Housey-housey

Hello!
A very housey-housey post today as I seem to be going through something of an obsession with little houses at the moment. It is nothing new, I have loved housey imagery for a long, long time, and can't see it ever diminishing much. I just adore the heap of emotion that comes flooding in when my whirly-gig brain processes an image of a row of cute little houses.

Thinking about it now, I do seem to have many of these little passions, things that for me seem to have such a lot of feeling attached to them. Too numerous to mention, but I expect you could hazard a guess as most of these passions of mine tend to feature in my daily blogging.  It's the stuff of domestic family life, the stuff that makes me feel glad to be me, the stuff that gives me this emotional heart-skippy and happy jumpity feeling.
Pictures of little houses fall firmly into the heart-skippy category :: they make me feel safe and cosy and homely and glad for my own home life. I think that sort of explains it.

These first two images are "New Home" greeting cards that I found in my card stash a few days ago. I had quite forgotten I had bought them, I think they came from Marks and Spencers.  Of course I wouldn't dream of sending them to anyone, they will eventually become part of my big Inspiration Wall which one day I intend to create and share with you. For now, they are propped up near my sewing machine in the Attic, looking all cute and sweet, making me smile.

Its been quite a week for me, this one. After I made the stitched postcard for the Houseyversary giveaway (yes, it IS that day, but naughty me I am making you w.a.i.t), I realised that the time was right to be doing more with my skills. Making more. Sharing more. Achieving more. That I could talk about it and write about it and think about it and plan it, but really I should be getting on and actually doing it.
It was your comments and response to my little houses that have tipped the balance for me, and I cannot begin to think how to thank you. Each and every comment that came in on last Fridays post has made me so happy.
I had been pondering an Etsy shop for a while now, but had not quite had the confidence to do it. And now, thanks to you all, I think the time is right for me to give it a go. Katy, you in particular have helped make this happen for me, and I am sooperly-dooperly grateful for that.

So this week has seen me beetle about ordering supplies and materials and taking the first little baby steps towards setting-up-shop. Such fun!! As you probably know if you popped up to the Attic yesterday, I have been stitching a banner to head up my little shop :: I finished it last night, and am SO HAPPY to be sharing it with you! I think it's one of the best things I've ever made, and there is so much happiness and love and hope in every stitch.
The above image is how it was yesterday morning when I'd finished doing all the cutting and piecing and machine stitching, but before I started any of the hand embroidery. It's kind of like a lady without her makeup and jewellery on. She is there and dressed, but not yet ready for the party.

I really love how the hand embroidery brings the whole thing to life. When I'm designing a piece of work, I pretty much know from the outset how the hand embroidery is going to work. I cut little flower pots just so that I can hand stitch miniature flowers to fill them. I cut little windows which cry out for hand finished window frames.

You can click on these images to pop them up in a larger window if you like, to see the stitches. I love that you can do that, I always do it when I blog-read, I like to get right into the images and see every little last detail.

I drew the picture of the hill exactly as I see it out of my Attic Window. I had great fun stitching it whilst actually sitting in my window seat looking at the real thing (even though the real thing was/is white with snow)

And this is the finished banner. It had to measure just right to fit the rectangle needed for Etsy, so it's very long and thin, measuring 59cm x 8cm. And quite simply I love it.

But do you know what the nicest thing is about all of this? That my family also love it too. That they are proud of what I am trying to do and appreciate that I am attempting to begin working again. The Little People have been very curious to see me sit and stitch, and I have explained to them what I am doing. Little man even said to me this morning that he was very glad that I would be "starting a business", although he didn't elaborate on why exactly.

So my banner is made and hanging above my shop ready and waiting, and all I need to do now is work like the clappers and produce some colourful stitchy goodness to put on the virtual shelves. I hope that this will be in about a weeks time, depending on how clappery I can work.

Right then, finally lets stop talking Shop and start talking Gifts, shall we?
I have to be honest here and say I was/am astounded by the number of comments that have come in for this giveaway. Really, I have been bowled over by it all. It has been an absolute delight to read all your housey tales, has given me so very very much pleasure. And I think the overwhelming feeling that has come from this is how really the fabric of a place does not matter so long as there is love and happiness and warmth within the walls. That HOME matters so very much more than HOUSE. I truly wish I could make something for you all as a thankyou, but today there is just one winner.

There were 147 comments when I looked this morning.
And sorry, but I couldn't face writing out one hundred and forty seven slips of paper to put into a hat.
So instead I used the marvelous computery jiggery-pokery that is the Random Number Generator to select the number....

....and it's number 76.

Number 76, the 76th comment on my houseyversary post belongs to Tracy of Cupcakes at Home. Well done Tracy, I hope it will go some way towards brightening up your days. I'll be sending you an email to get your address, cos don't think I can put "almost as far north as you can be" on the envelope.

Incidentally, Little Lady (age 4) drew me this picture of a house and garden yesterday, specifically for my "compy-tition". That is me in the picture, wearing high heels, doing a little jig and looking quite funky.

Have a great weekend you all, see you next week
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

 

Comments

[simone]

Well done on your shop banner. Very eye catching! Congratulations to Tracy for winning the houseyversary giveaway. I like little lady's picture of you - all bright pink and smiley!

[claire]

That;'s a beautiful banner well done you. Virtual shelves, I'm doing those but then you need some actual storage for the things going on the virtual shelves! Hubby's work in progress for over the holiday. I'm paying the fiddle player in hubby's band who's a web designer to do me a webpage- in cakes!!! He'll be a fat fiddle player soon. My view had a hay lorry overturned in it today! I've never seen such tall hay lorry. artic turn a corner and then topple!!! Scary. Busy baking for leo's 5th birthday on sunday have a lovely weekend with you and yours from sunny chilly welsh wales! Clairexx

[tess]

why Lucy you are so glamourous in your pink high heels, best of luck with setting up the shop, I'm really excited to see what will be in it!

[Mariana]

Please, tell to the Little Lady that I love her picture and how she represents the way to go home!!!

[Manuela]

Wow many wonderful things i see in your blog, bye
Manuela

[Jude]

Sounds so exciting-love the banner. Have been over to Etsy to peep through the shop window, can't wait to see your stock!

[Hen]

Your banner is wonderful Lucy, sending you masses of good luck for your Etsy shop. Congrats to your lucky winner too.
Have a lovely weekend.
Hen x

[Fiona]

Firstly 'Yay to you!' I am so pleased that you have decided to give etsy a go. I'm sure you will do really well and sell lots of your lovely pictures. Secondly, congratulations to Tracy. A very deserved winner I would say given that she has a lovely new home to fill. Really looking forward to seeing what you pop in your shop. x

[Cláudia - Guarujá - São Paulo - Brasil]

Obrigada Lucy!!!
Parabéns pelos seus feitos. São muito lindos
Bom fim-de-semana!!

[Nicola]

Congratulations Tracy! I am so excited by all that is going on at Attic 24 and can't wait to see the finished shop. You are very talented Lucy and I wish you the best of luck.

Have a great weekend!

Nicola x

[Jen]

So happy for you, so sad for me that I didn't win!!