Revised Last Order Dates for Christmas!

I'm sure you're aware of the current postal strikes, and the impact it's having on deliveries this Christmas. I've been keeping on top of all the ongoing strike news, and doing everything I can: I'm completing orders as quickly as I physically can, and I've introduced postage upgrades to practically all my items wherever possible.

New Last Order Dates: Royal Mail announced new cut off dates for their Christmas post, so I've had to adjust my own last order dates. I've amended the dates, and they can all be found on my website today (just click here or on the image below to see them).

What are your options? There's still plenty of time to order most items online. Royal Mail have stated they'll prioritise Next Day Delivery and Tracked 24 items. I've added these options to as many of my items as possible, so if you're worried about delivery times you may wish to upgrade postage where available.

What about courier deliveries? Many of my items are also available for courier delivery who aren't affected by the strikes, so although delivery may look like a slower option (it's usually the free delivery option and takes 3-5 working days) it may be a good choice at the moment!

See the individual items for the available delivery services. I do advise you to order as early as you can to avoid delays as much as possible.

This year (well, the last couple if I'm honest), have been incredibly hard for businesses, especially the small independent ones like mine. We rely on Christmas trade, and this is having such a huge impact on many of us. I'm seeing tiny, creative, inspirational businesses being forced to shut down, and it's really heart breaking.

But, all of us little independents want you to know that we truly value your ongoing support, that we're doing all we possibly can to help, and we all thank you for your understanding and patience.

If you have any questions click here to get in touch!

Thanks so much for reading,
Sarah x 

PS: 50% of the Santa Letter Gift Packs have now sold, so if you haven't placed your order yet don't delay! Plus, the new cut off date for orders for the Santa Letters or Telegrams is now December 11th.

The best £7.25 you'll spend this Christmas!

I know, I completely get it - we're all finding ways to curb spending this Christmas. Every one of us. It's a real balancing act at this time of year, isn't it? But I honestly think this little treat for your children will not only charm and delight them, it'll charm and delight you too - and I think if you can do that for under a tenner at the moment you're onto a winner!

I've been working with Santa for years now, helping him to send out these very special personalised Letters and Telegrams to boys and girls up and down the country (and in other countries too). When my own daughter was little she would receive one of these Santa Letters every December, and I remember the sheer joy and wonder in her face when she would open the big red envelope to see what Santa was writing to her that year. Every year he wrote something different, remembered her important moments over the past year, knew exactly what she was wishing for most of all to find under the Christmas tree!

As a parent it's moments like this that remind you what Christmas is all about. It's about that magical, excited, thrilling feeling that Christmas is coming. Seeing your little boy or girl reading their Santa Letter makes you feel nostalgic for you and full of festive wonder for them, all at the same time! It sounds daft, but honestly it does! 

The innocence of a magical, enchanting Christmas moment, helping you to put aside the gloomy news and your worries, and share a wonderful moment in time that you'll both remember. You and your child won't fail to full of festive cheer. And the best part? The price - starting at just £7.25 (including delivery, no nasty surprises!) you can share this magical moment with your children or grandchildren!

Santa is sending special Telegrams along with his ever-popular limited edition Santa Letter Gift Packs. And of course he'll also be leaving lovely personalised letters for children to discover on Christmas morning after his visit too. Beautiful quality, and with amazing attention to detail, these Letters & Telegrams are incredible value too.

I'm sure if you spend 5 minutes on the internet you'll quickly find all sorts of personalised Santa Letters on offer - but just remember, not all of them are real. They won't be signed by the actual Father Christmas. They'll probably be printed off in a factory somewhere by someone who doesn't even work for Santa and hasn't really thought about who'll be opening that letter. The PhotoFairytales ones are very, very different. Santa writes and signs every one himself. He cares very deeply about every Letter or Telegram he writes.

The icing on the Christmas Cake every year is that Santa likes to use his Letters & Telegrams to help UK charities too. Every year Santa and I support a different cause, and this year we'll be making a 50p donation for each one sold to the Be Kind Movement. It's may not be a charity you know, we like to support charities big and small, but it's a fantastic organisation that really needs help at the moment. With more children than ever experiencing high levels of anxiety, Be Kind Movement delivers school workshops to promote kindness values. Run entirely by volunteers, their aim is to entertain, educate and empower children and young people with emotional intelligence skills for life.

Don't leave it too late to book your Santa Letter or Telegram this year. Let's make Christmas 2022 extra magical - I think we all deserve a little magic right now, don't you?

Sarah x

What I love this week... an extra hour in bed!

It happens twice a year and yet it never fails to catch me out! The clocks change this weekend, so we get an extra hour in bed (as a small consolation prize for the fact we'll all be getting up in the dark, but hey ho). So don't forget to wind them all back (including the one on the boiler, and that annoying one you can never do on the oven) before you go to bed on Saturday night! 

 As a little visual reminder, I thought I'd head over to Folksy today to find some lovely clock-related items - and I wasn't disappointed, take a look at these beauties:

Items featured are:

• Square Wooden Wall Clock by Ashby Design Workshop
• Vintage Pocket Watch Steampunk Necklace by Ava Kitsch
• Rustic Clock by Jopalian Studio
• Corgi Clock by Dach Crafts 

Have a great weekend!

Sarah x

 

 

The Cabincore Trend

I'm sure you're familiar with the popular cottagecore aesthetic - and now that the weather has turned chilly and autumnal (very foggy in Norfolk this morning!), I thought it was the perfect time to tell you about another 'core' that's taking interiors by storm this season: Cabincore.

Cabincore is all about rustic, natural living, but where it parts itself from cottagecore is that it takes a step away from the pretty pastels and florals, and sets it's sights on a simpler, pared-back feel. Think wooden cabins in the woods, with roaring fires (and the lovely smell of wood smoke), fresh bread or a cake baking in the oven, warm blankets, wood panelling on the walls, natural wood floors with cosy sheepskin rugs, candles, organic cotton and linen. Picture sitting under a cosy throw beside a simple earthenware jug full of dried flowers, whilst sipping hot cocoa and making toast over the fire on a toasting fork after coming home from a hike in the forest…

I know, it may not sound like the actual place where you live - but there’s no reason why you can’t recreate this fantastically cosy look, or embrace the feeling in your life this season! You could even recreate it in your garden shed if you fancy...

A simple natural wood door hanger to show how much you love your home!
Available in a choice of colours, handmade to order - £10.99

Forget tartan and antlers though, this is a much simpler and organic look. Cabincore is all about simplicity: the interest comes from beautiful textures, natural wood (pale or dark, either works), simple colours, earthy tones. The colour palette is one that should bring warmth and depth to your room, so think moss green, russet and mustard shades, or a hint of cranberry, set against neutral shades of oaky brown, smoky grey, black and cream. There are hints of Scandi in the style, but more rustic and homespun.

A little Cabincore Inspiration found on Folksy.com

The cabincore keyword has got to be 'cosy' - it's all about nods to nature, pared down life, simplicity, and warmth. Perfect for this time of year! it works beautifully in the garden too - an outdoor fire bowl, logs stacked in a basket, lots of throws, twinkly fairy lights, and toasted marshmallows.

Embrace the cabincore look this Christmas with handmade natural wood decorations. Personalised Sign, choice of colours, designs and sizes - from £15.95

How to have a Cabincore Christmas: Decorate your home with natural foliage and plants, fir cones and wooden decorations. Keep your colour scheme within the soft cabincore colour palette, and choose handmade decor pieces that have real meaning. Dot your home with candles for that cosy glow, and use brown paper to wrap your gifts (or better yet, reusable fabric gift bags).

How to dress Cabincore: Think cosy wool sweaters, denim and corduroy, thick handknitted socks, fingerless gloves, working boots, knitted beanie hats and messy buns.

How to be Cabincore: Go for a hike in the forest on a misty day, and take a flask of hot tea or cocoa. Grab some blankets and head into the garden to sit beside an outdoor fire. Forage for mushrooms, autumn leaves or blackberries. Get cosy at home with some baking or book reading in your favourite chair (I can highly recommend The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey to get you in the mood!). Try your hand at knitting or crocheting, or head out on a clear night for some star gazing.

Cabincore to watch: While you're under your blanket you might as well stick something good on the telly... Here's some cabin-style related ideas: Sleepyhollow, The Shining, Twin Peaks, Secret Window, The Evil Dead, On Golden Pond, The Waltons, Harry Potter, The Hateful Eight, Misery, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, The Great Outdoors, Calamity Jane.

Get even more Cabincore Inspiration: I've created a gorgeous Cabincore Pinterest board for you, full of evocative images that will definitely get you in the cosy, cabin-lifestyle frame of mind - just click here to take a look.

Right, I'm off to snuggle under a blanket with a good book!

Sarah x

New Colours for Autumn

Every season I like to change things up a bit on my website, and now that autumn is officially/meteorologically here (I know, I'm a week late) it's time to put the autumn 'decorations' up on the home page!

So, it's out with the summery lilacs and pinks, and in with some soft deep greens, pretty pale terracotta and dusky dark blue:

I always spend a stupid amount of time working out a colour scheme - I usually try to work on about 3 seasons at the same time, so that I know the colours won't clash and I can make a smooth transition from one season to the next. 

I take inspiration from Pantone's colour of the year (2022 has been 'Very Peri', a vibrant shade of periwinkle), along with Etsy's own annual shade for the year (this year it's been Emerald Green), and also colours that I see setting trends and becoming popular. Including green was a given for this autumn, and the soft, chalky pale pinky-terracotta is a shade I've seen in all sorts of places from interiors to fashion. It's definitely a colour that's starting to be a hot shade this season, and makes a great neutral (it's surprising how many colours it goes with!).

The next change is going to be in time for Christmas... I'm thinking juicy dark cranberry red and hints of gold!

Hope you like the new look,

Sarah x

How to stay productive when you're working from home - my top 5 tips

Ah, that old chestnut - I've been in this game for a few years now, so I'm a bit of an expert. You won't find me getting distracted by the contents of the world wide web, or the dog/cat, or household chores, or my phone... No. Noooo. Not me. Ahem.

OK, so you may be surprised to hear I'm not super-human when it comes to knuckling down - although I do think I'm not all that bad really. Of course, doing a job you enjoy helps, but even then there's still a lot of things you don't want to do/can't be bothered with that leads to all sorts of prevarication and distraction. And sometimes, even knowing it's something you HAVE to do RIGHT NOW doesn't even help give the proverbial kick up the bum you need to get productive.

So, what to do, what to do? Here's a few little tips I've found work for me over the years - hopefully they might prove useful to you too.

The sound of silence...

I hate it, can't work in silence, never have. You may not be the same, but if you find quiet distracting then my tip is to put on the radio (not the TV, never ever the TV!). Personally I listen to Radio 4 all day long while I'm working, plus occasional podcasts when I know I can listen (because most of the time I'm not actually listening, it's there just rumbling in the background in a comforting kind of way). It reminds me there are other people working out there in the world too. Which leads me onto...

Body-doubling...

If you find working at home completely on your own is hard, and background noise from a radio for example doesn’t work, sometimes just having another person present in the room is enough to spur you on. So maybe work in a coffee shop or library for a couple of hours a day.

It's all about timing...

When are you most productive? If you're sitting down at your desk at 9am on the dot and expecting to find the creative juices flowing when you don't actually hit your creative sweet spot until after lunch, then you're on a road to nowhere. Plan your day around when your brain is feeling it. Use the non-creative time to do the mundane stuff. I personally find I can't knuckle down until I've sorted out my emails and done the admin stuff. It frees my mind, knowing that it's all organised and now I can relax and do the productive, creative things I need to do.

Finding your place…

Make sure that the area you work in is comfy, well lit, and YOURS (at the very least, for the time you need to be working at it). And make your area attractive: a nice plant or a fancy pot to put your pens in is sometimes enough - but don’t try to work amongst clutter or housework that needs doing, it messes with your head, your creativity, and it’s super-distracting (as in: “I’ll just tidy up before I get onto to those emails..”)! Get those urgent chores done before you even sit down to start your work day. Equally, unplugging from social media can help you to keep productive - we all know how much of a glorious timewaster it can be! Turn off the notifications so there are no pop-ups trying to lure you back in.

Plan your day…

I find having a scatter-gun approach to work can be really distracting; where you simply react to things as they happen. I know I work much more productively if I can allot sections of my day to certain tasks. As I’ve said, I start my day by going through emails because it also gives me an idea of what needs to be done that day so that I can prioritise. I try to tackle any jobs that I don’t want to do first rather than leave them to later in the day - this includes anything that’s boring, difficult (because I know it will play on my mind all day if I don’t do it early on), or annoying. Take regular breaks during the day, making sure you actually get up off your chair and move. I don’t have set times for this because it’s not always possible to do, but even just getting up to make a cuppa and stare out of the window while the kettle boils is enough to give your brain some downtime and be able to go back refreshed.

It can often feel as if productive, efficient people must be some kind of robot - but they’re just people that have found their workflow: and you can too!

Sarah x

Another Award (for me this time)!

 I'm absolutely delighted to share the news with you that I've been awarded 'Best Online Gift Retail Owner - East of England' in the Influential Businesswoman Awards 2022!

The awards are run by trade publication, Acquisition International Magazine, who run the 'Influential Businesswoman Awards' programme. I'm absolutely delighted: the awards are given solely on merit to commend participants ingenuity and hard work.

The AI Magazine Awards Coordinator said,  “It has been a pleasure to host this programme and recognise those influential businesswomen who are shaping their industries and helping to reshape the business landscape.”

I'm so excited to be the recipient of this amazing award!

Sarah x

The Summer of Small Business Love

Last weekend we saw #shopindependentday - a special day for sellers and buyers, all about the originality, innovation and craftsmanship at the heart of small businesses across the UK. But it doesn't just stop there... this is a whole movement that you are also part of!

It's actually the Summer of Small Business Love - an entire season dedicated to shopping small. The campaign was started by Holly Tucker, joint founder of Not On The High Street, who now runs Holly&Co, a site for small, creative British businesses up and down the country. Holly says, "We want to encourage the nation to show heart by shopping small, asking everyone to think how they could change their usual spending behaviour to support our independents"

When you consider that 99.9% of UK companies are small businesses who contribute massively to the local economy, it seems strange that those independent tiny businesses need your help. But they do. We do, I do - because I'm one of them too! Especially now. As Holly stated, "Some of the most colourful and creative businesses out there are independently owned, yet these same businesses have been hit the hardest in recent years. If we don’t support them at this crucial time, we are at risk of losing them altogether. So we need to act now, working collectively to ensure this doesn’t happen."

The world needs small businesses because they're the ones that bring about creativity, originality, imagination - they're actually the driving force behind the big businesses. Because behind every great big company, there has to be a great micro business!

Tiny businesses like mine don't have marketing budgets like large organisations, but what we do have is creativity and a hell of a lot of drive - which is why we're joining together to show the world just how much you need us! Shopping small is for life, not just for a pandemic. Shopping local truly helps your local economy. Shopping independent means you're keeping alive all that creativity and originality - and directly supporting a real life actual person (not a load of fat bankers and investors)!

So this summer I have just one ask of you: vote with your money, spend your money wisely, help the economy, support the independents - and at the same time you'll be discovering a whole world of originality and gorgeousness, and receive the most fabulous service to boot (because no one loves their customers quite as much as a small business)! Look out for the #CampaignShopIndependent across social media.

Sarah x

Award Winning PhotoFairytales!

Well, I have some rather exciting news to show off about share with you today..!

I've been awarded 'Best Handmade Wedding Keepsakes Retailer - East Anglia' in the 2022 Global Wedding Awards run by Luxlife Magazine - I mean, that's pretty outrageously stupendous, right?!!!

The awards celebrate the finest businesses across the wedding industry, from wedding planners and venues, to caterers and stationers. Everything that makes your wedding day totally perfect and memorable. 2022 is seeing the biggest surge in weddings for years following covid restrictions, so it's a truly wonderful time to be recognised in these global awards!

I'm feeling more than a little chuffed!

Sarah x

It's not been a good week...

I'm going to lay my cards on the table: 

The news has been absolutely awful - what is happening in Ukraine is so distressing and my heart truly goes out to them. So posting upbeat news and messages on social media for work has felt hard: I'm torn between feeling it's all pointless and then on the flip side feeling I need to carry on and try to keep a sense of normality as much as possible. It's a tough one - have you felt this too?

Running a small business by yourself you need to be in a good place mentally: feel motivated and upbeat. It's important for the person who runs the business to have a good mindset and be moving forward, thinking to the future. This last few days, in all honesty, have been hard. I mean, really hard. There have been times when I've felt like throwing in the towel and giving up. Wondering what the point is. Finding it hard to fire up the enthusiasm to log in every day. I've worked so hard to build my little business, I strive to make everything about it as positive and good as I possibly can. I don't want to give it up, but it's hard to keep positive. But I must, and I think it's important that I do. 

So I just wanted to say that if you're struggling mentally and feeling anxious, you're not alone. I am too - I think many of us are. My love, prayers and thoughts are with the people of Ukraine at the moment - but I also recognise that we, as a community, need to stay strong together. The last couple of years have been dire - some of us have been OK, some have been good at saying we're "OK". And what's happening now feels a bit like, "And now this?!". Yes, I know. 

We are more resilient than we know, but let's make sure we look after ourselves and each other, support one another and keep going. Let's keep in mind the struggles we're all facing, let's be kind to others. Let's donate where we can. Let's spend wisely and conscientiously. Let's seek out joy and pleasure as much as we can. If one of us feels like we're starting to droop under the pressure, let's reach out - and let's be honest about our feelings (because we're all very good at pushing it down - which can be a good thing sometimes, but not constantly). 

I've decided that I'm buggered if I'm going to ease up on the ethos I have for my business and give up on what I've worked for, in spite of the bad days when it feels hard to be motivated or creative. When being happy on social media isn't necessarily how things feel in real life - it doesn't matter, I'm still going to be here every day, doing the do, working the work, dreaming the dream...

I'm here if I can help. Let's stick together: community over conflict.

Sarah x

What I love this week... Folksy Friday & Friendship

Happy Friday morning! Today is National Make A Friend Day so I've been having some fun picking out a few gorgeous finds on Folksy to celebrate friendship... 

“Friends are those rare people who ask how you are and then wait for the answer” – Ed Cunningham

Folksy (the British answer to Etsy - except all sellers are based in the United Kingdom AND everything is genuinely handmade) is a truly friendly place and one that I very much enjoy being a part of. The site is absolutely stuffed with really unique and wonderful makes from designers and makers that are all completely dedicated to their work. 

The makers featured in my Friendship Gift Collection are:

Fused Glass Best Friends Allium Hanging - Blue Design Shed

Scented Ceramic Heart - Park Ceramics

Pinks Card - Jane Crick Cards & Gift Wrap

Hand Embroidered Hoop - The Flossy Stitch

Ceramic heart trinket dish - Cornish Cottage Crafts

Rose Geranium & Lemon Soap - Trawden Soap Kitchen

Sending you a great big hug card - Hannah Banks Jewellery

Good Friends Personalised Print - PhotoFairytales

Sarah x

Valentine's Day 2022 - it's almost here!

January - that month that lasts for a year - is finally almost done. I do try very hard to think positive thoughts and not get the hump, but oh boy it can be a gloomy month sometimes! 

But the end of January means a new date on the calendar to look forward to: Valentine's Day! It doesn't matter if you're an ancient-married (points at self), a newly loved-upper, or single-and-content: this isn't just a day for couples, it's simply a day for love. Love for others, love for yourself, whichever and whatever. So on February 14th, I'd like to suggest that you treat yourself to a little of what you fancy!

If you are looking for a special Valentine's gift for a loved one though, I've got some gorgeous ideas for you - here are just a few highlights, but you kind find more over on the website (including some fabulous personalised Valentine's Day cards)!

Monochrome Valentine Gift Ideas

Top Left: Family Wall Plaque, range of colours & designs

Top Right: Personalised Hexagon Wood Plaques, range of colours

Bottom Left: Personalised Poem Print, range of colours & designs

Bottom Right: Wooden Circle Plaque, range of designs

Personalised Wooden Valentine Gift Ideas

Top Left: Engraved Photo Cubes, range of designs

Top Right: Personalised Wooden Picture Block, range of designs

Bottom Left: Wooden Storyboard Plaque, any wording, various colours

Bottom Right: Mini Wooden Plaque, gift boxed, range of designs

Unusual Personalised Valentine Gift Ideas

Top Left: Valentine Love Gift Box Hamper

Top Right: Personalised Timeline Print, range of colours

Bottom Left: Family Wall Sign, range of colours & designs

Bottom Right: Personalised Vintage Art Print, other designs available

Romantic Personalised Valentine Gift Ideas

Top Left: Personalised Wooden Picture Block, range of designs

Top Right: Waves in the Sea personalised print

Bottom Left: Written in the Stars personalised print

Bottom Right: Personalised Blue Heritage Plaque, any wording

Thoughtful Personalised Valentine Gift Ideas

Top Left: Personalised Rocking Chair Print, range of other designs

Top Right: Personalised Wooden Picture Block, range of designs

Bottom Left: Rustic Wooden Photo Blocks

Bottom Right: Love Grows Wild Print, other designs available

And finally, if you're looking for some ideas for Valentine's Day (either as a couple or family), you can find some inspiration and ideas over on my Pinterest board:

Have a very happy Valentine!

Sarah x