January 31st, 2012

Thank you for all the lovely comments about the coin purse on yesterday's blog, I'm hoping they'll do well, but I also had a couple of messages re the nail varnish!

I'm sure most of you crafters will sympathise with me when I say it's been years - and I mean years - since I had good hands.  My nails used to be perfect, all long, all the same length and I used to spend hours doing designs on them - leopard print, zebras, checks..you name it, I'd spend hours doing it.  Then I went to art college and I've not seen a nail since!! 

So every now and then I do like to take the time and properly do my nails, and Sunday was one of those days!!  For those who haven't seen it the black effect is Barry M Nail Crackle - it is amazing!  You paint your nails as normal with whatever colour you choose ( I always go for something real bright so it stands out) then when that's dry you cover the whole nail in a layer of the black Crackle paint.  As the paint hits the air it shrinks and you're left with this effect.  I love it, and it's great for those who don't have hours on end to be painting nails as the effect is instant.

Perfect for those of us who spend more time with our hands wrapped around scissors than a nail file!!

http://www.lucyliz.co.uk/

January 30th, 2012

Here we are again, Handmade Monday, never ceases to shock me how quickly it comes around!!

I'd hoped to have the proper products shots of my new coin purses ready by now but sadly not, I've not been feeling brilliant over the past week and now Andy's heading the same way so photographing products and Photoshopping were so far off the agenda it's untrue!  So instead you'll have to make do with a sneaky peak...

I do really like them, althoug they're quite small and the frames are so fiddly to attach I end up getting annoyed with them!  Not surprisingly I've done them in the fabrics to match the bags so hopefully at some point I can list the purse and bags online as sets rather than individual pieces.

The aim this week then is to have a batch of  purses finished, photographed, edited and listed online by the next Handmade Monday...wish me luck!

http://www.lucyliz.co.uk/

January 29th, 2012

How on earth is it Sunday night already?!  I'm sure I was only just celebrating the fact it was Friday!!  Oh well!

Lovely weekend, finally got to see one of my bags in the press yesterday, and today it featured somewhere else, this time in http://www.themodernblog.com/ - see!

Again it's just crazy to see my "brand" next to names like Monsoon and Accessorize but it's certainly something I could get used to!!

In other news, 8 months to go until the wedding!!  Went over to the Wedding Fayre at Tatton Park today just to get a few ideas, we're actually so far along with the organising that the wedding fayres aren't that much help as we already have the venue, photographer, stationary, cake etc but it great to see things 'in the flesh' when so much of our research has been done based on photographs.

All in all a good weekend, here's looking forward to another productive week!

http://www.lucyliz.co.uk/

January 28th, 2012

Good, good day today! 

Today I finally got to see my Vintage Paris bag featured in Wiltshire View and Hampshire View magazines, I've known it was coming for a while as the journalist had contacted me but I didn't like to say anything in case they changed their minds and didn't include me!  Thankfully they didn't change their minds and the pic is featured! 

If anyone lives in Wiltshire or Hampshire the magazine is available from Waitrose, Waterstones or Bradbeers, otherwise you can see it online here (I bookmarked the pages that I'm on!) http://content.yudu.com/Library/A1ve2w/HampshireViewFebruar/resources/index.htm

Bit strange to see the pic and my name listed as a Stockist alongside Debenhams, Dune and Schuh, but must say I'm extremely proud to have it there!!

Here's hoping it's one of many!!

http://www.lucyliz.co.uk/

January 27th, 2012

What a very long week...struggling to keep my eyes open even long enough to type this!

Not a bad week for Lucy Liz though, few bag sales (which is always good in January), totes started selling and I managed to get a couple of new designs finished and uploaded, so all in all it was fairly productive! 

Very much looking forward to tomorrow (as that means I'll have been to sleep!)...must tidy the house, it looks like a felt monster has had a riot in here, then hoping to get my coin purses finished an photographed ready to show you all on Handmade Monday!

Night night all! x

January 26th, 2012

Bleugh do I feel unwell : (  No idea what's up, I do suffer with IBS so hoping it's something to do with that but boy I feel ill!!  So not got a great deal to Blog about today...spent the day on the sofa under a blanket, Andy looking after me wonderfully as always, and these guys for company when he was at work;

I love Gene Hunt so much, the world would be a better place if we had more people like him!  Oddly it was Gene Hunt in Life On Mars that kept me company in hospital when my IBS/appendix went mad, he must be a good omen for getting better!!

http://www.lucyliz.co.uk/

January 25th, 2012

Very long but productive day - this feet up thing is really working for me!!!

I've finally sat and got some products up on Craft Juice - one of those things I've been meaning to do for ages but never got around to it, so at long last they're up there.  Got a lovely Craft Juice tweet for the Vintage Paris bag too which was a good start!

I'd also like to show you all my latest tote, which I must say is my favourite so far!  Getting ready for one big British year, here it is:

Something quite different from me so I'd love to know what you think!

http://www.lucyliz.co.uk/

January 24th, 2012

Some people, Andy especially, might describe me as a little accident prone.  I'm not particularly absent-minded and doing things out of stupidity, I think I'm just one of those people that has that much going on in my head that I'm concentrating on a million things at once which leads to slip ups!

So on Sunday - Andy's Birthday - there I am getting ready to head out suit shopping.  Plugged in my curling iron (one of those Remington Pearl Wands) and left it heating up while I got ready.  Now, this Pearl Wand is a serious bit of kit, the default setting is 180 degrees, and long story short....I stood on it.

Surprisingly the burn doesn't look as bad as you'd expect but my goodness it hurts!  Got a nice stock of antiseptic cream, burns cream, dressings and surgical tape, and bandage to hold it all together...what an idiot!  At least I can get plenty of sewing done with my feet up though!!

http://www.lucyliz.co.uk/

January 23rd, 2012

Handmade Monday is here again!  I've never known something come around so quickly, especially when the weekends don't seem to!

Given it is Handmade Monday it seems the perfect day to introduce another new Lucy Liz bag to you all....I need a dollar...

...a dollar is what I need, and hopefully this one will bring in one or two!  Must admit I love this fabric, whilst I really like some of the more subtle prints in some of my other products, I just love how instantly recognised this is, you can spot it a mile off!

In other news, the totes are coming along well, got a couple of new designs I'm playing with at the moment - very bright and very appropriate for 2012!  I've also been working on some coin purses whicch I hope to introduce to you all very, very soon!

Happy Making everyone!

http://www.lucyliz.co.uk/

January 22nd, 2012

Today, everything is on hold....no cutting, no sewing, no adding labels or buttons...everything is on hold while we say the biggest Happy Birthday to my amazing husband to be!

Had a lovely day, including the beginnings of the wedding suit shopping, pressies, nice tea, cake...one minor slip-up from me but that's for another day!

So that'll be all for today, nothing else to say but Happy Birthday to my Andy, and Thank You for putting up with me and my ways on a daily basis - I don't know how you do it! X

xxx

http://www.lucyliz.co.uk/

January 21st, 2012

Long day!  After a couple of days of cutting and pinning and sewing I finally started seeing some finished products today!

I tend to work in production lines, I'll do a whole load of cutting out then a load of pinning and so on, which is great and I find it to be a very organised way to work, but you do tend to find yourself working and working and not seeing a great deal of progress.  So today is always a great day in the production line when suddenly there's lots of bits finished all at once!

Of course I'll be taking the proper product pics at some point ready to go online but for now here's a sneaky peak at one of the new ones....hopefully it's a sign of things to come!

And after a long few days of working I'm looking forward to doing no work tomorrow for a certain someone's special day!

http://www.lucyliz.co.uk/

January 20th, 2012

Just a quick one tonight, sooo tired! TGIF!

So after yesterday's cutting-out marathon it's no surprise that today I had a hot date with my sewing machine!  I know how to live it up on a Friday night huh!!

But hey ho, needs must, it'll all be worth it when I'm fully stocked up!!!

Enjoy the rest of your Friday everyone! x

http://www.lucyliz.co.uk/

January 19th, 2012

Long, long day...long but productive so I shouldn't complain!

Andy sometimes gets called for meetings in London which means alarm clocks going off at 5am, I usually get back to sleep but I'm still up earlier than normal so figured I may as well use the time and set about cutting fabric and felt for bags!

I cut enough fabric and felt for 16 bags and 8 coin purses, all with linings...my knuckles feel like golf balls but it's so worth it!  Although I can already hear the sewing machine groaning at me as tomorrow I'll be setting up camp to get the seams stitched before I start the hand-sewing.

So I'll have lots of stock and lots of new bits to photograph, now need lots of sales!!

www.lucyliz.co.uk

P.S. Happy Birthday Bill!

January 18th, 2012

Finally finished!  It's taken a week or two as real life kept getting in the way of me working, but I finally have 5 finished totes!  They'll be going up on http://www.lucyliz.co.uk/ later in the week but for now you can view them on the Lucy Liz Facebook page, here http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Lucy-Liz/199555560065251

There's 5 so far all with the Keep Calm theme...there's Keep Calm and Cast On, Bake Cupcakes, Make Tea, Rock On and Sew On.  There's also a variety of colours available too, the possibilities are endless!!

So pleased to have them done, can now move onto my next project, Tote Bags Part 2!

http://www.lucyliz.co.uk/

January 17th, 2012

A belated Birthday present for me, Lucy Liz, how cute is this?!!

I think Andy's been spending some time on Vistaprint huh!  Not quite what I'd normally wear but a good bit of promo!

Word of warning though, to anyone thinking of using Vistaprint for any printing, I was sitting using my laptop with the t-shirt on the sofa next to me and I started feeling really headachey and a bit 'off'' and it turns out it's the glue/adhesive that they use...was very nearly blogging as high as a kite!

January 16th, 2012

My goodness, I can't believe it's Handmade Monday again!  It seems to come around so quickly!

Handmade Monday then feels like the perfect time to show you the second of my new tote bags!  This time it's the big sweet tooth and appetite I have that's shining though!!

As with the Cast On bag, this oen is done in the same hand-drawn print which seems to be popular, it's certainly had some great feedback!  Now I just have to hurry up and get the rest of them done so it actually looks like a range...really feel like I could do with a week away to hide from the world and get a ton of making done!!

Hope you all like this one as much as the first!

http://www.lucyliz.co.uk/

January 15th, 2012

I think this pic pretty much sums up my weekend!

Lots of ideas and planning sorted this weekend, it all seems to be coming together quite nicely!

They say that planning a wedding is one of the most stressful things a person can do....I can only assume that those people are doing it wrong because I'm loving every single minute of it! I think it's the Monica-from-Friends in me, any excuse to start a new file!!

Back to work tomorrow - hope you've all had a fab weekend!

http://www.lucyliz.co.uk/

January 14th, 2012

As I've been blogging daily, it's not too surprising that each blog has been about what I've done that day!  Well, today's is a little different....today my Mum and I went on the first wedding dress shopping trip!  Great day with lots of laughs, but I found a dress which is in the running to be THE dress and so no way am I a) giving away any details about it in a blog, and b) posting a pic of it!!!!!!

So today was spent mainly breathing in, being wrenched and heaved into dresses I could barely move in, let alone sit or speak in...lots of talk about exercise, which bit of weight I wanted to lose and where from and how I was going to do it, all very positive, and then I came home and cooked this:

Yes, I give you The Parmo!  Stay with me on this, you might think it looks horrific but I swear once you've had one there's no going back!  The Parmesan (Parmo for short) is a dish created in Stockton on Tees/Middlesbrough where I'm from, it's something you'd get from a takeaway after a night out in the way you might get a burger or kebab.  Basically it's chicken or pork escalope which is deep fried then covered in bechamel sauce and cheese - served in a polystyrene tray with plastic knife and fork, garlic sauce and a bit of dodgy salad, it is a dream!!!

Sadly they're only available back oop north so when I moved to Cheshire I had to start making my own - mine are "slightly" healthier - the breaded chicken is oven cooked rather than fried...actually that's about the only difference, in fact I serve mine with chips so in reality the original version is probably healthier!!

Either way - I'm not sure this is what a great wedding dress diet is made of!

http://www.lucyliz.co.uk/

January 13th, 2012

Little bit of a special blog for me today, as today is my 26th Birthday!  26...not sure how that happened but I'll get over it I'm sure!

Had such a lovely day with my Mr K, lots of cards and pressies, flowers delivered from my Mum and my best friend (and Maid of Honour!) all to be finished off with a G&T or several and a fabulous Chinese.

Have to tell you about this one pressie....as I said in a previous Blog I've suddenly found myself being a massive Harry Potter fan, so as a belated gift Andy will be taking me to the Harry Potter World at Pinewood Studios when it opens in Spring...so excited, but so that I could open something related to it today, he got me these....

Yes, I've been accepted to Hogwarts!  Best get me a wand!!  And what's a birthday without cake?!

The biggest Thank You to my Andy, and everyone who made my day so special x

http://www.lucyliz.co.uk/

January 12th, 2012

Isn't it funny how one good gesture can change your day?!

Some of you may know, and some may not, that as well as running Lucy Liz I also do hours in a post office.  I think most people think of it being nothing but stamps and pensions but there really is so much more to it than that!  But the one thing that annoys me to death with this job (as with any job that deals with the public I suppose) is that people can be so un-appreciative.  You're dealing with their daily finances and savings (often 4 or 5 figure amounts) and you go out of your way to give them the best service you possibly can, and the customer just doesn't care, it's heartbreaking....but then there are days like today, when certain disaster was averted and the customer was so grateful he came back half an hour later with a little pressie!

How nice is that!  My faith in humanity is restored!

http://www.lucyliz.co.uk/

January 11th, 2012

A sneaky peak of something new...!

Seeing as I won't be selling too many chunky scarves through spring and summer I've made some additions to my Lucy Liz catalogue, so here's the first of many tote bags I've designed.

All of the bags are designed and printed to look hand-drawn, which is reflected in the style and texture of the print - have a look at the second piccy and you'll see what I mean.

The great thing with these bags too is that I can personalise them which isn't something I've been able to do with my oter products, so I'm excited for the endless possibilities these bags bring, and it's great to be working on a flat, clean canvas again!

I'd love to hear what you think! (gulp!!)

http://www.lucyliz.co.uk/

January 10th, 2012

My reading for the next however long it takes!!   Yes, I am a new-found Harry Potter fan!

So many of my friends and family love Harry Potter, have read the books, seen the films, bought the Hogwarts scarf...personally I could never understand why!  Wrongly, I think I did judge HP by it's cover (literally, I guess!)  See, I can't stand films with child actors, they annoy the life out of me, the typical stage school child is just my worst nightmare and I had very much written the Potter films off as exactly that.

Andy on the other hand really likes them and convinced me to watch the first film (they were actually showing the first 7 films in order on BT Vision so it seemed as good a time as any to start!)  I was all revved up, had every sarcastic comment under the sun lined up, ready to fire at the TV.  The film started and I sat, quietly, waiting for my speech to start...and it didn't come.  I was thinking that actually it wasn't that bad, until the moment that Harry and Hagrid step onto Diagon Alley to buy Harry's school supplies - and that was it, hooked!! 

And you hand-made lot will agree with me I'm sure - how perfect is Diagon Alley for a handmade shop?!!!!  Just fabulous!

So that was that, watched all 7 films, then a few weeks back we got the box set of all 8 films which we watched over a few weeks, and for Christmas Andy got me this beautiful box of the books, so I can't wait to get started on those too!!

Who'd have thought I'd have converted so easily?!

January 9th, 2012

My new bag!!!  It's been a while since I showed you all one of these huh!!!

Following on from the success of the New York bag I decided to keep the theme going, this one is all Vegas Baby! 

The new style of bags are going down really well too!  For those who missed my original blog about it my bags now come with chains that can be unclipped and the hoops fold away, so you're left with a clutch bag only without the empty hoops sticking up.  Genius!!  Hope you all like this one as much as I do!

*Ohh!  Almost forgot!  It's Handmade Monday over at Wendy's place!!

http://www.lucyliz.co.uk/

January 8th, 2012

One of the joys of self-employment that I do a very good job of forgetting about - yep, it's self assessment time! 

I used to be so good with it, I had a book and I'd write down every single penny that came in and out of the account the minute it happened, then I just sort of...stopped!  So equiped with my laptop, calculator and tea I set about it this morning, think it's all done too!!

AND!  Not only did I get my 2010-11 paperwork sorted ready for submitting online, I've also done 2011-12 so come April I can submit that right away then I'm ahead of the game!  That's the logic anyway, let's see the date on the blog entry of the day I actually do it..!

http://www.lucyliz.co.uk/

January 7th, 2012

After I blogged yesterday I had to laugh to myself about my OCD-ness, so to give you a little sneaky peak of how ridiculous I am, here's a snapshot of one small part of my button collection...

...I kid you not.  This is just 10 of the 28(?) candy jars I have in total, each button carefully chosen by hand and put into the correct jar.  Is there any wonder I never get anything done when this is what I consider to be a productive use of my time?!  The jars didn't come cheap either but I love 'em! 

Will have to take a pic of my whole collection of some point, but for now, this gives you an idea of what you're dealing with!  Madness!!!

http://www.lucyliz.co.uk/

January 6th, 2012

I am, without question, the most OCD person I know.  It actually has gone beyond funny into quite serious!  Andy and I watched a dramatisation of the life of JK Rowling a few nights ago, I was saying how I'd love to write a book but Andy quite rightly pointed out that I'd never get a book written because I'd never be able to settle on a) the choice of the paper/book to write it, and b) the perfect pen to write in said book.  And it's true!  That's exactly how I am!  Which is what makes today's photo so bad!

This is the mess behind my sewing machine....

...how can someone so anal about everything live like this?!   I really am such a contradiction, so tomorrow I am having a MAJOR tidy up.  Receipts will be filed, books on shelves, mug tree ... not entirely sure why there's a mug tree there but hey ho!  This time tomorrow I will have found our table!!!

P.S. Happy Birthday Kitts x

                                                                 http://www.lucyliz.co.uk/

January 5th, 2012

Today's photo...nothing but space!

Yep, Christmas is officially over here at Lucy Liz HQ and the tree has been packed away for another year.  I hate taking the tree down, always feels like it's only two minutes since we put it up, and I always think it makes time go so much slower!  The tree comes down and there's nothing but the whooooole year stretched out ahead...I'd best make sure it's a productive one!

                                                              http://www.lucyliz.co.uk/

January 4th, 2012

Welcome to Operation Bride & Groom!

Another of my resolutions this year is to get back to the shape and size I used to be.  Don't get me wrong, I'm certainly not big, but I'm wobbling a lot more than I used to, primarily down to no exercise and food portions that could ease famine in some countries!

So Andy and I are getting fit and healthy this year!  Definitely need to start exercising - though finding the time will be interesting - but for now I'm starting on the food.  So instead of chilli and a massive heap of rice, I substituted it for salad.  Yes, I know there's a glass of rose in the background (and garlic bread in the oven!) but it's a positive start for now!!

                                                                http://www.lucyliz.co.uk/

January 3rd, 2012

Back to work!  Well, in truth I was never really off work from Lucy Liz but today I was back to work properly - apparently these bags won't make themselves!

Very excited as I've almost finished another two new bags which I'll show you as soon as they're done, some more vibrant fabrics which I hope will go down as well as the others *fingers crossed*

I've also been mega busy designing the new ranges for Spring/Summer 2012 - new designs, new products - exciting times here at www.lucyliz.co.uk !!

January 2nd, 2012

Trying to keep in the theme of Handmade Monday, but with a little twist!  This jar arrived in a hamper for Christmas, and you've no idea how happy this jar makes me, as it contains my Mum's home-made mint jelly which she makes with the mint from her garden - so that's pretty handmade huh!

The recipe is my Grandma's, been eating this stuff for as long as I can remember, but evidently I'm only meant to put it on lamb as opposed to heaping tons of the stuff onto anything with gravy!!

http://www.lucyliz.co.uk/

January 1st, 2012

A little tradition I thought I'd share with you all...my other half, Andy, and I have had quite a few Christmases together now, but back in 2009 when I formally moved in (as opposed to just bringing my stuff here and leaving it!) we decided that every year we'd buy one new 'special' bauble for the Chrismas tree and build up a collection. We started in '09 with a fabulous deep red ball with a flock design - can't go wrong with a bit of flock! - and 2010's choice was a gold love heart from John Lewis as a reminder of the year we got engaged.

This one perhaps isn't so creative but it certainly does the job of marking Christmas 2011!

http://www.lucyliz.co.uk/

My New Year Resolution

I am, officially, the worst blogger ever.  EVER!  I have every good intention of doing it but I just never do, and I don't know why!  So, to that end, I have come up with a solution...

2012 promises to be a pretty big year for me, I'll be continuing to grow my business and am currently expanding my product ranges, but more importantly (for me, anyway!) 2012 is the year I'll be getting married.  So in what will be such a big year for me I've decided to take up the challenge of documenting it by taking a photo every single day, as a record of my business, wedding preperations and the big day itself.

AND I'LL BLOG THE WHOLE LOT!! 

I admit to having quite a strong OCD streak in me, so I know that if I start with January 1st, 2012 and continue, I won't be able to sleep if I miss one, so I HAVE to do it!  Desperate times call for desperate measures, hopefully it'll work!

Wish me luck!

http://www.lucyliz.co.uk/