Dub Stitch

Weebly featured sites

2011-11-24T08:39:00.003Z

A while a go I blogged about using Weebly to build my website. It's a great easy to use platform, and free too, making it a very powerful tool for small businesses.

Last week they asked for submissions for their blog, as they wanted to featured wedding related businesses. So I sent in my link, not expecting to hear anything else as there are literally millions of Weebly sites out there. But low and behold, this morning, on my Facebook wall, was a link to the wedding blog - and there I was! One of only three website to be included. Cue happy face!

http://featured.weebly.com/1/post/2011/11/featured-sites-weddings.html

Get your orders in!

2011-11-11T18:56:00.003Z

So Christmas is fast approaching us - is it really that time already?!

I've been overwhelmed with the number of requests I have had to attend Christmas fairs and events this year. It's been lovely to know that I've been remembered from last year and asked back too. Sadly I've had to turn most of these events down, partly due to the fact that my husband's freelance work often conflicts with the times, but mostly because I'm so flipping busy!!! After a relatively quiet summer, things have been picking up over the last few months and recently I have been ridiculously busy with every spare minute taken up thinking about bunting. I go to sleep thinking of the stuff!

As a result I've been giving serious consideration to when I will have to stop taking orders for Christmas. To be safe, I've decided to make Monday 5th December 2011 my last day for ordering. This will give me plenty of time to get everything made and posted.

Remember, if you don't see quite what you fancy on the website then email me at jenni@dubstitch.co.uk and let me know what you would like. I do loads of commissions and would happily discuss things with you.

135 days to go...

2011-08-11T08:54:00.004+01:00

It appears winter has arrived. In August! Yesterday I wore my new winter boots for the first time and last night saw the return to our bed of the gorgeous woollen Jaeger rug that belonged to my granny.

Along with the change in season has come whispers of... Christmas. I know, I know, it's ages away yet and we're still in the summer holidays (apparently) but hand makers up and down the country are busy preparing for the busiest time of the year.

So this is my heads up to you all - get thinking about it! Don't leave it too late as handmade items can take time to make. Last year I took my last orders on 10th December to give myself enough time to make and post everything out and I suspect I'll do something similar this year. Mirrors, bottle openers and badges can generally go out in a day or two, but personalised bunting will take longer - especially when I have this sort of assistance...

Sod's Law

2011-06-28T09:51:00.001+01:00

Oh, how I hate thee, Sod!

It's rained her for weeks. Months even. We went on holiday on 5th May and it started then - it seems to have forgotten how to stop! As the rest of the UK has heatwaves and drought, the west of Scotland has been lucky to have three sunny days in that time. And there's been no sign of any let up in the miserable weather.

So I didn't feel too bad in planning today to be a day at home. The girls are not in nursery today and I've got the Clydebank Canal Festival this Saturday to organised myself for and also some bunting and mirrors to make. As well as a mountain of washing and housework to do! We'd cosy in for the day, DVDs and board games at the ready and I'd get myself caught up with my work. Simple.

So of course we woke up this morning to blue skies. Sod at his best. Since 8am I've been pestered to go to the park. To go out on the bikes. For an ice cream. To go to Loch Lomond Shores. All things I would LOVE to do with them but I just can't today, if I don't get these things done now I won't get a chance the rest of the week. I feel like a summertime Scrooge! I'm finding myself repeating the same thing - 'Go outside and play!'

They've retaliated by covering my kitchen floor in sand. I guess I deserved that.

Website Update

2011-02-28T11:02:00.000Z

Over the weekend I moved my website hosting from iPage to Weebly. Pop over and have a look and see if you can see anything different.

www.dubstitch.co.uk

Looks the same? Well, it is the same! iPage provide a Weebly page builder with their package, which I used to build my site. Unfortunately it was limited to only 6 page and a lot of the features were only available if you upgraded to 'Premium'. So imagine my surprise when I had a look at the Weebly home page and discovered that the page building software is not only free but the number of page is unlimited and loads of the features were now available!

I wasn't impressed. So I rebuilt my page using the free software and have linked it in with my dubstitch.co.uk domain. The next task is to negotiate with iPage for getting some of my money back!

There are a few minor differences with my new website. The biggest one is that I'm now able to organise my pages more sensibly, without having to squeeze everything into 6 pages. The other is that there is now a small Weebly link at the bottom of the page. But I can live with that - I bet you didn't even notice it! It's such a great service that I'm quite happy to leave it there. I could pay $2.99 a month and be able to remove it and have access to even more facilities but I think I'll leave that for the moment, at least till I sort out things with iPage!

Mentions on other blogs

2011-02-12T10:39:00.004Z

I've been very fortunate the last few weeks to be mentioned not once but twice on other blogs.

My friend Kirsteen run the Your Wedding At Loch Lomond directory, where I advertise, and she very kindly included my products in her recent vintage theme blog. You can see it here:

http://yourweddingatlochlomond.wordpress.com/2011/01/24/466/

Just last week, Louise from Wedding & Baby published a fabulous blog post about Dub Stitch on her blog, brimming with photographs and information. Louise also run the Scottish Mumpreneur Network and has been a great source of help. You can see the Wedding & Baby blog post here:

http://weddingandbaby.blogspot.com/2011/02/dub-stitch-has-weddings-sewn-up.html

A huge thank you to both Kirsteen and Louise for their support.

New Year, New Website, New Dub Stitch!

2011-01-19T09:31:00.010Z

Happy New Year!

Well, January may well be more than half way through but I've spent the last few weeks thinking about where the business is going. As a result, I've renewed the website (I loved the colours in the old one but the format just wasn't working for me) and I'll be updating photos and info on my Facebook page next too.

I'm moving away from the children's bunting and instead focusing more on the wedding side of things. My little mirrors have been very popular at craft fairs and I think they also make fabulous favours. So if you know anyone who's looking!.. Hint hint hint. Of course, as well as mirrors, I can also make badges, keyrings and magnets, all of which can be tailored to match colour themes and ideas.

I'll still be making bunting - the tartan bunting I've been making has been popular since it's first outing back in September. It looks simply fabulous along a top table when combined with white linen, especially if it matches the groom's kilt.

Below are some photos - I hope you like them!

My Facebook promotion is still on - I'm just 25 followers away from 200 on my Facebook page. Simply click the like button and you'll be in for a chance to win one of the embroidered mirrors like the one above.

Facebook Giveaway!

2010-11-07T08:02:00.000Z

Join up to my Facebook page for a chance to win an embroidered mirror! Just go to the Dub Stitch Facebook page and click the 'Like' button. When I get to 200 likers, I'll choose a name at random to win the mirror. Good luck and spread the word!

Bunting for Sam's House

2010-11-04T11:33:00.004Z

This bundle of fruity stripey loveliness has been made for Sam's House in Kabul, Afghanistan.

My friend Angharad has set up the centre to help children who have had a very harsh beginning in life through abuse, child traffiking and neglect. I'd like to think my bunting will provide a bit of cheer in their already fabulous arts and crafts room.

If you can spare a few minutes, please have a look at their website http://samshouseafghanistan.com They are still in need of some equipment and toys - can you help?

Angharad and her husband David have also set up a social enterprise to help people, particularly women, in Afghanistan earn their own money and help support their families. For more information, go to http://www.mountainunity.org There's also some fabulous Christmas present ideas on their Facebook page.

Ditching the TV

2010-10-27T13:59:00.005+01:00

Over the last two years, we've been watching less and less TV.

Last year, we decided to get rid of it altogether, but I chickened out at the last moment due to us all being ill with a hideous horrible virus. It was the only thing that kept me sane!

Over the last year, Tommy and I have been watching EastEnders, Spooks and... erm... that's it! So when the TV License reminder came through (£145!) it made sense to not renew it. We can watch programs, for free, on services such as iPlayer, as long as the program isn't being broadcast at the time. It even says so on the TV License website:

'If you use the BBC iPlayer to watch BBC programmes after they have been broadcast either to download or via streaming on demand then you will not need a TV License.'

Hurrah! It's going on Sunday. Virgin Media have been having some difficulty in why we've cancelled our TV package, despite being told many times why. They keep phoning, offering to lower the price. Erm... are you suggesting that I can't afford £7 a month? How rude!

I suspect we'll have the TV License people after us quite quickly. They'll be welcome to come in and check, but only once. After that they can take a running jump. Why should the onus be on us to prove that we don't watch TV? Are we, as a nation, so reliant on our TVs that we should be considered as fraudsters because we don't have one? One of my friends commented that it would probably be easier to pay than to deal with the hassle - are we seriously being bullied into watching TV?

When I posted on my Facebook that we were getting rid of the TV, the number of people who said they were considering doing the same was astonishing. The rest were amazed that you could watch programs on demand without a license. It does actually state it on the TV License reminder but you have to look for it - and who does that? But I'd recommend you do the next time you get yours in!

The children don't yet comprehend quite what is going to happen, so Monday morning could be interesting!

There's some interesting sites out there about people's experiences. Have a look...

http://www.lime-marmalade.net/

http://www.bbctvlicence.com/

An amazing new project

2010-10-01T10:09:00.006+01:00

In the pipeline is a very exciting project that I'll be starting soon.

An old school friend of mine lives in Kabul in Afghanistan (as you do) and is currently setting up a children's play centre called Sam's House. She got in touch with me about some bunting that she wanted to buy to decorate the rooms, just as I was about to contact her to see if if I could make her some as a donation!

So she's going to let me know how much she need and I'll run it up for her. It's the very least I can do, she's out there with her family helping others everyday (in the midst of earthquakes and security issues) and while I have a whinge when I have to pick the girls up from nursery. *blush* Sometimes we all need a reality check.

Here's some photos of the work that's been done so far - I think you'll agree they're doing an amazing job.

Arts and crafts room

Play boat - how much fun does this look?!

Swings, sandpit and trampoline in the garden

There's currently no website for Sam's House (although it's coming soon), but you can see other projects that Angharad and her husband David have worked on at www.mountainunity.org I'll keep you updated on the progress of the centre.

Getting ready

2010-09-09T07:54:00.007+01:00

It's full steam ahead here at Dub Stitch HQ as I get ready for my first craft fair this Saturday. My stock is made (HOW difficult is it to guesstimate how much I'll need?!), the business cards and postcards are ready to hand out, everything's labeled (just in case Trading Standards pay a sneaky visit!) as well as pricelists made and I've even organised some Tshirts for Tommy and I to wear - his 'n' hers!

All that's left to do is finalise my website so I can happily send people to it, without worrying if it's going to work. It's 99% there, which I'm delighted about. It's been hard work and a real brain melting experience but a huge learning curve too. Just a few tweaks and I'll be ready to launch it properly, just in time for Saturday.

In the mean time, here's a sneaky peak at the tartan bunting I've been going on about.

Hope you like it! If you do, you can buy some from me at the Ayrshire Arts & Crafts Fair in Troon on Saturday (11th September). It'll be on the website next week, as long as I don't sell out!

Out and About

2010-09-05T14:33:00.002+01:00

I've got my first craft fair next weekend, which is both exciting and nerve-racking at the same time! It's the first of 6 that I have booked between now and Christmas, with hopefully some more to be added soon. I've spent the last few weeks building up my stock levels so hopefully people will love what I've been making and are willing to part with some cash.

So if you out and about over the next few weeks and months, keep an eye out for me and make sure you come and say hello. :)

Sunday 26th September
Helensburgh Play Park Association Fun Day
Helensburgh Rugby Club
12noon - 5pm

Saturday 30th October
Dumbarton Arts and Crafts Group Fair
St Augustine's Church Hall, Dumbarton

Sunday 14th November
Christmas Fair
Glynhill Hotel, Renfrew
10am - 4pm

Saturday 4th December
Ayrshire Arts & Craft Fair
Troon Concert Hall & Walker Hal, Troon
11am - 4.30pm

Sunday 5th December
Loch Lomond Galleries Christmas Fair
Loch Lomond Galleries, Alexandria
11am - 5pm

Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th December
Loch Lomond Galleries Christmas Fair
Loch Lomond Galleries, Alexandria
10am (Sat) and 11am (Sun) - 5pm

Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th December
Loch Lomond Galleries Christmas Fair
Loch Lomond Galleries, Alexandria
10am (Sat) and 11am (Sun) - 5pm

Unfortunate Domain Names

2010-08-27T09:16:00.003+01:00

Just had to post a list of dodgy domain names that had us giggling last night. Just shows even the big companies can get it wrong!

Copied from http://blog.dreamhosters.com/2006/07/26/top-10-worst-domain-names/

A site called “Who Represents” where you can find the name of the agent that represents a celebrity. Their domain name… wait for it… is
www.whorepresents.com

Experts Exchange, a knowledge base where programmers can exchange advice and views at
www.expertsexchange.com

Looking for a pen? Look no further than Pen Island at
www.penisland.net

Need a therapist? Try Therapist Finder at
www.therapistfinder.com

Then of course, there’s the Italian Power Generator company…
www.powergenitalia.com

And now, we have the Mole Station Native Nursery, based in New South Wales:
www.molestationnursery.com

If you’re looking for computer software, there’s always
www.ipanywhere.com

Welcome to the First Cumming Methodist Church. Their website is
www.cummingfirst.com

Then, of course, there’s these brainless art designers, and their whacky website:
www.speedofart.com

Want to holiday in Lake Tahoe? Try their brochure website at
www.gotahoe.com

Bet I get all sorts of interesting comments now...

Bit of an update...

2010-08-27T08:09:00.002+01:00

There's SO much going on in my brain just now, so I'm writing this blog to try and get them all out! It's not helped by the fact that last night I was at an Ebusiness workshop (another Business Gateway freebie, did I mention how much I liked them?)and I got home at 9pm, heading buzzing with new ideas and caffeine from vending machine tea. I think I fell asleep about 3am. What I'm doing here at this time in the morning is beyond me!

I can't stress how important these workshops have been for me. Last night, my website was used as an example in an accessibility test. Thank you to Gary from NS Designs for all the help. While I don't remember the names of anyone else's businesses (sorry everyone!), I bet they all remember mine. Helped by the fact that I handed out a postcard with my details on it to everyone. Well, I didn't get them printed for nothing!

I've also made a brilliant contact in the form of Susan Murray who's also setting up her own business, Local Greengrocer. Susan has been such a help forwarding craft events and ideas to me, and she has also very kindly passed an overlocker onto me! Thank you very much Susan, I hope I can make very good use of it!

The business is developing well, I plan to have the website shop going live in 1st September - but please forgive me if it's not! I'm also booked into five fairs now between now and Christmas. More are being added all the time, have a look at the 'Meet' page on www.dubstitch.co.uk to see where and when.

Family wise, things are good there too. My girls start nursery on Monday (where has the time gone?!) and in preparation for being Big Girls, we commenced Operation No More Pram this week. Despite some appalling weather, my little troopers donned their wellies and winter jackets (hurray for TKMaxx) and braved two trips on the bus, an outing to Helensburgh on the train and a looooooooong walk to the park. Bless them, they've been sleeping well this week!

Things I learnt today (and some I knew already and had forgotten!)

2010-08-13T20:04:00.003+01:00

I spent a very rare day away from my gorgeous girls today. I had a business planning workshop in the Titan Enterprise building in Clydebank and it was an all-dayer. My wonderful husband Tommy stepped up to the mark with a day's holiday and whisked the girls away to Sallochy Bay on the loch while I got my business head on. During my adventure, I learned a lot, and relearned a few other things!

1. Trains are expensive. £5.10 Balloch to Clydebank return. I think that deserves a WTF and an OMG in the same sentence.

2. Commuter trains suck. I'm SO glad I don't need to do that any more!

3. Scotrail staff need to mind their language - never heard so many f*cks in one conversation in my life!

4. Going into the photography or car valeting business may not be such a good idea - 2 photographers and 2 valeters in our class of 9 today.

5. The Titan Crane is BIG.

6. Clydebank College students are lucky buggers - you should see the lovely waterfront setting the new college has. I had my lunch today on the banks of the Clyde, hardly a soul in sight and lovely countryside views across the water and up to the Erskine Bridge. Just a pity about the planes overhead every few minutes.

7. Delayed trains suck. And delayed commuter trains suck even more.

8. I love my little girls and my husband very much.

I also learned one or two things about running my business. Well, that's a lie, I learned LOADS. I can't tell you enough how excellent I've found the service provided by the Business Gateway. I have a dedicated business advisor who gave me loads of start-up advice. I've been to two workshops and have another two to go (on subjects such as book keeping, e-commerce, business planning and marketing). I've been given book keeping software (pity it doesn't work on Macs :( ). I've met lots of people at a similar stage in their business and been given numerous cups of tea. And it's all for FREE. You can't get any better than that!

All hail the Business Gateway!

Things I have looked for in the dark in my daughters' room

2010-08-01T08:38:00.006+01:00

My girls are three now (where does the time go?) and are very particular about what they like and don't like. This obviously changes on a daily basis, which throws up all sorts of problems at bed time. They used to go to bed with a few teddies and soft toys each. They both have their favourites - Honey had Geoffrey the bear, the two Mr Bears, Mini Bear, Zebby the Zebra and a 'lala' - crocheted blanket. Heidi had Jimbo the bear, Bear the bear, Raffy the Giraffe and two lalas. You can see how imaginative we are with names!

Over the past six months or so, these 'friends' have swelled in numbers. Honey is now joined by Henry bear, another lala, a giant lala, a cellular blanket and Sandy, the biggest bear known to man. Heidi also now has a giant lala, a cellular blanket (they're twins, got to have two of everything!) and Rusty, Sandy's equally big brother.

With all this crap, it's very lucky that we bought the girls proper single beds instead of toddler ones. It's amazing that, given all the stuff they have, they know immediately if someone is missing, which results in squawks in the night. Which brings me to to reason of this blog post. As well as the friends, they're prone to adding extra items. The current one is 'treasure'. Also known as loose change. A friendly old man gave them some pennies on Wednesday; they haven't been put down since. And every night since, I've been woken by a little person by my bed with the words 'I've lost my treasure'. Which means I (or Tommy) have to get up, located the lost treasure, which is hopefully under a pillow, and get the child back into bed. Yawn.

But if you're very unlucky, the treasure will have fallen down the side of the bed, or rolled under the bedside table, resulting in a proper treasure hunt in the dark, as you can't put the light on for fear of waking the other one up.

Other coveted items I've searched for by fingertip on my hands and knees include a heart-shaped purse filled with hair bobbles ('I've lost my heart!'), bee and ladybird shaped toy cars ('I've lost my bumblebee/babybird!'), a first aid kit (that one was easy!), a doll's hat (not so easy, a small fabric hat lost in a tangle of sheets) and a magic wand that twinkles when you press a button ('I've lost my phone!' *snort*).

But my all time favourite was a clear plastic nose cone from a polystyrene aeroplane. You know the ones, you buy them flat for 50p and slot them together, only for it to disintegrate within 10 minutes. The clear plastic nose part is about the size of a one pence piece. Heidi loved her plane so much that even when the rest of it had been consigned to the bin, the little clear plastic bit from the front was still treasured. And she 'lost' it 4 times in one night.

Sometimes I wonder how on earth we haven't Ebayed them yet.

Bored

2010-07-26T11:30:00.003+01:00

This is a totally pointless blog post, but I'll do it anyway as I'm bored bored booooooooored. Still waiting for these fabric deliveries. I bet they come at 5pm and I'll be too busy doing dinner/bath/bed/wine to do anything with them.

I have managed to sort out my bank account though and some insurance so the day isn't a total waste. I really should sit down and plan out my 'Dub Stitch' bunting which I'll be taking to fairs and events, but I think I'll sit and watch Finding Nemo instead.

Waiting for deliveries

2010-07-24T10:10:00.004+01:00

Hoping to get a couple of deliveries in today of new materials. I've been waiting ages (well, about a week) for them. Both were dispatched yesterday so fingers crossed there's a knock at my door soon. In the mean time I'll be working on my new website.

I've been looking into attending craft fairs in the run up to Christmas, and beyond. Sounds like an excuse to buy some seasonal fabrics. I'm having so much fun searching the internet for interesting looking materials! I'm planning a Christmas range of bunting and probably some Hallowe'en themed bunting too (just for you, Kirsteen!).

In fact, my brain is running overboard at all the ideas I have, I really don't know where to start. I've been to see the Business Gateway guys in Dumbarton and that's helped to focus me a little. I've signed up for their business planning, finance and marketing worskshops, which I'm looking forward to. If anything, it's an evening out - a real novelty for me. Do you think they'll mind if I take a bottle of wine?

What a difference a day makes

2010-07-18T16:35:00.007+01:00

Yesterday was a rubbish day. Mainly because, although I have an order though my Facebook store, the funds have yet to appear in my Paypal account. I've been trying to avoid it, but I think I'm going to have to email the customer and look like a plank asking if they definitely made the order. Sigh.

Today, however, has been much better. My mum and dad came to visit and came laden with things: lunch, goodies for the fridge and, best of all, a HUGE hamper of cloth, buttons, beads, threads, bindings, fastenings, lace and more, all ranging from the 1950s upwards. God, I love my mum. I can't believe she's kept all this and I'm so grateful for it now.

Here's a few photos:

My haul of stuff, including a book on Needlecraft from 1978. Some of the pictures in it are priceless.

Some of the threads on lovely wooden bobbins. They have great names like 'Pale Salmon and 'Haze Pink'.

One of two tins of fastening and buttons. I'm rather excited about the number of mother of pearl buttons, especially the ones below on the square card. I'm going to have to make something lovely with them.

So I'm a happy bunny today. I'll be stroking fabrics and organising buttons all evening, I think!

First sewing related injury

2010-07-14T09:46:00.006+01:00

I got myself this morning. So far I've managed to avoid sewing my fingers together but I got a bit cocky with my scissors and ended up with this:

Ouch! On the plus side, I managed to soldier on and finish the drawstring bags I was making. They'll be perfect for nursery to keep soft shoes in (guess who's children are starting nursery next month!). I'll add them to the Dub Stitch Facebook shop today.

Shop open!

2010-07-11T21:21:00.007+01:00

The Dub Stitch Facebook shop is now open! Huzzah! You can find it here:

Dub Stitch

Promote your Page too

I need to add some more pictures but due to light issues I'm struggling at the moment. Hopefully I'll get some good ones soon. Come on sunshine!

Bags

2010-07-09T12:41:00.004+01:00

I've been working on a prototype for a shopping bag this morning. It looks brilliant - even if I do say so myself! It's reversible with cut out reinforced handles.

No photos yet, I tried to take some but the light here is awful just now even with the house lights on. A typical Scottish summer!

I filled the bag up to take some pics, and it's huge - I had in it a 4 pint milk bottle, 6 apples, a melon, a pineapple, my sewing kit (at the bottom to help fill it up!) and my purse. So no excuses not to buy lots at the shops!

Finished

2010-07-08T14:38:00.006+01:00

I've finished the 'Hannah' bunting. Had to be careful I pinned the flags in the right order or I could have ended up with 'Nahnah'. Thankfully I got it right and here it is.

I hope she likes it.

Norty pic...

2010-07-08T12:48:00.005+01:00

I've had a few enquiries about the X-rated image (you dirty lot!) so here it is. I hope you're not disappointed, but seriously, would you put this on a kids' duvet cover???

Like I said, very bizarre!

All in a day's work...

2010-07-07T16:51:00.004+01:00

Today, amongst doing the housework and a trip to soft play, I've managed to do this:

Proud doesn't even begin to cover it! I'm really pleased with the colours and how the lettering has turned out, it was much simpler than I realised. I think when I tried to do 'Charley' I was over complicating things. Just some loose threads to tidy up tonight then I'll string it together tomorrow.

Bunting

2010-07-07T09:29:00.007+01:00

I'm working on some bunting today for my friend's daughter's birthday. I'm using these three fabrics:

The bug fabric is an old Ikea duvet cover of my daughter's. It has some lovely designs on it - although I have noticed one rather X-rated one that isn't exactly suitable for a child's bedroom! Very bizarre! The red gingham belonged to my mum who made a dress from it for my sister in the 70s. The only new fabric I'll be using is the purple gingham, which I picked up last weekend at Remnant King's in Glasgow. Now there's a shop I could spend some money in!

I'm hoping to put Hannah's name onto her bunting, but as I'm still very much learning I'll have to see how that goes. My attempts at Charley for another present failed miserably, but that had more curves than Hannah! Fingers crossed it goes well and I can proudly show you the results here.

After the rain...

2010-07-07T08:29:00.008+01:00

It finally seems to have stopped raining here in the west of Scotland. The rest of the UK is dry and brown, while my lawn is currently about 6 inches deep.

On the plus side, the flowers are doing beautifully! Got some lovely snaps this morning...

And much to the childrens' excitement, we also had these...

Good old summer.