Autumn and business is booming!

Well finally I have ousted Spot from the blog and am here to tell you how life is and what I've been up to.

I've been a bit slack on the blog since the Crafters' Barn website went live. It's been a big task and I'd like to publicly thank KMS Web Solutions for all the hard work in getting my somewhat half baked idea up and running and knowing what I was thinking even tho' i often couldn't articulate it.

The Crafters' Barn was a really important project to me for a lot of reasons. As a few of my regular readers know, I lost a good friend to cancer last year and needed a project to keep me focussed and working in a creative way. (Strangely, book-keeping didn't really fit the bill?! - who knew?)  I had originally thought that I would just sell my knitting, probably on Etsy or somewhere like that. But the more I looked into it and worked out the commission rates, the more I realised that it was a pretty complicated calculation to work out how I could make money selling that way, and the longer I thought about it, the more I thought I couldn't be the only one that found it hard.

The Crafters' Barn therefore became a passion of mine. To provide a site for crafters to sell where once they had paid their monthly fees there were no more surprises (well other than paypal fees but we can't help that) Margins, overheads, profit markups...... whatever you want to call it could easily be worked out based on getting stuff on a site to sell rather than a differing amount depending on whether you did sell.

The fee structure was worked out to be approximately equal to listing 10 items in a month on the other main selling sites (which roughly charge 20p per item to list) and that is that. No more fees. *phew*

The site would be easy to use, and safe and secure. It is aimed at all crafters, but particularly those that maybe sell via facebook but are finding that increasingly difficult to administrate and small businesses that are just testing the water in online selling.  I aim to be a springboard to allow people to venture into the virtual world and build themselves a market, and then when they're all grown up, to watch them maybe go off and set up their own site when they are comfortable and have a good base clientèle.

 The Junior and Senior school of online craft selling if you will?

The shops have a few customisable functions. Email contact, logo, and facebook and twitter ID's can all be added to superimpose the banner on each shop. So shops can begin to market themselves and gain interest with their own branding.  Items can be put "on sale" at discounted prices, for ever, or for set periods of time to clear stocks.  And whenever I can I put little guides on to help people sell their items. For example I have a guide about SEO and using metatags, which many sellers don't know about.

All products are submitted to google, and we are already doing quite well in the search rankings for some items, but the more sellers we get who use their titles and descriptions well, the better we will do - my aim is to be first page for many handmade items.

Sellers can also register their own domain and have it point straight to their shop bypassing the Crafters' barn homepage.  http://noosknits.co.uk is an example (a little self plugging there!) So, if they are wanting to start building a business model they can do this, then move their domain off to their own website when they are ready.

The look of the site is young and vibrant. i love its quirkiness. Very different to most of the other craft sites, but fun for its uniqueness.  That doesn't mean we are not working all the time to improve the look, usability and functionality. That will probably be a never ending task.

So all in all that's why i've been a bit lax here with my posting. We have around 70 shops now, of which I think 50 odd currently have stock in them.  I am trying to fit in knitting too, I have finished a few items for sale in the barn, but they're not photographed yet. Plus I have a childs school cardigan on commission and a couple of cushion covers. The orders are racking up now for the chillier months. It's great.

In other news Chez Noo, there are five red silkie chicks that hatched last week - wanna see?????

The little one up top needed a couple of hours down my bra when it hatched as Mum let it get cold :(   But it perked up and now I can't tell which it was as they all look the same size and nice and healthy. So fingers crossed. 5 hatched out of 6 eggs - my best hatch rate ever.

Right, I need to be off to cook my tea

T'il soon ♥

My world has gone just a little bit crazy!

I'll be back properly soon I promise. But in the meantime - the chicks have moved next door. The fence has a lovely new trellis top. My boiler has been fixed. The crafters barn is coming on in leaps and bounds, Spot is lovely. I have 4 new hens who are all seemingly laying, Job2 finishes 26 Sept and I'm happy about that cos i want to move on now.  My neighbour is 90 tomorrow! (which seems quite an achievement to me) I have this week made 14 portions of bolognese and 12 portions of pulse chilli for the freezer - the house smells mostly of garlic!

'Til soon friends xx

Busy in the rain

I woke up this morning to 49 invoice requests in my inbox - not exactly an exciting start to the day (and it's taken me all day to finish them!) 

When I started at 9am it was dry, but as the day has worn on it started to rain, and then pour! - I sit in my conservatory for work, looking out onto the garden, so it's not all bad!   As i have sat here today - not totally focussed on my work it must be said, I have been watching the changes in the garden that the rain brings.  The grass has got noticeably greener as the day has gone on, the chicks are sitting on their perches, fed up with wet feet I expect. and I have watched  a blackbird, methodically tilting his head, listening, then diving in for his reward.... a fat juicy worm! He's worked hard in this downpour and deserves his good dinner.

This working from home lark isn't all bad! ;)

I is going to get qualified!

I have decided to finally formalise my 20 odd year profession, by studying for the Institute of Certified Book-keepers qualifications. I decided to enrol with Ideal Schools, as their courses seemed the most complete for the best price. Well that was last week......

I got my first study package......... and settled down to lesson 1 - The Balance Sheet......

"On 6th January Mrs Jones buys an electronic knitting machine (she intends to make and sell high quality sweaters) for £1,600 and £1,200 worth of assorted wools............................"

Do you think they wrote the course just for me???? tee hee! - I think I might enjoy this!

How was January for you?

Well my goodness already a month of the year has gone - where does the time go?

In view of the fact that it seems to have sped by, I thought I'd have a think back over the month to see where it all went!!

Well I have been knitting furiously, so that accounts for a lot of the spare time - the Sunday cardi was finished (I'm wearing it now and it's snug!!) and Mavis was started and finished..... AND I've done the back and one and a half fronts of the Graffiti hoodie. I also made a little bag, for a round robin gift exchange on the forum, and made two dishcloths for another swap, one knitted and one crocheted. Hmmmmm that does explain some of the swift passing of the month then!

In making Mavis I finally learnt how to do matress stitch properly - and boy am I glad I did. I referred to my Stitch n Bitch book (which is great in times of crisis as the instructions are always sensible and easy to follow) and I am so happy with the result. I have always hated sewing up with a passion, not because of the time it took, but because to me it always spoilt my knitting - frankly I was crap at it!!! In recent years I've taken to knitting most garments in as close to one piece as possible and it has for the most part, worked. But knitting huge pieces can be tedious, and in some instances can spoil the shape........ so I'm REALLY happy that I've finally learnt to sew up properly. It did take a long time - and I got dreadful back ache (I was doing it on the ironing board - well let's face it, it needs to feel like it has a purpose in life), but the result was so pleasing and I'm chuffed. (Can you tell?)

I also registered for the race for life this month - and have been training 3 times (yes only 3, but hey it's January, it's dark, it's cold, and the race is 5 months away... and I started the month with a cold (sniff).......... okay I know that's not quite the attitude, but come March I'll be much more pro-active!)

What else happened??? - Well I had to work a bit, which is always time consuming.... and has culminated in the filing of a self assessment online on a website which apparently doesn't work when more than three people try to use it! (Or some other such reason for it being down on the 31st Jan) Honestly the slogan of "tax doesn't have to be taxing" has never rung so untrue!!! - I wouldn't mind but it wasn't my fault it was left to the last minute (something I don't usually do - the last week maybe, but not the last day) but I was let down by the accountant when I needed an answer to a question........ which took him a week to answer. I know it's his busiest time of year, but I was doing him a favour by filing the SA myself anyway - he should have been doing it. Methinks we will be finding a new one!

So that's kind of where January went!

February is already shaping up to being an exciting month! - I have decided to raise some more chickens. Some will be table birds (sorry !!) and some will be to extend the laying flock, especially as apparently the hybrids don't lay too well after a year/18months. I want to raise these new chickens from eggs though, and, what's more, in a natural way with a broody hen, not an incubator. So the first thing to do is to find a suitable hen for sitting, which I think will be a silkie or a silkie/sussex hybrid, which apparently turn broody at regular intervals through the year. Then as soon as she is settled and hopefully goes broody in a month or three I will get some hatching eggs of different breeds. (I really want an egg basket of different coloured eggs, so am looking at Legbars, barnvelders, and Dorkings - for blue/green, dark brown, and white eggs respectively ...... if I've got my breeds right!! and Sassos for the table birds) If the silkie doesn't go broody - well at least I'll get a few more eggs!!! LOL

So that's how the time has passed round here - how was the start to your year?

Don't like not having time!

Just a really brief update, cos I've got to pay the tax!!!!!

I've been nominated as a Schmoozer blog by the lovely Ruth. i will acknowledge it properly and put the associated medal in my sidebar probably at the weekend, or sometime soon. I've got to re-decorate my blog so I'll do it then, and I'll nominate some other Schmoozers too!!

Work is OK - ish!!!! I don't think I'll be staying there long-term, for all sorts of reasons, not least because i miss having time to walk the dog every day and do the things i now know are important (cook properly for example!) there are other reasons which I won't go into here and now, but may do later depending on whether I need help making up my mind!!!

The garden is brimming with runner beans and courgettes - I already have a fridge full and have been off-loading onto the neighbour!!! - I got a good deal though as she re-paid me with a jar of homemade marmalade, and some cakes !!!!

Finally..... all you eco-warriors out there..... I need to ask a question.... I know that parabens and SLS in shower gels etc are horrible things! - When I popped into Sainsburys the other day they had a deal on Wrights coal tar soap, which i have always loved the smell of as it reminds me of my dear Grandma's house when I was small.....so I bought it! - Looking at the ingredient list, (Sodium Tallowate, Sodium Cocoate, Sodium palm kernelate, cocamide DEA, Parfum Glycerin, Sodium chloride, Tea Tree Oil, Tetrasodium EDTA, Etidronic Acid, Eugenol, Amyl, Cinnamal, Coumarin, Limonene, CI 11680, CI 15510) there are none of the dreaded parabens or SLS. So, as one who doesn't really understand such things - why did we stop using a good old bar of soap? Is there something in that list that is dreadfully horrific? - I know it's probably not "great" cos it does all sound a little chemical, but i just wondered why we all moved onto liquid cleansers when soap seems a bit less ....ermmmmm..... yucky!!!!

ooooh one other finally!!!!!!!! For those that enquired about the future of the rodent population in my vegetable plot (among other places)...... at the moment they are safe, I won't do anything that may interfere with my veggies. however i do think that maybe in the Autumn i might have to take the matter in hand a little, as one ran out of the lawn-mower yesterday when i was half way through cutting the grass, so obviously there are a fair few around! and it's not good for the chickens!!!

Apparently, I have a job!!

I start on Monday for three mornings a week!!!

I wasn't looking for a job (well come on that's not a surprise is it?) but an old friend phoned me saying that a local company were looking for someone to do their books and admin work and were basically struggling to keep up with all the office paperwork..... well that's what I'm good at!!!! so a few phone calls were made and there you have it - I'm employed!!


To be honest I'm not sure how I feel about it (how ungrateful is that!!) It's been a long time since I've had to fit in with the discipline of an office..... and I'll miss Spot loads!! But I think it'll be good for me for a while, and it's only for a three month trial, so I don't suppose it'll kill me!!!


Mind you I have now realised I have no decent clothes (can you turn up for your first day at work wearing what you walked the dog in last week??) and no shoes... thank God for eBay is all I can say!!!!! I have a bid on just about every size 10 blouse that is listed at the moment!!!! LOL! Going back to work is going to cost me a fortune!



Onto other things:- Lookie what I have finished....

Not a great photo as I had to turn off the flash to take the picture in the mirror, and then I couldn't hold the camera still enough. But you get the gist!!! It's not properly blocked, because I finished it, and then put it on and it hasn't come off since - it's a lovely colour, and just the right kind of cardi for this slight breeze we seem to still have in the air (I'm not complaining, I'd much rather a chill than hot and sultry any day)

In other news, the veggies are going great guns, and I had my first helping of runner beans at the weekend (with lamb chops and jersey royal potatoes, perfect) they were delicious. The corn has also started sprouting cobs (so sweet to look at) and something is eating my strawberries as soon as they ripen (I did catch Spot with one, but I don't think she's responsible for all of them disappearing!) There will be courgettes at the weekend too, just need a couple more days!

Well that's us all caught up folks. Have a good week.