleeding sworn…

Is this my punishment, God? For running away? Don’t you think I hurt enough already? Don’t you? It was an accident, for Pete’s sake! I didn’t mean to kill him. It was the wrong room, the wrong bleeding room oh God...

Don’t fuss, waiter, don’t fuss. Yes, I expect I do look like I’ve seen a ghost. For a minute there I thought…

He lowers his wet face into shaking hands and forces down bile. Words form, fat and ungainly, on a tongue that feels and tastes like a slab of bloodless liver. “Get me a large scotch and I’ll be fine,” he croaks. “No, wait. On second thoughts, bring me the bleeding bottle.”

Free UK P&P till midnight, Sunday 22nd August...

... on all handcrafted accessories at BaggieAggietoo. If any (or all!) of the following resonate, then take advantage of this offer:

♥ You're looking for a unique gift priced at under £6.00.
♥ Your business cards are a dog-eared mess in the bottom of your bag.
♥ You never have a business card handy when you need one.
♥ You struggle to find your keys in bag or pocket when juggling kids, shopping and car doors.
♥ And when you do eventually lay your hands on them, you drop them - invariably in a puddle!
♥ You sometimes like to leave the house without taking a bag or jacket with you, eg. walking the dog, posting a letter, etc.

Simply purchase as normal, and the P&P charge will be refunded via Paypal. Don't see a colour or fabric combination that suits? This offer also applies to custom orders, so let me know your requirements through BaggieAggietoo before the deadline expires.

Fast Fiction Friday 8

Today's short story, Locked In, Locked Out, has won several prizes. The chief judge of one competion commented as follows: "Of 338 entries, Locked In, Locked Out jumped to the front of the queue. This story has everything; sadness, tragedy and humour, not a word wasted and it has a great ending.” I hope you enjoy it as much as he did. ©opyright, as always, remains solely with me, the author.

(Removed to free up space. If you'd like to read it, let me know and I'll pop it back up. Alternatively, take a look at some of my very short flash fiction pieces. :-)

Have Kate and Madonna really made knitting cool?

Among other things, I design no-sew knit-and-felt bag purse patterns, selling exclusively now through Ravelry (as downloads) and Etsy (as PDFs sent direct to a buyer's inbox). Interest has been huge, and the pattern on the left is one of my best sellers. Oddly, though, 99% of my customers are from the US. I've had the occasional Canadian and Australian buyer, but very little interest from the UK. Unexpectedly, the few UK sales I did make came mostly through eBay. (That was shortlived, though, as I logged on one day to find that eBay had removed all my pattern listings, for the reason that sending items by digital means is not allowed. When I asked why, no-one could give me a sensible answer. As sending hardcopy through the mail would have made the patterns unattractively expensive, that was the end of that!)

Anyway, I digress! The reason for this post is to try to find out why there's such an apparent lack of interest in knitting in the UK. It's a huge industry in the States, and lots of celebrities have supposedly made it 'cool'. So is it the prices of designer patterns that puts Brits off? Possibly, as I was once asked by a UK eBayer if I would consider selling one (priced at what I consider a modest £2.75) at half price. I politely explained the work and time involved, and pointed her at Etsy and Ravelry, where most pattern prices are a lot higher than mine, and she came back and bought!

So are we simply a nation of tight-wallets who want everything at car-boot prices? Or is it something else...? Your thoughts gratefully received!

(To those interested, the actual bag above, fully lined and with magnetic snap fastening, is available here.)

I've won a blog award!

As a blogging newbie, I was absolutely thrilled (not to mention shocked!) to find that the lovely Melissa at Hand Made Me (Lulliloo Designs) had selected me to receive the One Lovely Blog Award. Thank you so much, Mel! Do check out her gorgeous blog, everyone - it's well worth a visit. :-)

As a recipient, I'm now able to pass on this award to seven other blogs. An incredibly difficult choice as I love all those I follow, but here is my final list, in no particular order. To accept the award, these bloggers (once I've let them know they've won) must agree to pass it on to seven of their favourites.

Charlotte Hupfield Ceramics The blog of a talented ceramics designer and maker. Charlotte's fabulous work can be seen in UK galleries as well as online. Just gorgeous!

Much Ado About Paper The blog of Debbie Gill of Crafty_Mushroom, the designer and maker of fun and original greetings cards. Guaranteed to put a smile on your face!

Shpangle Mick's blog is always an engrossing read and filled with gorgeous photographs. He specialises in preserving your personal mementos, such as locks of hair, in beautiful handmade jewellery. He's also the founder of the recently-formed crafts directory, Crafts4Charity.

Womagwriter An absolute must for both budding and seasoned writers of commercial fiction. Bursting at the seams with the latest news, markets and guidelines, it's one of the best writing sites on the web.

Claire Ogden Designs Claire loves to hear your views on her work, and organizes occasional competitions with the most exquisite prizes - her stunning handcrafted jewellery and wedding pieces. And I mean stunning!

Angel Eden Already a multi-award winner (About.com's Mom Blogger of the Week, and Dorset Cereals' Little Blog Awards). Check it out to see why!

Six Sentences What can you say in six sentences? Submit to and/or read this highly entertaining blog, one of Writers' Digests' 101 Best Websites for Writers.

Do pay them all a visit, and enjoy them as much as I do. :-)

Fast Fiction Friday 6

This week's tale is Better Than Chocolate. An early version was published in Scribble magazine a few years ago, not long after I'd found the courage to show my own scribbles to the world for the first time. Rather longer than my usual FFFs, but a light-hearted easy read that should (hopefully!) give you a laugh on this wet and grey Friday.

Removed on Sunday to save on blog space. If anyone fancies a read, ask via the comments box and I'll put it up again. Alternatively, check out FFF 5 in the archive. :-)

Yummy Green Bean Salad

Our bean plants are producing fruit like there's no tomorrow! We've also got lots of mint, so here's a salad I'll be making tonight:

Serves 6 to 8

600g trimmed green beans (if very large, cut into manageable lengths)
3 tbsp olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp fresh mint, chopped

1. Steam the beans for 10 minutes, then refresh under cold running water. Shake well and pat dry. Leave to fully cool.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a small pan, add garlic and fry quickly till crisp and lightly golden. Leave to cool.

3. Whisk together remaining oil, vinegar, salt and pepper, and stir in the mint. Pour the mixture over the beans and mix well.

4. Tip into a serving bowl and scatter over the garlic in its oil. Chill if desired.

Steps 1 and 2 can be done the day before if wanted – put the beans and garlic (in its oil) in separate bowls, cover with cling film and store in the fridge.

Enjoy!

Four great reasons to own a wrist key fob!

1. No more dropping your keys in puddles or down a drain! (Image by Fredcat.)

2. No more fumbling in bag or pockets when juggling shopping, kids and car doors. Wear the fob on your wrist and keep it there in use - no need to remove it to open your door.


3. Perfect for those times when you don't want or need to take a bag or jacket out with you - walking the dog, nipping out to post a letter, etc., etc. Simply wear your keys on your wrist.


4. No more difficulty finding your keys in the dark depths of that over-stuffed bag. With a gorgeous fob attached, they'll be easily found!

For details of Fans and other beautiful handcrafted wrist fobs, visit BaggieAggietoo.

Baked Beetroot with Creme Fraiche and Dill

Demolished last night with cold leftover chicken and salad leaves. Salad, beetroot and dill were fresh from the garden. Yum!

Serves 4

4 medium raw beetroot
Roughly chopped dill sprigs to garnish

FOR THE SAUCE
2 tsp coriander seeds, cracked
150ml creme fraiche
2 tsp creamed horseradish
2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
seasoning

1. Preheat oven to 200C / 400F / Gas 6. Wrap each beetroot in foil and bake for 1 - 1.5 hours until they feel tender when squeezed.

2. Meanwhile make the sauce: reserve one teaspoon coriander seeds, then mix together all the remaining ingredients.

3. Remove beetroot from oven, and split each one down the centre (quarter them if they're big enough). Top with the sauce, and sprinkle with the remaining coriander seeds and dill sprigs.

Just fab! And the beetroot leaves and stems are in a food bag in the fridge, waiting to be used as a vegetable side-dish tonight.

Handcrafted business card wallets

I listed the above, my first 2-pocket business card wallet, on Folksy this afternoon. It's so pretty, I can hardly bear to part with it!

The main fabric is Makower's Stash (called that for obvious reasons!) and I've lined the wallet in a white-and-navy cotton twill. I've fully interfaced for structure and durabilty, and there's a ribbon loop and button fastening. Would be perfect, I think, for fabric sellers and crafters alike, or anyone who likes pretty things.

You can find more details in my Folksy shop, BaggieAggietoo.