my first etsy sale :)

just a quick note to say that I have had my very first etsy sale - I am so chuffed and excited and it is going to the lovely Josephine in Singapore - how cool is that - woo woo hoo!!

and the winner is........

The Lucky winner of my yarn giveaway is No 16 - which I believe to be Amanda Makes!!

A big congratulations and please send me your mailing address and your choice of 10 colours.

A big big sorry to all those who did not win - I never realised that having a giveaway can make you feel happy and sad - all at the same time.

Wishing you all an excellent weekend - and I may well have some more giveaways in the future, once I have got my shop open and can think more clearly...

The Fabulous Making Magazine is now in my Etsy Shop

If you have not yet tried this fabulous Making magazine - and just spend all month waiting for Mollie Makes to comes around - then I think that you might really like this one.

The magazine regularly features news relating to interior design, whats on, sewing, knitting and crafting projects, recipes, art, lust list, making toiletries and much, much more.

This edition includes:

Full Size Pattern for Retro Dress
Cup Candles
Mod Target Cushion
Pom Pom Garland
Brighton Rocks - fabric typography
A psychedelic quilt
Garden Tips
Picnic Roll Up Placemats
Scrabble Tile Magnets
Print on Porcelain
Teatime Treats
Unused Records Kitchen Clocks
A Button Light Pull
Rose & Red Clay Cleanser
Embroidered Passion Cushion by Emily Peacock
Make a Beaded Necklace, a Stylish Mini Dress, a Baker Boy Hat
Arm Candy Handbag, a Stool with built in Storage, a Pop Art Canvas

If you love the Mollie Makes magazine - I think this will become close or an even better favourite monthly read!

Bringing the Giveaway Forward!!

As the response has slowed quite rapidly and I am also busy trying to get everything into place for opening our shop I thought it would be a good idea to bring the giveaway forward.

So I will now randomly draw the lucky winner on Friday at 12 noon - so if you haven't entered yet by becoming a follower you still have the best part of the week to do so.

Good Luck to each and everyone of you - and a big big thank you for taking part :) x

Keep Aaron Cutting Donations

This is Aaron Biber who is 89 years old and had his small barbers shop wrecked by the rioters, I heard his story on the news tonight and just had to send this charming and lovely chap a small donation to help keep him in business - after all he is 89 - still working - and is not likely to want to try a career change at this time of life.  You can read his story and make a donation here .

Well done also to Björn, Sophie and Omid, 3 young interns who used the power of the internet to help Aaron - a lovely warm story after a battered and turbulent week.

My most excellent giveaway - some rules

I have had a tremendous response to my giveaway so far and it sure has kept me busy today - it is so uplifting after the misery of recent news in our poor battered country.

But to be sure that nobody misses out - do please ensure that if you want to enter - that your name pops up in my followers section.  If you enter you will (in time) receive your allocated draw number from me.  If you just leave a lovely but anonymous message, then I have no way of contacting you and cannot enter you in the draw.

Of course - if you really, really want to remain anonymous - then you can also contact me direct to susan@millicentjames.co.uk

Stylecraft Special DK Yarn GIVEAWAY !!

I am so so happy to announce that I am now the proud seller of the Stylecraft Special DK yarns - which are sitting sweetly in my newly opened etsy shop!

To celebrate this happy event I am giving away a fabulous bundle of not 1 or 2 or 5 or 7 - but 10 fabulous balls from my beginners selection.

I know that a lot of the lovely blogging crafters adore this wool for there many bold and colourful projects and think it would be a lovely and special treat to receive in the post.

So how can you get a chance to win this scrumptious pack of wool - well it it so easy peasy to enter - all you have to do is just be a follower and say hello :)

As each follower pops in they will be numbered from No 1 onwards, so Kim is No 1 and Mrs Balfour is No 2 etc, etc.... and then on the 1st September I will use a random number draw thingy to pick the winner - SIMPLES - and if you are from good old blighty or from timbucktoo - there will be no postage costs cos I can be nice like that :)

Good Luck to each and every one of you - and just a little nugget of info I will soon be selling the most fabulous and newest crafting magazine soon - me thinks that will also be another top notch giveaway !!

a lot of fluffiness

just loving the textures of these items.  So, so soft and dreamy.  Found at 13 ricrea in Italy.

Deryn Relph

my latest inspiration for my virtual pin-board is the wonderful work of Deryn Relph who is a textile designer, with a love of colour, pattern and texture, who likes to think creatively about the use of textiles she designs and constructs.  Her web-site can be found here

wishing for top notch photography skills

I am finding that one of the hardest things in setting up my own web-site and etsy shop is my total lack of top notch photography skills.  It just all seems to difficult and I know that a good photograph is vital in helping too sell my items on-line.

The trouble is not just the setting and the lighting, but the time needed, you spend ages clicking away - then another long-winded time downloading them - only to find that they mostly look rubbish and need deleting.  At least when I open my first shop people can see how things look, and hopefully the item will sell itself.

So so so frustrating..........

sweet milly james

Here is an illustration of my very sweet Milly James.  Like me she is into designing and crafting, although unlike me she is younger, has had an excellent education, probably owns a fabulous London-based interiors store that sells a must have range of her own beautifully designed accessories and is regularly mentioned in all the best blogs and magazines.  I am not yet sure if Milly is married to a Mr James or is single.

new beginnings

welcome to my new blog.  I am Susan Potter and alongside my lovely and very much appreciated husband we are setting up our first small business named Millicent James in Leigh-on-Sea within a fabulous store called What The Butler Saw. 

We are due to open on the 1st September and are hoping to sell an eclectic range of hand-painted and upcycled furniture, crocheted products, interesting interior accessories, collectables, prints, crafting magazines and yarn. 

So for now I wake up each day in a mad haze of panic, will we have enough stock, will it sell, will anybody like what we do, what if we sell everything all in one go, what if my hubby ends up out of work and we cannot afford the rent to give it a chance to grow.

Please do also take into account that this year I reached the grand age of 50 - so therefore wondering if I am a little bit crazy for taking this on :)