Today's blog is just a reminder about our show over the Bank Holiday weekend at Calke Abbey in Derbyshire.  It's open from 10am til 5pm all three days, and is well worth a visit.  The house and gardens alone are stunning, so add in the craft show, and you'll have a lovely day out.  If anyone is interested, give me a shout and I have a £1.50 discount voucher that I can email over to you for money off your entrance tickets.

It was my birthday on Friday, but it was also Chris' mom's on Wednesday.  Shelagh collects ducks...wooden and ceramic ones at the moment, although I wouldn't be surprised to see a couple swimming about on their pond at some point in the future!...so we made her a wooden duck with a cute fabric wing.  It worked out pretty well, so we've decided to make them to sell as well.  Like an idiot, I forgot to take a photo of Mrs Duck before wrapping it up, but once we've made more, I'll put some pictures on here and then get them on the website.

My birthday present from Chris was this gorgeous toadstool house that he's been secretly making in the workshop for the last couple of weeks.  I especially love the two little cats that he added, our BumBum and Tillybum.  We're thinking about making similar versions to sell online and at the shows.  What do you think?

We have loads of shows coming up this month, so I'm off for a manic sewing day...beach huts, lighthouses, birdies, ducks, apples, hearts, boats.....and so the list goes on.  Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to write the list, it's a bit scary seeing in written down like that!!

Is that Sunshine!?!?

I know the weather forecast had said that today was going to be nice, but that doesn't always mean much.  So, I was very pleasantly surprised to see the lovely sunshine this morning, and felt the need to get some fresh air and a bit of warm sun.  Sunbathing was out of the question (not quite warm enough for that yet!), so taking some more stock photos seemed to be the best compromise, and stops the guilty feelings of not working.

I had a trusty photographic assistant today...yes Andy, that's you!!!...so after a sneaky pub lunch for my birthday, we turned the patio into our studio, and got to work.

I don't know how many hours it took us to get the three main photos that we needed, but we got there in the end.  I think it must have been all the reminiscing of our school and college days that put us off, remembering the holidays, the songs and everything else that went along with them.  It all seems so long ago now!!  Anyway, the other photos that were scheduled in for today will just have too be done next time the elusive sun decides to grace us with it's presence, and of course when Andy is around to help out!

It was our Wooden Houses that were on the menu for today, and they are uploaded and available to buy right now :)  We make them in lots of other colours too, but rather than drowning the website in them, we just added the three most popular choices.  If anyone does want one in anything different though, all you have to do is email us with your required colours, and we'll take it from there.


Red Wooden House
 £8.95

Cream & Green Wooden House
£8.95

Cream & Red Wooden House
£8.95

Double and triple beach huts are on my making list for this week, but my birthday is at the end of the week, so I can't promise to get everything done!  I'll get some pictures on here as soon as they are ready, and at least the sun is shining and helping me with the beachy/summery feeling that definitely helps when making that kind of thing.  Snow just doesn't have the same effect!

I'll write again soon, maybe with the extra wisdom of one who is a whole year older...well you never know ;)

Linz xxx

New products

The recent good weather has given me burst of energy, and things that have been in the pipeline for a while now have finally started to come together! 

Firstly, the website's new fresh and more contemporary look went live earlier in the week...really exciting!!...and we finally had the weather to get outside and take photographs of the new Beachside & Coastal range. 

After trialling the boats, beach huts and lighthouses at the craft shows, we were ready to get them online.  Yesterday's sunshine facilitated an enjoyable afternoon playing around with a pile of wooden crates and seashells, and now they are uploaded and available to buy online.  I still have a few more beach huts to make to complete the sets, but we really are making some progress at long last.


Neutral Wooden Boat - £13.95

Faded Blue Lighthouse - £11.95
























The cute Little Wooden Birdies are also online, and are just waiting for their opportunity to fly off to their new homes.  With their funky, distressed colours, they will be a bright and fun little touch to any room in your home.



Coral Wooden Birdie - £6.50

Our Facebook page is coming together nicely, and our number of 'likers' has been increasing steadily all week...thank you :)  We would love it if you would follow us so that you can see what we're up to, new products, and of course a few special offers that are only going to be available through Facebook ;) 

We're now starting to work towards our next show at Calke Abbey at the beginning of May.  Lots to do, but it's a great show, and always enjoyable.  Hope to see you there :)

Take care
Linz xxx

Our Facebook Page

How did I forget to mention this?!?!?!?

We decided it was time to create a facebook page for Pretty Beautiful.  Here's the link, and we would love it if you would come along and follow us on there :)

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pretty-Beautiful/300167936781235

See you there :)
xxx

Easter Adventures!

Easter didn't turn out all that well for us here at Pretty Beautiful.  We drove down to Buckingham for a craft show at Hyde End, to find a complete mudbath.  The organisers had done an amazing job to even get the show open, but it wasn't the easiest of set-ups, and we had to be towed out just to add to the misery. 

The stand was looking good though, so off we went to our hotel to hide from the -7 temperatures outside.  The following morning (Good Friday) we left the hotel to go to the first day of the show.  That's when things really started to go wrong!  Our van broke down in a bad place.  The bottom of a hill on a main road in the middle of nowhere.  Lorries were thundering down the hill towards us, and how we didn't get hit, I will never know.  After a quick call to the RAC, and another to a friend at the show to come and rescue me, the van got towed away, and I opened the stand.

A Bank Holiday weekend is never going to be the best time to breakdown, especially when it turns out that the van needs some major repairs!  The long and the short of it was that we had a stressful few days and an extra night in Buckinghamshire.  The van was recovered and taken to my Dad's dealership in Birmingham, and we were recovered by Chris' mom.

We are still missing our van as it is very poorly indeed, and can't be fixed until later this week.  Much of our equipment and stock is in it, making life a little difficult, but at least we will get it back.  It was a scary and very stressful catastrophe!!

Anyway, it's the start of a new week, and we've got a lot to do!  Orders to be completed, stock to make, new designs to finish, and a whole load of photos to get on the website.  Our web designer (Meg at White Ochre Design) is working on a bit of a new look for the homepage as we speak, and that should be up and running shortly.  We need something new that reflects what we do and where the business has gone.  Our products are much more sewing, wood and fruit based nowadays, as we have slowly moved away from the cards.  We want our website to reflect this with a more soft, natural and handcrafted look.  We hope you like the outcome :)

These photos aren't going to take themselves, so I'm going to try and get some done whilst the weather is good.  I'll get some on here when I get a moment.

Speak to you all soon
Linz xxx  

 

New Year, New Products

Okay, so it's been months since my last blog, but the run up to Christmas was more manic than ever.  Just as we were nearing the end, I ended up with glandular fever, and am still feeling the sleepy effects even now.  Anyone who knows me knows that I am pretty fond of a nap, but now I can sleep for England, and wake up still tired.  This isn't very conducive to work and product development, but we are finally starting to get somewhere with our list of 'got to do's' so I thought I'd take the chance to blog about our progress.

Firstly, regular website customers will start to notice some big changes.  Even though the business originally started with our handcrafted cards, over the last two years in particular, we've moved away from those and focused instead on our handmade gifts and home accessories.  The website is now starting to reflect this...at long last!  There are still changes to be made, and many more products to be added, but at least we have started to make progress.  The title block of the website needs to be changed next, along with the images...that's next week's job.

Our dried fruit wreaths and garlands are always a good seller, but we want to offer a wider range of products.  The candle range will be expanding later in the year (watch this space) but we wanted to really focus on the wood and fabric combination designs.  Last year the Rustic Houses and Pomegranate Hearts sold beyond our expectations, so it seemed to be the obvious choice for development.

This week we added the first of our Beach Huts in the new Beachside category.  Available as singles, pairs or trios, these add a fantastic finishing touch to any bathroom or coastal styled room.  We've made them in a variety of colours ranging from the traditional and vibrant nautical theme, all the way through to the more classic and contemporary neutrals with colourful accents.  I'm currently working on some other colour combinations, but our boiler has broken, and with no heating, the only warm room in the house is the lounge...hence a day of computer work!! 

 

Tomorrow we'll finish off the other items that will be available in this category, and then it's onto the next idea on the list.  Hopefully the weather will hold and we'll be able to get our photos taken with some decent light.

With Mother's Day fast approaching (10th March), you still have time to order your gift.  Our new spotty wooden hearts seem to be the flavour of the month, and if you would like it made in a different colour from what you see online, just let us know.  We are happy to make them in any colour of your choice.  A simple heart is always a good way to show your love and appreciation, and the shabby chic style of these spotty hearts brings them right up to date in a way that's fun, affordable and perfect for most homes.  Hang them on dressers, door handles, the wall, beds......the list goes on!

Time for dinner now, but I will be back to keep you all updated with the changes and new products.  Don't forget to take a look at our Upcoming Events page, we've started to list the confirmed events, but there are many more in the pipeline.  These will be listed as we get booking confirmations, so it's definitely worth checking back regularly if only to laugh at our crazy itinerary for the year!!

Bye for now :)
xxxx

Back again!

I'm back here again....I did say that I would really try, and here I am and very pleased with myself too ;)

Anyway,  I've been doing a bit of work on the website in the last few days, adding in new teacup candles...we sold out.....adding the new wooden houses, more new wreaths and so on.  Regular customers will also notice that we are starting to scale down the card side of the business.  As time goes by we've found that most of our business is in the gifts and home accessories.  We sell those items at the shows, supply them to retail outlets, and online.  It seems sensible to aim the website more at that market than the smaller handmade card sector. 

After Christmas, we're hoping that the website will have a facelift, and at that point the cards will all but disappear, just leaving the bespoke option and few others.  We have a few ideas on how we want it to look, but for now it's all in the ".....get Christmas out of the way, and in the New Year" stage, just like cleaning the house, sorting the garden, finishing the bathroom...............


The teacup candles have been going really well online recently, with a lot of enquiries coming through for other designs and sets.  Most of what we sell comes from current stock photos being emailed to the customer so that they can make a choice.  Our stock changes almost daily, so we normally have something that is just right.  If you do want to have a look at others, please don't hesitate to ask, we send out photographs every day, so another request won't be a problem :)  We have a few really, really nice trio sets avaialbale online at the moment, my favourites being the ones in these pictures. 

I've managed to get a picture of our 'Wooden Houses' online, although this is only one of the colours that we offer.  The other two are a pale cream and a darker, richer caramel/cream colour.  The fabrics available for the windows and doors are endless, so all we ask is for your chosen colour scheme, and we'll do the rest.  We can send over pictures of the proposed fabric combinations so that we can get it just right for you.  They are one of my favourite items to make along with the Pomegranate Hearts, as I get to play with fabric, and the simple combination of the wood and fabric is really appealing and 'homey'.

















Today I am working on the final elements of my sister's wedding stationary.  the wedding is next weekend, and I still have the table plan to make, the table numbers, and make alterations to her dress and mine, and that's not even taking into account our normal day to day work and orders......time to stop chatting away on here I think!

I'm off, and I'll try to get back after the wedding next weekend!
Lyndsay x

Long Time No Speak!

I don't know why it is that I find it so hard to keep this blog thing up to date, but obviously I do.....I putting it down to being busy. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!!!

Anyway, whilst I'm here and making a concerted effort, I thought I'd post a picture of one of our new wreath designs.   We're calling it the Baby Green Fruit Mix...catchy I know, but it describes exactly what it is.  Whole Limes, chillies and green orange slices...a mix of green fruits!  It's big brother should be available online in the next few weeks, but many of you who have visited us at shows will already have big brother in your home...he has proved to pretty popular :)

This years chillies arrived almost twice the size of previous years, so it's forced us to rethink old designs and come up with new ones.  The new photos aren't all online yet, I'm slowly making my way through them, but at least the new pictures that I have uploaded give an idea of what to expect.  We're hoping to have our fruit and home products professionally photographed next month, so things will be all change once again.

The fruit isn't the only change this year.  Chris (my other half, or better half as he is fond of saying!) has quit his full time job in printing, and we now both work full time on the business together.  It's already made a huge difference with us being able to take on much larger trade accounts, get orders out quicker, and travel further afield for longer shows....plus I have someone around to make to tea all day every day ;)  Our plans for the next few years are changing rapidly, but the overall aim is still the same....the beautiful cottage in Cornwall with the sea views.......

Less of the daydreaming and back to reality, our shows for the rest of this year can be found on our Upcoming Events page.  This is still being added to even at this late stage, but we don't seem to be able to help ourselves!  Don't forget that if we are going to at an event in your area, you can always order beforehand, and either collect at the show, or we'll deliver free of charge...why pay postage when you don't need to?

It's time for dinner now, my stomach has been rumbling away for hours, and I'm about to give into it....chilli, rice and french stick.  Just what you need on a cold and windy autumn evening.

Goodnight, and I'll try and be back here soon!
Lyndsay (and Chris) xxx

Online Updates!



Baby Citrus Wreath £8.00



I have spent the last two days working on the website, and finally getting some of our new products online.  It's something that I've been meaning to do for absolutely ages, but just haven't got round to doing. 



This has all come about because this weekend we have Saturday off and only have a one day fair rather than a two or three as we have lately.  We are to be found at the Melton Mowbray Country Fair on Sunday (26th June) for what is promising to be a fun and hopefully sunny day!  There is a Big Bake competition, rural craft demonstrations, a novelty dog show, livestock displays and a 'Fun With Food' marquee where a suspect my other half Chris will spend most of his day ;)



Saturday is going to be a good solid stock day without any distractions or outings, or so I hope, as next weekend we are at the Waddington Air Show, which is incredibly busy.  I have mentioned my love of planes (and pilots!!) before, so I won't go into that now!



 As for this week's work, I have launched our new 'Wooden Love' range online.  We've been selling out at the shows most weekends, and have taken lots of bepoke orders for hearts in colours co-ordinating with people's kitchens, hallways etc  We offer them in the three standard colours of cream, red and green.  Each is a distressed hand cut and finished heart threaded with various fruit combinations. 



Single Wooden Heart Garland £11.50



Available as a Single Heart Garland, a Triple Heart Garland and a Wooden Heart String, there is something to suit everyone and every space.  They are simple, rustic, but yet full of charm and country style.  We are hoping to extend the range over the comong months, so please watch this space.....patiently!

I've also managed to get many more of our dried fruit wreaths onto the website in both the standard and baby sizes.  Once again, their simple, aromatic and stylish character are always popular at the shows, and especially for Christmas.  As anyone who has visited our stall will know, we have many more styles, but it is almost impossible to get everything online.  I wouyld need weeks and weeks, rather than a couple of days.  I am intending to get our fruit strings on there sometime soon, along with our large and small scented hearts, and a larger selection of the ever popular 'Cottage Hearts'.

Cottage Hearts £7.50 each



The list is long and scary, and fitting it all in between wedding orders, website orders, wholesale orders and of course the shows, is getting more and more difficult.  What I really need are a couple of hard working staff who don't mind craziness and cats.....does anyone want to volunteer?

I'll leave it at that for today, but please feel free to post any thoughts and comments about the new products, your views are always appreciated.

Bye for now



Lyndsay xxx











Award Winning!!!

No posts for ages, then two in one week!  We spent our weekend at two different shows.  Saturday was the Kenilworth Show, and Sunday was the Rutland Country Show. 

Chris was just a little pleased with the award!

We had a busy time at both, but Saturday bought a lovely surprise when we were awarded the 'Best in Show' trophy.  We had an absolute nightmare setting up the gazebo in the morning with the wind, so things weren't really looking their best, but that didn't seem to bother the judges.  We didn't even know that we were being judged, but at the end of the day, the panel came along and presented us both with the trophy.  We were surprised to say the least, but absolutely thrilled!  We got to bring the shield home, and then it will go back to be engraved with our details before being returned to us.

As you can see by the photograph, by the time we got the award, the tent was looking very sparse indeed! Chris had spent the afternoon sitting in the back of the van threading garlands before passing them out to me to be sold, so once again the new van proved itself to be very worthwhile indeed.  I don't think we ever intended to use it as a travelling workshop, but there you go!

This coming Sunday we will be at Cosford Air Show, giving us Saturday at home to make a bit more stock.  The following weekend we can be found at the Three Counties Show in Malvern, which is a huge event spread over the Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  Fingers crossed that the weather will be nice and a good weekend will be had by all.  Come down and see us if you can and don't forget that a full list of where we will be can be found on our 'Upcoming Events' page on our website.

By for now

Lyndsay xxx

Our new family member!

I know, I know, it's been a while since I last blogged, but things have been a little busy!  This year we have completely changed our event plans, and have swapped from the smaller local fairs, to much bigger ones all over the country.  We wanted to see if it made a difference money wise, but also to try something new.  So far so good, but it was getting difficult tyring to pack 3 days worth of stock plus a suitcase into the car, so we made a decision!  We've been talking about it for ages, but it was time to go for it, so we bought our first company car (or van in this case!).

After a lot of cleaning, we took it down to Norfolk for the Bank Holiday weekend for an event at Blickling Hall.  It is a simply stunning place, and we were extremely lucky with the weather as it was absolutely baking hot!  Without the worries of trying to fit everything in the car, we took as much stock as we could possibly make, and promptly came home with a pretty much empty van....apart from the obligatory purchases of course ;)

This weekend we are following the travelling theme, and are the Kenilworth Show on Saturday, and then down to the Rutland County Show on Sunday.  It's looking like the weather might be nice once again, so hopefully it should be another good weekend. 

We've been busy booking shows all over the UK, and you can see the extent of out planned travels on the Upcoming Events page on our website.  From Cambridge to Anglesey, to Hull and Holkham in Norfolk, we really are getting to see the country and it's really enjoyable too!!!

Speak to you all soon
Linz and our new van :) xxx

It's Wedding Season!

I normally write about new products and our adventures connected with Pretty Beautiful, our hand crafted card and gift company, but today I thought I would write a little bit about our other website, PB Dried Fruit.

I always forget to blog about what we're up to with that side of the business, but things have been really busy the last few weeks as the wedding season has started in earnest! We are slowly adding to our new Wedding Supplies section of the website, with natural confetti petals, beautiful confetti cones and organza ribbons, and then favour boxes and bags. There are so many lovely products to choose from that I am struggling to decide which items to stock online, but slowly and surely we are getting a collection together.

The confetti cones and filling petals are our main wedding product at the moment, and with beautiful rich chocolate brown, luxurious champagne, opulent pearl and sumptuous silver to choose from, there is something to suit all colour schemes. The petals range from pretty and traditional ivory, right the way through to a deep blood red/burgundy and vivid pink amaranth petals.

The tiny amaranth petals are new in this season, and so far are proving very popular! The colours are amazing, and they are so small and delicate, that they just float gently to the ground. I know this for a fact, as Chris knocked part of a bag all over the floor, and if nothing else, we now know how they look as they cascade gracefully through the air ;)

We have a lovely selection of organza ribbons to complement the confetti cones, ranging from ivory and beige, to gold, brown, pink and dark silver grey. You can buy these at only 30p per metre, and they really are the perfect finishing touch.

We are going to be getting in a range of small vintage style favour boxes in the next couple of weeks, so as soon as they are available online, I will chat about them on here. I've already got the samples, and they are really cute and gorgeous!

Today is the day for sorting through all our events for the year and getting everything in the diary and on the wall charts.....even the dreaded payment dates. It's a horrible job that I've been putting off since the middle of February, but it's time to face up to it. It's going to take my favourite album, a cup of tea and a cake to get me through it!.....well that's my excuse anyway ;)

Lyndsay xxx

New Tealights!

We finally got the new Strawberry Tealights finished and ready to buy online! I uploaded them last week, and meant to blog about them, but things got a bit crazy, and I never got round to it.

Anyway, they went down a treat at our craft fair in Derby last week, and were a very popular Mother's Day gift along with the Teacup Candles, and my personal favourites, the Little T'woos.

As you can see from the picture, we had them in loads of different colour combinations, and it's my aim this week to get these options onto the website. All of the ones that you can see in the photograph found their way to a new home, but there will be more who need re-homing very shortly!

That's all for now, as my dinner is calling...yum yum

Lyndsay xxx

Little T'woos

After adding our Little T'woos to the website, we've started getting the orders in! With any colour combinations of your choice available, I thought I would post this photograph that was sent to us by a happy customer. Her Little T'woo, now named Oscar, is happily hanging on the TV cabinet and enjoying being part of his new family. The brief was for lime greens, browns and a little bit of red to match her colour scheme, and this was how he turned out....... So cute, I think I might have to make another one for the stall! Don't forget to let us know if you would like to order one for yourself, now I've started making them, I just can't stop! Easter chicks will be added to the website in the next couple of days too, I just need to get the photies done. Speak to you soon Linz x

Little T'woos!

I've just finished the first of our new family members......meet our Little T'woo!

I'm already halfway through her brothers and sisters, but I couldn't resist doing the introductions now....I love them (even if I do say so myself!)

We are taking bespoke orders for these now in whatever colours you would like. Just let us know what you want your Little T'woo to look like, and he or she will be on their way to you for hugs and a home.

Let me know what you think :)

Linz xxx

Summer smells......

Just a quick blog this week to tell you all about our scented tealights. We made them for Christmas, but they sold so well, that we thought we should carry on. We've swapped the festive gold and burgundy bags for pale blue and ivory for that light summery feel......maybe a touch of wishful thinking, but I'm going with it anyway.

The pale blue bag hold 4 floral scented tealights, and the ivory holds 4 of the warm vanilla. They are hand poured and blended, and made from eco-soy wax, so that we are doing our bit. They burn for approximately 4 hours each, and will fill a room with their gorgeous scents!

It's my Mom that makes these, and if I don't put in all the technical bits and pieces, she will just moan on and on (love you Mommy!), but at the end of the day, they really are gorgeous, and are definitely one of my favourite new products. At only £2.50 per bag, you really can't go wrong!

At this very moment a new scent is being made......a beauiful light, sweet and creamy Strawberry Buttercream. It smells good enough to eat, and takes you away to those long, lazy summer days filled with bowls of strawberries and cream with a little glass of something chilled....here I go again!

Anyway, back to reality. They are a perfect little gift for Mother's Day, and you could combine them with one of our Teacup Candles and beautiful Mother's Day cards. What Mum could resist?

Look out for the new scent online and at the craft fairs and give us your feedback. Our next fair is at Park Farm Shopping Centre in Allestree, Derby, on the 1st and 2nd of April. From that point on, the fairs really start, and all hope of rest and relaxation is gone! A full list of our Upcoming Events can be found online, so if you want to start planning how to spend your Spring weekends, take a look and give us a thought.

Speak to you all soon, and don't forget to let us know what you think of the new products, we would really appreciate your feedback :)

Linz xxx

Mother's Day......don't forget!

I've just logged in and found to my horror that it has been almost 12 months since I last updated my blog. In my defence it has been a fairly tough year, but now I'm back and am going to try and update this page every few weeks. I know you probably don't believe me, but I really am going to try!

Anyway, Mother's Day.........don't forget to get your card and pressie in plenty of time. This year, it's Sunday 3rd April, so there is plenty of time to get something really special for our lovely Mommies. It doesn't have to be expensive (especially as most of us are finding money a bit tight!), it really is the thought that counts. This year we have some gorgeous cottage hearts that are filled with either rose petals or extra aromatic lavender. These are much larger than our standard hearts, and look almost like a small cushion. They are beautiful when hung on the wall, or on a bed post......the possibilities are endless! Priced at £7.50, they won't break the bank and if you let us know in plenty of time, we can even make one specifically to a requested colour scheme for no extra cost.

Our Mother's Day cards are available online, with the 'Yummy Mummy' card being a popular choice this year. Again, all of our Mother's Day cards can be personalised, so just let us know and we'll take care of the rest!

I have spent much of the past year having various surgeries on my knee, and consequently have spent a lot of time sat on my bum. Although I haven't been working all that much, we have been thinking up new ideas. Some of these are slowly being realised, and will be making their first apearances at the fairs and online in the next few weeks. Just to give you an idea, we have beautiful little owls, fabric flower garlands that are perfect for little girl's bedrooms, and little pot pourri bags to hang in your cupboards full of zingy citrus fruits or beautiful rose buds. I will update the blog with pictures as and when they are completed, but keep your eyes peeled, as it won't be long!

Our teacup candles are available online once again, but with only one of each, you need to get in there quick! Perfect Mother's Day gifts, they are gorgeous when lit, and can be used afterwards for a lovely cup of tea. My personal favourite is the very pretty Rosebud Trio shown in the photograph. We will be adding our own scented tealights to the website in the next week or so, and together they make a lovely present. If you are interested in buying the tealights and they are not yet available online, just let us know and we can add them to your order. Available in a light floral scent, or sweet vanilla, they are made from high quality soy wax, and are presented in a beautiful little organza bag. Priced at only £2.50 for four, it would be a shame not to try them!

Our first fair of the year is at Southwell Minster next weekend (Saturday 5th March), and it would be lovely to see anyone who is in the area. Many of our new products will be there, and we are hoping for a lovely day in the most spectacular of settings. We are constantly updating our 'Upcoming Events' list at the moment, with new fairs added every week, many of them at new venues.

It's time for me to get back to sewing, but I will be writing again in a week or so, so I will speak to you all again soon.

Take care

Lyndsay x

Spring has Sprung!

Yet again I look at the date of my last blog and see that it was over a month ago. I don't know how that happens, I was sure it had only been a couple of weeks or so!

Our craft fair season was kickstarted on Good Friday with a lovely little farmer's market in Melton Mowbray at the Grange Garden Centre. I wasn't expecting much with it being so early in the year and the bad weather, but I was was pleasantly surprised. It was a well organised event, and the rain held off until the afternoon giving us the opportunity to launch our new products and to have a good natter with some lovely people.

Our new heart garlands proved to be very popluar much to my relief....it's always a bit scary when you introduce something new! They look lovely hung on old beams, on shelves or over doors, and add a subtle touch of country chic. In complete comparison, we took along our new 'Little Tweets'. These little birdies are full of character and colour, and are fantastic hung in your car or on door handles as they are filled with lavender and are a great alternative to commercial air freshners. At only £3.95, they make perfect gifts for yourself or others!

Our next craft fair is at Ragley Hall in Warwickshire on the 2nd and 3rd May. It's a garden show set in beautiful surroundings both inside and outside on the terraces of the house. One of my favourite locations, we also go back to Ragley for the Christmas fair later in the year. If you fancy a nice day out, come and have a wander round, we would love to see you there.

Our new website www.pbdriedfruit.co.uk is up and running, and proving popular for our range of rose petals and buds. With the wedding season fast approaching, it's time to get organised. Our naturally dried petals and buds are perfect for confetti and table decorations as they not only look pretty, but smell beautiful too. We will be adding to the selection over the next few months, introducing new colours and sizes, so check back to see what's new.

Today is a sewing day. I need to replace the heart garlands that we sold the weekend, and build up a nice stock for next month. With fairs every weekend, I need plenty in reserve! I also have something new in mind, and I'm going to take advantage of a quiet day to experiment. I'll let you know how I get on!

Take care

Lyndsay xxx

New website

We finally finished it, PB Dried Fruit is up and running and waiting for your orders.....please?

I'll add more info about the site at a later date, but for now we have a huge THANK YOU to say to Meg at White Ochre Design. We are absolutely thrilled with how the site looks and works, and poor Meg has had to put up with my constant changes and demands. This is the second website that Meg has designed and built for us, and we can't recommended her highly enough. She is a star!!!

We are selling a large range of loose fruits, flowers, herbs and spices, as well as a selection of useful tools and sundries. We have various willow wreaths and hearts which are ideal as a basis for your craft projects, and we'll be adding a range of pre-packaged fruit bags that will help make that even easier to do!

Take a look and see what you think!

Lyndsay x

Events!!!

I promised that I would get round to it, and finally we have this years fairs confirmed! They're all posted on our 'Upcoming Events' page, and as always, there's still more to book, but the basics are in along with a couple of new ones. Foxton Locks, and Cosford Air Show are two that we're really looking forward to, especially Cosford......I have a bit of a thing for planes and flight suits ;) I'm not sure exactly how much work I'll get done that day, but my Mom and Chris will be helping out, so I'm sure I can disappear off for a bit without anyone noticing!

The new website will be launching sometime this week. Its nearly complete now, with just the final photos and pricing to finish. It's taken three days of photographing (is that even a word??) to get it done, but it's looking good, and has definitely been worth all the hard work. As soon as it goes live, I'll be posting the links, so look out for them, and then click away to your hearts content....please!

Speak to you soon
Linz x