Get Creative with an Inspiring Quote or Two!

I've always been a fan of inspirational signs and have a few scattered around my home one of my fave's is this one merrily hanging from my lovely shabby chic sideboard ......'The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time' which is exactly how I can justify my little coffee break sat here sharing my favourite little quotes with you!

Of course this being a crafty blog & me being a big fan of sewing I have a few classics I love to use and share these on my social network pages from time to time. I think I do actually feel that 'My Soul is Fed with Needle & Thread' ~ sometimes I really do think I have a sewing addiction .......hey ho! 

and of course you can't actually be a sewing addict without having a bit of a fabric problem! For any of you that feel like it's your birthday or Christmas every time you 'have' to buy more fabric (or even look at it/ stroke it ..... feel free to add your own!!) or come across a print in just the perfect design, colour palette and texture this one's especially for you ... I am definitely guilty as charged !!

Also on my quest for the perfect crafty quotes I found these super cute vintage ones ..... I hope people know that when us crafters make something for someone we don't just put it together we do wish & wish that they are going to love it and know how much love has gone in to making it for them.

Clearly some of you out there don't just make for love but like me have turned your hobby into your own little business however big or small and so to us buying handmade is important otherwise we would be out of a job and just have a room full of stuff because we can't stop making things! I'm really tempted sometimes to print out this next little 'quote' and pop on my craft fair tables - I wonder if it would make customers stop and think why something costs what it does and how much of your time, effort, love & individual creativity has gone in to making each piece? Of course I don't display it for fear of driving people away but really we all should?!

Here's a few more that I use and are always are a quick fix for getting the message across:

I think that last one is particularly poignant - I wonder if people realise how much a metre of fabric actually costs? I blame the high street for buying in bulk and selling at crazy prices that stop customers realising how much these things we create actually cost! 

Since crafting I have met a lovely lady on Facebook called Annie who is the 'Queen of Quotes' and inspiration over at Birdcages and Butterflies (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Birdcages-Butterflies/296408816435?fref=ts) I love her style and she always seems to choose just the right words ...... if you're reading this and also use Facebook definitely pop over and say hello, like her page and enjoy seeing her inspirations and work come up in your newsfeed.

As crafters we all know how 'messy' the creative process can be sometimes with buttons, ribbon & goodness knows what else all strewn about in the craziness of creating just the perfect look and getting just the right 'addition' to make the perfect creation and so my next quote is always a fave and should be put out there at least once a week!

And when the family, the housework or some other lesser distraction is calling there's no other option but to shut the door and hide it all! ha ha! I'm sure we can all relate to this one! 

Ultimately though being inspired and creating things is a way of life, if the quotes have helped or made you smile that's good enough for me as after all 'Craftiness is Happiness' .............

Sarah X

Creating my Dream Craft Room - The Mood Board

In the next month I am about to move out of my current location and move everything back home and I'm super excited about re-creating my craft room at home. I genuinely believe you have to be surrounded by prettiness in order to create it! Inspiring surroundings feed the imagination and help you in your creative process of making beautiful things.

I am going to go with a pastel colour scheme with a touch of rustic - that's if I can resist getting out the paints!! This is a great palette for me I'm not a big fan of bright colours I find the pastels calming and they allow me to think & breathe when I'm surrounded by them!

Lovely pastel pinks, blues, teals, greys are just perfect!

It's not all about the colour palette though it has to be practical too. My craft room at home is tiny really - a spare single bedroom so I am going to have to be economic with my space and look for the best storage solutions so that it doesn't look like a cluttered mess!! More importantly that the messy bits can be hidden away and the pretty bits are what are on show. 

I already have some gorgeous Tilda Tins, a couple of their ribbon holders and other Tilda storage pieces so I'll definitely be including them. The colours work perfectly for what I want and I will be able to hide things away perfectly. I'll need to address some issues though - like how to have SO MANY ribbons at hand without looking a disgraceful tangle of satin - I love the idea from Torie Jayne  (love her book 'Craft Show & Sell' by the way you have to read it if you attend craft fairs and sell your items : http://www.amazon.co.uk/Craft-Show-Sell-Torie-Jayne/dp/1782210423/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1438613304&sr=1-1&keywords=craft+show+and+sell) of using dolly pegs and think that could work for me then I can keep them all in a nice pretty basket and be able to see them at first glance.

As I have a small craft room space I need to look at the walls and how I can use them effectively I'm not sure I'll get as close as this but I definitely love the look ..........

What I do have available though are a pair of these gorgeous rustic heart shelves which I am thinking could look great filled with all my button tubs above my sewing table -  they will be at hand and will look pretty too.

To complete the rustic addition to the room I have some wicker baskets, hampers and trunks that I hope I will have room to squeeze in somewhere! 

This should cover all the essentials, I will need to source some pretty containers for everyday objects - let's face it you can't go to all this trouble trying to create a dream craft room and then just plonk your pens & scissors in just any old containers now can you?!?! 

One thing's for sure my gorgeous Tilda Sewing Box will be on my sewing table!

So there you have it this is the mood board that I will use to keep me focused and create a beautiful place to work as I move everything back home. If you are about to create or even re-create your craft room space I would recommend getting yourself all over the internet and creating your own mood board before you start. We'll see how close I get to this when I assemble the real thing & of course it wouldn't be a proper craft room without some pretty bunting so I'll just need to whip some of that up in my chosen colour palette - pretty pastels! 

Sarah X