I can almost see the light at the end of my 'commissions' tunnel for this year, just a few more to catch up with then I can put my feet up, relax & enjoy the festivities, phew!! I hope you are all ready for Christmas too, although with just over a week to go I am sure I will see a few bits & pieces to purchase for stocking fillers. At this time of year I love to wander through the garden centres & marvel at all the pretty ornaments & displays, my favourite this year is 'Brigg Garden Centre', it's like walking through a winter wonderland & even has a section full of 'candy & gingerbread' ornaments & decorations, I felt like I was in Santa's kitchen & wished I had an endless supply of pennies ;o)
I wish you all the very merriest of Christmas & a Happy New Year, see you all in 2012.

Hugs, Kerry. xxx

Latest WIP...

During a family day out this summer we came across a little shop that sold MDF laser cut embellishment kits for scrapbooking & other projects. Among the items were several Christmas ornament kits & a teeny tiny house kit. I made a mental note of the name of the company & as soon as we returned home I went straight on the computer. The company is called 'Twiddleybitz', http://twiddleybitz.com.au & they sell a wide range of scrapbooking embellishments & kits, including this...
...a 1/12th scale Santa Sleigh. I have wanted to make a Santa Sleigh for many years, but have never found one to my liking, until now. Unfortunately they do not ship to the U.K. & it did take me a while to find a distributor in the U.K. where I could purchase it from> http://www.craftynotions.com ,I ordered it late afternoon on a Tuesday & at 9:30 the next day the postman had delivered it!! Very impressive service. It was quick & easy to assemble as all the pieces slot together & I then strengthened the joinings with wood glue. I then began painting it, which I will admit would probably have been a lot easier if done before assembly as there are a lot of fiddly little bits to fill in.

I made some deep red velvet cushions that will line it & it is to be filled with assorted toys & santa sacks & eventually a Santa. This will be coming with me to the remaining fairs for this year.

Have a great weekend, hugs, Kerry.x.

You can't please everyone.

Now that the hectic weekend is over & done with I thought I would share with you something that happened to me last week. I was left neutral feedback on Etsy. I had been communicating with the buyer through Etsy to try & solve the problem, they had been initially offered three options-repair,refund or replace, all of these offers were declined!! The buyer insisted on a partial refund. I have never had to issue a refund before so I forwarded all correspondence to my business manager who informed me 'that legally & for tax purposes you need to acquire proof that these items are damaged'. As the buyer had already refused to return the items I asked if she could forward photos for me, were upon recieving them I would issue a refund. I awaited her response. It never came. Instead she choose to not contact me & leave neutral feedback instead. I would quite happily have refunded her IF evidence had been provided that the items were damaged, as who in their right mind would issue a refund without any proof??!! Would you go back to a store where you bought a new outfit & demand a refund without taking the item back? I think not. Anyway, there you go, you can't please some people.
Have a great week, hugs, Kerry.x.

9 down, 3 to go...

As we are nearing the end of another year I heave a sigh of relief as I realise I am on the last leg of my miniature fairs for 2011, just 3 more left for this year, including Kelham Hall, Newark on Sunday 30th October. Two more to exhibit at in November, then I can put my feet up & my tools down & relax :o)
Here are a few festive mini cabinets, a pink princess party table & a wedding table display that I have made to take with me to the fairs...

Hugs, Kerry.x.

A Few More Halloween Goodies...

Just a quick post tonight so you don't think that I've fallen off the face of the earth ;o)
I haven't made as many Halloween treats as I would've liked this year, but I have spent every spare minute in my workroom creating these...

Usually at this time of the year I enjoy walking round the garden centres & certain stores as they are full of inspiration for Halloween mini-making, but it all seems to have changed this year, manufacturers have forgotten about 31st October & have already started on their Christmas displays, tut tut. So, I decided to browse the internet for inspiration this year instead & this is where I found a great little site 'www.ediblegiftsplus.com'. Amongst all the sweet treats there is a Halloween candy section with a gorgeous witches shoe full of candy & this inspired me to make my own mini version, hope you like it.

Have a great week, hugs, Kerry.x.

Not many minis being made...

As most of you know we lost our much loved Poppy at the beginning of last month. She had been my fur-baby for 15 & 1/2 years & when she died I truly felt like I had lost part of me. For over two weeks I just wandered around, feeling very lost, couldn't sleep or eat & I had no enthusiasm for anything, including making minis. As it was my birthday at the end of the month my fiance & son thought they would try & cheer me up & hopefully give me back the part of me that was lost...

...so here are the latest additions to our family, appropriately named Ellie & Rosie. They are Bedlington X Lakeland terriers, sisters, & full of mischief!! Hence why not many minis are getting made at the mo, lol.
The few minis that I have managed to make (in the time when the girls are sleeping) are centred around one of my favourite times of the year. Halloween.

Some of these can be found in my Etsy shop at the moment.

Have a great week.

Hugs, Kerry.x.

Christmas Come Early...

...or at least that's what it felt like when I recieved my 'swap' parcel from Victoria ( http://www.etsy.com/shop/darksquirrel) , I can't wait to find a display cabinet worthy of displaying all these beauties. Thank you so much Victoria, I love them!!

Talking of Christmas, I recently finished a large commission for a lovely lady who visits me at the fairs. she is creating a Christmas village in miniature & asked me to make all the minis to fill a sweet shop. So, out comes 'The Santa Clause' trilogy DVDs, a little earlier than I would have liked to be honest (we're only just experiencing summer here, lol) & I watched no.3- The Escape Clause over & over again for inspiration as it is mainly set at the North Pole, so colourful & candy-filled.

Normally, once I have completed commissions, I forward photos via email for approval, but the lady in question has not got access to a computer, so this time it was not possible. I telephoned her to let her know the minis where ready & once payment was recieved I sent them off. Only then did I realise that I had no photos whatsoever of the finished minis.

So, out came the DVDs again, more inspiration, & I made these Christmas themed minis to go into my Etsy shop. I hope to list them a little later on.

Sadly, on a personal note, yesterday we said a final goodbye to our beloved Poppy...

Last Night

I stood by your bed last night, I came to have a peep.

I could see that you were crying, you found it hard to sleep,

I whined to you softly as you brushed away a tear,

"It's me, I haven't left you, I'm well, I'm fine, I'm here"

I was close to you at breakfast, I watched you pour the tea,

You were thinking of the many times, your hands reached down to me.

I was with you at the shops today, your arms were getting sore,

I longed to take your parcels, I wish I could do more.
I walked with you towards the house, as you fumbled for your key,
I gently put my paw on you, I smiled and said "it's me".

You looked so very tired, and sank into a chair,

I tried so hard to let you know that I was standing there.

It's possible for me, to be so near you everyday.

to say to you with certainty "I never went away".

You sat there very quietly, then smiled, I think you knew...

in the stillness of that evening, I was very close to you.

The day is over...I smile and watch you yawning,

and say "Goodnight, God bless, I'll see you in the morning".

And when the time is right for you to cross the brief divide,

I'll rush across to greet you and we'll stand, side by side.

I have so many things to show you, there is so much for you to see.

Be patient, live your journey out...then come home to be with me.
...Author unknown