May Marketplace

It has been over a month since my last confession, I mean post!! Forgive me fans for I have not brought you up to speed on what is happening at Claryce Design.

April was a crazy month. My craziest ever with a huge demand for the Royal Wedding items I had designed. I sold over a hundred mugs, over 100 coasters and over 1,000 postcards! I have a few coasters and postcards left, so if you haven't bought a souvenir as yet, then you know where to find some ;)

The last couple of weeks have been very quiet which allowed me to catch my breath. However, now I am raring to go again! I have restocked my road sign cufflinks in all my shops in time for Fathers Day. I also have a Fathers Day card available. I have lots of new images available as postcards and I am slowly getting around to making them up as tags also.....

Here is just a sampling of what is new to my shops...........


This is just a reminder of what my Roadsign cufflinks look like. They are made from shrinkable plastic that is sealed under a thick layer of protective resin. The cufflink fittings are silver plated to make these an extra special gift.
http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/clarycedesign/product/pair-of-me-and-my-dad-cufflinks


This lovely pendant necklace features a new image of a pretty red/pink rose layered over a page of vintage script that I have flooded with a gorgeous aqua colour. The setting is antique bronze and is fitted with a matching 16" chain with a lobster clasp.
http://www.folksy.com/items/1784534-Vintage-Rose-and-Script-Pendant?shop=yes

This is a new postcard image featuring an etching of the Eiffel tower over which I have added a lovely illustration of a red rose. I have added cut out letters, spelling out Paris and layered the whole lot over my favourite vintage postcard!
http://www.etsy.com/listing/73674382/set-of-six-postcards-parisian-scene

This is not a new design but is newly available as a postcard. This has always been a good seller as a tag, so I hope it proves as popular as a postcard!
http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/clarycedesign/product/set-of-six-vintage-roses-postcards


This is a brand new design and features the Eiffel Tower and a lovely peach rose layered over an old postcard onto which I have added a bright orange stamp.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/73685540/set-of-six-postcards-paris-and-peach



Bees are always popular. This is another brand new image with a lovely bumble bee layered over a letter written in beautiful handwriting and I have added a postmark and a stamp.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/73674529/set-of-six-postcards-bee


This card says it all doesn't it! If you have the best dad then snap yours up to let him know this for Father's Day.
http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/clarycedesign/product/fathers-day-card

Not on The High Street 40 Favourites!

Okay, so I am bragging a little bit, but this is worth bragging about :)

As you know I sell through Not on the High Street which is a fantastic online marketplace where you can find all sorts of treasures. Be prepared to pay a bit more though, but know it is worth it!! A bit like buying Clinique instead of Max Factor!!!

Anyway...... every day they post on their front page their 40 favourite items. If you are regular customer to 'Noths' you will know that the same items tend to crop up over and over again. If you are a seller and haven't been featured you will be more aware of this than anyone!! Well my friend Sam from Pants and Paper on Folksy sent me a Facebook message today to let me know that one of my items had been featured!! OMG!!! Unfortunately it isn't an item that will be bought very often or by many people as it is a wedding save the date notification, but it should lead lots of new customers to my shop :)

So that is my brag for today and was the perfect excuse to post - which is something I haven't done for a month! A month!!!! where did those four weeks go??
http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/showcase/forty-favourite




As a thank you to Sam here is a link to her fabulous shop and goodies :)

http://www.folksy.com/users/pantsandpaper

Etsy Treasury

Being featured in a treasury the other day prompted me to compile one myself - something I haven't done in months!!

For this treasury I decided to go with a red, white and blue theme - probably because the Royal Wedding and all things British have been on my mind of late. However I have also paid homage to my other home - America - so you will see some iconic American items here too :)

If you would like to go to my treasury and visit the shops of any featured sellers here is the direct link: http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d7f36769c7c6d9167f1eec0/mid-atlantic-and-retro


Enjoy browsing :)

Featured in a Treasury :)

I was thrilled to be featured in an Etsy treasury this week (first time for a while!).

I was featured by Mouthy Mitts who is a designer based in Brighton. Jenn makes fabulous knit wear with cute faces on them. Her success on Etsy will come as no surprise when you visit her shop:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/MouthyMitts

Here is her gorgeous treasury that features all things 'Royal Wedding' related - no doubt you will recognise my souvenir postcards.



All the designers featured here are - from top left - :

Papatotoro - based in London - http://www.etsy.com/listing/69742488/hand-block-printed-britannia-crown-tea?ref=tre-4d79d74aa0696d915a00094a-1

Orienjewel - United States - http://www.etsy.com/listing/59121753/hisher-matching-titanium-wedding-band?ref=tre-4d79d74aa0696d915a00094a-2

ClaryceDesign - Sheffield - http://www.etsy.com/listing/69752711/set-of-six-william-and-kate-souvenir?ref=tre-4d79d74aa0696d915a00094a-3

Skullandcrossbuns - Devon - http://www.etsy.com/listing/62567788/union-jack-heart-hand-carved-rubber?ref=tre-4d79d74aa0696d915a00094a-4

Keikosdesign - United States - http://www.etsy.com/listing/66728794/wishing-you-a-happily-ever-after-like?ref=tre-4d79d74aa0696d915a00094a-5

TwilightOrange - http://www.etsy.com/listing/68705034/new-twilight-princess-sterling-silver?ref=tre-4d79d74aa0696d915a00094a-6

Frangipanipalace - Australia - http://www.etsy.com/listing/69026601/royal-wedding-commemorative-pocket?ref=tre-4d79d74aa0696d915a00094a-7

Yourfairytalewedding - USA - http://www.etsy.com/listing/58059988/lyden?ref=tre-4d79d74aa0696d915a00094a-8

Rosemortem - USA - http://www.etsy.com/listing/53976700/cyroselle-custom-gothic-faerie-wedding?ref=tre-4d79d74aa0696d915a00094a-9

RumRiverOriginals - USA - http://www.etsy.com/listing/69153622/champagne-glasses-set-of-4?ref=tre-4d79d74aa0696d915a00094a-10

localhoneyshop - USA - http://www.etsy.com/listing/69797114/crown-pillow-w-lace-trim?ref=tre-4d79d74aa0696d915a00094a-11

mibolsa - USA - http://www.etsy.com/listing/69223436/royal-engagement-wallet-prince-william?ref=tre-4d79d74aa0696d915a00094a-12

darklingwoods - USA - http://www.etsy.com/listing/42564193/cinderella-8x10-archival-print?ref=tre-4d79d74aa0696d915a00094a-13

Silvermangoshop - USA - http://www.etsy.com/listing/68385172/god-save-the-queen-sex-pistols-wooden?ref=tre-4d79d74aa0696d915a00094a-14

designercushions - New Zealand - http://www.etsy.com/listing/66467238/union-jack-british-bulldog-eyepatch?ref=tre-4d79d74aa0696d915a00094a-15

Finkshop - http://www.etsy.com/listing/69040669/crystal-satin-bow-shoe-clips-in-gold?ref=tre-4d79d74aa0696d915a00094a-16

William and Kate

When William and Kate sprung their news on us just a matter of weeks ago, I was slow to realise that it was the perfect opportunity to create some new products.

The penny eventually dropped 10 days ago and since then I have not only created two Royal Wedding designs but already had them printed on postcards, coasters and mugs!!! No time like the present!!!

The coasters and mugs are not available in my shops yet but will be in the next couple of weeks.....

I began with the good old 'Union Jack' as shown......





Then distressed it a bit..........





Then I added a brown layer over the top and painstakingly erased it a little bit at a time until I was left with a dirtied image that was darker around the edge. Finally I gave the top brown layer a linen type finish. This was the end result...



I then hand drew, scanned and added a crown silhouette and with William and Kate's initials within it and the wedding date underneath. Here you can see it on coaster that I have received samples of and which I will be ordering in large quantities for my shops :)





There will be two shapes available. Square - shown above - and rectangular...




I also have postcards available that are 100% recycled. They are availabe with the above design: http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/clarycedesign/product/set-of-six-william-and-kate-postcards and also with a similar, but less intricate design .......




When my sample mug arrives I will feature it in a short blog of its own.......

The Genius of Mod Podge - Transferring printed images using Mod Podge

This post is for all you crafters that have yet to discover Mod Podge which should not be missing from any crafters supplies.

I have been using Mod Podge for a couple of years now for regular glueing jobs; particularly for adhering images onto scrabble tiles to make pendants. I also use it as a sealer to seal the surface of the image before I resin over it - otherwise the resin seeps into the image and ruins it.

Why it is better than PVA I do not know, but it is :)

I cannot remember where I first heard that you can use Mod Podge to transfer printed images onto surfaces such as canvas and wood, but I have been itching to try it for AGES!!

With my daughters at their dad's this weekend and rain falling sideways in sheets, I decided there was no better time....

I dug out a canvas I had lying around and set to work. I had to choose a small canvas as my printer will not print on paper any bigger than A4. For this piece I chose an 8"/20cm square canvas that was about 3cms deep.

First things first. I chose one of my favourite images - a vintage botanical print of a bird in a branch of blossom layered over the reverse side of an old photographic print that has a gorgeous border on it which I knew would finish off the edges of the canvas beautifully.

I printed it off as a MIRROR IMAGE on cheap printer paper.

I then brushed a generous layer of MOD PODGE over the entire surface of the canvas and lay the print on it, face down. I then used my trusty breyer to smooth out any bubbles. A good way to do this is to turn the canvas over on a hard surface and apply pressure from underneath also. When I was happy that most of the bubble were out, I did the hardest part - I waited!!! Ideally one should wait overnight to move onto the next stage, but I am waaaay too impatient for that so I left it for just a few hours until it felt dry to the touch.

Now the fun bit. I sprayed the entire surface of the paper with water and let it soak for a few moments. Then I started peeling!!! The top layer of paper came away quite easily but it is then quite a painstaking job to gently rub off the remainder. I wasn't sure how heavy handed I could be with this so I took it slowly with a dry soft cloth and ultimately my fingers. Once I was sure most of the paper was removed I let it dry. By doing so you can easily see areas you have missed as they appear whiter than the rest. To remove them repeat the steps above - spray with water and rub away gently with your fingertip.

What you are left with is a printed canvas - only it looks so much better than a 'printed' canvas. It almost has a fresco like quality to it with little bits of canvas showing through in certain areas. I am not sure how durable the artwork would be if left as is, so I used a few coats of matt polyurethane varnish over the top just in case. I also painted the edges of the canvas a colour to match the background of the image. Et Voila!!

I love how my first one turned out and depending on how my customers take to it, I have intentions of doing many more :)

If you haven't got a pot of Mod Podge in your stash of supplies - run out and get one!!!

For the chance to purchase this or any of my other designs visit my online shops. At present this canvas is only listed here:

http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/clarycedesign

Free Vintage Ephemera II

Today I am offering more free digital images :)

Not only are they free cost wise but they are also royalty free so you can use them in whatever way you choose :)

I am offering some ephemera - as is - and also some that I have already altered but which I don't have copyrighted for my own exclusive use.

I hope you enjoy my selection....

This charming postcard appears to be German but is addressed to London N. I love the colour of this image and the gorgeous red stamp. Superb handwriting too :)

This is a British postcard addressed to Lancaster. Unfortunately the stamp is partly cut off but this would still make a great background for your craft projects.

Another English postcard postmarked 31st March 1919! Again, fantastic vintage colouring and a fabulous stamp.

This is an altered image created using a vintage music sheet and some botanical illustations.

Originally designed with card making in mind.

Another botanical image of a bright orange butterfly with matching stamp.

This was an experimental image to be used as a background for ACEO's. It shows the pages of a vintage book superimposed with some harlequin figures over the top.

If you are able to use any of these please forward me links to photos of your projects as I would love to see your creations :)

Spoonflower

Today I am sharing the delights of a new website I discovered - www.spoonflower.com

Spoonflower gives you the tools to not only create your own fabric design but also to buy and sell it!! Of course you have to come up with the design in the first place, but it allows you to repeat the design in 4 different layouts.

For this design I simply took an image sheet of mine that already had 3 postcards on it. Once uploaded onto Spoonflower's website I could play around with the layout - half drop (seen here) half brick, mirror, centred and basic repeat.

This next design is taken from my Hydrangea tag image. Again I have had it repeated in a half drop layout. Ideally I would redesign this one with more background around the flowers so they aren't so close together but I like the overall feel.

I have given you a close up of this one. This fabric uses my latest design which I am launching in my shops this week :) It was designed with Mother's Day in mind. I was given the gorgeous image of a French lady at her dressing table by my ex mother in law. I have layered her over a wonderful old French postcard with a personal message to someone named Charlotte written across the corner. I have finished it off with an old stamp from my mother's childhood stamp collection. This layout is half brick.

I can take no credit for this beautiful fabric!! This shows what you can do if you really have talent!! I love how bright and breezy this design is entitled 'summer meadow'.

Once you have designed your fabric you can order a swatch of it in a choice of fabrics. I believe once you have made a purchase you have the option to offer your design for sale on Spoonflower's website. Don't quote me on that though...... you'll have to check this out for yourself :) So if you fancy your bedroom curtains being in your own design head over to their website and have a go.........

Folksy Friday

It is that time again! Time to showcase the work of some of Folksy's talented crafters.

For my selection today I have chosen work by artists who have very kindly marked my shop as a favourite. I hope you will approve of my selections and for all of you featured I hope you will follow me here on my blog :)

I loved this irresistible clutch by 'Beggars Bowl' Not only does is look beautifully crafted but what a gorgeous choice of fabric. Sure to brighten up any outfit :)

You can see more of 'Beggars Bowl''s creations here:http://www.folksy.com/shops/BeggarsBowl

First of all I love the name of this shop - 'Skull and Cross Buns' and I have to say the items you will find here are as delicious as the title. Selling handmade rubber stamps with wonderful designs such as camper vans, baseball boots and cupcakes to name but a few.... A must for all your homemade craft projects! The link to this shop is: http://www.folksy.com/shops/skullandcrossbuns

This next artist was the first to 'favourite' my shop :) Thank you.

The fact that she is a prolific seller on Folksy should come as no surprise when you see the artistry in this embroidered heart brooch. Gorgeous attention to detail and beautifully crafted. I challenge you not to want to pop on over to 'Pants and Paper' and take an enjoyable browse :)

http://www.folksy.com/shops/pantsandpaper

This charming little fella was crafted by my friend Alison of Kitsch and Stitch. Alison loves working with felt, pretty floral cottons and buttons. She is also an avid knitter and felts her own pieces. I bought one of this lovely birds as a gift for a friend's daughter who now has it perched on her bookcase :) Alison also sells buttons here: www.folksy.com/shops/kitschandstitchit

For all her hand crafted items visit: www.folksy.com/shops/kitschandstitch

I just fell in love with this miniature teacup necklace. It is a pearly pink with incredible flower and bird details on it. You can't see very clearly in this photo, but it has a tiny spoon charm hanging with it :) This would be quite the conversation piece each time you wore it :)

More gorgeous items here: http://www.folksy.com/shops/MishaMakes

Last but not least, a lovely string of 6 glass flags. Bunting is all the rage for every seasons at the moment but I have never seen any as original as this. The decoration is fired on so no matter where and for how long you hang it it will not lose its pattern. Think spring and summer and liturally bring out the bunting! http://www.folksy.com/shops/redbrickglass

That is it for now. I shall endeavour to do a Folksy Friday more frequently and introduce you to more fabulous artists and their products in the future.......

Pay It Forward

I wouldn't have been able to set up my business without the generosity of those on the web that offer free digital downloads. Although I do purchase a significant proportion of my images, many I obtain free of charge from wonderful people such as Karen from Graphics Fairy.

I also have in my collection a few items that I have found myself at flea markets and antiques fairs, so, moving forward I am going to be offering FREE EPHEMERA from my own personal collection for you to download for your digital collages, cardmaking or ACEO's.

This reverse of a Victorian photograph would make a super background for all sorts of projects! I love the delicate scroll decoration down the edges and the symmetry of the overall design.

Another superb background. You could use the whole image or if you are a whizz with photoshop you could remove parts of it such as the signature or the charming illustration to the left.

I particularly love this one because it has the address of Attercliffe Road in Sheffield - where I live! Sheffield that is, not Attercliffe Road. Though the name sounds familiar... Another lovely background image in subtle tones.

If you are at all familiar with my designs you will recognise this background!! A truly romantic backdrop for all sorts of things to be layered over. I use this one for my Studio Rose design and Love bird design.

Well that's it for now. Do check back in as I delve through boxes and find more treasures for you :)

New Online Crafting Magazine - A Must See

I was thrilled not only to be introduced to a brand new online crafting E magazine - Craft Tonic - but also to be featured in their first edition!!

It is a beautifully put together publication. It is neither too long, nor too short. The photography is stunning and it has some great articles to boot!! The direct link is: http://www.thecrafttonic.com

This was my feature - Union Jack Gift Tags that are available through my folksy shop: www.folksy.com/shops/Claryce Design

I thought these were cute :) Birds made by a method called 'needle felting'. As you know I am a sucker for anything bird related :) Not sure how one felts in this way but I am intrigued enough to Google it!!

Check it out - it is well worth a visit.

Insider Videos

Customers often ask me how I create my images. Well now you can find out as I have two videos (more to be added) on my website showing how it is done.

You will see how I have created two images - a brand new one with a lovely bird illustration and the second shows how I created my Valentine image that has been selling well on tags and postcards.

What's more for those of you who don't know me, you can at least hear what I sound like :)

Use this link to take a peek :)

http://www.clarycedesign.co.uk/Videos.html

My Very Own Website

As my regular followers know, I have a number of websites through which I sell my designs - Etsy, Ebay, Folksy and Not on the High Street. However now I have my very own website that isn't linked to a hosting site.

It may not be as sophisticated as the other sites, but it's mine :)

This week I am going to be making a series of screen videos of how I create my designs. It is fascinating stuff and will give you all an insight into how all my creations begin.

I will upload the videos to here and my website, so be sure to check back and take a look.

Here is the link: www.clarycedesign.co.uk

Hope you will drop by.....

This One's for Stephanie

My dear friend Stephanie gently chastised me the other day for not updating my blog!! She was perfectly within her rights to do so as it has been a disgracefully long time since I did - inspite of my assurances back in October that I would be doing so on a regular basis.

Maybe 2011 will be more prolific as far as blogging is concerned!!

So here is a brief update on life in Claryce Design's world. Not just for Stephanie but for my other loyal followers - all 8 of you!!!

The biggest development in my small home based business was last November when I was invited to join Notonthehighstreet.com which is a relatively small community of online sellers that predominantly sell their own creations. The site is well worth a visit as they are very strict about the quality of items sold and shop presentation - making it a pleasure to browse :)

The direct link to my shop is: www.notonthehighstreet.com/clarycedesign and here is a sneek peak at what you might find there....

This image links in rather nicely with an update on new products. Shown here is one of my new lavender hearts. I transfer my images onto calico, hand sew them, fill them with authentic french lavender and lentils and finish them off with ribbon and a mother of pearl button. They look lovely hung on a door pull or peg board. You can also slip them in a drawer to scent the contents. Beautiful to look at and enjoyable to make. Here is a better photo...

Also new this season are postcards with my images on!! I originally had these produced purely for promotional reasons, but I loved the quality of them so much I decided to start selling them - and I am so glad I did!! I have 6 designs available so far. Four spring designs with flowers and birds and 2 with swallows on. I sell them individually and also in sets in a gorgeous gift tin. They are very environmentally friendly as the postcards are printed on recycled cards, they are send without envelopes and also the gift tin is reusable - how great is that!!

For all my other new tag designs you can also visit Etsy (click on button above) or Folksy - www.folksy.com/shops/ClaryceDesign

Other news: I will be launching my own website in the next couple of weeks, which I promise to blog about then!!